Hendricks County Republican Candidates
1892
R.J. SHAW
was born In Morgan county in 1842 and
was raised on the farm. In
1862, he enlisted in the 70th regiment, Indiana volunteers and served to the close of the
war. After the war, he opened
a store at Chiseltown with a capital of $350, saved from his pay as a soldier. In two years,
he sold out and devoted his
time to farming. In 1884, he went into the goods business in Plainfield. On account of the
death of his wife and his own
failing health, he sold his store. He has always been a faithful Republican. He is a member of
the Friends church.
GEORGE W. SCEARCE
was born in Kentucky in 1843. With
his father, he came to Indiana
in 1851 and settled on the farm where he now lives. He commenced his work for the Republican
party in 1856 when he was a
member of a Fremont glee club. He entered
the Union army in 1861, as a member
of the 51st regiment Indiana
volunteers and participated in all the engagements of the regiment. He was captured with
General Streight and was a
prisoner on Belle Island. He was wounded in the second days battle at Nashville. Returning home
after being discharged in
January '65, he has since engaged in farming. He was one of the founders of the
Hendricks County Farmer's
Insurance company and was its secretary for ten years and is now the president. Mr. Scearce, it needs
hardly be added, is a
true-blue Republican.
HARRISON T. SWINDLER
He was born in Kentucky in 1818 and
came to Indiana in 1835 when
he was seventeen years of age. He has lived here ever since, having been a resident of
Belleville for fifty years. The
last few years he has lived in Danville.
W.B. WILSON
was born in Jennings county, Indiana,
in 1839 where he lived until
he enlisted in the 19lh regiment Indiana volunteers in July 1861. With that regiment he served
three and one-half years and
was in its fiercest fights. He was wounded three
time - at Antietam, Gettysburg and
Petersburg - and, today,
carries a rebel ball in his chest. Returning home in 1865, he was elected sheriff of his county two
terms. In 1881, he came to
this county, settling in Washington township. In 1885 he
moved to Union township where he has
since lived. Captain Wilson,
as he is frequently called, has the highest esteem of his neighbors. That he is a good
Republican goes without the
saying.
WILLIAM B. BARTON
was born the year of the famous
Fremont campaign, 1856. He has
always lived in the place of his birth - Danville, with the exception of three years spent on a farm.
For ten years he was a drayman
in Danville and was, for several years, boss of a crew on the railroad. He also served as
Deputy Sheriff with Sheriffs
Bryant and Marshall. He is now a laborer. Mr. Barton is an enterprising young man and has been
a Republican worker in several
campaigns back. Mr. Barton Is well
acquainted over the county.
M.C ROGERS
was born in Liberty township in 1848.
He has always lived in
Hendricks county, being now a resident of Clay township where he has lived for eighteen years.
For four years he taught
school. Mr. Rogers is a candidate for the office of county assessor and has served as
assessor of Clay township.
O. M. WALKER
was born in Eel River township July
4, 1853. When the war began,
he was old enough to drum and was known as the drummer-boy of Hendricks county. His
father, David Walker, was a
member of the 7,h regiment Indiana volunteers. In 1864 he was captured and after being confined
in Andersonville was taken to
Florence where he died. Mr. Walker was thus left fatherless. He Is a farmer and has always
been except for a few years
when he worked at the carpenter's trade. He is an enterprising young Republican.
HENRY L. ADAMS
was born in Eel River township in
1850. His home has always been
in this county excepting about eight years when he lived in Boone county and in Iowa. For several
years past he has lived in
Danville where he is one of the most respected
citizens. He Is a life-long
Republican and 1890 made a very
creditable race for Sheriff, being second. He is of good Republican stock, two of his brothers
having died In the army. He is
an honest, upright man and is a member of the
Methodist church.
JOHN R. HADLEY
was born near Friendswood in 1865 of
Quaker parentage and he is the
son of Atlas and Elizabeth Hadley. After leaving the common schools he finished his education
at Earlham college. IIl health
took him to the west where he was with the United States surveying corps. He has been a
successful teacher in this
county and was principal of the Fairfield school. He was admitted to the bar In May 1889. Mr.
