Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1914 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

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St. Joseph’s College Student of Pneumonia.

Norbert Merkle, the young college student whose critical illness with pneumonia was mentioned in Wednesday’s Democrat, died at St. Joseph’s college Wednesday afternoon and the body was shipped to his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, the same night. The young man was sick but a very short tinae. His age was 19 years.

Returns to Bedside of Critically Sick Sister.

Mrs. John Eger came home Wednesday from Terre Haute, where she had been for several weeks at the bedside of her sister, Mrs. Otto Hyden, who is lying at the point of death with a tumor of a cancerous nature, and is now in a hospital there. Mrs. Eger will return to Terre Haute today, and if possible it is expected her sister will be removed from the hospital to her home Monday. The doctors could do nothing -to relieve her trouble. Mrs. Hyden’s husband is also in bad shape from hardening of the arteries.

Give It the Horse Laugh.

The Republican is now having one of its periodical attacks of shedding crocodile tears, which is not an unusual stunt for that organ when it is seemingly too late to do anything to head off a proposed hold-up. This time it is over the proposed increase in telephone rates. An opportunity to secure better service at the same old rates for years to come was presented a few years ago, but then it fought the proposition tooth and nail. It looks 'now as though the people would have to take the medicine the Republican and other “disinterested” parties mixed for them at that time.

Next Tuesday To Be a Big Day in Town.

Next Tuesday is the date for the big district K. of P. convention here in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of that order. It is also the date for the republican district convention to elect a new district chairman, the date for the railroad subsidy and the date for the third number of the lecture course. With all these events in town there certainly should be something doing next Tuesday. The K. of P.’s alone expect an outside attendance of 200 to 300 visitors, and the district convention should draw 150 to 200 republican ward heelers and politicians.

Ground Still Covered With Snow.

For the benefit of the many readers o r The Democrat residing in other sections of the country and who are always interested in knowing the kind of weather they are having hack home, 1 ' ve will state that Wednesday and Thursday was Quite cool, the n^-rcury reaching to within about 15 degrees of zero Tuesday night. A part of the snow that fell last Friday night, and Saturday is still with us, and a couple of inches more fell ,>e.~terday morning. The mercury stood precisely at freezing point at *8 rr. m. yesterday, in the shade. The roads, which were very had, got smoothed down quite a little Wednesday and Thursday, and if it will only stay below the freezing point for awhile it will be greatly appreciated by the farmers, who want to haul in their corn as soon as the conditions of the roads will permit.

Forsythe Store Building to lie Thoroughly Overhauled.

B. Forsythe will commence at once to repair the fire damage to his store building, occupied by Rowles & Parker, and will thoroughly rerhodel same by putting in prisnj, glass all around at top of show win* dows, an electric elevator, maliogony finish to woodwork, etc., etc. The work will be done by Ralph Donnelly and Louie Ramp, and they will begin on the grocery department front, as this work can be done without interferring with the Fire Sale now going on. The south display window of the old grocery department will be bricked up, thus allowing an extension of a few »feet to the dry gods department on the north. The electric passenger elevator will be located on the south side of the grocery department, immediately north of the cashier’s desk, and when the Repairs and remodeling ar? fully completed this will be one of the handsomest and most up-to-date store buildings anywhere in this section of the state.

TELEPHONE CO. WANTS A RAISE

In Rates, And Subscribers Are Notified of Fact. HEARING SET FOR FEB. 27, At Court House in Rensselaer By Public Service ConmUsion—Raise of About 50 Per Cent. Wanted.

