100 years ago
OCTOBER 1, 1903 — The RECORD is exceedingly sorry to learn and announce that Mr. S.L. Billings, Marion's popular Postmaster, has decided to move to Salt Lake City, where he will engage in the lumber business. The removal of Seymour Billings from Marion will be a town calamity. He is one of the best and most useful men in the town. His public spirited, liberal with his time and money, and wise to council, ready and willing always to help every good cause, in short, a model citizen in every way. The Presbyterian church, of which he is a pillar, and the Sabbath school, of which he has for years been a faithful and efficient Superintendent will sustain a great loss when he goes away. His excellent wife and children are held in like esteem, and will likewise be greatly missed. The RECORD had never announced the going away of people from this town with more heartfelt sorrow than in the case of this fine family.
Charley Whipple has bought Mr. Buck's Cigar Factory and will continue the business. Mr. Buck has made many friends here, who will regret it if he leaves the town.
When a man, a mere man, goes to fooling around a kitchen trying to cook, he generally makes a bad mess of it, but Charley Bowron, who lately moved to the state of Washington from Marion, recently made the worst botch of this kind we have ever heard of. Mice were troubling the Bowron family greatly, and Mrs. Bowron put some Rough on Rats in some Graino to poison them. She told Charley about it, and shortly thereafter went away for a few days visit. During her absence Charley made some "coffee" of the Graino and drank it, as did Roger Hannaford, and perhaps others. When the Rough on Rats began to get in its work on the party Charlie remembered all about it, and things were mighty lively around the Bowron home for a while. Stomach pumps, emetics, gags, etc. saved 'em, however, and hereafter Charley will be more particular about his drinks.
Dorothy Billings fell from a tree onto a fence Friday and was bruised up quite badly but was not seriously hurt.
Cards have been received here announcing the marriage of Miss Carolyn Mae Mize, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bion D. Mize, of Topeka, to Mr. C. Henri Strawn to take place at Topeka October 8th. This item is of much interest in Marion, where the bride-to-be was born and where she and her parents lived for many years. She is a charming young woman and we hope has been wooed and won by a gentleman worthy of her. If he is, he is a good one, indeed. The RECORD, in behalf of itself and of all the many friends here anticipates the happy event with the choicest well wishes.
The jail has been thoroughly repaired and handsomely fitted up. A new cement floor has been put down in the corridor, the walls, ceiling, etc. cased with new steel casing, and the interior repainted.
The A.O.U.W. has paid Mrs. N.F. Miesse $2,000, policy held by her late husband in that excellent organization. Members of that organization are proud, and justly so, of the promptness with which these obligations are paid by their Order. Mr. Miesse had only been a member of the Order four years, and had only paid in assessments and dues, all told, $76.72, but the draft for $2,000 was sent in nine days after proof of the death was made. We understand that this Order has paid $18,000 to beneficiaries in Marion during the past fifteen years.
Miss Edna Good and Miss Florence Saggau, two of Marion's most estimable and accomplished young ladies, will leave for Chicago next week — the former to study music and the latter to study art. The RECORD is proud of these girls.
Mrs. Eli Good gave a six o'clock dinner, complimentary to Miss Willie E. Hoch, whose marriage occurs next Tuesday evening. Those present were Mrs. O.C. Billings, Mrs. Jennie Gary, Mrs. A.H. Wheeler, Mrs. J.N. Rogers, Mrs. M.L. Mowry, Mrs. Josiah Good, and Miss Nanie Hannaford.
Few, if any, Kansas editors have left as many sorrowing friends on the shores of time to bewail their departure as did Harmon Wilson when he took passage upon the dark river a few weeks ago. The tributes to his memory from the Kansas press have been remarkably numerous and beautiful. His sun went into eclipse ere it had reach the zenith, but the warmth and light will linger long in all the lives that came within its orbit. He was a prolific writer, and what his craftsmen call his "stuff" was all good and wholesome, and in it all there was "not one immoral, one corrupted thought, one line which dying he would wish to blot."
Ike Ryun has bought a dray and Sam Hardscastle, who has worked at the Stone barn for several years, will run the dray for him.
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1903 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)
