Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1918 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

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BROUGHT HERE FOR BURIAL

Former Resident Died at Larimore, North Dakota. The remains of Edward Bullis, accompanied by two nephews of the deceased, John Welsh and Arb Bullis, of Jordan township, who were called to Larimore the first of last week by the serious illness of their uncle, Rensselaer Sunday and were taken to the home o( Frank Welsh in Jordan township, where the funeral, conducted by Rev. J. B. Fleming of the Presbyterian church, was held at 11 a. m Monday and burial made in Egypt cemetery. Deceased was the sixth child of George and Hannah Bullis and was horn in May, 1855, at Morris, Illinois. In 1871, with his parents, he came to Jasper county, and in 1899 he went to North Dakota where he died at Larimore last Friday afternoon from a complication ot diseases. Deceased was a brother of Mrs. Frank Welsh and James Bullis of Jordan township. He had never married.

VISITED INDIANA COAL MINES

Supply Is Adequate But Transportation Presents Problem. Conrad Kellner of the firm of Kellner & Callahan returned home Saturday after spending four days among the various Indiana coal fields endeavoring to secure coal *> r Rensselaer. He visited the mines at Terre Haute, Brazil, Coal Bluff, Clinton, Linton, Sullivan, Dugger and Bicknell, and brings a most interesting report of conditions as he found them. There is no shortage of coal nor of miners, but the sole trouble in securing an adequate supply lays with the transportation facilities of the railroads. Mr. Kellner stated that in the four days he saw more coal than in all his life before, practically all of it loaded on cars and awaiting transportation. Cars will sometimes be loaded for days at a time before being moved out of the mine yards. There is no loss of time when empty cars are returned to the mines, for the miners are willing and anxious to work and when the empty cars come in they are filled at once. The miners are making good wages, varying from $8 to sls a day, and lose no more time than is necessary. At many of the mines the miners are not working more than one-third to one-half time because of car shortage. At Bicknell, where the American coal mines are located and which is the largest coal center in Indiana, Mr. Kellner saw four side tracks, each four miles long, and all of them were filled with loaded coal cars. These cars had been standing on the track since before the last snow and many of them were almost snowed under, as the storm was much more severe there than here. However, the snow is being rapidly cleared away and it is felt that normal conditions will be attained again within the present week. The same conditions prevail at the other mines in Indiana as at Bicknell, although not so extensive, as the American mines have a daily capacity of about 450 cars. Mr. Kellner was successful in securing the consignment Of several cars of soft coal to this city and fears of a complete shortage of fuel here have been largely relieved. However, the situation depends upon the transportation, and another snow storm would have a disastrous effect. The mining of soft coal presents an interesting situation to one who has never been acquainted with their operation. When the miners quit work in the ; evening a civil engineer then makes his surveys and stakes off “rooms” for each miner. Drillers then proceed to drill the portions surveyed and staked off and they are then blasted, and are all ready to be cleared next morning. The portions staked off vary in size according to the depth of the coal vein, but is sufficient to take a miner practically the entire day to clean up. Portions of the vein are left intact at regular intervals that act as a, support for the earth overhead, and are removed later, when “props’’ take their place. . The miners and other employes are paid by the ton, the miner getting about sixty-seven cents a ton, out of which he must pay a small part for the drilling and blasting and the weighing. The driller gets about six cents a ton and the weigher about two-tenths otf a cent.

DATE CHANGED FOR RALLY DAY

Will De Held Here Tuesday, January 29. SCHOOLS WILL DE DISMISSED And Teachers, Pupils, Patrons and the Public Is Urged to Attend the Mefetings. The date for holding a county defense rally day in Jasper county, has been changed by the State 'Council of Defense, which is to furnish the principal speakers, from February 18 to next Tuesday, January 29, and a meeting was held Monday afternoon at the office of County Superintendent Sterrett by the local members of the County Council o,f Defense to discuss matters connected therewith and appoint the necessary committees. The meeting was called by C. C. Warner of the Defense Council, who presided. County Superintendent Sterrett was made secretary of the meeting.

