Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1918 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

$2.00 Per Year

KITCHEN RANGE BLOWN UP

>When Water Front Froze and Fire Was Started. The explosion of the kitchen range at the C. P. Wright home last Sunday, due to the water front having frozen tip, created havoc in the kitchen and pieces, of the range, which was totally demolished, flew in every direction. There had been a fire in the range the day before but it had gone out during the night, and when Don Wright start- ■> ed the fire again Sunday steam soon accumulated • and the frozen pipes prevented the circulation of the water between the range and hot water tank. It was a miracle that Don was not severely injured, as windows were shattered and considerable, havoc created by the explosion. I Mr. and Mrs. Wright were at Martinsville and did not return home until Tuesday. Don bad come down from Chicago Saturday night, having secured a leave of absence from the Great Lakes Training station to look after the management of the Hillard & Hamill store while Mr. Hillard is in a hospital at Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he underwent an operation and will probably not be able to resume management of the store for a few weeks.

DEFENSE COUNCIL IN SESSION

B. F. Fendig Tendered Resignation as Fuel Administrator. At the regular meeting of the County Council of Defense Wednesday afternoon, held in the commissioners’ court room, County Chairman Welsh presided and a majority of the members were present. A number of matters were discussed, and George A. Williams of the Rensselaer school board requested that the council take no action regardiing the leaching of German in’ the Rensselaer high school, that is, prohibiting the teaching of German during the present term. Mr. Williams said that quite a number of pupils were taking this study and <Ahat they could not be given credits 'for"the year if the study was shut off; that next year it was probable rVench and Spanish would be substituted. The county council had previously passed a resolution against this study. After Mr. Wiliams had left Secretary Hamilton said he thought the study should be discontinued at once, and that credits could be given or denied by the faculty as they chose, notwithstanding Mr. Williams’ statement to the contrary. Chairman Welsh said that he was opposed to teaching any language other than the English language in our public schools at the expense of the taxpayers; that if pupils desired to study other languages it should be done at their own private expense

(Continued on page five.)

VERN DAVISSON WRITES HOME

Had Just Received Christmas Packages and Sleeping Bag. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Davisson received another letter from their son Vern at the front in France. The letter was dated Janutry 5, and said they had just received the Red Cross Xmas packages containing smoking tobacco, cigarets, candy and a khaki handkerchief, which they all appreciated very much. Vern was then back at the front after a short repose behind the lines. The sleeping bag sent him by Mr. Davisson several months ago had been received by Vern January 2. It arrived in fine sha;>e, he stated. He says: “We received the U. S. uniforms today, which improves our looks considerably. We are back at the front but not doing very much. Four ambulances each day does all the wo«k at present. Our quarters for sleeping and eating are better than they were on the other front. (It is understood that Vern.is now with the forces at Nancy.) Plenty to eat and sleep, lots of snow and cold weather. I sent you a package under separate cover today. It contains picture cards, two books of cards and a large illustrated book of a front. The old cards are some that I pulled off the wall of an old building that was blown to pieces. Let me know if you receive this package in your first letter and preserve them for me. I will send some other things later on. “I certainly appreciate that sleeping bag most oif all.’’

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

* Interesting Paragraphs Ftom the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The Legal News Epitomized —Together With Other Notes Gathered From the Several County Offices. Attorney John A. Dunlap went to Fowler Wednesday night to be present Thursday at the opening of the damage case of Philip Hoaks vs. the C. I. & S. Ry. Co., growing out of the killing of some people by defendant’s train at a crossing near Morocco last summer. The three cases of State vs. Edward J. Casey, for wife desertion, failure to provide, and desertion of wiife and children, venued from Jasper county and which has been docketed for trial last Wednesday, were continued- to next term, by agreement.—Kentland Democrat. New suits filed: No. 8882. State Bank of Wheatfield vs. Joseph Salrin; suit on note. Demand $4,000. No. 8883. Economy Hog and Cattle Products company vs. Elmer E. Pullins; suit on note. Demand $l5O. No. 8884. Benjamin F. Zellers vs. Carl Zellers; action for partition of real estate.

