Bloomington Morning World, February 16, 1900

[Ron Marquardt]

I found this article particularly interesting because in my lifetime there was nothing at Spring Cave except a siding out in the country.  Apparently around 1900 there was mail service to the small town there, and that would suggest the possibility of a depot being there too.  Again, thanks to John Butler for his research which uncovered this article.  / Ron

PS, as information, the folders where we save the newspaper articles continue to grow, and only this afternoon I typed in article number 2,200.  I probably have another 100 or so articles already saved that I still need to add, and they still continue to come in. 

Thanks to Keith Greasby, John Butler, and all the others who took the time to research and save these wonderful articles.  They provide a look at 120 years of Monon history through the eyes of those who lived it and reported it.


  February 16, 1900

  Bloomington Morning World
  Good Catch But Poor Delivery

  Yesterday as mail train No. 6 on the Monon shot through  the little town of Spring Cave a few
  miles north of Gosport, the postal clerk adjusted the catcher to receive the mail pouch from the
  crane and felt the jar, but there was no sack in the catcher, as is often the case.

  When the train reached Quincy the agent at Gosport was telegraphed to send the section hands
  in search of the missing pouch.  When the train reached Crawfordsville they received word that a
  search was made but no mail sack was found.

  Now all this conversation was heard in the telegraph offices on the line and when the train
  reached Lafayette there was a message informing them that the lost mail pouch was lying on
  the top of the first coach wrapped around the stove pipe.

[Rick Dreistadt]

Great article, Ron.  Thanks for sharing.  I'll bet we would be amazed at all of the small towns that existed back in that time period that have completely disappeared.
Rick

[Gene Remaly]

Harley--- on the Air Line
A town name or just a location ?

That was the name of a side track South of Delphi. I sure there were several locations that had location names and no town or settlement.

The lime kilns at Delphi had burned most of the available timber close  to town. The Harley family owned hundreds of acres of uncleared land South of what is now State Rd 18. A siding was built on the Monon to haul logs to Delphi.

[Ron Marquardt]

I'm sure what you say about sidings was normal back in those days Gene.  Woodyard north of Bloomington is probably another good example.  The thing about Spring Cave was the mail crane.  That would suggest a post office, which would suggest a town, which would suggest a depot.

Ron

[Joe Land]

May have been a store/post office/depot building similar to those at Smithville and Farrabee.