Biography of Dr. Simeon Underwood Tarney, pages 
436/437/438.  History of  DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. 
Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



Each calling or business, if honorable, has its place in 
human existence, constituting a part of the plan where by 
life's methods are pursued and man reaches his ultimate 
destiny. Emerson said that, "All are needed by each one." 
And that is as true in one avenue of life's activities as 
in another. However, the importance of a business or 
profession is in a very large measure determined by its 
beneficence or usefulness. So dependent is man upon his 
fellow men that the worth of each individual is largely 
reckoned by what he has done for humanity. There is no 
class to whom greater gratitude is due from the world at 
large than to those sympathetic, noble-minded men who have 
applied their efforts to  the alleviation of human 
suffering. There is no known standard by which their 
beneficent influence can be measured; their helpfulness is 
as broad as the universe and their power goes hand in hand 
with the wonderful laws of nature. Among this honored class 
in DeKalb county, Indiana, must be numbered him whose name 
appears at the caption of this article, who through a long 
course of years has enjoyed the respect and esteem of this 
fellow citizens, and today is numbered among the 
representative people of his county.  Simeon Underwood 
Tarney is a native son of DeKalb county, Indiana, having 
been born in Jackson township on October 16, 1838. His 
parents Samuel and Elizabeth (Wyatt) Tarney, came in 1837 
from Ohio, and entered government land in Jackson township, 
which they improved and developed into a good farm, and 
there they spent the remainder of their days. Samuel Tarney 
was a typical pioneer, strong and stalwart of body, and 
equally rugged in character, being numbered among the 
sterling class who laid here the foundations for the 
splendid prosperity which has been inherited by the present 
generation.   He as a practical millwright and successful 
farmer and was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of 
good land. Politically, Samuel Tarney was an active 
supporter of the Democratic party and satisfactorily filled 
several local offices. To him and his wife were born seven 
children, of whom one died in infancy.  The subject of this 
sketch was reared on the paternal farmstead to the 
cultivation of which he gave a hand as soon as large 
enough. His educational training was received in the common 
schools and at the age of twenty-one years he engaged in 
teaching school. Carrying on the vocation during the 
winters for about five years, working on the farm in the 
summer vacation periods. In the fall of 1865 Mr. Tarney 
engaged in the butcher business at Corunna, where he 
remained five years and then moved to Auburn, where he 
opened a shop on Main street, opposite the court house. He 
conducted a good business an remained thus engaged there 
for eighteen years, becoming well known as a man of good 
business methods and fair dealing with his patrons.  As 
early as 1884 Dr. Tarney began work as a specialist in the 
treatment of rectal diseased, and in 1888 laid aside all 
other interest in order to devote his entire time and 
attention to this practice. His attention was first turned 
particularly to this form of ailment because of his own 
sufferings from rectal trouble, for which he could secure 
no relief from methods or remedies then in use.  He then 
devoted himself to a serious study of the subject and 
finally, after a series of experiments, succeeded in 
formulating a remedy that effected a complete cure in his 
own case. Believing that he had discovered a valuable cure 
for one of the most annoying physical ailments, he then 
gave the remedy a thorough test on others until absolutely 
satisfied that he was right, and then he began placing the 
remedy before the public. The remedy is know as the 
Positive Painless Pile Cure and has had a wonderful sale, 
its beneficent effects being testified to by hundreds of 
testimonials which have voluntarily been given to the 
Doctor by those whom he has treated successfully and who 
have been helped by this wonderful remedy. The Doctor has 
been successful materially, as the result of the successful 
record of his remedy, but more to him then material success 
has been the satisfaction of knowing that he has been 
instrumental in relieving human suffering and thus 
performed a real service for humanity.  On June 17, 1860, 
Doctor Tarney was united in marriage with Caroline O. 
Castner, who was born and reared in Seneca county, Ohio. To 
this union have been born three children, namely: Laura 
Etta is the wife of Joseph Guy, of Chicago; Madison Melvin, 
who died at the age of thirty-four years,  was married, but 
left no children; Romeo Elliott spent most of his life in 
Auburn, Indiana, but is now a resident of San Jose, 
California. He has been twice married, first to Ada McNabb, 
by whom there were two children, Ralph and Ruth; his second 
wife, who was a resident of San Jose, was Edna Geach.  
Fraternally, Doctor Tarney is an active member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to the local 
lodge at Auburn, which he instituted, being at that time, 
district deputy grand master. He has been an Odd Fellow for 
forty years an still keeps closely in touch with the 
workings of the society, in which he retains a live 
interest.  Though now in his seventy-fifth year, he retains 
his physical powers to a remarkable degree, being as active 
as most men of forty years and enjoying splendid health. 
Intensely optimistic in his view of life, he is a genial 
companion at all and is well liked by all who know him. He 
owns some valuable residence and business properties in 
Auburn, including his own comfortable and attractive home, 
and is proud of a fine cottonwood tree standing in the yard 
of his home, it having, since 1876, attained a height of 
ninety feet and a circumference of over nine feet.  Doctor 
Tarney has been an eye-witness of and active participant in 
the wonderful development which has characterized this 
section of Indiana, his memory going back to the pioneer 
days when wolves howled around their log cabin home at 
night and when deer were more plentiful than sheep are now.  
The pioneer home was primitively and scantily furnished, 
and lacked many things now considered actual necessities, 
but life in those days was less exacting and in many 
respects more carefree, so that the  pioneers raised their 
children to habits of industry, persistence and economy 
which today are not emphasized as they should be. In the 
community where he has spent three-quarters of century, 
Doctor Tarney has so lived as to win and retained the 
sincere respect and confidence of the people and he is 
deservedly popular in the community, which has been honored 
by his citizenship.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com