Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1909 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

$1.50 Per Year. •

JUST A WORD TO THE FARMER

Mutual ’Phone Co. Is Principally For His Benefit. SHOULD HAVE LOYAL SUPPORT It Is His Duty to Take Stock Where Financially Able, and Help By His Voice and Time to Make the Move* ment a Success All the Way Through.—Come Out to the Meeting This Afternoon At the Court House. A meeting will be held at the court house in Rensselaer to-day, Saturday, August 7, 1909, for the purpose, of organizing a Mutual Telephone Company in Jasper county. .The movement is in the interest of the farmers almost entirely,. and is intended to give them better and cheaper telephone service. While there is much complaint in Rensselaer about the service given by the present, telephone company, the greatest complaint comes from the country districts and smaller towns of the county, where the service has long been simply rotten. If the ideas of The‘Democrat are carried out it will not be very long until we will have a telephone system in this county which will enable every farmer and resident of the smaller * towns, who has a telephone in his house, to reach the county seat at least without any extra charge whatever, and every telephone subscriber at the county seat can talk with any other subscriber in the county without and toll charges. A good, up-to-date exchange will be put in at Wheatfield, and Keener and Kankakee townships connected j up with same, and the former con- ! nected up with Rensselaer, thus affording the people of the north end excellent servibe and free from toll charges to the county seat. We believe this can be done, as above suggested, and base our opinion on information secured from | practical telephone men and the offi- ■ cers of the Brook mutual, the latter company having had three years experience in the telephone business and having transformed a very “bum” exchange and telephone service into one of the best in Indiana. Our proposed mutual telephone company, as stated at the beginning of this article, is organized principally to benefit the farmer, who in this day and age can scarcely get I along without telephone connections with his county seat town, his home village and his neighbor farmers. The telephone to him—if good service is rendered is a money and time-saver, and he cannot afford to be without it. He should therefore, lend his moral and financial assistance to help ■ this movement along and make it the success which it promises to be. There is no reason why we can not operate a mutual \as successfully as is done by our neighbors at Brook or in scores of i other sections of Indiana. So far no one in Rensselaer has been asked to subscribe for a share of stock in this proposed mutual company, and while a great many shares ' can be disposed of here, The Democrat would like to see practically all of it placed out among the farmers of the county, and we honestly believe it will yield them a good per cent on their investment as well as causing them to take a more personal Interest and pride in the telephone system which it is proposed to establish. So far the farmers are taking hold of the matter firstrate, and those who have expressed confidence in the plan and are giving it their hearty support are among the best and most substantial farmers of Jasper county. The list of subscribers on the stock subscription blank at The Democrat office represents more than half a million of dollars’ wealth.

PATCHED TEAMS OF “SUBS” BEAT REMINGTON.

The Wrens ball team, minus the services of Kevin, Morgan and Carrol, defeated Remington on their own field Tuesday. Parcels bagged a homer, McFarland a two-bagger and Hanks a triple, batting in five scores to Remington’s two.

HEEL TORN OFF IN MOTORCY-CLE-DIES FROM LOCKJAW.

Albert Kinsey, a young man about 18 years of age, died of lockjaw at Ora, Monday. Albert’s home is at Logansport but he has been working for some time at Ora for Mr. Arnold, who is a motorcycle agent. About two weeks ago the young

man and Frank Kistler were riding a motorcycle from Knox to Ora. The machine struck a rut in the road and young Hinsey got his left foot caught In the spokes with the result that his heel was badly torn. Lockjaw immediately set in and the young man passed to the beyond Monday afternoon. The story is indeed a sad one.—No. Judson News.

TO BEGIN WORK ON CEMENT TILE FACTORY.

Chris. Kolberer, the cement tile factory man, was in town Thursday to make arrangements to begin at once the building of his factory. He has just returned from lowa where he purchased block machines which will arrive here the first of next week, and work will begin on their arrival.

TERRIFIC STORM HITS KNOX.

Crops and Fruit Trees in Path of Gale Suffer Much Damages. A cyclonic wind, accompanied by a torrent, of rain __ and hail, struck Knox Tuesday afternoon and did ruinous damage to crops and fruit trees. The deluge was accompanied by frequent lightning flashes that did minor damage to several residences, the postoffice and a business block. The storm covered a strip of only about 12 square miles but was the hardest storm there in many years.

