Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1915 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

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REMINGTON HIT BY BIG STORM

Houses, Barns, Outbuildingsand Shade Trees Wrecked. DAMAGE WILL REAGH $50,000 Telephone and Electric Light Systems Put Out of Business and thtj Streets Blockaded by Uprooted Trees—’Worst Wind Storm Ever Known There. The big rain storm which struck Rensselaer shortly after 6 o’clock Saturday evening and Which was confined here to a rainfall of 1 4-5 inches, as shown by the government gauge at St. Joseph college, while accompanied by some hail and a great deal of lightning here, was very severe in some other sections, and it is estimated that damage from wind in northern Indiana will reach a half million dollars, Allen county alone, it is said, suffering a $200,000 loss. ( In this immediate locality, Remington was the worst sufferer, and every street in the west half of that town was blockaded by broken and uprooted trees, outbuildings and other debris. Not including the damage done to shade and ornamental trees, it is probable that $50,000 would scarcely repair all the damage done in the south part of Jasper county. The writer visited Remington Sunday and found still a few streets that had not been cleared sufficiently for passage. Shade trees had been uprooted and broken down until every street west of Ohio street was blockaded. Men had worked all forenoon in clearing passage w r ays, and it was possible to get through most of the streets by middle afternoon. We are unable to give the damage to buildings in Remington in detail, but following are a few of the buildings wrecked: West grain elevator, smokestack blown down, cribs overturned and other damage done; Timothy Ponto’s barn just across the street north of the lumber yards, the former E. T. Harris place, completely wrecked; W. H. Townsend’s barn on Main street, moved off the foundation and slammed up against the house; St. Joseph Catholic church, chimneys on both the north and south sides blown down and smashed in the slate roof and rafters on each Side, while the cross on the front ■was blown over and hung by a shred; the tin roofs on the west half of the Durand block, torn off, rolled Up in huge rolls and that over the Townsend storeroom carried over against the Panhandle depot, while that over Jake Hensler’s grocery and meat market in the south corner room, was carried over across the railroad and struck the front of C. H. Peck’s department store, the grocery department, crashing in the entire large glass front with the window and door frames; Windows were also broken out by flying debris in the upstairs rooms over the Bank of Remington, and many glass were broken by hail and debris in other parts of the town; the old tile factory building t at the southwest cor-

ner of town, was entirely blown away; the barns of W. E. Culp and Mrs. Garrison on Main street,- were also completely wrecked; quite a number of the shade trees in the park were blown down and ruineo and the damage to shade and ornamental trees all over the town, was very great. The most complete wreck seen was out at the old Durand farm, about a'mile west of Remington. Here the Tenant house occupied by Frank Newbold was completely demolished, not a timber being left standing. Mrs. Newbold and her two children, aged 2 and 3 years, were in the house at the time and how they escaped being killed is a miracle. Some of the household furniture held the timbers from off them, however, and they escaped unhurt. One of the children was not found for some little time after the storm, and it was feared that it had been killed. It was later found, unharmed, lying on h shelf of a bookcase which held the timbers from off it. The house was the most complete wreck one almost ever saw. This farm is at present owned by an Illinois man and is oc-

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A LITTLE MORE LIGHT NEEDED.

Gum-Shoe Brown of L. & N. W. R. R., Should Come Forward With Information. The Republican says that “O. L. Brown, head of the Northwestern Indiana Traction Company, came from Lafayette today (Friday) on business.” Perhaps the above is partly true, we never see Mr. Brown any more, although it is peculiar how be can get in and out of town so frequently without one seeing him. When, he was apparently playing in the open and was denouncing, the voting of subsidies to build railroads, and saying that his company would not ask for any subsidies, Mr. Brown never neglected calling upon The Democrat when in Rensselaer. Now we never see him, since he has changed front and is asking for the very thing that he but recently so strongly denounced as iniquitous and, in his opinion, as unconstitutional, in that it took money by taxation from the pocket of the tax-

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MRS. ED OLIVER DEAD.

