Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1895 — ADDITIONAL LOCALS. [ARTICLE]

ADDITIONAL LOCALS.

Parties desiring to send a full and reliable account of the great storm to their friends, can obtain copies of this issue of The Republican at this office, ready wrapped for mailing, for 5 cents. C. W. Coen and J. W. Paxton have just bought of Magee the old Eli Yeoman farm, that joins town on the northwest, and from one comer of which Magee and Benjamin’s addition was platted. Rev. S. M. Smothers, pastor of the African M. E. Cnurch, Lafayette, requests me to give publicity to his denial of the published statement that he would be present to take part in the Nichols meeting [colored camp-meeting.] “I enter my protest,” he says, “against my name’s being used; I did not authorize it.” R. D. Utteb. Rensselaer, Aug. 12.

Jesse C* Gwin, of Hanging Grove Tp., is now County Treasurer of Jasper county, his term of office having begun last Monday. We have the most implicit confidence that Mr. Gwin will make a faithful, vigilant and accommodating county treasurer although in those particulars he will have to do well indeed to exceed his immediate predecessor, £dr. Hemphill. Mr. Gwin has retained for his assistant in the work of the office, Mr. Hemphill’s able and experienced deputy, Capt. J. A. Burnham. During the big storm, Sunday afternoon, the lightning struck the barn of J. W. Pierce, a few miles south of town, and the barn with all Its contents was burned. It was a pretty good barn and had in it 15 tons of hay and 250 bushels of oats, and some farming implements. The loss was covered by insurance in the H. W. Porter’s agency. Mr. Pierce hiinself had a very narrow escape from being killed. He was only 15 or 20 fel| away when Ahe stroke came, and it knocked him senseless for a short time, and burned his neck to a blister, over quite a large surface.

Lydia E. Stone, of Keener Tp., has begun suit for a divorce from Theodore N. Stone. They were married Oct. 8, 1893, and separated May 15th, 1895. The plaintiff’s maiden name was Booher. She charges the scriptural cause for a divorce, and names one Jennie Tou&er, a very badly “soiled dove,” of Michigan City, as the co-respon-dent. Also says that Stone threatened to kill her, and often called her the vilest of vile name, and cursed and swore at her in the most profane manner, and in the presence of others. She wants SSOO alimony and attorney’s fees, and the restoration of her maiden name.

Owen Bagin, an inmate of the county poor farm, died quite suddenly Sunday afternoon. He had been sick ever since his reception there, two weeks ago, but for several days preceding his death he had been much better, and the day of his death he had been better than usual, and had eaten heartily at both breakfast and dinner,* and been up and about all day. He died about 6 o’clock, almost before it was known that he was worse. He was brought down from Keener Tp., two weeks ago, having been taken sick at David Gleason’s place. He was a stranger and never appeared willing to give any account of himself. He was apparently about 35 years old.

The trial of Charles Cordry for bigamy was held at Flint, Mich., last week. It was attended by A. J. Knight and Mrs. G. W. Spitler, of Rensselaer, by Mrs. Cordry, his disserted wife, formerly Mlm Sharp, of Streator, Hi., and by Squire Ball, of Monon. Mrs. Spitler is a sister and Mr. Knight a half brother of Mrs. Cordry; while Squire Ball is the party who performed the marriage ceremony for Cordry and Miss Sharp, near Lee, in White Co. some six or seven years ago. The jury found Cordry guilty, but as is the law in Michigan, the fixing of the penalty devolves upon the judge. Cordry had his nerve all with him at the trial, and after the jury brought in their verdict he jokingly invited the prosecuting attorney over to his “hotel” to help him eat quail on toast. Cordry is an all-around swindler as well as a persistent bigamist, and there is no danger of his getting too long a sentence.

David Yeoman, son of D. H. Yeoman, trustee of Union Township, met with quite a severe accident Saturday afternoon. He was coming to town with a load of wood, and when coming down the hill north Of AltePs tile mill, one of the standards broke, and a portion of the load fell off, in front of the wagon, Bnd Young Yeoman fell with it; right behind the horses’ heels. The horses ran away and he was dragged some distance. He was found by Mr. Pullms, just as he was regaining consciousness, and was brought to town, and put under Dr. V. E. Loughridge’s care, at the Makeevcr House. He was very extensively scratched and bruised, and hart across the abdomen; but his injuries did not prove so serious as was at first feared, and by Tuesday he so much improved as to be able to be taken home.

The telephone exchange, the completion of which was noted last week, was installed in the shortest time, of any ever put up in the state, it is claimed. In just 25 days from the time the first work was begun, everything was in good working order. In this time 177 poles, most of them very large and tall, were shaved, stepped and set. Forty miles of steel wire were strung and 5 milea-Of copper wire, 340 cross arms put on, and 2,000 glass inaaialora, and SGG brackets, also 50 feet of 100 wire cable. The switch board was set up at the central office and 75 phones installed at the subscribers’ places of lu sin ess and residences. About 12 more phones have been contracted : 'or and will be put in at once, and the full capacity of the switch board, 100 phones, will probably be very soon reached. The purchase of an additional switch board, which is very expensive, will be necessary before the 100 mark can be exceeded.

A petition, under the provisions of the Nicholson bill, is being circulated in Rensselaer and Marion Township, remonstrating against the granting of a saloon license to George Strickfaden. Under the law if a majority of the legal voters of the township, including of course the town of Rensselaer, sign the remonstrance, the commissioners are obliged to refuse the license, and are forbidden to issue a license to the person remonstrated against for a period of two years. The purpose of those at the head of

this movement is not, as we understand, to make a fight against Mr. Strickfaden personally, but against all saloons, their declared intention being to meet every applicant for a license with a remonstrance, as fast as they make application. That Mr. Strickfaden is the first man remonstrated against Is dwlhglo the fact that he is the first man to apply, since the law went into effect. Many of the most substantial men of the town and township have signed the remonstrance.