EXTREMES IN TEMPERATURES

Following is a list of the extremes in temperatures since 1881 as taken from the official records of the government weather station at Purdue university. The lowest temperature registered was 33 below zero in January of both 1885 and 1887, while the highest was 105, which point was reached in July of the latter year. This gives cause to believe that we may also have some extreme hot weather next summer following the execssive cold of the present winter. The extreme temperatures recorded follow: Low Temperatures. January 10, 1881 —la January 22, 1883 —ls December 19, 1 884 ........ —3l January 22, 1885 ......... —33 January 12, 1886 —23 January 8. 1887 —33 January 16, 1888 ......... —1 6 January 20, 1892 —2O January 15, 1 893 —25 January 25, 1894 —l7 January 12, 1895 —24 January 4, 1 896 .......... —l2 January 26, 1897 —22 January 29, 1899 —l4 January 3, 1904 . . 16 January 13, 1912 ... —l9 January 24, 1915 ”, . . . —ls February 2, 1917 —lO January 12, 1918 —2O High Temperatures. August 4, 1881 104 July 13, 1887 105 July 18, 1894 ■■ ■ 100 August 16, 1895 100 July 21. 1901 104 Julv 10, 1903 July 4, 1911 104 July 30, 1913 .102 July 11, 1914 > 101 July 27, 1916 102

DIED ON DAY SET FOR WEDDING

Grover Purkey, son of former County Auditor A. E. Purkey of Morocco, died at the Methodist hospital in Indianapolis last Saturday, following a brief illness and an operation for appendicitis. The young man was aged twenty-eight years and two months. He was a graduate of the Kentland high school and also of the chemical department of Purdue For- the pasT couple of years he had been employed by the Eli Lilly Manufacturing company of Indianapolis. He was engaged to be married to Miss Myrtle Elizabeth Carter, head nurse Of the Lilly hospital in Indianapolis, and the ceremony was to have taken place on the date of his death.

ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY COST

In manufacturing monuments I have eliminated all unnecessary cost to the purchasers and when you buy of me you have but one profit to pay. Wen you send your order away you pay the agent a profit, one to the dealer and one to the manufacturer. The quality of my work is guaranteed and by placing your order here you are assured of both . quality and economy. I have no agent and you can save money by calling on me and seeing the original stones. —WILL H. MACKEY.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1918

DEATH OF FORMER RESIDENT

Miss Eva Moore received a letter Wednesday from Mrs. Sam Pullins of Glendale, Arizona, written January 31, saying that they had just received a telegram from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, informing them of the death of Mrs. Mary Lane, (formerly Miss Mary Daniels of Rensselaer, who resided when here with her grandmother, Mrs. Mary Pullins. and that the body would be brought to Glendale for burial. No particulars were known at the time this letter was written, but friends here expect to learn more about her death, which must have been quite sudden, in a few days.

LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS

Wednesday especially was quite warm and the snow settled quite a little. Thursday was somewhat cooler and little progress was made along the thawing line except in tbe more exposed places. It did not freeze, however, Thursday night and yesterday was cloudy and a mist of rain fell occasionally, the mercury at 2 p. m. registering 40 degrees in the shade. “Fair and colder” is, the prediction for today.

FREIGHT WRECK STOPS TRAINS

Traffic Held Up 18 Hours Thursday by Wreck Near Lowell. A south bound fast freight train loaded with merchandise was wrecked 3% miles south of Lo.well at 1 o’clock Thursday morning, twentythree cars being piled up and badly broken. The wreck occurred on a straight track while the train was running at a high speed and the cause is unknown. All traffic on this division was tied up from Thursday morning until quite late Thursday night before the wreck was cleared sufficiently to let trains pass, passenger trains being detoured over the Erie road between Hammond and Wilders and thence over the Michigan City, division. No Chicago papers or other mail except a little in the morning Ifirom the south was received in Rensselaer during the day. The property loss will aggregate many thousands of dollars. The wreck occurred in the center of the train, it is understood, and no one was hurt.

