GRAY, William B.
Source:
Indianapolis Journal 12 Jan 1902 Sunday p 6
William
B. Gray, mayor of Veedersburg and known as the most eligible young bachelor in
Fountain County journeyed to the city last night with a young woman to see the
play. Between looking after his business enterprises, attending to his work as
head of the city government and performing his numerous social duties, Mayor
Gray is a very busy man. He comes from a town that enjoys the distinction of
inaugurating the street fair fad in this country. Mayor Gray shares the credit
in this direction with Editor Berry of Veedersburg’s leading newspaper. Editor
Berry, being a progressive young man, a few years ago decided that Veedersburg
ought to make more rapid progress in a commercial way so he conceived the idea
of giving a “pumpkin show.” This was an
incentive to the Fountain County farmer and Editor Berry’s scheme was a big
success. After a year or two, however, other farm products were added to the
exhibits and Veedersburg’s fame as an agricultural show town was assured. Then
there was (smudged) a street fair and it was a success. They give them every
year now and Mayor Gray says they will continue the custom. “Our street fair last fall,” said the mayor,
“was the biggest thing ever held in the state. We had no less than 8,000 people
each day!” The mayor say that
Veedersburg is a growing town and will continue to grow. The Wabash Clay
Company is the pride of the town and is really one of the pretentious concerns
of the state. The fame of Veedersburg
paving brick has gone abroad in the land. These brick are manufactured by the
Wabash Clay Company which Mayor Gray says is five times larger than any other
establishment in the state turning out a similar product. The factory runs seven days a week, he says
and the payroll for labor alone amounts to over $5,000 a month. Mayor Gray says
the town of Veedersburg is Republican in politics, although it sits in the
midst of rock-ribbed Democracy. However, the mayor has the feeling that the
Democracy without Populism in Fountain would not be successful> Ther eused
to be considerable jealousy between the towns of Veederburg and Covington, the
latter being the county seat. The Covingtonites appeared to have a premonition
that Veedersburg had designs on the county seat. Mayor Gray says the jealousy
has faded into the dim past. Veedersburg people no longer worry about the
county seat question. They have settled down to wait. They are convinced that
their town is on a boom and they think it will keep on booming until some day
there will be a case of metamorphosis in Fountain County as remarkable as those
changes that came about through Alladin and his lamp.