This county meeting will be along the same lines as that of the state meeting held at Indianapolis and two or more speakers will be sent here by the Council of Defense. The general meetings, at which talks will be made by the speakers from a distance, will be held at the Methodist church, at 1:30 and 7:30 p, m„ and there will be sectional meetings of the more important divisions of the council, such as the fuel, food, military, woman’s work ■ and Red Cross committees at the court house in separate rooms thereof immediately /following the general meeting in the afternoon. Each chairman of 'his respective committee will be held responsible for a program to be rendered before his own interested grouip. B. F. Fendig and John Eger will hold a joint meeting in the east court room of the court house. Mr. Fendig is chairman of the fuel committee and Mr. Eger is chairman of the food committee. Mr. Sterrett as chairman of the educational committee, Mr. Learning as chairman of the agricultural committee, and Harvey Wood, Jr., as chairman of the Boys’ Working reserve, will hold a joint meeting in the office of the county superintendent and the county agricultural agent in the basement of the court house. The section of Women’s Activities headed by Mrs. Ora T. Ross, will meet in the west court room. Rev. Fleming as chairman o>f the Morals committee will meet in the Sunday school room of the Methodist churc/h. Mr. Sauser as chairman of the military committee, will hold a meeting in the armory. Mr. Leatherman as chairman of the Liberty loan and Mr. Spitler as chairman Off the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. will hold a joint meeting in the directors’ room of the First National bank. The college band and high school orchestra will furnish muisic for the occasion. The speakers are men of national and state reputation. They will present the war situation before the people in a way that will make this the greatest day that the. county has experienced. Every true American citizen of the county is not only cordially invited but earnestly solicited to attend as much of these meetings as possible. It is expected to have all of the retail coal and food dealers in the county present at the general meeting in the afternoon and at the sub-meetings following; also the members and workers in other lines throughout the county. The schools Of the county will be dismissed for the day and all of the teachers and as many of the pupils and patrons as can do so will be urged to attend the general meetings. It-is expected that as a result of these county meetings—one is to be held in each county of the state —that a more thorough understanding of the work and a closer affiliation will reshlt, and everyone is urged to, make an effort to come to Rensselaer on next Tuesday and attend one or both of these general meetings.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1918

AGED RENSSELAER LADY DEAD

' Mrs. Sarah Pruett Passed Away Monday Morning. j “Aunt” Sarah Pruett, one o's Jasper county’s best known and respected women, died at her home on south Weston street at 1:45 Monday morning. __ Mrs. Pruett suffered a stroke of paralysis several months ago and had been in poor health since that time. However, her condition was not considered serious until late Sunday afternoon when she was taken worse and passed, away after only a few hours illness. Deceased was born in Parke county, Indiana, June 10, 1832, and was eighty-five years, seven months and ten days of age at the time of her death. In 1865 she, with her husband, Abraham Pruett, moved to Newton county, later moving on a farm in Jordan township, and in 1902 moved to Rensselaer. (Her husband preceded her in death several years ago. Mrs. Pruett is survived by her foster daughter, Mrs. J. A. McFarland of this city, and several nephews and nieces. The funeral will be held this Wednesday morning at the late residence at 10 o’clock, services being conducted by Rev. D. C. Hill, pastor of the Baptist church, and 'burial made in Weston cemetery.

MANY CORDS WOOD SECURED

About One Hundred Loads Ready for the Buzz Saw. Rensselaer’s wood-choppers have been doing good work and as a result of their labors Friday and Monday they have about one hundred loads of wood to relieve the situation in Repsselaer should the coal shortage become serious. The wood is being hauled to town as rapidly as possible and taken to the former Grant-Warner lumber yards where it will he sawed and stored. The wood-choppers did not go to the Stockton timber as was previously announced, but to the Vance Collins woods in the same vicinity. The reason for the change in plans, as The Democrat is informed, was that by paying 50 cents a load to Mr. Collins the wood-cutters were privileged to take the forest-run timber, while at Mr. Stockton’s they were to take only the down wood. Those in charge of operations felt that 50 cents a load was cheap enough considering the advantages to be ijiad in taking the standing timber. . It is estimated that about forty men went to the timber Monday and put in the day handling the ax and saw. Several others put in the day with teams and about thirty loads of wood were hauled to town. The loads will average about a cord of four-foot wood each, which means that in the two days over 300 cords of stove-length wood was secured.