As The Democrat predicted long ago, that such increase would be asked for, the Jasper County Telephone, Co., has filed a petition with the Public Service Commission of Indiana for an increase in rates, and the Commission, at an expense of no doubt, nearly one hundred dollars, has notified every patron of the company of this fact by sending a personal letter to each, with notice that a hearing on said petition will he held at the court house in Rensselaer on Friday, Feb. 27. The .notice gives no intimation of the amount of increase in rates asked for, and the secretary of the telephone company tells The Democrat that he does not know what the proposed rates are. The president and general manager of the telephone company, Delos Thompson, prepared the papers to the state board and the secretary is in ignorance of their contents, hut thinks the increase is about 50 cents per phone per month. In the event the increased rates are granted, it is the intention of the company, we are told, to rebuild their entire system, putting in underground conduits in the business part of town, cableing in the residence part wherever practicable, and putting in new switchboards, phones, etc. This will cost, all told, it is said, in the neighborhood of >'20,000. The Public Service Oonfmission, as. The Democrat understands the matter, takes an inventory of the entire plant or system and soys what -ort of service shall be given and improvements made. Then takes the

operating expenses from the earnings. allows 10 per cent per yenrffor depreciation and 8 per cent interest on the investment, and on the result of all this fixes the rate per month or year; ihe company nieiy charge its subscribers. That we need better telephone, service here all will admit, but that in order to give better service it is necessary to increase the rates is questioned. If properly managed and conducted, with a]] the stockholders paying for their service the same as non-stockholders, the plant would be one of the best paying lines of business in Jasper county, in our humble opinion. Tt is natural. oi course, for corporations to vant to get all they can, and no doubt an awful tale of woe will be told the commission by the company’s officers and stockholders when the hearing is held here. This hearing, we understand, is onen to all patrons and they should come out and “speak their piece.” Whether or not any other company can come before his commis-

sion and stand any show n, offering to furnish the service at the present rates of $1 and $2 pc" month, we know not; But the mutual company organized here some :iy 2 years ago is still in existence and its charter has nearly 4 7 years yet to run. If any one cares to interest themselves in the. matter they can. take it up with Frank Welsh of Jordan 'tip., who is the president of the mutual company. The mere organization of this mutual company has saved all telephone subscribers 50 cents per month per phone for oyer •* J /£ years, but the company was refused a franchise in Rensselaer, and since that time-—interest having died down because of ( the old company having gone back to its former rates—nothing has been done except keep up the organization.

Nets $3,000 From Ten Acres of Onions.

B. Forsythe sold the last of his onion crop this week. He had out ten ac'res last season and the crop brought him in $4,000 gross, a little over $2,0 00 net, more by considerable than all the rest of the 200 acres of his farm netted him.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 1914.

He also had out several thousand cabbage, but the dry season and worms ruined them, although he, broke a little better than even on the cabbage. Mr. Forsythe has about 25 acres of muck land on his farm, just northwest of town, and it was on a part of this that he raised the onions and cabbage, the latter being planted in where the onions did not come up good. He values this 25 acres about as highly "as all the rest i? of his farm, and, as shown above, ten acres of it last season brought him in more money by far than did all the remainder of the farm.

St. Augustine’s Church Notes.

Next Sunday is called Septnagesima, which means seventy. According to the First Council of Orleans, in the year A. D., 54 5, many pious ecclesiastics and lay persons of the primitive church used to fast seventy days before Easter, and their fast was called therefore Septnagesima, a name which was afterwards retained to distinguish this Supday from others. The same was the case with the three following Sundays, many Christians commencing their fast sixty days before ma; others fifty days, whence Quinma; others fifty days, whence Guluquagesima; others forty days whence Quadragesima. The services next Sunday at St. Augustine’s church will be as follows: Early mass at 8 o'clock; the St. Rose Sodality will receive holy communion at--tliis mass. Rosary highmass and sermon at 10 o’clock. The subject of the sermon will be “The Dignity of Man as Husband.” At 2:30 Christian doctrine, devotional exercises and benediction. After these exercises those taking part in our next entertainment will meet in the school hall for practice. Eacn morning curing week at S o’clock celebration of the holy mass. Last Sunday at 2 o'clock about o't men o', the parish met in the parochial school hall for the purpose to organize the Holy Name Society. A permanent organization was effected with the following officers: Edward Lane, Pres.; Alono Healy, Sec.; Edward Kanne, Treas.: E P. Honan and Jospeh Nagel, Consultors. These five officers constitute the Council of the society. Every member has pledged himself to obtain as many members as possible before the day of the solemn reception which will be on the 2 2nd of February. It is hoped that upward of 200 have been enrolled by t hat time.

