Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1911 — Page 1

Ho. 96.

the Princess theatre nra mum Proprietor. Watch Thla Bpaoa Bt*rjr D*j

LOCAL HAPPENINGS. Chick Peed at The Home Grocery. j The Depot Grocery sells the best creamery butter at 25c this week. Mrs. E. L. Hammerton and little daughter went, to Surrey today to remain over Sunday. For quick deliveries and courteous treatment, give the bepot Grocery a trial. The Eastern Star club will meet next Tuesday afternoon with Mrs. H. L. Brown and Mrs. S. C. Irwin at the home of the former. Bought for a leader —A big special this week —A California Table Peach in a nice syrup, while they last 15c a . can.—Home Grocery. Vincent Eisele Is making cement floors to two of the porches on the house he purchased of B. F. Ferguson and which himself and family now occupy. Pie fruit for this week; 3 cans of pie peaches or apples, or 4 of seedless raisins for 25 cents. JOHN EGER. John W, King has been confined to his bed for several weeks and recently his condition has been very much worse and his family is very much concerned about him. C. J. Dean and William Augspurger left yesterday for Blue Earth, Minn., where they also looked the country over about a month ago. Mr. Augspurger will probably invest in land there. Mrs. Gene Crowell and little daughter went to Thayer today. The “big doings" for the close of the school will be held today, although one of the rooms will not close until next Saturday. Mrs. Mary Peyton and daughter Wilma went to Union township today to attend the closing day events of Miss Grace Peyton’s school. They will remain over Sunday guests of B. D. Comer and family. Ivan Carson will leave Monday for a month’s trip over his Ohio territory, where he sells shoes, and during his absence Mrs. Carson will stay at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marion I. Adams, southeast of town. A perusal of the new statutes shows that there are now nine holidays to be observed in Indiana. A' new one is October 12, being designated aB “Discovery Day,” the discovery of America having been made on Oct. 12, 1492. Miss Merle McColly returned to Chicago Heights this morning after a week’s visit with relatives here. Miss flazel McColly, who has been visiting her sister, Mrs. IlifT, near Parr, for the past month, expects to return to Chicago Heights the first of the month. Who lost $4.85 in an old pocketbook? This sum was found Friday and had probably been lost for some time. The circumstances as to the location in which it was found are very peculiar. The bills were rotted until redemption will be necessary. Call at this office for information. Sam Murbarger and his manager arrived this morning. Charley Olson will come this Evening and the big match will take place at the Ellis theatre tonight. Monday night in Chir cago Olson will wrestle Walter Willoughby, one of the big ones. This may be the only chance you will have to see a big champion wrestler perform in Rensselaer and you should not fail to see Olson tonight. W. S. Richards, painter and paperhanger, phone 331. The resolution approving the election of United State senators by direct vote passeg the New York senate Friday by a vote of 28 to 15. Farmers, mechanics, [ railroaders, laborers rely on Dr. Thomaa’ Eclectic Oil. Takes the sting out of cuts, burns or bruises at once. Pain cannot stay where It Is used.

The Evening Republican.

TONIGHT’S PROGRAM —♦ — PICTURES. ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR. THE WILDCAT WELL. THE AMBITIOUS BOOTBLACK. : - ■ -'-s

Phone 41 —The Home Grocery. Mr. and Mrs. James Mead and children, of Hammond, are visiting relatives here. Mr. Mead may decide to locate in Rensselaer. Ashland ham, a nice cooked meat specialty, 15c pound, at the Depot Grocery. Acting in his capacity as commissioner John Hawkins sold four hundred acres of the Jane Eastburn estate, known as the home place in Pine township, to Margaret Ellen Hawkins, for $49,000, Monday. It was a cash deal, and is one of the largest transfers that has taken place in Benton county for some time. There yet remains to be sold about seventy-three acres belonging to the estate. This tract is said to be worth about SIO,OOO. The total amounted to about $75,000 and is being divided among seven heirs. —Fowler Review.

