10 
Indiana University Studies 
words by those who could not compete on equal terms with 
their neig'hbors. 
A part of the criminal element in the county was attracted 
to these districts which in the earlier days of the county’s 
history were more or less free from interference of the law. 
One part of the county became famous as harboring horse 
thieves; along Mill Creek a counterfeiter’s den existed for 
quite a while without detection ; and it was in these hills that 
the ‘"White-Cap” organization so notorious thruout the state 
began its existence. 
Practically all this lawless element is of the oldest stock 
in the county. The more recent undesirables to arrive have 
been attracted by the cheap labor given by the quarries and 
mills, and as yet very few of them have penetrated the rural 
portion of the county. 
Among this same rough element religious fanaticism has 
run rampant. Emotional sects such as Holy Rollers, Shakers, 
etc., have found a great following among the unstable, and 
most unreasonable beliefs and religions have sprung up in 
this fertile soil. This point will be further discussed below. 
As before stated, the outer fringe of the county, especially 
the eastern portion, is extremely rough and broken. In Town- 
ship 12 the Knob formation is especially noticeable. There the 
high, round hills lying in chains and ridges are separated by 
deep narrow valleys thru which rush swiftly flowing streams. 
The tops are for the most part heavily wooded, and until 
recently all of them were covered with trees and bushes which 
had never been disturbed. Where these steep slopes have been 
denuded, the soil is rapidly washing away, leaving barren, 
gullied waste land. Much of the smaller timber is now being 
cut by the shiftless inhabitants who cut ties for the railroad 
when it is absolutely necessary for them to work. 
The inhabitants of this district call themselves farmers, 
when as a fact there is very little farmable land in the town- 
ship. The soil on the hills is too poor to raise much, and the 
valleys are too narrow. It has been suggested that fruit- 
growing might be profitable, but no one has tried it. Even 
if orchards were planted at the present time there is almost 
no way of reaching a shipping-point. There is not a mile 
of stone road in the township and the mud roads are im- 
passable for a great part of the year. They run up and down 
