Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1902 — DEMOCRATIC STANDARD BEARERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEMOCRATIC STANDARD BEARERS.

Photographs and Sketches of the Candidates Who Will Grace Our County Ticket at the November Election, 1902.--A Ticket Worthy of the Cordial Support of All Good Citizens In the County.

ALBERT BOUK, candidate for Auditor of Jasper County, is, as the name indicates, of German extraction, and was born in an old log schoolhouse in Walker township on the site of his present home, thirty-three years ago, and has spent his life there except when at school. He received a good common school education and also attended the Rensselaer High School and the Valparaiso Normal. He began teaching school at the age of 18, Rtid taught his last term in 18991900. As a teacher an lin his present occupation of farming lie was and is a success. He is thoroughly well qualified to fill the office for which he was nominated, and, it' elected, will take personal charge of*the same an 1 give it his undivided attention, and we eonfihntly believe would prove the most courte ms. able and obligin' official that has ever filled the position in this c rnnty. A gentleman, a scholar, a fine penman and bookkeeper, a man whose personal habits are above reproach, industrious, honest, conscientious, the office of Couuty Auditor can safely be entrusted to his keeping

nASON KENTON, our.candidate for Sheriff, is also a native of this couuty. He was born January 22, 1851. on the farm where he now resides, in Marion towmship. Mr. Kenton comes from good oil Democratic stock, and is a direct descendant of Simon Kenton, the noted Indian fighter who wiih Daniel Boone formed the first settlement (Boonesboro) in Kentucky, and after whom the city of Kenton, Ohio, was named. subject of this sketch was married February 18, 1884. to Miss Lucinda Zard of this county, and they have three children, two daughters and a young deputy sheriff born a few weeks ago. Mr. Kenton Required a good common school education and has followed farming and stockraising, at which he has been eminently successful. He is a man of correct habits, good business ability, honest, popular and well qualified to fill the office of sheriff in an able and painstaking manner. His neighbors and others who are intimately acquainted with him say: “There are no better men in Jasper county than Mason Kenton.” What higher meed of praise can be paid him than this, coming as it does from people who have known him from boyhood?

DR. WARREN W. MERRILL, our candidate for County Coroner, is a practicing physician of Rensselaer. He is a native of Lake county, this state, and was born April 29,1855. He wns boru on n farm and

worked upon the farm until about 15 years of age, then attended school at Crown Point and Valparaiso. He taught school for two terms in Lake county, then entered the Bennett Electic Medical College at Chicago, graduating from that institution in 1880. He practiced medicine in Hammond and the adjacent towns for 22 years, locating at Rensselaer in 1901, where die has built up a good practice. He was married in 1882 and has two daughters, one of 19 years and one of 14. Dr. Merrill was twice elected trustee of North township, Lake county, which then included all the schools of Hammond, East Chicago and Whiting. He was also a member of the U. 8. pension examining board under the Cleveland administration and was surgeon for the different railroads entering Hammond, also medical examiner for various life insurance companies. He is a man of commanding presence, great mental force, liberal minded, a scholar and a gentleman, in every way qualified to perform the duties of coroner in an able and intelligent manner.

JOHN H. JESSEN, the candidate for County" Survejor. was born upon a farm near Beaver City. Newton county, May 12, 1860. He worked on the farm and attended school during the winter until 19 years of age. In 188081 he attended the Central Indiana Normal at Danville. He was married in 1883 to Miss Jennie S. Jackson of Boone county, and they have a family of four children, three boys and one girl. He moved to Rensselaer in 1884 and has since resided here. Mr. Jessen has had many years experience in civil engineering ami construction on gravel roads, ditches, etc , and is a competent surveyor. » Last year he was assistant engineer in making the survey for the Beaver, McClellan, Lake artd Grant township stone roads in Newton county, and in the former—34 miles —he did all the preliminary work. also dune considerable city engineering, notable among which was the Main street gutter and Macadam improvement at Brook, of which he had complete charge. Of clean moral character, well educated and a thoroughly well p >sted man in every way, Mr. Jesseu is exceptionably well qualified to administer the duties of County Surveyor in an intelligent, < co.iomical manner, to the c implete satisfaction of all parties having business with that office as well as the people of the county ingeneral.

ELLIS JONES, the candidate for that most important position of County Treasurer, the official through whose hands every tlollar of the state, county, township and municipal funds of the county passes, (except Remington, which corporation collects her own city taxes), is a native of Benton county, this state. He was born in Gilboa township, south of Remington, Sept. 1, 1855, and therefore is 47 years of age at this time—right iu the prime of active business life. In 18<>0 his parents moved to Jefferson township, Newton county, residing there six years. They then moved to this county and settled in Carpenter township. Later the subject of this sketch moved to Jordan township, locating near Foresmnn. and after six years residence there, in 1890, returned to Carpenter town-

ship, where he has since resided. He was married in 1880 to Miss Nancy E. Gray of Carpenter township They had no children. His wife died in January, 1900. February last ho moved to Remington, where he now resides. Ellis Jones is well and most favorably known in this county, and is a man eminently fitted to fill-any office, county or district, within the gift of the people Of pleasing address, strong personality and obliging, coupled with sterling integrity and a man who has always proven a success at whatever he has undertaken, Mr. Jones will, if elected, make an ideal county treasurer, one who will truly and faithfully discharge the obligations of the office and at the expiration of his term account for every penny of the hundreds of thousands of dollars that will have passed through his hands. In education, penmanship and all other necessary qualifications he is most excellently fitted for the position, and no voter who supports him at the polls in November will ever regret having done so

