100 years ago
NOVEMBER 5, 1903 — The elegant and capacious home of Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Downes was thronged with people, Tuesday night, who gathered there to testify by their presence to the esteem in which Mr. S.L. Billings and family are held in this community. It was a sort of farewell to them before their departure for their new home in Salt Lake City. Sheldon's orchestra was there and made delightful music. Mr. Billings and family expect to leave next week, and when they go there will be a big vacuum in Marion.
It has rained heavily here the past week, swelling the streams almost to overflowing — something quite unusual at this time of year.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferd Funk and daughter, Genevive, left Tuesday for California, where they go for the benefit of Genevive's health. Mr. Funk will return in about two months and Mrs. Funk and Genevive will not return until spring. Now that they are out of town, the RECORD desires to say that no family in Marion is closer to the hearts and higher in the esteem of this people than Ferd Funk and family.
In looking over the market report in the files of the RECORD thirty-one years ago, we find Hoop skirts quoted at ninety cents.
The RECORD has told about the Archaeological Club organized by some of us Marion boys, to collect and classify Indian relics. We have quite a nice collection already, such as arrow points, scrapers, mauls, bird points, pipes, pieces of pottery, etc. Maybe some of our farmer friends have specimens they do not care for. If so, I will be mighty glad to get them. Please leave them at the RECORD office.
Wallace Hoch
Cobb Hauser nearly died on the streets, Tuesday, from an overdose of strychnine obtained at a drug store in Wichita on prescriptions from a Wichita specialist.
L.F. Keller's fine family horse, Dexter, met a tragic death last week. Mr. Keller tied him to a tree near the Cottonwood river down in Chase county, last week, where he and a party of Marionites were fishing, and while the party was off in the boats, the horse fell in the river and when taken out several hours later he was so chilled that he died in great agony next day of lung fever.
The RECORD failed last week to note the marriage of Mrs. Libbie Smith to Mr. Samuel E. Noll, of Florence. The bride is a lovely lady, beautiful alike in character and person.
Mrs. Will Mansfield arrived Friday from Colorado Springs to visit relatives and friends here. Her husband has been here for some time, as this climate agrees with him better than the mountain regions. Mrs. Mansfield was on the train that was wrecked in Colorado recently, but was uninjured save a nervous shock.
George Loveless's little boy Sidney was bitten by a neighbor's dog last Monday.
There has been a reunion of the Harn family here this week. Beside our fine fellow citizen, Mr. E.D. Harn, there have been present H.M. Harn, of Stockton, G.W. Harn and wife, of Parsons, T.F. Harn, of Scottsville, and a sister of these gentlemen, Mrs. Pense of Morovia, Iowa.
Fred Lewis has been awarded the contract for the erection of a fine residence for Mr. John Fast, in Hillsboro. We have seen a plan of the building and it is a daisy.
There will be a cake walk at the school house, District 104, (Kleinhammer school house) Friday evening, November 20th. The money is to be used to buy necessary articles for a Christmas entertainment. Ladies will do us a great favor by bringing cake. Come and help us have a good time.
Miss Laura Keller sends renewal for this paper from Morris, Minn., where she is head of an Indian school. Fine lady and fine teacher is Laura Keller.
Dave Powell was in this office last week boasting about the fine job of work done by Fred Lewis in erecting the new school house for District 61, Grant township. It is a frame structure, 24x40, and Dave says it is a model of workmanship.
Lost, a small gold breastpin, blue enamel, with pearl sets. Finder please return to Mrs. D. McCormick and get reward.
The second number of the lecture course series will be given by Col. Ham in the Baptist church tomorrow night. Col. Ham will please you. He will make you laugh and feel better. And then he will leave some fine, wholesome thoughts with you.
The good people of Ramona were down in full force, Tuesday, to urge the opening of the new road and crossing over the Rock Island into their town. For some reason the Rock Island folks refused to comply with the request and appealed to the Commissioners for a hearing. The Board decided unanimously to order the road opened and the crossing put in. The present arrangement as to track crossing into Ramona is poor in fact dangerous, and it seems to me that a viaduct or bridge over the track would be better than a surface crossing.
A quote from the Whitewater Independent: "Peabody has a singer whose name is Miss E. Holler. She hollers melodiously however, has a strong sweet voice and is very attractive."
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1903 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)
