Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1889 — Page 3

INDIANA HAPPENINGS.

EVENTS AND INCIDENTS THAT HAVE LATELY OCCURRED. An Interesting Summary of the More Important Doings of Our Neighbors—Weddings and Deaths —Crime. Casual ties and General Now* Mo tea Patents. Patents have been issued to the fol-lowing-named Indiana inventors: Jasper Ackerman, Lowell, pen; Charles E. Adamson, Muncie, apparatus for printing in imitation of type-writing; Jonas S. Aldrick, Butler, wind-mill; Chas. G. Colen, Elkhart, cornet; Kobt. C. Elliott, Prairie Creek, hame connection; John M. Fellows, Burlington, fence; Gideon Flake, assignor to T. T. Bushton, Centerville, gate; Jas. A. Graham, Fort Wayne, draft rigging for railway cars; Geo. B. Higgins, North Indianapolis, basket; John F. Lacey, Domestic, posthole boring machines; Henry G. Niles and P. Vauhuffel, Mishawaka, plow clevis; Lafayette D. Rollsback, assignor of three-fourths to A. M. De Souchet, Indianapolis; Franklin P. Spangler, Goshen, broadcast seeder; Alexander Staub, Ft. Wayne, stove-pipe thimble; Hiram B. Trout, Terre Haute, attachment for mowing machines; Jas. Weathers, Indianapolis, sash holder. Gen. Anthony Wayne’s Flag. Dr. P. G. Moore, of Wabash, is the owner of a rare centennial relic. It is an American flag which was carried by Brig.-Gen. Anthony Wayne in his expedition against the Northwestern Indians in 1792. The flag is undoubtedly 100 years old. Dr. Moore had known es the existence of the trophy for the last 20 years, and managed to secure possession of it four years ago. It was the property of Mary Dixon, of Miami County, a member of a band of Miami Indians. She inherited the flag from her mother. It was captured from Gen. Wayne by Mary Dixon’s grandfather, who was a well-known chief. The flag is in size by 5£ feet, and is made of pure home-spun linen. There are fifteen stripes, and the colors all hold remarkably well. The field is 6by 24 inches in size, and contains simply the inscription in antique capitals, put on with indelible ink, “A. Wavne, Commander-In-Chief.”

Kt-markable Subterranean Stream. A subterranean waterway has been discovered at Salamonie stone quarries, twelve miles north of Hartford City. By a system of dikes the course of the Salamonie river has been changed, and the quarries are about forty feet below the old bed of the stream. The other day the foreman discovered a stream of Water twelve feet wide and six deep, the stiff current of which was at right angles with the course of the river. The removal of the next layer of rock will completely Uncover the subteranean water course. The quarry in several places show the effects of violent volcanic action, and from the formations in the vicinity there is thought to be a cave there, of which the stream is the outlet. Five miles west there is a lake of great depth, which, it is thought, gets its supply from subterranean inlets. Badly Burned Woman. While Miss Flora Ragsdale, 19-year-old daughter of Roland Ragsdale, residing in Union Township, Johnson County, was engaged in pouring water into a kettle placed over a fire that had been built in the yard, her dress caught fire from the flames, and she was burned almost to death. Her frantic screams brought her mother to the rescue, and in tearing the clothing from her daughter the mother’s hands and arms were Burned almost to a crisp. The young lady is so seriously injured about the limbs and abdomen that her recovery is ■extremely doubtful.

Minor State Items. —The town of St. Marvs of experiencing a boom. —A saloon at Newtonville, was blown up with powder. —The city treasury of Crawfordsville contains $23,089.80. —White Cap notifications are reported from Henry and Daviess counties. —Greencastle has two miles of electric lights «in successful operation. —lt is thought that the oil well at Terre Haute, will yield one thousand barrels per day. —A strong vein of natural gas has been struck near Eden, in Hancock County, at a depth of 972 feet. —North Manchester is working to secure the location of the Roanoke United Brethren College here. Randolph County Commissioners are considering designs for a soldiers’ monument at Winchester. —Robert Titus, a prominent farmer of Shelby County, was thrown from w a buggy and dangerously hurt. —A parrot, known to have been 35 years of age, belonging to Fritz Frame, of Port Fulton, died recently. ■—The Governor has appointed TheopLilus R. Kumler, of Butler County, to be a Trustee of Miami University. —Proceedings have been begun in Columbus against parties charged with renting property for gambling purposes. Cal Todd, pf near Alamo, was bitten by a dog some three months ago, and since then he has gone insane from fear that he will die from the effects of the bite.

