Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1893 — ADDITIONAL LOCALS. [ARTICLE]

ADDITIONAL LOCALS.

The session of the County Commissioners which begins next Monday will be an important one, and also no doubt, in some respects a lively one. The Wakarusa Ditch matter will come up for final action, and is liable to cause considerable controversy. The Gifford Drainage District plan will also come up fer action. This will probably be the occasion of a pretty lively contest, as there is considerable opposition to the scheme. The opposing parties have employed Judge Hamtnond as their legal representative. I have made arrangements for plenty of money to loan, on farms in sums of five hundred dollars, or any amount above that, at 6 per cent, annual interest, and a small commission. Money may be obtained for five years or longer if desired. M. F. Chii.cote.

We republish-elsewhere a clipping from the Lafayette Courier in regard to the proposed electric railroad. While we have very little faith in this gigantic electric railroad project there is, of course, a possbility that the roeds will be built. Certainly all things indicate an immense extension of electric railroads before many years. If this particular road is ever built from Indianapolis to Chicago, by the way of Lafayette, it will almost inevitably cross Jasper county. In that case, its most logical route would be to take in Wolcott and Rensselaer and from here strike for Hammond, keeping some miies to the eastward of the L. N. A. & C. road.

Several premonitory cases of Hokesmithing have already oecured amoDg the pensioned veterans in Jasper county, and are indicative of more numerous and more serious cases yet to follow. E. W. Morris, of Jordan Tp., is o Q e of these. His pension of sl2, for rheumatism and diarrhea is cut off until « he can prove the case all over again. Cyrus Haas, of Rensselaer is another instance. He was getting $lO a month for lumbago and sciatic rheumatism. He was last week ordered

to appear before the examining board at Delphi, and notified that his pension would be cut off, pending tbe result of the examination- Mr. Haas’ financial condition is such that the suspension of his pension is a very serious matter to himself and family. The undersigned has purchased of Thos. Burns the new livery stable, on Vanßensselaer street, west of the public square, and proposes to conduct the same in a manner to give the amplest satisfaction to all patrons. Nothing but good rigs sent out. Prices very reasonable. Give me a trial. Robx. Randle.

There is a road-making exhibit at the World’s Fair which ought to be well studied by Jasper county people before any more expensive roads are undertaken in the county. It is at the south end of the fair, just west of the Big Tree restaurant, and just south of the wind mill exhibit. Various forms of hard roads are shown, with their method of construction. These include roads for light and heavy traffic and for different kinds of soils. An expert road maker is in charge and explains the various styles of roads to all who choose to listen. Of the various kinds of country roads shown, the one which struck us as the best adapted to the vicinity of Rensselaer, considering character of soil and material at command, consisted of ‘a broad grade, say 25 or 30 feet wide, and cl ear* to one side of this was the hard pike. This was about 8 or 9 feet wide, made of stone crushed to about the size used on Washington street, in Rensselaer. The stone was about ten inches deep, and the top of the stone was on the level with the dirt pike, but the dirt sloped from the stone clear to the ditch, to carry off the water. The great advantage of this plan is that it gives a fine hard pike during the muchly season, with a dirt pike alongside, to use in dry weather—during much-.of" which time a dirt pike is the best road on earth, best for the horses and pleasantest for the people. Such a pike would also save fully half the wear on the hard road. We are informed that this combined dirt and stone road is being extensively adopted in many counties of this state, where people are accustomed to the use of gravel and Hose roads.