Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1876 — CENTENNIAL HISTORY. [ARTICLE]

CENTENNIAL HISTORY.

An Indiana man haM 17,000 cat skins for sale.— 'Chicago Tinges. Did he not publish the Indiana* polia Sentinel at one time, and skin black cats to the tail? Should the kind of weather now prevailing prove to be a lair specimen of what Professor Tice means when he predicts “cold to very cold,” let all our winters be cold to very cold hereafter. Florida people are iK>w reveling amid strawberries and cream, new potatoes and lisards, green peas and aligators, young beets and rattle snakes,spring chickensand fleas, beautiful roses and countless million's of musketoes. Nice winter resort for wealthy invalids. Suppose Senator Morton should die before the 14th day of June, next—;we sincerely hope he will live for many years yet, because he is a powerful man, a wise man, the right man in a good place—but in case he should, who then would the Indianapolis Journal favor for President?,

To his credit let it be told and remembered that Hon. William IS. Hammond, the Congressional representative from Ibis district, voted with the republicans every time on the amnesty measure, recently discussed in the House. He also voted aye on the Holman proposition to repeal the specie-resumption act of last Congress. Mr. Nlsely, sheriff of Tippecanoe county, has written to the sheriff and auditor of Jasper county, that, positively, he will never receive into his jail and custody another prisoner from Jasper county—so he wont. The reason he arches his, spinal column so nicely is presumed to be because the board ot commissioners of Jasper county refused to allow- one of his bills for keeping a prisoner, which bill was not supported by proper affidavit. It was returned in order that he might supply the omission, and when it came back amended it was too late for action that session. It is too bad, entirely too bad, that Mr. Nisely should feel so hurt over this matter, wherein his own negligence is alone to-blame; but it might be still worse for him, perhaps, if he should carry his threat into operation and refuse to obey the orders of court.

Appended hereto is a circular recently issued bv the State Centennial agent to the newspaper publishers of Indiana. Earnest, careful attention of the business population of Jasper county is called thereto. If it is desired by them to have the natural resources, artificial advantages and business of Jasper county represented in the great historical collection of facts proposed, they ought to be wide awake and promptly make arrangements to secure that result. It would not speak very well for the enterprise or public spirit of the merchants, mechanics and professional men living here to have the business of their county and towns unrepresented in this grand volume. Feeling a sense of local pride in the spot he has made his home, Relieving the county where he resides possessing natural advantages superior to many others in the state, which need only to be properly in order to call people thither who will develop them, the publisher of The Union, after deliberation, has decided to collect the necessary data in accordance the outline set forth in the circular below, and at an early day publish the result of that labor. As it is desirable to have this sketch as comprehensive' and faultless as possible be has issued a circular which will be sent to those persons whom it is thought will take an interest in the subject, with the earnest request of their co-operation in the t colleetion of important facts. The expense attending the collection of these facts is something, the time and labor expended on their compilation will be considerable, and the cost of publishing an extra large edition is rather more than one per-

don ought tb pay for the‘'benefit of all. In order to have every business firm iti Jasper county properly Represented in this oentpnnial number, and at the same time apportion the cost of it ns nearly equal as possible among those who will be directly benefited thereby, we hive decided to invite each firm, whether inerchantile, mechanical or professional, to prepare such an advertisement as shall properly represent their several departments of business for publication; for the publication of these cards a charge of one dollar per inch wjll be made. These advertisements will be set in uniform style and may occupy as much space as desired, the parties ordering them paying in advance at the rate of one dollar an inch for the space occupied; but no card to be inserted for loss than one dollar. It will be seen from the circular below that something like three hundred newspapers of Indiana will undertake this work for their respective localities. One hundred copies of these papers will be furnished from each office gratis, ex pressage prepaid, to the State Centennial committee, who will have them bound together in sets. These sets are to be distributed in this manner: Some of them sent to the Philadelphia Exposition for public exhibition, some placed in the educational archives and State library, and the remainder distributed among the colleges and public libraries of Indiana and the principal libraries of the United States. To Editors of the Indiana Press:

Evidence is rapidly accumulating that the request to publish a special historical nuinber qf all papers in the State for the purpose of exhibiting the journalism ot Indiana, and also of presenting a complete statement of the advantages and resources, and a record of its progress, will be universally complied with. For the nurpose of securing uniformity iu the class of matter presented, aud the most complete results possible, and at the same time to answer such questions as have been frequently asked, I oiler the following suggestions: Give the history of your paper and incidentally’ of such other papers as have from time to time been published in the county, in the order of their establishment. In giving city and county history, trace particularly the influences, general and special, which have contributed to or retarded the growth in population and the development of the various industries. Mention should be made iu this connection of those citizens whose personal influence has had to do with this development. The school and church history should be as complete as possible, having reference, especially as regards the school system, to the various stages of progress as evidenced in the erection of new buildings and the introduction -of the improved systems in teaching. The present condition of the schools should be carefully noted.

Be certain that the business and professional men of the cities and towns shall understand the importance of the record which it is desired to make in such manner as themselves shall decide or their enterprise-may suggest, by their advertising cards. Thik record becomes permanent as to the conditions existing in the State at the close of the first century, and will grow’ iu value, if only for matter”of reference in the courts, each succeeding year, and each one should be made to clearly comprehend this fact. A full set of these papers, about three hundred in number, will contain the most complete history of the State that it is possible to present. It will, therefore, be almost invaluable for future reference to lawy’ers, real estate dealers, manufacturers, wholesale merchants and editors, and will be of great interest to all who are collecting The priceset on them, ($25.00) twenty-five dollars, is barely sufficient to pay foiSthe papers, binding and indexing; and NONE WILL BE BOUND EXCEPT SUCH AS MAY BE ORDERED BEFORE FEBRUARY IST, allowing only time to notify publishers of the number of papers required. Should any profit be realized, it will acerue to the General Centennial Fund.of the State. Respectfully,

C HAS. W. GREENE,

State Centennial Agent.