Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1919 — A REMINDER OF PRIMITIVE DAYS [ARTICLE]

A REMINDER OF PRIMITIVE DAYS

A. WOODWORTH RESURRECTS OLD TIME COPY OF THE RENSSELAER GAZETTE. Ancil Woodworth, one of Jasper county’s oldest pioneers and a man who has a very vivid recollection of the happenings of the county since its earliest days, was a caller at this office Thursday, and carried with him r reminder of the Civil war days, The Rensselaer Gazette of February 18, 1863. The paper was weatherbeaten and of a yellowish color, but nevertheless it was just as precious to the owner as if it had retained its one time crispness and freshness, for it brought back to Mr. Woodworth the good old days when Rensselaer was in its infancy and was nothing more than a trading post. Many intimate names are contained in the advertisements and personal jottings, along with the war news of the . day. The paper was found by Mrs. Woodworth among the belongings of the late Mrs. William J. Powers. One article which will no doubt prove of interest to our readers is published below: “There is no General in the army upon whom the patriots of Jasper county look with so much pride, as upon the distinguished fellow townsman, the brave, fearless, intrepid and adventuruous Gen. Milroy. We are proud of him because he has shown himself to be a hero, and because he has taken correct views of this rebellion —He has at all times, and on all occasions manifested a daring and fearlessness which has sometimes almost borne the appearance of recklessness- as to his personal safety. But in this case, the ancient adage that “fortune favors the brave” has proven true. In every battle he has fought, victory has followed; and had the President had “backbone” to do what he had the honesty to confess he should have done, Gen. Milroy would have been placed, long before this, at the head of the American army; and had this been done, we verily believe that not a single rebel would, today, be in arms against his country. Gen. Milroy is a zealous patriot and a splendid fighter, and he believes in hunting a rebel on every occasion, while harming a rebel would be the last thing that McClellan or Halleck would think of doing. The General always comes out best when fighting rebels, no matter what the weapons be, the sword or the pen.” Another thing of interest contained in the paper was the market of those days which showed bacon at 7c a pound; butter at 12%; sugar at 15c; wheat at 80c; corn at 40c; potatoes at 50; chickens at 10c each; eggs at 10c a dozen and wood at $1.50 a cord.