100 years ago
JUNE 27, 1902 — Mr. W.H. Carpenter has purchased the old Sanitarium property, at the north end of Third street, and will erect there a large modern residence. The structure will be of stone. Mr. Walter Sharp has secured the building contract and will begin work in the near future.
Editor, RECORD: — In years gone past it was no new thing to read an article from me in the old Marion RECORD about the mineral wells that some day were to make Marion famous as a health resort, and it does yet seem to me that I had good reason for thinking it would.
This morning I was in the RECORD office and was talking about the new residence that is to be erected on the mineral well ground and the tearing down of the bath house, and was reminded of the wonderful cures that had been performed there. One gentleman remembered of seeing a man carried there from the train in a blanket and in three weeks saw the same man walk to the train as well as ever. Mr. W.W. Loveless told of having had sciatic rheumatism for years, and went to the mineral wells and drank water and was cured. That, he said, was ten years ago, and he hasn't felt a touch of it since. Others related their experiences and told of their faith in these waters, and I have no doubt that two thousand people in Marion could tell the same story.
My memory went back to the time when I had such great hopes and faith in the mineral wells, and as we all like some one to talk to, I write these lines with no particular object in view but to give vent to my feelings.
Next Monday morning I expect to commence tearing down the walls of the bath house, which are as good as they were the day they were built. Sixteen years ago about now this building was completed, and we had an opening of the new bath house, when speeches were made, in which word pictures were drawn of the great future in store for Marion and its great health resort. Such, however, is life; little do we know what the future has in store for any of us. Mr. Carpenter is going to build a fine residence on the grounds that will be a credit to any town, and he tells me he will fix up the mineral well (and not fill it up), and these waters can be had although the well is not open to the public.
I don't know if I have said anything that anybody cares about, but I feel that Marion has sustained a great loss in the passing away of the old mineral wells.
Walter Sharp
How little people know of the troubles and afflictions, even, of those whom they meet every day! We were forcibly reminded of this when Cy Allen appeared on the streets this week on crutches, one leg having recently be amputated. A prominent citizen said to Cy, "I didn't know there was anything the matter with you." And yet Cy has been a great sufferer for eleven years, ever since the boiler explosion at the mill south of town, in which he was badly scalded. He has never complained much about it, and hence many did not know that he was a great sufferer until he appeared on the streets minus a leg. Or, let us cite another case. How many people in Marion know that Mr. Wm. Shambaugh is around all the time an awful reminder of the war of the 60's. He looks like a strong, healthy man, and we reckon most people think he is . But he showed us his ankle, the other day, which is in an awful condition. He makes little complaint, and very few people know of his condition. And so we repeat, that people know but little of the sorrows and burdens and afflictions of even their nearest neighbors.
Whoever took a bundle from the O.K. restaurant, last week, containing a coat, will please return it. It was evidently taken by mistake.
Joe Hannaford, the little son of Dr. Hannaford, shot himself in the thigh, Monday, with one of those blank cartridge pistols. The wound is quite painful, but not serious. These pistols are a mighty dangerous toy. One could easily be killed by them if shot in the temple at short range. An eye could easily be put out by them, and we venture to predict right now that the alarming number of "accidents" which always occur on the Fourth of July in the United States will be augmented, this year, by this new nuisance. If you want to see with what force they shoot their wad, fire one at a piece of pasteboard at a distance say of ten inches.
We have incidentally learned that Mrs. W.B. Church and Mrs. Dal Rogers were slightly but not seriously hurt by a runaway team, this week in Topeka.
Mr. A.E. Case left last Wednesday for the west. He will attend the international Sunday school convention at Denver, and then go on to Seattle, Washington, for a visit with his son Frank and Mr. S.P. Bown, and then to Mount Vernon to see the Marion colony located there. Mrs. Case will leave soon, and join her husband at Denver. They expect to be gone about two months.
For all Park privileges for the Fourth of July, call on Bert Williams or J.L. Evans, at Marion Pharmacy.
Aunt Betsy Griffith, who was taken suddenly and seriously sick last week, is up and around again.
A proud bird of freedom will have a time of it at the hands of Marion sky-scrapers, next Friday — the glorious Fourth. R.L. King will pull her feathers at Hillsboro; John H. Smith will follow her in her loftiest flights, at Lehigh; Homer Hoch will hunt her aerie in Marion, and the writer will tackle her talons at Hill City.
The loser of a child's pair of hose supporters can get them at this office.
Rev. Mr. Zumwalt, formerly pastor of the Christian church in Marion, seems to be leading quite a strenuous life, these days. He is pastor of the church at Centropolis, and has had trouble there, resulting in being egged, recently. And last Sunday night, he was viciously attacked by a blacksmith, but the plucky little preacher put up a pretty stiff fight. He is a reformer and ardent prohibitionist and fearless in his advocacy of what he believes to be right.
Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1902 microfilm files of the Marion Record.
