Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1908 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

•1.00 Per Tear.

CORN CONTEST.

Walker Tp. Boys Lead In Number of Exhibits. SEVENTY-FOUR EXHIBITS IN ALI m Which Walker Has Fourteen— Some Good Corn and Some Verjr Poor. The annual Jasper Couty Corn Contest, of corn grown by farmere’ boys of Jasper county, was held In connection with the Farmers Institute Tuesday. The corn was placed on exhibition in the county superintendent’s office Monday, and made a very nice display as a whole. There were 74 exhibits Tuesday forenoon, all the townships being represented except Gillam and Wheatfield, as follows: Barkley IS Marlon ...'. 6 Carpenter 2 Mllroy 4 Hanging Grove 9 Newton 9 Jordan * Walker 14 Kankakee S Wheatfield 1 Keener 1 Union 8 Each township gives cash prizes a t $5, $3 and $2 to the three best exhibits of 10 ears, and the township prize winners ente; the county contest for prizes 9 1 $6, $4 and $2. In the county contest an option is given of a week’s tuition and expenses, not exceeding $lO, to the “Purdue Short Course’’ at Purdue University. R. Wyatt, of Auburn, Ind., but the results were not made public in time for today’s Democrat. The girls' bread-making contest was also on yesterday, in the library room in the court house. There were a number of entries o t nice looking bread, but the awards had not been made at the time of making up the pages of this issue of The Democrat.

GEO. F. MEYERS NEW COUNCILMAN

Elected To Succeed the Late Jay W. Williams, at Special Meeting t Monday Night. ‘At the special meeting of the ty Council Monday night to elect a successor to Jay W. Williams, deceased, as councilman-at-large, the name of George' F. Meyers, republican, was presented by Councilman Spitler, and Lucius Strong, democrat, by Councilman Gerber. The vote was on strictly party lines, Mr. Gerber voting for Strong and the other three councilmen for Meyers. v Mr. Meyers <s a good, straight man aid is well thought of. He should make a good councilman. The only other business was to grant the petition of John Schanlaub et al for a tile drain of eight and six inch tile in, the west part -of town, beginning at the corner by Larkin Potts’ residence and running west on Clark street to the ditca known as ihe Fisher ditch. The petitioners agree to haul the tile and put it in and the city is to pay for the tile only. WILL INVESTIGATE FACTORY PROPOSITION. Ot a meeting of the Commercial Club and citizens Friday evening matters of various kinds connected with the disposal of city lots, etc., to provide the proposed factory fund were discussed, as well as the question of investigating the proposition of the Chicago industrial oompany regarding the factory they had in view for us that would occupy ten acres of ground and employ 300 men to start. It was decided to investigate this proposition, and to that end President Warren Robinson, C. G. Spitler and A. Leopold go up to Chicago today on the 9:55 train to make a careful Investigation and report at a meeting which will be called later. There seemed to be a sentiment against closing up a contract w;ith any factory, conditioned on our being able to sell the lots and raise the necessary bonus, until the lots were actually sold and 'the cash in hand. The Democrat believes this to be a wrong position to take. If a contract can be made with( j responsible company that will bind itself to employ a stated number ot men at the start, continuing for a stated time, It would greatly aid in the sale of the lots, for then there is something tangible to go on. If, after an investigation, this concern that will employ 300 men and put up a factory* of 50,000 feet of ilOOr space. Is found to be reliable and of as good financial standing as reported, we believe ,** | o®ld he no hesitancy in «heb!hg•■■ft at once, pTqviding the Mmuh wanted comes within ,our Itatft such proportions is more than we could rea-

sonably hope to secure again, and a bird in the hahd is worth two in the bush. Three hundred factory employes would mean an addition of 100 families to Rensselaer, and if this concern could be secured there would be little trouble about securing others later.

IS THIS A CHANGE OF HEART?

