Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1909 — Page 1

THE TWICE - A - WEEK

Jasper County Democrat.

91.50 Per Tear.

METER RATE FOR LIGHTS REDUCHEL.

v At the regular meeting of the •lty council Monday night, thd most important thing done was to reduce the meter rates for electric lights for business houses and residences.The rate heretofore in force'was 10 and IZbb cents per killowat, respectively, and the reduction, which takes elffect with the beginning of January, 1909, 1b 8 and 10 cents. 'There are some 30 meters in use iu the city at present, and the council would like to get everyone to put them in. aqd hopes the reduction will induce many to do so.

B. FORSYTHE TO RETIRE FROM BUSINESS.

[Mr. B. Forsythe, proprietor of the Chicago Bargain Store, is preparing to close out his business and retire. He has been in business here for the papt 19 years, has accumulated a competency and will rent his store building and he and his wife expect to travel extensively during the next few years, perhaps go abroad. They will retain their residence here and make Rensselaer their home. Y Mr. Forsythe hsfiong ben promiaent in business in Rensselaer and his store is well known all over this section of the state. He has been a liberal user of printer's ink, and has built up a fine business. He has not as yet leased his store but expects to as soon as he Can find a suitable tenant.

SUDDEN DEATH FROM CANCER.

Mrs. Franciska Bingham, the aged mother of Mrs. J. J. Eiglesbach, died yesterday morning about 6 o’clock from a cancer under her right arm. She had made her home with Mrs. Eiglesbach for the past 22 years, and nothing was known about her having a cancer until Friday, she having successfully kept the fact concealed from the family. She went to bed, sfck, Thursday but got up again Friday, but was too weak to remain up. A physician was called and he discovered that she had a malignant cancer that had eaten her life almost away. He thinks she had been troubled for a year and a half at least from it. She was 74 years of age and was born in* Wuertenberg, Germany, and her husband died many years ago. At this writing *no arrangements have been made for the funeral.

MADE A “KITLLING” AT LOWELL.

The Jasper county poultry fanciers ‘cleaned up” the Lowell Poultry Show Friday, Wm Hershman of Walker township leading the attack with his Black Langshans. On cockerels he showed first and second; on pullets, Ist, 2d, 3d, 4th, 6 th; on hens, Ist and 2d; on cocks, Ist, 2d, 3d, 4th, and Ist and 2d on pens. He also won a handsome silver cup for having the highest scoring bird in the show. It was nip and tuck between the Langshan and a Barred Rock, but the perfect feathers of Hershman’s bird brought home the money. Emmet Pullin, as usual, showed class in the Barred Rocks, and his birds won Ist, 2d and 3d, pullets; Ist and 2d, hens; Ist, 2d and 3d cockerels. His brqnze turkey cockerel showed first, his pullet second, and his hens first and second. Charles Norman won three firsts in the Partridge Cochin class.

FALLS FROM PONY AND BREAKS LEG.

W. B. Walters of Hanging Grove township, bought the pony sold at the Moulds’ sale last Thursday as a present for his little seven-year-old son. Will wanted to break the boy in at oncfe on riding It, and the same afternoon placed the boy on its bare back. The pony felt good and wanted to show off a little, too. It bucked a little, the boy got scared and hollered like a Cornmanche Indian,' and before Will Afraid get to him he was on the ground with a broken leg, his right limb being broken below the knee. A Rensselaer doctok* was called up by ’phone and was soon on the scene and set the broken member, and the boy is now getting, along all right. He, don’t want to ride another pony without a saddle, however. ' Mr.. Walter is not blaming the pony at all, but has concluded that he was just a little previous in iniating the boy into riding it. He thinks if the little fellow had not got scared and hollered the pony would not have thrown him.

Poultry Show next week in the Armory. For Rent: —My residence property and four lots all together or separately. Lots of fruit. JOHN MOOSMILLER. For Kent—A 200 acre farm, good house and barn. Grain rent. Apply to C. P. WRIGHT ft SON, ” K. of P. Bldg. A pair of thoroughbred chickens given away every night next week at the Poultry Show. \

NO SHORTAGE!