IS HEAL WORTH $200 MORE.

Commissioners Award Contract to Indianapolis Man at S2OO Above Lowest Bidder.

For come reason not made clear, the county commissioners at their session this week awarded the contract for examining the county records six years back, to look up the alleged shortage of ex-treasurer S. R. Nichols, to Wm. E. Heal of Indianapolis, at $1,900, which is S2OO more than the bid of John W. Coons, also of Indianapolis, who with his bid filed a bunch of gilt-edge testimonials. J. B. Workman, of old tax-ferret notoriety, was the third bidder, and his bid was $2,000, the full amount of the appropriation made by the county council for the purpose several months ago.

TOO SILLY TO REPLY TO.

Opponents of the mutual 'phone movement say the scheme is impractical, because it is proposed to furnish service to every man who takes a share of stock, and the expense of reaching out to many would exceed the income for years to come. There is nothing at all in this statement. No one is promised a ’phone if he takes stock, the aim of the company should be to accommodate everyone wanting a 'phone where the cost of installing same will justify them in doing so. The company will be managed on business principles and no one proposes to spend dollars to get back cents in return. If a farmer lives too far from an established line to justify the company in reaching out after him, let the expense be divided on an equitable basis if he wants a ’phone. Accommodate him if possible, but not at the sacrifice of the financial interests of the company.

NOT IN A CLOSET, BUT ON THE STREET.

J. F. Bruner says that when The Democrat stated that he was “closeted with the president of the Jasper County TelephOTFTo., after the ‘meeting’ Saturday” we made a statement which was not true.

We did not say “closeted,” John. We said in “consultation,” and as dozens of people saw you both, on the east side of Duvall’s store, in close conference for nearly an hour, the public does not have to take our unsupported word for the statement.

Of course you might have been discussing the effect the new tariff law would have on the price of hides, or the revolution in Alfonso’s realm, but the general opinion seemed to be that perhaps the failure of the “meeting” might have entered into the conversation to some extent. Better go into a closet next time you confer, though, and you will be in a better position to deny facts. Mr. Bruner has tried his best to defeat the formation of this proposed mutual company by seeking to divide the mutual sentiment, and has continuously villified and misrepresented the editor of The Democrat because of our efforts to make the move successful. We have no selfish interest in the matter and expect no financial reward. So far as we are concerned we have not the slightest objections to the buying out of both Bruner’s and the Jasper County Co lines providing they will sell for what their property is really worth, and no one has ever heard us express ourselves otherwise.

Buy your bill of groceries for threshing at Rowles & Parker’s. The Big Corner Dept. Store that always has and intends to keep down the high prices.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, BATURPAY, AUGUST 7, 1909.

THE COURT HOUSE

Items Picked Up About the County Capitol. The township trustees’ notices of proposed expenditures and tax levies for 1910 appear in this issue of The Democrat. The various advisory boards will meet at the places designated in the notices on' Tuesday, Sept. 7, to pass on the estimates and levies. Taxpayers of the townships can attend this meeting If they so desire and may be heard In any of the matters that come up before the boards, as their meetings must be public. New suits filed; No. 7477. Hiram Day vs. Howard G. Gibbs, et al-; suit to foreclose mechanic’s lein for labor performed on the K. of P. building in Rensselaer. Demand SIOO. No. 7478. Susie Baker vs. James , Baker; suit for divorce. The complaint alleges that the 'parties were married at Kentland I March 7, 1905, and that defendant Without cause abandoned plaintiff on July 10, 1907; that defendant was guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment, frequently struck her with his fist and called her vile names. No children were born as a result of this union. Plaintiff asks to have (her maiden name of Susie Grimes I restored to her. Plaintiff now resides in Marlon tp., she states, and prior thereto resided at Roselawn, i Newton county. I No. 7479. John Putt vs. Catharine McKinzie, et al; suit to quiet title. ; Following is a report of the proceedings of the county commissioners at their August meeting held this week. . ' Contract awarded Winamac Bridge i Co., for new bridge in Keener tp., at $497.

