Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1898 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

SI.OO Per Year.

Keener Township Gravel Roads

A Sample of the Business Methods of the Present Board of Commissioners of Jasper County. We herein submit a few facte for the consideration of the taxpayers of Keener Township. The contract for the construction of 16 miles of gravel road was let to S. McGinnis on March 8,1897, for the sum of $31,858. The township was bonded for $31,500 and the taxpayers ‘ have so far paid one dollar (taxes of 1897) on each one hundred dollars valuation of all the property of Keener Township, and one dollar per one hundred dollars valuation, levied for 1898, will be due soon. Of the bonds, $3,000 was paid Nov. 15 of last year and $3,000 more is due and payable on the 15th of the present month, making a total of $6,000, in addition to the interest, now paid, or soon to be paid, and only a little more than one and one-half miles of the road is now completed. * This is a sample of the business management of the present Board of Commissioners. The bond of the contractor, which is supposed to stand between the taxpayers and the contractor, is not to be found in the office of the county auditor, neither is it a matter of record, as the law requires. Should the contractor see fit to throw up his contract he can do so, as there is no bond in existence which could compel him to complete the contract, but the taxpayers would be compelled TO V*Y THE $31,858 OF GRAVEL ROAD BONDS WHETHER THE ROAD WAS COMPLETED OB NOT! The Board of Commissioners have already expended $13,209.27 on the construction of the road, and the taxpayers of Keener Township must be the judges as to whether the less than two miles of roadway constructed is value received or not. Below we give an itemized list of the expenditures, with book and page where same may be found. This, however, does not include all the expense, as election expenses and unpaid bills now due are not included. Record 10, Pages 358, 384, 408, 439, 440, 509. G E Marshall, printing, Keener tp., gravel roads... $ 98 50 Indianapolis Journal, publishing gravel road notice 12 00 G E Marshall, printing, Keener tp., gravel roads 33 75 E L Clark, abstracting proceedings in Keener tp., gravel r. . 825 R W Marshall, work Keener tp., gravel roads 5 25 H B Murray, car fare to Chicago on K. tp., gravel r matters 4 25 C E Mills, services Keener tp gravel roads 15 25 F E Boetwick, work Keener tp gravel roads. 2 00 E L Clark, abstracting Keener tp gravel roads 28 25 J C Gwin, car far to Chicago, Keener tp gravel roads 4 65 W B Burford, printing Keener tp gravel road bonds 63 00 Record 10, Pages 517,532, 538, 540, 546, 563. L A Boetwick, work on Keener tp gravel roads 45 64 F E Boetwick, same. 4 47 H L Gamble, same 17 25 S McGinnis, contractor Keener tp gravel roads 23 89 “ same 279 68 “ same 410 29 Newcastle Bridge & Sewer Co. 3 culverts on K. tp gravel r. 1 000 00 S McGinnis, estimate on Keener tp gravel roads. 489 68 8 McGinnis, estimate on Keener tp gravel roads 225 50 S McGinnis, estimate on Keener tp gravel roads 310 05 ‘ “ same 252 97 W H Rooney, three steel bridges Keener tp gravel road.... 983 58 S McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel road 416 68 “ same 449 16 Record 11, Pages 1, 9,13, 24, 27, 36, 44, 56, 72. S McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel, roads 820 00 L A Boetwick, work Keener tp gravel roads. .48 40 “ work Otis gravel roads 6 25 H L Gamble, work Otis gravel road. 2 65 8 McGinnis, DeMotte gravel road 11l 65 “ same on same • 117 92 “ same extra 2 per cent, on Keener tp gravel r. 1 075 64 J H McClanahan, grading Keener tp gravel road 204 32 8 McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel r0ad................. - 352 32 L A Boetwick, work Keener tp gravel road 4 75 8 McGinnis, work Keener typ gravel road. 128 08 A McCoy & Co. freight on gravel Keener tp gravel road... 15 60 “ same 68 25 “ same 8 10 Record 11, Pages 80,91, 96,120, 121,130 132.1 i 8 McGinnis, work Otis gravel road 138 45 “ same 50 25 A McCoy & Co. freight on gravel Keener tp gravel road.... 31 00 “ same, 38 15 H L Gamble,work DeMotte gravel road. 9 25 A McCoy & Co. freight Keener tp gravel road. 8 10 “ same. 57 15 8 McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel road 1 200 00 f • same 600 00 “ same ......’ 600 00 “ same 600 00 Record 11, Pages 134,145,154. “ work Otis gravel road 598 41 41 / work DeMotte gravel road 316 48 “ work Keener gravel road 788 61 H L Gamble, engineer Keener tp gravel road 24 25 ■*' “ same..... 6 25 r: 58 Grand total , v ....,.../.... f i3.a09.*7 We would ask the taxpayers of Keener Township to carefully consider the above facte and figures. That the board of commissioners have been negligent where the interests of the taxpayers is concerned, no one will deny, and we ask you in the interest of lower taxes and a pledge on the part of the candidates, to vote the Democratic county ticket on Nov. 8. ' l ■*.: NoffE: —Should anyone dispute any of the figures herein contained, go t«,®fhe records and this article will enable you to turn to the record andpage and investigate for yourself.