The acknowledged leaders in the coffee game—flavor to suit, all-priced, 15c, 22c, 25c, 30c and 35c —Home Grocery. George Matthews has disposed of the opera house block to Ellis Sluss,of Monon. Mr. Matthews gets a half section of land in the vicinity of Monon and pays the difference in cash. The trade has been hanging fire since last November but was brought to a termination Saturday. It is not expected that the transfer will In any way affect the present tenants of the opera house block and it is altogether likely that the new owner has acquired it simply as a trading stock Fowler Review. Nice home grown potatoes for 50c I a bushel and fancy sand grown Michigan potatoes for 60 cents. JOHN EGER. Many of our people feel it is now time to change Crown Point from a town to a city. So far as officials are concerned it can be run just as cheaply, as honor always helps to pay the mayor’s salary, and the same can be said of councilmen. This project has gone so far that John Brown is mentioned for the first mayor, and he can be put in by acclamation. The time will soon come that we will need more officers, and it’s just as easy to have policemen as marshals and deputies. They are all one price. It’s time to meet with the Business Men’s Association and talk this matter over and exchange Point Star. We are headquarters for northern grown early seed potatoes, onion sets or garden seeds, and will have seed sweet potatoes Friday and Saturday. JOHN EGER. The report comes from Lafayette that* some of the contestants In the Jane Hawkins will case have commenced negotiations for. a compromise and these negotiations have ended in a family agreement which may bring the contest to a close. The agreement has not yet been put on record, but it is known that it provides for a fair and equitable basis as to value, practically in the manner provided for in the will, so far as allotment is concerned, but the four daughters will get more land in fee simple than the will provides for. On the other hand the grandchildren come into possession of the lands at once and will be entitled to the rents and profits. The grandson, James Hawkins, under the agreement, will ge.t his father’s share instead of 640 acres, but will stand his share of the debts of the estate and cost of administration. The estate la located in Benton county and is valued at about SBOO,OOO. The will was broken in the Warren circuit court. The Lafayette Loan and Trust company is administrator of the estate and a number of Lafayette attorneys are employed on the case.—Kentland Enterprise. We will put on sale this week, 70 dozen of the regular 15c seller of the White "Karo" syrup, the best syrup made, at 10c; also have 800 small sample cans to distribute free. JOHN EGER Let your wants be known through our Classified Column.

Batmd Juiarj X, 18*7, m Mooad-alass mall matter, at the poat-oAoa at Itamiaw, Twfltaaa, nsdir tba act of March 3, 187*.

RENSSELAER, INDIANA, SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1911.

NIGHT FIRE DESTROYS BIG GRAIN ELEVATOR

Babcock & Hopkins Plant, Built Ten Years Ago, Victim of Flames-Cost Above $50,000. ■— ■ t INSURANCE $25,000.00-BETWEEN 45,000 AND 55,000 BUSHELS OF GRAIN DESTROYED. Largest Employing Institution. Rensselaer Ever Had, Also the Most Destructive Fire. ■ ■ J

A 6REAT BUSINESS CALAMITY Owners Will Rebuild, Bat Many Heads of Families Are Left Without Employment. ___________ *v The greatest fire calamity Rensselaer has ever suffered occurred Friday night when Babcock & Hopkins' elevator was destroyed by fire. The elevator was one of the largest and best equipped in this section of the state and few elevators in Indiana did a larger business. The fire was discovered at about 10:2J Friday night by Bert Abbott, an employee of the elevator, who was working in the garage at the rear of the elevator office. Mr Abbott had been helping Mr. Babcock in putting a new tire on his automobile and after Mr. Babcock had driven away he worked on another car belonging to Jud Adams. Clifford Dayton, the night watchman at the elevator, had come to the garage only a few minutes before the fire was discovered. Mr. Abbott had occasion to leave the garage and when he stepped out he heard an explosion and saw the fire leaping from the B west upper windows of the elevator. He ran for the office, calling to Dayton. . He had no keys for the office but broke in the door and gave the alarm to the central office. .The fire whistle blew at about 10:30 o’clock and all who report having looked toward the elevator after hearing the whistle say that the building was enveloped in flames which issued from all the upper windows. Several saw the fire before the alarm sounded and a number made efforts to get a call into the telephone central office. The fire company made a quick run to the scene of the fire, but it was plain to be seen that nothing could save the great structure from destruction. Attention was therefore turned to adjoining buildings soon after the company had its hqse spread. The fire could not have occurred at a time when the conditions for preventing a spread were more favorable. The almost daily or nightly rains had soaked all inflammable structures and the air was but lightly agitated by the winds. What little wind there was came almost directly from the north. The building stood 112 feet in height and the flames send the burning embers high into the air and they floated quietly in the air, but largely descended to the earth or to some roof within a block or so from the burning building. The roofs were soon steaming south of the elevator on Vine street and the residences of Jesse and Roland Gates, Ben Benson and William Martin were threatened for some time, as were the barns in the rear of she Rowen, Grant and Thomson properties on Elm street, and a vacant house at the corner of Vine and Main streets. The residence of James Thomson and the residence of T. W. Grant were alsg endangered and the roofs of each caught fire several times. Streams of water were employed effectually in various places according to the needs of the time and two hose squads kept water flowing over the gMtin office and the garage in the rear of it. It seemed next to impossible that these two buildings I could be saved, as they were only a

