Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1909 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

•1.50 Per Tear.

WHY NOT HAVE A MUTUAL COMPANY

Raise In Local Telephone Rates Is Not Justifiable. MUTUALS GETRATES FOR HALF Or Less, Than Rates Now Charged By Jasper County Telephone Co., and Are Making Money-Service Is Also Better Than We Are Getting.—An Example of What Mutual Companies Do Is Shown By the Brook Exchange.

Since ’ the sleet last winter which caused some loss to telephone and telegraph companies, the Jasper County Telephone Co., has been endeavoring to saddle that loss and any losses that may occur in years to come oflto the patrons of their lines. • Failing, through the efforts of The Democrat, to get through the city council a franchise for a 50 per cent raise in city rates, it has put in force a new schedule of toll rates equaling more than 100 per cent raise in some instances, and has raised the rates for country lines from $1 per month to $1.50. Whether the country line service has been improved or not we leave for the pattons themselves to answer. Some phones were taken out rather than pay the 50 per cent raise in country line rates. Others felt that they must submit to the raise as they could not get along without a ’phone, even though they did not believe the increase was justified. The service in Rensselaer since the failure to get through the holdup franchise has been worse than ever before. Whether this is intentional or not, in order to make the patrons believe they must pay more money to get decent service, we do not know, but we think the great majority of patrons will agree with us in what we say—that the service is decidedly “bum.” Now, the agitation for a raise in rates a few months ago started right here in Rensselaer, and a meeting was held at Monttcello in an effort to get the owners of other lines in this section to join with the Jasper County Telephone Co., in forcing this raise. The Monticello company seems to have been the only one to fall into the scheme, Francesville and others declining to join, declaring that their lines were making them good money and they did not think they were justified in holding up their patrons for more. When the Monticello company went before the town council with its pitiful plea for a new franchise at increased rates, a prominent gentleman representing a company having abundant capital, got-up 1 in the meeting and said that if the old company did not care to go ahead at the old rates, his company would be very glad to have a franchise there for the rates then in force, and would not only put in the metallic system —which the old company offered so do if granted the increased rate franchise—but would go them one better, and put in the automatic call or dial System, which does away with the “hello girl” altogether.

When this offer was made the old company’s representative collapsed entirely, and nothing has since been heard from it—and it is still doing business at the old stand and at the old rates. The Jasper County company has quietly gone ahead and made a big raise in rates wherever it could, and, in addition to a 50 per cent raise on country lines, has advance! toll rates in the county and to nearby towns from 25 to 125 per cent. As *»an example, the toll rates were 10 cents to any point in Jasper county. Now the rate is 20 cents to Remington and Demotte, and 25 cents to Wheatfleld, 15 cents to Fair Oaks, etc. To Brook the rate is 25 cents, but from Brook here—a mutual telephone company operates at Brook—the rate Is but 16 cents. To Mt. Ayr is now 20c; Goodland 25, Wolcott 26, Kentland, 25—a raise of 5 cents in each case, we understand. For some reason this raise seems to have been kept very quiet, and not but few business men in Rensselaer khew of the raise in toll line rates. < Novt a word about mutual companies. A gentleman who is a stockholder in the Brook exchange’and he

is in a Tositon to know what he is talking about, tells us a few facts about its workings: There are 98 stockholders in the Brook system, and they have paid in $67 each. The stockholders pay no ’phone rental at all, and the profits from the non-stockholder patrons at the rates prevailing here before the recent raise, have been sufficient in the past two years to put in about 150 new phones, new switchboard, practically all new poles in Brook and pay all operating Expenses and make payments on an indebtedness of the company incurred when the Brook exchange was bought. A superintendent is kept all the time at a salary of S7O per month and he has a helper at a sqpaller salary. A sufficient number of girls are kept in the central office to guarantee prompt and satisfactory service at all times. It has been something over two years now that this company has owned the Brook exchange—operating previous to that as a country line—and besides being owners of the system the stockholders for the small investment of $67 each get their phone rent absolutely free. The interest on the investment at 6 per cent would yield about $4 per year, and they are not only getting their phone rent for this sum but their investment is growing in value every day as heir system grows. This gentleman who gave us the Information above, is a man of means and has property interests in this county. He would like to see an effort made to organize a mutual company here, get a franchise in Rensselaer and go after the business. He w r ill take some stock, he says, and do everything he can to help the matter along. He invites a thorough inspection of the Brook plant and hopes a move will be started here that will insure a committee being sent over to Brook to investigate.