A Comparison—Jasper County Taxes. . mmmmrnmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm N.’-'V » • - - The tax levy for ordinary county revenue for 1898 in Jasper and adjoining counties is as follows: Jasper, (including court house bonds) on the SIOO val. 45|cents White, (including court house bonds) “ 284 “ Pulaski, (including court house bonds) “ 30 Porter, (including special) “ , 28 " " Lake, (inolading special) “ 23 “ Benton, *• 22 “ Newton f “ , *6} “

Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana, Saturday, November 5, 1898.

LOCAL MATTERS. Election next Tuesday. November 24 is Thanksgiving. Another bank has been established at Wolcott. • Read carefully the instructions to voters in another Column. Denjfis Hilton, an old resident of Gillam tp., died Monday. Mose Leopold is recovering from his attack of typhoid fever. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Holland of Remington, were in the city Thursday. Monday is the last day for paying taxes without penalty being attached. - • . Editor Knotts of the Francesville Tribune, was in the city on business Monday. A number of Remington’s business houses are to be illuminated with acetyline gas. Mrs. Fred Donnelly of Remington, was the guest of Mrs.. F. E. Babcock on Thursday. ■' * '■"■■■— ■ ■ Mrs. Lizzie Peck and daughter, Mary, of Remington, were guests of Rensselaer friends Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Beck of Fairfield, lowa, are visiting this week, with Mr. and Mrs. B. Forsythe. , Miss Maggie Kenton will preach at the Free Will Baptist church to-morrow at the regular hour, 10:45 a. m. The ring “Ways and Means committee’’ have been holding special sessions nightly. Watch out for rooibacks!

The Rensselaer high school football team defeated Goodland at the latter place last Saturday. Score 22 to 0. D. B. Nowels and J. F. Warren have been appointed jury commissioners by Judge Thompeon for the ensuing year. S. H. Norman, who recently moved to Pike’s Peak, Brown county,, has returned to Jasper county and located at Parr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hixson of Kniman, visited their daughters, Mesdames Guy Barnard and Frank Coover, at Fowler last week. A change in the management of the Nowels House went into effect a few days ago, E. N. Hyland is the new landlord. Mrs. Elizabeth Shields and daughter, Mrs. Lucy Malchow, start today for a month’s visit with Indianapolis and Franklin rela - tives. Byon Zimmerman won his wager with Geo. Strickfadden, to walk to Monon in five hours last Saturday. He made the 16 miles in 4$ hours. A very pleasant danoing party was given by Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Austin at their palatial home on South River street on Thursday evening of last week. Dr. Chas. Vick returned Sunday, from a two months’ * absence in Pennsylvania and New York. While away he took a special course in an eastern optical college. ■ y Perry E. Carson of Remington, the aspirant for auditor on the republican county ticket, but who was turned down by the Rensselaer ringsters, has moved to Peoria, 111. „ Considerable devility was done by the hoodlum element on hallowe’en night. In other towns special police are put on duty hallo we’en and the citizens are not pestered by these in many cases malicious jokers. Why is this not done in Rensselaer? home in m>rthwest part oFthc were Thursday aftgmc*m Middleton conducting the service, Many of the better class of Renselaer’s young people enjoyed themselves on hallowe’en in innocent sports, such as masquerading, parties, etc. etc., while the hoodlums put in their time in marking Up the windows of business houses, daubing up signs and doing other■ maliscious mischief.

