Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1879 — SMALL TALK. [ARTICLE]

SMALL TALK.

—Oldjpaper* on ly five cents per dosen at the Republican office. . —Bee theCbunty Treasurer's Notice to Taxpayer* in another column. —The Knights of Pythias will give their annual ball on the 23d of February, 1880. —A grand masquerade ball will be given at the Opera-House, Christmas evening. . ■ • « • . —One doltair and fifty cent* will pay for the Republican from this date to the first day of January, 18M- pj —You ng man, don’t forget to go and see Abby at tbe .Opera House, next Monday evening She smiles sweetly and Is decldj^entertai —A vajtrable book entitled “Decoand holiday presents, is now on sale at Kannal’s drug store. Buy one. —A brand new stock of goods in the stationery line will be opened at the postofflee Monday or Tuesday, Dec. 22 or 23. Fine goods in this line on sale now. —A “ship load” of presents will be distributed among the M. E Sundayschool scholars eve. All parties interested are requested to be present next Sabbath. —The girls ought not to complain of time or opportunities. Next year will be leap year, and February contains five Sunday nights. The like will not occur again for nearly a half century. —Only two dollar* and fifty cents of the premiums awarded by the Agricultural society at the last fair remain unpaid. The Secretary will issue orders for these whenever application is made by the persons entitled to them. —A young man who gobbles hash at a Rensselaer hotel not unfrequently repeats the following’laroentation: And always thus since’ I have roved O’er earth, my heart-sores have enlarged; If e’er a waiter-girl I loved. She was the first to be discharged. —Abby Sage Richardson, the queen of the rostrum, will deliver her popular lecture, entitled the ‘ Trio of Poets,” Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier, at the Opera House, neV Monday evening. No lover of poetry or literature should miss this elegant entertainment.

—Dr. J. H. Loughridge has a fine collection of house plants at his office. Among the new arrivals is a stock of pampas grass, received from California. His office also contains many curiosities and relics decidedly Interesting to any person possessing an inquiring mind. —The young man whose admiration of the fish geranium was so wickedly distorted by a kitten, says be not only no longerfinds pleasure in inhaling the -aroma of that once highly-fa-vored plant, but a spirit of revenge wrangles constantly within his bosom for the annihilation of the feline race—Mr. H. D. Masteller and wife moved hery from Rochester, last weekHe expects to perform the double duty of freight and passenger agent at the depot and manipulate the telegraph Instrument as soon as the wires are up. He is an unassuming, gentlemanly fellow and cannot fail to please the public and his employers. —So far during our editorial career in Rensselaer, sensational local news has beeti remarkably rare. No robberies, no fires, no elopements and .no scandals. This is an. unusually wellbehaved town, and, notwithstanding our desire to make the Republican attractive, we shall be pleased to have it remain so. —Mrs. Rebecca Nichols, widow of Geo. Nichols, deceased, died at her home in Barkley township, Monday last, aged 77 years. Funeral services by Rev. Mr. Wood. She was a member of the M. E. church for some forty years, and departed this life fully realizing that she would enjoy the better life in heaven.

—Next year. 1880, will be leap year. The young ladies, however, need not be reminded of this fact. Those who purpose joining in the song of man’s exultation will find the following appropriate chorus decidedly expressive : “We’ll lie for them, We'll cry for them. And if we eould we’d fly for them; We’d anything but die for them.” —Rev; Mr. Wood has-been conducting a revival meeting at Egypt during the past two weeks- Eight persons have been converted and united with the church, and many more are seeking the pardon of their sins. After the protracted effort closes at that place the work of reviving the church and saving sinners will commence here, when every soldier of the Lord will be expected to do his duty. —Eli Perkins’ lecture on the ‘'Philosophy of Fun,” at Starr’s Hall, Monday evening, was largely attended and well received. The audience seemed to be just in the humor to be entertained by his wit and comical illustrations, and Eli rather excelled himself in his efforts to please. His jestures and the modluation of voice have been much improved, and his descensions from the sublime to the ridiculous are now clearly perceptible. The fun-loving citizens of Rensselaer have no fault to find with the lecture association for securing the services of Eli Perkina. —About every week some owner of land bordering the Iroquois river, east of town, takes occasion to offer a verbal protest againta further continuance of the Hopkins mill dam. The complaint is that it causes the water that would otherwise pass down the channel to overflow their fields and render the ground useless. Not'having beard the other side of the question we are not prepared to express an opinion in regard to the right of maintaining this obstruction against the evil it is creating. There has been some talk about investigating this matter before the courts, but possibly it would be just as cheap to raise funds by subscription among those whose lands are Injured by the backwater, and pay the mill-owners for the removal of the dam. —Perhaps it is in accordance with the best interest of Rensselaer and Jasper county to ship out our wheat to foreign ports and ship in flour for home consumption, but to a causual observer the principle does not exhibit a correct financial policy. The manufacture of flour certainly costs no mure here than elsewhere, and the present outlay for freights would form

a large share of tbe miller’s profit*. A* It la the millers at Monticello and Delphi are not only gaining wealth off the bread-eaters of this place bat absorbing a large share as our ready money. Another good steam mil! here besides retaining the means expended for bread-*tuflb would furnish employment for a number of hand*, and add further to tbe business enterprise and population' of Recsselaer. Willey A Bigler’s Opera House will be completed thia week. With one or two exceptions it is the finest publie edifice in Indiana, north of Indianapolis. The main floor and gallery will seat about six hundred persons and a good view of the stage can be obtained from any part of the house. There are three ample dressing rooms, a bagrage room and ticket office, all supplied with the necessary accommodationsand well lighted with gas- Tbe entrance to the main floor is by an easy flight of stairs, and a pair of massive double doors, which swing either nut or in.’JJThere Is also a back stairway which can be, used in case of Are. ' •/., —Last Saturday was the day set apart for tbe reorganisation of the Greenback party in this county. The day was favorable but the Inflation brethren came not, and no one so far as we have been able to learn, was very much surprised at tbe little Interest manifested for the revival of this now almost forgotten financial measure. The fact is, that the Greenback party has not now even a respectable pretext upon which to longer continue its organization and nobody is aware of this fact better than its supporters- Tbe status of the finances is deflnately fixed, resumption is a grand fact and has given to tlie people just such a currency as they need.* The voters of Jasper equnty who acted with the Greenback party during its brief career, will re-

ceive a cordial welcome to the Republican ranks whose principles otter equal justice to all men. —The question naturally suggests itself to every new-comer, why are two or three of tbe churches in Rensselaer without reglarly installed pastors? Is the membership too few iu numbers to support ministers ? Too poor in pocket to pay for the gospel? Or too indifferent as to theirsouls’ salvations and the promulgation of Christianity to maintain these places of worship. Every public-spirited citizen deplores the present inactivity of the churches on account of tbe impression that goes abroad and the lack of Christianity and Christian principles inculcated here. With a proper effort on the part of church members and church-goers, it is very evident that the gospel would be preached twice each Sabbath at each of the now vacant church edifices, and thereby secure other means of grace. If but half of the citizens of Rensselaer who would be benefited by live churches would give half as much attention and half the amount of means they expend for personal adornments, our public places of worship would be well supported and largely attended.