People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 27-25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1896 — Page 10
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New Year Song. #EW YEAR, TRUE What now are you bringing? May day skies and butterflies, And merry birds a-singing? Frolic, play all the Not an hour of school?” But the merry echo, The laughing New Year echo, Only answered, “School!" “New Year, true year, What now are you bringing? Summer roses springing gay, Summer vines a-swinging? Jest and sport, the merriest sort, Never a thought of work ?” But the merry echo, The laughing New Year echo, Only answered, “Work!” “New Year, true year, What now are you bringing? Autumn fruits all fire-ripe, Autumn horns a-ringing? Keen delight o’ moonlight nights, When dull folks are abed?” But the merry echo, The laughing New Year echo, Only answered, “Bed!” —Laura E. Richards,
Twentieth Century Ideas.
Rensselaer is embued with a spirit of advanced economy in municipal matters that places her fully up to the most progressive cities in the world. Municipal ownership, as a basic principle, has scarcely an opponent in the whole citizen ship. The people of this county believe that what is possible or profitable for an individual to do for the people, the people can more satisfactorily do for themselves. As a township they have built gravel roads; as an incorporated town they have macadamized the streets, constructed sewers, maintained a fire department, etc.; as a county they have bridged the rivers, provided for the poor, and done all the things usual to such an organization. The people know the benefits to be derived from municipal ownership of such utilities as electric light, waterworks and electric power for manufacturing purposes, and they are pi’eparing to have them. If the existing electric plant cannot be purchased at its true value, the board of town trustees, backed by the prevailing sentiment of the people, will install a new plant, sufficient in capacity to operate waterworks and have ample power to sell to manufacturers and other consumers. And it is not beyond the expectations of those familiar with steam heating to see our enterprising city delivering heat from this same municipal plant direct to our homes, the same as they will do electricity, water and power, for it can be done at a great saving over the usual cost for fuel. Steam heating is as much a pait of municipal function as that of light and water, and by its general use the health and comfort of the community would be improved, the expensive unattractive stvoes would be discarded, and the cause of many destructive fires removed. The heating stove is not only “in the way,” but it is a burden to the housewife and a constant menace to property. Steam heat would obviate those defects to heating houses. All these modern methods of to-day are to be adopted by Rensselaer, and that soon. A few months will see it running its own lights, and probable laying water mains. In other lines the town is marching in the front rank. The private kindergarten will soon be made a part of its public school system, and that because its great usefulness has been fully demonstrated by the successful operation of aprivate institution of the kind. Plans are on foot for the establishment of a creditable free public library, reading room and gymnasium, and it is probable that a beginning will be made this winter. An opportunity is open for some philanthropic person to immortalize his name by liberally endowing such an institution. The good thus done ■would be reflected on generations yet to come, as well as exerting a present great influence. Can not some one who has the interests of humanity at heart, from the abundance that he has acquired in good old Jasper county, return a portion to this public use, as a token of love for his feilowmen, by association with whom all great wealth is possible. Let some generous heart say, “Here is SIO,OOO, and for each additional SI,OOO which is given from other sources I will give fI,OOO more.” Think of it good citizens, and make Rensselaer’s new free library the pride of all the people.
CHRISTMAS IN CAMP.
HON. AMOSJ. CUMMINGS RELATES A-N AMUSING EXPERIENCE. How He Added a Pot of Soap, a Little Sugar, Some Molasses and a Canteen of Yeast to the Christinas Mess—Oil "Short Rations. My recollections of Christinas experiences in the army are mostly connected with the matter of grub, and I suppose every other old soldier, if he is frank enough, will admit the sime thing. As a ru’e we always looked for boxes from home on Christmas day, and those boxes were tolerably certain to have something in them that made a delightful change from the ordinary rations. When we got thoso boxes, we celebrated Christmas. When-we didn’t, we didn’t celebrate. Christmas was pretty much the same as any other day under those circumstances. The particular Christmas that stands up above all others in my memory was that of 1862. We had gone into camp after Fredericksburg, at a place (Milled White Oak church, about six miles Irom Falmouth, Va., and lay there when Christ mas came. We looked for our boxes, of course, for we
“SUGAR,” HE EXCLAIMED.
know tho people at homo would not forget us, but no boxos came. We learned afterward that they were only threo or four miles away, but that didn’t help us then, and we didn’t get them for several days. It was bitter cold. Only two days after Christmas three or four men were frozen to death on picket, and it was almost as oold then, hut even worse than the weather was the notion of feedintr on hard tank and salt horse, which was about all we had, while the people at home had turkey and plum pudding. In the morning, though, there seemed to be no help for it, and while we didn’t grin we thought we had to bear it.
