ALDEN TIMES, 1879

"The Sweetness of Home"
He who has no home has not the sweetest pleasure of life; he feels not the thousand endearments that cluster around that hallowed spot to all the void of his aching heart, and while away his leisure moments in the sweetness of life's joys. Is misfortunate your lot, you will find a heartly welcome from heatrs beating true to your own. The chosen partner to your toil has a smile of approbation when others have deserted, a hand of hope when all others refuse, and a heart to feel your sorrows as her own. Perhaps a smilling cherub with prattling glee and joyous laugh will drive all sorrow from your care-worn brow, and inclose it in the wreaths of domestic bliss.

No matter how humble that home may be, how destitute its stores, or how poorly its inmates are clad; if true hearts dwell there, it is yet a home--a cheerful, prudent wife, obedient and affectionate children, will give their possessons more real joy than bags of gold and windy honors.

The home of a temperate, industrious, honest man will be his greatest joy. He comes to it, "weary and worn," but the music of the man laugh and the happy voices of childhood cheer him. A plain but healthful meal awaits him. Envy, ambition and strife has no place there, and with a clear conscience he lays his weary limbs down to rest in the bosom of his family, and under the protection of the man's friend and helper.

ALDEN TIMES, April 12, 1878

J.J. Iverson sold the H. Cole property to Mrs. Amanda Woodard who will now live in town

A.A. Robertson and wife went to Chicago last night. They will visit their old home before they return.

?.P. Taylor and Mrs. F. Schultz are in Kansas attending the wedding of the daugher of our old townsman, Fred Schultz.

J.C. Sperry has moved to Cedar Rapids. Mr. Sperry and family will be sorely missed in our social circl. Of course they did not fail to subscribe to the Times as they can't easily dismiss old associations.

Duane Young, on of the oldest business men of Alden, has considered to spend the remainder of his day in California. He can have no reason to complain of Iowa in a financial view, as he has accumulated a respectable fortune. He is now in Ca. preparinga home for his family, who will soon join him.

ALDEN TIMES, April 19, 1878

Geo. Draper has the contract to build a house for H. Doyen west of town.

A. Boddy living 4 miles north of Alden, claims the "boss" grove of this section. He has over 10 acres of nice cultivation and containing a variety of trees. Go and do likewise.

Esq.Birdsall has bought the H.A. Schultz residence. Cor. of Pearle and East Ste.

Mrs. Plopper, wife of Leroy Plopper, better known as Bill Ring, called on Monday. Mrs. P. is trying by petition to get her husband released from the penitentiary where he was sentenced eighteen months for the crime of selling mortgaged property. Mrs. Plopper is a woman of intelligence and force and we think will be quite likely to succeed as there are many mitigating circumstances that will be brought to bear, among which is the dilatory action of the State in allowing him to remain in jail many months before bringing him to trial. Mrs. P. does not try to establish his innocense but claims that he left with her father proportly enough to pay for the mortgaged horses which he took away, at lost that her father was not the looser by the transaction.

ALDEN TIMES, April 26, 1878

Dr. Campbell of Steamboat Rock died suddenly last week of apoplexy.

Married at Fryburg, Ia, April 23, Mr. Geo. Ingraham of Fryburg to Miss Alice Bridge, of Iowa Falls.

ALDEN TIMES, May 3, 1878

Gushing Spring: Assisted by the excellent midwife, "Dame Nature," Mrs. Geo. I. Spring gave birth to an infant daughter last week.

Commence Teaching Next Monday: Miss Ada Pritchard at Oakland, Miss Ida Pritchard the Draper school, and Miss Addie Lemoine the Kellogg school.

Birdsall & Son: As the advent of a boy in the house of T.J. Birdsall some two years since, faily insured the perpetuity of the firm names, "Tom" ought to feel elated over the newcomer, a girl, which came to hand last Thursday night.

Inventor: Nathan Aldrich is out with a new invention for adjusting carriage tops. A spring bolt is the nature of it and enables the inmate to move the top backward or forward by a "slight turn of the wrist" to any desired pitch. He will secure letters patent.

Died: B.F. Bond one of the old citizens of Jackson township died at Colfax Springs last week, within a day or two after his arrival there. He was buried at Iowa Falls On Friday last. He leaves a wife and three children. Mr. B. was a man much respeced and had accumulated considerable property. Mrs. bond is a daughter of the Hon. David Gould of Erie, Pa., and well known by the Barhites, Sniders and Morrells living near Alden. We glean in part from the Sentinel.

Enterprise: L. Rummel, the subject of this sketch, is a German by birth but left the fatherland in 1858 being then about 15 years of age. His first home in America was Richfield, Wis., where he commenced to learn the business which he was steadily pursued since and which has not only resulted in a competence real and prospective, but has placed him in the position of one of the first-class manufacturers of Iowa. When Mr. Rummel came to Iowa, in 1865, he had little besides his strong arms, his indomitable will and the qualifications of a first-class mechanic. He started business in a small way and was moderately successful until Jan. 1869 when his shop, or manufactory, such as it was, was totally destroyed with all its contents by fire. In a few months, near the ruins, there sprang up a large two-story stone building to which has since been added another story. The first floor is the kroning and custom smithing department; 2d Wood working; 3d. Painting and store house for new work. In 1870, Mr. Rummel secured the services of John Lenhart who has ever since had charge of the wood department and to him Mr. R. undoubedly, owes a great deal of his success. The trying times incident to the early years of such anenterprise are past. The working force includes Chas. and Bernard Rummel, brothers of the proprieter; I. Rummel, a nephew; John Lenhart, Frank Lenhart, and H.A. and Henry Schultz. Mr. R. is turning out several new styles of wagons this spring most of which are to order. The reputation of the Rummel Wagon is too well established, where they are known, to be bettered by any comments we may make. Using the best material and timber seasoned until there is no possibility of shrinkage, be feels safe in warrnting all work that leaves his shop. The advanage of buying work of an establishment like this instead of those more remote is apparent.

ALDEN TIMES, May 10, 1878

Litigation: On Monday, C.D. Pritchard Esq., as commissioner assisted by Att. Birdsall was busy taking the testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Lemoine of Alden, and parties from Eldora, in order to find out whose moeny paid for a farm sold by Mr. Lemoine in 1856, in Columbia Co., Wisconsin.

Change: Peck & Utley were formerly joint owners of the brick drug store and the dwelling in the same block. By a recent transaction M. Utley now owns the dwelling and Peck the store.