100 years ago
MAY 29, 1903 — The greatest flood in the history of the Cottonwood valley occurred today. The heavy rains of the past few weeks culminated in a cloud burst at the head waters some twenty-odd miles away. Warning of the coming torrent came here Thursday afternoon but our people could not believe it would be sufficient to overflow. But before daylight the torrent came with a great roar and before many were awake their houses were surrounded with water. One half of Marion, including the business portion, is in the valley, and all this portion of the town was under several feet of water. The RECORD office has two feet of water in it — which was a trifle too much water even for a prohibition paper. The whole valley was inundated, and looked like a veritable sea. Boats navigated all the streets in the lower part of town, and even went into some of the big stores. Wooden sidewalks floated around in every direction — elegant reminders of the RECORD'S years of pleading for substantial walks. The brick and stone and cement walks, like our flag, are still there. Farmers lost heavily in stock and crops. Fortunately, no lives were lost and no serious accident occurred. We will have more to say about this memorable event next week, for historical purposes.
Master Leland Thompson, the bright and handsome little son of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. W. Thompson, is canvassing for the John J. Ingalls book. Keep your eye on that boy. He will be a John Wanamaker or a John D. Rockefeller some day.
One of the severest wind storms which has ever visited this town came last Friday evening between eight and nine o'clock. There had been a heavy rain storm late in the afternoon, accompanied by small hail, but this was only a sort of matinee to the evening entertainment. The storm came from the south, and it made things lively while it lasted. Trees looked as if they would all be broken to pieces, but only a few of them were damaged, after all. No very heavy losses were sustained in the town, though considerable damage was done in small ways. We have heard of these losses: Zack Taylor, barn badly damaged: John Powers, south wall of his stone barn blown in; Dr. Rogers, barn wall partly down and roof off; W.E.M. Oursler, barn blown to pieces; Mrs. Rouse, shingles off house; McReady, shingles off house; barn at race track.
Who among the RECORD readers will give a pretty little blue-eyed, curly-headed, motherless girl, four years old, a permanent home? Inquire at this office.
From the 31 Years Ago column of June 1, 1872 — "On Monday morning last our breakfast was made delicious by the addition of some fine strawberries from the garden of Mr. Hoops.
"By yesterday's mail we received a dispatch from our buffalo hunters, who were water bound on the Walnut creek. From the captures they have made, consisting of owl, prairie dogs, buffaloes, etc., we would suppose they were about to start a menagerie. They report the Cheyennes on the war path and no white man is allowed on the south side of the Big Arkansas."
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To the people who have traveled much on the M&M, the face and form of the old white haired conductor, known on the road as "Dad" White, are very familiar. The old man has been growing more and more feeble for a year or two, but he has had one great ambition — to complete fifty years of railroad service. For several months he has been on the road only occasionally. Last Saturday rounded the fifty years, and the old man was given the privilege of making his last run. He left an invalid's chair and made his final run. Another conductor went along to help, and the old man's long cherished ambition was gratified. Pathetic, wasn't it?
We understand that the pioneer home of Mahlon Riggs near Florence was badly damaged by the wind storm last week.
At her home in Centre township last Monday Miss Clara Duncan entertained a number of her little friends and cousins in honor of her ninth birthday. Refreshments were served with which Grandma Mehl was greatly pleased. Many beautiful and useful presents were presented to Miss Clara, and after having played until they were tired, and wishing Miss Clara many more happy birthdays, they departed for home.
Fay Moulton is still winning honors in foot-racing back east. He is Yale's brag sprinter.
After the storm last week, an envelope was picked up in Grant township, which bore the name of F.M. Philbrook, and which evidently was blown all the way from Sedgwick. There was also found a sliver, a piece of a door, from an unknown source, Mr. W.E.M. Oursler is our informant.
Better pray that the boys be preserved from the cigarette habit, and the bum habit which so largely accounts for the fact that our schools are graduating three or four girls to one boy; and as to the club mania, don't worry about that, old bird! Women of intelligence will go right on organizing literary clubs, church societies, and other enterprises for the improvement of themselves and the world, and the home will not suffer because of this fact, either. The man who thinks woman has no other "sphere" except to sew on buttons and wash dishes and be both servant and doll for so-called "lords of creation" is a back number. The intelligent club woman is the best wife and mother and house keeper and companion in the world.
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1903 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)