At noon, however, thero came a little alleviation. One of the men—l remomber his name was Hageman—carno in from picket duty with the hones of a sheep that he had kicked up in tho snow. Some guerrillas had boen along thore and had killed and eaten the poor brute and loft the bones. They had mighty little meat on thorn, but they wore full of marrow, and we boiled them up. There was a Dutch sergeant in the company who had a potato, and somebody managed to steal two onions from the quartermaster; so we had some soup.
It was a change, and so it was welcome. I don’t remember to has 7 e enjoyed any soup since then quite as much as I did that, hut somehow it didn’t seem to fill tho bill of faro very well for Christmas, and we were ready to take almost any kind of a chance for something good. My brother was in the same company with me, and he was on guard at brigade headquarters that day. We all know that there were some provisions in the storehouse there, hut tho question was how to got at them. It meant running the risk of being shot by some sentinel, besides tho certainty of severe punishment in ease we should get caught trying to steal anything, yet there were some of us willing to take tho chance.
When my brother came in after being relieved, ho came to my tent in great glee. ‘ I’ve got it!” ho said after making sure that nobody was looking or listening. ‘‘What have you got?” I asked. “Sugar,” he exclaimed. “Where ‘is it?” said I. “Here,” said he, showing me his musket. He had managed to get into the storehouse lpng onough to pack tho barrel of his gun full of sugar, but didn’t get anything else. “Sugar is good,” said I, “but if there is sugar in tho storehouse there ought to be some whisky thore too.” And I made up my mind to get some of that whisky that night if it was a possible thing. There was a corporal named Nason in tho company, who was always ready to take chances if there was anything to bo gained by it, and he wanted somo of that whisky as much as I did. It was cold enough to make a temperance orator long for a nip. I hunted Nason up, and we agreed to start together when it got dark enough. Meantime we managed to steal an auger from the quartermaster, and that, with two canteens, made all the outfit we thought we needed. Fortunately it was a dark night, and we Know tno lay or me lanu an rignt, so we had a comparatively easy time to dodge tho sentries. It wasn’t really easy, but it proved to be a good deal easier than getting away from tho place afterward. It took us half an hour of hiding and dodging to get through the line, but we managed it and found ourselves, somewhere about 10 o’clock, under the storehouse. It was a rough sort of a shanty, built on the side of a hill, and there was room enough to move around under it all right, but the trouble was, we had neither of us been inside the building and we hadn’t any notion where the things were packed, so we could only guess where the whisky barrel was, aud that Was what wo were after.
We took turns boring holes in tho floor at random, and it wasn’t long before we found out that wo had a pretty dirty job on hand, to say nothing of a good bit of hard work, but we persevered for something like an hour before wo could strike anything that would look through. We Btruck nil sorts of things that wouldn’t leak, but we had no means of knowing wnai iney were and no way of getting them down if we had known. At length, after an hour, we struck a barrel out of which a slow thick stream began to trickle. We couldn’t think what it was till wo tasted it, and then we knew it was molasses. Wo used a little language for a minute or two, but even molasses was a treat, and we couldn’t afford to despise it. S* we filled one canteen with that and plugged tho hole up as well as we could, so as not to waste the stuff unnecessarily. I am afraid the plug wasn’t a very good ope, but we did the best we could. Then we went to work again. It was a little discouraging, but we didn’t propose to give up. We bored hole after hole. It seems to me we must have bored 60 or more before we got through, and It took some minutes Jot each one._ Sometimes
-THE PEOPLE’S PILOT, RENSSELAER, IND . THURSDAY ,JAN. 2, 1896.
THE BROTHERS THOMPSON.
