A of the 11th Indiana Zouaves. Robert S. Foster was captain of Company A, and the regiment was commanded by Col. Lew Wallace. It was a three months' regiment and Mr. Elliott was discharged August 4, 1861. January 5, 1864, he enlisted in Company C, under Capt. David D. Negley, in the One Hundred Twenty-Fourth Indiana Infantry, the successive colonels of which were James Burgess and John H. Ohr. Mr. Elliott was in the Atlanta campaign until the fall of Atlanta and Jonesboro, and on September 1, 1864, was commissioned second lieutenant. His regiment was a part of Ruger's Brigade, Cox's Division of the Twenty-Third Army Corps, commanded by General Schofield. During the retrogressive campaign into Tennessee in pursuit of Hood's army Mr. Elliott and some of his comrades were captured near Spring Hill November 30, 1864, following the battle of Franklin. He was a prisoner of war first at Columbia, Tennessee, and after the battle of Nashville was taken with the Confederate forces to Corinth, Meridian, and finally to Montgomery, Alabama, where he had been a hotel clerk before the war. He also spent several months in the notorious prison pen at Andersonville, Georgia. He was released on parole the latter part of March, 1865, and was sent by rail through Montgomery and Selma to Meridian and then on foot to Vicksburg. While there waiting for exchange the news of the assassination of President Lincoln came. Mr. Elliott was one of the last survivors of that tremendous catastrophe wherein upwards of 2,000 Union soldiers lost their lives in the burning and sinking of the ill-fated Sultana. This was the greatest marine disaster in American annals, and it is said that only in four great battles of the Civil war were more Union men killed than in the sinking of this Mississippi steamboat. While the boat was conveying its passengers up the river, near Memphis, one of the boilers exploded April 27, 1865. Mr. Elliott made his own escape by throwing himself overboard into the icy waters of the river. He assisted others in procuring a foothold on precarious refuge of floating wreckage, and then he swam along, clad only in his underclothing, to a portion of the floating stairs of the wrecked steamer. On this he and three comrades floated down the river. Two of the men finally transferred them

selves to a large tree. The other companion was finally exhausted and Sank to a watery grave. Mr. Elliott drifted for about fourteen miles, and finally when about three miles south of Memphis was rescued by a boat sent out from a gunboat. He was carried more nearly dead than alive to the deck of the boat, was wrapped in a blanket and laid in front of the boilers near the furnace fire. Finally some Sisters of Mercy provided him with a suit of red flannel, and with a pair of trousers and a jacket given him by an officer of the gunboat he landed at Memphis. While walking barefooted and bareheaded through the streets a local merchant handed him a hat and he was provided with shoes and stockings by attendants at the Gayoso Hospital. On arriving at Indianapolis he was permitted to remain through the intervention of Governor Morton, and was mustered out of service and received his honorable discharge August 31, 1865.

In 1866 Joseph T. Elliott engaged in the abstract business at Indianapolis. For thirty-four years, until 1900, he continued this work, and his firm developed the largest business of the kind in Marion County.

In 1899 Mr. Elliott was elected president of the Marion Trust Company, and filled that office until 1904. At that date he became senior member of the firm Joseph T. Elliott & Sons, conducting a large business in stocks and bonds and other high grade securities. The firm later merged with Breed & Harrison, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and became Breed, Elliott & Harrison, and Mr. Joseph T. Elliott was vice president of the firm at the time of his death.

The late Mr. Elliott was always a stanch republican, though his name never appeared in connection with candidacy for public office. However, he was thoroughly public spirited and did much for the community in various ways. January 1, 1906, he was appointed a member of the Board of Public Works of Indianapolis and filled that office four years, part of the time as president of the board. He was a member of the Loyal Legion of George H. Thomas Post No. 17, Grand Army of the Republic. He worshiped in the Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church.

May 15, 1867, Joseph T. Elliott married Miss Annetta Langsdale. She was born in Indianapolis October 9, 1846, daughter of

Fred

One of them is Amos N. Foorman, who has lived in that vicinity over sixty years. He was born in Cass County, Indiana, January 5, 1849, son of Frederick and Sarah (Newcomer) Foorman. In the fall of 1851, when he was two years old, his parents moved to Delaware County and settled in Niles Township, buying 140 acres. At that time land could be secured in Delaware County for $1.25 per acre. erick Foorman was a man of much business enterprise and a mechanical genius. In early life he had followed the trades of millwright and carpenter, and on coming to Delaware County he erected a sawmill on his land and operated it in addition to cultivating the crops. He continued milling as long as it was possible. When he came to Delaware County there was not a single line of railroad in this vicinity of Indiana. He experienced many of the hardships and inconveniences of an era that lacked transportation. An incident of his career that might be recalled with profit is that in 1852, the year the Bellfontain Railroad, now the Big Four, was under construction through the county he sowed a crop of wheat, and when it was harvested he sold it in local markets for 372 cents a bushel. Even then he had to take half the pay in store goods. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and a stanch Douglas democrat.