Wife of Prominent Newland Citizen Dies in a Chicago Hospital. Word was received here yesterday morning of the death in Chicago Monday night of Mrs. Ed Oliver of Newland, who was taken to the Wesley hospital on Tuesday of last week to undergo an operation. She was not operated on until Saturday morning, when the appendix and two tumors on each side of the abdomen were removed. She was thought to be doing nicely at last reports and no particulars of her death, which must have... been very sudden, are obtainable at this writing. Mrs. Oliver was perhaps about 50 years of age and came to this county some ten or twelve years ago from Danville, 111., and has been in poor health for • some little time. Undertaker W. J. Wright went to Chicago yesterday to assist in looking after the remains, which will be taken to her former home at Danville for burial.

Sunday Was a Big Day at M. E. Church.

The dedication of the fine new pipe organ at Trinity M. E. church, the gift of George E. Hosmer, Was the occasion for a large turn-out at the church services Sunday morning. The choir, under the direction of Miss Grace E. Stover, had taken great pains in preparing for the occasion, and with Mrs. M. D. Gwin at the organ, rendered some excellent selections. The organ donor, Mr. Hosmer, and James T. Randle, donor of the handsome new pulpit furniture, were guests of honor at the dedication. The new organ cost $3,250, and the pulpit furniture $175. In a financial statement made by Mr. J. J. Hunt, it was shown that all the obligations for the improvements made aside from the organ proper, amounting to over SBOO had been paid in full. In the evening a song and organ recital was given at the church in the form of union services, and there was a very large congregation out then also.

Gaiety Airdome Will Open Friday Night With “The Spoilers.”

Horton Bros. Gaiety airdome will open for the summer season on Friday night of this week with the great 9-reel production, “The Spoilers.” This is one of the best .moving pictu re plays now being shown, and no doubt the Gaiety will be packed to its full capacity op the opening night. By the way, Horton Bros, have just spent about SI,OOO in remodeling and improving the Gaiety airdome. The stage has been rebuilt, the seating capacity enlarged and the seats made more comfortable, while the entire seating space of 50x 90 feet, has been covered with a substantial galvanized iron roof, yet al lowing open space at the sides to afford good ventilation. With this latter improvement bad weather will not out any figure with the giving of performances. Heretofore it has been impossible occasionally to give shows because of rain, but this difficulty is now taken care of and the Gaiety is made among the best and most modern airdomes in the country.

To the Publip. Produce will be bought at the old Rishling & Herath stand, and a share of your patronage is solicited. —Advt. m-23

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER CQUNTY, INDIANA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1915

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

Interesting Paragraphs From the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The Legal News Epitomized— Together With Other Notes Gathered From the Several County Offices. The following Chicago Heights friends of Sheriff and Mrs. B. D. McColly drove down via auto Sunday and spent the day with them: Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson and son; Street Commissioner Samuel Brooks, Edward Winslow, president, and Robert Isaacs, secretary of the Canter Storage Company, and County Commissioner B. D. Pierson, Mr. Johnson is president of the Johnson boiler works of Chicago Heights. New suits filed since our last report: No. 84 30. Daniel S. Makeever, adm. de bonis non, vs. Lawrence W. Baker et al; petition to sell real estate. No. 8 431. Charles W. Postill, adm. vs. F. W. Bedford, et al; petition to sell real estate. No. 8432. Joseph' Hilliard, adm., vs. Lottie Smith et al; petition to sell real estate. No. 8433. Furst & Thomas vs. estate of Joel F. Spriggs; disallowed claim for $668.11. No. 8434. John T. Martin vs. Jennie T. Martin; suit on note. Demand $135. No. 8435. Ella Ammerman Evans vs. Louis Wilson Zellies; suit on note. Demand $l5O. Following is the official report of the number of children in Jasper county of school age as compiled from the returns made to the County Superintendent's office: Corporation a A H o h ° o E- 2. p o tZ oi A p . c Barkley 249 219 468 5 72 Carpenter 153 147 300 27 35 Gillam .138 102 240 6 34 Hanging Grove... 81 59 140 12 28 Jordan 89 97 189 6 21 Kankakee 70 71 141 8 17 Keener 149 121 270 27 38 Alarion 1197 111 308 27 32 Milroy 73 60 133 11 19 Newton ...S3 102 184 14. 20 Union 227 203 430 6 46 Walker 154 159 313 4 17 Wheatfield ......104 78 182 6 21 Remington, town. 129 175 304 9 48 Wheatfield, town. 61 47 108 5 9 Rensselaer, City. .303* 316 620 13 70 Totals .2259 2067 4327 145 41 527 *1 colored boy.

