Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1881 — The Continental Railway. [ARTICLE]

The Continental Railway.

The condition of the president steadily improves. In Albany, last Friday, Warner Miller was elected Senator for the long term. Lapham will probably be-elected for the short term to-day or to-morrow. The town of New Ulm, Minn., was wrecked by a cyclone July 15. Thirteen lives were lost, and many people wounded, and great damage done to property. A Little One for a Cent. — Poor folks can have a cornot now. A telescopic comet was discovered July 14, by Prof. Schaeberle, of Ann * Arbor, Mich. Strangely enough, this comet appeared in the very spot where the present large one was first seen. This makes the fourth comet discovered within ten weeks, a circumstance never before known. White Co.—The army worm and the long striped potato bug are withering the hitherto bright prospects of many farmers in White county. A bull snake entered the house of Mr. James Blake, sr., and having crawled to the top of a bureau, and when in the act of swallowing the caged bird, Mr. Blake entered the room, just in time to save the life of the merry songster, and killed the snake. • Coming , Event.— The E. Church choir has arranged with Noble J. York, Lessee and Manager of Opera House, for the use of the building on Thursday evening, August 4th, 1881. They propose giving a choir benefit. The programme to be presented on this occasion is a very fine one, consisting of choruses, quartets, duets, instrumental and -vocal solos, and orchestra overtures. The choir will be assisted by the best musical talent in the place, and a rare musical treat may be anticipated. Let all lovers of music avail themselves of the privilege of being present on this occasion. • * # *

v The August number of the North American Review devotes a liberal share of its space to a polemical duel between Col. Ingersoll, the great exponent of the unbelief of the day, and Judge Jeremiah S. Black, the emineut jurist. Col Ingersoll is master of some of the most effective arts of the rhetorician and popular orator. As an assailant of revealed religion he has more chance of success in confirming the skeptical and carrying away the wavering than perhaps any other infidel of modern times. .He is engaged in constant aggres- , sive attack, and the : audiences ’which applaud him afford evidence that he is producing effect. Judge Black is distinguished alike for his steadfast faith in orthodox Christianity and for the power and skill with which he is able to sustain any cause in which his convictions are enlisted. He is, like the challenger,’ a man of the! world in his serious occupations and of thought He is accustomed to contests in the arena of public discussion and fc> tlje use of all the weapons of controversy by which men are convinced ; he is familiar with the arguments that have been been used by the defenders of his cause, and he has the nerve and vigor j|f *a bomdisputant. Col. Ingprsoll has made his attack in the Review and sustained it with all his force as an aggressive assailant. Jlidge. Black has taken up the challenge as the champion of Christianity. It is well that the daring infidel should be called out and that he should be met by such an antagonist. The cause of truth can have nothing to fear from a contest of this kind. Of the merits of the battle it is for an interested public to judge. , Other articles in the August number of the Review ore : “Obstacles to Annexation,” by Frederib G. Mather ; “Crime- and Punishment in New York,” by Itdv. Dr. Howard Crosby; “A Militia for the Sea,” by John Roach ; “Astronomical Observatories,” by Prof. Simon Newcomb ; and “The Public Lands of the United States,” by Thomas Donaldson.

Uoxobei) aid Blest.— Whsn a board of eminent übjsicians and chemists announced the discovery that by combining-somo well known valuable remedies, the most wonderful medicine was produced, “ whioh would cure such a wide range of diseases that most all other remedies could be dispensed with, many were skeptical, but proof of its merits by actual trial has dispelled all doubt, and to-day the discoverers ofHhat. great medicine. Hop Bitters, are honored and blest by all as benefactors. Democratic Sentinel, ' , A cau load of Moutieello Flour .at C./C. Stair & Co.'s.

There is probably no town on the whole line of the proposed Continental railway that will derive as great comparative benefit from the road as Rensselaer. For that reason we believe the following article will be found interesting to our readers. The facts given were obtained from the General Manager of tlio road, Col. Geo. E. Yarrington, who was in Rensselaer Monday morning, and from a pamphlet lately issued by the company. The company was organized under the laws, general or special, of the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and lowa, and was consolidated into one corporation, making a continuous double track railway line from New York to Chicago, St. Louis and the Missouri river, near Council Bluffs, lowa. The line runs due west through New Jersey and enters the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania at Summit. It also runs through the bituminous coal, and coal oil regions of Western Pennsylvania. The highest elevation reached is at Akron, Ohio, 1,350 feet above sea level. From Akron it runs in nn air line to Rensselaer, and from this point diverges northward to Chicago and southward to St. Louis, while tho main line runs on direct to the Missouri river, near Council Bluffs, where it unites with the Union Pacific railroad. Rensselaer being the point where tho different branches of the road unite will naturally be one of the most imjiortant points on the line, and here the company proposes to /erect its round houses and repair shops. y The contract for building and equipping that part of the road between Akron, Ohio, and Bureau Junction, Illinois, is already let. By the terms of the contract this section must be completed within eighteen months from the first of June last. By the terms of the trust deed and mortgage of the company, recorded in the Jasper county books of record, the company can issue bonds not to exceed $40,000 for each -mile of double track railroad, as fast as the road is completed. From Col. Ynrrington we learn that the conqxuiy has made a contract with a syndicate of bankers in New-York by which the bonds of the company are to be taken at par by the syndicate as fast as they are issued. The towns along the line most likely to be of importance to the railroad, and to derive the greatest benefit from it, are Rensselaer and Ft. Wayne, in Indiana, and Findlay and Akron, Ohio.

“Balloon Ascension, Saturday, July 23, 4 p. m.; from the Opera House. Owing to the strong current, of wind [from the speaker's stand?] on the evening of July Fourth, and after three unsuccessful attempts to inflate the balloon the time was postponed till the above date. It is not yet decided who shall take the aerial voyage, N. J. York or B. Learning.” Note. —Our “devil,” on reading the above, irreverently expresses regret at the small capacity of the balloon. It is the private opinion of ye editors, however, that neither of . the above named gentlemen will be permitted to risk their valuable lives in such a perilous enterprise. Let some married man do that. The ’Blue Ribbon society is doing a work here that should be appreciated and encouraged. Many young men of Rensselaer, and some not so young, have been saved by its exertions and sympathy from absolute ruin. At the regular meeting, last Friday evening, several new names were added to the list of members, and the meeting was quite successful in all respects. In addition to several short speeches, singing, etc., able and well considered addresses were made .by Mess.' J. L. Makeever, lately of Osceola, Neb., and W. B. Austin, of Rensselaer. Miss Brandon, of Decatur, 111., gave a recitation in excellent style. Mr. John Makeever has contracted for the brick for the construction of a new two story building, east of the new meat shop. The building wall contain three large business rooms bejow and a public hall Or offices above. Mr. Makeever informs us thst the store rooms have all T>een engaged, and will be occupied as soon as completed, w hich .will lie in the early fall.