Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1906 — Old Timw News. [ARTICLE]

Old Timw News.

Facts from Jasper bounty’s First Paper, SEPT. IT, 1854.

The Jasper Banner missed .he issues of Sept. 7th and 14th, entirely. The editor explained that both himself and his help had been prostrated by sickness, and no help could be secured from away. Thatlyear, as well as 1905, was declared to be an unexampled year for crops, in Jasper county. Wheat was estimated to average 20bushels to the acre, oats 30 bushels, and corn 40 to 80 bushels. The paper stated that there were 10,000 acres of prairie hay that might be ■ had for the cutting. Mention was made that at the town ofEysander, 111., the lightning struck a family named Merchant, and killed the father, two sons and two daughters. The wife and one son were badly injured. Malen Heston, 21 years old and living with his step-father, W. M. Dix, near Francesville, accidentally shot and killed himself on Aug. 23rd, while hunting. N. Eddy and S. Colfax, opposing candidates for Congress, were holding joint meetings throughout the district Their appointments for Jasper county were Saltillo, on Sept 29th and Rensselaer on the 30th. The Democratic convention" at Saltillo, nominated Thomas Clark, Esq., for representative from Jasper and Pulaski counties. M. Ayers, of Concord, IIL, wanted to sell 408 acres on the Rensselaer and Lafayette road, 8 miles from Rensselaer, (the first farm south of Mrs. Beal’s) and it had a log house and stable. Probably the place has been sold before this, but prospective purchasers can find out for certain, by inquiring at the premises,—if they can find them. An article copied from some other paper gave a history of the troubles of the champion unlucky man then in existence. He was born when he had no right to be, to start with, and when his mother afterwards provided him with a substitute daddy, he was worse than none at all, and treated him very badly. While a boy he was twice bitten by rattlesnakes, and twice struck by lightning. Also permanently lost the nse of one hand by having it crashed in a cane mill, missed several good shots at his step daddy, and on one of his real bad days was carried off by a panther. The panther covered him up with leaves while it went to look for another catch, to make enough for a mess, and he escaped, after having several of his “jaw teeth” bitten out and various other damages and divisions. After this he licked his sub-daddy, and left home. He next tried to marry a wife but her folks kicked him out. Then he tried to steal the girl away, and this time was bitten by a moccasin snake. He got away with the girl though, bot before the honey moon was over he had occasion to kill a man, aud the next thing that happened to him was to be sent to prison, for three years and that is where he was when the story ended. Bat he has had time enough to bite himself with 40 snakes and mirry a dozeu wives since that time. Truly he was a son-of a-gnn of misfortune, and no mistake. The editor had his misfortunes, also, and he announced that he> would probably be obliged to skip, a few more issues, while he recuperated his health.