The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-11
STORY OF A STOVE WAR
JUDGE BAKER WILL SETTLE THE
QUESTION OF BELLIGERENCY.
One Firm Following the Others
Agents-NOrthern Farmers Between
Two Fires of OratOry.

A battle between two stove manufacture
ing companies is being fought in the United
States District Court before Judge Baker
the action in which has not been entirely
confined to paper. The chief participants
in the actual fight have been the travelling
agents of the two companies. They have
come in contact in country districts where
they have been trying to dispose of their
wares. Pistols have been fired, horses have
run away and wagons have been wrecked,
and the side which got the worst of the
scrap is cited for contempt.
The parties to the litigation are the
Wrought Iron Range Company, of ST. Louis,
and the Economist Furnace Company, of
Marion, Ind. The Wrought Iron Range
Company was founded years ago by the
same DIR. Culver who founded the. Culver
Military Academy at Lake Maxinkuckee.
1t is now carried on by his son. They manu-
facture a range which they call the Home
Pride" The Economist Furnace Company
has been started comparatively recently at
Marion. The company calls it's range the
Home Comfort" The Wrought Iron
Range people claim that the Economist
Company has been imposing on the public
by representing that the Economist Com
pany is a branch of the st. Louis concern,
and that it is making the same range. The
similarity in the names of the ranges, 1t is
alleged has also been used as a means to
betray the innocent farmers. The other side
emphatically denies this charge. Lately the
Economist people have been operating in
northern Indiana and southern Michigan.
To meet what they called the unfair prac-
tice of their competitor. the ST. Louis COM
pany sent its agents into the same territory
to follow up the rival stove sellers. All the
agents Travelled about in wagons containing
samples OF their wares. The plan adopted
by the Wrought Iron agents was to follow
in the trail of their rivals, wait outside
while the latter were making their talk to
the prospective purchaser, and then go In
to the farmer and EXPOSE the lies' to
which he had been listening. Stove agents
are smooth takers, and among them they
manage to keep the farmers guessing
Also, they made things interesting for
themselves, and several times they mixed"
Finally the Economist people went into
court in Steuben county to enjoin the rival
factory from interfering in their business
The Wrought Iron people made the plea of
nonresidence, and the case thus came be-
fore Judge Baker of the Federal Court. He
granted a temporary restraining order
March 80, and set April p as the date Tor
both parties to appear before him and De
heard on the question of making the re-
straining order permanent.
THE BATTLE LAST WEEK.
Last week came another battle of the
stove agents, which has caused the Wrought
Iron Range Company and it's fighting sales
men to be cited for contempt of court. One
day last week two agents representing the
Economist Company set out with their
wagon to drive from Orland into Branch
county, Michigan. Two St. Louis agents
Immediately started to dog the trail. ac-
cording to custom. While yet in Orland, it
is said, the Economist agents made their
brags as to how they would Elk" the other
fellows if they could get them on a down
grade of the road. They had a heavy,
solid wagon. while that of the ST. Louis
agents was Il light affair. At last the pro-
cession reached a farmhouse in Branch
county. Michigan, which gave promise of
containing victim, and the advance guard
stopped. Then went the two Marion agents
in unto the unsuspecting farmer and re-
galed him with their duet, reciting the mer-
it's and advantages of the Home Comfort"
While they were making their Spiel' the
Wrought Iron division drove up. One of
agents dismounted. went in, and made the
duet trio. But his voice didn't chord, for
he began his customary corrections and
explanations of the others alleged false
hoods. His colleague remained outside in
about sixteen feet to the side of the road.
The war of words inside the house didn't
last long. The two Marion representatives
rushed out jumped into their heavy wagon.
whipped up their horses. and, so the
Wrought Ironers say. drove sixteen feet
out of the road in order TO strike the rival
wagon. But. at all events, they struck it,.
The Wrought Iron outfit was overturned an
axle broken, and the whole concern fell
on to the man who had remained in the
wagon. The wheels of the rival chariot go.
interlocked in the melee and the lighter one
was dragged $50 feet, horses. stoves and all.
before the other horses which were doing
the pulling could be stopped. Finally how
ever. they were stopped and the four gem
tlemen who composed, respectively. the at
lacking and the dragged parties sorted out
their Home Comforts and Home Prides 3"
while the man who had been under the Pile
of junk when il upset brushed the Michigan
soil from his clothes.
APPEAL To GOVERNOR AND COURT.
|, But all this had not happened without
causing little i'll feeling. One of the
Marion agents not satisfied with the splitting
Of Home PIides.' drew revolver and ared
4. shot. He says it was not fired 10 hit but
only 10 excite the hair on the heads Of their