Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1908 — Page 1

THE TWICE - A - WEEK

Jasper County Democrat

SI .50 Per Year.

BAD PRECEDENT

Is Set By the Board of Review. HOLD ACCOUNTS NON ASSESSABLE These Accounts Are Worth 100 Cents On the Dollar and Are Fully Secured Against Loss. The board of review abjourned Saturday, instead of Monday, as reported it would do. The closing day’s proceedings consisted in assessing the additional improvements of James L. Bicknell at |225, and of James W. Kennedy \it |75. The lien of Mrs. Mary E. Kannal against H. J. Kannal of SI,OOO was assessed at 40 per cent, Welsh, Comer and Lewis voting for such assessment and Leatherman and Allman against. The valuation of 30 head of cattle of D. S. Makeever’s in Hanging Grove tp., $750, was changed to 19 head, $427. Office fixtures of the Jasper County Telephone Co., were assessed at SSO. The Northern Indiana Land Co., was assessed on 411 head of cattle

in Keener tp., $8,105; two horses and 15 hogs ot same company assessed in both Keener and Kankakee, were deducted from Keener tp. Assessment of W. H. Tyler in Keener was raised from S3OO to $334; J. R. Sigler, same tp., cattle raised from $265 to S4OO. All cattle in Keener raised 10 per cent. Question of raising valuation of automobiles was discussed but was left as made by the township assessors. (While the farmer’s horses, farm Implements and machinery is assessed at about half its real value, the automobiles owned in Rensselaer are assessed at about oneeighth to one-tenth their cost or what they would sell at, and four or five autos here were never reported for assessment at all this year.) "Moved and supported that it is the sense of this board that the items of fees due Leslie Clark and James W. McEwen as cited by F E. Babcock June 15, be not tatted for the reason they are not of taxable value." Regarding the above entry we desire to make a few comments: The Rensselaer Republican, of which syndicate ownership and editorship Mr. Clark is a member, charged The Democrat editor with not having given in any accounts as due him March 1 this year. This charge was wholly false, as our assessm'nt sheet plainly show-ed that we gave in SSOO due us on accounts. Clark, however, nor the Republican never gave in a dollar as due them. We personally knew of S3OO to SSOO that was due Clark, and after the Republican had made its false charge we run over a couple of fee books in the clerk’s office alone and found about S3OO Aue Clark and some S2OO due McEwen on ditch publications alone March 1 which they did not report to the assessor. These items were handed to the board, not with any idea that they would add them to the assessments of the parties—although it was perhaps their duty to do so—but to show that we had complied with the law and those making the charges against us had not, and who were the liars in this assessment controversy. We understand the “board" was

“convinced” the fees were of “no taxable value.”' Now if they are not “accounts due” and of taxable value, what are such? These fees are worth 100 cents on the dollar; they are a Hen against the ditch petitioners, and a petitioner must be a landowner. They are of more value than an unsecured note, because they are against several parties all of whom are land owners and all of whom are held jointly and severally for the payment thereof. The Democrat has some ditch fees due It and has always considered that they were of assessable or taxable value, and notwithstanding this rluing and with all due respect to the equalization board we still believe them to be such. The board certainly set a bad precedent in this ruling, for it virtually means that all credits due a person need not be assessed, as they have "no taxable value.” We have an idea, however, that this decision

would not last very long if an appeal to the state board of tax commissioners was taken. Had these parties come in and shown a bonafide offset of indebtedness against the amounts due them, well and good. But for the board to say they are of no taxable value is certainly setting a very dangerous precedent, which would enable everyone to escape taxation on this item of personal property. The accounts are of just as much value v those of the merchant or any other business man, and are much better secured, there being absolutely no possibility of their being uncollectible.

Z. T. McCASHEN DEAD.

fSf. T. McCashen of Milroy tp., hose serious condition has been entioned in our Milroy and Blue Sea items, died Monday. His age was 74 years. A wife and several grown children survive him. The funeral was held Wednesday forenoon at the residence and burial made in the Crockett cemetery southeast of Rensselaer.

BRO. STROHM GETS A PLUM.