NOTES FROM COUNTY HOSPITAL

“Uncle” Marsh Warner of the east part of town, who recently suffered a stroke of paralysis, was brought to the hospital Thursday evening for treatment. Mrs. Daniel Boardwell, who is a pneumonia patient at the hospital, is in a very serious condition. Mrs. William Traub was taken to the hospital yesterday morning suffering from pneumonia. Winfred Stephenson, who has been employed on the McGlynn farm, was brought to the hospital Wednesday evening for medical attention. He is suffering from frozen (feet.

NICE WEATHER IN MONTANA

S. H. Norman sends The Democrat a renewal of his subscription from Boulder, Montana, and, among other things, says: “This leaves us all well. We sure have had a nice winter till the last week in January, but it is nice weather again now. There are hundreds of head of stock on the range; have not fed any this winter. We have a 3 2fiacre homestead on the Boulder river. Like it fine. This is a fine country for wheat growing and there will be an enormous amount sown here next spring. Greetings to all old (friends.”

Is One of the Profiteers. The Democrat openly changes Louis H. Hamilton, editor of the Rensselaer Republican, as being financially interested in at least one of the coal yards in Rensselaer, and calls upon him to deny this charge publicly through the columns of the Republican if untrue. THE DEMOCRAT.

GENERAL AND STATE NEWS

Telegraphic Reports From Many Parts of the Country. SHORT BITS OF THE UNUSUAL — 4 ■ Happenings in the Nearby Cities and Towns —Matters of Minor Mention From Many Places. WILL MAP FdEEDER ROUTES Pathfinder Car of Defense Council Committee to Start Out. Washington, February s.—To map out feeder routes from manufacturing centers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, to the two official highway routes from Detroit and Buffalo to the Atlantic seaboard, the pathfinder car of the highways transport committee, council of national defense, will start out this week. The pathfinder will go. as far west as the Mississippi river. V When the trip is completed, today’s announcement said, the government will have four main highways forming connecting links between the great manufacturing centers of the country and the Atlantic seaboard. Motor transports on their way to France will (follow these routes and carry cargoes to relieve freight congestion.

NEWTON COUNTY PIONEER DEAD

Andrew J. Ellis of Morocco Passed Away Monday. Andrew J. Ellis, a resident of Newton county for over half a century and one of the pioneers of this part of Indiana, died at an early hour Monday morning at the home olf a daughter, Mrs. Charles Hess, in Momence, Illinois, where Mr. and Mrs. Ellis were visiting. Death resulted from a stroke of paralysis suffered a few days previous. Funeral services were held at Morocco Wednesday and burial made in the cemetery there by the Masonic lodge, of which deceased had long been an active member. Mr. Ellis was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, July 31,. 1838, and came to Newton county at the close of the’cilvil war, in which he served with the 16th Ohio volunteer infantry. He purchased large tracts of unimproved land in Newton county and engaged in farming and stock raising and was one. of the substantial men of the county. Hie was married December 29, 186"9, to Susan Peters of Illinois, who, with three children, Mrs. Hess of Momence, Mrs. Archer Jones of South Dakota and Dice Ellis of Morocco, survive. Mr. Ellis was a staunch Democrat and served that party faithfully throughout his long and active life.

FARM AND STOCK AT AUCTION

I will offer at public sale on February 15, my farm of 160 acres, well improved and well kept up by stock. It is not a run-down farm. I will also offer horses, cattle, hogs and farm Implements. For terms on farm write me or Fred Phillips, Renssela.er, Ind. —J. W. FAYLOR.

FANCY PRODUCE MARKET.