Off for the Dixie Highway Location Meeting.

At the Dixie highway meeting at the court house Monday afternoon. C. G. Spitler was made chairman of the meeting and F. E. Babcock, secretary. Mr. Spitler stated that the object of the meeting was to select three delegates from Jasper county to attend the Dixie hignway location meeting at Chattanooga, Tenn., tomorrow, also to select a committee to raise the necessary funds to pay Jasper county’s share of the expenses of sending delegates to this meeting and the expenses already incurred or to be incurred by the Chicago-Indianapolis Dixie Association, as a result of this meeting. He stated that the above association had been formed and that .Jasper county is a member thereof. This association will soon be incorporated. On motion of Rex Warner, C. G. Spitler, E. P. Honan and D. S. Makeever were named as delegates. After the meeting had adjourned Mr. Makeever resigned and W. L. Wood of Parr, was selected in his stead. The committee left yesterday over the Monon for Louisville, being joined at Lafayette by the committee from Tippecanoe and other counties along the line. From Louisville they go over the L. & N. to Chattanooga. They hope to get home this Saturday or Sunday, but may not be able to return until next week. Congressmen Wood and Morrison will be the official spokesmen for the "Air Line” before the commission. Later—The Democrat was informed yesterday forenoon that Mr. Mafkeever had again been prevailed

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Organizing a Moose Lodge Here.

J. W. Manges, state director of the Loyal Order .of Moose, is in Rensselaer for the purpose of organizing a lodge of that order here. He is meeting with good success and expects to soon institute a lodge here with a membership of 100 or more. His advertisement, on the last page of today’s Democrat, will give you much information about this popular order.

Building Activity on the West Side.

.Gallagher. Bros, have completed excavating for the basement of Miss Maude Spitler’s new residence on College avenue, fronting Milroy Park, and yesterday begun the work of excavating for the basement for Bert Hopkins’ new house, immediately south of Miss Spitler’s. Cleve Eger also broke ground yesterday for the basement for his residence just north of Miss Spitler’s lot. All three of these houses are to be twostory and will cost perhaps $4,000 to $6,000 or more each. Louie Muster, we are informed, has the contract for building Miss Spitler’s house, and George Mustard that of Bert Hopkins. Cleve Eger has not let the contract yet for his carpenter work, he informs us.

“We Print Anything for Anybody.”

The above quotation is the slogan of the Rensselaer Republican, which appears frequently in the columns of that paper, and appears in big letters on the side of the building it occupies. Those who have followed the meandering policy of that paper for the past several years will not attempt to dispute the truth of its slogan. There are not many newspapers that would have the affrontery to openly proclaim any such slogan. Most newspapers desire to keep their columns clean and truthful and advocate only what they believe to be to the best interests of all. They do not ‘‘print anything for anybody.” The Republican also says that it does not deceive its readers, in referring to the proposed subsidy election in Newton tp., or those held in other townships, and yet The Democrat is reliably informed that a letter recently appearing in that sheet proporting to have been signed by the township assessor of Newton tp.. Mr. Parks, was not written by Mr. Parks at all and neither did he sign it. He has openly stated to different parties in Newton tp., we are Informed, that he merely had a talk on the street with one of the editors of the Republican and was asked and gave permission to the editor to state that some of the alleged “back-sliders” in Newton tp., were not back-sliders at all but had stated at the time they signed the petition for the election, that they would vote against the subsidy; and that the article over his signature was not written by him and that it misrepresented what he had said in many ways.

