125 years ago

october 9, 1885

One of Frank Penland’s boys has a “flock gun.” At two shots, he recently killed ninety-two blackbirds, ’tis said.

Miss Mary Smith’s Primary Department in the lower or valley school building has become so largely attended that it has been found necessary to resort to the half-day plan—that is, each a portion of them in the forenoon and the remainder in the afternoon.

Jex’s Addition to Marion is the latest increase in the corporate limits of this rapidly spreading city. It lies southwest and comprises, we believe, about forty acres. A plat of it nicely laid out in streets, has been filed with the official records of the county, and the New Western Land and Loan Company will boom it.

Quite a heavy frost and a thin formation of ice greeted our eyes for the first time this season Sunday morning. Verily, winter approacheth.

A blind organ grinder held forth on our streets last Saturday.

Another attempt was made to burn Hillsboro Tuesday night. A fire was started at the depot, but was discovered and extinguished before it got under headway. It is said that nearly a dozen attempts of this kind have been made up there, and it is time the people were adopting some means to extinguish the incendiary rascals as well as the flames.

We doubt if there is a town in Kansas proportionately as well “fixed” so far as its clergy is concerned. The Presbyterians, Methodists, and Christians not only have, each, comfortable church edifices, but all have handsome parsonages—residences that are among the most comfortable and attractive in the city.

James McCain, our popular and well-to-do barber, had a happy experience last week. For twenty-four years he had not seen his father or mother or his two brothers and sister, nor has he known for years where they were. But, in talking to two men on the streets of Topeka, he discovered that one of them dropped a remark which finally developed the fact that the other was one of his brothers! Of course, the recognition was a joyous one. The sister, who was almost a baby when “Jim” last saw her, but who is now married, was soon visited. The “old folks” live down in Wabaunsee county and were soon visited. After being fooled a while, by the “stranger,” their “lost boy” finally made himself known. Jim says there was a jubilee if there ever was one on this earth. Verily, truth is stranger than fiction.

Mr. Kellett was badly hurt at his quarry, near town, Monday. A large stone fell on one foot, badly mashing it. The accident was extremely unfortunate, for Mr. Kellett was just beginning to fill a contract for two hundred cords of stone for the new hotel.

Harvey Alexander, of Emporia, an old Marionite, was in town a week or two ago, and said he hardly knew the place, it had grown so.