Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1881 — Local Gossip. [ARTICLE]

Local Gossip.

The sale of the new revised testament in this country exceeds everything in the book trade ever known. More testaments hare been sold within the last week, we presume,' than ever were before in a monthThe Knights of Pythias Division No. 1, Lafayette, Ind., are going to give a tournament at that city on the 22nd and 23rd of June, offering prizes aggregating SI,OOO for the best drill corps and bands. It is erpeeted to be the finest display of the kind ever held in the state. Gen. Sh-iridan promises to be present if possible.

The Chicago Times sent ont with their last Monday’s issue a supplement containing the revised new testamentc omplete. 118,000 words of the testament were telegraphed from New York. Altogether this is one of the most remarkable journalistic enterprises ever undertaken. There is a perfect boom in biblek all over the country. Just what effect such an influx of scripture will have upon the Democratic party cannot be clearly forseen. That it cannot be otherwise than disastrous is evident. x. • Messrs. Conkling and Platt, it seems, are not only, willing to be re-elected but are m fact very anxio is for that result, and intend to gu to Albany and male a vigorous canvass: Now we take it that there is but one explanation for Mr. ConkUng’s course in resigning his jxjsition as Senator with the intention of at once becoming a candidate for re-election, and that the not very valid one that Mr. Conkllng felt himself in some manner or other in need of a “vindication.” Now we readily admit that if the New York Legislature should spontaneously, and without solicitation, re-elect Mr. Conkling, then he might with good* reason consider himssif possessed „of the much coveted “vindication.” But, on the other hand, if Mr. Conkling finds himself constrained to put his “vig- _ orous campaign” in one pocket and Mr. Platt in another, and to go up to Albany and.secure his rc-election by all the arts of the wire puller and machine politician, then, although we can well believe that a * seat in the Senate, secured even by such fiieans, would be much more agreeable to Messrs. Conkling and Platt than the quiet walks of private life, we. must yet confess in that case ( our total inability to see .in what manner they will derive consolation from such “vindication.”

Ditching.— The ditching l&ws of 1881 are an improvement upon all previous legislation. The following ditches should be at once put in process of construction in Jasper county : 1. Commencing the .source of the Iroquois river, on. Madison Makeever’s 1 quid,-widening, deepening, straightening, and'grading the channel to the foot of the rapids, in Rensselaer. This would improve 100,000 §cres of land and be of great benefit and utility. ■ Madison Makeever, A. J. Kent and Simon P. Thompson, all public-spirited citizens, should move in this matter ai)d be seconded by all landowners whose lands are in need of drainage. 2. Commencing in section 3G, township 29, range 5, correcting the mistakes in constructing the Big Slough ditch and removing all obstructions to the iron bridge, on the Remington road. This would redeem 30,000 acres of good land. 3. Commencing in section 13, township 13, range 5, and following the Pinkamink to the Iroquois and uniting with project No. 1, to clear out all artificial obstructions in the Iroquois river at and near the town of Rensselaer. Alfred Thompson, William K. Parkison, Addison Parkison, Isaac Parker and James T. Randall, have - been making a channel for the Pinkamink on their lands with good results. _ ■’ These projects and many lateral and branch ditches are all practical. ' By the way, we want two discreet and public-spirited men appointed as ditching' commissioners. This work is one which the people of the county should keep constantly in their mind’s eye. «

Rexsszi,aßr is complaining of a lack of dwelling and business houses. This is a healthy sign'and it is to be hoped the reaction -will not strike it as it did this town a few years sine©, and from which we are hardly yet recovered.—Remington News.. No danger of that Rensselaer is a permanent town, and the country around it will permit a rapid growth for years to come, ‘ besides there is more wealth and enterprise here than in any other town of its size iu Indiana^'

BT 180-QUOIB. * Turn out Decoration Day (Monday, May 30th) and hear Judge Hammond and Rev. Loder. Do not forget the temperance meeting in the Presbyterian church to-morrow night Twenty-seven dollars ought to buy a fine outfit of fishing tackle. Three men in jail and two out on bail for catting railroad ties on “speculators’ lands.” Others may follow. It is said some of the Union township tie cutters have skipped. It is reported tiee are being cat in Walker township also. \ Elden Hopkins is topping some of the. poplar trees in the court house yard. G. W. Terhune proposes to start for New Mexico June 7th. Three more men want to retail liquor in Jasper county. Dr. Banta, of Bradford, paid Bensselasr a visit last week.Mr. and Mrs. psadley Brown, of Barkley township, were very agreeably surprised not long since. Their children called on them with well filled baskets of good things, of which they all partook, and to cap the climax they presented the old folks a nice new two hundred dollar phaeton that will carry them as easily as a rocking chair. The wish of all their friends is that they may live long to enjoy it. Mrs. Phillip Handy, of Barkley township, is on the sick list. Benjamin Martin and liis son-in-law, Simon Rowen, started for Southern Kansas last Monday. The Jasper County Fair will be held September 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th. The directors have cut down the premiuiis in the speed ring and added largely to Floral Hall. Poultry raisers can prepare for a good exhibition at the Jasper County Fair. The premiums will be the same as they were last year. Do not forget it, but try to make the poultry department a greater success than it was last year.

Mr. N. Warner;has one of the nicest, if hot the nicest garden in town. Captain Chilcote’s residence will soon be completed by the painters, after which he will live like a prince. Fred. Hoover, R. R. Pettit and H. W. Snyder, of Carpenter township were in town last Monday. The team of Mr. O’Conner, living three miles east of town, ran away with a harrow yesterday, running over one of his boys, injuring lrim severely.

A good many people of» the northern portion of the county think a bridge across the Kankakee river near the farm of Hon. I. D. Dunn is superfluous. There is one already a few miles below that point and another above, in Starketounty. The people of the north end of Kankakee township have San Pierre for u market, while those further , south can go to Medaryville. Should the railroad from Plymouth, Ind., to Kankakee City, HI., be completed it would give the people abundant opportunities to market their produce. The tax payers of the county will ‘not want to be taxed to* the tune of two or three thousand dollars for so meager accommodations.

May 23, 1881.

TAX PAYER.