David Thompson and Eliza McCoy were married July 7. 1825, dying respectively February 10. 1151, and September 20. 1801. On Christmas Day, 1853, they sat at the table with ten children Matilda. born February 25, 1828. dying July Tf>. 1804: Isaac, born February 25, 1828; Alfred, born October 17. 182!); Elizabeth, born July 2, 1831. dying December 10. 18fk); Hiram, horn May 10,1833. dying March 1, 1804; David J., born September
we would go through the floor and lilt nothing, and sometimes, as I said, it would bo something solid. At last we struck something that spouted like a geyser, only it spouted downward. I was right under it and I was flooded in a minute. I scrambled out of the way as quickly as possible, and wo investigated. It was yeast. Well, yeast didn’t seem to be as near what we wanted as the molasses was, but we didn’t propose to lose any tricks, so we filled the other canteen with that, after we had had a good drink apiece. It was not quite equal to the best beer, but it was a sort of substitute for it, -and we enjoyed it hugely. We didn’t succeed in plugging that up as well as we did the molasses barrel, though we did try. Tho yeast was too much for us, and I am seriously afraid that that whole barrel of yeast was spilled. By tliis time wo had pretty well despaired of finding the whisky, but we kept on trying awhile longer, until it seemed as if wo had riddled the floor so completely that there was no place left above where a barrel could stand. Finally we gave it up and began to plan a retreat. The side of the hill in the rear of the house was covered with a sort of ice formation that was 300 or 400 feet wide and sloped downward at a prettv steep angle. We had surveyed this carefully before going in, and I said to Nason that if we could make a rush over to where that ice was we could get down tho hill a good deal faster than any of the sentinels would care to come after us, for all we had to do was to jump on the ice and slide down. That seemed to bo about the best scheme we' could think of, so we watched our chance and made a rush.
We hadn’t got to tho edgo of the hill, and that was only a few feet from the storehouse, when we heard the sentries cry, ‘‘ Who goes there?” It really wasn’t worth while for us to stop and answer them under tho circumstances, so wo kept right on. There were two or three shots fired after us, but we did not get hit. I don’t imagine tho men on guard were very anxious to kill us, for they must have understood in an instant what we were about and probably stopped long enough to remember that they would have liked the chance to try the same thing. So our Christmas extras that year wore a pot of soup, a little sugar, a little molasses and a canteen of yeast. And I think perhaps we enjoyed tho yeast more than any of the other things. The real Christmas festival did not come for some days afterward, when our boxes arrived, and I remember that I had a glorious time, for thore was a big Yorkshire plum pudding in my box and threo pounds of killikinick tobacco, and the tobacco was a perfect godBend.
But before that, on the morning after Christmas day, there was tho very mischief to pay in camp, and if Nason and I had boen found out, wo would have been in for sovere punishment, for we had done a great amount more of mischief than we know anything about. It appeared that there was a politician of somo standing—l think he was an alderman from Boston or somewhere—who had been in camp for some days looking for. tho remains of his brother, who had been killed somo time before, and ho had found them Christmas morning. The body had been disinterred and put in a handsome coffin that tho alderman had broughtfrom home, and the coffin luid been put in tho storehouse over night.
Of course we didn’t know it was there. Perhaps it might have made a difference to Nason and me if wo had known. I don’t know as I care about expressing an opinion on such a delicate question. At all events we didn’t know, and naturally we couldn’t bo expected to bore holes through the floor in as many places as we did bore them without hitting tho coffin, and as a matter of fact we had bored three or four holes in it. It hadn’t really spoiled the coffin for actual service, but it had certainly damaged it to some extent. Well, tlie politician made a row, and the commanding officer ordered a general search of the camp, to see if any trace could be found of the miscreants—meaning Nason and me—who had boon guilty of tho desecration. It was a pretty rigor-
I WAS FLOODED IN A MINUTE.
ous soarch, too, and our tents were ransacked thoroughly, but long before they got around to our quarters Nason and I had the molasses and sugar, or what was left of them, safely buried. Of course the yoast was all gone, and there (wasn’t a trace of our crimes left. I suppose it would ho easy to tell a more sentimental story about a soldier’s Christmas, hut tho sentiment that moved us most powerfully when we were on short rations in those days was hunger. Amos J. Cummings.
DAVID j.,
THOMAS,
ISAAC,
SIMON P
11, 1836; Simon P.. born May 8. 1838; Thomas, born August 4, 1841; Mary, born August 13,1843, dying September 28 18GI. and Hawkins L„ born April 24. 1815. dying September 28, 1862. The family lived in Stark county until 1833, moving thence to Hancock county, Ohio. Isaac still lives near the old home, and his four brothers'have resided at Rensse laer. Ind., Alfred, since 1853; Simon P. since 1862: Thomas, since 1870, and David, since 1874,
IRA W. YEOMAN.
Ira W. Yeoman was born April 28, 1843. in 1* ayette county, Ohio. He removed with his fathers family and settled in Jasper county: Indiana, live miles west of Rensselaer, in the year 1844. He obtained a common school education, and taught school in the winter for several years; was raised on a farm; crossed the plains in 1864 during the Idaho gold excitement, and had many rough experiences during that trip, with lndians and otherwise, the Indians being on the war path all that season. He returned to the states late in that year; was elected Auditor of Jasper county in October, 1867, and served as such for four years; was addmitted to practice law in January, 1872, and has followed that calling ever since. He removed from Rensselaer to Goodland in 1879, and from Goodland to Remington in 1887, where he isat present located. He is at present the clerk and treasurer of the Town of Remington, and is also secretary of Schuyler Lodge, No. 284, I. O. O. F.
