The Indiana State Library recently recovered an extremely rare and valuable letter written by President Ulysses S. Grant to his former Vice President Schuyler Colfax in 1873. The document was up for sale at a Pennsylvania auction house where it was discovered by the Northern Indiana Historical Society ( South Bend ) who contacted the State Library to determine the provenance of the letter.
Indiana State Library staff discovered, after examining content records for the Library’s collection of Schuyler Colfax manuscripts, that the letter was previously in its Manuscripts Collection and reported missing. They then contacted the owner of the auction house who connected them with the holder of the Grant-Colfax letter. Upon receiving documents verifying the State Library’s ownership of the document, the collector graciously donated the letter to the Library.
The letter was stolen along with other items from the Indiana State Library by Robert Bradford Murphy, who visited the Library sometime in 1962. Murphy was later apprehended in Detroit with $500,000 worth of documents he had taken from the State Library, the National Archives and other institutions. In 1963, Mrs. Hazel M. Hopper from the State Library testified at Murphy’s trial and was able to identify some of the items that were taken from the library. Many of the stolen items were returned, but the Grant-Colfax letter did not. Presumably, the letter was sold prior to Murphy’s apprehension by law enforcement officials.
The letter was written on Grant's inauguration of his second term, and it is believed to be the first correspondence between Grant and Colfax after Colfax was no longer in office after losing the Vice Presidential nomination in 1872. Colfax was elected Vice President in 1868 and served along side Grant his first term as President. In the letter, Grant invited Colfax to join him for dinner. Later correspondence indicates Colfax declined his offer.
This letter may be viewed online at the State Library’s Website.
About Schuyler Colfax:Schuyler Colfax was born in New York City on March 23, 1823 and moved with his parents to New Carlisle, Indiana in 1836. Colfax became interested in politics at an early age and was an avid newspaper reader. He was a supporter of the Whig Party, abolitionism, and the temperance movement. In 1845, Colfax scrapped together enough money to buy a local newspaper, The South Bend Free Press.
After losing his first election in 1851, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854. The next election, he ran as a Republican. Colfax served in the House of Representatives until he resigned to become vice president in 1869, and he was elected Speaker of the House in 1863. Colfax as Vice President, along side General Ulysses S. Grant who was the presidential candidate, easily won the 1868 election. However, Colfax lost the Vice Presidential election in 1872 to Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts . Wilson went on to serve as Vice President during Grant’s second term in office.
Vice President Colfax did not escape the scandals that plagued the Grant administration. In 1872, he became caught up in the Credit Mobilier Scandal, which involved railroad companies overcharging millions of dollars for government contracts and the company's directors bribing various government officials with company shares. Although Colfax was never convicted of any wrongdoing, he was not cleared either, and his political career effectively ended. After stepping down as vice president in 1873, Colfax retired and returned to Indiana . Leaving public life, he had a successful career as a public speaker. He died on January 13, 1885.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Local Favorite Takes Bronze at 2009 IPPY Awards
The Devil Can Wait (2008), the second book in the Sam Harper crime mystery series by Muncie author Marta Stephens, is one of three finalists selected to win the bronze medal in the 2009 Independent Publishers Book 13th Annual Award (IPPY).
From the Vatican to the jungles of South American, a cursed black pearl ring, the demonic prophecy it represents, and the men who pursue its powers find their unfortunate way onto Harper’s turf.
Local author Marta Stephens, a new voice in crime mystery, has gained a steadily growing readership for her gritty, complex plots and likeable protagonist, Sam Harper. The Devil Can Wait, released in November 2008, was selected as one of seven finalist from among 120 entries in the 2009 IPPY mystery/suspense/thriller category.
The Devil Can Wait, written in the traditional detective mystery style, has drawn the attention of readers and critics alike with such comments as, “Stephens’s protagonist, Sam Harper, is a genuine, somewhat imperfect, thoroughly human personality ... it is this character that breathes vivid life into the pages of her books.”
