Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1901 — FILES A FALSE CLAIM. [ARTICLE]

FILES A FALSE CLAIM.

The Apologist Editor’s Padded “Notice to Taxpayers” Cut From 43 f-a Squares to 19 Sqtiares. That saintly (?) old fraud who has been robbing Jasper county taxbayers for years on • padded legals and then howls about the honest bills of competitors who happen to get some job instead of himself, ran against a snag this week in some of his claims against the county, and one claim was cut from 43$ squares to 19 squares, more than onehalf. The facts concerning the matter are something like this. Two years ago the cost of publishing the annual notice of the county treasurer to the- taxpayers of Jasper (County, which shows tax levy by townships, etc., was slll. This notice is almost precisely the same each year and contains the same amount of words andfigures. Last year the printer scaled his price down somewhat, although it was worth as much as the year previous. This year, owing no doubt tc the Apologist man’s great howls about “hoDest nonpareil” “honest measurement” etc, (as if he knew what honesty was) he only filed a bill for 43$ squares, the legal rate for three publications of which would have been SB7. The notice was padded outrageously, and when the commissioners met Monday a protest against the allowance as this claim and one or two others which the saintly (?) individual had filed, was handed them, v Tuesday afternoon the commissioners summoned the Democrat editor, the Journal editor and the Cow-Puncher to appear before them and measure this notice to taxpayers. The Democrat man allowed nil could honestly be claimed and found there were 19 squares and lOems; 1 the Journal man reported 19 j squares and 7 eins, a difference of j only 3 ems over our figures, while j the Cow-puncher, who had evi- ! dentP£ not been thoroughly drilled 1 by his master, figured and figured,; and finally; after about three-! fourthsof arojiour,* with an air of much wisdom, reported “8 squares and 12 lines .” As 10 ordinary column lines make a trifle over a square, this report wag much like a man saying it was nine o'clock and 65 minutes. The Cow Puncher's figures would have given his old yard and master but $lB, and the commissioners evidently concluding that he knew uo more about measuring advertising matter than his master did about the ninth commandment, accepted the figures of the Democrat man and the Journal man and allowed the claim at 19 squares, S3B, instead of 43$ squares, the claim filed by Marshall. Some of AJarshall's other bills were continued, the protest against their allowance setting forth that the law did not require their publication, and therefore the commissioners had no right to allow | pay for them. Hereafter it is expected that Marshall and the CowPuncher will have a little heart to heart talk about the former’s bills before they are filed, so that they may come nearer together than 34 squares in their figures on|a 19 square advertisment. P. S. —The Cow Puncher after seeing the contempt in which the commissioners held his laborious report, gravely announced that perhaps he had made some mistake and began to figure it over again. He was still at in when Clark and the Democrat man came away, and we understand was still figuring when the commissioners adjourned for the term. Just as we go to press we understand he brigns in a report stating that there is either 8 squares and 12 lines or 16 squares, and 8 lines, and he don’t know which. Tell your neighbor to subscribe for the taxpayers’ friend, The Democrat. It gives all the news B, 8. Fendig has just received a carload of Oyster Shell from Baltimore from the manufacturer, and is now prepared to sell it at 75c per 100. Oyster She U-is essential to the health of Poultry. Ft is also a great egg producer and no one raising poultry should be without it* In Hundred Pound Lota 73c.