Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1904 — The Corner Stone. [ARTICLE]

The Corner Stone.

The corner stone itself of the library buil ling laid today with suoh impres ive ceremonies, is a solid cube of blue Bedford limestone, two feet on each side, except that one corner was sawed out to make it fit a wall 18 inches thick. As the stone came here it was not dressed nor lettered, and that work devolved npdn our, our artistic marble cutter, W. H, Mackey. As it will appear in the finished building, only two faces of the stone will show. One of these faces has the following lettering. Laid JULY 13. A l. 5904, a. d. 1904 BY GEORGS E, GRIMES W. M, GRAND MASTER OF INDIANA WITH THE AID OF PRAIRIE LODGE NO. 125, F. & A. M. OF RENSSELAER, IND. C. R. WEATHERHOGG ARCHITECT. On the other exposed face of the stone is the following lettering: LIBRARY BOARD S. P. THOMPSON ORA T. ROSS MARY I. EGER BLANCHE L. CHAPMAN W. H, SANDERS 7. F. M’COLLY G. K. HOLLINGSWORTH J. H. S. ELLIS, MAYOR

RUSH & WARREN BUILDERS. In a hollowed out cavity in the top of the stone was deposited a sealed up copper box containing the following articles, for future generations to ponder over. A history of the public library by S. P. Thompson. Copies of this years program phamphtets of the Ladies’ Literary Club and of Geueral Van Rensselaer Chapter, D. A. R. Also latest copies of the Daily and Semi-Weekly Republican, the Democratic Sentinel, The Rensselaer Journal, and the Jasper County Democrat. Also copies of the large poster, and other bills and programs for the corner stone laying. Also a.copy of the Republican of Jan. 20, 1903, containing the first published announcement of the offer of Andrew Carnegie to give SIO,OOO for a library building in Rensselaer. There was also a copy of the last circuit court docket, and slips from The Republican containing Judge Thompson’s articles of the early history of Jasper county, and some other articles-