Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1883 — The Yankee Christmas. [ARTICLE]

The Yankee Christmas.

The president’s message appears in full, upon one of our inside pages. It is an entirely satisfactory document, and should be i end carefully by every intelligent citizen. A , concise account of the proceedings of Congress, including the nomination and election of a speaker, will be found upon our voted for Carlisle, of Kentucky, at the democratic caucus, and he was nominated upon the first ballot. One of the old rules of the weather prophets is, that the first three days of December indicate the weather for the whole winter. If the rule does good work this season, we are all solid for a winter of transcendent excellence. The three first days of this month were fragments of as choice a spell of weather as ever December’s sun brought forth, in Indiana, and two more days just like them, were thrown in for good count. Vanderbilt has lately bought the bed of the old Wabash and Erie Canal, frqni Fort ’Wayne’ to Lagro. According to the Fort Wayne daily Sentinel, of last Saturday, the Fort Wayne, Peoria A Galesburg railway will follow the old tow-path from Fort Wayne to a point half way between Wabash and Lagro. According to the Sentinel, the officers of the road intend beginning active work upon it in the spring. The. National Republican Central Committee will meet at Washington next Wednesday and decide upon the time and place for holding the next National Republican Convention. Indianapolis will make a strong bid for the convention, and would be as good a place as could be selected. The city has ample hotel accommodations and the new Exposition building will, it iB promised, be completed in time to furnish a suitable room for the convention, The Fort Wayne, Peoria and Galesburg railroad is beginning to attract a great deal of attention, both in this state and Illinois. The papers of both Fort Wayne and Peoria speak of the road as though its early construction were almost a certainty, and so far as our own knowledge of the prospects of the company extends, we can but believe that the chances of its being built are very favorable. If built at all, it will either pass through Rensselaer, or very near it. To use a forcible, but rather vulgar expression, but which, in this case is true, both literally and figuratively, we must have that road or “bust”. Our Bourbon brother says that we waved the bloody shirt on the strength of Mahone’s statements. We have said nothing on . the strength of Mahone’s statements, nor can he find anything in the Republican which can Tie construed into a fiaunting gory undergarment, without it be the extract from the Vicksburg Post, itself a Bourbon of the Bourbons > in regard to the Matthews murder, in Mississippi. In this connection we would suggest, thpt if northern democrats are really go greatly prieved in spirit, as thay profess, over the waving of the bloody thirt, they should endeavor to prevail updn their southern con-g'-Acrs to desist from supplying W article so numerously.

The Southern Indiana gang of counterfeiters all plead guilty last Saturday, before Judge Woods, at Indianapolis. Comer, the leader, was sentenced to eight years in the Northern Penitentiary, Columbus and Jesse Houcliins, seven years each, Zirnri Kinder, five years, and David Wood, three years. A number of others received much lighter sentences. Young Silly who is running (into the ground) that oace noble paper, the Winamac Republican, pleads the “baby act” in extenuation of has incapacity, by saying that he is the youngest editor in Northern Indiana. He certainly is the “freshest” specimen of the journalistic fraternity that we have any knowledge of, but we think that, in point of mere years, Claypool, of the Delphi Journal, is younger than he; but if we make wisdom and understanding the measure of existence then Claypool was older at ten years than Atchison will ba at four score. Our admiration for the Indianapolis Journal has ripened into absolute affection and we read it each day with ever new delight. It is a fine, clear cut, high toned paper. Its news columns give all that ought to be given, and leave out all that ought to be left out, better than almost any other paper we could mention. Its editorial columns are marked with wit, wisdom, integrity and high purpose. Its literary features are especially noteworthy: Indianapolis is really one of the chief intellectual centers of the West; and it is through the columns of the Journal, more than any other one medium, that the literary genius and culture of the city finds expression. The prospebtus of The Journal appeal's in this issue of The Republican. We counsel our readers to study the prospectus, and if they are not already readers of The Journal to become so immediately. If you can’t afford the daily, or havn’t time to read it carefully, which is more likely the case, then take the weekly. Its cost Is merely nominal, but its value is beyond calculation.

Thanksgiving day was observed in Rensselaer in a varied and extensive manner. The annual entertainment of The Ladies Literary Society was held on Wednesday, being formost in point of time and interest as well. Church services were held at the Mfesionary Baptist church. The Rev. T. C. Webster preaching a sermon which was listened to by a large congregation, and universally pronounced one of the finest pulpit efforts ever delivered m the town. The Revs. McDade and Miner assisted in conducting the services. In the evening of Thursday occurred the roller skate masquerade, at the Opera House. The new floor was thus dedicated and found to* be splendidly adapted for roller skating. . The schools were, dismissed over Friday; and of course a great deal of large eating was indulged in.\