BITTLES, Racer - Putnam

Raser Bittles was born near Waterford, Erie county,. Pennsylvania, October 6, 1857. He is the scion of an excellent ancestry, many representatives of which figured more or less Conspicuously in public and business life in the Emerald Isle. His father, Thomas Bittles, was born in the county of Armagh, near Belfast, Ireland, and there grew to maturity and was educated. He joined the tide of emigration setting in strongly for the United States in 185o, and selected as his location Waterford, Pennsylvania. He devoted his life to agricultural pursuits in that vicinity; establishing a good home there, winning the honor and confidence of all his neighbors, and spent the remaining years of his life very comfortably, passing to his eternal rest in 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-three years, his birth having occurred in 1815. He was of strong religious convictions, having been a member of the Presbyterian church. Thomas Bittles married Jane Matchett, a native of county Armagh, Ireland, where she grew to maturity and where they were married. This union resulted in the birth of seven children, namely ; Mrs. Maggie Reynolds, of Springboro, Crawford county, Pennsylvania; where. John Wesley also lives ; Robert James is deceased-; Raser, of this sketch; Addie Jane Brown lives in Carbondale, Illinois ; William Charles lives in Westfield, New York ; Andrew Bell is a resident of Oil City, Pennsylvania. The latter was adopted by an aunt and now hears the name of Gordon. The mother of the children just enumerated passed to her rest on April 4, 1863, at the age of thirty-Seven years.- The father re-married; his second wife being Mrs. Eliza Taylor, of -Waterford, Pennsylvania, and this union resulted in the birth of three children, Allen J., of Meadville, 'Pennsylvania ; Emmett, of Albion, Pennsylvania ; Elizabeth, of Girard, Pennsylvania. The mother of these children is living at Union City, that state. Raser Bittles lived at Waterford, Pennsylvania, until he was seventeen years of age. He received his schooling in the public schools there, receiving a very serviceable education, which has later in life been greatly supplemented by miscellaneous reading and contact with the business world. He began life by farming, and after four years at hard work in the fields he began working in a factory as a common laborer, which he continued for two years or until he had learned the mechanical part of the work; this was in the handle factory of A. L. Clark & Son, in which factory he worked as a mechanic for a period of fourteen years, thoroughly mastering the business in the meantime. In 1895 he went in business for himself, having come west to Putnam county, Indiana, establishing the Roachdale Handle Company, which he conducted there for a period of eight years, building up a very extensive patronage, so that he sought a larger field and better shipping facilities, moving to Greencastle in 1903. Here he carries on his business under the individual name, R. Bittles, having purchased the balance of the stock owned by A. J. Brake. His business has continued to grow until it has reached remote parts of the country, his factory being equipped with all modern appliances where twenty skilled workmen are constantly employed, making D handles for shovels and spades. Only high class work is turned out and the best of material used, and the result of this conscientious, straightforward and honest manner of conducting his business has been the large rewards that always come as the sequel to rightly applied energy. Mr. Bittles is a self-made man and is deserving of the large success that has attended his efforts. The chapter bearing on the domestic life of Raser Bittles dates from October 31, 1883, when he married Susie M. Hollingshead, the representative of an honored and influential family of Dunkirk, Indiana, the daughter of Thomas and Prudence (Peck) Hollingshead, the father a native of Delaware county, Indiana, and the mother of Blackford county, this state. Mr. Hollings- head was a farmer and lived in Delaware county until his death in January, 1872, at the early age of thirty-three years, having been born in 1839. He was a Mason ; his parents came from Greene county, Ohio, reaching Indiana about 1836. The mother of Mrs. Bittles was born February 27, 1842, and her parents came from Ohio in 1838. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hollingshead, one dying in infancy; James H. lives in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Where he is engaged in the manufacture of handles. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bittles, named as follows  Alta, born September io, 1884; Frank, born February 20, 1887; Claire, born August 5, 1892 Mary, born May 14, 1895 ; James, born October 6, 1897. They are all living at home at this writing. Alta graduated from DePauw University in 1907, and Frank is a senior in that institution, and graduates with the class of 191o. Claire is a freshman in DePauw, Mary and James are in the graded schools. Mr. and Mrs. Bittles and their three oldest children are members of the College Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, Mrs. Bittles is an active worker in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of this congregation. Fraternally Mr. Bittles is a Mason, belonging to Temple Lodge, No. 47, having joined this fraternity in 1881. He is also a member of Greencastle Chapter, No. 22, Royal Arch Masons, and Greencastle Commandery, No. II, Knights Templar. Politically he is a Republican and he has long taken more or less interest in public affairs. At the present time is is a member of the city council of Greencastle. Mr. Bittles has a fine home on Eash Washington street, which is known to a large circle of friends as a place where genuine hospitality and good cheer ever prevail.