January 06, 2015

Church bells on New Year's, other 1913 news

by Betty Jane Wilson, society president

More "Out of the Past" items from a century, plus two, gleaned from those yellowed pages of a Valley Falls Historical Society scrapbook. Compiled by the late Edith Harden from pages of a news source with the published date clipped from the page to fit the scrapbook, except all items have the year date of January 1913:

Jan. 3, "While Col. John Triggs, after a drive, was unhitching Bert Boot's borrowed team Saturday, the horses, not liking the looks of the Colonel's fur coat, broke away, ran into a post across the street, broke the tongue, dashboard, both reaches of the buggy, and other damages, to the amount of $10 or $12, according to the repair bill.

"Church and school bells rang out the old and in the new year in merry peal, loud and long. The Endeavors, of the Congregational Church, met in the church annex to watch the old year out and welcome the new, but a bunch of boys carried the rope into the belfry and rang the bell for them. Another bunch of boys rang the bell at the Christian Church and a third party jingled the bell at the school — the tintinnabulation of the bells was on.

"The Endeavors of the Christian Church, instead of holding their annual watch party, went by train to Half Mound to attend a revival meeting Mr. Kimball is holding at the schoolhouse.

"Several of the boys who have tried it don't find much sport in 'coon' hunting though the music of the hounds was fine.

"Paul Newman, who is attending the school for the blind at Kansas City, was at home here with his parents, the V.P. Newmans, (V.P. Newman, pioneer blacksmith, skillful in shoeing oxen as well as horses) during vacation. Paul is growing in learning and stature and is an expert on roller skates. With only a cane to guide him, he can skate all over town on the cement sidewalks.

"Dan Royer is proud to announce that he won the last game of croquet that was played on the last day of 1912.

"The Santa Fe waiting room was not large enough to hold half of the waiting passengers Monday morning.

"A little daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ted Bickley Christmas Day (North Cedar item).

"Maude Bruton and Carrie Haas were at St. Joe last Friday to order new goods for the Hauck's Store."

The Valley Falls Historical Society Museum will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10.

No comments: