The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-03-17
ISAAC JULIAN ON THE centennial
People Richmond for Their Lack of interested Word to
Say About Failure to Keep Records OF City.

was started in your city about a year
ago, looking to a suitable commemor-
alton of the centennial OF Wayne
county and the upper Whitewater val
ley, including Richmond, was abortlVe
flat failure. With the partial ex-
of Dalbey & Son, nothing planned for
that campaign was perfected. 1T
opened with considerable flourish OF
trumpets and deal of pointless pa
Iaver, indicating an almost entire lack
of comprehension of the Importance
and dignity of the occasion Thus
things drifted for time, till it began
TO dawn on your city authorities the
money would be needed to carry out
the program-a discovery fatal to last
years scene It was announced that
q state law was pending, or anticipat
ed forbidding appropriations for such
a purpose. | am not sure, but it was
argued that such ominous- state law
would nullify even voluntary subscrip
tions for such a purpose. However
that may be, the bottom of the entire
enterprise. so to speak, at once fell
out. and by general consent the cen
tennial and all it's incidents went over
a la the Worlds Fair at Chicago, till
1907.
Disappointed Expectations of Year
Ago.
think ii will be interesting here to
recall some of the ideas and plans
which were entertained in this con-
nection in the beginning. / will ac-
cordingly introduce some passages
from an article written by myself in
February, 1906. which from various
causes. not necessary to mention, has
never been submitted for publication:
Although for S great length OF
time and distance a nonresident OF
my natl, . county and state, | venture
to say that thee is not another person
who felt a more lively interest in the
announcement Of the approaching cen
tennial of the settlement of Wayne
county and the upper Whitewater val
ley than my humble self And what
wonder? Thei my graadparents. m
cfes and aunts on both sides of the
house were prominent among the ear
Hest settlers. There my father and
mother, both natives of Randolph
county, North Carolina. became ac
quainted and were married by Richard
Rue. March % 1909. There my broth
ers and sisters. of whom am the sole
survivor. and myself We're born, all
save the eldest in the Twelve Mile
Purchase, and all, with one execution
grew up to manhood and Wona1ocod
There the greater part Of my life has
been passed. There, at my plctfer'S
knee, and later from atller relatives
and their contemporaries lis. eaed
with rapt interest to their recitals of
the incidents of pioneer life As is
known to not a few persons many of
the incidents thus obtained I have
communicated to the press of Indiana
since. impelled by an imperative sense
of duty, l departed from her borders,
now nearly thirty-three years ago I
very much doubt if there is another
instance of a native of Wayne county
who has resided beyond her limits so
long and so far. who has kept in so
close touch with people and things
there. Nor have | failed in faithful
ness to the leading principles of my
Observation-Disclosures of the oIden
time-nor, though there have been
sinister whisperings to the contrary,
some of which have come TO my
knowledge. TO the democracy of Jeffer-
son. and the republicanism of Lincoln.
Having such antecedents and convic-
tons, I feel moved and competent,
IN
hand in the proper commemoration OF
the centennial above specified
An editorial in the Sun-Telegram
of February II attracted my atten-
ton at the time of its publication be-
cause of its various proper and timely
suggestions with regard to the OBJ
servance of the centennial, and even
more by its mistakes and shortcom-
ings. The latter are not surprising in
view of the wondrous indifference
which has heretofore been shown by
the community of which Richmond is
the center to its beginnings and ante
cedents. To illustrate. about a year
ago last fall L found it expedient to
effect a clearance of a considerable
accumulation of old newspapers which
| found in my possession during
many years. all relating to the White
water Valley and the great majority
to Wayne county. To begin with, there
is the Richmond Intelligencer. March
to September. 1922; the Public Ledg-
er of the same place, March 1925 TO
April 1926. all in one volume. sub
stantally bound in Cloth" alias tow
linen. Soon after | began the publica-
ton of a newspaper at Centeryille in
1858. said volume was presented to
me by the teacher of the first school
! ever regularly attended. it being
then known as the Charles Canaday
school. near Greensboro, on the road
leading down the valley a mile or so
10 its intersection with the old State |
road, work on the National road not
having progressed thus far at that
time. James Osborn, the teacher, was
A son of Charles Osborn, we'll known |
as a minister of the Society of Friends |
and better known at the present day /
as perhaps the earliest apostIe of the /