The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1949-06-30
MAPPING the
CAPITAL
With BEN HAYES

With BEN HAYES
COLUMBUS-They were talk
ing in the Legislature the other
day about protecting quail for 10
years. This prompted woman to
ask: How can you tell when a
quail is 10 years old?" This
wasn't the idea at all, but the
chairman gave her straight
faced answer: "By the date on
the BILL
That indicates summer is here,
and it's too darned hot for serious
reading. SO let's have Elmer
Siders tell about his smart dog:
His name was Buster. One day
was going downtown, so l said
to Buster, Run upstairs and get
me clean shirt. Buster went up
the stairs, but didn't come back.
waited and waited. Finally
went upstairs to see. Buster was
sitting in rocking chair, sewing
a button on my shirt"
Elmer is toolmaker at Len
nox Furnace Co., and he's full
OF whoppers. Did you know that
Sells Bros. circus originated
here? 1t began here in 1872. Peter
Sells, who became a millionaire,
raised enough money to buy ami
mails by running an auction at
Central Market.
- The Sells show, leader for
ears, wintered here. A boy from
West Virginia, Albert G. Hat
field, helped his father paint the
wagons. He became a performer
IN the circus and later formed
his own show, the Al G. Field
Minstrels.
L took off my hat and became
Field" Mr.. Hatfield used to say.
He became wealthy and built the
big country place north of the
city. VogePs Minstrels also toured
out OF Columbus. It's owner, once
wealthy, lost his roll, and today
lives modestly at Buckeye Lake.
This always has been show
town. Floyd Gooding, probably
the country's biggest carnival
operator, has his headquarters
here. This is the home town of
Warner Baxter and Elsie Janis.
The cow catcher was invented
here the first ice cream
frozen by power was made here
IA steam engine did it) :, =.
Friend street school is located on
Main street -. there is no canal
&Nanal Winchester There is
HHo alum in Alum creek-in fact,
the stream got it's name from
elm" -. The first public build
ing here was Jail (How are
those items for summer reading?)
Buster, Mr.. Sider's dog, once
fell through the ice when duck
hunting. Buster gathered sticks
to make a fire and asked Elmer
for match.
Eddie Rickenbacker grew. up
= Ferand did a lot of his auto
ling at the Old Driving Park.
worked as a mechanic at the
Columbus Firestone auto fac
It was located west of the
penitentiary. Herb Baas, official
Of the Columbus Rendering Co.,
owns a Columbus Firestone. 1t
IS 1910 model. I've ridden in it.
Originally it was purchased by
Kirkersville doctor, and for
more than 30 years it was stored
in a garage. To go up a hill, you
must drive it backwards so the
gasoline will feed.
Speaking of hills, that's an
other zany thing about Colum-
bus. The Hilltop is a large part
of the city. / was here six weeks
before / could find the Hilltop.
To me, it was just a rise in the
ground. Here, they don't know
what hills are.
A couple of early auto builders
are still living here. Ike Howard
and Tom Pickard are over 80.
hey helped build the Columbus
FireStones. Tom once made I'M
perialS. He drove one of these
cars in 1904 from Pittsburgh to
st. Louis in the famous Glidden
tour that terminated at the
Worlds Fair.
Tom drove, and Ike rode as
mechanic. There were no paved
roads. Dust, then mud, then dust
-then treacherous loose sand
kst of Indianapolis. They car
Ned a steel stake on a long rope.
The rope wound around spool
on one of the rear wheels. When
the Imperial got stuck in mud,
Ike would take the stake and
wade ahead. Ike would drive the
stake. Then Tom would wind the
car out of the mud.
Tom got the sneezings fits just
before Indianapolis. He could not
drive for sneezing. He stopped
and looked into a mirror. His
mustache was full of dust. This