That there is need of a Holy Name Society in our day none can deny. There is indeed an abuse of the name-. ".Jesus;” there is a tendency to speak lightly of God and His saints, a growing custom of laughing and ridiculing whatever approaches the supernatural. AmL jt was to fight these evils that, the Holy Name Society was originally organized. More serious is the attack made upon the divine character of Clnist by those who wear the guise of friendship, who pretend to see in Jesus the perfection of manhood, the embodiment of all that is grad in our nature, yet doubt, if they do not deny, His divine origin, His equality with the Father and the Holy Spirit. To maintain and to increase man s faith in the divinity oi 'be Savior is the chief object of the society; to promote respect and honor for the name. This means an organized body of men striving heart and soul to make Jesus, the Man-God, better ksown and loved this is the , Holy Name Society and its aim.

Willis Trial Continued Until March Term.

The case against Janies L. Willis, for alleged perjury in his former trial o\er at Kentland, came up in the Newton circuit court Wednesday, and on affidavit of the prosecutor that it was necessary to have the case continued in order to have important witnesses there, and for the reason that Attorney Mose' Leopold of Rensselaer, who was to assist in the prosecution, could not be in Kentland on that day on account, of his sister’s marriage here, the case was continued to the March term. Willis and his family left yesterday for Springfield, Ohio, it being understood that, the same bond was continued for his appearance in the Newton circuit court next term, W e have a very complete stock of feeds—Bran, middlings, chop cracked and ground corn, glutin, oil meal, tankage, oats, corn, wheat, buckwheat, hay straw, Blatchford’s calf meal and egg-mash, Kafir corn, neats, charcoal, oyster shells, grit, sunflower seed. chick-starter, etc.HAMILTON & KELLNER.

HIGH SCHOOL COUNTY FAIR

Cnder Auspices of Domestic Science and Agricultural Departments. High school students will hold a county fair Saturday, Peb. 7, from S until 11 o’clock in the high school building. The proceeds of this will be used for additional equipment in the Domestic Science department. One special feature will he a market by the home economics department, with pies, cakes, candies and other dainties for sale. Four cash prizes for best entries of yellow a nd white corn by pupils of public schools have been offered. There will be a sewing exhibit along with the fair, and a genuine stock show. The above are all free attractions. The County Fair Company is to be congratulated upon the splendid array of side shows and attractiops that have been secured. They are proud to announce that on the grounds will be found The Black Jack, celebrated minstrel troupe, supported by the ’Rastus Pinkerton Orchestra. Then, too, will be Zingara, the Egyptian seeress, who reveals the past, present and future; Griselda, the wdld woman, imported from Africa for the occasion; Mazeffa, the freak of nature, and numerous other attractions. General admissiaon 10 cents, which admits to grounds and some, attractions. Meet your friends—they will be there.

RURAL CARRIER RESIGNS.

John Q. Alter, Carrier on Route 3 Out As Rensselaer, Tenders Resignation. The civil service commission announces an open competitive examination at Rensselaer on Saturday, March 14, to fill a vacancy in the position of rural carrier on Route 3 out of this city, and other vacancies a s they may occur on rural routes in Jasper county. John Q. Alter, who has held the position since this route was established several years ago, having tendered his. resignation. The route pays $ 1,100 per year, hut has perhaps the worst roa«Js of any route out of Rensselaer, although the roads on Routes ■ • and 4 are about a stand-off. The applicants for examination must be actual residents of the ferrif'Ty supplied bv the posted! *e from v oir}, the route starts and between 'iip age of 18 and 55, except tint maxiirmq age is waived in cases of ■arsons honorably discharged from the military or naval service. Application Form 1341, and full information concerning the require-' nients of the examination, can be secured from the secretary of the local examining board, of the postmaster or from the United States Uivil Service; Commission, Washington, D. C. An eligible register for the position of rural carrier for each county will be maintained. A person must be examined in the county in which the post office that supplies home is situated. As a result of such examination he may become eligible to appointment as rural ca'rirdr at any postoffioe in such county. A rural carrier after one year’s satisfactory service may be transferred to the position of clerk or carrier in a first or second class postoffice.! to the position of railway mail clerk, or to other positions in the classified service, subject to pn n- • tion as may be required by the civil service, rules.

