Virtue Council No. 3 Daughters of America elected the following officers last week: Jr. Past councilor, D. A. Wilson; councilor, Mamie E. Vent; assistant councilor, Estella Davidson; assistant vice councilor, Emma Lank; recording secretary, Mary E. Davidson; assistant recording secretary, Maymie A. Conner; financial secretary, Hattie J. Conner; treasurer, J. M. Lank; conductor, Lizzie Walls; warden, Estella Reynolds; inside sentinel, Molly Sharp; outside sentinel, Miss Dickerson; representative to the National Council, Laura M. Conner; representative F. B. A., Maymie A. Conner.[i]

The Atkins family of this town is noted for longevity. There are four brothers whose ages aggregate 349 years; Captain Joseph C. Atkins, 93 years; Thomas Atkins, 86 years; John Atkins, 85 years; and T. Page Atkins, 83 years. All of them live in Milton, except John, who is somewhere in New Castle County. Three of them are in a good state of preservation; and the youngest one, and the one that has done the least work in life, is the most decrepit of them all, requiring an attendant to care for him, all the time.

If there’s anything that sounds soft, and is soft, it is a man addressing his wife as Mrs. __. Ask him something of which his wife has knowledge, and he will reply; “I’ll ask Mrs. __.” Absurd! How would it sound if the Bible should read; “and for this cause a man shall leave father, mother and cleave unto”[ii] Mrs. __. If a man is ashamed to call his companion “wife” he ought to have none, the usages of polite society to the contrary notwithstanding.

Mr. Markel, of Shrewsboro, Pa., senior partner in the “big store,” has been in town during the past week, as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Hartman.

It is related there are people in Milton were so incensed with others that they will not walk on the side of the street on which they do business; will not look at the same mirror, nor expectorate in the same cuspidor. And such venom following a religious revival! Surely it does look as though some missionary work is needed in Milton.

William Lofland was arrested on Wednesday and confined in the lockup until Thursday morning, when he was arraigned before Mayor Fosque, and required to give $500 bond. Failing to find a bondsman he was released on his own recognizance.

On Thursday evening, at the M. E. Parsonage, by the Rev. R. T. Coursey, Miss Pearl King, of Broadkiln Hundred, was married to Clinton Walls.

William Robinson, Sr., died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. George Clifton, near town, on Wednesday, of dropsy, aged about 94 years. Funeral services and interment took place at Reynolds M. P. Church, on Friday. Rev. W. A. Sites, of Harbeson, conducted the funeral, J. R. Atkins funeral director.

George B. Atkins contracted to take down the spire of the M. P. Church, for $20.00. E, was one man did the work in these little over two days.

Purnell Helens, died on Friday, of a complication of diseases. Funeral services were held, and interment took place at Weigand’s Chapel on Sunday. Deceased was a veteran and a pensioner of the Civil War. He had obtained permission to enter the soldiers home, at Hampton, Va., and had intended to me for that placed Las Wednesday, but was taken sake, and died as above stated.

Edwin P. Johnson has received an invitation to attend the marriage, of the paymaster of the railroad division, on which he is employed, at Whitesville, West Virginia, on January 17.

Captain Wallace Smith, engaged in the oyster trade on the Chesapeake, has been in town, on business during the week.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered at the M. E. Church, on Sunday morning, by the Revs. Coursey and Hooker. Two persons were admitted as probationers, one joining the M. E., and one the M. P. Church.

Rev. R. T. Coursey and wife made a trip to Baltimore last week; while their Mrs. Coursey was taken ill, but is now better. Mr. Coursey returned home last Saturday evening; his wife will return the last of the present week.

While driving into town on Monday morning, Ike Warren, of New Market, and another man, had a runaway. They were driving a double team, and while coming down Union Street a rein broke and the team became unmanageable. It ran the wagon into the gutter, near Magnolia Street, broke both single trees and the poll, and otherwise damaged the vehicle. Both men were thrown out, but were unhurt, as, also, was the team.

It is amazing to one unacquainted with the peculiarity zip human nature to see the inquisitive ones, and others, who want to suggest an idea of “how it ought to be done,” hankering around the M. P. Church, now undergoing improvements. Call around friends, you don’t bother the workmen! And the boys want your ideas.

Captain S. R. Bennett has presented to the Rev. R. T. Coursey a set of silver teaspoons with the letters “P. J. B.” engraved thereon. The engraving tool was pen knife, and the engraving was done by Freeborn Garrison, on one of his visits to Captain Bennett’s grandmother to whom the spoons formerly belonged. Freeborn Garrison, while organizing the first Methodist society in Milton, made Mrs. Bennett’s house, his house, and the chair in which he used to sit, is now in Captain Bennett’s possession. In his will the Captain has devised this chair to the Rev. J. A. B. Wilson, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, Grass Valley, California.

Captain S. R. Bennett, who was much improved, up to last Monday, fell three times on that day and is now unable to get around without help.

John B. Davidson, who was superseded last week by another officer, had been Secretary of the M. E. Sunday school for thirty-five consecutive years. In appreciation of his long service, the school, last Sunday, tendered him a vote of thanks.

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[i] Three of David A. Conner’s unmarried daughters are serving as officers of the Daughters of America chapter in Milton.

[ii] Quotation from Old Testament, Genesis 2:24, referring to the creation of woman; this quote is paraphrased and repeated several places in the New Testament (Matthew 19:5, Ephesians 5:31, Mark 10:7)