Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1907 — THE COURT HUUSE [ARTICLE]

THE COURT HUUSE

Items Picked Up About the County Capitol. But four marriage licenses have been issued this month. —o — Township trustee Sage of Jordan was in tne city on business Tuesday. —o — Kniman and Tefft are the only towns in the county not already covered by now dry or to be dry at expiration of present licenses, and it is likely they, too, will climb on the water wagon in time to shut off any further extension of the business in those places. Township trustees should bear in mind that their annual estimates of expenditures and tax levies must be made next week. The Democrat has printed estimate blanks for sale at ten cents per dozen if any trustee should not be Supplied with a sufficient number for posting. And now it has been decided not to re-commence the Reming-ton-Carpenter stone roads until after the August meeting of the county commissioners, because of some matters the contractors desire to put before the board, it is said. This will mean that work will not begin before August sth or 6th.

Auditor Leatherman went to Indianapolis Wednesday to appear before the state tax board and endeavor to keep it from raising Jasper county’s real estate valuation. He was accompanied by County Assessor Lewis. They returned home the same evening, but of course do not know what action will be taken by the board. —o — And now the interstate commerce commission has declared the two cent fare law void so far as the interstate passenger traffic is concerned. That is, for example, only two cents per mile can be charged from Rensselaer to points in Indiana, but if a ticket is purchased through to Chicago or points outside this state, the old rate can be charged, notwithstanding the other state or states also have a two cent law. Bosh! The Brook Reporter says that realestate assessments in Jasper county are now only about half what they are in Newton, and for years have been less than half the valuation of Newton county lands. We deny the imputation, brother* The average valuation in Jasper county is now $16.78 per acre, or, with improvements, $18.93. If the average assessment of Newton county land is $33.56, exclusive of improvements, then the Reporter is about correct, but we have understood that the average is about $27 in Newton. We think everybody will admit that Newton has a much larger per cent of good land than Jasper, and the average should be higher there than here. —o— Auditor Leatherman’s completed abstract of taxable property in Jasper county shows the total valuation of the county to be sll,lßO- - (assuming that the railroads and other corporation assessments remain the same as last year) and 2,238 polls. Rensselaer’s assessment is $1,181,185. Last year the total assessment of the county was $10,972,713, a gain for this year of $208,109. Rensselaer last year was $1,248,723, a falling off this year of $67,538 The mortgage exemptions to be deducted from these figures are, for the county this year $420,885, last year $422,160’ For Rensselaer this year $32,845, < last year $34,305. After all the deductions are made the net increase for the county is $209,384. Of course these figures may be changed by the State tax board. —oi— The Mattie M. Rinehart or, as it is generally known, the McCoy lands in Hanging Grove tp., aggregating some 1,700 acres, were sold at Sheriff’s sale last Friday afternoon to satisfy a part of the numerous mortgagee against them. There was something like $90,000 in all against the lands and they

were bid off by the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co., holders of the first mortgage, at the amount of judgment and costs, $50,925.73, there being no other bidders. They also have to satisfy a mechanic’s lein of Lee Jessup’s of $164.17. The McCoysburg town site of some 27 acres was sold separately, and was bid off by N. W. Bowen, another mortgage creditor, at $2,500. There are five other judgment creditors who have an opportunity in their proper order to pay off the judgments ahead of them and take the land, but it is hardly likely that they will do so. They aggregate about $32,000 and costs and are, in order: Gollieb Bierling, $7,074; Horace Russell, $4,124; E. L. Hollingsworth, $1,179; E. W. Bowen, $5,651; A. T. Bowen & Co., $14,247.95.