100 years ago
APRIL 4, 1903 — We visited McPherson last Saturday and Sunday. Talked to a large company of old soldiers and members of the Women's Relief Corps and other citizens, Saturday night, and as is our custom remained in town over Sunday. McPherson is making big preparations for the State Encampment which is to be held there in May. To stir up interest in the matter was the object of the meeting. The town has tackled a big job, but it will come out all right. Judge M.P. Simpson and wife did much to make our stay pleasant. A Sabbath away from home is always irksome, but these excellent people helped greatly to relieve its monotony. Their hospitality included a several hours' drive around their pretty little city. It has been many years since we have seen much of McPherson, and the evidences of growth and prosperity were very gratifying. It is a beautiful city, a city of substantial business houses and handsome residences. We visited the printing offices of course. A newspaper fellow gravitates to a printing office as naturally as a duck to water. The newspaper men out there are clever fellows, but they ought to get together. There are twice too many papers in the town. The Union Hotel, conducted by an old-time hotel keeper, Mr. Daly, is a mighty nice place to "stop." Hon. E.R. Burkholder, Marion county's most recent contribution to McPherson, has already become one of its most prominent citizens. He is engaged in the lumber business, and is preparing to erect a handsome residence.
Lawyers L.F. Keller and Dwight Hodge were fishing over in Chase county this week.
A number of years prior to her death a fine rocking chair was presented to Mother Bowron — as Marion people all knew her — by the Methodist Ladies Aid Society. When Mr. C.E. Bowron disposed of his household furniture a week or so ago preparatory to moving to Washington he turned this rocking chair over to the ladies of the society as he did not wish to sell it. At their meeting the other day they voted it to Mrs. W.W. Runyan as a token of their loving esteem, and Mrs. Runyan will no doubt prize it greatly.
Dr. Marner reports the birth of a baby girl to Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Schmidt last week.
The failure of the Methodist conference to return Rev. D.D. Akin to the pastorate of the church in Marion was a great surprise to the members of the church, and a source of regret to them and to the people of the town generally. Mr. Akin is very popular in Marion, and his hosts of friends here, in and out of the church, will be sorry to see him and his good wife leave here. It is some consolation to know that they go to a splendid town, (Sterling) where a fine new church has recently been erected.
A three or four inch snow fell last night. Sunny Kansas!
Mr. J.W. Harrison of Wilson township claims that that township is the banner hog township in the county. He has shipped over three hundred head from that township during the past three weeks. Last week he shipped a car load for which he paid $1421.39. He paid Tom Seeds $42.47 for one 620 pound hog.
One of the most attractive features of the county Educational meeting last Saturday was the music furnished by the little boys and girls composing the Peabody orchestra, led by Miss Marion Hanson. It was a unique and highly creditable performance. The names of the performers, besides the leader: Helen Baker, Marita Shaque, Henrietta Schroeder, Mary Turner, Ava Rhodes, Irchie Irwin, Glenn Hoover.
The RECORD has received a copy of the Coast Advocate-Pennant, published at Halfmoon Bay, Cal., containing a long account of the golden wedding of our old pioneer friends, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Griffith, who lived in Marion away back in the seventies, and have been reading the RECORD in their California home ever since. Mr. Griffith is a brother of our revered fellow citizen, Uncle George Griffith. He is a fine man, like his brother, and his wife is a lovely lady. Wish we could reprint the whole long column describing the golden wedding, but space forbids. The RECORD sends congratulations to these far away friends.
Marion people were greatly shocked last Sunday by the announcement of the death of Fred Rouse. For though he had been brought home a few days before from Texas where he was in railroad service, seriously ill, many of our people did not know he was here and did not know the serious character of his sickness. He had pneumonia and was unconscious most of the time after reaching home. Fred Rouse was born in Madison, Wis., August 13, 1853, and was therefore 49 years old last August. He came with his parents to Marion in 1870. His father, who was Sheriff of the county in the early seventies, died many years ago. But Fred manfully took up the responsibilities of young manhood. In 1875 he was married to one of Marion's best girls Miss — — Kellison, who with four children, two boys and two girls, survive him. For twenty years or more Fred served the Santa Fe railroad at this place, as agent and operator, only quitting the service last year. He knew everybody in town and everybody knew him, and it seems unreal and sad indeed to think and know that he is gone away never to return again to Marion. A large number of our people listened to the words of eulogy from Eld. Woodside, at the funeral at the home Tuesday afternoon, and all our people deeply sympathize with the bereaved family.
Even the RECORD makes mistakes, sometimes, occasionally once-in-awhile, now and then. It was in error in saying that Fred Lewis was building Joe Lilley's barn. Mr. George Buckley, an excellent carpenter and fine man, has the contract.
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1903 microfilm files of the Marion Record)
