Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1907 — Old Time News. [ARTICLE]

Old Time News.

Fifty-Oaa Years Ago. JASPER BANNER, Jan. 3rd 1856. W. L. Webster began to advertise. He had bought out the general store of Halstead and Harding. Mrs. Mary Greenfield, wife of Aaron Greenfield, of Marion Tp., died on Dec. 12th, aged 50 years. Another new advertiser was S. N. Monroe, who was a jeweler and watch and clock repairer. An extended editorial announced that the much talked of thru east and west road was dead, so iar as its being built east from Fort Wayne was concerned, but held oit that something might still be done by commencing at thejlllinois line and building east. That prospect also went glimmering, as nave something like two score others since then. Under the heading of “Big Hogs” it was stated that a hog had been butchered at Delphi which dressed 726 pottnds and more that each netted over 500 pounds. We have an idea that the big hog element is still present at Delphi, judging from some of the lawsuits Trustee Chapman has had-in the McCoy case. Miss McCullough’s scholars got up a “picknick” on New Years Day which was declared to have been a very nice affair.

A fatal accident occurred four miles from town, on Dec. 28th. Wilson Lewis struck a stone while driving across the prairie and was thrown from his sleigh with such violence that he died before medical aid could reach him. A ten line paragraph disposed of that interesting and tragical occurrence. Wm. Pierce, presumably the late W. C. Pierce whose death occurred last fall, had given the editor a “mamouth” applet that weighed one pound and five ounces and beat anything yet produced in Jasper county. Most as much space was devoted to the big apple as to the fatal accident. Several of our most respectable citizens had engaged in a fight the week before in which several hard knocks had been received. It was stated as a lamentable fact that most of the fighting recently had been between persons of respectability and reputed piety.