The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-03-15

oE IoT oAAI1ON.
lumbus man, means that the exact cen
ter is five miles southwest CT Colum.
bus, in Henry Marr's barnyard.'
Henry Mari, farmer, thus enjoys the
distinction of being the center man of
the United States. He bears his honors
modestly, but takes pride in pointing
out to visitors the spot which has
drawn so much attention to him. He is
a son Of James Mari, a retired farmer,
who is now seventy-eight years of age.
Henry Mari himself is man past for
ty and for the last seventeen years has
resided on the farm he now occupies.
Time has dealt kindly with him, and he
has aided time by being thrifty, SO the
MARI farmhouse, which was built
few years ago at cost of $1,000, is a
model of completeness, fitted with
many modern improvements, and the
Mari farm. covering fifty acres, enjoys
the name Of being one of the best
pieces of ground in the country.
One thing that has of recent years
been material help to the center man,
as he said IN a recent interview, is the
fact that he can talk by telephone di-
rectly from his home to many Of the
principal cities of the surrounding
country, thus receiving daily the wealth
er forecasts and market reports, both
OF which are of great aid to him, the
one giving him timely advice for his
agricultural work and the other letting
him know when to sell or hold his stock
and grain. He was also a beneficiary
of the first free rural delivery route
Instituted in the country, the carrier
from the little town of Hope passing
his homestead daily.
To travellers, of course, the exact GEN.
ter Of population is an out of the way
spot, but notwithstanding this many
people from different parts of the coun-
try have paid the Mari farm visit in
order to be able to sag that they have
stood on the center"
Leaving Columbus visitors drive
south over the old state road, noted
thoroughfare in the days of the civil
war. The drive is over a typical pike,
and the tourist is rewarded en- route by
a pleasant panorama of the richest ag-
ricultural country in southern Indiana.
a sort of rich prairie land iEterspersed
with wheat and corn fields.
Before the five mile drive is COM
pleted monument is met which mott
hes the sightseer to turn to the left
and down a lane. A quarter of a mile
more and the MARI residence is reached.
Once inside the barnyard there is no
trouble III finding the center of popula-
ton, for the place is indicated by a
nat stone slab, marked 1900, at one
END OF which rises pretentious mark
er erected by an indianapolis news
paper and proclaiming the reason for
the pivotal stone on the ground, eight
cen feet from the huge red barn.
Then for the first time one realizes
that one is well paid for the trouble
OF making the trip, and an indescriba-
Die impulse nerves one to step square
II upon the stone and appreciate the
novel sensation of imagining that TO
the north of him are IS,650,O0o persons
and a like number to the south, east
and west, and that for the time being
one is the center person of this vast
population.
Should tourist arrive at the home |
stead around meal times he will likely
have an opportunity TO testify to the
merits of Mrs. Mars cookery, ana that
she is a famous cook is the unanimous
verdict of all who have been lucky
enough to enjoy the dainties she pro-
vides. All visitors are greeted in
courteous and friendly manner, and
Mr. Mari deems it no trouble to show
them all over the farm IL they desire to
inspect the environment of the .scen- /
ter
The day the slab and marker we're
erected was a gala one in the country
around the Mari home, several hun,
dred farmers and other visitors being
present when the stones were set In
place just where the center OF POM
lation will be when the next census Is
taken it is difficult to say, but it is to
pc hoped that it win be as pleasantly
as is the center Of today.
HENRY w. MILLER.