having been a society of Friends formed in Newport, Mr. Cushman has cast his lot with the Methodists.
JAMES A. ELDER, section 3, Helt Township, is a native of Brown County, Ohio, born October 2, 1822, a son of Samuel and Mary (McCane) Elder, his father a native of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and his mother of Ireland. His grandfather, Samuel Elder, was a native of Ireland, and came to America soon after his marriage. Samuel Elder, Jr., left his native State in 1816, and moved to Brown County, Ohio, where he lived until 1832, when he moved to Vermillion County, Indiana, and settled in Helt Township where his wife died in 1852. In the summer of 1869 he went to New York to visit friends, and died there July 6, of that year. James A. Elder was reared on a farm in Vermillion County, and was educated in the log cabin schools. He has always devoted his attention to farming, and has been, as a result of economy and good management, successful, and now owns a fine farm of 423 acres where he resides, and also 143 acres in Edgar County, Illinois. He makes a specialty of stock-raising, and has some very fine graded varieties of both cattle and hogs. He takes pride in having his farm and stock equal to any in the county, and devotes his entire attention to improving his property. He takes an interest in the material welfare of the county, but prefers to leave the duties devolving on an officeholder to those who have such aspirations, his time being taken up with his own private business, although he has served three years on the board of county commissioners. Mr. Elder was married April 1, 1852, to Euphamia Sheely, daughter of George Sheely. She died the following August, and January 18, 1855, Mr. Elder married Mary, daughter of James Morgan. To them were born two children -- George and Harriet. George married Mattie Temple, and is living in Helt Township; Harriet is the wife of Oscar Gibson, of Newport. Mrs. Elder died November 10, 1862. March 26, 1864, Mr. Elder married Mrs. Julia A. Fisher, daughter of Richard Dicken, who died December 13, 1875, leaving two children -- Clara A., wife of Fisher McRoberts, and Samuel. February 1, 1877, Mr. Elder married Susan R., daughter of Adna Beach. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.
ELDRIDGE HARLAN, farmer and stock-raiser, section 17, Vermillion Township, is a native of Vermillion County, born November 30, 1840, a son of Cornelius C. and Martha (Tate) Harlan, natives of Tennessee, of English descent. His paternal ancestors came to America in an early day, four brothers coming together, two of them settling in Tennessee, one in North Carolina, and one in Kentucky. After his marriage, Cornelius Harlan came to Indiana and bought 200 acres of land in Vermillion County, and on this farm our subject was reared and early learned the lessons that have been of benefit to him since he commenced life for himself. When he started for himself he had $180, and from this beginning he has kept on until he is now one of the prosperous farmers of the township. His homestead contains 170 acres of valuable land, and his residence and farm buildings are comfortable and commodious. He has made a specialty of dealing in and raising stock, and has made a success of this enterprise. When his father located on his farm it was a tract of wild land, and the
improvements have all been made by him, and in all his labor he has been ably assisted by his estimable wife. Mr. Harlan was married in 1864, to Matilda Merriman, who was born in Vermillion County in 1838, a daughter of Manson P. and Anna (Campbell) Merriman. Mr. and Mrs. Harlan have four children -- Laura, Calla, Thomas C. and Josie B. Their two eldest daughters have taught several terms in this and Vigo counties, and are both successful and popular teachers. The eldest daughter, Laura, will graduate in the State normal in 1888. Mr. Harlan is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Lodge No. 209. In politics he is a Democrat.
JOHN BRINDLEY, farmer and stock-raiser, section 9, Vermillion Township, was born in Harrison County, Indiana, January 4, 1825, a son of George and Sarah (Blunk) Brindley, natives of Kentucky, of German descent, the father born June 20, 1800, died in 1878, and the mother born in 1806, died March 3, 1867. The parents came with their family to Vermillion County in 1828, and lived here the rest of their lives. They had a family of thirteen children, six of whom are living -- Margaret, wife of Rev. Joshua Rogers, of Decatur; John; Andrew, of Perrysville; Eli, George, and Susanna, wife of Edward Brown. They were members of the United Brethren church, and were held in high esteem by all the old settlers who shared with them the hardships and pleasures of pioneer life. John Brindley was reared in Vermillion Township, and now owns 129 acres of its best land. When he started in life for himself he was without means but by habits of industry he has acquired a good property. He was married September 3, 1846, to Sarah, daughter of John and Julia A. (Breimer) Luellen, natives of Pennsylvania, of Welsh and German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Brindley have had five children, three of whom are living -- Francis L. married Emma J. Reeder, and has three children -- Morris A., Eva A. and Luey B., Thomas E. married Charity Ratliff; Alonzo maried Lucy Merriman, and lives on the home farm. In politics Mr. Brindley is a Democrat.
MELVILLE B. CARTER, a prominent citizen of Newport, was born and reared in Highland Township, Vermillion County, a son of Absalom and Sidney (Chenoweth) Carter, who were among the pioneers of Vermillion County, coming from Ohio, their native State in an early day. The father was a man of much intelligence, and became one of the leading men in the early history of the county. He taught school at Perrysville, this county, for many years, and also held the position of justice of the peace, for some time. He subsequently removed to Baltimore, Warren County, Indiana, where he lived a considerable time, but finally returned to Perrysville, where he died, when the subject of the sketch was a boy. His wife was a daughter of John Chenoweth, an early settler of Highland Township. She died in Perrysville in 1881. They were the parents of two children -- Sylvanus, who was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, a member of Company K, Sixth Indiana Cavalry, and died at Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1863; and Melville B., the subject of this sketch. Melville B. Carter was also a soldier in the late war, enlisting in 1861 in Company B., Eleventh Indiana Infantry, and was in active service over four years. He was at the battle of For Donelson, and at the battle of