I. U. GRADUATES HOLD MEETING

The annual meeting of the Indiana University graduates of Jasper county was held at the high school building Friday evening. About twenty graduates were present. The principal speaker of the evening was Prof. Kohlmeirer o*f Indiana University. During the evening a banquet was served in the grammar school building by the domestic science class under the direction o)f Miss Mabel Atwood. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, W. H. Parkinson; vice-president, Worth McCarthy; secretary, Florence Ryan; treasurer, M. D. Gwin.

The following articles were completed last week by the Jasper County Red Cross workers: 19 sweaters, 4 pairs socks, 5 pairs wristlets, 1 hem let, 2 mufflers, 3 pairs pajamas, 11 bed shirts, 80 large gauze compresses, 60 small gauze compresses, 10 3-yard rolls, 80 gauze strips, 4 0 triangle bandages, 35 T bandages, 35 four-tailed bandages, 20 abdominal bandages, 30 scultetus.

LATE BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS January 15, to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Strawbridge of Niagara Falls,\ New York, a son. Mrs. Strawbridge was formerly Miss Martha Long of Rensselaer, and this is their second child, both boys. January 18, to Mr. and Mrs. A. K. Keesling, a daughter. Mr. Keesliag is a teacher in the Rensselaer high school. January 20, to Mr. and Mrs. E. Qunyon of Parr, a daughter.

RED CROSS ITEMS

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

Interesting Paragraphs From the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The I.legal News Epitomized—Together With Other Notes Gathered From the Several County Offices. The annual report of George IT. Hammerton, trustee of Union township, appears on another page of to-day’s Democrat. There are two high schools In Union, one at Parr and one at Fair Oaks, and the trustee handled over $54,000 last year.

The deputy revenue collector having charge of the income tax collections in Jasper county, arrived in the city Monday and will be here for about ten days. He will hold forth in the library room on the third floor of the court house and will answer all questions concerning the income tax law. Sheriff B. D. McColly, who has been in rather boor health for the past few months, went to Chicago Friday accompanied by W. V. Porter and Dr. I. M. Washburn to consult a specialist regarding his condition. It was- feared that he was suffering from an abcess on the brain but an X-Ray examination failed to disclose anything of the sort and the specialist diagnosed his ailment as hardening of the arteries. The annual sale of lands for delinquent taxes, a list of which appeared in Saturday’s Democrat, is surprisingly small this year. There are but seven delinquents in Rensselaer; one in Carpenter; two in Hanging Grove; one in Gillam; one in Milroy; four in Marlon; two in Newton; eleven in Union; five in Barkley; three in Kankakee; ten in Keener; thirty in Walker; three in Wheatfleld and three in Wheatfleld town. Remington and Jordan township have no delinquencies whatever. County Fuel Administrator Fendig received word Monday 'from both Remington and Wheatfleld of a (fuel shortage, and in both towns the situation was reported such as led to the belief that it might be necessary to close the schools. There is an abundance of wood near Wheatfleld and not a great distance northeast of Remington and concerted action on the part of the people of those toWns such as Rensselaer’s citizens have done, would soon assure both places an adequate supply of fuel that could be used wherever soft coal has been used. The greatest food production drive of statewide proportions ever waged in the United States —a campaign that will set a pace for the entire country—was launched in Indiana yesterday under direction of Prof. G. I. Christie, state food director and superintendent of agricultural extension at Purdue University. In every county of the state, within the next week or ten days, will be held meetings to make plans for “Seed Stocks and Labor Survey week,” February 4 to 9. This survey is Indiana’s first big step in the 1918 food production drive, which will by far eclipse previous efforts lii this line. Stewart Learning of thi£ city has been named as leader of the drive for Jasper, White and Newton counties. According to the regulations regarding explosives of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior, a farmer requiring explosives must procure a purchaser s license, and if he desires to■ issue any of the explosives to his employes he must also obtain a foreman’s license and keep a record as required in the regulations. Under the purchaser’s license one can not sell, give, barter or dispose of explosives except by personal use. Unused explosives must be kept in a safe place securely locked. Farmers may obtain additional information /from the county agricultural agent or from a local licensing officer. Licenses may be obtained at the office of County Clerk Nichols.

Sale bills printed while you wait at The Democrat office.

