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Surname: BENNETT, CASTERLINE, ELWELL, HAZELTON, NOONAN, RITEZEL, VAN HOUSEN
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Hi Beth,
I have transcribed some articles regarding John Casterline, son of Ziba
and Catherine. I am not a direct descendant of the Casterline's, but many
Casterline's who were in Blackford County, IN married into the Townsend
and Saxon lines. I am a direct Townsend/Saxon descendant. Can you connect
this branch of the Casterlines to John and Ira Casterline who came to Blackford
County, IN abt 1838. I have posted many articles on the Blackford County
obit, bio, etc. boards. Maybe some of those articles will help make a connection.
If not, I hope this helps you.
Peggy Karol
This article was extracted from a History of Delaware County Indiana
Delaware Township, pg 528-529; published in 1894. Transcribed by P. Karol
3/5/2001
********************************************************
JOHN P. HALE CASTERLINE The well known and pleasant gentleman whose name
heads this sketch is the editor and proprietor of the Albany (Ind.) Journal.
Mr. Casterline was born in Union county, Ind., in the town of Liberty,
March 20, 1853, son of Dr. Ziba and Catherine (Elwell) Casterline. Dr.
Casterline was a native of Washington county, PA., a son of Ziba and Mary
Casterline, who were natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey respectively.
Dr. Ziba Casterline was educated in his native state in the excellent common
schools, and at the age of nineteen years, began teaching, which profession
he followed for one year..., then attending college, received his diploma,
and began the practice of the healing art in the village of Fairfield,
Ind., at which place he remained until the opening of the war in 1861.
At that time he entered the army as assistant surgeon of the Eighty-fourth
Indiana volunteers, for three years, after which he returned to Courtland,
Ohio, where he engaged in the practice of medicine until 1871; thence to
Liberty, Ind., where he remained for three years. While visiting his son
in Courtland, Ohio, he died March 27, 1874, and his remains were interred
at Liberty. His first wife died in 1859, having been the mother of ten
children, four of whom are living - Anna, the wife of Gen. T. W. Bennett,
a prominent politician who for twelve years was mayor of Richmond; was
appointed governor of Idaho by President Grant; and then served as delegate
to congress from Idaho for one term; William M. and attorney and real estate
dealer in California, recently elected to the legislature; Cassius M. Clay,
in the government employ at Washington, and John P. H.
Dr Casterline was a prominent abolitionist, his home in Liberty being known
as a depot for the underground railroad for runaway slaves. He was influential
in political circles, a leader of the republican party, and fraternally
was a Mason. He was also a deacon in the Presbyterian church, and it is
related of him that one of his first official acts was to whip one of his
brethren.
John P. H. Casterline was reared in Liberty until seven years of age, and
then, on account of his father going in the army, he and his mother went
to Courtland, Ohio, where he remained with his uncle Joel, and attended
school in the country until his eighteenth year, working on the farm in
the meantime. In 1870 he apprenticed himself for four years to William
Ritezel at Warren, Ohio, and remained with him until the spring of 1876,
at which time he made a trip into southern Michigan and Indiana, looking
for work. In 1887 he located in Albany, where he started the Albany Journal,
and was engaged until June, 1891 in it publication. He then removed to
Hartford City, where he started a paper known as The Arena, and organ of
F. M. B. A., which he continued for eight months, then sold and returned
to Albany, and in June 1892, he re-established the Albany Journal, which
is now generally conceded to be one of the best papers in Delaware county.
He married in Mt. Summit, Ind., September 24, 1884, to Miss. Joan Hazelton,
a native of Mt. Summit, Ind., whose parents, William and Elizabeth Hazelton,
were also natives of Indiana. By this marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Casterline
have been blessed with one child, Anna L., who is now deceased. They are
active members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and always take part
in any thing that pertains to religious work. In politics Mr. Casterline
affiliates with the republican party, and fraternally he is a Mason, and
also is a member of the Valentine lodge, K. of P., holding the office of
K. of R. and S. In his boyhood days Mr. Casterline was the advance agent
for Rev. P. R. Van Housen, the blind minister, and traveled through eastern
Ohio, north Pennsylvania and New York for five months.
