90 Years Ago

Another home has been desolated and a woman’s life cut short in full bloom of maturity by carelessness in the use of coal oil. The tragedy occurred to Mrs. Riley Wildix on a farm south of Dr. Book’s place. The fire in the kitchen range was down to a few glowing coals.

Greater than Watts, Morse, Edison, Bell or Marconi will be the mechanical genius who can bottle up this Kansas heat for use next winter!

The primary election was participated in by more people in Rooks County than in any former year, thereby fulfilling in a large degree the purpose of its creators. A. G. Schneider is nominated for representative by a majority of 32 votes.

The Stockton ball club went over to Damar Sunday and walloped the Damarites to the tune of 20 to 3. Stockton has had an unbroken series of victories for quite a while. It is hoped the boys will soon go up against something nearer their size before they get swelled up.

On Saturday afternoon another disastrous conflagration was suffered by Woodston by which the post office building, Woodman Hall, Murphy’s Restaurant and Wilson’s Produce House were all destroyed. The fire started in the kitchen of the restaurant, which was owned by Ernest Murphy.

A poem immensely popular thirty years ago, recited by famous readers to delighted audiences, told how the mighty Casey struck out when everything depended on him.

The Fourth has come and gone, and everybody declares it was a glorious day for the small boy and all other ages of American patriotic citizens. We advertised it as an old-fashioned Fourth, the din of exploding crackers was incessant from early morn till late at night.

M. Jepson, just east of town, harvested last week a pretty fair crop of oats from a field of 35 acres on which last fall he had sown wheat. Last year the field had produced oats and enough had rattled out to make a good even stand.

Last Saturday morning at two o’clock people living near the culvert bridge on east Main Street were aroused from their slumbers by a tremendous crash and then all was silent.

The funeral obsequies for Mr. John Shaw were held at the beautiful home on Second Street north and were attended by a large number of sorrowing friends who filled the house, the porches and the yard in front.