Washington, June 25.—The Postoffice Department has made out appointment papers of Harry Strohm, of Kentland, Ind., as special agent of the division of classification in the office of Third Assistant Post-master-General. The appointment takes effect July 1 and the salary fixed for same is $2,000 a year and traveling expenses. Mr. Strohm is expected in Washington to assume his new work the first of next week.

WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH TEXAS?

No monkey business goes with Texas. The Standard Oil Company owes the State of Texas $6,016,250 in fines, and much more than that amount of property belonging to companies owned by the Standard has been attached by the State, together with a considerable sum of money that has been garnisheed, which also belongs to the parent company. No Kenesaw Mountain Landis tom-foolery goes in Texas, and that state is reliably democratic, too.

AUTOMOBILES CRASH HEAD ON.

*4 Dr. Kresler, wife and babe were coining home from a professional call yesterday about 1 p. m., in the doctor’s auto. Jake Cline of Morocco was going home from here at the same time, and they met at the Clouse corner 3 miles south of town. There is a hedge at this point and the doctor coming from the west couldn't see Jake and Jake couldn’t see the doctor but they soon realized they w’ere present. Jake’s machine knocked the left wheel of doc’s machine into splinters and threw the babe from the mother’s arms onto the front fenders of the right wheel, but it escaped with slight bruises. Doc’s machine* broke the steering device of Jake’s machine and they were running slow too. It will take several dollars to repair the machines.

BLOWING UP THE RIVER BED.

The prodigious lifting power of dynamite was well illustrated in a blast made in the river channel Tuesday evening. The holes in which this blast was placed had been drilled into the solid rock some ten feet, had been “shot” with a small charge to make a cavity at the bottom of the hole, then it had been pumped out to make the way clear to the bottom, where the second charge, which for the entire ten holes shot, consisted of 150 pounds of dynamite places in a space 30 by 16 feet. The stone occupying this space weighs at least 300,000 pounds, and would fill 12 cars with their usual load, and every pound of dynamite must therefore tear loose a ton of stone, but there is no doubt that it would raise a half ton more, which would make 3,000 pounds raised for every pound, of dynamite used. And bear in mind that this is ripped out of the solid bed rock, and very bard it is, too. In the blast mentioned above a solid piece of stone Bxlß feet in surface dimensions, and nearly 3 feet in thickness was torn out of its bed and raised to an angle of 60 degrees, where it is still standing, a monument to the enormous force of a combination of nitrft and sulphuric acids, glycerine oil and saw dust. If there are persons who have not seen a blast fired, go and see one. There is no danger if proper precautions are heeded before the explosion occurs.

Read The Democrat for news.

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 190*.

EX-PRESIDENT CLEVELAND DEAD.

Grover Cleveland, twentysecond and twenty-fourth President of the United States, died at his home in Princeton, N. J., at 8:40 o’clock Wednesday morning. He had been in poor health for some months, but the end came suddenly and was due to heart trouble complicated with other diseases. Mr. Cleveland was 71 years of age. He was married to Miss Frances Folsom in the White House June 2, 1886, who with four children survives him. In his death the only remaining ex-president is gone. Deep homage to his memory is being paid by the people of this and foreign countries, and flags are at half mast all over the country. The f«n«ral was held yesterday.

THE COURT HOUSE

Items Picked Up About the County Capitol. No marriage licenses issued since June 6, and only two issued thia month. —o— The democrats of Carpenter tp. will hold their nominating convention, for a township ticket, at Remington to-day. See official call on second page of The Democrat. The adjourned April term of court convened yesterday. No jury will probably be used. Any court business can be taken up, we understand, but the only case set for trial is the Hodge ditch cleaning case, which is to be heard by William Isham of Fowler as special judge. —<o— Jordan tp. commencement will be held at Mt. Hope church to-night. There are 11 graduates—Blanche Kessinger, Ethel Iliff, Roy Gish, Mollie Branson, Verona Bill, Minnie Kessinger, Edna Iliff, Nora Branson, Iva Bill, Leota Williams and Albert Sage. The exercises will begin at 8 o’clock. —o — The Newton County Enterprise says that County Supt. W. O. Schanlaub was chosen at the superintendent’s meeting as a member of the committee to prepare the questions for the state bi-monthly examinations for the ensuing school year. The appointment is an important one, and is the first time Newton county has received recognition from the State association.

