Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1881 — LETTER FROM 'PARR' [ARTICLE]

LETTER FROM 'PARR'

The President is convalescing ‘ najy. Kentland Gazette: Throe of the half dozen antelope recently brmighi from the West, for Mr. Kent’s park, have died. ■-. ■.»»»«?« •-<- — Thpse who are wonting in the sun dating these hot days, should place green leaves in the hat and abstain from drinking water too freely. Wood Pulp Miller, half-breed, was elected Ser ator. at Albany, to fill the vacancy occasioned by resignation of Platt. Stalwart Conkling, however, a’lll holds the fort as against ti e election of a successor to himself. Oxford Tribune: Milton. Campbell rind T. J. Pardon will enter the boot and shoe business at Rensselaer. They will hold forth in the room formerly occupied by Louis Kern as a grocery store. Remington News: Thos. Boroughs, mine host of the Newels House, In Rensselaer,, is a geni d landlord and knows how to minister to the comfort and pleasure of his guests. Clean beds and good suqare meals are the rule. Try him.

The stalwart organs derive consolation from the assertion es one Cob , Cdrkhill, a U. 8. Attorney, that the would-be assassin didirt say “I am a stalwart of the stalwarts, Arthur is President now.” But, then, who will vou :h forCorkhiil’s knowledge of the affair. Gen. Fitz John Porter was prompt to express his profound sympathy with the family of the President, as also the hope that the stricken man would recover. The nobility of the man shines forth in this as Mr., GarHeld was one of the men who unjustly condemned him. Gov. Porter has appointed Major Gordon a.prominent Indianapolis attorney, Clerk of the Supreme Court made vacant by death of Dan i Royse, An effort was made to secure the of. lice and its emoluments to the family of the dead Clerk, but.the Governor couldn’t see any advantage to himself by such action.

From all reports the army worms are doing great damage. We are informed that the surest method to head off these pests in their devastat, ing course is to plow a deep furrow at right angles to the line in which the worms are moving, cutting the sides of the furrow straight, and every red or two deep, square holes as wide as the furrow should be dug. Unable to get out of the furrow, they will work .into the pits, where they can be destroyed.

A woman named Maggie Toole was ruo over by the cars near Fowler, last Tuesday, and mangled almost beyond recognition. Unable to get out of the way, it is supposed she was trying to reach the crossing, ncai by, when, becoming confused, she fell uuder the train. She was well and favorably known in *Fdwler, astrict member of the Catholic church,and always bore an excellent character. She was an orphan dependent on her her own exertions for a livelihood.

At a Fourth of Julypic-nic in Lou isiana the game of throwing itfbbcr balls at the head of a negro as it was thrust through a hole through a canvass attracted attention through the wonderful dodging of the living target. Nobody had yet hit him,and he had grown over-confident, when a drunken fellow offered $5 for five throws with a stone. The bargain was made, and the crowd eagerly watched the dangerous sport. Three times the negro dodged the missile, but on the fourth it struck him squarely in the forehead fracturing his skull.

Kentland Gazette: While in Rensselaer, a few days ago. we met Mr. J. W. Duvall and he gave us a special invitation to call and see his new livery barn, which invitation we accepted, and found a large fine three story brick building. The basement ing fitted up for stabling with accommodations for 50 or 60 head pf hotstes, and a good well of water, with arrangements. to wash carriages tn the same apartment.,while the second or ground floor is to be used-tor carriage room, graineries, and office, with a fine business room 20 by 50 feet off the north end, and a large hall entrance to the upper story over the'offic'e and business room, Which he has nicely fitted up for his family residence, while the remainder of the upper story is used for hay. Wess, is a live business man and is one of the pioneers in the livery business in Northwestern Indiana. All persons wishing anything in his line would do well to call on him.

