Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1912 — A BIG CROWD HERE THE FOURTH [ARTICLE]

A BIG CROWD HERE THE FOURTH

And Everythißg Passed Off Nicely and Without Accident. CARNIVAL FAILED TO ARRIVE Which Was Probably Just as Well as the One That Did Come Was Closed by Officers of the Law. An ideal day and a big well behaved crowd were the features of the 4th of July celebration in Rensselaer. There were no drunk?, no fights and no open gambling so far as noted. The carnival shows failed to materialize, which was no great loss to anyone. Finances of the carnival management may have been responsible for the non-appearance of these “attractions,” although it is understood that the reason given the managers of the celebration was inabality tp get their outfits out of Chicago because of the freight congestion there. There were a large number of rakish-looking people put in appearance and a show was opened in a tent east of Earl Duvall's store, where four shameless females clothed in little more than nature’s garb gave a highly “mortal entertainment,” but after the marshal learned what it was he took the mayor and they ordered the hunch to pull down their tent and get out of town a* soon as possible or they would be arrested. They got, and a number of their male paramour who were running devices on the street were told to get out also, which they did. The automobile parade was a frost, only four or five machines being in line. Dr. Hansson, the veterinary, had gone up to the Kankakee and got almost a wagon load of pond lillles with which his machine was decorated, and he had by far the handsomest decorated ma-

ih nc in the bunch, but perhaps more for a joke than anything else the judges—who are said to have been a couple of show girls stopping at the Makeever House, and whom it is alleged did not even see the parade, were told to give first prize to Landlord Fate, whose auto was covered with colored paper. A “liberty bell” suspendid from an arch formed of four columns, with Miss Mario Comer, a daughter of B. D. Comer, whose machire was used, represented the Goddess of Liberty, with Mrs. Ernest Comer as flower girl and little Misses Annetta Hansson and Margaret Werner as attendants. Dr. Hansson drove the machine and B. D. Comer-rode beside him. Mr. Fate was chairman of the autu parade committee, and Doc thinks the joke a very rank one.' The motorcycle race to Pleasant Ridge and return, eight miles, was the most exciting of the events. Following are the of the contestants and the order in which they came in and the time made: lßt Cook, Brook, time. 14, « 2d—Ray Wilson, Rensselaer.. 14.40 2d—Leon Elglesbach, Rene. .. ] 5.40 4th Swing, McCoysb’g. 15.58 »th Stevenson 17.3$ Cook rode an “Indian” in race;] Wilson, Stevenson and Swing each a Harley Davidson; and Eiglesbach a Thor. Lowell and Thayer crossed bats at Riverside Park in the presence of] about a S6O “house,” and Lowell, carried off the honors by a score of 7 to 0. The balloon ascension was good,, Ellis Thomas, son of Larsh Thomas of Rensselaer, making the 1 ascension rhis first—in place of the regular aeronaut with the outfit. He had always wanted to make an as'ceht, and prevailed upon the aeronaut to let him make It in his stead. The report circulated here in the afternoon that an auto ran into a buggy out on the east gravel read and that one man was killed, proved to be nothing but a little fracas between a couple of brothers living southeast of town, arising over too much attention paid a caso cf beer, it is said, and one struck the other on the side of the head with a beer bottle, cutting his ear some-

what. The “injured” man was brought to town and taken to a doctor, but as soon as he got sobered up he was all right again, we are told. Council Is Suspicious. The city council held a special meeting Tuesday night at which President Sterling and Attorney O’Shaunessy, representing the match company, asked the council to extend water mains to the factory to provide means for fire protection, etc. The mains at present, terminate at the residence of J. C. Gwin and it is estimated hat it will cost possibly $2,500 to make the extension asked. Failing to get the consent of the council to do this they asked that the main be extended to the corporation line, but as the match company were unwilling to give bond, this also was refused by the council. Wh J e here It is understood that they attempted to make a change in the wo-ding of their bond with the Commercial Club, which is for SIO,OOO, and to make the date for the actual beginning of operation of the factory Aug. 15, In place of the original date of March 1, but again they were unsuccessful as a change In the bond without the bonding company’s consent would render the instrument void. Some small bills against the company, where the cerdltors were willing to discount 10 per cent, are said to have been paid: at this visit of the factory men.