Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1885 — An Icy Immersion. [ARTICLE]

An Icy Immersion.

February, though it is the smallest mouth in the four, the “runt of the family”, so to speak, and a “little one for a cent,” is able to work in about as much mean weather as any of them, when it comes to that; and* its no slouch of a month in the matter of holidays and memorable days, either. First there is Candlemas or ground-hog day, on the second, then St. Valentine's day on the 14th find Ash Wednesday, or the first day of lent usually- comes in this month; while Washington’s birthday can always be depended upon to come around on or about the 22nd ot this month* —_J - Capt. Henry Bowman, son-in-law of Mr. Micah Saylor, of Rensselaer, died at Omaha, Nebraska, •January 29th, of quick consumption, at.the age of about 50 years. His illness was of very brief duration, beginning with homorrhage of the lungs, and lasting but a few weeks. He leaves a wife and seven children, some of the latter quite young and others of adult age. Mrs. Bowman and .the younger children will probably soon return to make their home in Jasper county. Mr. Bowman was formerly a resident of this place, and at one time filled the position of Deputy Recordeiyleaving here about 12 years ago. Here is a programme of what the weather has been, as we remember it, since the summer broke off short, about tire middle of December: The first of the week, snowing, blowing and drifting. The middle of the week, clear, and colder than Nova Zerobla, with the thermometer down in the basement, and tying to get lower. End of the week, warms up enough to thaw a little, and hatch out another blizzard. Whenever the blizzard for any week has failed to appear, the next week there were two of them. —, . mo ■»*» —■ —— The L., N. A. & G., and the West Michigan Railway companies are giving a big excursion to the lumber dealers of this state, to Muskegon, and other points in the lumber regions of Michigan. R. P. Benjamin, of this place, is Rmong the excursionists. But man proposes and the blizzard disposes. The above item w r as written before the storm had done its perfect work, and we must now qualify its statements by saying that Mr. Benjamin did not join the excursion, on account of the snow blockades, and that the excursion train itself got stuck in a snow drift on Monday afternoon, up above Monon, someplace, and the engine of the regular Monday afternoon mail train, which left its own train at Monon and went to the assistance of the excursonists, shared tho same fate. The Methodist MEETiNos.-The revival meetings at the M. E. church are usually well attended and are awakeniiig a good deal of interest. In conducting them the pastor, Mr. Webster, has the constant assistance of the Rev. D. K. Tindall, of Mtilberry, and an occasional lift from Revs. Havens and Me Reynolds. On Saturday erening last there were five accessions to the chui ch: Misses Dora Clark, Fannie Wood, Mattie Moore and Hattie Flynn, on probation and Mrs. Soplironia Phillips, by letter:' OnSunday mornipg there was one accession, on probation, Miss Dora Clark. On Sunday evening the accessions numbered seven, nil on probation. Their names are as follows: Misses Louisa Platt, Florence Wood, Viola Clemens and Maud Baylor, and Messrs. J. F, Warren, Henry Platt and 'Mahlon Hind?..

Last Sunday, at the conclusion of the morning -services at the Free Will Baptist church, the congregation, and a considerable number of spectators, repaired to the river, at 'a point some distance above Mr. Perkin’s ice-house, where a large hole had beeu cut through the ice forfthe purpose. and witnessed the baptism by immersion of the following named persons: Mrs. Lewis Day, Mrs, Hawkins, Miss Cornlra, Miss Liz-xi-9 Cover, Miss Maggie Cover, Miss Alice fSTmver and Edward Siiith. Tb% 'rite was performed by the ReV. M. C. Miner. The iminersion in the ice cold water was a trying ordeal, but was brawmet by nil the candidatey.