—Mrs. Sturgeon Watson, of Marion, and her two children were reoontly badly burned by an explosion of natural gas. —An effort is to be made to organize a Young Men’s Christian Association among the colored people of Jeffersonville. —N. J. Clodfelter, of oiawfordsville, has received about $3,000 as the royalty upon his book, “Snatched from the Pool House.” —The 3-year-old daughter of Eli Millei was burned to death at Napanee, near Goshen. Her clothes caught fire from a bonfire. —A 14-year-old son of Samuel Ayres, living near Madison, fell from a wagon last week and was crushed to death under the w heels. —A demented woman, whose husband is a convict in the Prison South, was found in the woods near Jeffersonville, almost naked and nearly starved. —Montgomery County commissioners have compromised a suit brought by Winfield Cox for damages resulting from a defective bridge, paying him SSOO. —Princeton has sunk an artesian well 2,300 feet, including 1,500 feet of solid limestone, without finding any spontaneous flow. Drilling will continue 200 feet further. —Owen County farmers have decided to boycott merchants who put up the price of binding twine, and say they will not use reapers if they have to pay an advance.

—The 9-year-old daughter of James C. Allison, of the southern part of LaPorte County, was burned to death. She was burning corn-stalks and her clothes caught fire. —Martin Skinner, sentenced at Greensburg to three years’ imprisonment for horse stealing, wanted to be married before going to the penitentiary, but his request was refused. —A corrected mistake in the figures of the judges of the interstate oratorical contest at Grinnell, la., shows that Wilkerson, of DePauw University, is entitled to the first place. —While playing a game of ball at Dundee, Richard Mcßride ran against Ezra Farr with such force that it caused rupture of the latter’s bowels. The physicians say Farr cannot live. —As proof that even fish are affected by the abundance of gas along the Ohio River, it is reported that a New Albany was seriously burned by the explosion of a codfish ball she was frying. —The Delaware County enumeration of persons between the ages of G and 21, shows an increase over last year of 656; and Muncie gains 412. The total population of Muncie and its suburbs is estimated at 14,415. —The contract for building the asylum for feeble-minded children, at Fort Wayne, has been awarded to Brooks Bros., of that city, at $111,433, and the steam heating to Stemson & Co., of Indianapolis, at SII,OOO. —Matt Hurley a one-year man from Evansville, escaped from the State Prison South last week, climbing over the wall while the guard was looking in another direction. He had only thirty days to serve yet. —As George Shafer, an employe at the Muncie Rubber Works, was running a piece of rubber through the calender, his left hand was drawn through the large rollers and mashed into a jelly. The hand was subsequently amputated at the wrist.

—J. H. Willis, a wealthy and aged farmer of Petersburg, was found dead in his field, lying on his face. The mysterious affair created no little excitement. He was not known to have an enemy in the world, and no explanation can be made if he was foully dealt with. A party of Eastern capitalists are reported to have purchased large tracks of land in Starke and Marshall counties, and will expend $75,000 exploring for natural gas. Operations will be commenced at once. Two of the wells will be located near Knox, the capital town of Starke County. —Barns belonging to Jesse Simons and John Morris, four miles east of Tipton, were burned, destroying $2,000 worth of grain and farming implements. No insurance. The buildings were set on fire. This makes the fourth barn that has been fired in that locality during the past month. , —Three students named Cook, Flynn, and Bishop, were nearly drowned at Flint Lake, north of Valparaiso. When about the middle of the lake and over very deep water, their row-boat was swamped by the waves. Flynn could not swim and Bishop and Cook had to struggle for a long time to save themselves and their comrade. —Foreman William Craig, of the slack stave factory at Seymour, met with a horrible accident. While doing some work about the main line shaft he was caught in the belt and rapidly carried around the former several times when he was thrown to the floor and his right arm was broken in two places, besides receiving other serious injuries. Frank Burns, recently sentenced at Charlestown to be hanged Aug. 8 for murder, has been received at the State Prison South and incarcerated in the “cave,” a place of solitary confinement fitted up for his reception. His execution will take place under the new Indiana law, fashioned on the Ohio idea, with some variations, the chief of whicjh is the secrecy imposed on the authorities as to all movements connected with the prisoner and the execution.