John J. Lawler gravel roads in Union tp.; Josiah Hopper, Supt., files waivers and request for bonds. Chas. T. Otis petition for high? way in Keener and Union tps.i highway established 50 feet in width. Supt. files final report in J. L. Babcock ditch, showing completion of same. Report approved and Supt. discharged. Same report and action on Charles V. May ditch. i Assessments confirmed in Frank E. Rupert ditch; Frank Osborn appointed supt. Attorney fee of S2O allowed Foltz & Spitler. John Smallfelt ditch; no objection on file and cause is referred to commissioners; J. P. Ryan appointed third commissioner, to meet Aug. V. j Matter of examination of county records; contract awarded to Wm. E. Heal of Indianapolis, at $1,900, ’ which is S2OO more than the bid of J. W. Coons. I The Winamac Bridge Co., was allowed S2OO on balance of $1,208.41 ( on Demotte-Hebron bridge, “balance of $1,008.41 to be paid when appropriated by county council.” Notice ordered for letting of contract for new bridge in Kankakee tp-, on first day next term. Interest on county funds for month of July reported as follows: State Bank, Rensselaer $52.47 i Jasper S. & T. Co., Rensselaer 46.70 State Bank, Remington 46.76 Reports from First National Bank of Rensselaer and Bank of Wheatfield not received in time for action by the board.

COMES WITH BAD TASTE.

Two of the principal stockholders in the Rensselaer Republican (see statement of names of partners in the report filed with the county clerk, under the new law requiring that names of partners be so filed) being also stockholders in the Jasper County Telephone Co.—Dr. Washburn and Mrs. Watson—it comes with bad taste for that sheet to oppose the formation of a mutual telephone Company in Jasper couhty to afford the people, and especially the farming districts, something in the way of decent telephone service. Its gleeful publication of the fact that the Monticello Telephone Co., the only one of the numerous companies in this section of the state that the Jasper County Co., could get to join it in its move to raise rates about 50 per cent, got an ordinance railroaded through the Monticello town council permitting the raise, and its attempt to make The Democrat man out a liar in his report of mutual conditions in Boone county, shows very plainly where the Republican stands. But this comes with bad taste, considering thfe close connection of the Republican ownership with the telephone interests .here. 1 Regarding the Boone county mutuals, The Democrat offered to take the editor of the White County Democrat—who had copied our article

and thus raised a storm from the Monticello Telephone Co.—down to Lebanon and let him investigate the truth of our statements in relation to mutual conditions there. He could not get away, he wrote us, although it would have taken but a few hours and our money would have paid the expense. As we stated in our article, some of the members of the Lebanon company were away investigating the central energy system when we were there, including, as we understood, the president- But we saw and talked with the manager for some £me, got much of our information from him and were shown through the exchange, which is much more up-to-date than ours. | We do not believe the farmers of Boone county are such chumps as to build lines up to Lebanon and tell the Lebanon company they can ;have free use of them without getting something in return, as the .president of that company now states. We were told by Editor McKey, Mr. Duvall of the First National Bank of Lebanon, and by the telephone manager that the town patrons got free service over the mutual lines, and vice versa, which looks more reasonable than the president of the Lebanon company now states. There is nothing else in his statements that amount to anything. He doesn’t deny the rates now in force there, but says they are going to raise them. Of course. Who ever saw a corporation that was satisfied with what it was getting from its victims? And in too mahy instances these corporations have their grip on the newspapers so that the people have no one to champion their cause. The writer was in a newspaper office In Indiana a few years ago, for example, and noticing that there were a large number of electric lights in the office we asked the editor what he had to pay a month for his lights there. “Not a red,” he replied. “The light company gives the newspaper offices here all the lights they want and makes no charge for them whatever.” We wandered If the newspapers of that town ever championed a cause that was Inimical to the light company? The Democrat has no strings attached to it in any way. It pays for its telephone service and always expects to. It would not accept free service were it offered it. But, Instead of attacking The Democrat’s statements of mutual telephone conditions in Boone county, why not get closer home? We have made certain statements about the success of the mutual telephone company at Brook, our neighboring town on the west, In which several of the most prominent farmers of the west part of Jordan tp., are stockholders and officers. Why not deny these statements of The Democrat’ Is it because they are so easily and conclusively proven true that not a w’ord is said about the Brook system?

CHRISTIAN CHURCH SERVICE.

The subject of the Sunday morning sermon will be “Thoughts For Midsummer On Peace.” Vocal solo by Miss Ethel Ferguson. All were welcome.