Perish the. Thought! How Could Such a: Be WHEN TH€ MONBY WAS PAID BACK After a Year's Time and a Demand Was Made For It?—Certainly Not, says thp "Apologist.” The Republican was in error when it stated in the Friday issue of the Semi-Weekly and in the Thursday Daily that the county commissioners had ordered an investigation of the books of the county treasurer and auditor to adjust the accounts between former Treasurer Nichols and ! the county. The order entered by the commissioners concluded with the language “It is further ordered and agreed that in case there should be errors found on further examination that in such case the difference shall be adjusted as equity require.” The Inference was that there was to be an investigation, and a head line in the Republican said that there would be. i The Jasper County Democrat calls attention to this error in an article .that venomously attacks and libels j Mr. Nichols, and that leaves the imjpression Mr. Nichols Is a defaulter | to the sum of $7,500, when the edt- ! tor of that paper knew, or could have ascertained if he had wanted to be fair, that 36 hours before the Democrat was printed Mr. Nichols had paid to Mr. Allman the sum ,of $3,549.47, and had the receipt of the present treasurer for every dollar that was claimed by the auditor and the commissioners as coming .to the pounty. When Mr. Nichols went out of office a year ago he turned over to ; the new treasurer the amount he claimed to have of the county money The amount failed to correspond with the accounts kept by the auditor and Mr. Nichols claimed there was some mistake. He stated that he was willing to make settlement whenever he was certain that the record was right, but he did not want to pay any of his money into the treasury. During the summer his daughter, Miss Bertha Nichols, worked in the treasurer’s office, going over the records and Auditor Leatherman also done what he could to properly adjust the matter. As set forth in the order of the commissioners and published in the Republican, errors In Mr. Nichols’ favor were found in the sum of sl,525.01. This was not nearly so much as Mr. Nichols had claimed, but it was sufficient to justify him in the belief that errors had been made, and possibly more than shown In the investigation thus far made. Mr. Nichols stated all the time that he was ready to settle all that was coming to the county, and he postponed doing so merely to determine whether or not he was turning in more than was coming to the county. Thgre was no way in which he could escape the payment, as -he was bonded and would be compelled to settle whenever the county commissioners made demand. Mr. Nichols wanted the commissioners to say that if he had paid more money into the county than was coming it would be paid back to him, and he took this position on the advice of his attorney. He paid it in under protest but he paid every dollar 36 hours before the Jasper County Democrat went to press, and yet that paper-says that “so far as the > Democrat was able to learn yesterday (Friday) morning” Mr. Nichols had not paid what the commisipners had demanded. Mr. Babcock was at | the court house and he did not ask (Treasurer Allman it the amount I had been settled. He did ask Miss Luers, Mr. Allman’s deputy, evidently selecting a time when Mr. Allman, to whom he 'has recently taken a dislike, was out of the office. Miss Leurs told him that she did not know, and that was the investigation that he made to try to avoid finding out that Mr. Nichols was hot in debt a single dollar to Jasper county. With the facts where he could have ascertained them in a single rnjnute had he been disposed to be either fair or honest, he maliciously and purposely libeled Mr. Nichols and headed an article in his paper “Short $7,500, was fix-treas-urer ‘Doc’ Nichols.” It is doubteful if there is one man In 10,000 who would'have undergone* what S. R. Nichols did as treasurer of Jasper county and have ctjme ont from under thfi load untarnished. He was in debt personally to the McCoy bank $12,000 and he had $23,305 deposited there when the crash came. The courts offset his $12,000 indebtedness against a similiar amount of his deposit of county funds and he later secured dividends on the remaining $11,305 to the amount of about $4,800, and still has coming $6,500 or near that amount. The present law would have protected him in the loss, but he fell for it himself and stood up and took his medicine like a man. S. R. Nichols {does not owe the county a single I dollar and did not w)mn the Jasper County Democrat was published Friday evening. And the amount he lowed prior to that tMe was protested and paid under protest . I The accounts between officers i might fail to balance without intenmrtwrrjUßi'*

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18* 1809.

the ability and honesty of Mr. Leatherman, It is barely possible that mistakes may have occurred in the settlement, of the business of the officers and we consider It entirely apropos that an investigation.; h? made that shall leave no uncertainty as to the accuracy of the settlement. A bill, will no doubt be passed at the present session of the state legislature that will provide for expert examination and a uniform system of book-keeping and the fact that it is being considered is proof that its need has been felt in other places.—Rensselaer Republican. Now ain’t that awful Mabel? If Jim Chapman would only make another affidavit the vindication, would be complete and conclusive. But, to be serious, The Democrat was very mild in its remarks about this matter. Here is an officer goes out of office $7,500 short in his accounts as shown by the auditor’s books. One year later, after official demand has been made upon him, he pays—so the Republican states—the amount of this shortage into, the county treasurey, less the credits be is said to have due him. A part of thjs we are told, $2,500, was paid before the demand was made, but it was not paid until more than a year had eltkpsed since he had vacated the office. The Republican heads the above "speil” with “There Was No Shortage.” Then why did. the commissioners demand that $3,549.47 be paid back, the net shortage after deducting the $1,500 which a research by the daughter' of the ex-official found to be due him? Why, he was simply waiting for the commissioners to say that if he did pay this back, and an expert examination of the records was made later, and it was found that he was overcharged, the commissioners would see that he got the,amount of the overcharge refunded to him! Did anyone ever hear such silly argument as this? Haw in the name of Moses could the commissioners or the county help but pay back any overcharge if an honest examination disclosed that there had been such?' Nobody but a fool or an idiot editor or one who believed his readers to be both, would advance any such apology as this. When a man vacates a public office and his cash accounts are short several thousand dollars, there is a shortage, unless he immediately makes good and does the “auditing” afterward. The fact that he does pay the amount when demand is made—through his bondsmen or otherwise, a year later—is a tacit admission of such shortage. This matter had certainly run along enough to determine beyond all question of doubt whether the shortage was apparent or real.