short distance from the long ear corn bin that extended south from the elevator, but the persistance of the brave fire laddies, who underwent considerable torture, rescued each, although the roofs were covered for some time with burning chunks of wood. Most things of great value were removed from the office as it was expected for a time that it could not be saved. When the whistle sounded the alarm Mr. Babcock was down town. He had left the elevator only about 20 minutes before the fire. Mr. Hopkins had retired for the night at his home on Front street. Both caught the signal “57” and each made haste to ascertain where the fire was located, that being the nearest plug number to the elevator. Mr. Babcock had his automobile up town with him and Cooney Kellner accompanied him to the scene of the fire, which was then so much under way that it was plain that entire destruction was to jensue. , Mr. Hopkins also hastened to the scene, as did D. E. Grow, the bookkeeper; Emerald Aldrich, the foreman, and practically all the other employees. The proprietors turned their attention to the rescue of the books and valuable papers from the office, and the employees toward rendering assistance to the firemen. Mr. Hopkins was gazing at the fire from a point near the office when seen by The Republican reporter. He wa3 not much agitated but took the matter calmly with the philisophic realization that it does no gqo‘d to cry over spilled milk. “I have been listening for the fire whistle to blow 57 for ten years,” he said, “and finally I have heard it.”

From the west side of Main street Mrs. Babcock and Mrs. Hbpkins, the wives of the proprietors, watched the flames in their consuming assault upon the building. Both indulged in tears and were almost overcome with the shock of the disaster. The elevator walls were constructed from 2x6 inch plank, laid one on the other and spiked together, making a wall six inches in thickness and this was covered with corrugated iron. The interior of the elevator was com-* posed of many cribs, builded similarly. But the timbers gave way rapidly before the fire and a draft from beneath sent a volume of flames through the building as though it was a great flue. The upper pa'rt of the building, some 45 feet, fell within a half hour after the fire was first discovered, but the main building seemed t» defy the flames for a time and some thought that it would be hours before it would fall, but within a little more than another half hour the flames had eaten through the plank and the falling timbers added fury to the Are from beneath. The floors to the bins had given way and the grain, corn, wheat and oats, were dumped to the driveway floor and the basement, but it made a pile probably 20 feet above the level of the ground and at just 12:15 o’clock or an hour and threequarters after the fire was discovered the big building fell, swerving slightly to the south and west, but falling mostly into debris within the bounds of its walls. Before it felL many sheets of the iron with which the outside walls were covered had been caught above the ascending heat waves and often floated two or three hundred feet away. The large standpipe, which was supported by wires attached to the main