Several of our exchanges have been copying an Interview of the Indianapolis News with Abraham Halleck, state senator-elect from this district, had while the latter was down to the Capital recently on the Peacock trial before , the K. of P. grand lodge tribunal. In this Interview Mr. Halleck is quoted, among other things, as favoring a plan for inspecting the books of county and township officers; he ‘‘thinks they are honest as a rule, but it would not be a bad idea, by any means, to have a system of inspection for such offices.” Reference to the commissioners’ recoids of Jasper county shows that some eight or nine years ago one thousand taxpayers, in round numIbers, of Jasper county, petitioned [the board of commissioners of said i county to have a non-partisan examination made of the various county offices. This petition was signed by many of the largest landowners and taxpayers in the county, both democrats and republicans. Tb-re were many and persistent rumors that all was not right in some of these offices, and a new court house that had been contracted for at |82,500 had just been completed at a cost 'of approximately $175,000. The taxpayers were being “investigated” at that time by a band of alleged taxferrets, and the petitioners thought the county officers should also be investigated. Mr. Halleck, as president of the board of county commissioners at that time, side-tracked said petition by continuing it indefinetly, and all the record that we have ever been able to find relating to it after its filing was this one continuing record. If Mr. Halleck now, eight or nine years later, favors a law for the inspection or investigation of county offices, would he favor it§ going ■back to the period. covered when Jasper county's $i 75,000 court house was built? . »

A. D. BABCOCK NOT IN HOSPITAL

A. D. Babcock, the well known Goodland attorney whom The Democrat of Saturday stated was in a hospital at Indianapolis, called us up by phone Saturday and informed us that the statement was an error. He has been quite sick with a nervous trouble, he stated, but had hot been in a sanitorium at any time. He is now better, he stated, and was at his office looking after his office business at the time he called us up. The report as publisned in The Democrat had appeared in several neighboring papers and also in a dispatch to an Indianapolis paper, and we had reason to suppose therefore that it was correct. Mr. Babcock’s many friends in Jasper county will be glad to learn that he has so improved from his illness as to get out once more, and hope that he may be fully restored to his former robust health.

MODERN WOODMEN TO MOVE.

Popular Fraternal Order Outgrows Present Quarters and Will Move Into I. O. O. F. Building. The local Camp of Modern Woodmen of America will move Into new quarters in a few days, having leased the west hall in the I. O. O. F., building, formerly occupied by the High School as a laboratory. It will be newly , furnished, and with the great gains in membership the Camp Is having these days it is expected to soon have one of the best equipped and most handsomely furnished lodge rooms in this section of the state. At the election of new officers last N. Littlefield was re-elected Venerable Counsul; Chas. Simpson, Worthy Advisor; Judson Maines, Banker; and Fred Arnott, Joe Jeffries, who has hr Id the position of Clerk for several years, will move to Huntington soon. The order has a membership now of about 100, and new applications are coming in at a rate that make the members feel that this number will he doubled inside of the next year. The Modern Woodmen is one of the best fraternal and insurance orders in existence, and is a’so the strongest Insurance organization we know of, and Its losses are always paid promptly and In full. The Rensselaer Camp ought to have a membership of 500, and would have were its splendid features more generally Known among those who are not members.

A great room making sale to make room for a mammoth holiday stock. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORB.

THE TWICE - A - WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER », 1908.