J. C. Sternberg came over Tuesday to look over the dredge and get ready to go to work on July 6. He thinks they can get the remaining part of the river done in about two months, after the dredge is started. No arrangement has been made to take out the ledge of rock on the Gangloff farm and will not be in all probability until the job is finished to the outlet. As a matter of fact this should have been finished before leaving it last year, as it will cost twice as much to finish that part of the work now as It would have cost had the work been done when the dredge was on the ground. It appears that somebody has been very dlrellct in his duty in this matter from the beginning, but of course this additional burden can come off the taxpayers, and they never grumble. —o — Perry Goodner was arrested and fined $lO and costs, amounting to $18.85 in all, Wednesday evening for an assault on Stephen Marlin, who lives at the tile factory west of town. There seems to have been a feud between these men, growing out of some alleged remarks made by Marlin about Goodner and his step-daughter, who had boarded with the Marlins last spring. Marlin was at work on the Monnett land Wednesday afternoon, he states, when Goodner approached him with a monkey wrench in his hand. As he neared Marlin he asked him what he had been saying

about him, almost at the same instant striking him on the head with the -wrench. In the fight that followed Marlin was badly bruised about the face, and his clothes badly torn, and he was a frightful looking object when he came to town. Mr. Marlin was himself recently fined and costed sls for killing a baulky horse in trying to make it "go.”

A REAL COUNTY PAPER.

The Democrat is proud of its excellent corps of country correspondents. Few county papers in Indiana can boast of more or better newsgatherers than The Democrat’s. The items sent in each week are eagerly read by the residents of the locality from which they are sent and hundreds of others in different parts of the county who have friends or relatives residing there or who were former residents themselves. Then there are the hundreds of former Jasper county residents now living in the Dakotas, Oklahoma, Texas, or other states who want the news from their old home and of course take The Democrat to secure it. They, too, turn first to the correspondence columns to read about the happenings in their old neighborhood back in Indiana. To them The Democrat’s twice-a-week visit is better than a score of letters, and its coming is eagerly watched for by every member of the family. Last week the two issues of The Democrat contained correspondence from twenty different towns and neighborhoods of Jasper county or adjacent to Rensselaer. Eleven columns of correspondence! In addition to this were twelve columns of general news from all over the country, markets, etc., also city and county seat news, etc., etc. The moral of all this is, that if you want a paper that gives all the news all the time, don’t fail to subscribe for The Twlce-a-Week Democrat —104 papers for only $1.50, cash in advance.

Christian Church Services.

Since there will be no evening service at the church a good attendance at the Sunday school and morning worship is desired. ; • The subject of the sermon is “God’s Controversy with his People.”

AGATHA FIFTH.

JOHN GROOM IS ANOTHER OLD SETTLER.

John Groom is also one of the old settlers in this vicinity, having come to this country 43 years ago arid settled on his farm across the river in Barkley township. Mr. Groom was born in England 84 years ago, within a few miles of the scene of the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, and has seen the large stone, weighing tons, placed over the spot where _her head lies buried, the body being buried some eight miles from this place. When he landed in New York state, he was 33 years of age, was married and had three chidren. He didn't stay there long, however, going to Canada and spending some months in that country, then coming to the States' he stopped in Summit county, 0., a short time, when he came here as before related. At the time he was in Canada, in the ’so’s, neither the States or Canada would exchange money, and when Uucle John had made the purchase of some necessary household goods and drew a roll of States money to pay for them, the man told him he could keep the money and he would keep the goods, but an American captain, when the matter was explained to him, said that he was going directly to the States and could use the money. The exchange was made, and Uncle John was happy. Money was very scarce at this time in Canada and Uncle John says that for a period of six months he did not see a dollar. Only I. O. U’s. and “red dog” money were in use, such a state of affairs as we will have in this country as soon as the Vreeland-Aldrich Asset Currency law gets into full swing. Mr. Groom is in reasonably good health for one of his years, and still follows his profession, that of veterinary.

