Comedian

Here we have an irreverent young person (I hope it was a young person) who ignored the tragic story in the next column in favor of exercising what he or she considered wit.


(Click on images to enlarge)
Hobart News, May 3, 1923.

(Lew Wallace Watson was about 32 years old, a military veteran, and (I believe) the son of the Dr. Joseph C. Watson who delivered, among others, Elna Hazelgreen. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.)

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In the same issue we find more sociable entertainment in another dance on the Houk farm.



The only plat map of Winfield Township I have at the moment is from 1939, and it shows two different parcels under the Houk name. I shall have to track down other plat maps to try to determine where these dances took place. I seem to remember asking Eldon Harms if he'd ever heard of this dancing farm, and he had — if my memory is correct, the dances must have gone on for a number of years.

Given that the farm's owner goes by title of Dr. Houk, I think he might be Dr. William Houk, a physician living in Crown Point, now about 47 years of age (1920 Census). Why a doctor in Crown Point would own a farm in Winfield Township and give dances there, I do not know. But it appears he grew up on a farm (1880 Census), so perhaps had a nostalgic fondness for rural amusements and the money to indulge it.

The Old Chester Spirit

When John Chester bought the pool-and-billiard room on Main Street in Hobart, he bought the business only, not the building in which it was housed. That remained the property of Mrs. Libbie Watson.

John got into some kind of dispute with his landlady. On August 24, 1915, he arrived at the pool hall to open up for business as usual — and found the front door padlocked. He must have spent some time fussing and fuming, for a good-sized crowd soon collected in Main Street to witness the fun. Eventually John decided to take the matter into his own hands: he got hold of a pair of pliers and started prying at the padlock. He had managed to yank it off the door by the time Libbie Watson showed up. Words were exchanged as Libbie tried to bar John from entering the pool hall, and somebody sent for Marshal Fred Rose.

After hearing both sides of the story, the Marshal decided to let John open up his pool hall. I expect that if I ever find the justice of the peace's docket book from 1915, I will find Libbie's suit against John soon afterwards.

But honestly, it was almost like having Henry back again. How I miss him! — and Jerome, too.


Source: "Personal and Local Mention." Hobart News 26 Aug. 1915.