UNION VESPER SERVICE.

The usual Sunday evening service will be held on the court house lawn at'6:3o. “The Bible, God’s Word,” will be discussed by the ministers present. “How do we know the Bible is the word of God?” O. E. Miller. “The authority of the word,” J C. Parrett. “Reverence for it,” H. L. Kindig. “Every man’s religious text book,” G. H. Clarke. All are welcome.

The Big Store under the new man-, agement sells goods cheaper now than ever before. ROWLES & PARKER. Ask for that 17c Bacon at the Home Grocery. It’s a corker. There is positively no change in prices at the Big Corner Dept. Store. —Rowles & Parker; Avail yourself of the 6%c rice at the Home Grocery—a big special. The high prices will be kept down lower than ever before. ROWLES & PARKER. The first sweet potatoes of the season will arrive at the Home Grocery this week. Buy your threshing bill of groceries at Rowles & Parker’s new grocery. (Successors to the Chicago Bargain Store.) No change in prices—same clerks to wait on you. „'V* ll ** ll — loo horßes and mules, will be at Duvall’s barn in Rensselaer, Saturday, August 7. CLARK & FREY.

BANKER AND WIFE HIT BY CAR, DIE

lowans Hurled From Auto and Terribly Mangled. RUN DOWN AT A CROSSING Fast Going Traction Flyer Is Hidden From View by a Cornfield and the Mctcrists Are Crushed In Collision Seemingly Unavoidable Husband, r-e-d cf Spring Lake, la., Institution,' V/rs on the Way to Visit Cousin .’hen Halted by Tragedy. -Cueon. Ind.. Aug. 6. —Mr. and n 'Cravens of Spring Lake, . v ; stantly killed as the result .■ : co’l s r n between their touring car : ; the r.un flyer, a limited traction cr.r. one n:i!e north of Alexandria. A cornfield intervened between the automobile and the car, so that it was impossible for Cravens to see the flyer or for the motorman to see the automobile until the crash occurred. Cravens’ head was almost severed from the body and Mrs. Craven’s body was also badly mangled. Cravens, who was the president of the First National bank at Spring Lake, la., had a, cousin in Indianapolis and he was en route to that city from Chicago when killed.

KILLS IN ROW OVER A DIME

Muncie Physician Shoots Conductor Who Demanded Excess Fare.

Muncie, Ind., Aug. 6.—Dr. Nelson B. Ross, forty years old, a physician of this city, and a brother of City Attorney Ralph W. Ross, shot and killed Daniel Linder, conductor of an interurban car, three miles northeast of Muncie.

Ross had failed to purchase a ticket and under a rule of the company 10 cents excess fare was demanded. Ross refused to pay and was put off the car, when, it is said, he opened fire, one bullet piercing Linder’s heart Ross is under arrest here. He says he shot in self-defense. Because of intense excitement the chief of police has ordered all patrolmen on duty.

BIG GATOR LOOSE IN STREET

Leaps Out at Party of Young People, but Is Beaten and Caged. Petersburg, Ind., Aug. 6. —Within a stone’s throw of the courthouse and in the main street of this city a big alligator, which had escaped from Its owner, attacked Charles Summer, Ed Buckles, Merle Alexander and Lulu Stevens. The 'gator sprang from an embankment in front of H. R. Snyder s residence and struck within a few inches of one of the young girls. She screamed. A crowd was attracted and the alligator was beaten and forced into a box.

FAST RACING CAR KILLS BOY

Chicagoans Carrying License No. 2313 Held In Highland Tragedy. Crown Point, Ind., Aug. 6—A big seven-passenger Chicago touring car. carrying the unlucky number “2313 Illinois,” instantly killed a seven-year-old farmer boy named Trieker on the ridge road near Highland. The car was being driven by two Chicago men. named Swarthout and Cummins, said to be employes of the Chicago agency of a Chicago automobile company. It is alleged that they were racing when they struck the boy.

NEGRO CUTS A POLITICIAN

Slashes County Leader's Throat From Ear to Ear With a Razor. Boonville, Ind., Aug. 6.—ln the midst of a row at a colored picnic at CountyLine park, James Brown, a Kentucky negro, cut and seriously wounded J. Wesley Irwin of Newburg, a Warrick county politician. Irwin’s throat w-as cut from ear to ear, the negro’s knife barely missing the jugular vein. Brown is under arrest in Owensboro, Ky., and will be brought back for trial.

