Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1901 — CORRESPONDENCE. [ARTICLE]

CORRESPONDENCE.

Fair Oaks. Ben McColly. of Chicago Heights, was calling on friends and relatives in town over Sunday. Mae Fox is visiting friends in Rensselaer As usual a number of people from here Sundayed at Water Valley. Joe Right is on duty at the store again after a week’s vacation with his family and friends at Rensselaer. / Miss Ida Street, of near Buffalo, White County, is visiting her uncle and aunt. Mr. and Mrs. Cottingham and other relatives in town. Mrs. Geo. Graves, of Chicago Heights, has returned home after a few days’ visit to her parents, Wm. Cox and wife and other relatives. The ladies of the Christian church will give a box supper at the school house next Saturday evening, July 13th. Everybody invited. Tom Boyle has been in town the past week calling on friends. Tom is now extensively engaged in the saw mill business in Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Nelson attended the funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nelson’s 7months’ old daughter at Rose Lawn last,Sunday. * Mrs. Chas. Vondersmith and children, ctf Brook, spent a few days last week with her sister, Mrs. N. Littlefield and olher relatives. Mr and Mrs. Calvin Burroughs, who have been living at Moore’s Hill, Dearborn County, Ind., since last November have moved .back to Fair Oaks and expect to reside here in the future. , Mr. and Mrs. Wadson and daughter, and John Richmond and family, of Pleasant,, Grove, Mrs. McCarthy and children and Miss Bessie Benjaijiin, of Rensselaer, were the guests of Mrs.* Elizabeth Fox over the Fourth. , \ The M E. Society cleared sixty dollars above expenses at their refreshment stand on the Fourth and will use the money on their church debt. The Christian society cleared twenty dollars and will use the money for the same purpose. The Glorious Fourth has again come and gone. It was an ideal day, and if a large crowd has anything to do with a successful Fourth of July, it certainly was in evidence at Fair Oaks. They came from all directions far and near, by railroad, in wagons, buggies, on bicycles and some on foot, until the town was literally overrun with a happy, goodnatured crowd of humanity, all bent on enjoying themselves. The crowd was estimated at about 2,000 people, several hundred being from Rensselaer. An excellent program had been arranged by the management and was all carried out with a few exceptions owing to the non-appearance of some of those entered The (orenoon’s program consisted of well rendered music by the Fair Oaks choir, followed by an able and appropriate address and reading of the Declaration of Independance by Chas. W. Hanley, of-Rens-selaer, and was listened to by a large and interested*'audience In the afternoon first came the base ball game between the Gifford and Shelby teams, but it was rather a one sided affair, resulting in a score of 23 to 1 in Gifford’s favor. A large crowd witnessed the game. Next came the principal feature of the day, the free-for-all half-mile running race and resulted as follows: “King Cotton,” owned by Jasper Wright, of Mt. Ayr, first money, $25; “Lady Grace,” owned by John Carder, of Fair Oaks, second money, $10; “Baby Ruth,” owned by John Wiseman, third money $5. Two best in three. Time hot taken. Dancing all afternoon and evening was another notable event of the program and hundreds of people tripped the light fantastic in spite of the. extremely hot rays of “Old Sol ” The day’s festivities closed with a creditable display of fire works in the evening. The refreshment stands were in clover all day aiul did a rushing business, as did also the hotel and boarding houses. Takdn all together the Fourth of July, 1901, at Fair Oaks, was a great day and ances occurred on the grounds to mar the pleasures of the large crowd.