TARIFF REFORM PLANS.

MEETING OF THE ILLINOIS TARIFF REFORM LEAGUE. • Best Way of Reaching Fanners—The Venerable Dr. Davis Maps Out the Work of the Illinois League—A Strong Argument for Continuing and Pushing the Work— Officers Elected. When the first public meeting in the interest of tariff reform was held in Chicago, some time in May of last year, at Farwell Hall, there was much talk of the mugwump character of the promoters of the movement, and much more was said about the political character of the agitation. While the active doings of the tariff reform men disappeared in the excitement of last fall’s campaign, the movement was not doomed to die from political apoplexy. On the contrary, the leading men in the agitation kept bravely abreast of the time, and after the election steps were taken for a national convention, which occurred at Central Music Hall last February, and resulted in the organization osf the American Tariff Reiorm League, with David A. Wells as President. Incidental to this national organization a move was made for a local branch to be called the Illinois Tariff Reform League, which early during the present month had reached a membership of over three hundred.

It was for the purpose of effecting a permanent organization that a meeting was called at the Palmer House, Chicago, a few days ago. The attendance was not large, but it included some'of the most earnest tariff reformers in Chicago Prof. BoltwOod was called to the chair, and the meeting disposed of the routine business on hand in short order. Professor Boltwood stated in the most earnest manner that the future of the lergue depended largely, if not entirely, upon the individual efforts of the members. Each single member of the league shoald put forth his best efforts. There were several places anxious to hear from Chicago, because in this city the league was founded. The next practical work of the league would come in when the next Congressional election came off, and in the meantime the league must be perfectly clear at out the course of acton. The speaker suggested that communication be had with organizations principally interested in the question of tariff reform, such as the KDights of Labor and kindred associations.

Mr. McFadon said, in joining the views of the Chairman, that no good and effective work in the State could be expected before the league in Chicago and Cook County had at least a thousand members instead of the 350 at the present time. To work toward this end would be the chief work ol the Secretary to be selected by the Executive Committee, this Secretary to devote his entire time to the purposes of the league. He could be aided materially in his work by the individual members, each of whom should constitute himself a committee of work for the puipose of enlarging the membership. Mr. Bleike thought it might b_ well that the meeting first of all became plain ato the immediate object, whether the work should be merely educational or should be active in the direction of organizing. There were 1,100,000 voters in the State, and 550,000 were against the purposes of the Tariff Reform League. The venerable Dr. Nathan S. Davis arose at this juncture, and was enthusiastically greeted. “It is for the first time in many, many years that I have said anything at a public meeting of this kind,” he said, “though I spent over thirty years of my life fighting for a purpose which you seek to realize, and voted fifty years in this direction. I came here, out of my beaten track, because I could not refrain from giving whatever my personal sanction nmy be worth to your work. There are various ways of organizing and educating throughout this State as well as anywhere else, but in our State organization is especially required. Organization is one mode of agitating an idea; education is another. Local clubs should be a prominent feature of your work—clubs headed by determined men. No matter whether these clubs are small, be their membership but six or a dozen. Even three will do in every school district, provided these three are men who know iheir purpose. “But organization itself should have for its leading idea the education of the people in that particular locality where the organization has been effected. Our efforts here in Chicago should not cease with obtaining a thousand members. There should be at least 5,000, and I think they can be obtained. Not to-day, to be sure, but bv prompt beginning and energetic continuunce of work. If we intend to carry to success the education of the people we must get -at them at their own homes, in their own neighborhoods, their own districts. In olden times, from ’35-36 to 1860, until the American leaders of protection hod no further territory to go to and spread their pernicious doctrines, the campaigns in New York State were largely carried on in the school district. The speaker would get the farmers together in the old red school houses after the day’s work was over and talk to them in an emphatic manner. But he did not only do that—he invited discussion, and thus got every hearer personally interested. In that way the evening was spent in an animated manner, that gave the farmer something to think of behind the plow or on the barn floor for weeks to come. This was carried on until every school district in the State was leached. “We make a great mist ke by confining what we term work to big conventions. That’s all very well in a heated campaign where the purpose is to get up a hurrah, but the time to convince people and set them thinking is in periods when there is no election going on. Have at least one man, and if possible three, in every school district—men who are sound on tariff reform. Let that be the nucleus. Then get literature in the cheapest way, but of the best kind, and send it to these men in sufficient quantities that they can distribute it to their neighbors. Then, whenever the farmers gather in the fall to vie in pumpkins and fat cattle, don’t let them slip! Lecture to them, give them stirring addresses. They needn’t be partisan talk. On, the contrary, advocate only principles of tariff reform, regardless qf party. Such an address will often reach men who would fortify themselves against arguments if party were talked to them. Have a sound, strong organization here and some kind of a nucleus

