Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1911 — LOOKING BACKWARD [ARTICLE]

LOOKING BACKWARD

Auto Trip Through Old Haunts Brings Back Memories of Years Ago. In company with N. Littlefield, Harvey Davisson, and Mr. Iselstine of North Dakota, the writer visited the hustling town of Brook a short time Wednesday, via Goodland, and from there went to the former town of Julian, now- owned box and baggage by J. D. Rich, formerly, of Remington but now a successful business man of Brook. The town of Julian was located on the old helix French farm, which Mt. Rich bought some seven or eight years ago at SBO per acre. VV hen the writer first came to Indiana, 26 years ago, all those little towns—Foresman, Julian and Mt. Ayr—on the then just completed Chicago & Great Southern railroad, were to become reat suburbs of Fair Oaks, which was to be a second Chicago. Thf C. & G. S. had a round house at the latter place and the “shops” were to be located there. Everyone who hadn’t bought a lot at the coming metropolis of Fair Oaks was looked down upon by the more fortunate opes who got in on the ground floor. But the dreams of Fair Oaks’ greatness were never realized, and the place today has not the population it then had. Foresman ditto. Possibly Mt. Ayr also, while Julian is wiped- off the map, and a grain elevator and a sidetrack is all that remains to mark its former (was to be) greatness. There was a little flaw' in Uncle FeUx French’s title to that part of his farm where the town had been platted, and tw r p or three deals for the farm fell through because Uncle Fejix wanted the buyer to pay for quieting the title and the latter wanted Felix to pay it. But each deal that fell through made money for Uncle Felix, one sale being at about S6O per acre, while he finally sold tc Mr. Rich for SBO and the latter didn’t quibble about this little

defect in title, in fact he was so anxious to buy the farm that he never shed an eyelash over such a small matter. He took the title question into court and got it quieted for $25, and he told us that he had recently refused Sl5O per acre for the farm of 240 acres. In fact, he said, it was not for sale at all. He has been getting from $1,200 to $1,500 per year off it right along, and this year his share of the crops will be about sl,800. 'We also passed by the first farm Mr. Rich ever owned, just east of Geo. Ade’s home place. Jake was then teaching school over in Carpenter tp., and had a few dollars saved up which he paid on this place when he bought it and put up a bluff for the balance, along about 1892 or '93. He got the farm for $25 per acre and seven months later sold it for SSO per acre. This gave hint a start that he has kept and added to many times* and now he owns an interest in five elevators, a fine home in Brook and some of the finest farm lands in Indiana, etc. We remembered the Brook of the old days, when there was nothing there but a country' store and postoffice, and the mud was about 18 inches deep nine months otit of the year. That was 25 y ears ago. Today it is -one of theTTJbst little towns in the state, with a population of 1,000 to 1,200 people and-still growing. The mud roads of ous early recollection have given way to splendid stone streets and roads connecting the outside towns, and the proximity of

George Ade’s home, “Hazelden,” only a mile west of the town,together with the splendid farm lands lying all about that section, has sure placed Brook on the map. During our short stay in the town w 5 oaled on Bro. Stonehill of the Reporter, who owns a nice brick office and operates his presses with electricity, the town having had a day current for | some time. We also met attorney Frank Davis who was shaking his fat sides over the result of the elections, especially in Kentucky, where democracy has again come into its own. “Jake” Pefley, formerly of Remington, who is also located in Brook in the tailoring business, was another old acquaintence whom we had not seen for many years. Howard Myers, formerly of near Rensselaer, is as big and hearty as ever, and operates the big livery barn at that place. To us, Who used to travel all through that territory *» ouarter of a century ago and knew nearly ever}' man. the trip was a thoroughly enjoyable one and the improvement in the appearance of the country is indeed wonderful, more so to us, of course, because one remembers things as he last saw them, and we had not seen much of that section for twenty years. In our time almost everyone there would have been glad to sell out for S2O to $25 per acre, but there wCre no buyers. The land was not ditched nor tiled and roads were something awful. Crops were not what they are now by any means, because of wet seasons, and dollars in those days looked as big as cartwheels, so scarce were thev at that time.