February 8.-‘-Get the top price. Bring us your produce. We are paying today the following prices: Eggs," 45c; hens, 22c; springs,. 22c; old roosters, 12c; ducks and geese, 17c; turkeys, 18c. to 23c; butterfat, 50c. Have some duck and goose feathers for sale. Our place of business will be closed on Mondays until further notice. —*-0. E. PRIOR.

SALE DATES The Democrat has printed bills for the following public sales: Tuesday, February 12, Parmen Wiseman, on the Clay Harris ranch,' 4 miles west and 1% miles north of Fair Oaks. General sale, consisting of 261 head of cattle, 39 head of shoats, seed corn, timothy hay, chickens, Implements, some household goods, etc. Wednesday, February 13, Ernest AsheL 1 mile east and 1 mile south of Wheatfield. General sale, including 13 horses, 19 head of cattle, 21 hogs, chickens and ducks, 200 bushels seed oats, corn, farm tools, etc. Thursday, February 14, Ira Brown, on the Welsh Br6s. farm, 6 miles south and % mile west of Rensselaer. General sale, including horses, cattle, hogs, a whole lot of nearly new implements, etc. Thursday, February 14, O. P, Braddock, 3 miles north of Gifford. General sale, consisting of 9 head of horses, 7 head of cattle, 16 hogs, chickens, ducks, (farm implements, some household goods, etc. Friday, February 15, J. W. Faylor, 9 miles north and 1% miles west of Rensselaer. General sale, including 8 horses, 70 head of cattle, 18 head of hogs, farm tools, etc. Monday, February 19, Simon Overholt, 4 miles north of Parr. General sain, including 5 horses, 9 head of cattle, 9 hogs, farm tools, etc. Thursday, February 21, Norval Osburn, 4 miles east and 1 mile north of Moody. General sale, including 8 horses, 35 head of cattle, hogs, farm tools, etc.

LIFTING OF THE CAMOUFLAGE

Pi-ices Fixed For Coal By Fuel Administrator Not Followed. An hour spent in a coal office in the city today convinces the writer that the coal situation here is a long way from satisfactory. The constant demand for coal and the limited supply, make it most difficult for the dealers and very unsatisfactory for the patrons.—Tuesday’s Rensselaer Republican. Perhaps the fact that the editor of the Republican owns an interest in one of the coal yards here may account for his devoting so much of his valuable time in the coal offices and his unusual interest in the fuel situation. It may also account for his “helping the fuel administrator in every way possible,’’ and the extensive use of camouflage in the columns of the Republican. No one questions the honesty or integrity o's the fuel administrator, but the value of help from such an interested quarter imay justly be questioned. The gentleman who was conservant with the prices paid for Indiana coal at the mines and the freight rate, war tax, etc., who recently requested The Democrat to publish same that the people might know whether or not they were paying excessive prices, evidently knew what he was talking about, as The Democrat editor—who, by the way, was engaged in handling fuel for a few years some twentyfive years ago—has since investigated the matter more thoroughly and finds th 6 statement that the dealers were cleaning up about SIOO on every car handled was approximately correct. This information has been gathered froin various private sources where coal is purchased in car lots. That this is too great a per cent of a profit and more than the fuel adminisjtrator intended that it should be, is very evident. On November 7 the fuel administrator established retail prices of coal and caused to be published the following notice: RETAIL COAL PRICES FOR JASPER COUNTY. Linton No. 4, lump, delivered . $6.00 Minchell lump, delivered .... 6.00 Pbcahontas lump, delivered.. .7.50 Indiana mine run, delivered. . 5.50 Anthracite, nut, delivered.... 9.5'1 Anthracite, egg, delivered, . . . 9.25 Eastern coal, delivered...... 7.25 Brazil block, delivered. . .... . 6.75 Deduct 50 cents per ton from each of the above prices where coal is purchased at bin and delivery is made by purchaser. The above prices have been fixed by the county fuel administrator and any charges in excess of the above mentioned prices should be reported to him. B. F. FENDIG, County Fuel Administrator. Kindly note in the above that the price of anthracite egg is >9.25 delivered, and anthracite nut $9.50

(Continued on page five.)