everywhere. The more quietly you can work and communicate with the nucleus the better. Be always on the alert for them. We don’t care whether they know anything about us if we only know enough about them to make them amenable to sound doctrine." The remarks of this Nestor of the medical profession in America were time and again interrupted by rousing applause. Attention was called by another speaker to the necessity of reaching the farmer through his favorite paper. Judge Bangs made some humorous allusion to farmers’ characters, stating that he had lived on the farm during his early life. “I was also a Republican for longer than a lifetime,” he said. “Subsequently I got my politics from Horace Greeley and my religion—what little I have—from Beecher. While having been one of the most ardent Republicans I am now an out-and-out free trader.” This declaration evoked hearty applause. Reverting to th 3 farmer again Judge Bangs remarked that the fanner, was slow to think. Every man, more or less, hated to think. Protectionists had relieved farmers from thinking by simply coming to them with announcements. They did not overload the farmer’s brain with arguments, but simply told him that things were so, and not otherwise. In other words, the protectionists did the thinking for the farmer, and the latttr, out of gratitude for being relieved from mental work, was willing to accept as gospel truth the alleged facts given him by the protectionists.

VERY HUNGRY INDEED.

GREEDY REPUBLICANS CLAMORING FOR SPOILS. Dissatisfied witli President Harrison Because the Faithful Are Not Doing Provided For. More Promptly—Sympathy for Dudley. [Washington telegram.] The Republicans have been wont to make a jest of the Democratic appetite for office, but the fact that the widespread and fast growing dissatisfaction in the Republican party with President Harrison is partly due to his apparent slowness in dividing up the spoils shows that the Republicans are really much greedier for spoils than the Democrats were, for, slow as the President may seem to his voracious followers, it is a fact that he is making appointments more rapidly than President Cleveland did. While the special session of the Senate lasted the Republican heelers and strikers bitterjy denounced Harrison’s tardiness, and yet at the close of the medal session an actual count showed that ne had made more than twice as many appointments as President Cleveland did in the same time. A great deal was said about the rapidity with which Mr. Stevenson turned out Republican fourth-class postmasters, but Mr. Clarkson is turning out the Democratic postmusteis a great deal faster. In their haste to make appointmonts the Republican officials do not even stop to look at the papers on file. Superintendent Bell has just written to the Superintendent of Mails in Baltimore that liis resignation was accepted when he never had resigned. Of course it makes uo practical difference whether the man resigns or not, but this instance shows that the haste in making appointments is too great to allow an inspection of the pnpers to see whether a resignation ha* been offered.