Amos N. Foorman was sixth in a family of ten children, four of whom are still living. He had rather meager educational opportunities, and was only a boy when he seriously went to work to make his own way. His first experience was as butcher boy in a shop at Eaton, and for some years he dealt rather extensively in cattle and was one of the leading shippers from this vicinity. He began his farming career as owner of eighty acres, and his holdings increased until he had 600 acres of choice land in Delaware County, the value of which property today is conservatively estimated at over $100,000. Some of this land is in the corporate limits of Eaton. Mr. Foorman has kept his individual improvements apace with the rising standard of facilities in the agricultural districts of Indiana. He and his family live in a handsome home, where they enjoy practically all the conveniences and comforts of city dwellers. His house is surrounded by an ample lawn, has garden, shade trees and

practically every want supplied. In his garage is a fine motor car that enables the family to enjoy distant friends and acquaintances, and through the use of this car Mr. Foorman gains his most decided contrast with past times. There was a day not so far back in his recollection when it meant a day's journey to go and come from the county seat, whereas now he can drive to Muncie and back in a couple of hours. Mr. Foorman has used his means and opportunities to upbuild his home town, erected the principal hotel of the village, and owns considerable other improved real estate. He was one of the founders and organizers of the old Eaton glass factory, which was one of the important institutions of Eaton in the days of natural gas. He is also a large stockholder in the Farmers State Bank of Eaton.

The Foorman family have long been identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has given liberally to church causes. Mr. Foorman began voting as a democrat, but after the nomination of Horace Greeley in 1872 he changed his allegiance to the republican party and has been active in support of its principles.

His first wife was Estelle Bundy, who lived only five months after their marriage. Later he married Miss Catherine Bowsman. They had two living children, Onie Maud and Frank B. Frank now owns 240 acres and is one of the leading farmers of Niles Township.

M. V. MCGILLIARD-INDIANAPOLIS BOYS' CLUB. As an institution is but the lengthened shadow of a man, it is singularly appropriate to link the name of M. V. McGilliard with one of Indianapolis' best institutions, the Indianapolis Boys' Club. Mr. McGilliard was founder of that club, and of all the experiences and achievements of a long life surely none could furnish him more enduring satisfaction than this one work.

Mr. McGilliard has been a resident of Indianapolis for half a century. He has always been interested in church and general philanthropy, but it was one of the small incidents of every day life that turned his efforts into a new channel and brought about the founding of the Boys' Club. During the political campaign of 1891 he one day made a speech, at the request of republican headquarters, before a gather

ing of business men on Pearl Street. After the meeting adjourned he went around to the postoffice and on the way passed a small group of newsboys and bootblacks on Pennsylvania Street. He had seen the same boys or boys of their type many times before, but for some reason the sight of these street children, the condition of their clothing, their dirty feet and faces, produced such an impression that he did not shake it off throughout the entire day and the following night he remained awake for hours. After midnight he got up and sat in a chair by the window, and pon dered over the entire problem of the apparent inadequacy of schools, churches and other public organizations for doing all that was demanded in behalf of the poor and neglected, and those without normal opportunities. It was the same question that recurs again and again to every conscientious man, no matter what his affiliations or success in life, and like many others who had pondered the problem Mr. McGilliard had to confess that in spite of all his active co-operation with churches and benevolent institutions, his efforts fell far short of an ideal realization of benefits.

There finally came into his mind what he had read or heard concerning boys' clubs and newsboys' homes organized and maintained in other cities. To carry out some definite and practical plan of the same nature in Indianapolis seemed to him an urgent and a vital necessity. The next day he called an informal meeting of business men, including among others T. C. Day, E. G. Cornelius, Col. Eli Ritter and Charles E. Reynolds. They were in conference for several hours, and each man expressed a willingness to lend co-operation in the organization of a newsboys' home, provided Mr. McGilliard would take the initiative and the entire management of the enterprise, even to the furnishing and equipping of the property necessary for such a home, and looking after the personnel of the management. The meeting also commissioned him to go to Chicago and make proper investigations preparatory to carrying out the plan. Mr. McGilliard made this journey to Chicago at his own expense, and had a long interview with the president and superintendent of the Newsboys' Home in that city. While there it was recommended that he should secure as superintendent of the home at Indianapolis, pro

vided it was established, Mr. Norwood, one of the workers in the Chicago Home. After these preliminary steps and investigations, the consummation of the project at Indianapolis was not long delayed. The Boys' Home was organized, with the above named gentlemen as directors, with Mr. McGilliard as president, and with Mr. Norwood as superintendent. A large, twostory brick residence on North Alabama Street, between Ohio and New York streets, was leased for a term of years. The matron selected was Mrs. Harding of Indianapolis.

Six or eight months later Mr. McGilliard realized that his plan was not working out all the results and benefits he had expected. The vital defect seemed to be that the Home was an institution, a public charity, and its privileges of lodging, food and recreation were not being taken advantage of by those most worthy and self respecting, while the Home was being gradually filled with tramp boys from this and other cities.

About this time Mr. McGilliard met Miss Mary Dickson, who under the direction of one of the city's noble citizens, Mr. George Merritt, proprietor of the woolen mills, had formed a class of boys and was teaching them in a night school. After a series of consultations with Miss Dickson Mr. McGilliard brought about a combination of her class with his own organization, forming what was thereafter and has continued to be known as the Boys' Club of Indianapolis. In this re-organization the features of a club were emphasized and those of a home or charitable institution were eliminated as far as possible. About 100 boys went on the roll as original members of the club. Through the advice of Mr. McGilliard Miss Dickson became superintendent of the new organization. The headquarters were in a building on Court Street, very close to the place where Mr. McGilliard had stumbled over the bootblacks and newsboys and received his first inspiration to the enterprise. The first floor of this building was fitted up as a gymnasium and the second floor as a reading room, and rooms for various recreations. Some light provisions were served to the boys at about cost, but there was little or nothing to suggest the idea of charity to the participating members. The club was successful from the very start, and has since grown into an organization of which every Indianapolis