Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1918 — GOOD DEED DONE ON A GOOD DAY [ARTICLE]

GOOD DEED DONE ON A GOOD DAY

SERVE THE LORD ACCEPTABLY CUTTING WIDOW’S OATS ON SUNDAY. A Hanging Grove township oats field was possibly the scene of the most sincere and truly religious service held in this county Sunday. Mrs. E. S. Merrill, having been left a wodow by the death of her husband in the hospital in this city about two weeks ago and having met in addition to this misfortune the calamity of having her bam struck by lightning and burned down, killing three of her horses, injuring , three others so badly that they can not be used and leaving her but three with which to continue the ; farm work. Mrs. Merrill lives on the J. J. Lawler headquarters farm in Hanging Grove township. Her husband was before his death in charge of thia farm consisting of about four hundred acres. Before his fatal sickness, he had gotten out his crop in splendid shape. He had out one hundred and fifty acres of oats. Sunday one hundred, acres of these oats were still standing. On account of the loss of their horses, Mrs. Merrill and her two sons, ages 17 and 23, had been unable to make much headway cutting these as they did not have horse power enough left to operate one grain binder. Characteristic of the good people of Jasper county, a number of them went into Mrs. Merrili’s oats field Sunday and cut about forty acres of the oats and shocked a large part of them. Those helping in this work' were Clyde C. Randle, who lives just across the road from Mrs. Merrill, John Garriott, who lives on the D. S. Makeever farm nearby and John Sayers, also a neighbor. The three neighbors and their actions proves that they are worthy of being called neighbors, came with their horses and binders and worked throughout the entire day. - The following from Rensselaer spent the day shocking oats for Mrs. Merrill: Ivan Carson, Abraham Halleck, and Ted Ramey. Paul Randle, son of C. C. Randle, assisted also. There are still about sixty acres to be cut, but it is understood that Mr. Lawler will assist in this. 'The service rendered by these men to one in Mrs. Merrill’s condition has as it so much deserves the highest commendation.