And every day brings forward new evidence of the coldness of the Republican party to the President. Of course, the men in politic* who have yet much to get from the President are not talking openly nbout him. but in their private conversation thev show no affection for Harrison, and complain both of appointments not made and appointments made without consulting party leaders. Gen. Harrison has never been deemed greater than his party, but there is a growing impression that he so considers himself. Among Republican politicians there is much sympathy for Col. Dudley. The statement that he has done mor6 in the past twenty years for Gen. Harrison than any one else is believed to be partly true. Gen. Harrison was no political campaigner; he never had the art of getting the good-will of the common people, and he has been dependent on men like Dudley and Porter and New. He has given New the most profitable of all the foreign appointments, Porter one of the most agreeable of the foreign appointments, and Dudley the cold shoulder, because Dudley’s blocks-of-five letter got into print. Whatever Dudley’s political methods may have been, the Indiana Republicans laugh at the idea that the President was not fully informod of every step he took.

Although a good deal is said now, more especially in the Postoffice Department, about the preference for experienced men, it is only experienced Republicans that are wanted. Democrats who have been in the railway mail service for four years are being displaced to make room lor Republicans, many of whom were removed for the good of the service, on the ground that the latter are experienced. Postmaster General Vilas was obliged to dismiss several hundred railway mail clerks in a bunch because they had organized a secret society pledged to strike—that is to violate their oaths of office and prostrate the United States postal service if any of them were dismissed. These men who banded together to violate the law and dictate to the Postmaster General whom he should employ are among the railway clerks who are getling back into the service on the ground that they are experienced, and faithful Democratic clerks are being removed to make room for them. The gentleman who has just been appointed Chief Clerk of the Patent Office because he was experienced was removed from that office by Secretary Lemar because he had habitually certified to the correctness of the accounts of the disburing clerk when in fact the disbursing elerk was a defaulter for SII,OOO for a number of years, probably as the result of the assessment levied by Mr. Hubbell’s Committee on Clerks of the Interior Department al the time when Candidate Garfield wrote to “My Dear Hubbell and asked “how the departments were doing. ” It is said of a District Attorney out West, by a rival politician, that the only thing he ever succeeded in hanging w.is his shingle

CROPS DOING NICELY.

THE GRAIN AREA NEEDS MORE RAIN AND WARM WEATHER. Corn Planting Is Nearly Finished—Winter Wheat Holds Its Own, bat Is Beginning to Show the Need of Rain—Oats ami Grads Making hut Little Headway. [Chicago special, May 7.J The country has experienced a week of deoided cold, dry. backward weather; rains only in limited areas and of short duration. In some districts the winter wheat needs rain. The oats and grass are making but little growth. Between oyolones on tne one hand and lack of moisture on the other the spring wheat has had a hard struggle. Eastern Nebraska reports that up to the present time they have had but little rain. The weather has been cool. Considering the dry weather the oat orop looks welL Farmers are much farther advanced on the first of May with com planting than they have been for many years. In Southern Nebraska some refreshing showers have fallen recently, and the spring wheat and oats are six inches above tho ground. Excellent progress has beep, made with corn planting, and fully 50 cent, of the orop is now plauted. Taki*y* Nebraska us a whole, the orop situation vaa never more promising at this time of the year.

