The political turnover in the Rooks County Courthouse resulted in three new official faces. Leslie Wells will succeed Frank Montgomery, who has held the office of county clerk for the past four years. H. E. Lenhard is now occupying the chair vacated by probate judge W. T. Case, and the third Republican to succeed a Democrat is John Gregory of Woodston, who will begin his first four-year term as county commissioner from the first district, taking the place of J. E Watts. Other county offices were re-elected. Mrs. Edna Lambert is county treasurer, Louis Elliott is starting his second term as sheriff, Mrs. Mabel Russ Dix is in her third term as register of deeds, D. A. Hindman is the county attorney, and George Crane is the clerk of the district court.

Ten-year-old Robert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Newbrey, was seriously injured last Saturday noon when he lom a bicycle, but at last reports seems to be getting along very well. Robert had not become an expert on his new Christmas bicycle and it was thought that he probably struck a rock, which caused him to lose his balance. No one saw the accident and Robert himself couldn’t recall what happened. Members of the E. F. Vallette family discovered him lying under the bicycle in front of their home, but had no idea how long he had lain there as they had been at the dining table for some time. He was unconscious when he was picked up and remained in that condition until late afternoon. His parents were badly frightened, but when he finally came to he seemed little the worse for his experience.

A few weeks ago a poll was taken of the Fifth Avenue tailors to find out the country’s ten best-dressed men for the year 1934. The ten selected stretched all the way from New York City to Hollywood. As not one Rooks County man was included in the list naturally we felt hurt, so we sent our inquiring reporter to the local cleaners and pressers in an effort to determine the Beau Brummels of this and adjoining communities. The result of the poll is as follows: Abe Schneider of Webster; S. R. Tucker of Codell; R. P. Berland of Damar; Tub Hollen of Woodston; Dennis McAuliffe of Plainville; Ray Fessler of Palco; Joe Novotny of Zurich; and Harry Butler, George Beckley, and O. M. Goodrich of Stockton. Only two of the ten, Abe and Harry, received a solid vote, each being held up as a logical candidate for the title of Rooks County’s Best Dressed Man. Abe’s attire, according to those in the know, is remarkable for its stately lines and dignity. He is one of the few men in the county who can wear a duckbill cap without anybody thinking it funny. Harry’s immaculate attire is combined with a soft way of wearing clothes which gives him his place at the top of the list, so say the cleaners and pressers.

The curb, gutter, and gravel contract on South First Street was let last Saturday afternoon by the city commissioners to the firm of Cook & Ransom of Olathe for the sum of $6,378.05. Eight contractors took part in the bidding, and their bids ranged from the successful offer to the sum of $8,789.70 by the firm of McKee & Hopper. The detailed bid shows that the six-inch curb with the two feet of gutter let for the surprisingly low figure of 60¢ per running foot. While the expense to the individual lot owners has not been computed, the owners of each of the 180 lots affected by this improvement will be charged not to exceed $25.00 a lot or $1.00 per running foot of frontage.

The crew of state highway engineers under Engineer Jackson, working on cross-sectioning State Highway 1 from Stockton to the Phillips County line, finished its survey and left Stockton a few days ago. The little metal pins with the red cloth markers are now set from the Stockton city limits to the Phillips County line, and all of the records have been sent to Topeka’s design department.

Last Friday night, the Woodston High School building was broken into, and the lower floor was completely ransacked. The prowlers entered the building by prying open a window in Miss Bowman’s room. After helping themselves to a few things to eat, taking a traveling bag, and picking up some money lying on Miss Bowman’s desk, the marauders proceeded to shake the door to the music room loose from its hinges and search the room. Here, however, nothing was found missing. The next move made bythethieveswastosmash a window above the office door to gain entrance. The lid of the office desk was forced open, and the contents of the desk were scattered about the floor. Here again, nothing was found to be missing. Discovery of the theft was first made on Saturday morning by Mr. Greene when he came to the school building to work and found things in topsy-turvy condition.