Oldest Initiate of Rensselaer I. O. O. F. Lodge.

Marshal Phillips was in Rensselaer last Friday evening to attend a county meeting of Odd Fellows. He is very much interested in the Rensselaer lodge as it was in that organization that he was initiated into the mysteries represented by the three links and was taught the lessons of Odd Fellowship, It will be sixty years next November since he took his first degree and the Rens- ! selaer i lodge is only just a little' older as i’t was instituted in the preceding March. He is the oldest ini-! tiate of that old time institution.! The next one. 1 a s pearly as can be learned lacks nearly fifteen years of reaching as far back into the life! of the lodge. The meeting Friday, evening was for the purpose of effecting a county organization and a fine audience of both Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were present. Mr. Phillips greatly enjoyed the pleasures of the evening in the way of reunions with Md-time friends, witnessing the degree teams’ work and the good banquet.-—Monticetlo Journal.

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

Interesting Paragraphs from the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The Legal News Epitomized—Together with Other Notes (Agthered From the Several County Offices. New suits filed: No. 8173. First National bank of Rensselaer * vs, Roger Gunn, Win. C. Hintz and Virgil J. Boone; suit on note. Demand $225.

Don't forget the railroad subsidy elections next Tuesday in Carpenter and Marion townships. Come out to the ilolls and vote your sentiments on tha proposition. The district meeting, of county assessors for the Tenth district will be held at Lafayette next Wednesday. An invitation istalso extended to the township assessors to attend. Ike Wells of Barkley ip., lias announced that he is a candidate for the republican nomination for sheriff. There will also be other aspirants for the nomination, it is said. There is but one piisoner in the county jail at present, the young man who was arrested for breaking in the G. E. Murray store recently, although several “hobos’” are given lodging there nearly every night. Attorney W. 11. Parkison was in polburn the first of the week to close up the sale of the 140 acre farm of his uncle, W. J. Moore, of Mitchell, So. Dak., who inherited same from the late W. E. Moore. The consideration is said to have been $13,000. An cel Pruett and son of Jordan tp., were up in Porter county the first of the week to secure an affidavit, so it is stated, to use in bringing perjury charges against Dan Way mire and Max Kepner for evidence they gave in the rase of the Hdmr Pruett against Waytnire, in an action for damages tried in the Newton circuit court a few days before, in which Dan won out. The suit grew out of the sate o r a horse by Way in ire to Pruett which the latter cl a i ined was not as reooriimended. 1 .

No hew affidiivit has been *1 Jed against John Archer, the alleg d chicken thief from Cillam tp.. who was freed in the Nfewton circuit court last week on a technicality. It was reported’that an’gffid/vit would he filed for signing a ficticious name to the check given Archer in payment for the chickens stolen when they were sold in Wheat field, but nothing has been done as yet. The Archer hoys did not gi\» their right names when disposing of the chickens, and had the check made out in another name than their own. Two more “field examiners" from the state hoard of accounts came Monday and are busy checking up the offices of .the county auditor and treasurer. As a matter of economy to the taxpayers it would probably be a god idea for the head of the state accounting department to keep a pair of these ten-dollar-a-day feach) gentlemen right here all of the time. This department of our

state government has become an expensive joke, and it is time it' was put out of business entirely or the “examinations” be conducted no oftener and at no greater expense than originally intended. f'lerk Perkins received notice rom the clerk of the supreme court «hursday that the appealed case of ( ordelia M. Williams V«. W. Prank Osborne (the Dexter ditch case) ! ' la( i been affirmed, and that the appeal of Granville Moody et al. vs. Schuyler C. Irwin et al (the Barkley gravel road case) was dismissed. In the former case, we are told, the court got mixed up on facts, or the facts were misrepresented, as the j same questions—or practically so — were at issue as in the Pancoast ditch, where the opposite decision

Vol. XVI. No. 89.

