Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1883 — “Pull for the Shore, Sailor." [ARTICLE]

“Pull for the Shore, Sailor."

Mr. Samp. Erwin had his mind made up to fish in Cedar Lake last Thursday, picnic or no picnic, excursion or no excursion. When, therefore, he found that the Ladies excursion had been abandoned, on account of the weather, he bundled up his fishing tackle, and, went anyhow, taking his son Jim along to do the rowing. There was considerable wind on the lake and the water consequently rough, and between trying to keep the boat headed in the same direction all the time, and at the same time to avoid frightening the fish by the violence of his exertions, Jim experienced considerable difficulty and provoked from his father many of the latter’s characteristically mild objurgations. “Whyin and 7 don’t you keep the boat straight,” being something like the burden of his invocation. Finally the time came for rowing to the shore, and Mr. Erwin insisted that he should change places with Jim, and show the latter how a boat ought to be rowed. “The muscles of Hamp’s brawny arms are strong as iron bands” for a fact, and for fifteen minutes, by actual observation, it is stated, he pulled at the oars most manfully. Three several times he paused from his labors long enough to wipe the moisture from hands and countenance, and to demand, in anxious tones, how far they were from the landing place. Jim’s answer always was that they did not appear to be making much headway, and that he had better be allowed to assist in the rowing. Samp, would comfort himself with the observation: “By he could keep the boat headed right anyhow” and renew his exertions. Finally at the third pause, after fifteen minutes of the hardest kind of rowing, Jim happened to glance at the bow of the boat and quietly remarked, “Father don’t you think we would get along a little faster if you were to take in that anchor?” The boat had been fast anchored to the same spot for the whole fifteen minutes!

What observations, if any, Mr. Erwin indulged in, on making this discovery, history does mot record, but if anyone noticed a peculiarly blue appearance in the clouds that rolled down from the Northward, last Thursday afternoon, and concludes that a volcanic eruption of profanity broke out at Cedar Lake, at about that time, they will probably have arrived at the true explanation of the phenomenon.

The Public Debt reduction for the nionth of June reaches the enormous figures ,of $18,098,201. The reductidn for the fiscal year ending Jun 6 30’ is 137,823,253.

The Ladies Foreign Missions Society will meet to-morrow afternoon at the residence of F. L. Cotton, across the river. Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Sears and Mr. and Mrs W. T. Jones picnicked and investigated “Christmas trees" at Fair Oaks, yesterday. Some very hot weather this Week. Tuesday, about noon the thermometer is stated to have registered over a hundred, in the shade, in Rensselaer. \ Mr. Cicero T atman, a member, many years ago, of the Jasper county bar, but now residing in Nashville, 111., paid a brief visit to Rensselaer this week.

S. P* Thompson did not “Orate” at Goodland yesterday. Reason—the train on the Chicago & Great Southern did not reach the junction, Fair Oaks, of the L. N-A. & C. road. Miss Lydia Parris, started yesterday morning for Dakota, where she will visit friends and “grow up with the country” during the greater part of the summer vacation.

W. H. Tilden, of Medaryville* writes us a breezy letter which we shall publish next week, if it keeps until that time, and we gues6 it will if the weather don’t get to all fired hot. 1 Railroad AcciDENT.-The North bound evening train, on the L. NA. & C. road, last Monday, was delayed about three hours by a wreck below Lafayette. Two freight trains collided, badly wrecking them both, killing the conductor of one of them, and badly injuring a fireman.

Yesterday being the ever Glorious Fourth, rendered it necessary that this paper should be got ready for the press, or nearly so, by Tuesday evening. This faqt will explain the omission of considerable correspondence, and some other matters. ILL 1 . 1 L—"IL -a No Summer Normal.—County superintendent Nelson requests us to announce to the teachers of Jasper county, that, owing to the impossibility of procuring a proper room for the purpose, there will be no Summer Normal this year, in Rensselaer. The annual Teacher’s Institute will be held in the latter part of August, and continue for two weeks.

A large number of the best men of Remington have been taken in, and badly done' for, lately, by a wandering sharper by the name of Geo. Brown, who went among the good people of that unsophisticated town and represented himself as being a competent horse trainer, and anxious to impart his knowledge and skill, in that respect, to the Remmgtonians for a reasonable consideration. He got up a class of twenty-five men, each of whom paid him ten dollars, in advance, and for which Brown was to give a course of twenty lectures. He, gave two of them, and then suddenly departed, leaving his victims with less wealth, but more wisdom.