Sheriff Joyce F. Blackman found Clark W. Thuma, well-known businessman and merchant of Lenora, who disappeared from that town on October 26th, in Hill City as Thuma was on his way to Norton, riding the Midwest Stage. Thuma was wearing a pair of overalls, which he had purchased recently and took off as soon as he was recognized. He said he had been wearing them to keep him warm. He is in good health and seems to be suffering only from a slight loss of memory, which may come back to him when he sees familiar faces and places. Thuma says he remembers collecting some money from Elmer Troutner and was supposed to see him that Saturday night but needed more time to go over. He took his wife to church and then went out to see him the next day. He recalls driving to Norton in his car and then taking the train from Norton. He bought his ticket to Phillipsburg and got off at Philipsburg, where he bought a ticket to Blackwell, Oklahoma. When asked why he took the train at Norton and why he had been gone for so long and had yet to notify his folks of his whereabouts, he was unable to answer. He went to Blackwell and then came back to visit his cousin Will Blue, who lives in Wichita. From there, he went to see his cousin, Rolla Thuma, in Leon, Kansas. Thuma talked somewhat confusedly about being in a truck on the highway in Oklahoma when he realized what he was doing and where he was. He told a reporter that from then on, he had tried to get back home as soon as he could—acting as though he was dazed or as though it was an effort for him to answer questions asked of him by Sheriff Blackman. Thuma held his head in one hand and often brushed his forehead as though trying to recall events that had taken place.

While trains on other railroadlinesinthissection were storm-blockaded yesterday and this morning, the Missouri Pacific north branch from Downs to Lenora was blocked by the derailment of the eastbound freight train one mile east of Edmond. Five cars left the rails, and section crews were engaged this morning in building a track around the wreck so that today’s train could be operated. None of the train men were injured in the derailment, reportedly caused by a broken rail. Two of the cars remained upright after leaving the rails, the other three rolling over onto their sides. Yesterday, the westbound passenger train stopped at Densmore, where Edmond and Lenora’s mail was unloaded, and they moved from there to the post offices of the two towns by automobile.

A special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held at the courthouse to discuss the decision of the State Public Service Commission granting their request of the Missouri Pacific to take off our passenger trains and to determine what action to take in the matter. It was the general opinion that the decision should not be permitted to become final, but that the matter should be held open by a motion for a re-hearing or an appeal. In the meantime, it is thought advisable to contact officials of the Missouri Pacific lines and find out their intentions regarding taking off the train. The order of the commissioners required the railroad to operate a passenger train to Osborne, and there is a possibility that the officials would not think it advisable to cut off this part of the service if it is required to bring the train into Osborne. Several businessmen expressed regret that a clash should have developed at this time between the Stockton community and the Missouri Pacific lines just after oil had been discovered in the Stockton trade territory. Even a small amount of ill feeling will, at times, destroy that wholehearted cooperation that is necessary for the success of any undertaking that requires the joining efforts of two groups of people. With a chance to make this branch one of the most profitable in the entire state through the development of a new industry, the passenger department of the Missouri Pacific has undertaken a plan that must necessarily cause ill feelings at Stockton. However, Stockton has too much at stake to idly fly into a rage and begin a campaign of reprisals and boycotts of the express and freight service of the Missouri Pacific unless forced into such a step as a last resort. As long as there is any chance for a satisfactory solution to this matter, the business interests of Stockton are determined to remain calm and ready to forget and forgive. It is better to hold out an olive branch and extend a friendly hand than to enter into a contest that, in the end, would result in Union Pacific getting the benefits of the oil shipments from this territory. Another matter discussed was the proposal to pave Main Street in Stockton and curb, gutter, and gravel several side streets. A number of estimates were made as to costs, and several businessmen suggested that steps be taken in the near future to surface the town. Others feared the added taxes would not be paid and a situation like that at Plainville would develop.

Mrs. Emmett Gallagher and Miss Grace Skenyon were two lucky women considering the minor injuries received in an automobile accident on Tuesday evening. Returning home from Hays, where they had attended an Armistice Celebration, the right rear tire blew out, and the car swerved and rolled over three times. Mrs. Gallagher was thrown out through the top of the vehicle. Miss Skenyon remained in the car, which finally righted itself. T. J. O’Brien happened along a few minutes after the accident and brought the women to Miss Skenyon’s home in Plainville. Mrs. Gallagher was brought home, and her companion returned to the Hays hospital for an examination of her injuries. Still, finding nothing more than torn ligaments in the left shoulder and severe bruises, she was taken to her Plainville home. Mrs. Gallagher seems to be injured; likewise, only her right shoulder is affected. The Gallagher Chevrolet Coupe is a total wreck and was brought to Stockton.