DENTIST HORTON uses Novocain for the painless extraction of teeth. No additional charge for extracting when for plates. I make plates of any kind. Work guaranteed. Office opposite court house square.—J. W. HOR*TON. “- 1

Vol. XX, NO. 9C

FIFTY U. S. MEN STILL MISSING

Fifty-One Others Believed to Have Perished on Transport. " «’ ■ - - U-BOAT IS REPORTED SUNK British Destroyer Believed to Haxo Sent Raider to the Bottom With Depth Bomb. London, Feb. B.—The total lost on the Tuscunia is 101. The saved include 2,100 troop's and 190 of the crew. Elghty-one American soldiers are in hospitals. Of the missing 50 arO soldiers and 51 members of the crew. The bodies of 44 were washed up during the day on the rocks 15 miles from tlie scene of the torpedoing. All were Americans. Their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. Although all the soldiers wore tags no Identification numbers had been put on them. They had not been assigned to army units, There is no way to Identify them and they will be burled in one grave. Three of the men who were landed have died from exposure. It Is not known whether they were Americans. ’ Total Loss Is 101. Washington, Feb. 8. —Latest figures from an authoritative source place the total lost when the troopship Tuscanla was torpedoed off the Irish coast Tuesday night at six o’clock as 101. This figure, given by correspondetUp In Trelandj has boon confirmed by the American embassy In London. Among the survivors are 76 officers. Disaster in Figures. Total number aboard 2,897 Troops saved .2,106 Crew saved 1! »0 Total lost 101 The troops aboard numbered 2,179 and the crew 218. How many of the missing were members of the' Michigan-Wisconsin National Guard division units it Is Impossible to state, for no list of casualties has been received by the war depaTtment and only a meager list of survivors. The rapidly dwindling estimate of casualties from the 1,079 orglnally reported missing brought relief to the anxiety of officials. Relief Sent Survivors. While army and most naval officers are of the opinion British destroyers alone were convoying the transport, Secretary Daniels was inclined, to the belief American vessels also were in convoy, although he said none had left this side with the ship. The official report to tlie war department giving the first list of survivors stated the British authorities had telegraphed their commands In Scotland and Ireland to afford every possible assistance and to supply survivors with fresh clothing and other comforts. Report Raider Sunk. Unofficial reports show that a destroyer, presumably British, gave chase to the submarine which sank the Tuscanla and possibly sank the raider with a depth bomb. No details of the attack had come fr«n official sources. They are awaited eagerly. Sorrow over the first loss of a transport laden with American troops Is tempered by the growing total of survivors, and the dominant emotion among army and navy men now is the desire to strike back. Overcoming the Foe. Navy officials see no reason to change their opinion that the submarine menace is being overcome. The Tuscanla incident Is regarded as an Isolated case, w hich may serve to develop additional methods for repelling the undersea craft and improving the convoy System. . No detail of the action will be passed over when-ftiH reports fronr the British admiralty are available. Many devices enter into the battle against tlie U-boats, some of which have been evolved by American inventors. Others have been greatly imthe United States entered the war and the detection apparatus now installed on American craft is so successful that British craft are being similarly equipped. Blast Shatters Boat. London, Feb. Sergeant E. C. Dubuque and Sergeant Muller, both of Brooklyn, were rescued from a raft by a coasting schooner. Sergeant Dubuque said the boat to, which he had been assigned was shattered by the_explosion. He clambered over the port side the best way he could and was placed in a boat with ten or twelve other men. When they bad been lowered about halfway down the ropes became disarranged. They were all thrown Into the water. There was a rather heavy sea, but the sergeant swam to the

(Continued on Page Eight)