Hadley Is president of the
Danville Lincoln League. He is an ardent Republican and has reasons for his faith.
DANDRIDGE TUCKER
was born in Kentucky March 3, 1827
and in 1834 came to Indiana
with his parents and settled in Eel River township where he lived for fifty two years,
coming to Danville In 1886
where he has since lived. He was a progressive farmer and
leading citizen of his township.
During the war he was
continually threatened by the Knights of the Golden Circle and he did work that can never be appreciated
in keeping down the rebels at
home. He has always been a straight, consistent
Republican.
HARLAN HADLEY
was born in Hendricks county, which
he now seeks to represent in
the legislature, in 1829. He was raised on a farm and farming has been his principal
business through life. He
participated in the first organization of the Republican party in
this county and has been a straight
Republican ever since. He has
always been an active political worker and has given of his time and means to the party and has
never asked for an office. He
has managed his own affairs successfully and with good judgment.
JAMES W. HAMRICK
was born in Danville In 1838. While a
boy his father, William F.
Hamrlck moved to Marion township where our subject lived until he enlisted under the first call
for troops. He was not
accepted but in July '61 the company was reorganized in the
21st Indiana with Mr. Hamrick as
First Lieutenant. This
regiment immediately entered into active and severe service. In '62 Lieut. Hamrick was made Captain
Hamrick. He was afterwards
honorably discharged on account of physical
disability but not before he had been
recommended for promotion to
Major. After his discharge he farmed until about three years ago when he became a hardware
merchant in Danville. He has
been a Republican since the organization of
the party and has always been
considered one of the strong
men of the party.
JOHN MATTERN
was born in Marion county near
Bridgeport In 1846. When he
was six years of age his parents moved to Hendricks county where the subject of this sketch has
since lived. When the war
began, he was too young to go with the first troops but at the age of sixteen he enlisted in the
124th regiment, Indiana
volunteers and served two years. Mr. Mattern is a leading farmer and Republican of Guilford
township and is well and
popular known over the county. He is a member of the
Friends church.
P.M. PIERSOL
was born in Boone county in 1864. His
parents both died in 1870 when
our subject was but a small boy. He came to Danville to live with Samuel Craddick
with whom he lived until 1882
attending the public schools. In that year both Mr. and
Mrs. Craddick died and Mr. Piersol
was left alone in the world.
He faced the world manfully and worked at the carpenter's trade in the summer and attended the
C.N.C. In the winter from
which institution he graduated in the commercial course. About this time he lost all his personal
property by fire and soon
afterwards he entered the treasurer's office as deputy under Rodney Jeger. With the exception of
one year he has been in the
office since and has thus become acquainted with all the details of the office. He is an
enthusiastic young Republican
and was treasurer of the central committee two years ago.
AMOS HOAK
was bom in Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania, in 1831. In
1854, he left the place of his birth and came to Ohio where he lived until 1860 when he came to Middle
township, this county, where
he has since lived. Mr. Hoak has served one
term as commissioner successfully. He
stands well In his community
and is very genial and pleasant and a good Republican, withal.
JAMES N. BOURNE
is a native Hoosier, bom in Putnam
county in 1847. His patriotism
was aroused while he was yet a boy and at the age of sixteen he entered the Union army as a
volunteer in the 27th
regiment. He campaigned with that regiment three
years. In 1875, he came to Hendricks
county where he has since
lived. He is now postmaster at Coatesville and is a Republican worker. Mr. Bourne makes
friends and is genial and
pleasant.
JOHN M. NEAT
was bom in Tennessee in 1858. His
parents were forced to leave
that state on account of the bitter persecutions they suffered because of their loyalty. So in
1861 they came to Hendricks
county. Mr. Neat is a farmer. He is a sound and
willing Republican and has held no
office except that of
constable of Clay township which he now fills.
JOSIAH W. M'DANIEL
was born in Jefferson county,
Kentucky, in 1833. He came to
Indiana in 1837 with his parents and settled in Ohio county. In 1860, he came to Hendricks county and
is today a respected citizen
of Middle township. He was a soldier in the
54 and 124th regiments, Indiana
volunteers. He is a stalwart
Republican.
