I am no theologian, nor a casuist, no not even a preacher, and there are some things regarding the Christian world that we cannot elucidate, neither can we understand them.[i] “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy” is one of the commandments. Now, when on a Sunday morning I see intelligent citizens and professed Christians lolling around the house unshaven and unkempt dressed in their dirty “every day” clothes, or meandering the streets with an old pipe in their mouth, I, mentally, soliloquize, “Does it mean that?” When I see a person strolling out into the fields—dressed in the best he has—and into the woods to hold sweet converse with nature, and to meditate on the goodness of God in giving to his vision the beauties he sees around him, and a mind to appreciate the lovely things of this world, I ask myself the question, “Does it mean that?” When I hear the church bells chiming, and see the worshippers moving along the street to the Houses of God to hear the minister expound the Gospel of Eternal Life, I repeat the interrogatory, “Does it mean that?” Is the “Convenant in Horab” as binding to the twentieth century, as it was when Israel wandered in the wilderness> If it is then God save us all from Sabbath breaking and from “presumptuous sin.”
On Thursday evening the 4th, the Epworth League elected the following officers: President, Dr. J. C. Wiltbank; Vice-President, Miss Virginia Brockinton; Secretary, Miss Lydia Black[ii]; Treasurer Captain G. E. Megee.
District Superintendent, the Rev. S. M. Morgan, D. D., was in attendance at the First Quarterly Conference of this Conference Year, which was held at the M. E. Church on Friday afternoon, Routine business was attended to and the pastor’s salary continued the same, viz., $1025–$900 from Milton and $125 from Zion.
Miss Estella B. Allen of Berks County, Pa., has sued the commissioners of the Milton Colored School for services she did not render as teacher of said school. There has been trouble in this district during most of the school term between the teacher and the parents of the pupils. The teacher was asked to resign sometime about Christmas, She not doing so, the commissioners discharged her, and subsequently, reinstated her. Trouble again began and Prof. Brooks was notified; who, after an investigation of the matter, about two months before the closing of the school, discharged Miss Allen and employed a male teacher in her place, and notified the commissioners to see that the new teacher was properly installed in the school. This was done. Hence, the action of Miss Allen in suing for salary for her unexpired time. The case will come before justice at Georgetown, probably this week.
William Mears, the barber, attended the funeral of his father who died in Camden, N. J., on Wednesday. Mr. Mears, Jr., returned home on Thursday.
Electric lights were installed in the post office last week.
Firemen Hall and the Engine House have been repainted by W. Smith & Sons.
The teachers for the Milton Public Schools have not been elected, as had been erroneously reported. An election for teachers will not take place until after the school meeting, which will be held on the last Saturday of the present month.
During the easterly winds of last week the people of the lower part of the town were regaled wuth the fumes and smoke of bituminous coal and can now appreciate what the communities of manufacturing cities enjoy. Well, the factories mean business, and let them run to their utmost capacity.
Mrs. Mellie Russell, of Scranton, Pa., is the guest of Elizabeth Chandler and her many other Milton friends.
Children’s day services were held at Zion and White’s Chapel M. E. Church on Sunday afternoon, and will be held at the Milton M. E. Church on next Sunday evening and Milton M. P. Church on Sunday evening, the 21st.
Charles Hutson has bought of the heirs of the late James Ponder, a two story dwelling house, situated a short distance from Federal Street.
The Wagamon Brothers have built a porch in front of the annex to their property on Mulberry Street, near the lake.
S. J. Wilson has had a new portico put in front of the Wilson homestead on Mill Street.
A game of baseball was played on Saturday afternoon, between Milton and Georgetown. Score, 14 to 2 in favor of the former.
Prof. Mortimer Whitehead, late principal of the Milton Public Schools, has returned to his home at Lincoln.
Fred Johnson has removed from Philadelphia to the farm of Rufus Ellingsworth, near town.
Congressman Burton was a Milton visitor on Friday.
Rev. Martin Damer preached and administered the Eucharist at St. George’s on Sunday morning; in consequence no service was held at the P. E. Church in town. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered at the M. E. Church on Sunday morning, and at the M. P. Church on Sunday evening.
A new gutter was put in last week on Chestnut Street, and a survey has been made this week of the south of Federal Street, whereby the present street will be contracted in width and the sidewalks on the east side will be abnormally widened.
Town Council has fixed the pump in front of what was once the lower hotel, and which in the general melee last November went dry too; and put a cup there for the benefit of thirsty ones.
Possible the town bailiff is doing his duty in a general sense, but he is not keeping the mosquitoes off the street corners and along the sidewalks these evenings. See to it, Mr. Bailiff; for there is a visiting lady from a distance complaining of these nasty things; which she was raised amongst.
Dr. James A. Hopkins is having a wind mill erected in his back yard on Federal Street. John Barker is manager of the job.
An exhibition of “moving pictures” was given at School Hall on Monday and Tuesday evening, under the auspices of the M. P. Church.
The progeny—children and grandchildren—of Mrs. Sallie A. Walls, fifteen in number, were with her at her home at Stevensonville on Sunday.
Peas are plenty at the cannery today, and the vines are hauled away almost as fast as the peas are shelled out, by anxious parties, for to be dried for food.
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[i] This is not the first time D. A. Conner has written about this subject; he dealt with the issue of Sabbath observance in his column of November 22, 1907.
[ii] This is the first “adult” position for Lydia Black after her high school graduation in May of 1907.