THE COURT HOUSE

Items Picked Up About the County Capitol. J-Marriage licenses Issued: Dec. 4, John Jesse Detrick, son of David Detrick, deceased, of Remington, aged 21, occupation farmer, to Lillie May Watson, also of Remington, daughter of James Watson, aged 19, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. The county commissioners met in -regular session Monday, all of which day was taken up with the allowance of claims there being an unusually large number owing to the election service claims coming this session. The business of the session will probably be completed today. The Farmer’s Institute was in session as we go to press. The attendance has been very good both Monday and yesterday, although not what it should have been. Farmers would profit greatly by attending these Institutes and exchanging ideas, and more of them ought to turn out. —"O*"" At the monthly county board of education meeting Monday, all the township trustees were present, we believe, except Trustee Feldman of Keener tp., who has been confined to his home with typhoid fever for the past few weeks, but Is now reported on the mend. Some of the newly elected trustees were in attendance at this meeting to “sorter get the run of things.” —o — A petition to the democratic legislative caucus tomeet in Indianapolis next week, was circulated here Monday and was numerously signed by the leading democrats, asking that John W. Kern be elected to succeed Senator Hemenway to the United States senate. Mr. Kern is first choice of the democrats here, and seemingly Mr. Shively second choice. No one here has naything against Mr. Slack except that they think he is still a young man and his chance will come later, while both Mr. Kern and Mr. Shively are perhaps the abler men, having more mature years and experience, and the party really owes them more than it does Mr. Slack at this time. —oThe Carr ditch matter was taken up Saturday, just enough to get it started before the regular end ing of htis term of court, and will come up Wednesday at the adjourned or continued session. In the case of Andrew Arrick of Wolcott vs. King Davis of Rensselaer, the jury brought in a verdict for $250. This was S3O in excess of the claim and the attorney entered a remittitur for S3O, and was entered for $220. This is the case where Arrick claimed a balance due him for services and as partners—they were formerly in business together at Wolcott — and at the September term of court a jury brought in a verdict for $213.33. Davis asked for and was granted a new trial, with the above result.

PUBLIC SALES. The Democrat has printed bills for the following public sales: Tuesday, Dec. 15, John W. Mauck, 6% mllee west and 2% miles north of Rensselaer, on the Mauck farm in Newton tp. General sale, horses, cattle, farm tools, etc. Wednesday Dec. 16, James Lefler, on the W. E. Moore farm in Hanging Grove tp., 1% miles west and 3 miles north of McCoysburg. General safe of horses, cattle, hogs, farm tools, household goods, etc.

WRITES ABOUT FLORIDA.

Levi Reitcker Tells About the Land of Oranges and Pineapples. Boynton, Fla., Dec. 4, 1908. Editor Democrat: As we are now located and thought probably you and some of our friends would like to hear from us, and it would be impossible to write all of them, we write you and trust you will see fir to publish same. We will try to give you something our trip to Boynton: We left Rensselaer Friday morning at 1:10 o’clock, and arrived in Cincinnati at 9 a. m., some 30 minutes too late for our train to Jacksonville. We staid in Cincinnati until Saturday morning at 8 o’clock when we left for Jacksonville and arrived there at 10 o’clock Sunday. We took id some of the sights of that city, then went to the boat landing of the St. John River, where we surely saw some sights. Oarages and pineapples by the train loads, though possibly it being Sunday we did npt see as much as on a week day, but we could not see much difference as work was going on just the same

as any other day. But talk about colored people! It seemed to me there is more of them here than white people. We left Jacksonville Sunday at 3:30 on boat to Sanford, up the St. John River. Sanford is about 200 miles from Jacksonville, and this was the best part of our trip. Landed in Sanford at 10 o’clock Monday. Sanford is a nice little town. I might write for a week of the sights we saw coming up the river. Our boat was a large one and the river is bo crooked that it was almost impossible at times to make the turns, and at some places the boat took up nearly the whole river. I did not see any “gators,” but will try and tell some fish stories before closing. Leaving Sanford at 12 o’clock we went by rail to Boynton, arriving there Monday night at 9:30 o’clock, and going to the hotel for the night. Next morning when we went out we saw the flowers and roses all in bloom, and it made us think we had landed in a nice, warm and beautiful country. After breakfast we looked around and found a house to move in, but will say that we don’t stay much of the time in the house—we live out on the porch. Had good luck finding a house, for there was not another house empty in the town. We pay $6 per month for a three room house, and plenty of porch room. Next thing was to see the ocean, which was my first view of it. We are about % mile from the ocean, and can hear it roar and see a great many large boats going south, where to I don’t know. It seems so strange to me to see the farmers getting ready to farm. I was out west of town the other day and saw something like 400 acres of pineapples, and don’t forget that they looked fine. I helped a man pick 12 crates of grape fruit from three trees. They are cheap. Oranges, all you want to eat, for nothing; pineapples 3c each; large grape fruit, sc; oranges, 15 to 25c per dozen. You perhaps wonder how the price of labor is here. Well it is cheap and dear—for the kind. Boynton has probably 300 population, half colored people, and Jhere are whole towns of the latter. You can hire a “coon” for $1.50 per day, but they tell me one has to stay right with him to keep him at work and to see that the work is done right. So you ’ can see that labor is not so cheap after all. Now as for health, we are all well; Mrs. Renicker had a bad cough when we left for two weeks. Her cough has left her and she is feeling well. We can eat anything we get here but butter, and I have found where B. S. Fendig ships his “butter.” I am not saying, though, that it all comes down here. They sell it here at 30c per pound. Nearly all goods are canned, so are very high in price and not much good. Now I said I might tell some fish story. The people down here eat so many fish that the bones stick out on them so they can’t keep their clothes on. Probably the next time I write I can tell you a better one, and I am sure I will be able to tell you something about the aiigators. Was up to Palm Behch and came down to Boynton on a gas launch, saw some fine sights. Talk about fish and ducks! If Nat Scott and Jay Zimmerman don’t believe me, Just come down and I will “show them.” Well, I have written enough for this time, and if this letter escapes the wastebasket I will try it again. This leaves us all well and eating three meals a day. Hoping all who read this may find them as well, as remain, L. S. RENICKER AND FAMILY.