Hen Lays 270 Eggs In 270 Days.

Jonesboro, Ind., Aug. 6.—Wilson Carter has a hen which is making a record. The industrious biddy was hatched In the spring of last year, be gan producing eggs last November and has continued since then without missing a day, having laid 270 eggs during the time.

Boy Breaks Arm Fighting Bees.

Columbus, Ind., Aug. 6.—William Foster, age seven, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Foster, who live three miles northeast of this city, made a fierce lunge with a paddle to drive out a nest

Vol. XII. No. 33.

of bumblebees when he lost his balance and fell, breaking his arm In two places.

Woman of 103 Breaks Her Leg.

Linton, Ind., Aug. 6.—Mrs. Nancy Toon, aged one hundred and three, and who is probably the. oldest person it) southern Indiana, fell, and broke het leg above the ankle. Physicians say her recovery is doubtful.

MINING PROMOTER ENDS LIFE

Grief For Wife Drives Wealthy St. Louis Man to Suicide. Seattle, Aug. 6. —L. A. Lorlmore, who belonged to a prominent and wealthy family in St. Louis, shot and killed himself in a hotel here. He had been despondent since the death of his wife, who was Miss Jessie Gambrill of St. Louis. He was a mining promoter and had gone to Nome, Alaska, about ten years ago in the hope of winning his fortune.

MRS. THAW WEEPS IN TESTIFYING FOR SON

Prisoner Tells Tales us Doings of Stanford White. White Plains. N. Y., Aug. 6. —More of those stories which have stained the memory of the eminent architect. Stanford White, were related at the Thaw sanity hearing. They were told first by witnesses called in Harry K. Thaw’s behalf and then by Thaw himself. Between these unsavory accounts, like a jewel held up to view between soiled fingers, came an Illustration of mother love and filial affection that brought tears even to the eyes of those eager faced women who had refused to leave the courtroom when warned of the kind of testimony that was to come. This was the appearance on the stand of Mrs. Mary Copley Thaw, the prisoner’s white haired mother. Mrs. Thaw said Harry accepted conditions at Matteawas as something that could not be remedied. She gave a graphic description of Her visit to the second room her son occupied at Matteawan During the recital she had to stop twice, covering her face and weeping.

”Do you want to know what my Harry's room was like?’* she sobbed. “Tell us.” said Attorney Morschauser “It was clean enough, but It was provided with an iron-bed. and that was all.”

BIG LINER IN DASH TO SAVE TARIFF ON WINE

Falls Io Reach Pori Before Payne Bill Is Signed New York, Aug. 6.—On board the giant liner Pennsylvania is a costly cargo of wines, brandy and champagne. Down in the vessel’s furnace rooms firemen are stoking coal as if their lives depended on it, for if the liner reaches New York before the new tariff rates went into effect it would mean a saving of SIO,OOO to $20,000 m duties. Bound for here is the St. Paul, from Southampton and Cherbourg due on Saturday Also due on that day are the Campania, from Liverpool, and Queenstown; the French liner La Touralne, from Havre; the Duca Degil Abruzzi, from Naples. All these vessels are said to carry in their cargoes goods on which there is to be a greatly advanced duty. The Pennsylvania lost by a narrow margin.

COAL. COAL.

Don't wait, but come and get a ton of Big Jack lump coal—the cleanest and best prepared. The -cheapest coal on the market; the great seller. Only |3.25 per ton, at JAMES’ COAL YARD, Goodland, Ind. .

There will be no raising prices at The Big Corner Dept. Store. Get our prices on your bill of groceries and you will find we can save you money. ROWLES & PARKER. Successors to Chicago aßrgain Store.

THE INDIAN MOTORCYCLE

Holds all the world’s records, 1 mile to 100 miles; holds all long distance. records, San Francisco-New York, New York-Chicago; won New York-Chicago touring contest, has led every hill-climbing contest for 7 years. It’s closest competitors have never equalled it. Ride an Indian and lead the procession. Always on the spot. M. R. HALSTEAD, Agt. R-3. Rensselaer, Ind.

Cheap enough to cook for threshers—fancy Jap rice—4 pounds for a quarter at the Home Grocery.