The Democrat believes the time is ripe for a move of this kind and that hundreds of farmers will gladly embrace the opportunity of subscribing for stock if the work of organizing a company is taken up. It is the universal history in different sections of the state where mutual telephone companies are in operation, that the patrons are given much better service and at a lower rate than the hold-up companies give. Besides, they are making money right along for the stockholders.

The Democrat would like to hear from some of its readers who will take stock in a mutual company in this county and would be pleased to see some active citizen of good standing make an effort to organize a company. In the meantime, let every reader who will take stock in the company, should one be organized, drop a card or a letter to The Democrat to that effect, that there may be something definite to go by in inducing someone to take the matter up and bring it to a successful conclusion.

LEAVE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP.

Mrs. Rebecca Porter and Miss Clara Parker, a teacher in the city schools and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.. M. Parker, left Wednesday for Indianapolis, and from thertf go to Washington, D. C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and other points of Interest in the east. They also expect to attend the Seattle exposition and take a trip, up into Vancouver and then go up the St. Lawrence River and visit Halifax. A most pleasant trip surely. They will be gone three or four weeks.

AT THE CHURCH OF GOD.

Everybody invited to hear Elder H. V. Reed of Chicago next Sunday morning at 10;45 and evening at 7:30. The remaining old time friends, that oft have heard him with Buch delight, nearly half a century ago, need no introduction and all others, though you care only for eloquence of address, will be pleasingly entertained. While each and all, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, will be greatly edified in being fed from the wonderful store of profound knowledge of the speaker in the scriptures of Divine truth, as well as the happy manner In presentation thereof. Whosoever will, let' him come, you will have no reason to regret it. The subject, either morning or evening (not advised which) will be, “The Cruciflction of Christ, the World s Greatest Tragedy.”

REMINGTON TO CELEBRATE.

On Monday, July sth. In the afternoon there will be a game of baseball between the Goodland and Remington K. of P. lodges. In the evening at 7:30 there will be a band concert. After the band concert there will be a grand display of fireworks.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY. INDIANA, SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1909.

THE COURT HOUSE

(terns Picked Up About the County Capitol. Sheriff L. P. Shirer, accompanied by Miss Hazel Warner, took Mrs. Jennie Guss to the asylum at Longcliff Wednesday. The case of tne Pannandle railroad company vs. Town of Remington has been set for oral agreement in the appellate court for Oct. 26.

While at Longcliff Monday with Mrs. Mary Wuerthner, Sheriff Shirer saw her brother, Chris Wuerthner, who was recently sent there, and talked with him in the presence of one of the doctors. Chris will not work there at all any more. He says if they will send him home he will work on his farm for himself but he will not work there. The doctor said: “You are all right, Chris, If it was not for your peculiar religious views.” “Well,” said Chris, “I have as good a right to my views on religion as any other man.” “Yes,” replied the doctor, “that is true, but you should not try to force your peculiar beliefs on others.” Many people think that if Chris’ aged mother had been removed to some other place where he could not have forced his ideas of health and religion upon her that there would have been no need of sending him to the asylum. In reversing the case of Charles C. Lyle, trustee, vs. State ex rel. John C. Smith, Marion circuit court, the appellate court held Tuesday: (1) A petition and alternative writ of mandamus seeking to compel a township trustee to bring a vehicle to petitioner’s dooryard gate in which to transport his six-year-old daughter to school, under Burns 1908, Sales. 6422, 6423, which alleged that the school in relator’s district had been abandoned and that his child had been transferred to a district in which the schoolhouse was three and a half miles away, was sufficiently answered by a return.stating that the trustee had planned a route for the “school hack” over which it could go from the extreme edge of the district to the schoolhouse in one hour and fifteen minutes, and carry all the children living south of the school, by passing wdthin five-eights of a mile or less from all homes of school patrons; that it stopped for relator’s child at a cross-road, half a mile from his house; and that, in order to go to the house of each patron, such vehicle must occupy three hours with the trip morning and evening, or the trustee must put the township to the expense of hiring an additional vehicle and driver. The power exercised by the trustee In such cases is administrative and discretionary, subject to control by the county su j perintendent on appeal, under Section 666, Burns 1908. -