One lot men’s suits, 50 cents on the $ while they last. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE. Ladies’ Misses’ and Children’s coats at reduced prices; and they make appropriate Xmas gifts, too. ROWLES St PARKER. A sweater sale. The newest coat style at lowest prices. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE. Never before have we shown so many beautiful and useful gifts Xmas. You’ll be pleased if you do your shopping here. ROWLES St PARKER. Ladies’ cloaks and suits at reduced prices to close. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE. Special discount on Ladies’, Misses’ and Children’s coats. ROWLES & PARKER. Headquarters for the best standard makes patent leather dress shoes CHICAGO, BARGAIN STORB. FARM TO RENT:— 96 acres, with improvements. Enquire of 8. Kohley, Rensselaer, Ind.

GOVERNORS MEET AGAIN

Conference on Conservation Calls Them Together. IN WASHINfiTON TODAY Distinguished Men From All Parts of America Assemble to Put Into Bhape Report on the Country’s National Wealth to Be Submitted to President Roosevelt Jan. I—Water, Lands, Forests and Minerals the Topics of Discussion—Retiring-, and Incoming Presidents to Speak. ■ "I • . ’ • Ll ; Washington, Dec. B.—Not since last May, when the governors of the states met here in response to the Invitation of President Roosevelt to discuss the question of the conservation of the nation’s resources, tas the national capital been the scene of so notable a gathering as that which assembled here today. The governors of the" states are again here, either in person or by proxy, with other distinguished men. The purpose of their meeting is a joint “conservation conference” with the na tional conservation commission In order to get under way the most important part of the work of the conference—the report to the president on the national resources. The report is due Jan. 1. Roosevelt and Taft to Speak. Today's sessions began this morning with an informal meeting in the red room of the Willard hotel for the purpose of organizing. This afternoon there will be a great general meeting in the Belasco theater, at which President Roosevelt and President Elect

GIFFORD PINCHOT.

Taft will be among the speakers who will address the members of the joint conservation conference, the rivers and harbors congress, the southern commercial congress and other organizations with allied objects whose sessions in Washington help to make up what has been called “conservation week.” After the opening session the joint conference will take up its business in earnest at the Hubbard Memorial hall. The plan is to take up one after another the main subjects which the national conservation commission under Chairman Gifford Pinchot has been studying—waters, lands, forests, minerals. Meeting of Distinguished Men. J. J. Hill, John Mitchell, Andrew Carnegie and a score of other representative men hate accepted invita* tlons to be present. Since the conference seven months ago, when the president quickened the interest of the entire nation in one of its most perplexing problems, the national conservation commission has made an Inventory of the natural resources of the country. This inventory will be presented to Chairman Pinchot, who in his report to the president Jan. 1 will make recommendations which both the work of the commission and the joint conference may suggest, as vital,ln solving the conservation problem. The inventory Is completed now as far as present knowledge can go.