ROBERT PARKER.
Robert Parker of Remington, Indiana, whose portrait appears on page six, is a native Jasperite, having been born in Hanging Grove township June 13, 1848; was reared on the farm east of Rensselaer until sixteen years of age, the family then removing from the farm to Monon, White county, where of this sketch attended school and took his first lessons in the mercantile business. In the year of 1860 and 1866 he attended the Ladoga Academy, the fait of 1866 going to Remington, where he was employed in the first drug store established in the town. Subsequently, learned telegraphy, he was for six years the freight and ticket agent and telegraph operator for the railroad running through that place. In 1874 was appointed to a position in a bank at Indianapolis, where he resided until 1876. when lie returned to Remington, engageing in the lumber and banking business with Mr. John Burger. He finally gave up the lumber business, giving his whole time tc banking. He has been one of the'very busy men in that community, always found at his desk in the bank: has shown much public spirit and enterprise and enjoys to an unusual degree the confidence and respect-of the community and county in which he is an honored citizen. He was elected to represent Jasper and Newton counties in the state legislature in 1895. Mr. Parker has built up a good business in the town of Remington and has shown his enterprise by erecting a good substantial banking building, and a commodious and handsome residence, which would be a credit to a much larger city than Remington, an illustration of which is shown in this edition on page twenty-one, and last but not least is improving a beautiful grove near the town as a park and assembly grounds to be known as Fountain Park.
C; P. KAHLER, Street, Blacksiniiiig, Horseshoeing WAGONMAKING. Special attention to repairing Macli’inerv aud Duplicating Castings in Iron or Brass. ALL WORK NEATLY DONE. Rensselaer. Ind. WS. PARKS. DRAYMAN. All kinds of hauling done in the most careful dnd prompt manner. Pries the very lowest. David E. Noland, , Blacksmith AND Wheelwright General Repairing in Wood and Iron. LEE, XLTID.
ALFRED,
B. K. ZIMMERMAN.
B. K. Zimmerman, from whose merchant tailoring establishment come the neatestdress. business and season suits ever made in Rensselaer. i 3 one of the young business men whose continual residence m Rensselaer has made numerous friends and patrons. Bryon served a long apprenticeship as a tailor and learned the trade thoroughly. In March, 1802, as a partner of C. A. Roberts, he engaged in the merchant tailoring business, and in January, 1804. he became the sole proprietorof the business. Mr. Zimmerman does his own measuring and cutting, and employs o llv careful tailors whom he oversees himself. He carries a complete line of stock, thousands of samples and keeps acquainted with the styles of the times. In addition to being a Xo. 1 business man. Mr. Zimmerman is popular with the trade, and he has alivays proven his willingness to assist in public enterprises. His siock of goods at present is large and carefully selected and Rensselaer people will find it to their advantage to give their orders to the home tailor. Mr. Zimmerman hasalso builtup a large out-of-town trade, and he is considered the best merchnat tailor between Chicago and Lafayette and fully as good as any iu either of those cities.
L. L. PONSLER.
L. L.Ponsler, the subject of this sketch, is one of the most prosperous young fanners in Jasper county. He owns a nice farm of 225 acres three miles northeast of Rensselaer, in Marion township. The farm is modern ly improved, being well drained, having over 1,000 rods of tile drain. A new and modernly built house, large barns, sheds, etc., make the fai m \ aluable and cAtracti ve. An orchard of 100 \ 7 oung trees is one of the recent improvements. Mr. Ponsler is a prominent member of the I. O. O. F„ and is also county chairman of the People's Party central committee. He is a good citizen and is numbered among the progressive farmers of northern Indiana.
PHEGLEY BROS.
The livery 7 stable conducted by Phegley Bros., the partners of which are G. O. and C. J. Phegley, is one deserving the patronage of Rensselaer people. JV'es irs. Phegley have lived in Jasper county the greater portion of their lives, a great many years residing on a farm southwest of Rensselaer. Last August they purchased of E. Camba the livery 7 hors?s. buggies, etc., and have since conducted it in a business way in the large barn at the south-west corner of court house square. They keep good horses for rent, and send out only strictly first-class rigs, for which they charge reasonable prices. In addition t) their renting business, they 7 take splendid care of boarders. Good treatment is promised traneient horses. These gentleman are courteous and sociable, and are a valuable acquisition to the good citizenship of Rensselaer.
