Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1895 — ADDITIONAL LOCALS. [ARTICLE]

ADDITIONAL LOCALS.

An old form of swindling, but evidently new in this region, was worked here last week. It was the circus advance agent game. The man registered at the Makeever House as Bert Watson, of Cleveland, Ohio. He claimed to be an advance agent of , a circus which was to be here in a few weeks. The foil extent of his operations are not known, for people taken in by the game are usually very reluctant to say anything about it. The usual manner of working the scheihe, is for the pre-

tended agent to go about making contracts for the various supplies that circuses require, such as groceries of merchants, meat of butchers, hay, grain etc. of farmers. After a contract is made for say SSO worth of material, the “agent” will tip a confidential and insinuating wink to the party he is dealing with, and then offer to make the order on the circus treasurer S2O or S3O more than it should be, if the victim will then and there hand over half of the increase 5o the “agent.” The fellow remained here several days and no doubt found a number of victims. He left secretly and beat the hotel out of his board bill. - --

The public square oroquet players and their friends and admirers, which last two classes are more numerous than some people would be willing to admit, have lately contributed a small sum an® had four long bench seats made, o' a durable but withal comfortable design, and have stationed the same under the trees, around the croquet ground. We see therein a suggestion that might with great advantage be largely imitated. A dozen or two such seats, deposited about in the shadiest places in the public square would be a great boon, this hot weather, not only to our own townspeople but to farmers and their families, from the country. If the seats were made of planed 1 amber and painted a good color, they would not be objectionable in appearance, and if placed under some sort of shelter in the winter, would last many years. The seats would also come in very conveniently whenever there were meetings of any kind in the square, or band playing, lawn festivals etc. The seats, each large enough to hold 8 or 10 persons, can can be made and painted for about $1.50-each. We -suggest that some public spirited citizen pass, around the hat, and enough be raised to make 10 or 15 of them, and when the county commissioners see what a general convenience they are, they will no doubt order as many more at their next session.