A gentleman from Newton tp., called up The Democrat by phone yesterday morning and told us of this, said that Mr. Parks had so informed him and that he had told others the same thing. Of course, if this statement is true—and we believe that the gentleman who called us is honest and truthful —it was not misrepresenting the matter at all to' publish an alleged letter bearing Mr. Parks’ signature which Parks had never written, signed nor seen. Certainly not. ■ The Republican would have one believe that every opponent of the failroad subsidy scheme is a knocker, a kicker, a skunk and a rattlesnake, ahd yet such men as Judge Hanley and many other prominent citizens and business men of Rensselaer, who have in the past always supported these subsidy fakes, now openly state that they will never vote a subsidy to any bunch of promoters again. They have made this statement to scores of people besides the writer and you do not have to take The Democrat’s word for it. In our opinion—and it is as good as that of the editors of the Republican, ...in fact in looking back over the things it has advocated in the past which have been opposed by The Democrat, we believe our opinion will not suffer by comparison—it is the most foolish thing that the voters of Newton township could possibly do to give $16,000 to any bunch of railroad promoters no matter where they hail from. There is not a taxpayer in New-

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GENERAL AND STATE NEWS

Telegraphic Reports From Many Parts of the Country. SHORT BITS OF THE UNUSUAL Happenings in the Nearby Cities and Towns—Matters of Minor Mention From Many Places. NIGHTWATCH AT DELPHI SHOT And Probably Fatally Wounded by Bunch of Drunken Young Men From Lafayette. August Scanlon, 55 years old, nightwatchman at Delphi, was shot and probably fatally wounded at an early hour Sunday morning by One of a bunch of young men from Lafayette who had gone to Delphi to camp along the Tippecanoe over Sunday. The young men were drunk, it is alleged, and on tho officer expostulating with them for causing a disturbance and ordering them to leave the streets, he was shot over the left temple with a revolver which was held virtually against his head, and rendered unconscious. Jack Friend, 21 years old, and Oscar Lawson, 21, were captured a short time after the shooting. Louis Wendling, 22, was taken at Battle Ground, Tippecanoe county, after a chase of several hours. Four other young men said to have taken part in th© raid have not been captured. Leo Delaney of Delphi was present when Scanlon ordered tho young men to get off the streets. The youths showed fight, one of them attempting to strike Delaney. Two of them ran and while Delaney was catching one at the watchman’s Instructions the shot was fired by another youth in the party. No event in years has so aroused the citizens of Delphi and the prisoners are being guarded closely to avoid violence. Scanlon is married, but has no children.

Several of Young Men in Trouble Before at Lafayette.

Lafayette, Ind., May IG.—Four of the young men charged with being implicated in the shooting of August Scanlon at Delphi have for several years caused the Lafayette police much trouble. Charles F. Lawson and his brother Oscar were convicted a few years ago of robbing stores in this city and have served terms in prison. Jack and Charles Friend have also been arrested several times. Louis Wendling has never been in trouble before. He is a lightweight pugilist and recently returned from an extended vaudeville tour through the East. His father, John Wendling, went to Delphi to investigate the shooting. When the young men left this city last night they said that they were going to spend Sunday camping on the Tippecanoe river near Delphi. The police here declare that Roy Wendling was not at Delphi last night and his father says he was at home. Roy and Louis Wendling are twins and can not be told apart, it is said.

Burglarize Wolcott’s Postoffice.