The facts are that this shortage has been attempted to be thrown by Nichols onto mistakes made in the auditor’s office, either because he really believed so or wanted to delay settlement, but it is generally conceded that no more competent accountant has ever occupied tlu> auditor’s office than Mr. Learherman, also that he is honest. The Republican’s effort to likewise place this blame on the auditor will have little credence. While it is true that mistakes might occur there, the chances that they occurred in the treasurer’s office, when one considers the way that office was run during the Nichols administration, is much the more probable. The Democrat did not doubt but this shortage would be made good—it had to be unless covered up for years to come, as it has been for the past year—and if the reader will recollect The Democrat, during th'e" late campaign, stated that a change was desirable in this very office; that while matters might be all straight now only a change would disclose whether they had been so in the past. Now, in conclusion, we want to say that The Republican either deliberately or through mistake lies when it states that we called at the treasurer's office last Friday morning and asked Miss Luers, the deputy, if this amount had been paid, and chose a time when the treasurer was absent. We were not in the treasurer’s office at all last Friday morning nor no other time during the past two weeks, have not seen Miss Luers for more than that length of time, and she will-- not say that we asked her anything about the matter then or at any other time. We did not ask the treasurer because he is a man who is too partisan to be very relable in giving out information of this kind to a Democrat. This shortage has existed for a year or morft to his knowledge, yet does anyone thinft for a'moment if he had been asked by any taxpayer of the, county If there was anything wrong that be would have admitted jtX Mr. Allman’s action In the collection of the special assessments of the city of Rensselaer, as alleged in the complaint in that "friendly huit” brought by the city to compel him to perform his duty, in spite of the penalty diced, was not of such a character as to Inspire confidence

THE COURT HOUSE

items Picked Up. About the Comity Capitol. The Jasper and Porter county commissioners were in Joint session yesterday afternoon to let the con* tract fp«r ; a new steel bridge over the Kankakee river on the DemotteHebron grade. Marriage licenses issued; January 9, John Keihpff of Rensselaer, aged 24, occupation farmer, to Cordelia Sigo, of Carpenter township, dapghter of Moses Sigo, aged 25, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. At the meeting of the County Board of Education Monday the election of a truant officer to succeed C. M. Sands was the principal business transacted. The names of C. B. Steward, Dr. A. G. Catt and J. C. Porter were presented, and on the first ballot the vote stood Steward, 6; Catt, 6; Porter, 3. On the second ballot Mr. Stewart was elected, receiving 8 votes; Catt 4; Porter 3. Mr. Steward is a democrat, but this office ought not be a political office He will make a capable officer and there will be no politicos in his administration of the truancy laws. The board also decided to continue the corn and an(l bread contests another year.

PUBLIC SALES. The Democrat has printed bills for the following public sales: Thursday, January 21, Mrs. J. W. O’Connor, 2 miles south and 2 miles west of Remington. General sale of horses and mules, cattle, seep, tarm implements, etc. Monday, January 25, Mrs. Martha Smith, 2% miles northeast of Rensselaer. General sale of horses, cattle, implements, household goods, etc. Wednesday, Jan. 27, W - B. Yeoman, 5 miles west and 2 miles soqtn of Rensselaer. General sale of * horses, cattle, hogs, farm implements, etc. Wednesday, Jan. 27, Albert Warner, 10 miles east and 2 miles north of Rensselaer. General sale, horses, cattle, hogs, chickftns, farm tools, household goods, etc. Tuesday, Jan. 26, Amos F. Shesler, 2% miles east of Rensselaer. General sale of horses, cattle, hogs, farm implements, household goods, etc. February 4, Marion I. Adams, 3V6 miles south and % mile east of Rensselaer. General sale, horses, cattle, hqgs, farm tools, etc.

