Another year has been registered on the calendar of times. 1910 is among the records of the past. We enter upon 1911 with glowing hopes and [..] anticipations of a bright future, but the end none may know. We have nothing but good to chronicle of the old year; many of us have been blessed beyond our dreams; few, in Milton, have but little of which to complain. During the year we have endeavored to keep pace with the doings of this town and consider it useless to summarize at present. The old year disappeared very quietly, and without any noise of the elements. The new one was ushered in amid the ringing of bells and firing of guns, and other heraldry of enthusiasm and [..]. The temperature of the day was normal throughout, with rain in the afternoon. The churchgoing people, and many who are not in the habit of attending church, assembled themselves in the two Methodist churches in the morning, to listen to the sermons of their respective pastors and to give thanks for the blessings of the past year. Many of them, no doubt, turned over “a new leaf,” Others of us made no especial effort in this direction, having already adopted the principle of Count Leo Tolstoi, the late Russian reformer, to live better each approaching day than we have during the past one. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered at each of the churches during the morning service. There has been but little change of residence amongst the people this year. Edward Bailey has removed from Mulberry Street into the property of James Palmer, corner Front and Chestnut Streets; James Smith occupies the property vacated by Mr. Bailey; and Harry Martin has removed into the building lately occupied by Millard Johnson, on Chestnut Street. Clarence Clifton has sold his property near the depot to “Fob” Prettyman and removed into the building lately occupied by Millard Johnson, on Chestnut Street, and Mr. Johnson has gone into the property where Mr. Clifton moved from. Robert Walls has removed from Front Street into the new building he has erected at Stephensonville.
Notwithstanding the indifferent service Milton has been receiving from the Georgetown Electric Light Plant, Town Council has contracted with that company for another three years’ service at sixty-five cents per month per light. There are now thirty-three lights on the streets, and it is agreed that seventeen more be put in. If the Georgetown Plant cannot light thirty-three lights satisfactorily, can it light fifty satisfactorily? It is the general cry of the populace, that the lights at their best are poor. And on many public occasions, notably of Christmas Eves, the lights go out. We understand this is done intentionally, as the Georgetown merchants put on more lights at this time, and as the plant cannot do service to so many, Milton is cut off. Well, we commend the plant for this. Always give your own town the advantage. If anyone is to blame for the new contract, it is the Milton Town Council.
Another carload of charcoal was shipped from Lavinia Switch last week.
The late warm spell has broken up the skating on the lake. Fortunately, nearly all the ice houses are filled. Handy Prettyman’s is not; he was handicapped by not having both of his houses completed, and got at work filling them late, and although he has improved methods of storying ice, the warm weather caught him before he accomplished this task.
Miss Lillie Steelman, of Milton, and Mr. Frank Hodgon, of Broadkiln, were married at the M. P. parsonage at Harbeson, by the Rev. Hermann Ryan on Tuesday evening the 27th.
The “Stars and Stripes” have been flying at half-mast since the death of C. W. Warren mentioned elsewhere in this communication from the flag pole in the yard of the Public School building in memory of the deceased, who was one of the teachers of the school.
The “gypsy” women are very astute, and soon know where to ply their trade. One can see their old shack of a Dearborn each day in front of the places where they are welcomed by their dupes.
Ralph T. Coursey, Jr., of Cambridge, Md., is visiting his many Milton friends.
Mrs. Charles Cannon and daughter Ethel are being entertained by relatives.
Miss Lillian Aker and mother have removed from Milton to Wyoming, Del, and William Hastings has removed from the country into the property vacated by Mrs. Aker, on Chestnut Street.
James A. Betts did not succeed in getting his new building ready for occupancy by the first of the year and has removed his family from his arm, near town, into a part of the property of Mrs. Eliza Lofland, on North Union Street.
Extra meetings have commenced at both of the Methodist churches on Sunday evening.
Clarence Welch, of Philadelphia, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Welch.
Miss Elizabeth Barker[i], daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Barker, of Milton, and Mr. Clarence Clendaniel, of near town, were married on Tuesday evening. The ceremony was performed at the M. P. parsonage, by the Rev. Frank Holland.
During the services at the two Methodist churches on Monday evening the electric lights—Georgetown Plant—went out. The old oil lights were improvised and lighted, and services resumed—when, all of a sudden—the electric lights sprang into life again. This system of “hide and seek” is a pretty farce to play upon an intelligent people.
J. C. Lank has been engaged to take the place of E. W. Warren, deceased, in the public schools, for the present week or until a regular teacher can be had.
Stephen Palmer, who has been on a furlough from the Soldier’s Home at Hampton, Va., returned to that institution on Wednesday to spend the winter.
At Carey and Darby’s store the awards of the “doll” and “wagon” were made on Saturday. No. 861 was entitled to the “wagon,” and claimed by Hiram Outten, of near town. No. 888 is entitled to the “Doll,” and has not yet been called for.
W. W. Conwell has removed his household goods to his farm near town, and Joshua Gray has removed into the building lately occupied by Mr. Conwell, on North Union Street. J. K. P. Jefferson has purchased the property vacated by Mr. Gray on Chestnut Street, and will remove from the country thereto.
The Shirt and Overall Factory resumed work on Monday.
Miss Mamie Conner, after spending the holidays in Philadelphia, returned home on Monday.
Miss Bessie Reed has returned to Baltimore after spending the Christmastide with her mother, Mrs. Samuel Carter, near town.
The public schools of Milton re-opened on Tuesday. The country schools on Monday.
Lettie R., wife of John Johnson, died near Ingram Mill on Tuesday, December 27th, of pneumonia, aged 66 years, 4 months and 8 days. Funeral services were held at Coolspring Presbyterian Church, on Saturday, by the Rev. Frank Holland, and interment made in the adjoining cemetery by S. J. Wilson & Son.
Robert H., son of Elias Bailey, and the mother who so shamefully abandoned him four weeks ago, died on Sunday of brain fever, aged 16 months, Funeral services at the home on Monday afternoon, and interment in the Presbyterian Cemetery by S. J. Wilson & Son.
Ebenezer W. Warren, […] principal of the Milton Public Schools, died suddenly about […] o’clock on Thursday at his home in Harbeson. He had been to the Jr. O. U. A. M. Lodge in the early evening and […] was over. He went to a physician and provided some medicine, went home and laid down on a lounge and died without any apparent struggle in about fifteen minutes. Mr. Warren […] teacher by profession and considerable of a politician. Within the last decade he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Legislature as Representative from the Tenth Representative District and served one term. In the last campaign he was the nominee of the Democratic Party for Clerk-of-the-Peace for this county, but was defeated by his Republican opponent. He was a member of the A. O. U. W. and Jr. O. U. A. M., both of which organization attended the funeral in a body. Funeral services were held in the M. E. Church on Monday afternoon, and largely attended by many friends. The religious obsequies were conducted by the Revs. Lusk and Holland. W. H. Welch, an intimate friend and brother teacher, delivered a eulogy on the many virtues and character of the deceased. The afternoon being stormy, the representatives of the two orders read their burial rituals at the church, after which the body was taken to the M. E. Cemetery and deposited therein. Deceased was aged 54 years, 7 months and 12 days. He leaves a widow and seven children—three sons and four daughters.
Dr. W. E. Douglass will about the first of January remove into the Dr. Carey property, on North Union Street, formerly occupied by William Workman.
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[i] Elizabeth “Lizzie” Barker was one of the Sunday School girls whose names appeared on Fannie Leonard’s Sunday School class window on the east wall of the Milton M. P. Church.