Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1919 — HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORING VILLAGES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORING VILLAGES

JACKSON *TP-, NEWTON COUNTY Nice weather for bass fishing and everything. Farmers who planted early are beginning to talk about husking corn. 11l fai;es the lani, to hastening ills a prey, when lawyers make our laws and the farmer stands for it like a common ordinary nut. The old garden is just naturally doing its derndest to grow a second crop this year, and if the dear old summer time continues much longer it will about make it, too. Daniel Schanlaub recently received a shipment of goats from Missouri. The old sire of tlhe flock reminus us of someone we know, but we’ll be hanged if we can recall who it is just now. Some of the, most prominent farmers of this township are talking farmers’ grain elevator. Their plan, if we are correctly informed, is to buy the elevator at Mt. Ayr, provided, of course, it is for sale. Contrary to expectations, grass has made a big growth in the last three weeks. Unless cold weather sets in unusually early there will be grass all through October and perhaps up to the middle of November. Senator Reed, we observe, is threatening to leave the Democratic party. Alright, dear senator, the Democratic party doubtless is more than willing. Just grab your coattails and throw in the clutch any old time. Come to think of it, now, the

most good-for-nothing man we ever knew could spell every word In the old McGgffy spelling book, besides being able to perform other difficult stunts that never netted him a cent. Park Baldwin, formerly of this township, but of late years a resident of Morocco, who has been in a hospital at Chicago for the last two jnonfhs, has so far recovered that he will probably be able to come home the latter part of this week. Emma Goldman, recently out of prison, alnnouiices that she is a bolshevist. But why make a public annodneement of the fact. In the absence of anything more foolish or harmful, it naturally goes without the saying that Emma would be a bolshevist. Some of our good Audish citizens are preparing -to leave Jackson towtaship, we are sorry to note. Benjamin Miller, one of our oldest Amish residents, and his nephew, Davy Miller, will move to the eastern part of the state soon, where they have bought farms. Others of this church will, we are told, seek homes where land Is cheaper. That once despised marsh land in northern Newton county is selling now at $ 125 to $175 an acre, with every prospect of prices climbing much higher. The man who, a few years ago, spoke jeeringiy of the Beaver lake country and stood idly by .when land in that region was going begging' for buyers, at $6 to sls an acre, is now holding down a store box and pre-

dieting a big drop in Indiana real estate prices. Miss Mary Jane Phillips, who had been attending school in Rensselaer, had to discontinue her studies last week on account of a bad sore throat. At present she is at the home of her grandmother, Mrs. Jane Makedver, and on Tuesday of this week was reported some better. Since her aunt, Mrs. Vamce Collins, has moved from Rensselaer, Miss Phillips has concluded to attend school in Mt. Ayr, making her home with her grandmother while the roads are good and the weather not too cold for travel with horse and buggy. We see by The Democrat that Honest Abe, the carrier, has bought two horses to use in the mail service this winter. Does this mean that "George” is to go to the scrap pile, "George” the tried and never found wanting? We refuse to believe it. Let’s see, how does that school-book poetry go—“No, children, he shall not be sold, go lead him ’ home and dry your tears. ’Tls true, he’s blind and lame and old, but he has served us twenty years,” etc. Aside from the fact that “George” isn’t blind nor lame nor old, the above fits his case exactly. A walk through the principal streets of Morocco last Sunday revealed to us that that town has made rapid advancement in the last 10 years, in spite of the fact that we left It to Its fate along about 1910 and sought the seclusion of the farm. The streets of Morocco are as good probably as could be found in any town of its size in western Indiana, the town has five churches, a fine school building, a beautiful park—in short, It has about everything one naturally would expect to find in a strictly up-to-date Indiana town. We were there but a short time last Sunday, but during our brief stay we were given four large cigars and were called "Colonel” three times and "Cap.” once.

Here is something which our illustrious Bill Wood, in his criticisms of the administration, evidently overlooked: "Sam,” asked one darky of another, "would yo’ go to wah es dat man Wilson tell yo’ to?” "No, sah,” was the answer. "I doesn’t bl’ebe in wah and I wouldn’t go, not one endurin’ step.” “Yas yo’ would, Sam, es Wilson tell yo’ to. Dat am a powahful bad man. 'He tuk all dem Germans and killed dem stone daid —axfixumated dem wlf some kind er gas. Den he tuk all ob Urop and give it to France, den he tuk all de railroads and give um to his son-in-law, and den he tu’n roupd and steal a houah ob daylight f’om de Lo’d. Now, yo» say yo’ won’t go to wah es dat man tell yo’ to? Sam, yo’ . talk des lak yo’ was bo’n yistaday. ’ And while we are fixing things would it not be a good idea to fix the English language so that a common pork and bean-eattog citizen could understand it without explanatory attachments. Now, here is a book of poetry. We pick it up and read: “Ye vigorous swains, while youth ferments your blood, wind the shrill horn.” Theh we began to wonder what khe unfortunate critter who wrote the above lines meant by the word "wind.” Did he rnegn wind, as to wind a clock, or did he mean wind, as a gale or a cyclone? Feeling assured that our old and cherished friend, Noah Zebedee Webster, would never think of shuffling off the morta what’s-its-name without first throwing some light on this subject, we turned to a copy of his valuable work and again) read: "Wind, to blow. Wind, to follow by the scent. Wind, to sound by blowing on a horn. Wind, to entwist, to encircle. Wind, the act of winding.” Now we know Just what the poet was driving at, but we are not going to tell. Dad, where is that wonderful land, which, them land agents say is so rich and grand —where they harvest nine crops of alfalfa a year and wheat yields around 60 bushels per? Where Hereford steers grow a half day’s journey around, where garden truck springs volunteer from the ground? Hadn’t we better sell out while the selling's good and round up some dirt in that neighborhood ? Son, fer foty years I’ve hear’n tell of that thar land that yields so well, but, take it from me,' nix on that stuff, ol Indiana’s good enuff. We’ve lived right here, your mother and me, since airly spring o’ '63, and while we ain’t overly rich ner great. mer grand, we’ve done as well I ’low as we’d a done in any land. Ive seen a power o’ country, boy, at home and in fer’in climes, but nothin’ quite so good as these here parts, down here whar the pawpaw grows and the dear ol’ Wabash winds. Sood I’ll be leavin you, my son, to j’ine that silent band, then maybe on far-away Canaan’s shore I’ll find a better land.

FAIR OAKS

Tom Johnson’s condition remains about the same. She is feeling much better than when she moved out there. We have been having reasonably fine weather since the big rain. Mrs. Halleck moved back to town from the nursery Saturday. Mrs. John Thorn is assisting her mother, Mrs. iHalleck, in the store. Ancil Potts of near Virgie was in our town peddling beef Tuesday. Carl Hoover of Kentland is visiting his uncle, F. R. Erwin, this week. James Clifton is erecting a large stock barn out on the Hufficker ranteh. W. O. Gourley was seen in our town one day the latter part of the week. The gravel road work is moving right along, with about a dozein teams hauling. "

A. C. Campbell’s mother from New Albany came last week to remain for several weeks. Mrs. Elwood Davis and daughter of Demotte and Mrs, Otto Cedarwall visited Mrs. Bringle the latter part of the week. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Winslow are the proud (parents of a fine baby boy, which came to town last Friday. All are getting along fine. Enos Moffitt, who has been plowing with his tractor up near Thayer, had a breakdown Tuesdays so he came down to Fair Oaks while waiting for repairs. It is reported that Foramen Charles Barker on the C. & E. I. section was ordered to drop all but three men the first of the week. Some are expecting the Monon to follow soon.