HOW FALSE REPORTS SPREAD

Timely relief in .Rensselaer Saturday, saved the lives.of Mrs. Charles Elder and three small children, who were found in their home freezing and starving. There were no provisions or fuel in the house and some of the furniture had been burned in order to keep them warm. Rensselaer's relief committee got busy and took care of them. —-Francessville Tribune. > The above shows the interpreta?tion of some people of the false report concerning the condition of Mrs. Charles Elder and children, who deny frankly that they were either freezing or starving, but assert that they had both fuel and provisions on hand. Rensselaer, big hearted and generous, will ever come to the aid olt its citizens in time of need and will extend a 'helping hand over the rough places in life’s journey without hesitancy, but these activities can in no way be augmented by the spreading of sensational false stories.

TO SURVEY NEEDS OF FARMS

Government to Aid in Securing Tested Seeds and Libor. Acting under instruction from the State Council of Defense, Chairman Frank Welsh has caused to be appointed a committee to make a complete survey of seed stocks and labor needs on every farm in the county in order that seed and labor shortages may be filled and only tested seed used this year. The federal government has taken the matter of seed and labor supply in hand and as a first step finds it necessary to ascertain the exact conditions on every farm. The following men have been designated by Chairman Welsh for this important work: George Putt, Victor Babcock, Wm. T. Corey, John Eck, Wesley Fell, Harvey Rowland, Charles A. Welch, James Blake, Grant Culp, John Farrell, Chas. Farabee, John Farabee, Lewis W. Hunt, Howard Jones,Christ Hensler, Chas. Meadal, Wm. Ott, Thos. A. Porter, Moses Sigo, Charles Sigo, Dudley Tyler, John Teter, Fred B. Wagner, Harvey Williams. Harvey Sinser, D. W. Biddle, John Kolhoff, Thomas A. Reed, C. E. Maxwell, W. H. Wortley, P. H. Hauter, Stephen Kohley, Marion I. Adams, Chauncey Wood, James W. Amsler, Alfred Hoover, Tony Kanne, Joe Trueley, John Zimmer, Charles Schleeman, George Culp, Albert Duggins, Samuel Holmes, John Rush, Marion Freeland, Walter E. Kelley, Orville Lambert, E. P. Lane, Phillip Paulus, Erhart Wuerthner, W. B. Walter, T. F. Murphy, Oscar Weiss, Stanley Lane, Thomas McAleer, James Blankenship, W. B. Fisher, Walter Gilmore, John Sommers, George Foulks, Alfred Duggleby, R. E. Davis, Wm. Fitzgerald, Martin J. Tohen, W. M. Jeffers, George M. Sands, John Shirer, Wm. R. Myers, Orlan C. Minor, Thomas F. Malony. V. M. Peer. Wm. Stalbaum, Joe Salrin, C. M. Dewey, Henry C. Meyer, W. C. Dooley, T. Z. McMurray, Freeman Gifford, John F. Pettet, Wm. Middlekamp, A. P. Rice, W. A. Lake, Henry J. Hendrick, Isaac Knapp, John Bunning, Herman DeVries, Anthony Moolenaar, Frank M. Hart, Daniel Wolfe, Simon P. Chenoweth, Cornelius Evers, Jr., John Robinson, Wm. Tyler, Clarence Gilbranson, E. Lightfoot, Henry DeKocker, Wm. Grube, Jr., Hiram Crawford, M. J. Delanhanty, Joseph Hickam, P. O. Kennedy, R. H. Morehouse, Amos McDaniel, Sam Payne, A. S. Keene, S. D. Clark, J. C. Anderson, Wm. Mutchler, Malcolm Clark, John V. Myers, W. H. Marble, Earl Snick, Vest Austip, Warren Boyle, Laurence Snick, Henry Misch, Milo Michaels, Hiram Lang, John Rusk, Wm. Folger, Grant Davisson, Joseph Pullins, W. H. Pullins, Harry Gifford, Horace Daniels, Emmet Eldridge, Judson Adams, Warren E. Poole, Rollin Stewart, Virgil Hobson, Geo. Parker, Charles Erb, Frank Ringeisen, Walter Jordan, John H. Guild, Wm. Batchtold, John Wuerthrich, Wm. E. Bible, Max Coppess, Cep. Grogan, John P. Ryan, S. ;C. Robinson, James Stevens, Carl Toyne, H. J. Dexter, John E. Alter, John Guss, James L. Keever, Herman Schultz, David Yeoman, 0. S. Bell, Amos Alter, Charles Lakin, R. I. Budd, Jos. Kosta, James Wiseman. Three meetings of instructions have been arranged for these men. The first will be held at the office of the Washburn Grain Company at Remington, Friday, January 25th, at two o’clock, the next at the office of the County agent at Rensselaer, Saturday afternoon, January 26th, at 2 o’clock, and the third at the Bank df Wheatfleld, Monday afternoon, January 28th, at 1:30 o’clock. Committeemen have been instructed to attend the meeting most convenient for them. At these meetings full instructions will be given as to the methods and purpose of the government in this work, and a proper organization perfected. It is hoped that this move on the part of the government will clear up the seed stocks and labor situations, both of which are working against proper crop production.

