Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1883 — The Lamson Failure. [ARTICLE]

The Lamson Failure.

f -Ex Slate Senator George Majors, o£ Benton county, was on Tuesday nominated by the democratic caucus of the legislature for director of the state prison, north. We learn that the pupils of the High School are preparing to give a Theatrical entertainment at the Opera House on Friday, Jan., 2fi for the purpose of getting funds to procure an Organ for the use of the School. It is a most worthy object, and should receive the hearty encouragement of all public spirited people. Governor Porter, in his late message, devotes considerable attention to the subject of the Kankakee Marsh, and seems strongly impressed with the a'disability of the thorough drainage of the same.. Like everybody else the governor seems at a loss to suggest any practicable means by which this great weak may, at present, be accomplished. In lieu of anything better, however, he thinks that it might be competent for the state to advance money, retaining a lien upon the lands benefited for the return thereof, or it might empower the counties, to be benefited by the drainage, to guarantee bonds to, pay for the work. The governor commends, very highly, Prof. John L. Campbell* of Wabash college, for the very

successful manner in which he, and jhis able corps of assistants, carried on their late exhaustive survey of the marsh. In this connection we give, below, a comprehensive abstract of Prof. Campbell’a report of the survey. “He began the survey in Sb. Joseph county, near where the Grand Trunk road crosses the north branch of the river, and ran a line to the dam at Momence, 111. The distance from the starting point to the State line is 75 miles, and to Momence six miles further. The average fall to the mile, he reports, is about 15 in., and he found no place where the fall was less than one foot. The mean level of the marsh is 675 feet above the sea* It has a mean elevation of 90 feet above. Lake Michigan, and f6O fpet above the Wabash river. He adopts the estimates made by the. defunct Kankakee Draining Co., to show the number of acres in the massh. The. acreage as given is as. follows: St. Joseph county, 39,633, Laporte 124,253, Porter .75,543, Starke, 153,625, Jasper 90,459, Newton, 79,854, Lake 61,438; Total 624,805 acres. He thinks it would be proper for the State and National governments to assume the work of constructing the main channel and would rely on the people to construct the latteral drains. It will be necessary to use steam dredges for the work. He estimates the cost of the main ditch, from the starting point to Momence, at $522,378 if the contract could be let at 7 cts per cubic yard, if it cost 10 cts the total would be $643,469. In addition to this cost,, says, the maintenance of the channel will have to be considered, as the causes that produce Vie present crooked river will remain, audit will require care to preserve an unobstructed tiuw of lae water. Business Change.- Dern Bro. Ihers hive sold tl»ir stock q( groceries to Mrs. Catherine La Hue t hose sons, as we understood, will continue the grocery business in the same building as heretofore. ( Mr. I\. N. Dern will remain in the stare, for the present at least, iu ' the capacity of salesman- The ij-liei brother,s w dictum tu v kite ‘ tvux.ty.

Another mill project :-Mr. E. L. Keil, an experienced miller of Wanatah, was in town this week looking up the prospects for*a steam flouring mill, in this place. Mr. Keil is a miller of 32 years experience, has the best custom mill in LaPorte county, and should he conclude to come to Rensselaer he will, we doubt not, put up a mill which will be a benefit and an honor to the town. It will Aave a capacity of 500 bwshels of wheat per day. Should he conclude to make a proposition to our citizens, he will furnish plenty of references of the most unquestionable character.

The case of the young men, Emmet and William Bergman, furnishes a strong illustration of the danger which attends those who are reckless in their associations. These young men are new-com-ers in Jasper county, and, although those who have had the best opportunity of knowing them as they are believe them to be, a couple of honest well meaning and industrious young fellows, their habit of frequenting the sa- , loons, and the character of the associates they have chosen, have resulted in bringing upon them misfortunes of a grave character. They have both recently been charged with serious crimes. One of them was exonerated by the Grand jury, the other has passed through the trying ordeal of a solemn trial before a court of justice. The proper tribunals have declared them innocent of the offenses with which they were charged, and we have no . doubt of the justice of the decision If their unpleasant experience will result in teaching themselves and others the value of correct habits and wholesome associations it will not have been wholly without its advantages.

In this connection we wish to express our regret for a certain news item in regard to one of the Bergmans, which appeared in a late issue of this paper. The item in question spoke of him as if he were really guilty, instead of simply accused of. guilt, as it should have done. It was a grevious error, but the item was written hurriedly, just before going to press, and its language was the of inadvertency rather than of serious intention. For the truth of this, our excuse, we point for evidence to the manner in which, with this one exception, we have always spoken of persons accused of crime in this county.

Fuller investigation has shown th© Lamson failure to be a more serious and unfortunate matter than was, at first, supposed. At the present writing there would appear to be no grounds for hoping that lie will again be able to resume business. So far as heard from his liabilities will foot up to about SIO,OOO. and his assets to about $6,500. Some two weeks since Mr. Lamson confessed judgement in favor of Seaberger, Breaky and Co., of Chicago, in the the sum of $1,408. Immediately the judgement was entered the plaintiffs took out an execution and took possession of the defendant’s store. A number of other creditors at once began a combined effort to have the above mentioned judgement set aside, ih order tiiat all the creditors might have -equal proportionate shares, in the assets of the firm. The motion to set aside the judgement was argued before Judge Hammond Tuesday evening. J. E. McHugh, of' Lafayette, and 8. P. Thompson and M. B. Austin of Rensselaer, argued the case* in favor of the kicking creditors; and J- F. Plummer, of Chicrgov and J. H. Vi allace and A. W. Reynolds of Monticello, appeared, for Seaberger, Breaky A 1 Co. The court took the case under advisment and wijl. lender a Cede ion this even toe.