EUGENE W. ALLEN, candidate for Commissioner from the First District, was born at Indianapolis, Dec. 20, 1845, and is therefore almost 57 years of age at this time. His father moved to Lafayette in 1853, and in 1858 was elected Justice of the Peace, being re-elected at each recurring election until his death in The subject of this sketch attended school at Lafayette and' acquired a good education. In 1853 he began learning telegraphy, and in 1854 commenced work for the Wabash railroad at Roanoake, Ind , and worked one year. He then returned to Lafayette and attended school for two years more, later going to work again for the Wabash company and continuing with it until 1573.l 5 73. a part of which time he occupied the important position of train dispatcher. In 1873 lie went to work for what is now the Big Four railroad, and remained with that system until 1892, most of which time he was train dispatcher. From 1859 to i s 72 he was stationed at Danville, 11l , where in 1870 he was married. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have two sons and cue daughter— John S. Allen of Kankakee, 111., Edward W. Allen of Anderson, anil Mrs. Simon Fendig of Wheatfield. No wrecks were ever chargeable to Mr. Allen as train dispatcher, but he preferred a less strenuous life, and in 1892 he moved to Kankakee township, this county, where he has since successfuly managed the big Luce ranch for his sisters. He is a man of clear, calm judgment, irreproachable in character and business integrity, and a man whom his neighbors unite in saying is a gentleman and a scholar, and most excellently fitted to represent the First district and the taxpayers of the whole county, irrespective of party, on the board of county commissioners. His election means much to the taxpayers of Jasper county, the great majority of whom we believe desire to have public business conducted along honorable and safe lines.

FRANCIB M. PARKER, candidate for Commissioner in the Second District, is a man well known throughout central Jasper and is a man whose business and private character is above reproach in every way/ A successful and intelligent farmer, well versed in the needs of the county and the duties of a commissioner, lie is exceedingly well qualified to fill the office with honor and dignity. Mr. Parker was born in Champaign county, Ohio, Oct. 20, 1843, and at the age of four years his parents removed to Indiana and settled in Gillam township. In November, 1857, the subject of this sketch was married to Miss Matilda J. Walker, and five children were born to them, sou boys and one girl—are now living. Mr. Parker has always been a fanner and is a man who has mixed brain with muscle, with the result that he has been most successful at this calling and has alwayß been classed as one of Jasper County’s most up-to-date farmers. In 1893 he moved upon a small farm just outside the corporation of Rensselaer, where he has a fine and commodious residence, but he stili owns a large farm in Marion township, .now occupied by his son, Korab Parker. A man of rare business judgment and firmness of character, honored and respected by all who know him, a man who regards public office as a sacred obligation rather than a private snap. Mr. Parker would make an ideal countv commissioner.

FRANCIS M. WELSH, the candidate for Commissioner from the Third District, is a uative of this county, his grandfather, Benjamin Welsh, having moved to Jasper county in 1840 and settled in what is now Jordan township on the farm no.v occupied by the subject of this sketch. He is a son of Henry Welsh, well known throughout this county, now a resident of the town of Remington, Mr. Welsh, like his ancestors, has followed farming for a livelihood. and is one of the best posted farmers in the entire county. When the County Reform act took effect Judge Thompson appointed the first board of the County Council, and of all the many democrats in the Fourth Councilmanic district, selected Frances M. Welsh as a member thereof. That the selection was an excellent one any of his colleagues on the council—democrat or republi-can-will tell you that Mr. Welsh was one of the best men on the board, and it was due to his untiring efforts iu behalf of the taxpayers, ably seconded by the other prominent members of that Council, irrespective of party, that the county tax-levy was reduced nearly one-lmlf in two years, and that, too, without injury in any way to the various public interests of the county —improvements and necessary expenditures went right along the same as before but evtravagances were stopped. A good mathinetician, an extownship trustee, a man of excellent judgment, possessing a good education and one who detects a steal before the thief gets a grip on the booty, the entire county might he searched over from one end to the other and no better man for the office of county commissioner could be found any place. His experience on the Couuty Council makes him thoroughly familiar with the needs of the county, and his desire at all times to serve the public in a faithful, impartial and economical manner, fits him for a first-class commissioner. Mr. Welsh was married about 25 years ago to Miss Mate Bullis, and has a family of seven children—4 boys and 3 girls.

ALBERT BOUK. OF WALKER TOWNSHIP. Candidate for County Auditor.

MASON KENTON. OF UNION TOWNSHIP Candidate for County Sheritt.

DR. WARREN W. MERRILL. OF RENSSELAER. Candidate for County- Coroner.

JOHN H JESSEN, OF RENSSELAER Candidate for Comity Surveyor.

ELLIS JONES, OF CARPENTER TOWNSHIP, Candidate for County Treasurer.

EUGENE W. ALLEN, OF KANKAKEE TOWNSHIP Candidate for Commissioner. First District,

FRANCIS M. PARKER, OF MARION TOWNSHIP, Candidate for Commissioner, Second Dist.