REVIVAL SERVICES AT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

Rev. Herbert Yeuell of Washington, D. C„ has been greeted with excellent audiences at the Christian church. His sermons are of the highest type. Monday evening he 1 spoke on “Be sure your Bins will find you out.” This was a masterpiece of eloquence delivered with the earnestness of a soul that is on fire with zeal for the awakening of those who are trying to hide their sins. Rev. Yeuell’s stay in Rensselaer is determined by the Interest that is taken in his meetings. He is a busy man with many cdlls. Get out to hear him and help! him in his good work. 1

We went to parties that were in a position to know if the amount had been paid. They stated that if it had they did not know it, and, having confidence in this information, we stated that so far as we could learn *t had not been paid. The Rensselaer Republican true to its tradition has defended every dishonest official, every drunkard or •incompetent that has ever held office, just so he was g republican. The present bunch in charge of that sheet are no improvement over old George Marshall in this respect, and The Democrat has shown up their deceit and falsehoods so many times that it is unnecessary tp repeat them here. The people of Jasper county know the bunch that sheet puts in so much time defending, and if we mistake not they will hereafter look with suspicion on any candidate or official It becomes over-zealous in the defense of. The Democrat has for years been demanding an honest investigation of the county records of a non-par-tisan character J>e made, and some eight or nine years ago, through its efforts, a petition signed by more than 1,000 prominent taxpayers, of all political faithß, of the county was presented to the commissioners asking that they order such an investigation. The bunch the Republican has always defended, turned dawn the petition and the Republican defended the Action. Now it favors an investigation (?).

OBITUARY. William Labln Bringle, the fifth child of a family of eleven children of Lawrence and Anna Catherine Bringle, was born In North Carolina, July 11, 1839; died at the home of his son, W. D. Bringle, in Jordan tp., Jan. 7, 1909, aged 69 years 5 months and 26 days. With his parents he moved to Harrison county, Ind., when four years of age. On Dec. 3, 1858, he was united* in marriage with Sarah Floch, to which union 'seven children were born, two dying in infancy. With his family he moved to Jasper county, Ind., in the spring of 1866, where he since resided until his death. Four brothers, two sisters and of his children three Sons—W. D. Bringle and A. M. Bringle of Jasper county, J. V. Bringle of Summit, So. Dak., and two daughters,-Mary E. Moffltt of Jasper county, ana E. Myrtle Yeoman of Hibbard,'- Ind., survive him, his wife having died Sept. 18, 1905. This is one of the oldest residents and most highly esteemed citizens of the county succumbed to the monster Death. Now resting in undisturbed and unconscious repose—until He that took the “Keys of Death” shall call him forth to life again. The funeral services were held at the home of his son W. D. Bringle, conducted by Elder D. T. Halstead, on Saturday, at 10 a. m., Jan. 9, where lamenting neighbors and friends as well as relatives were gathered In large concourse, attesting their sympathy and sorrow In the loss of one so noble and kind, of undimmed record of Justice and true principles In his dealings with men. A commendable example to all. He was interred in the Strong cemetery in Newton county where many unable to attend the funeral were gathered to look on his face for the last time in this life. xx

FROM NORTH DAKOTA.

Milnor, N. Dak., Jan. 4. Mr. F. E. Babcock: lam enclosing with this communication a money order to the amount of $1.50 for a year's subscription to The Democrat, to begin with the next issue, as we cannot get along without the home paper. If you should care to publish this you may say to the old friends in Jasper that we like the country fine and are doing well, much better than could be expected under the conditions in which we started in, as- we came here in March, 1907. Landed here without a cent. We worked out by the month all that summer and started in for ourselves in the spring of 1908. We paid out over $1,300 this fall. I call that doing pretty well. In fact I think it is only place for a poor man to get a start if he is not afraid of a little work. We have rented three quarter sections for the coming year. I have 5 head of good work horses, all paid for, and machinery. This is a fine place for garden truck. We raised all kinds of vegetables, cabbage, tomatoes, squashes, and my father, Henry Snow, had quite a few watermelons and muskraelons, too. As to the climate, that is not so severe as you might think. The air is a little brisk now but it is certainly healthy, as we have had good health since we have been here. We expected to see some awful winter weather but with the exception of one small blizzard we had a beautiful winter, I never saw one in Indiana to equal it. This winter we have more snow and better sleighing. We had no sleighing Last winter. The thermometer has registered colder this winter but we do not mind it so much. I have hauled wheat all winter so far and still have 800 bushels to haul. Some of the young couples out there are missing the chance of a lifetime, as a man and wife can a start, as a man and wife can make good wages here by working for some old bachelor who needs a hand and housekeeper, and there is all kinds of work ana good wages too, through the threshing season. Yours respectfully, ALVA SNOW.