THOMPSON HENRY
was born in Montgomery county,
Indiana, in 1839. He came to
Hendricks county when he was five years of age with his parents. When he was ten years old, his
father died and being the
oldest child, he was the main assistant of his
mother to raise the family of five
children. Many a night he read
by a hickory-bark fire in that cabin in the woods. In '59-60 he attended the Danville Academy. He
taught school five years
before and after the war. He enlisted in the 55th
regiment Indiana volunteers and was
wounded and captured at
Richmond, Ky., In '62. He was paroled In a few weeks and discharged Oct. 25. He again enlisted in
the 3rd Indiana Cavalry and
served until discharged July 20, 1865. He is a farmer and no one stands higher in his
community than Thompson Henry.
JOHN W. WHYTE
was bom In Scotland in 1846. He came
to the United States while an
infant and as his parents died while he was young, he had no home after he was ten years of
age until he made one by
untiring industry. He came to this county in 1866 where he has lived since with the
exception of about eighteen
months. He was a bound boy when the war opened but volunteered when he was seventeen years
of age but was refused on
account of his age. He volunteered again as soon as he was accepted and served until
honorably discharged. He is a
successful and industrious farmer and a good Republican.
H.H. WEAVER
was bom north of Pittsboro and has
always lived in this county.
After graduating from the common schools, he attended the Central Normal College where
he was a popular student. He
finished his education at Butler University. He was a successful teacher, and has been
for several years engaged in
the mercantile business at Pittsboro. Mr. Weaver was the Captain of the Pittsboro Camp
S.O.V. for two years and was
also on Colonel Harvey's staff. He is greatly interested in church affairs, being
especially prominent in Sunday
school and Y.P.S.C.E. work. He is one of the young progressive Republicans of the county.
WILLIAM CLINE
was born in Morgan county in 1834.
When five years of age, he
came to Danville with his father. He worked in the old woolen mill and attended the Danville
Seminary until the mill was
burned. He then went to Iowa where he became a pilot on the Mississippi river. Returning to
Indiana he joined with his
father in running a saw-mill at Greencastle. He then returned to Hendricks county and bought
the Stilesvllle Woolen Mills.
In 1864, he moved to Clayton to take charge of the Clayton Woolen Mills. He afterwards
engaged in the mercantile
business at Clayton. Since 1873, he has been engaged as real estate agent, inventor
and lawyer. He was admitted to
the bar during Judge Adams' term. He has been a Republican since the days of Fremont,
casting his first vote for the
Path-finder.
WALTER D. ELROD
Coatesvilie was the birth place of
Mr. Elrod in 1864. His early
days were spent on his father's farm until he entered the State University at Bloomington. After
spending some eighteen months
in South Dakota, he returned to Hendricks County in 1888. For the last three years
he has been a successful
teacher in the schools of this county. Mr. Elrod has read law and was admitted to the bar in
November. He expects to
practice law. Mr. Elrod comes of thoroughbred Republican stock and is himself one of
the young Republicans of the
county.
A.C. BEADLE
is a New Yorker, being born in
Chenango county in 1830. He
lived there until 1857 when he moved to Putnam county where he lived for twenty-five years when
in 1882 he moved to Liberty
township, Hendricks county where he has since lived. Mr. Beadle was in the 148th
regiment Indiana volunteers.
He is an earnest Republican and combines Yankee thrift with genial manners and a pleasant
address.
DANIEL F. HILL
was born in Hendricks county in 1839
where he has since lived with
the exception of the years from 1857 to 1866 when he was in college at Wabash college and
in the army. In 1861 he
enlisted in the 11th regiment Indiana volunteers and was discharged in 1865 as a captain in the
148th regiment Indiana
volunteers. Returning to the county in 1866, he engaged in the mercantile business and was
postmaster and station agent
at Pittsboro. He was admitted to the bar in 1869. Since 1888, he has devoted his entire time and
attention to the practice. Mr.
Hill is an enthusiastic Republican and a party worker.
