Variable weather; the season of colds, coughs, and pneumonia, and there is plenty of it in town. But from these inconveniences, the political hustler for office turns with something akin to disgust and centers his aspiring eyes on the capitol of the State, around which his hopes gather. We have in our little town many who want to “get there, but are awfully afraid they will not.” This is believe, is defined as “Americanitus.” It is useless for the reader to refer to Webster for a definition of the latter term for I don’t think you will find it in his vocabulary. However, it is pertinent, and as Fannie Fern used to lay claim to originality in her beautiful writings – may we not do the same? About their appointments there will be some disappointments, and the best thing a candidate for office can do is to be prepared to stand from under; for something will fall somewhere. It has already fallen in Milton, and agreeable to the eternal fitness of things,” it must do it again.

We have candidates galore, from Milton for office, and we might safely say that Governor Hunn and President McKinley might find enough to fill the curriculum, both State and National. From our town.

Mr. M. E. Lynch advertises the good will and fixtures of the Hart House at private sale. Mr. Lynch’s attention has been called in another direction, and hence his wish to close his business in Milton. See advertisement in another column.

Considerable quantities of hickory butts are being shipped from the Milton Station; and B. Frank Gray has shipped several hundred cords of pine wood to parties in Philadelphia. The latter shipment was an innovation, as the wood was hauled from the Milton dock after it had been corded there for shipment.

Mr. William Conwell left town on Thursday for Greenwood, where he will assist as caterer at the Greenwood hostelry.

Mr. W. T. Starkey appears to be at home in his new drug store in the Burton Block. The room is nicely fitted up, and the proprietor looks to be on the “manor born.”

Mrs. Sallie Ponder and Captain Joseph Warrington, have purchased of Captains George and Theodore Megee, schooner Ella Call. Captain Warrington will command the vessel.

Mr. Stanton D. Draper, of Dakota, son of the late Henry C. Draper, is visiting his mother, Mrs. Maggie Draper, in Prime Hook Neck.

Mr. Roland Lynch of Philadelphia is visiting his parents at the Hart House.

Mr. Isaac Nailor made a business trip to Philadelphia this week.

The trustees of the M. P. Church met last evening to devise a means whereby new windows of the Gothic style, with “Cathedral glass” shall be placed in the church. The result of their deliberations is not known ay present.[1]

Owing to sickness, the extra meetings at both the M. P. and M. E. Churches are closed for the present. They will be resumed at a more propitious season.

There are a few cases of measles in town. Children are the victims.

R. C. Beardsley is shipping the old iron of his boiler, smoke stack, etc. to the city. Mr. Beardsley is a mechanic, and to notice how nicely the rivets have been gotten out of these hulks, even without tearing the iron, shows skill and nicety of work.

Married at 1 p. m., at the home of the bride’s parents, on Monday, Miss Estella Hulings Atkins[2], to Captain Charles E. Darby. The ceremony that made the couple man and wife was performed by the Rev. H. E. Nelson, of the M. P. Church. Miss Estella was one of the society ladies of Milton, and a daughter of G. W. Atkins, patentee for the new carriage top and correspondent of several papers. The bridal party was driven to the depot by several teams, chief among which was Geo. E. Vickers, of Lewes, who carried the contracting parties. At the corner of Union and Federal Streets, the arty was met by a crowd who wished them Godspeed amidst a shower of rice. There were 200 announcements of the marriage made outside of Milton. No invitations were given – as the family is numerous and the friends many, so no line could be drawn. The wedded pair left on the 2.51 train for Baltimore, Washington, and other points. Mendelssohn’s wedding march was beautifully rendered by Mrs. Ada Mason.

The Fourth Quarterly conference of the M. E. Church will be held on Friday evening. A full attendance is requested as this is the business meeting of the year.

And just at this point we are obliged to stop for want of more items. We put on our rubbers, draw on our overcoat and sally forth to see what a cold frosty morning and a snow covered ground may give to us. “Snow covered,” did I say? Yes, snow covered in the country and through the wood. Well, I did not know it was so cold, or I would have stayed in town. But having started my motto is “go through.” Going up the railroad track west, the wind was piercing, but as a mariner often thinks, when he hauls up around Barnegat he will have the wind more favorable. So I thought, when I round up around Lavinia’s Wood I will have a nice and beautiful walk.

My anticipations were destined to meet a sad reversal. Truly the calmness and quietude of that lee shore was appreciated. But there was no thaw, and the cold became even more excessive. When I reached the upper point of Lake Fanganzyki, the ice was forming fast. Though cold, I could not resist the temptation to stand in the lee of some bruch and view the ice forming. There was a good breeze of wind going, but the way the ice formed was something astonishing. I had seen it form on the Delaware River, but never so fast anywhere as in the upper part of Lake Fanganzyki, on Monday morning, January 29, 1901.

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[1] This is the very first reference to the stained glass windows that would eventually be placed in the Milton M. P. Church, at least in the surviving editions of the Milford Chronicle. Unfortunately, no other information was ever given in the Milton letters that would identify the studio that manufactured the windows and how they got to Milton.

[2] Estella Atkins was the older sister of the ill-fated Mary Emma Maloy Atkins, who would die suddenly in 1905 and would have a window in her memory presented by her family to the Milton M. P. Church.