JAMES YEOMAN.
James Yeoman, who resides in Newton township, five miles north-west of Rensselaer is one of the oldest farmers in Jasper county, having moved here from Ohio with his father, S. B. Yeoman, in 1841. S. B. Yeoman bought 320 acres of land of William Mallatt upon arriving here, and died in 1845. Mr. James Yeoman owns the farm which originally belonged to his father, and it is among the most valuable properties in the county A large modern house, of which the accompanying cut is a good picture, is among the improvements. Mr. Yeoman’s farm is still about one-foUrth timber, the balance being in pasture and cultivation. Besides the regular farming business Mr. Yeoman does stock feeding. He has at different times been township assessor and school trustee. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., of Rensselaer. A few years ago he retired from the farm and moved to town, but being dissatisfied he again went to the farm where he expects to live the remainder of his life. He' is a splendid citizen ana numbers his friends by the score. Five children, four of whom are living, have been born to him and hisOfstimable wife.
Wife Here’s an account of a man who shot himself rather than suffer the pangs of, indigestion. Husband The fool! Why didn’t he take De Witt’s Little Early Risers? I used to suffer as bad as he did before I commenced taking these little pills. A. F. Long, Drufigist.
PAINLESS AND HIGH CLASS DENTISTRY
All who consider comfort, appearance and health the great desidertum, are cordially solicited to call and creditably Inspect our high grade work and nicely appdb led offices By virtue of our superior ability we produce the greatest possible results in all our operations without pain. Visit and verify.
DR. J. W. HORTON.
DAVID NOWELS.
David Xowels was born in Holmes county, Ohio, £eM, 15, 1821, being the seventh son in a family • of eight sons and three daughters. When he was but three years of age his parents moved to Portland, Fountain county. Ind. The family lived here until about 1850 when the mother died This broke up the home and scattered the family, and. when in the fail of 1834, his father, John Xowels, his eldest sister and her husband, Joseph Yeoman, moved to the ‘'Rapids of the Iroquois," he. then a lad of thirteen, accompanied them'. The present site of Rensselaer was chosen as a suitable place for settlement and here our little band of pioneers reared the first, humble cabin within the present limits of Jasper county. Young Xowels was the first white boy who ever came to the co mty, and he has resiled here from that early period until now, more than six tv vears.
DAVID NO WELS, SR.
March 10, 1842, he was married to Phebe Ann Benj main, and moving to the north part of what is now Marion township, they 7 erected a little cabin and with willing hands and courageous hearts as their only capital began in real earnest the stern struggle of pioneer life. Here for nearly forty years was their home, until having acquired by sturdy endeavor and frugality a reasonable competence for future years, they, some fifteen years ago, came back to Rensselaer to spend the remaining years of life in rest and quietude. They 7 have six children living, and three dead. Four boys—Ezra C., the eldest, now living in Colorado, William R., Charles D.. and David B. residing in Rensselaer. Two girls--Mary 11. Grow, wife of Henry Grovy. residing north of Rensselaer five miles, and Ida A. Randle, wife of Robert Randle, living in Rensselaer. If suffering with piles, it will interest you to know that De Witt's Witch Hazel Salve will cure them. This medicine is a specific for all complain s of this character, and if instructions (which are simple) are carried out, a care will result. We have tested this in numerous cases, and always wit.i like results. It never fails. A. F. Long, Druggist.
The Mystic Wheel.
Foremost among high grade bicycle* is The Mystic, irianufneimod by The Mystic Cycle Company at, Mul<wona.go. Wisconsin. Those wheels were first ii t ' Oi!need in Rensselaer in July, WJ.'i. ai d np in t his lime ten h ive heen so <i I ore. giving the most i>mmi(meed sin i -bicbon.
A. H. CRAIG, MUKWONAGO, WIS. PRESIDENT OF THE MYSTIC CYCLE CO.
The subject of the above illustration is a brother of the editor of the People’s Pilot, who is the local representative of the company in Rensselaer, eontroling the business for the state of Indiana. It is largely due to the efforts of President Craig that the Mystic has been brought so prominently to the front as a wheel par excellence. He recognized the necessity for an honestly made bicycle, and though there certainly are other good wheels made, the broad claim is made that no other manufacturer exercises as great care in every stage of construction, from the solid steel forgings to the beautiful finishings. The 1896 wheel is fully described in) an advertisement elsewhere in this issue. 6ne Minute Cough Cure is rightly named. It affords instant relief from ' suffering when afflicted with a severe cough or cold. It acts on the throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs and never fails to give immediate relief. Long Druggist.