125 years ago

august 7, 1885

Peabody advertises a “State Fair” to be held at that place this fall. The State Agricultural Society will hold no fair, this year, and it was not a bad stroke of policy on the part of the managers of the Peabody association to call theirs the “State Fair” as it will give the town a prominence in other States. But as it partakes largely of what is known as “False Pretense,” we are surprised that our pious brother Hoch, of the Record, should commend the scheme and wish it success.—Augusta Gazette

Mr. Jacob Brumbaugh has been so busy this summer that he hasn’t had time to read the Record as carefully as one should, and so he has been around this shop several times blowing about the buildings which have been erected in Uncle Will Billings addition since that part of town has been platted, last April, just as if we hadn’t mentioned them in these columns long ago. There are eight of these new residences already completed, one more foundation in, and ground broken for another. We went around, Monday, to inspect Mr. Cy Locklin’s house, which is the largest in the new addition, and which is a specimen of Mr. Brumbaugh’s carpenter skill, and a good specimen, too. “Jake” is justly proud of the job, and we congratulate him.

We understand that Mr. Harris, the barber, has “thrown up the sponge,” at Hillsboro, and returned to Marion.

Mr. Good wants you to call at his store east of the Luta bridge and buy your flour, meal, apples, vegetables and stock feed.

Dr. T.T. Davis, formerly of the metropolis of Marion, now dispensing powders and pills to the “aged” denizens of the village of Wichita, came up to civilization Monday. We always like to meet the jolly Doctor.

Excerpts of a letter

Our little city is located 182 miles southwest of Kansas City, on the ATSF railroad at the forks of the Cottonwood river and Luta. The beauties of Marion as a western town are its fine shades and groves which line the banks of these streams.

Our main street is 100 feet wide, runs east to the Luta, which is spanned by a fine stone arch bridge, said to be the best west of the Mississippi. Directly after crossing this bridge and turning to the right we enter a beautiful grove owned by Mr. Billings, president of the Cottonwood Valley Bank.

We have two school buildings, also a good courthouse, an opera building, all of which are built of fine cut stone. We have no whisky shops and therefore have little use for a lockup.

People here are accustomed to large crops of all kinds. Small game is plenty here, especially prairie chicken and quail.

Please excuse this lengthy scrawl.

Yours respectfully,
C. O. Hazleton