GILBERT D. M'CLAIN
has always lived in Washington
township, being bom there
April 14th, 1838. His father died in 1856 and left to the care of our subject a mother and a large
family of children. He
remained at home until August 1862 when he enlisted in the 79 regiment Indiana volunteers and served
until June, 1865. He was in
all the numerous engagements of his regiment and was wounded at Atlanta. Mr. McCain is a
prominent farmer, respected
and standing high with his neighbors. He is a lifelong Republican, casting his first
vote for Lincoln.
A.J. COSNER
was bom In Stilesville in 1850.
Living in Stilesville until he
was seven years of age he moved with his parents to Coatesvilie where they lived until 1865.
They then moved to a farm in
Franklin township whence they moved to Danville. In 1873 Mr. Cosner moved to Amo where he
has since resided. Mr. Cosner
is a black-smith by trade and is a skilled mechanic. For nearly twenty years he has
been a substantial citizen of
Clay township, highly esteemed by all. He has always been a worker for the grand old
party and has done it much
good service.
CASH C. HADLEY
was bom In Washington township In
1860. His early days were
spent on the farm and he was educated in the Danville High School, Central Normal College and
Butler University. In the
spring of '82 he entered Judge Hadley's office and
continued to read law in the summer
and teach school in the winter
and in 1886 graduated from the DePauw School of Law and was admitted to the bar. In the fall
of '86 he located in western
Kansas where he remained until 1888 when the depression there caused him to return to
Danville where he formed a
partnership with T.J. Cofer. Mr. Hadley Is a progressive Republican and has the vim
and force characteristic of
young men.
W.C. CLEMENTS
is a native of Putnam county being
born Oct. 7tn, 1844. When Mr.
Clements was quite young, his parents moved to Center township, Hendricks county, where he
attended the common schools
and the Danville Academy. On his seventeenth birthday he enlisted in the 51st regiment
Indiana volunteers and served
four years and four months. After his marriage in 1867, he lived four years in Putnam
county, when he came to this
county where he has since lived. Two years ago he was elected sheriff and has been an efficient
officer. He has always been a
Republican and a hard worker for his party.
WILLIAM LEWIS. JR.
is the only candidate for the office
of commissioner of his
district. He was bom in Tennessee in 1851. His parents were loyal, having four sons in the Union army
although they were members of
the Friends church. Mr. Lewis came to Indiana in 1865 and to Hendricks county in 1871. He
worked on the farm when a boy
and attended the common schools and afterwards attended Spiceland Academy and
Business College. He was in
the railway mail service three years and was
seriously injured in a wreck. Since
1884 he has been engaged in
the hardware business at Plainfield. Being an active business man, he believes the county
business should be managed as
carefully as private business. In the short time
he has been in office he has won much
praise by his careful attention to all the details of the business of
his office. In speaking of him the Gazette says, "Mr. Lewis, even if he
is a Republican, has made a good official records. In fact he has the
reputation of being a kind of Holman on the Board." Mr. Lewis is an
earnest, sincere Republican and is the only Republican candidate who is
absolutely sure of the nomination.
JOSHUA HUNT
was born in this county in 1855. His
education was begun in the common schools and was finished In Earlham
college from which he graduated In 1882. He has taught school three
years and when not teaching, was engaged in farming. He was elected
county surveyor in 1890 and has been a very acceptable officer. He is a
life-long Republican.
R.C. WILLS
was bom in Liberty township, July 31,
1842, and for twenty years lived on the farm. In the spring of '62 he
enlisted in the 54th regiment Indiana volunteers. He afterwards
enlisted in the 148th regiment and served to the end of the war. For
many years he has lived in Danville and is popular and well known. He
is a lifelong Republican and has done much good for the party.
JOHN W. TROTTER
the last candidate to announce, was
born In Eel River township in 1861. He lived on the farm until he was
eighteen years of age when he began to teach. In 1886 he moved to
Danville. He has served two terms as county surveyor and was an
acceptable officer. Since his term expired he has been teaching school.
A few weeks ago he, with a partner embarked in the grocery business in
Danville. He is an active young Republican.
[Transcriber's note: These
biographies of Republican candidates for Hendricks County offices appeared in The
Republican, Danville, Ind.,
March 24, 1892.)