The Kentland Gazette of last week says: “Rensselaer is improving rapidly. ; There are a number of buildings in course of construction at present, and several more will be commenced very soop. The workmen are laying the brick on the third story of the Makeever House, which will be under roof in another week. It will be one of the finest buildings in the place, and not only do credit to the town, but also to the proprietor, Mr. John Makeever, who is sparing no time or means to make it the most convenient and desirable hotel in Renssel aer. The citizens are very sanguine that the Continental Railroad .will be built through their town in the near future. They are looking every day | /or the engineer corps who are sur-

veving and setting the grade stakes, and also getting the right of way as they go. They saytfhat the contract* is let to Rensselaer already.’ Floral Hall at the Fair Ground of the Jasper County Agricultural Soc - ety should present a more than ordinary attractive appearance this year. The Board of Directors removed the ten per cent, fee which has been charged heretofore on articles competing for the premiums in the departments devoted to garden productions, grain and seeds, truits, flowers, kitchen productions, including butter, cheese, honey, etc., every species o f 1 needlework, the products of the loom, knitting needle, etc. Besides removing this tariff they went a step further and increased the premiums to be awarded in these several divisions in some cases fifty, one hundred, and even two hundred per cent. Premi um lists for the fair of 1881 are now ready for distribution and may be obtained at the Post Office of Horace E. James, Secretary.

Canon City, Colorado, / July 14,1881. ( For The Sentinel: The Arkansas River, prior tc the Mexican war, was regarded as the frontier line between the two American Republics. In 1848 John C. Fremont, now Governor of Arizona, encamped in this Canon. We are going over to Silver Cliff i his afternson, and having an hour of leisure will drop a line We stopped at Springfield, 111., one day. The coal mines between ihtre and White Hall are a source of great profit. The vein is over eight feet thick. 350 feet below the surface, and coversan area of several hundred square miles.

Our first visit to St. Louis impress’ ed us favorably. The dash and progress of Chicago is not manifest. The trains of ears pass under the city for over one mile. Experiments are be ing made as to tire most feasible method of ventilating these railway tunnels. The public parks are mostly the result of individual munificenceThe streets are all too narrow. The three main routes of travel between St. Louis pud Kansas City make sharp competition. The Missouri Pacific passing on south side of the Missouri is the shortest. The State of Missouri is better suited for a separate nation than any of the otner StatesHer mineral, vegetable and commercial facilities are all first class. AVe noticed in Kansas,City but few men of leisure. The human race seemed there to all bestriving to win in the race for mint and cummin.— T:.e merchants take risks and seek f,r trade. The administration of th e Liquor Law in Kansas, by Gov. St. •John, is the subject of many a pun here. In Topeka, Kansas, we found the streets so wide that it requires a good voice to be heard across. This is a model inland city. The great body of land in the State of Kansas is still in nature’s garb—the abode of vast herds of eheep ( and sheep and cattle. After passing Great Bend we' saw many skeletons of the genus bovine. We were told that 1(10,000 cattle perished last winter along the Arkansas, of cold and hun ger. They escaped from the more northern ranches, and drifted with the storm until they struck the frozen river and perished. After passing Cimarron thegramma and buffalo grasses were apparently dead. The cacti alone showed signs of living verdure. At Sargerlt we noticed a village of prairie dogs and owls. Grey-hounds were pursuing jack-rabbits, and frontier appearances prevailed. The Arkansas river has very low banks and from the ears seems at times to be built on a ridge of higher level, ts this were so it would be a wise provision of nat ire to assist in irrigation*

Rains are very seldom in western Kansas, and in so much of Colorado as we have visited. We did not stop in Bent nor Pueblo counties. The ride on the narrow gauge cars along the tortuous Arkansas from North Pueblo to this place was a startling episode. We came up-grade on an ■average of 100 feet to the mile, and the track wound about to fit the snaky course of the river. We have visited the objects of interest here, and examined the system of irrigation by saehas and hydraulic rams. This art of sending rain is more certain, out not so wide-spread as heaven’s own method, in vogue in Indiana, The system of ditching here is'constructed to keep fur use the waters of the river, while in . Jasper county we are devising ways and means to export our surplus. • The premised breezy days and cool nights have not yet been discovered. The wealth of this State is in her mines.

Tais town once had a boom when placer mining had a run in the Royal Gorge and adjacent Canons. No lodes have been discovered and this city is a conservative place. Leadville and Silver Cliff seem now to be much talked about. We go from here to Silver Cliff, and may, after we reach Denver, visit Leadville. The’ houses being built here are substantial and the citizens speak.of permanent residence. The site is at once unique, and as pretty as can be found in the Valley of the Arkansas* ■The highways are all of the stair-case character, winding along canons or valleys between the foot hills. We have not yet fallen in love with tne Silver State, its climate, scenery* nor people. A longer stay may change these, our first impressions. Flies, gnats, mosquitoes, snakes, toads, and all our summer pests prevail in as high places as we have yet discovered. PARR. a