DYING MAN AT THROTTLE

Engineer’s Life Ends a Moment After He Leaves His Cab. Minneapolis, Minn., Dec. B.—A dying man’s hand controlled the throttle of the east bound Great Northern passen ger train as it sped on its way from Robblnsdale to Clear Water Junction. The engineer was George P. Irwin, who died a moment after he was taken from hts cab in Minneapolis. Irwin was found unconscious and leaning out of the cab window by bis fireman. George Ridgeway. Irwin is supposed to have struck his bead against a bridge railing.

Vote on Liquor Question Today. Boston, Dec. B.—Twenty out of thir-ty-three Massachusetts cities are hold-

lng elections today and unusual Interest is manifested in the voting on the question of the sale of Intoxicating liquors.

Mrs. Leslie Carter-Payne’a Finances. New York, Dec. B.—A discharge in bankruptcy was granted to Mrs. Caroline Leslie Carter-Payne, the actress. Her liabilities amounted to $194,418, and her assets were $57,926.

POSTAL SAVINGS DOOMED

Small Bankers Have as Good as Won Their Fight. Washington, Dec. 8. —At the close of the last session of congress when Senator Carter secured a special order to take up the postal savings bank bill it is said he had pledges of sufficient votes to pass the measure in the senate. It is stated now that he will fail short a dozen votes on the Republican side. Senator Aldrich is ready to take a positive stand against the passage of the bill, and he will have the support’of a large number of senators because of influence brought to bear upon them by the opposition of small bankers throughout the country, particularly those interested in state and savings banks. Taft’s Son Wins Postal Savings Debate. New Haven, Conn., Dec. B.—Taking the affirmative on the subject “That the United States should adopt a system of, postal savings banks,” the academic department debaters of Yale defeated the Sheffield Scientific men. Among the affirmative speakers was R. A. Taft? 1910, son of the president elect.

CONGRESS IN SHORT SESSION

Listens to President’s Message and Adjourns. Washington, Dec. 8. —Following the usual procedure iu such cases, the two houses of congress adjourned today after listening to the reading of the message from the president. The reading was followed with Interest by most of the senators and representatives, there being a general feeling that this mark of attention was due to the last annual message sent to congress by President Roosevelt. Interest in the short session of congress is centered In the changes in the senate committees due to the death of Senator Allison, who was chairman of the committee on appropriations, the most important on the list with the possible exception of the finance committee. There will he few changes of importance in the house of representatives.

WIFE SUES KEENE’S SON

Action for a Limited Divorce Being Tried In New York. New York, Dec. 8. —The limited divorce action of Mrs. Foxhall Keene against the son of the horseman and stock manipulator, was called before Justice Marean. This was the first intimation of serious trouble between the two. Because of the absence of Keene in Colorado Springs, Colo., an adjournment was granted until tomorrow. The cause of the trouble is kept secret.

KAISER FEELS GRIEVED

He Is Hurt Because Utterances Must Be Guarded Always. Potsdam, Dec. 8. —The emperor, who has been living in seclusion, has resumed rudiences with bis ministers. The emperor feels grieved that old loyal advisors such as Baron von Rheinbaben. General von Einem and Dr. Rethmann-Holweg, as well as Chancellor von Buelow should desire to limit his freedom of speech in his after dinner conversations.

GROOM HAD WRONG LICENSE

Clerk Gave Him Hunter’s Instead of Wedding Document. Carmi, 111., Dec. 8. —Wili am Dively. who presented a hunter’s license instead of a marriage license when the pastor asked for his authority to wed Miss Maynie Augustine, threatened to kill the clerk who issued the license. He was arrested and lined and married by a justice of the peace, who saw to the exchanging of the license.

BILLEK’S NECK SAVED AGAIN

Condemned Chicago Man Reprieved by Acting Governor Sherman. ~v Springfield. 111., Dec. B.—Herman Blllek, convicted poisoner of the Vrsal family, has been saved again. Acting Governor Lawrence Y. Sherman granted the condemned man a reprieve until Jan. 29. Biliek was to have been hanged next Friday. Governor Donees is In Washington.

Merry widow elbow tougtk golf gloves, marked 7b cents, special sale price only 60 cents per pair. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE.

VoL XI. No. 94