Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1877 — Rensslaer. [ARTICLE]

Rensslaer.

A correspondent of the Indianapolis Journal, tinder date of March 6tb, writes as follows concerning Rensselaer: Commercially. Rensselaer ia happy although it is twelve miles from the nearest railroad, and has to transport all kinds of merchandise in wagons. It has a larger amount of territory dependent on it for supplies than any town in the state. There is only one other town in the county, and there ia none north of it less than twentyfive miles distant, while west there are only one or two email trading Kinta this side of the state line. tppselaer is, therefore, surpassed by

few other towns for trade In general merchandise, and has among its commercial fraternity some of the more substantial business men in northwestern Indiana. There Is probably no other town in the state that sells as many farm implements. Building Is going on at a cheerful rate, most of the new edifices being large and substantial structures of brick and stone. Several handsome residences are now under way, and the material is on the K>und for three good business blocks. e great desideratum Just now is a railroad, and the people are willing to give liberally of their filthy lucre to nave one constructed. They have been so often fed on delusive hopes by various companies promising to build lines, and have subscribed so often to aid them, that promises of that kind now receive but little credence. Some of the merchants would like to realize five cents on the dollar for goods supplied to employes during the process of grading some of these lines that have been begun and abandoned. There is no doubt that a rapid development of the country would take Blace8 lace if a good railroad was built trough it. The county abounds In natural resources, agricultural and minerals, but the distance to grain markets is so great as to be a hinderance to its rapid settlement The Iroquois river runs through this town and affords water power for flouring mills. The surface is underlaid with good building stone, which is extensively used in both town and country and in the construction of dwellings and barns. The extensive beds of bog iron-ore in the north part of the county will be a great source of wealth when the means of transportation are obtained. Considerable business was done a few years in sending this ore to the furnaces by the Louisville, NewAlbany and Chicago railroad, but as the rates of freight and cost of hauling the ore several miles in wagons made the margin too small it was abandoned. With ail these resources it seems strange that this place should be without a railroad. Two roads have been graded, nearly ready for the ties, and these road-beds can, doubtless, be purchased cheaply by any company that will complete the work. Let one of those roads be built and immigration will flow ruldly into the county. making it one of the wealthiest in the state. Rensselaer is not without some interesting historical recollections. It was here that Dodd, of Sunday-school book fame, was arrested, after making a treasonable speech. He found, when too late, that Rensselaer was no place for that particular branch of oratory. The county commissioners are to meet to-day, and will offer a reward for the arrest of the murderer of James Cotton, who, it will be remembered, was murdered in a little cabin where he and anotfiffip young man Were spending the winter engaged In hunting and trapping, in the north part of the county. It Will be a difficult thing to work up, as the body was burned so badly as to afford no clue to the way the murder was committed. But if a sufficient sum is offered to induce good detectives to look after it, there is no doubt that it will be brought to light and the perpetrator brought to justice. The people are somewhat indignant at the dilatory course of the authorities in allowing two months to elapse before offering a reward. One person was arrested a few weeks ago, but acquitted on the preliminary examination. Some persons express the oninion that the partner of the murdered man committed the deed, but it is pretty clearly settled that he was ten miles away st the time. It was quite probable that had a more liberal course been liursued, instead of a penny wise poley, the criminal would ere this, have been in custody.