BAYLESS, Abijah R - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Abijah R. Bayless died Thursday at about half past one o’clock at his home on the corner of Walnut and Spring Streets. He had been in poor health for several months, suffering from a disease of the kidneys, but had seemed to gain materially lately and was supposed to be on the high road to recovery. Thursday about 6 o’clock a.m. however, he sustained a severe stroke of paralysis. He rallied from it but at 10 o’clock he received a second stroke and from this he never rallied, growing rapidly weaker until death came. Mr. Bayless was the son of George Bayless, a soldier who fell in the War of the Rebellion, and he was born in Fountain County, near Wallace, on December 19, 1854. He grew up in the neighborhood of Wallace and Alamo and about twenty seven years ago was married to Miss Tamar Ward. She with three children, George, Effie, and Lee, survive him. One child, Maud, is dead. About twenty years ago Mr. Bayless came to Crawfordsville and started in life with a small moving wagon. He made rapid progress, however, and soon had a transfer line in operation. He was the first man in this part of the country to start a 10 cent hack line and he made a decided success of it. When he sold this business he went into straight livery and built up a reputation for square dealing that made his place very popular. He did the principal part of the business of taking picnic parties to the Shades and other resorts and was known to nearly everyone in the county. He was immensely popular with the customers and will be sadly missed for a long time to come. A year or so ago he built a fine barn on West market street and had planned to make an addition to it this spring. He was doing splendidly in his business and seemed destined ultimately to make a great success of it. He was a member of the P. O. S. of A., of the Red Men, and of the K. or P. Fewer men have a wider acquaintance than Mr. Bayless had and fewer men dying would be regretted by more people. He was whole souled and sympathetic and his unfailing good humor attracted all people to him. His death is a terrible blow to his family and they are well nigh prostrated by their sad misfortune. -s