The aorenge of flax has been inoreased largely, and would have been even larger if seed could liuve boon procurod. Little com is moving, und the oats that are lelt are mostly of a poor quality. Although during the last ton days Southwestern lowa has had light ruins which did good for tho time being the effects have now all disappeared. Grass and oats are making slow growth, and will not Improve until more ruin comes. Everybody is planting corn. Tho soil is In excellent condition, and thoro seems to be no complaint with regard to seed. Cattle are moving out freely, and tliero is a disposition among leedors to sell. At tho present price of oorn there is no disposition on tho part of country dealers to sell. ’ Farmers are all busy In tho fields and little or no grain is being delivered at country points. Hogs have boen sold closely during the last ninety days. The prevailing feeling during the winter was that hogs wore high, and shipments were much largor than usual. While reports from the State of lowa do not indiente a soareity of hogs, at tho same time the general opinion seems to be that tho orop on the opening of the spring has been oleanod up much closer than usual. There is no uniformity at this date in tho genoral condition of tho spring wheat orop of Minnesota or Dakota. Commencing at Grand Forks, and running north to Devil’s Luke, the whoHt looks well, but is beginning to need rain. From Fargo south to Ortonvlllo, on tho lted River, they have had somo bad wind-storms during tho last week that have done considerable damage; to what extent, however, it is yet too early to state. In Southern Dakota at present ruin is needed. In Southern Minnesota and on tho branches of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, whion Includes 000 miles, tho crops of all kinds look well. Northern Dakota reports no rain, except a light shower two weeks ago. for eight mouths. The tremendous winds have uncovered many fields and torn up the wheat that was sprouted. The soil is us dry as powder. In Eastern Dakota tho wheat now Is reported rfft all up. There arc no reserves of moisture, and a favorable season is necessary to insure a good crop. The winds have blown sioadlly for throe weeks, and more or loss of the grain is uncovered. All summer fallowed land that was plowed twice, and light and sandy land everywhere, have been similarly affr-oted. These conditions are so general that ran now seems absolutely essentinl to insure overt an average yield. In ordinary seasons Minnesota und Dakota have always had plenty of snow and frost during tho winter to help them out. But the lust winter was almost devoid of both. 'iho reports from Call ornia are not os uniform and favorable us thirty days ago, Northern California reports that the summer fallowed wheat is headed out; that tho barley is beginning to turn color; that tho crop prospects nro better than since 1880. The stocks of old wheat are low. Central California reports that opinions are divided as to whether summer fallowed whout will or will not make grain without another rainfall. Tho summer fallowed wheat is filling out. Western California reports that they have tho dry northern winds, which huvo rapidly exhausted the molßturo from tho soil. Although no serious damage Is yet reported, there are many localities In tho wheat-growing diet; lets where more ruin is absolutely essential in order to give an average crop of grain. While the outlook for tho whole State is regarded as promising more than an average yield, the crop is not yet assured, and much depends upon the weather during the month of May.

Many portions of Indiana report dry weather and “conditions becoming serious. The wheat is at a standstill and oats in poor shape. Central Indiana reports the wheat crop knee high and- general outlook never better. Some portions also of the best winter wheat counties of Southern Illinois report dry, cool weather, needing ruin, badly, and unless rain comes soon p esent crop prospects will be materially i educed. Eastern Missouri reports prospects for winter wheat good. If anything the ground is a little too dry. The wheat varies in height from twelve to flfteon inches. In Southern Missouri everything is favorable, although a good many report chinch bugs in the wheat. There are some complaints also in the northern portion pf the State as to the appearance of insects. In the southern tier of counties in Kansas wheat is reported as being all headed out. There has been more or less rain the present week, with cold weather, which* ha‘s been discouraging to chinch bugs. Central Kansas reports wheat just about ready to head out and is twenty to twenty-four inches high. In Northern Kansas the ground is much drier than in other portions of the State. An abundanoe of rain all through the summer seems to be an essential to a full orop. Chinch bugs have appeared in great numbers. They have not yet taken off their winter overcoats and gone to work. In Southern Michigan wheat is all the way from six to twelve inches high. More or less of the wheat begins to show the want of rain. Grass needs it and so do the oats which have recently been sown. These reports cover the country from California to Texas, an<J from Texas to Michigan; from Michigan to Dakota, and Dakota south to the Indian Territory. In this vast area, which grows the great bulk, in fact the entire surplus or wheat, corn, oats, and grass crops of the country, with the exceptions of Kansas and Missouri, there is uot a single State that does not need rain. Corn is largely planted and wants rain to bring it up and, make a good stand. Oats are all the way from two to four inches high andjust coming up. This crop should have within the next week copious rains. There is no question or difference of opinion as to the need of rain for spring wheat. Many portions of the winter wheat area also stand absolutely in the need of rain to make the crop a success. Grass is also making little growth. Insects are beginning to develop rapidly, but are kept back from tksir work by cold weather