Try The Democrat for job printing. Get your sale bills at The Democrat office. James Babcock of Parr, is quite sick with pneumonia. Indiana will give a democratic plurality ff from 20,000 to 30,000. A whole armload of old papers for a nickel at The Democrat office. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Tharp of Monticello, .visited relatives here Sunday. -'■y 1 ■ Cash buys more at Judy and The Lief Buggy Company than anywhere else* E. P. Honan came home from Indianapolis yesterday for a few days visit! Hon. I. IT Dunn and Horace Marble of the north end, were in the city Tuesday. Messrs. Henry Welsh and George Besse of Remington, were in the city on business Tuesday. Ben Leopold has moved here from Fowler, and will enter the store of A. Leopold as clerk. The voting place in the Second precinct will be atrthe old clerk’s office, east of the court house. For Sale: —Lots 5 and 6, block 13, Newton’s addition to Rensselaer. Enquire at Democrat office. Washington street is being given a top dressing of fine crushed rock, which is a needed improvement. < - Now is the time to prepare for business. Write to the Union Business College, of Lafayette, Ind., and see what they offer. Advertisers should bear in mind that The Democrat has a larger circulation among the farmers than any paper published in Jasper county. A Monon lad named Thomas Doren fell under a morving train at that place upon which he was catching a ride last Monday and got both §rmg cut off. ■ : *t* Bring your buggy, wagon and harness wagtef to Judy and The Lief Buggy Company and they will supply you. They have the material and ability to do it.

For Sale, Rent or Trade:—Store building in Foresman, 20x60 with back room and side room 10x60. Good chance for right party. J. D. Rich, owner, Brook, Ind. Mr. G. K. Hollingsworth deposited five mammoth ears of corn upon our table Wednesday, which weighed 6| pounds, the largest ear tipping the scale at \\ pounds. The corn was grown on the farm of John Sworts in Union tp. I have a complete line of ladies’ and childrens’ millinery in trimmed bats, caps, walking hats and sailors. Miss Thompson as summer!. Come early for good selections. Mrs. C. E. Hershman. B. J. Gifford was in the city Thursday, and some of the local republicans “jumped” him about his statement that it was time for a change in the management of county afibirs in Jasper county, but Mr. Gifford refused to go back on his former statement, and politely told them so. Will Bro. Marshall have the manhood'to publicly admit the falsity of his Stark county statement now that The Democrat has so effectually exposed him? Stand up, Bro. Marshall, and let’s hear from you. Abo inscribe your name in under Bro. Clark’s to that document the latter signed a few years ago. The county commissioners have appointed the following election inspectors to take the place of those disqualified: JohnF. Payne, east precinct, Barkley, vice 8. R* Nicholas; Elias Arnold, west precinct, Barkley, vice W. H, Daniel®; C. E. Miller, 2d precinct, Marion, viceJ. F. Warren: 0.8. Halstead, Newton, vice A. J. Freeland. D. J. Pettit of Wolcott, and Ira W. Yoeman of Remington, were ’in the city on business connected with the final settlement of the estate of the late R. R. Pettit, of Remington. The estate was quite a large one for this county and the executors, D. J. Pettit and Ann E. Pettit, are to be complimented on getting everything settled up so satisfactorily m so short a time —one^ear.

MARSHALL’S ROORBACK.

A Complete Exposure of One of His 'Campaign Prevarications. Rensselaer Repnblican: “It is an almost invariable rule that every building, even so simple a one as a common dwelling, costs about one-third more than the builders planned for. This is much more the case in large and complicated structures like court houses and other large public buildings, and more especially when, as must always be the case with new court houses, they are built by inexperienced men. Therefore it is not surprising that the court house at Knox, in the Democratic county of Stark, is costing much more than was originally expected. The contract price for the building alone was $56,000; and it was thought that when fully completed and furnished its total cost would be under SBO,OOO. But it has already reached $125,000, and there is some more to follow. But we notice that our rabid contemporary, the Democrat, does not mention these facts.” And we notice that our stupid contemporary, the Republican, does. But Bro. Marshall makes one grevious blunder, THE COMMISSIONERS OF STARK COUNTY ARE REPUBLICANS, AND THE COUNTY HAS BEEN UNDER REPUBLICAN CONTROL SINCE 1895! In proof of this—although all well informed people know it to be a sact —we copy the following from a recent issue of the Stark County Democrat: “Boiled down into a few words, the arguments or reasons republicans could honestly give for deserving, expecting or hoping to win in Stark county this year would be something like this: ‘We expect to win because we are smarter than the democrats and can outgeneral them. We can lay deep plots and execute them effectively. By circulating plausible falsehoods we expect to stir up strife among democrats and thereby get some of them to vote for republican candidates. We ought to win because of what we have done for the county. We took charge of the afiairs of the county in December, 1895. At that time the county was practically out of debt and had a surplus of over $14,000 in the treasury. In two years and a half we have made away with that surplus and protested county orders, and at the expiration of three years, by December, 1898, if we have no bad luck, we will leave the county in debt to the amount of something like $140,000, which, including interest, it will take about $250,000 to pay. We sold the first issue of court house bonds, $75,000 in amount, at a premium of four per cent, at private, SECRET sale, refusing to inform other bidders who inquired when they were to be sold. We could have sold the next issue of $27,000 for the same premium or less if the measley Democrat had not found out when we were going to sell them and made a roar that forced us to open the sale to competition and accept 7 7-9 per cent, premium. We have kept everything secret that we could, letting the the taxpayers know as little as possible, which is certainly a good thing—for us. Meantime, while doing all this for the people who pay the taxes, our republican officials have prospered greatly. This is a truthful summary of our official conduct of the affairs of the county. Upon it we rest our case and implore you to continue us in office.’ ” So much for the“absolutely clean, decent, and respectable campaign” of theßensselaer Republican, andit is a fair sample of the lies it has told the people during the whole campaign. After this exposure of its contemptible methods of deceit we would ask the taxpayers if any of its utterance® on county matters are worthy of any credence? The truth is that Stark county officials have brought about nearly the same condition of affairs as prevails here, but those officials are REPUBLICANS, NOT DEMOCRATS, «8 the Republican editor, well knows.