. .Tested Hungarian Seed for SaleAnyone wanting good seed, call on ALF DONNELLY, ’Phone 511-A. Rensselaer, Ind. 10 PER CENT DISCOUNT On my regular prices for all orders received during June. C. A. PETERS, Optician. Celery plants for sale. C. R. RAMP.

TENTH DISTRICT BANKERS

Branch of the Indiana Association is Formed and Important Questions Are Discussed. Lafayette, Ind., June 25.—Sixty representative bankers from cities and towns in the Tenth congressional district met here at noon today, and this afternoon formed a district branch of the Indiana Bankers’ Association. The bankers began arriving early this morning, and receptiofi committees composed of Lafayette bank officials and employes welcomed the guests. They registered at the Lafayette Loan and Trust building, where Secretary Walter J. Ball extended to them a cordial greeting. There were representatives of Laporte, Michigan City, Hammond, Valparaiso, Rensselaer, Monticello, Williamsport and Fowler banks as well as those of banks in the smaller towns in attendance. Emmett L. Hollingsworth, of Rensselaer, district vice-president of the State association, was one of the most active promoters of the branch organization. Shortly after noon a luncheon was served at the Lafayette Club, the Lafayette bankers being the hosts. After the luncheon tho visitors and local bankers met at the Y. M. C. A. building for a business session. James Murdock, president of the Merchant’s National Bank, welcomed the visitors. The questions discussed were: “Shall Bank Deposits Be Guaranteed?”, “The Depository Law” and “Do We Want a System of Postal Savings Banks?” Andrew Smith, of Indianapolis, secretary of the State Bankers’ Association, delivered an address on “The Association.”

BEESEY HEARD FROM AGAIN.

Supposed To Be Same Fellow Who Hiked With Jim Dunlap's Team. The Pulaski County Democrat has a breezy notice of a young fellow from Monon who is no doubt the same chap who a few weeks ago started to run off with a team of the Mt. Ayr liveryman, James Dunlap, but met with an accident east of Rensselaer, where he broke the pole out of the buggy and he abandoned the rig and hoofed it to Monon, Mr. Dunlap recovering the rig near Pleasant Ridge next day. This is also supposed to be one of the Beeseys who used to live in’ Rensselaer, and if he don’t mend his ways he will no doubt come to a sudden stop some of these days that he will remember for some time. The Democrat says of him: "A fellow named Beese, hailing from Monon, worked a little threecornered skin game here the first of the week, that was good as long as it lasted. He blew in Saturday —and it is said the Buffalo liveryman who drove him here got nothing for his drive. The fellow got supper, bed and breakfast at the Penry hotel—and Penry is still waiting for his pay. The Sanders restaurant fed him Sunday noon—but he has not yet come back to get the week’s meal ticket that he arranged for at the time. Supper at the YoCkey hotel is still charged against him. In the afternoon he ordered a rig of John Hoch to drive him to Royal Center, but he refused to show the color of his mon ey in advance and John unhitched the team. The eating house people who had been roped in put Marshal Johnson next, and the fellow got lodging Sunday night in the calaboose —and that didn’t cost him a sou. In fact, a search at the bastile showed him-to be souless. He was given a good start Monday on a walk out of town. It is stated that he hiked for Star City, where he induced John Potts to let him have a horse to drive to Royal Center. At that place he put up the horse and got a liveryman to drive him to Logansport, where he gave the driver the slip. “That young fellow stands a good chance to land in the pen one ot these days, where his unlimited gall will not stand him so well tn hand.”

The largest stock of furniture ever in Jasper county at Williams’. CARD OF THANKS. We desire to thank our neighbors and friends for their assistance in the sickness and death of our loved one. DAVID ELDER AND FAMILY. Dyeing, Pressing, Dry Cleaning and Repairing, both JLadies and Gentlemen’s garments. AH work intrhsted to me will receive prompt attention, and will be done In a woAmanlike manner. Give me a trial. JOHN WERNER, Merchant Tailor.

Vol. XI. No. 17.