GENERAL ANIL STATE NEWS

Tslifraphic Reports From Many Parts of the Country. SHORT BITS OF THE UNUSUAL Happenings in the Nearby Oitlea and Towns—Matters of Minor Mention From Many Places. PEACE STRIKES GRIP AUSTRIA Population Tired of War and High Cost of Living. Copenhagen, January 21.- —The Lokal Anzeiger of Berlin says that unless Leon Trotzky, the Bolshevikl foreign minister, accepts the demands of the Central powers when be returns to Brest-Litovsk on January 29, the Central powers will break off peace negotiations.

Amsterdam, January 21. —The Austrian ministry has resigned, according to a Vienna dispatch to the Berliner Morgen Post. Count von Toggenburg, minister of the interior, has been charged with the task of forming a new cabinet. The brief Vienna dispatch does not make it absolutely clear which of the ministries has resigned, the imperial ministry of which Count Czernin is the head, holding the portfolio of ministry of foreign affairs, or the minor body of which Dr. von Beydler is president. But the fact that Count Toggenburg, who held the post of minister of the interior in the von Seydler cabinet, has been asked to organize a new ministry would indicate that it was the latter. Reoent dispatches from Vienna reported a crisis in the Austrian cabinet, Dr. von Seydler being opposed not only by the Czechs and the South Slavs but also by the socialists while the German deputies also were hostile owing to von Seydler’s weak attitude.

Tired of the War.

The crisis in Austria, arising from the discontent of the people over the continuation of the war, the scarcity of food and a general desire Ifor peace has resulted in the resignation of the Austrian cabinet. For weeks there has been bitter opposition to the government on the part of the people and during the last few days this has resulted in nation-wide strikes and some disturbances. The internal striife in Austria which apparently is due chiefly to war-weariness, the high cost of living and the dislocation generally of economic life, continues to he of absorbing interest. Although the exact situation resulting from the troublous times is not given in the extremely meager details available, the dispatches that have crept through are indicative of a situation that will require skillful • handling by the authorities again to bring the dissatisfied populace into a state of tractability. .Vo newspapers in Vienna were permitted last Saturday. The only publication allowed was a single sheet bulletin, which told some of the details of the nation-wide strike, and the development in the peace discussions at Brest-Litavsk.

FORMIC It GOOD LAND BOY KILLED

Lowell A. Wiles, twelve-year-okl sons of Lawrence A. Wiles of Indianapolis, but formerly of Goodland where he was connected with the Baldwin & Dague bank for many years, was killed Sunday morning when he was struck by an automobile- on his way to Sunday school. Both legs, several ribs and his skull were fractured and he died within twenty minutes after the accident. Arthur R. Morris, a colored auto driver, was arrested later in the day and finally admitted striking the boyr He was driving quit© rapidly at the time and did not stop. The boy’s father was ill at home at the time of the accident.

FUTURE PUBLIC SALE DATES The Democrat has printed bills for the following public sales: Friday, January 25, L. A. Warren, on the Sol Guth farm, 7 miles southeast of Rensselaer. General sale, including 13 horses, 8 bead of cattle, 7 hogs, farm tools, etc. Tuesday, February 5, John V.

(Continued on page three)

Vol. XX, No. 85