Everybody should visit the Poultry Show. Come to the Great Embroidery Sale, at the 99 Cent Racket Store, Jan. 15, 1909. Sale starts at 1:30 p. m. All the new 1909 patterns to select from, lots of them worth double what we ask. Also see the fine Val Lace, worth as high as 12 and 15 cents per yard; all go for 3c and 5c per yard. At no other pi hce only The 99 Cent Racket Store, the leader of low prices. See the Grand Exhibition of thoroughbred fowls at the Armory (next week. , At this season of the year potatoes constitute one third of the average food consumption. To get the best one should see that the potatoes are neither scabby or sunburnt as such . potatoes are not healthy. If you want tho best try our fancy Wisconsin sand grown potatoes. Free from scab and sunburn. At 20 cents a peck. JOHN EGER. - m ! You CM stay all day at the Poultry Show for 10c.

SHOCK ROCKS PACIFIC COAST

Alaska Cable Is an# Forte. Shaken. LASTS. FIFTEEN SECONDS Quake Breaks Water Pipes and Causes. Houses to Be Flooded In Port Townsend, Wash.—Disturbance Felt Over •n Area of, at Least Fifty Square Miles—Buildings Swayed and Windows and Roofs Broken. Port Townsend, Wash., Jan. 12. —An earthquake shock caused considerable damage here. It lasted from ten to fifteen seconds. The shock took the form a vibratory convulsion, swaying buildings and breaking many windows and fragile roofs. Reports from adjoining localities .available by telephone Btate that the force of the shock extended over an area at least fifty miles square, and in several districts two distinct shocks separated by more than a minute were felt. In many places in this city where water pipes had been frozen, the earthquake broke themains and flooded the houses. For a time it was feared the city’s entire water supply would be shut off, so great was the damage being done. Officers at Fort Worden state the investigation so far made shows no apparent damage to the fortifications was caused, although both Fort Worden and Fort Flagler wss badly shaken. The signal corps officers report the parting of the Alaska cable several hours previous to the shock here. Investigation will be made to ascertain if there was any connection between the circumstances. Child Alive In Reggio Ruins. Messina, Jan. 12. —The bodiee of nearly a hundred men employed in tho orange and lemon stores were taken from the ruins hare. At Reggio, firemen came upon a five-year-old boy, who was apparently uninjured.

ATTACKS PROHIBITION

Tennessee Governor Says Let Individual Settle Question for Himself. Nashville, Tenn.. Jan. 12. —In a special message to the legislature Governor Patterson declared that state wide prohibition is fundamentally and profoundly wrong as a governmental policy and does not accomplish the result hoped for. He says it violates the plainest and most obvious* rule, individual actions and personal freedom. He declared that the use or non-use of liquor should be left to the individual. He asserts that prohibition states are filled with open and secret violations of the law. He made a strong plea for local option and in closing recommended that no bill or bills be passed prohibiting the manufacture and sale of liquor in Tennessee. Recommends Isolation of Drunkards. London, Jan. 12. —The departmental committee of the Home Office has issued a rei>ort recommending that the only way to deal with the habitual drunkard is isolation under conditions that will prevent indulgence in alcohol and inculcate habits of self-control. The committee opposes the treatment of inebriety as a disease that can be cured by drugs.

JUSTICE SENT TO JAIL

Retained Fines Paid to Him by Automobile Speeders. Camden, N. J., Jan. 12.—Conrad Waldvogel, a justice of the peace of An cor a, N. J., was sentenced to threa months’ imprisonment by Judge Joline on the charge of retaining about $l2O which he had levied upon automobile owners for vlolatlug the speed laws. Among those fined by the justice and of which no return was made to the state were Judge Holland, of the United States circuit court of Philadelphia and Frank O. Briggs, United States senator from New Jersey.

GOONEYS IN HAWAII

Storm Drives South Pacific Birds Into Honolulu Harbor. Honolulu. Jan. 12. —A severe southwesterly storm Is raging throughout the islands and much rain has fallen. A peculiarity of the storm is the appearance of numerous gooneys, a species of birds from the South Pacific, seen here for the first time since 18$S.

Dorando Defeats Smallwood.

St Louis Jan. 12.—Dorando Pietri in a Marathon race here defeated Percy Smaltwbpd. who quit the race taps because of his left leg hurting |9m* ~

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VoL XL No. 04.