Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1905 — Another Early Day Paper. [ARTICLE]

Another Early Day Paper.

Another book of old newspapers temporarily in our possession, contains the first three volumes of the Rensselaer Union; namely from Oct. Ist, 1868 to Sept. 21, 1871. The Union was established on the former date by the consolidation of the Prairie Telegraph and the lioquois Press. The Telegraph was R. B. James’s paper and the Press was J. Keiser’s and Joshua Healey’s. James and Keiser both retired and the former’s son, H. E. James and Col. Healey founded The Union. This Union was the direct of the present Republican, and some of its material is still in the office. '

Between the time of the founding of the Jasper Banner, from which we have been giving Old Time News, and the originating of the Union, nearly 15 eventful year 3 had elapsed. Four of them the most eventful from a national point of view since the nation was founded.

In Rensselaer and Jasper county, changes had been many. The greatest of these was the division of the County and the formation of Newton County from the west four ninths of what previously had been Jasper County. That the business aud professsional personel of Rensselaer had almost completely changed in the same period, is also evident from the advertisments in thte Union. Not a single lawyer of the beforethe war period was left, and only one doctor J. H. Loughridge. -Of the business men and firms of 15 years before the only survivals seemed to be W. J. Wright, the undertaker, and W. J. and J. W. Laßue. and the notice their dis solution of partnership and going out of business was then being published.

The official character of the county was of course also changed. Geo. W. Spitler, a Democrat was no longer county clerk, but his son, M. L. a Republican was. Thomas Burroughs was Treasurer, Chas. Platt sheriff and running for treasurer. S. P. Thompson was school examiner, but his successor, Geo. M. Johnson, had already been appointed by the county commissioners.

The paper had only four pages, but they were of seven columns each, g l The publishers were still under the slavish necessity of setting 'the type for all the reading matter in the paper, and thus were kept so busy setting type for general and matter that they had but little time to look for local news. It was not long however, before they begau to use the patent ot co-operative sheets for their general matter, and after that they made a much better ome paper.