Sheriff Shirer thinks that if Mrs. Guss. who was taken to the asylum Tuesday, and John Tigler, who is awaiting removal there, are insane, then two-thirds of the people in Jasper county are crazy. Both were in jail a week or more where the sheriff has an opportunity to see them every day, and a Rensselaer doctor who saw the former said she was no more insane than he was. When taken to the asylum Tuesday she took the matter quite hard, but said she was thankful her father was not living to see what had been done. The lady who accompanied the sheriff with the woman to the asylum, says the latter acted as sane as any person she ever saw. Mrs. Guss hopes to be able to convince the asylum authorities of her sanity very soon, but it Is difficult to tell when they will get around to her case. We are told by; one of the doctors who examined Mrs; Guss that It was the opinion of the board that the woman was not really insane, but was more a fit subject for a feeble-minded institution; that she qeeded treatment and oughtj to have a guardian—she has some SI,OOO due her from an estate—and the board did not feel that she should be turned loose altogether, as she was scarcely competent to look after herself.. These facts were given to the asylum authorities, he states, and they wrote to send her down there and they would do what they could for her, and it is likely she will be released soon.

AN ALARMING “INSANITY" RECORD

Seven People Taken to Asylum From This County Since Jan. 1, and One More In Waiting. No less than seven people have been taken to the Insane asylum from Jasper county since Jan. 1, 1909, and there is one more person now confined in jail here awaiting

the necessary acceptanpe from the asylum authorities. Considering our small population this record is an alarming one, and one that we do not believe can be duplicated by any county in the state. It has become, apparently, a mighty easy thing to have a person declared of unsound mind and sent to the asylum in this county, and while The Democrat does not desire to criticise more severely the doctors who conduct these insanity inquests, yet we do feel that they ar» not as careful as they should be. it is an easy matter to find witnesses who will swear that they have seen a neighbor do peculiar things or act in what they might think an unusual manner. But simply because one acts peculiarly, has religious or political views at variance' with his neighbors, is a crank on some subject, or his relatives want to be rid of him, does not follow that he is insane and should be railroaded off tv an insaiie asylum. It is a terrible thing to send a person of fairly sound mind to an asylum where there are some at least really insane people, and an insanity board should be perfectly sure of its ground before committing a person to sucn an institution. /When once incarcerated in such a place it is not easy to be released, and it may be a long time before the doctors there get around to examine an inmate as to their condition. Eight persons declared insane in Jasper county in less than six months! And one other barely escaped by his - superior intelligence and clearness of presenting his side of the case to the insanity court, and he was banished entirely from the county. .This is a terrible record for so short a time, surely, and it is sincerely hoped that more care will be exercised in the future in conducting these inquests.

BAND CONCERT ON WEDNESDAY EVENING.

The Wolcott band will come over next Wednesday night and give a free concert on the streets of Rensselaer. Come out and hear it.

ICE CREAM SOCIAL.

An ice cream and sack social will be given by the James Sunday School at the James school house, 4 miles south of town, on Saturday evening, June 26. Girls please bring peanuts and candy. The proceeds will be used for the benefit of the Sunday School and church. Everybody welcome.

COMMENCEMENT IN JORDAN TONIGHT.

The annual cornmencemnt of the Jordan township schools will be held at Mt. Hope church, Saturday evening, June 26th, at 8 o’clock. There are five graduates: Charles Guttrich, Mary Bice, Wesley W. Tanner, Florence Johnson, Lloyd Johnson—and six gold star pupils—Ray Fidler, Mamie Reed, John Reed, Emery Blake, Orval Huff, Worth Johnson. A good program will be carried out.

LIGHTNING GETS AFTER ALF DONNELLY.

