People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1893 — FAIR OAKS. [ARTICLE]

FAIR OAKS.

The Washington birthday entertainment given by the Fair Oaks school was a grand success. It was one of the best entertainments ever held in our little village. The school room was tastefully decorated with a profusion of flags, mottoes, pictures, etc. The children did their parts surprisingly well. The program occupied just one and a half hours and consisted of recitations, essays, readings and patriotic songs. There were about one hundred persons present. The admission money goes towards getting books for the children’s library. Fair Oaks is justly proud of the excellent school being taught here this winter. Elmer Arnold has returned from his extended visit among friends and relatives at Peru, where the atmosphere is pure and cyclones are unknown. His health has improved. Since returning home he has visited Blackford and reports everything looming up around the corners and business on the boom. Miss Sarah Smith, of Barkley township, is among the visitors that are daily arriving in Fair Oaks visiting friends and relatives. Mr. Jap Cleaver, of Nebraska, and Willis Piatt have returned from Nebraska to Fair Oaks visiting their relatives and friends. For the benefit of the public we wish to correct a statement w r e made in last week’s Pilot in regard to one of Barkley township’s best citizens killing the old family dog and his other dog and his horse, etc. We are happy to inform the citizens of the surrounding country in which we live that we were' mistaken in regard to the killing of the dogs. The man lived in Union township and we simply make this statement to an outraged and indignant people living in Barkley township, who have offered a reward for our apprehension, just simply because we were mistaken in regard to the township in which this dog killer lived. We have been called on to give an explanation of the particulars in regard to the dog killing business. We canvassed each house and were informed that the old family dog had sacrificed the

loro and esteem he had for his ma.cer in days gone by. In dog days he used to rub his cold nose against his master’s hand. Lately he refused to do this and had symptons 9 f hydrophobia. We have been informed that the health of the family is good since the dog was killed and we presume their whole family can exist without dogs. Dogs in Union township are not a success on account of wolves who act as substitutes for them. How any poor man with a large family can exist and maintain a lot of dogs is beyond our comprehension. The man’s other dog managed to keep the family awake all night by his hideous howling and yelling. All night long the family could listen to the soft, musical tones of that dog’s beautiful, melodious voice and at the early dawn ho was after the neighbors’ sheeps at noon he would replenish his appetite with fresh eggs. We sympathize with any man that lives in Union township and pays taxes on an egg-sucking dog during the World's Fair. The reason he only received 19 cents for his two dog skins was an over-production of dog skins in the Chicago market. Now we have tried to show no partiality in reference to dogs. In the future if there is any difficulty about killing dogs write and let us know and we will write a full history of the dog, giving a description of his business capacity from the earliest dawn of our recollection down to the present time. But remember, fresh eggs for a dog first, last and all the time. Cyclone.