October 11, 1901

Mrs. Silas Dodd received a dispatch last week announcing the death of her son William Dodd, in Philadelphia. A messenger was sent to deliver the dispatch, who met the supposed dead man at the door. As the bearer of the news is superstitious, he was frightened, but he delivered his message and hastened back to Milton with the news, that the dead man was alive. It was a mistake, the dead man is Mrs. Dodd’s brother and not her son. Mrs. Dodd, to attend the funeral, went to Ellendale on Thursday and purchased a ticket. She boarded the train for the city. When she looked for her ticket she could not find it, and concluded she had lost it. The conductor stopped the train, and she got off and walked back to Ellendale, where she found the ticket on the floor of the waiting room at the station. She was compelled to stay at Ellendale all night, and left for the city on the early train the following morning.

On Friday the writer spent half of the day at Ellendale, and was much surprised, as well as pleased, at the improved looks of the town.

I. W. Darby, of Frederica, has cut the brush from the fourteen acres of swamp land, recently purchased by him from Mrs. James Ponder, and this improvement greatly enhances the appearance of Ellendale, particularly to one going east on the Queen Anne’s Railroad.

There was frost galore on last Friday morning, and more on Saturday morning.

Beardsley and Lolland will, in another week, burn a kiln of 50,000 bricks. Two weeks ago they had on hand 135,000. This firm is furnishing Mr. Nailor with bricks for the new bank, and they are being rapidly hauled to the bank site. The old building has been removed from that portion of the lot which the bank has purchased, and fitted up for its former occupants. Mr. Nailor is leveling and grading the ground, and work will begin on the building as soon as this is done.

Mr. W. E. Manship, of Denton, has been in town for a few days, overlooking the repairing of his property, and visiting his relatives.

Mrs. J. C. Clendaniel, Mrs. Gifford, and Mrs. D. A. Conner, are all confined to their homes with gastric troubles.

Rev. J. S. Hemsley has a unique advertisement posted around the town. In part it reads thus: “Seven days blasting of the Ram’s Horn at Bethel A. M. E. Church. Come out and see the ‘Fall of Jericho’ Admission 5 cents.” These services will begin on October 13. There will be preaching by “eminent ministers,” morning, afternoon and evening for seven days.

Miss Mabel Pettyjohn is making her annual visit to Milton. She is the guest of Mrs. Hannah Carey. Miss Pettyjohn resides in Wilmington.

Ex-Attorney General R. C. White has entered suit against the Queen Anne’s Railroad, for the killing of John Reed at the Federal street crossing on March 7th last. A survey was held last week under the direction of Mr. White. It is understood the amount sued for is $10,000. We should consider this amount at small price for the life of a good man.

Mr. Clarence M. Welch and Miss Lillie E. Redden, both of this town, were married on Wednesday evening of last week at the home of the bride’s sister, Mrs. John Coverdale. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. L. P. Corkran. Miss Carrie White was bridesmaid and Mr. William Welch, Mayor of Milton, and brother of the groom, was groomsman. The happy couple will reside in Milton.

On Sunday the 29th ult., at the residence of Mr. Stockley Ingram, at Millsboro, Mr. William R. Ingram, son of Mr. T. R. Ingram of this town, and Miss Alice Joseph, of near Millsboro, were united in wedlock. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. Gallagher, of Millsboro.

On Friday the Rev. L. P. Corkran took a ride on his bicycle. He laid his course south until he had cleared the town, when he hauled up west by “north” and let her go under four bells. In course of time he cited [sic] a hog path bearing northwest by “north” from his course. Concluding that by taking this path he could make connection with the Ellendale road, and from thence back to Milton, he slowed down, and hauled in on this route. He however mistook his calculations and got lost. After perambulating in a serpentine way for some time, he finally made the road he was looking for and reached Milton after a two hour‘s ride. He had a nice time of it: for Mrs. Corkran had gone to Ellendale on that day to visit her sister Mrs. Sansom.

The show windows at Atkins’ emporium have undergone another metamorphose. Miss Maggie Ellingswortb is always on hand to spy out what is needed in the matter of decoration; and the number of carriages around the store, and the number of customers that were there on Saturday, is sufficient evidence of the attractiveness of the place, and the politeness of the employees.

Some fiend—for he cannot be less than a fiend–cut a slit across the top of a new carriage that Mr. J. H. Warrington has for sale in front of his place of business on Thursday night. There is but one class of people in Milton that would be guilty of such a dastardly deed. They are approximately known, and should be summarily dealt with.

Mrs. Susie B. Davidson came from Wilmington on Saturday, and opened the school at Williams on Monday.

Al. Taylor, the well-known jockey, and a friend were in town on Saturday. Al. was disappointed. He said: “There is not an old plug in Milton I can trade for; and I can’t buy a horse nor sell one.”

Capt. John Fisher and Capt. T. C Megee and several others arrived in Milton on Saturday evening via Ellendale. On account of no connection being made on that evening by the Queen Anne’s railroad with the D. M. and V. railroad, they were compelled to hire private conveyances to reach Milton. This is a very bad arrangement on the part of the Queen Anne’s, as there is more travel to Milton from points north on Saturday evening than on any other evening of the week. Will not the Queen Anne’s Company remember this by running a train on Saturday evening on the same schedule as it does on the other evenings of the week?

Conwell & Co. have been paying 29 cents a basket for tomatoes during the past week.

Mr. J. H. Davidson, contractor and builder, is building a dwelling near Harbeson for Mr. John Lindle. Dimensions: Main building, 14 ft. by 28 ft.; back building 15 ft. by 18 ft.

Isaac W. Nailor is on a business trip, to Philadelphia.

Elihu M. Lynch has removed from the Hart House to Georgetown, and Mrs. Louisa Russell, of West Philadelphia, has removed therein. As no license was applied for at the present term of court, the business part of the house is closed. Mrs. Russell will apply to the judge of the county for fractional license.

Robert J. A. Willey died at his home near Owens Station on Monday, of consumption, aged 56 years. Funeral services were held at St. Johnstown M. E. Church on Wednesday morning, by the Rev. John Johnson, of Greenwood, and sepulture made in the adjoining cemetery. S. J. Wilson funeral director.

With the permission of the editor I will make use of this advertising medium, to wit: For the past two weeks I have been canvassing for the life of our late President William McKinley. This is a conservative biography, written ten by Colonel Alexander McClure, a man of national reputation as a biographical writer, and a life-long friend of the late President. This work is an authentic work. It is a history of the man in the various phases of his life, and not of the politician. This work is bound in morocco, spangled edges, and will be delivered to subscribers at $2.00 a copy, and in cloth binding, very pretty, at $1.50 per copy. The work will contain one hundred line engravings made expressly for the book, and many of them will appear in no other edition. The full book will contain nearly 500 octavo pages. My first delivery will be ordered on the 14th inst., and delivery made on or after the 21st inst. I shall book another order and this is why the above is written. There are agents plenty from other publishing houses. “‘The woods is full of them,” but we claim that the work by McClure is the authentic biography of William McKinley. Now, if any person who reads this item and thinks anything of D. A. C. wishes a copy of this work, I shall be pleased to furnish it and send it to any part of the county postpaid. To those with whom I am acquainted, and with parties in Delaware, payment may be deferred until they receive the book. To strangers payment will be expected to accompany the order. I expect to make my next delivery on or after November 15th. Persons ordering from me will state style of binding desired, and price $1 50 cloth, $2.00 morocco. Anyone contemplating ordering this book in the near future, will please cut the above item out for reference, as it will not appear again.

Address: D. A. Conner, Gen. Agt.

Milton, Del.