Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1908 — Prosperity at Monticello. [ARTICLE]

Prosperity at Monticello.

The Monticello Herald last week contained the following short paragraph: “There is not at present a ground floor business room in town that can be rented for love nor money.” The item is important for two reasons. The first to support our contention that all towns that have freed themselves of saloons are more prosperous than during the saloon regime. The second to show what that town has accomplished since the factory was secured there. Before a successful remonstrance was circulated Monticello had 7 saloons and there were a great many people who contended that there would always be 7 vacant business rooms after they were forced to retire. But Monticello like Rensselaer has outgrown such foolish’ notions and almost every man is willing to concede that Rensselaer is a better town for all legitimate lines of business than it was before the saloons were forced to abdicate. One man said one day recently that he only found, one difficulty with the absence of saloons and that was that it was now almost impossible to hire a washer woman, the reason being that most of the women’s husbands were now able to support them. - The saloons have been out of Rensselaer a little more than two years, and since they went out many who at

first regretted to see them go have changed their minds and are glad of it. This change of mind not only includes tetotalers who would not sign a remonstrance for business reasons, but also moderate and Immoderat drinkers who realize that they are personally better off. Abraham Leopold owned a business building that was occupied by a saloon and he regretted to lose a good tenant, but since the saloons went out he has built seven new cottages and has them all rented to good tenants, and bls business rooms are now all obeupied, and Mr. Leopold thinks Rensselaer better off without saloons, and looking at It from a selfish standpoint, he is glad they are no more. Recently a man paid him a bill that he had owed him for nine years. The man was a patron of the saloons and when they were here they got all of his money, but he was honest and when the salons were gone he set about at hard work and he not only paid this outlawed bill, but he has given other evidences of rehabilitation. Monticello has been rid of the saloons only a little over a year, and it is a better town than ever before, and every llgltlmata merchant will pronounce it so. And Monticello is growing for another reason. Its citizens were not content to rest on their oars, and a little over a year ago they held a lot sale and secured money and located a factory. This facory now has

a weekly pay roll of |SOO. And so well pleased are the business • men and citizens of that town that they are after another factory or two right now. Monticello Jias some natural advantages over Rensselaer. The magnificent Tippecanoe river is the principal advantage. But it is not so well situated as a trade center. It comes into competition with Delphi and Logansport, while there Is nd town as large as Rensselaer within 45 miles of it Rensselaer should not wait longer. Now is the time to hustle. Help start things right and Help to keep them growing. Rensselaer should double its population within five years if it uses all the energy that its citizens possess. DeWitt’s Carbollzed Witch Hazel Salve has many imitators. There is one original, and the name DeWitt is on every box. Best salve for burns, scratches and hurts. It is especially good for piles. Sold by all druggists. W. A Copeland, financial secretary of the Fort Wayne typographical union, and a monotype operator for the Archer printing company of that city, has just been advised of bls appointment as monotype operator in the government printing office. Mr. Copeland will leave Wednesday for Washington, and will begin his work on December sth. • -i". •_ v _.