Mr. Casterline has never proven recreant to the politics promulgated by
his illustrious namesake, John P. Hale, one of the earliest free-soil advocates
in the United States senate.
*****
Transcribed from the Hartford City Telegram March 31 1892
Pg. 1; col 5 This side of the paper is missing about one thirds of the
right hand side)
THE ARENA CHANGES EDIT___
The Paper Wasnt Run To Suit the ______ and Lost Money from the Sta___
Casterline Looses Everthin___
The Arena, often stated ______ farmers paper, but which in reali___ the
organ of a few chronic kicker____ disgruntled politicians has c_____ management.
John P. Cast______ tires and Wm. Noonan oraton___ rapher, essayist critic,
philosoph____ prophet mounts the tripod _____ Herculean blows to all who
____ the policy of the F. M. B. A.
It has been known for some ____ that the Arena was not paying exper___
ses, sometimes the ghost failing ___ walk for long periods, but as it ___
the usual experience with third par___ papers nothing was thought or _____
Mr. Casterline, the edotor labored ha____ for the success of the paper,
but n____ having a National Bank to supp___ him he found it impossible
to ___ bills. Last week a meeting of a ___ of bosses was held and they
d____ mined to compell Casterline to ____ down and out. He had not bee____
ning the paper with enough ___ brimstone to suit them, an_____ ing the
editor to be in poo_____stances (the case with a _____ they closed in on
him ____ the Kansas grasshoppers ____ everything to stalk. ____ done not
withstanding the fac___ Casterline was solicited to le____ iness at Albany
***********
Transcribed from the Hartford City Telegram April 7, 1892
(Pg 1; col 5)
J. P. H. Casterline was at Ft. Wayne Saturday looking after material for
the Albany
*****
- Transcribed from the Hartford City Telegram April 21, 1892
(pg 1; col 5)
Casterline Replies
ALBANY, IND., April 24, 1892
Editor TELEGRAM As the Arena opened up her batteries upon me as soon
as I was at a distance and also refused to publish my statement unless
it agrees with their own false charges, I will ask you to give me a little
space in the columns of the TELEGRAM to reply.
The charge that I collected money to which I am not entitled is false and
was known to be so by the Arena editor when he wrote subsequently to the
signing of the transfer papers by myself, , there was an agreement between
Mr. Noonan and myself that I was to return and collect for my own benefit
a small amount of accounts due the office. These accounts I collected,
with the exception of one or two, between the time of the signing of the
contract and the transfer of the office to the purchasers with the full
consent and knowledge of Mr. Noonan. After these accounts were collected
at my discretion and in the presence and with the knowledge of Mr. Noonan,
credit was given to the firms paying them upon the books of the Arena office
by Elwood Huffman, the foreman and bookkeeper of the Arena. At the time
I retained those accounts, while I was collecting them, when the credits
were given upon his books, Mr. Noonan made no protest whatever. A day or
two before I left Hartford City I called at the Arena office and asked
Mr. Noonan to correct a misstatement which he had made on the Arena. This
at first he refused to do, and then made the first protest against my collecting
the accounts, but admitted that he believed there had been some kind of
an understanding between himself and myself in regard to them. When I told
him that I would make through the Times and TELEGRAM , he asked me not
to that until he had consulted with the other stockholders of the Arena.
This I consented to do. He then made the threat that if I not turn over
the money which I had collected, or make some satisfactory settlement for
it, he would have to give me a blurt. Not wishing to have to wait in
Hartford City until there was a meeting of the stockholders on Monday morning
I called at the Arena, asked for and was given the statement I had left
there, which I destroyed in the presence of Mr. Huffman and left word for
Mr. Noonan that he could do as he pleased about making the correction.
One of those bills which I had for collection was against a society of
which Mr. Noonan is secretary , and the bill was presented to him and by
him to the society, and afterwards I held several conversations with Mr.
Noonan as to whether it had been allowed, and at no time did he offer any
protest against my collecting the account.
As to the second charge that I had retained $250 paid to me on subscription
and which I should have turned over to other parties, but had retained.
Mr. Noonan knows better than anyone else that it is false and has no foundation
in fact whatever. At the time the transfer was made, all and every claim
that Noonan et all had against me was settled, paid and accepted by them
as a full settlement of all claims against me.
Respectfully,
John P. Casterline