building:, fell to the i&orth across the railroad tracks and it was some time before the tracks were cleared. South bound passenger train No. 3, due here at 11:05, was delayed for about an hour, fear being entertained that the building might pitch northward across the track. The south wall burned away first, however, and the building thus inclined a'way from the tracks. Four cars, two .of which were laden with grain, were burned. These might have been saved, but in the excite-, ment no one seemed to think of pushing them away. Eight men can push a loaded grain car and there would have been no trouble to have run all the cars to places of safety. One car was finally pushed away, but just as the men were getting ready to move the others, the standpipe fell and the situation became too dangerous. The cars that burned were all foreign cars, being one each from the Great Western, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, Santa Fe and the T. &B. V. One car had just been loaded out and two had just arrived with oats for clipping and bleaching. Two other cars had arrived that day and had been unloaded, adding about 7,000 bushels of grain to that destroyed. As nearly as can be figured at this time there was between 46,000’ and 55,000 bushels of grain in the elevator, consisting of oats, wheat and corn. On this insurance in the sum of $17,500 was carried. That will not be sufficient to cover the loss. A number of farmers had grain stored in the elevator, which was at the risk of the storer, but it is the expectation of Messrs. Babcock & Hopkins to make this all good to their customers. It is probable that the amount of grain on hand had a value of between $20,000 and $25,000 and until April 11th the company had carried another policy of $2,500. The elevator and machinery which was in it cost upwards of $50,000. It was built ten years ago, the construction having begun May 6, 1901. W. C. Babcock, who was county auditor, and A. R. Hopkins, who was assistant cashier in the A. \McCoy & Co. bank, bought the old elevator that had occupied that site for twenty years and tore it down to put up this fine new elevator, which was modernly equipped in every particular and in which was installed one of the first corn drying plants ever installed in a country town. Four years ago the building was enlarged and considerable expense being added. When built hemlock lumber as used cost only $7.50 per thousand. The same lumber now would cost $22.50. Labor is also higher and the building coifid probably not be duplicated and equipped for less than $75,000. The dimensions of the elevator were 30 feet in width, 60 feet in length and 112 feet in height. The ear corn crib was 22 feet wide, 65 feet long and 3/o feet high. The elevator was equipped modernly with clippers, shelters, bleachers taid driers. The proprietors state that they will rebuild. They have had no time to give much thought to the proposition. They will investigate the cost of construction in both steel and concrete and probably employ one or the other method in rebuilding. The new elevator will probably stand on the site of the old one. The insurance was carried in nine companies, all elevator insurance concerns, some of them mutual com-

Continued on Page Four.

World’s Champion Is Coming CHARLES OLSON of Indianapolis Grated Wrestler of his weight Ii the world, wiU Meet TOM COBURN !■ the Ellis Theatre, Rensselaer, lidiaia, Saturday Night, April 22 At 9:00 o'clock. Preliminaries at 8:30. Admission, 50 Cents Stage Seats, 75c

WEATHER FORECAST. ~1. -.■■■—l.l »v v i . Fair tonight; Sunday showers. April 23.—Sun rises 5:11; sets 6:47. - Maximum 60; minimum 33. Resolved—That I will look up my insurance policy and see that I am properly protected against that monster—FlßE.

NEWS IN PARAGRAPHS.

Dewitt Clinton, a young attorney of Evansville, who Wednesday married Miss Louisa Kissinger, disappeared Friday. His bride is frantic with fear for his. safety. The vestry of St. Paul’s Episcopal church of Laporte united Friday in voting an unanimous call to Rev. D. B. L. Goodwin, of Chicago. He will sucseed Rev. Lawrence Kent, of Minneapolis, Minn., resigned. William A. Day, vice president of the Equitable Life Assurance society, has been elected president to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Paul Morton. Dr. Day was elected by practically a unanimous vote. Paris retains its position as the third largest city in the world, the census taken last month showing a population of 2,846,986. The present census shows an Increase of 124,255 over the figures of 1906. The French census as a whole has shoufa a drift of population from the country to the cities.

Notice to Advertiser* la The High School AaaaaL Advertisers in the high school annual will please prepare copy for sßfvertlsements. I will call for it within a few days. COPE HANLEY, Business Manager. Yonr Hard Earnings Of years may go up In smoke in an hour. Protect yourself with a Continental Policy. See G. H. McLAIN, Agent. Don’t think that piles ean’t be cored. Thousands of obstinate cases have been cured by Doan’s Ointment. 60 cents at any drug store.

Judseii H. Perkins&Co. * — WINDMILLS, PUMPS, GASOLINE ENGINES, WAGON SCALES, ALL WELL AND WATER SUPPLIES. —♦ — Plumbing Goods PLUMBING AND REPAIR WORK A SPECIALTY. ♦— Office la room opposite McKay’s Laundry. ♦ Fine expanders to rent, or wo will refine boilers. Phone 45.

YOL.XT.