Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1903 — A Secession Movement Over East. [ARTICLE]

A Secession Movement Over East.

Two of the Pulaski county townships which border on Jasper county have been having exciting times lately over a movement to divide one of them and add the separated territory to the other. The townships concerned are White Post and Salem. Medaryville is the “capital” of White Post, and Francesville of Salem. Medaryville lies on the very north line of White Post, and hence is rather remote from the people of of the south end. Francesville is also near the north end of Salem, being a mile away from the township line. Hence the people of the south two miles of White Post Tp., are much nearer to Francesville than to Medaryville, and they have therefore petitioned the county commissioners to set them off from White Post and add them on to Salem. This petition was very generally signed by the residents of the two utile strip. The reasons alleged were in substance that the territory proposed to be annexed to Salem lies adjoining and contiguous to that township and the busiuess interests of the petitioners are now and will hereafter be almost entirely in Salem township; that most of the business of the petitioners is transacted in Salem township; that Salem township furnishes better school facilities; that the present highways of Salem township are the ones most used for travel by the petitioners; that Salem township furnishes them better and more speedy means of procuring their mail, and that they do their trading at Francesville in said Salem township. The division, if consummated, would leave White Poet with only 24 square miles and Salem with just double that number. The people of the rest of White Post, and especially of Medaryville, are violently opposed to the change, and presented a big remonstrance to the commissioners Both sides hired expensive lawyers and a big fight was on before the Commissioners. The latter reserved theii decision until Dec. Bth.