Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1910 — R. R. ELECTION NEXT TUESDAY [ARTICLE]

R. R. ELECTION NEXT TUESDAY

Vote Likely to Be Light, but Subsidy Will Garry, as Usual PROPOSITION IS ALL WRONG But Rensselaer and Marion Tp., Will Always Vote for Anything That Means More Taxes • —What They Think of Purtelle’s Railroad Project in Lake County. Rensselaer and Marion township, for about the ’steenth time, will hold a subsidy election next Tuesday, and she has never been known to turn down the subsidy 'hunters no matter how often they apply or how many disappointments she suffers after having voted the tax. Therefore, we may confidently assort that the subsidy will be voted—whether we ever get the road or not. The Democrat has seen so many of these paper railloads in Jasper county during the past twelve years and seen so many elections carried for them without ever a shoveful of dirt thrown up after the subsidy was voted —and it has opposed them all from principle —that it will be pardoned by even the most ardent subsidy supporter for being somewhat cynical on these propositions. We would like to see a road north and south through the county, but we can see little benefit to be derived front the Purtelle scheme —except so far as connecting Rensselaer and Remington is concerned —should the road ever materialize, which we seriously dpubt. Purtelle has no visible means and so far as learned he has no financial backers His plan of paralleling the Monon from Rensselaer to Chicago does not look good to us so far as our own town or county is to be benefitted therefrom. The whole scheme looks visionary and impractical, and while the promotor may find some people who will give up good hard cash in hand for stock in the project, it is extremely doubtful if he ever gets enough stock sold to build-the road or to interest capital. There has not been much agitation of the question of this election and it is likely the vote will be very light. There will be a good big majority for the subsidy in Rensselaer, and the people outside the city will mostly stay at home', as usual. The farmers, we believe, are generally opposed to voting this subsidy, and if they would turn out in force they might muster strength to defeat it. In any event The Democrat believes the voters ought to come out and vote their honest sentiments, no matter if. the result is practically a foregone conclusion.

In view of the fact tihat Purtelle has not Showed up. in Rensselaer for some time and we have heard little or nothing at all from him lately, the following dispatch from Dyer, published a few days ago in a Lake county paper, will be of interest to people here: Dyer, Dec. \3. —Dyer people are trying to fathom the significance of tfhe actions of two men who dropped into town last Saturday after having walked over the course of the Chicago Heights branch of the proposed Northwestern Interurban railroad, of which Eugene Purtelle is the promotor. It was also in the latter part of last week that Purtelle is said to have been in telephonic communication with some of the stockholders in order that he might bring about a postponement. of the stockholders’ meeting which is to be held in Hammond next Saturday. Casual remarks by the visitors of last Saturday were to the effect that they might buy out the company; and Purtelle is credited with the statement that he has prospective buyers. Purtelle and the two men Who came to Dyer are acting indepently. of each other as far as Dyer people know. But in as much as the visitors

showed no credentials and as Purtelle has thoroughly discredited himself, tfke Dyer people say for the present at least, that the simultaneous appearance of the strangers and Purteile’s statement that he has buyers for the company, was but another move of Purtelle’s to gain time.. If the two men who traversed the course of the proposed Chicago Heights line were but stoolpigeons of Purtelle sent out for effect they had no pleasant time of it, for the weather and the snow were net conducive to a pleasant outing last Saturday. If Purtelle plans to further dupe t'he people of Dyer he has no one but himself to blame for the people have dost faith in 'him and his every act and statement is regarded with- suspicion. There is no question in the minds of Dyer people that an interurban railroad will eventually run through tfiie town, but Purtelle will be unable to draw another dollar from the people for the venture.