Yeggmen blew open the postoffice safe at Wolcott and made away with all of the money and stamps contained in the safe, amounting to nearly S4OO, Friday night. Entrance to the p.ostoffice, which is in the south room of the Ferguson hotel building, was through a back window. The door was then opened and the safe moved out into the alley south of the building, where the work of blowing it open was accomplished. The work was done about 2 o’clock. A resident-of-Wolcott who occupies a suite of rooms over the Citizens’ State Bank, was awakened by the noise of the explosion. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 2:10. Supposing the report to have been caused by the firing of a gun, he made no further investigation, and the robbery was not discpvered until Postmaster Dobbins came down to open up the office. When he went to get out his stamps and cash for the day’s business he discovered that he had no safe. A search, after other evidences of the robbery had been revealed, discovered its whereabouts.

Vol. XVIII, No. 12

So far as can be learned there is no clue to the robbers, but that the job was pulled off by expert cracksmen was. quite evident. Very likely the same parties that robbed the postoilice at Linden a few nights before also operated at Wolcott.

Remington Man Run Over by Automobile.

Jacob Ochs of Remington, is reported to have been run over by a big automobile at about 6 o’clock Monday night,., near the bridge, just north of Remington, and badly and perhaps fatally injured. Mr. Ochs was taking his cow back ■to pasture, after having had it up to milk, and was going north. Just Jiorth of the bridge he met Miss Mabie Lamborn, who was driving an auto to town to deliver milk to customers. Ochs, who is about 60 years of age and somewhat near-sighted, stepped in front of her car. Miss Lamborn said, and before she could stop the car hit him and knocked him down. Jud Adams and W. I. Hoover came along almost immediately thereafter in their cars, driving north, and helped to pick Ochs up and put him in Miss Lamborn’s car and she drove him into town to a doctor. He was unconscious for a short time, but is said to have revived somewhat before being placed In the car. There was a bad looking cut on his forehead, but whether the skull was fractured or not the parties at the scene of the accident could not tell. Miss Lamborn was all broke up over the acdldent and was hysterical. She was accompanied by her brother’s hired hand, but she was driving the car. Both said that Ochs had stepped In front of the car. The Democrat called up Dr. Besser at Remington just before going to press yesterday aftefnoon, and ho stated that Mr. Ochs was in pretty bad shape but that he thought that he would recover all right. Ills skull was not fractured. Dr. Besser also said that William Townsend, the druggist, who was Injured in a fall Sunday and fractured one of his wrists, had lain unconscious until Monday noon, but was now apparently doing all right and that he thought he would make a rapid recovery.

Some Intelligent Road Repairing.

The Range Line road from Remington north to the Jordan tp., line is in the best condition at present we have seen it for several years, if not the best ever. Some comparatively inexpensive repairs have lately been made—filling up the chuckholes and ruts with fine crushed rock—-and the roadway is smooth and nice. It took but little material to do this, and therefore the expense was slight. - The same system should be used on all our stone roads, when a chuck-hole or a rut appears, fill it with fine crushed stone. Dop’t put cn a wagonload where only a peck is needed, and don’t use coarse rock for the purpose by any means or go to the unnecessary expense of covering over an entire stretch of road. Keep the ruts and chuck-holes filled and we will have our stone roads in fine condition and at about one-fourth the cost of the old method. Mr. Samuels, who lives on the east side of the Range Line road, just over the south line of Jordan tp., has oiled a stretch of a few hundred feet of this road along by his house, to keep down the dust, and the road there is absolutely perfect. The Democrat believes the county commissioners should order the rest of the road oiled to Remington, as an experiment, and keep an account of the cost and the expense of repairs, for the next year on this section to ascertain if it is not a mighty good investment, It will cost but«yttle to try out and is wort| the trying. By the way, we notice that washed gravel is being used or repairs on the west half of the RemingtonGoodland road in Jasper county, and it is seemingly superior to stone. It has been used on the roads in the west part of Newton county for several years and gives fine satisfaction, we are told.

Notice of Post-Graduate Course. Dr. I. M. Washburn will take postgraduate work at Rush Medical College in Chicago during the month of May four days in each week, being but of town from 5 a. m., till 2 p. m., on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.