Vol. I. No. 30

WM), Nil. 9... —AT—' - " ELLIS OPERA HOUSE, LEZ RICARDO AND HIS 1 ..BIG SHOW The Minstrel, ’ , The Speetaenlar, The Burlesque, The Vaudeville, The Operetta, All Represented. 12 First-Class Specialty isls. CONTINUOUS VAUDEVILLE. See Letepha, See Cleo Bartholda, See Emery & Nelson, See Martyn & Davenport. TRULY A SHOW. Doors Open at ...7 p.m. Begins at 8 p. m, Prices 16c, 25c, md 35c, —, —, —ti Party ties are resting very loosely on a large number of American voters of all parties and all classes. Nobody now believes that the country will go straight to the demnition bow-wows if the other fellows carry the election this fall. Probably there was not a time since 1852 when there was less political rancor in the country than there is at this time and this feeling seems likely to last for several years. The mass of people seem inclined to pay more attention to business and less to politics, and probably this is a good thing for all concerned.—Laporte Argus. “HONEST ABE.” Republican Nov.3:—Whatever enemies Abe Halleck has made, be has made through his zeal and firmness for the public good. He wanted the back taxes collected; and he insisted on the improvements around the public square being in conformity with the spirit of the contract. He also decided in favor of thela w in the Iroquois and Wakarusa ditch fee cases. All these have made him a few enemies, but at the same time they have made him hosts of friends. THE FACTS. Tax Suits: — In September and November 1897, the experts were promised one-lialf to discover and the other half to make a record, all to be paid out of the county revenue. A case of 16 to 1, that issl6 out to $1 in. Three suite were changed to Benton county and three were continued in order to make the complaint good. Ditch Suits: —Tne county paid, to it’s ditch officers SB,OOO. Halleck on Nov. 16, 1897, ordered suits against the petitioners promising the lawyers S7OO. On Sept. 25,1897, the experts were promised 50 per cent. One case was sent to Cass county on Halleck’s motion. The other was continued for a better complaint. These matters may make friends for those who feast on promises without performance, and who prefer waste to economy. In due time these matters will stand out as monuments of zeal and firmness for the public bad. An instance of stnpid stubbornness persisted in for temporary popularity. X GRATIFIED CURIOSITY. Charles Spriggs, the echoed' house janitor, met with a little accident Wednesday morning which it will probably be as well for you to say nothing to him about. It seems that the day before one of the primary boys went into McFarland’s grocery on an errand and seeing a contrivance on the counter for clipping off the ends of cigars, his curiosity was aroused and he put his finger in the machine to see how it worked. The tip of his finger was clipped off in an instant. His curiosity gratified he meandered on to school, and, the finger bleeding quite badly, Mr. Spriggs tied up the wounded member and induced the young hopeful to tell him how he happened to get it cut. The next morning the janitor came up town and thought he would drop ip at “Mac’s” and see just how the accident to the boy occurred. He eyed the innocent looking contrivance from all side®, then put his finger down in the holes, when and the tip of the janitors finger was clipped off as neatly ear though, done with a razor. Hereword for all accidents of this kind*.