Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1902 — Why Major Bitters Left Rensselaer. [ARTICLE]

Why Major Bitters Left Rensselaer.

The Rochester Republican in its biographical sketch of its late editor Major Bitters, and w hose full name was Thomas Major Bitters, the Major being part of his name and not s military title, mentions a sad incident of his stay in Rensselaer as editor of Thb Republican. When he came here, late in the year 1879, the only vacant house be could secure for a residence was old and damp. He had been here only a very short time when his six year old son contracted diphtheria, and died. To this incident was attributed Mr. Bitters' dissatisfaction with Rensselaer as a place of residence, and was what caused him to sell the paper to Corkins Bros , in July 1880, after retaining it only about eight months.