125 years ago

november 6, 1885

If the people of Florence are wise, they will heartily support the new railroad proposition. It will result in giving that city at least one more road, namely, the Santa Fe “cut off” from Florence to Wichita’ and thus help to make Florence the chief railroad center of Central Kansas. It will benefit Florence in many other ways, but if it does nothing but this for it, it will be a grand thing for Florence.

The smallpox scare is blowing over as the children who were supposed to have had it are, and have been playing about, but the guard still walks to and fro with six-shooter in hand preventing the dreadful disease from leaving the house.

Frank Bown is erecting a large livery stable on Fourth street, just south of the Marion Lumber Company’s yards. Success, Frank.

Mr. Klauser proposes to “run” a music store in Marion. He will sell instruments, sheet music, etc., and is just the man for the business. We wish him success.

Messrs. Folson & Cunningham are finishing a splendid stable for Dick Williams, which with that nice stone pavement and stile, handsomely improves his cozy home.

Dr. Richter, an old physician, late U.S. physician to the Apache and Osage Indians, also former physician and surgeon in the deaf and dumb and blind asylums of Minnesota, has located in Marion, and “gone in” with Mr. Walter Sharp in the management of the mineral well. It is the purpose of the new firm to proceed at once to the enlargement of their facilities for accommodating the public, and to “boom” Marion as a health resort. In this worthy work, the RECORD will be pleased to lend a helping hand. It believes in the medicinal properties and healthy restoring qualities of Marion’s mineral water applied internally and externally in many forms of diseases, though it does not want to be understood as recommending it as a “cure all,” in every kind of disease. It is good enough, we think without exaggerating its merits. In addition, we firmly believe it is destined not only to make its proprietors rich, but thousands of sick people well, and the town famous.

Mr. W.E. Jennings of Peabody has brought over some 200 head of cattle and established himself on Lockwood’s fine ranch a mile south of Marion. He advertises elsewhere in the RECORD for a big lot of corn, and is said to be provoking complaint among his fellow feeders by paying more for the corn than the market price.