Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 114, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1910 — LOTS OF IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY. [ARTICLE]

LOTS OF IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY.

Editor of Kankakee Valley Review Sees Transformation From Seat In Nell Brown’s Cadillac. Editor John Bowie, of the Kankakee Valley Review, and John Pinter, a leading merchant of Wheatfield, made a trip with Neil Brown, in the latter’s auto, through southern Lake county the other day, and the former describes the improvements made over the section traveled in the following entertaining manner, throwing a boquet at the town of Lowell and the country roundabout: Last Thursday, Mr. John Pinter, of Wheatfield, and Ye Editor, on invitation of Mr. Nell Brown, of the Brown ranch at Shelby, were given a sightseeing trip through southern Lake county via auto, Mr. Brown being at the wheel of his Cadillac, and who has, by the way, developed into a second “Strang” as a fearless but careful driver of a gasoline wagon.

Now for the trip. Left Shelby at 9 A. M., where the guests’ attention was called to the fact that the extreme southern end of Indiana’s great tax paying county has never had a gravel road improvement outside of the six miles now in process of construction, and the 100 yard Jong piece extending from the blacksmith shop of Sam Sirois to Dickey’s store in the town of Shelby. The first stop at the Brown ranch, and a view of the extensive improvements made in the last few years, where modern buildings have been erected and others in process of construction, to care for the large acreage of cereals grown on the vast tract of land which former and present residents in the past fifty years or more referred to as the “Marsh” or Indiana’s great duck hunting grounds, for it is impossible to realize the marvelous transformation of this now fertile tract of land, where drainage has been perfected by the construction of dredge ditches and dykes, unless the reader, like the writer, will make a personal visit. While at the headquarters of the ranch the work of shearing some three thousand sheep was in progress, the work being done by power clippers, and it was a sight well worth seeing. The visitors were whirled northward along the four miles of the new slag road, which is as smooth as a city boulevard and so much different from the old sand grade of the past. The many new farm residences and buildings erected the past few years east and west of the road, for the tenants, gives the appearance of a well populated prairie country. The next stop was made at the Orchard Grove cemetery, where many of the early settlers have been laid to rest. The cemetery grounds are being beautified and a handsome, fence erected around the entire grounds. Arriving at Kenney’s Corners, named after Jerry Kenney, who was the first owner of the land at the Corners, from Uncle Sam, and who has been engaged in the mercantile business as the only merchant for forty years. Mr. Kenny is now nearing his 100th mile stone and retired from business a few years ago. The next stop was made at the handsome home of Commissioner Matt Brown, then northward toward Leroy, then westward to the great auto race course, where Neil made the speed gage pop up to 52%, and John Pinter said, “I never knew that old Lake was so fast.” At the same time, he and Neil admitted they had Went some in their younger days at the county seat. Arriving at Lowell, where they must have known of bur coming, as the streets had just been oiled by John D., and we slid so easy that we never stopped until we reached the top of the hill in front of Fred Schmall’s, where the water was fine and we all went in. Then after partaking of dhe of Fred’s plenty-to-eat-good-grub-meals, Sheriff Tom Grant showed up at the dining room door and Neil said he would settle the bill. Then after a short smoker and a visit through the business establishments of the town, which the people may well be proud of, for Lowell has facilities for trading that many larger places have not. What you can’t get in Lowell, you don t need. It is a nice clean town. The first stop on the return trip was made at the Lowell cemetery, which reflects great credit on Lowell and its people. The construction of a mammoth modern mausoleum is in course of erection. Then another speed test on the race course east and a stop at th* beautiful home of Trustee James Black, of Cedar township, and after a short visit, everything went smooth until we reached about one mile from, the headquarters of the Brown ranch, /when the Cadillac slowed down to a full stop without any apparent cause

whatever, seemingly, and after Neil had looked her over and over and over and cranking her till he was wearing large beads of perspiration all over his long forehead, and after using all the tools on the machine, the writer told Neil about a Wheatfield auto refusing td run once for want of gasoline, and he then turned on what was stored in the reserve tank and she went on her way rejoicing. After a short visit at the ranch and a full tank of gasoline, we were off for Shelby. The trip was one long to be remembered and we doubt if more modern improvements have been made in any other part of the Middle States than has been made by the thrifty farmers of southern Lake county, especially in the past five years. So many handsome farm residences and other necessary building have been erected, that it not only gives a good appearance, but convinces the visitor that the people of southern Lake county are progressive.