During the storm Thursday forenoon Alf Donnelly's onion house north of town was struck by lightning and a shingles ripped off and the siding and some studding splintered up, but the building did not take fire. The damage will not exceed $25. So confident was Alf of being immune from lightning that it was some time before the family could convince him that one of his buildings had really been given a rap.

SLOWLY DYING FROM CANCER.

Pitiable Condition of Frank Osborne, a Rensselaer Carpenter. Frank Osborne, who has been operated on three or four times during the past few months for a pipe cancer on the side of his mouth is now in a most pitiable condition, has been given up by the surgeons and his days are numbered. The cancer is making steady inroads on his face and he is failing rapidly. He had engaged quarters at J. H. Cox’s residence, but his condition became' such that they did not feel they could keep him there longer, and Tuesday afternoon he was moved to the home of his sister, Mrs. Ezra Clark, where a tent has been put up in the yard with a good substantial floor underneath, a bed put therein, and there he lies on his back awaiting the summons which would be a blessed relief. Mrs. Clark and another sister, Mrs. Charles Spriggs of Oklahoma city, Okla., who came this week, are doing what they can to make him comfortable for the time he yet remains on earth. • a

Fifty yards all wool ingrain carpet on floor in cloak room, Bllghtly worn in center, only 20 cents a yard, was 60 cents. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE.

AUTOS MUST PAY MORE TAXES

Board of Review Raises Total Assessments $4,000. NEARLY SO AUTOS IN COUNTY • And While itegularly Assessed Much Hlghejr Than Last Year, the Board Raises Nearly All t£e Individual Assessments—Horses Raised 20 Per Cent In Carpenter, and Cattle 10 Per Cent In Barkley and Carpenter—Board Adjourns To-Day.

Owners of automobiles in this county must pay more taxes hereafter as a result of the agreement for a basis reached by the township assessors last February, and the action of the Board of Review in raising the assessors’ figures a total of about $4,000. Assessments heretofore had been ridicuosuly low, compared with other personal property, as pointed out last June by The Democrat, and our showing of the assessments made last year not only stirred up the taxing officers in this county, but several of The Democrat’s exchanges took the matter up after reading our remarks, with the result that the question was quite thorouglhy discussed through the newspapers of the state, and the increased assessmnets as a result will likely reach many hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are more autos owned In Jasper county than most people suppose, and the list here given will be a surprise to the reader. A few machines had escaped assessment this year entirely, and there may perhaps be one or two that do not appear herein—the Board having added to the list all those that were missed by the assessors and which come to their notice. Machines bought since March 1, of course, are not assessable tnis year. The list following gives the name of the owners of autos in Jasper County on March 1, 1909, and the figures in the first column show the valuation in the assessors’ returns while those in the last column give the assessments as fixed by the Board of Review. But one assessment was reduced, as shown: H W Marble $65 Horace Marble 500 $750 W B McNeil. ....... .600 400 Dr Besser 10 Wi T Elmore 125

S G Hand........... 200 345 Ellis Jones. 100 W D Bringle 300 440 W E Jo4hnson 160 460 Geo W Jones 50 John M Ott .400 600 John Marlatt. . .... . . 150 340 W H Snedeker 300 375 F A Tufler, 3 autos... 800 935 Jasper Co Tel Co 50 L A Bartoo .....200 340 Delos Thompson .... <IOSO 1400 Matt Worden ..270 360 Farie E Leek 375 500 I M Washburn 375 500 Dr Kresler 275 400 Dr English. 75 George Terwilliger... . .375 500 C G Spitler 250 E L Hollingsworth.... 375 500 Ernest Lamson...... 500 H F Parker 40 Babcock & Hopkins. ..125 B F Ferguson 75 Joe Bennett 50 H Lowman 50 Caleb Cheeker. ...... . 20 L N Wells. 30 Dr Gwin 75 Dr Kannal 75 Lyman Raymond. ..... 600 750 A B Elmore 340 Harvey Davisson 75 Abe Halleck •.. . 50 Dr Rainer 340 Geo Worden 60 Otto Schrader 300

This raise is more in harmony with the valuation placed on other personal property, and will meet with general approval. It has been found that automobiles are very damaging to improved highways, the suction of the rubbe*tires pulling out the particles of fine stone or gravel where it is carried off by the wind. One member of the board expressed himself to The Democrat as favoring, in addir tion to the regular property tax, a special road tax on automobiles because of their damaging effects on our improved roads. The board raised the assessment of cattle 10 per cent in Carpenter and Barkley, and horses 20 per cent in Carpenter. The board expects to finish its work today and adjourn, and a more complete report of its doings will be published after the record is written up.