“... She (Stephens) writes with a forensic authority that makes these pages bleed with real world angst. Detective Harper is a well-realized, no-nonsense cop, a streetwise guy who refuses to give up despite the odds. When the going gets rough, everyone else has given up, an easy option looms, and the race becomes overwhelming, Harper is just getting started. He is the original it ain't over guy.” Thomas Fortenberry for Midwest Book Reviews.
About the author:
Marta Stephens resides in Indiana with her husband and two children. The first novel in her Sam Harper Crime Mystery series, Silenced Cry (2007) received honorable mention at the 2008 New York Book Festival and ranked among the top ten in the 2007 Preditors & Editors Reader Poll. The Devil Can Wait ranked top ten in the 2008 Preditors & Editors Reader Poll. Stephens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations from Ball State University (IN) where she is employed in human resources. She is a member of Sisters in Crime International, Sisters in Crime Speed City Indiana Chapter, and the Midwest Writer's Workshop. Stephens’s collective authors’ blog, Murder by 4, was selected by Writer’s Digest among the 2009 101 Best Websites for Authors. View additional reviews of her novels at www.martastephens-author.com.
From the Vatican to the jungles of South American, a cursed black pearl ring, the demonic prophecy it represents, and the men who pursue its powers find their unfortunate way onto Harper’s turf.
Local author Marta Stephens, a new voice in crime mystery, has gained a steadily growing readership for her gritty, complex plots and likeable protagonist, Sam Harper. The Devil Can Wait, released in November 2008, was selected as one of seven finalist from among 120 entries in the 2009 IPPY mystery/suspense/thriller category.
The Devil Can Wait, written in the traditional detective mystery style, has drawn the attention of readers and critics alike with such comments as, “Stephens’s protagonist, Sam Harper, is a genuine, somewhat imperfect, thoroughly human personality ... it is this character that breathes vivid life into the pages of her books.”
“... She (Stephens) writes with a forensic authority that makes these pages bleed with real world angst. Detective Harper is a well-realized, no-nonsense cop, a streetwise guy who refuses to give up despite the odds. When the going gets rough, everyone else has given up, an easy option looms, and the race becomes overwhelming, Harper is just getting started. He is the original it ain't over guy.” Thomas Fortenberry for Midwest Book Reviews.
About the author:
Marta Stephens resides in Indiana with her husband and two children. The first novel in her Sam Harper Crime Mystery series, Silenced Cry (2007) received honorable mention at the 2008 New York Book Festival and ranked among the top ten in the 2007 Preditors & Editors Reader Poll. The Devil Can Wait ranked top ten in the 2008 Preditors & Editors Reader Poll. Stephens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations from Ball State University (IN) where she is employed in human resources. She is a member of Sisters in Crime International, Sisters in Crime Speed City Indiana Chapter, and the Midwest Writer's Workshop. Stephens’s collective authors’ blog, Murder by 4, was selected by Writer’s Digest among the 2009 101 Best Websites for Authors. View additional reviews of her novels at www.martastephens-author.com.
Read and Get 10 Tokens at Chuck E. Cheese Restaurants!
Chuck E Cheese offers a reading rewards calendar! Click on the link below to print out your calendar, and record all of your reading (titles, how many pages, or how long you read) on each day for a 2-week period.
When your calendar is complete, take it to any Chuck E. Cheese Restaurant and get 10 free tokens!
Limit 1 calendar per child per visit; offer expires 12-31-09.
http://www.chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php
When your calendar is complete, take it to any Chuck E. Cheese Restaurant and get 10 free tokens!
Limit 1 calendar per child per visit; offer expires 12-31-09.
http://www.chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Book Talk : Wanted, The Hunt for Dillinger and His Stash
BOOK TALK WITH AUTHOR JASON N. YOUNG
WANTED : THE HUNT FOR DILLINGER AND HIS STASH
SATURDAY, JUNE 20th at 11:00 a.m.
FARMLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, 116 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FARMLAND INDIANA
468-7292 / WWW.FARMLANDLIBRARY.ORG
Armed with a Tommy machine gun, a crooked smile, and a gang of misfits, John H. Dillinger succeeded in planning and executing bank robberies throughout Indiana and across the country making him the richest and most notorious criminal of his time. Nicknamed “Jackrabbit” for his ability to hurdle over bank teller walls, he also escaped from impossible odds such as being surrounded by police, or being locked within the concrete and steel of a jail cell. Being pursued by the FBI for most of his adult life, he was forced to find secret hiding places for himself…and his money. Two local farm boys from Indiana are ready to clean up what Dillinger left behind. Their minds filled with local stories and folklore, they are determined to confirm suspicions that Dillinger once hid-out in the woods in which they live. They must trespass, conspire, and rely on each other to survive in their search for Dillinger’s legendary stash.
First time author Jason N. Young is a sixth grade teacher and coach at Northside Middle School in Muncie, Indiana. He enjoys fishing, gardening, sports, spending time with his dog Roxanne, and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts.
THIS BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE TO CHECK OUT AT THE LIBRARY!
WANTED : THE HUNT FOR DILLINGER AND HIS STASH
SATURDAY, JUNE 20th at 11:00 a.m.
FARMLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, 116 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FARMLAND INDIANA
468-7292 / WWW.FARMLANDLIBRARY.ORG
Armed with a Tommy machine gun, a crooked smile, and a gang of misfits, John H. Dillinger succeeded in planning and executing bank robberies throughout Indiana and across the country making him the richest and most notorious criminal of his time. Nicknamed “Jackrabbit” for his ability to hurdle over bank teller walls, he also escaped from impossible odds such as being surrounded by police, or being locked within the concrete and steel of a jail cell. Being pursued by the FBI for most of his adult life, he was forced to find secret hiding places for himself…and his money. Two local farm boys from Indiana are ready to clean up what Dillinger left behind. Their minds filled with local stories and folklore, they are determined to confirm suspicions that Dillinger once hid-out in the woods in which they live. They must trespass, conspire, and rely on each other to survive in their search for Dillinger’s legendary stash.
First time author Jason N. Young is a sixth grade teacher and coach at Northside Middle School in Muncie, Indiana. He enjoys fishing, gardening, sports, spending time with his dog Roxanne, and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts.
THIS BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE TO CHECK OUT AT THE LIBRARY!
USPS Adds Their Two Cents to Postage Stamps
Starting Monday, May 11, the US Postal Service increased its postage rates. First class stamps increased from $0.42 to $0.44. Forever stamps may also be used under the new rates, regardless of what price they were purchased at. For a complete list of the change in price, see the USPS website. Not all rates have changed – as per the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PL 109-453), mailing rates increase every May, while parcel rates increase in January.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Online information available to help us understand the flu
There have been a lot of questions about the Swine Flu lately: How is it spread? Where does it come from? Swine Flu is caused by influenza viruses that normally infect pigs. The virus causing the current influenza outbreak is not a swine flu virus, but a combination of human, swine and bird viruses. The flu virus causing the current outbreak, now called Influenza A (H1N1)/North America/Human, has adapted itself to be transmitted from person-to-person. Swine in the United States have not been and are not infected with this virus. Symptoms are similar to normal influenza symptoms: cough, fever, sore throat, and muscle aches. Others have reported runny noses, diarrhea, and vomiting. If you have these symptoms, the CDC recommends that you contact your health care provider. The CDC provides a good set of guidelines for preventing the spread of flu – or any other illness. Health care experts suggest that you stay home if you are sick, wash your hands frequently, and cover your nose and mouth when you cough and/or sneeze. Health officials have warned that this is not an epidemic. Swine flu is not transmitting all that rapidly. It is not even new – the CDC reports that it has been receiving reports every year from 1976 to 2005 about Swine Flu occurrences in the United States . It is important for the public to have access to this information from reliable resources; however, health officials warn that we should not panic.There are a number of state and federal resources that provide information on Swine Flu. They include the Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. For information related specifically to Indiana , see the State Department of Health Press Release.
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