was rendered. Further effort will be made to get a reversal of the lower court in this case, it is understood. The annual delinquint tax sale will take place next Monday. Many of the delinquents have paid up since advertisement was made', and the sale will probably not be very large. Marriage licenses issued: Feb. 3, James Steffel oi' Pleasant Grove, aged 24 Sept. last, occupation farmer, to Mary Belle Harper also of Pleasant Grove, aged 21 Jan. 31 last, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. Married by Rev. Chas. W. Post ill. Feb. 3, Louis A. Haas of Tipton, Ind., aged 3G Dee. 2<> last, occupation clothing merchant, to Julia Leopold of Rensselaer, aged 33 Jan. 1 last. First marriage for each. Feb. 3, Walter Edward Feldhaus of Rensselaer, aged 20 Oct. 15 last, occupation -farmer, to Helena Regina Schmal, also of Rensselaer, aged 21 Oct. 14 last, occupation dressmaker. First marriage for each. Feb. 4, William It. Hamilton of Remington, aged 2G Nov. 21 last, occupation restauranteur,toGertrude B. Meehan, also of Remington, aged 22 Sept. 4 last, occupation telephone operator. First marriage for each.

The offical call that has been made for the reorganization of the democratic precinct and county central committee, which will be found on the second page of today's Democrat, provides Tor the selection of precinct chairmen on next Saturday, Feb. 14, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon. Please bear this in mind and turn out and help to elect good live democrats as members of •mr precinct committee, democrats who will be for some good acceptable man Tor county Chairman and who will work for party success rather than personal success. The reason for calling these meetings at this hour is said to be on account of inability t G get a turnout in the country precincts on Saturday afternoon, Saturday being the only day that the school houses can be had for the meetings. The Democrat personally believes the afternoon would be the more preferable, the county over, but the earlier hour has been set, so come out and do your duty. Proceedings of the County Commissioners:': hi! Oliver petition lor highway; continued lor notice. John Hek et al, petition .or stone road improvement in Carpenter tp.; ■ n ' !, e finds that improvement risked or is 3 miles in length: that petition iu sp ued h.v ..ioi-e than '.*• resident.. 're. holder-', con!■<*•• t>. i iohnd:uy line of said townshjp with an • G Kin: itit |»roved highway,' that r, toper notice Im , been given, etc., .i t:d COntin ue.i sa.n,e for ohjectiorisi ! (toman M Callahan et til petition in highway: prdo> or notice filed end cause continued or objections. i ratiiv Hill et al, stone roads in lordan tp.; bonds ordered tor $3 l - * to run yearn at ft . per cent, interest. ■ ■■'■• : ' S. C. Irwin stone road in Barkley tp.: auditor shows board tha coffee'. amount of bonds to be issued i; $8,120.07. instead, a! S7.SO 1.02, a was set out in order of Jan. 5, and board corrects said order. Lewis Zick stone road In Walker tp.; contract awarded diaries Katn at $115.:,73.86. Board finds that t otal costs, damages and expenses of location and construction will be SIB,OOO, and ten years bonds bear'»g IV2 per cent, interest are order'd for the latter amount. i Clifton f Hobbs ditch; expense account allowed as set out in report and cause continued to March term.

Same order in M. V*. Sands ditch. Charles ErP ditch; bonds ordered issued for unpaid assessments! x <dice ordered given for letting contract for poor farm supplies. Bonds of deputy gravel road superintendents i approved. The appointees made by Supt. Gray are: E. ( . Maxwell, A. Woodworth, Fred Popp and George W. 'Ferguson. John Greve was appointed Justice Oi the Peace for Keener tp. Bond Of Jesse Xiehols as superintendent of poor farm approved; Interest on county funds for . month of January reported as follows:, First National bank, Rensselaer. $67.40: Trust At Savings bank, Rensselaer. $.'56.71: State bank, Rensselaer. sl4 US: State bank, Remington. $M5,36. Bank of Wheattield not rejtorting in time for approval by board. ! . ■ ,r) the matter \of appointment of gravel road superintendent; petition o- bounty Surveyor DeVere Yeoman ter removal of superintendent appointed at the January term, \yhich under Attorney-General Honan’s decision was illegal, was presented and the matter continued for the term. Any goods bought at the Fire Sale of the Rowles & Parker stock and not satisfactory can be exchanged.—D. A. KLOETHE.