Vol. XII. No. 24.

THE WEATHER. Following is the official weather forecast: Illinois and Indiana—Local showers today and tomorrow. Lower Michigan—Fair today and tomorrow. Wisconsin and lowa—Showers today and tomorrow.

CHRISTIAN CHURCH SERVICES. The subject of the Sunday morning sermon at the Christian . church is, “An Everyday Religion.” There will be no evening services on account of the union vesper service on the court house lawn. The pastor will fill his regular appointment at Good Hope on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock. All are welcome to these services.

FOWLER PROGRAM—JULY 3rd.

The Fowler Commercial Club has issued its program for the celebration there, and it is notable for the absence of any “imported” cheap spangle acts, everything being tests of skill of home people. The Fowler people were “stung” pretty bad last fall by Chicago booking houses, and are not taking any more chances on giving their guests bum show's. iThe program opens up with a horseshoe pitching tournament at 10 a. m., twenty persons to enter and sls in prizes. Following this, a greased pole climb for $5.00. At 11:30 a picnic for children will begin in the court house yard with a matron in charge. There will be prizes for speaking and drills. At 1 o’clock they will have a ball rush, a basket ball to be thrown into the street at the opera house, and the person who delivers it up three blocks away gets a $5 bill. At 2 o’clock they will have a ball game between East Dunn, which has the reputation of being one of the best clubs in Benton county and has for two seasons been a hard nut for all surrounding clubs to crack, will begin against a Fowler club, picked up from the best players that used to make Fowler a famous base ball town, with some new additions. $125 has been hung up as a purse. After the ball game at 3:30 there will be four or five stunts for automobile drivers for liberal merchandise, prizes to show skill in driving and car control. This is interesting even for automobile drivers and owmers and lasts until after supper, when the boys will have a potato race. At 7 o’clock they start a slow mule race at the court house. The last mule over the tape six blocks away getting $5, but the owner does not ride his own mule, so the riders are all anxious to urge them on. They say mules do some funy stunts in a crowd like this, and the efforts of the most energetic rider is apt to be in vain the triumph of the day is to be in the automobile parade. $25, sls and $5 is to be given to the finest decorated automobiles representing Ladies’ Aid Societies. sls, $lO and s•> for the best decorated machines for private individuals. $75 in prizes for decorations is expected to bring out a lot of machines and something in decorations worth going miles to see. It seems to us the Fowler people have done well in making up their program.

Heinz sweet pickles.—Home Grocery. Gold Medal flour, only $1.60 pe> sack, worth $1.85. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE. Maines & Hamilton sell International and Acme hay tools. Fendig’s Exclusive Shoe Store gives you standard goods below socalled sale prices. $1.50 electric Tungesten lamps, 40 wat, closing Out now SI.OO. CHICAGO BARGAIN STORE. Quaker Corn Flakes, 3 for 25c. Home Grocery. Mr. H. S. Hayner, the expert piano tuner and repairer, from Chicago is in the city. Patronage respectfully solicited. Leave orders at P. W. Clarke’s jewelry store.

* notice to all parties VS- * * ING ELECTRIC LIGHTS. * * * Commencing on July 1, loot), • * and continuing each month * * thereafter, the custom of send- * * ing monthly statement* to each * * light consumer, will be discon- * * tinued and all light rentals * * will be payable at the City * * Treasurer’s office between the * * first and tenth of each month * * without further notice. All par- • * ties using light* will be allow- * * ed the usual to per cent din- * * count If paid by the tenth of • * each month. * * (’HAS. MORLAN, Clerk. * * * • • ** *•»•••«•*