The signs that presage the Christmas holidays are apparent on every hand. The stores are putting on their embellishments, the various lines of trade are introducing their preparatory work, and even the cuneiform close-fisted cranks are awakening to the fact that Christmas is nearly here. Perhaps the best arranged store the “Big Store” of Messrs. Markel & Hartman. With a plenty of room at all times Christmas, with its supplies, necessarily abridges the space, yet there is always room for more. This store, at this time, is a paragon of beauty, not alone in the display of the many attractive goods, toys, bon-bons, bric-a-brac and other articles, both useful and ornamental, but also in its decorations of evergreen, its prettily arranged holly, mistletoe and ivy, and in fact, everything that is likely to please the fancy of the beholder. We believe we can say without exaggeration that up to date this is the arranged store, and the holiday trimmings are the most beautiful ever seen in Milton. Please remember that when we speak of the prettiness of the trimmings of this store those who handle the goods are to be considered the most potent factors in its embellishment.

James C. Carey being the lowest bidder for the mail contract between Milton and Ellendale, has been awarded the job, and entered on his duties on Tuesday. This mail leaves Milton at 10 o’clock. The same mail service via the Queen Anne’s railroad is continued. There were four bids for the mail service, viz: George Harrington, $500; William Fox, $474; W. H. Johnson, $350, and James C. Carey, $275. The distance is about seven miles.

By the absconding of Leon A: Davis, Isaac W. Nailor, contractor and builder, of this town, is the worse off. Mr. Nailor had contracted with Mr. Davis to build a house in Georgetown. He has now the foundation laid, and the lumber for the building on the ground, when a peremptory stop is made.

The trolley will come.[i]

George W. Atkins had quite an experience with a part of the headgear of a bedstead last week. While traveling in Maryland he stopped overnight with a friend and was put in a room lately furnished. His manoeuvers during the night loosened a part of the ornamental head board which tell on him, knocking him insensible and cutting him about the forehead. He come home bathed with anodyne and plastered with […].

The steamer will come.

Aromatic vinegar now has the […] of being amongst the best disinfectants of germicides extant[ii]. It is considered a preventive of microbes and bacteria and as such is used by many families in this town. The persons get the spices in their crude state and manufacture or mix them themselves. Placed in an open vessel in a bed room—or any other room—it gives forth a very pleasant aroma. And as sweet smelling spices are getting to be considered better antiseptics than asafetida, carbolic acid, etc., they are becoming more generally used. J. B. Welch is furnishing considerable quantities of the spices free.

It is getting to be a too common practice with too many people, when they have two or three cords of wood to cut, to get a portable steam engine to do the work, when there, are many persons at this season who would be glad to have the job at about the same price, cutting it by muscular process.

James Jester has inaugurated the first dry dock process we have ever seen in Milton. Last week he went down to the shallow part of the river with a team and an arrangement on wheels. This he backed into the river and under Dr. J. C. Wiltbank’s steam yacht, and giving the word to the team out the vessel came with all ease.

The first fox hunt of the season came off on Thursday, when James Morris, with others, went out and jumped a Reynard, and had a five hour’s run.

S. R. Bennett, while splitting wood on Thursday, badly cut the index finger of his left hand. Dr. R. T. Wilson rendered the necessary medical service.

At a meeting of Milton Conclave No. 44[iii] held Dec. 15, 179s [sic], the following officers were elected: Archon, Thomas H. Douglass; Provost, Thomas W. Jefferson; Prelate, John Lewis; Secretary, J. H. Davison; Financier, S. J. Wilson; Treasurer, J. B. Welch; Inspector, Dr. J. C. Wiltbank; Warden, Thos. Johnson; Sentinel, A. H. Manship, Jr.; Trustees, S. J. Martin, N. W. White, J. R. Atkins.

J. B. Welch’s celebrated dream appeared in the Peninsular Methodist of last week; it will be continued. Rev. Strickland writes and publishes the dream under his own name. Mr. Welch receives no credit. Rev. Mr. Strickland is located at Nassau.

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[i] This is at least the second time that David Conner has been repeating the mantras of “The Trolley Will Come” and “The Steamer Will Come.” There was, at the time, a proposal to run a trolley line through Milton, but there was no solid plan or even a terminus identified. As for the steamer, a company had been chartered to establish a steamer to Philadelphia at this point, but no action had yet been taken to make it happen.

[ii] Aromatic vinegar is simply concentrated acetic acid with various spices dissolved in it. It was first used to ward of plague in the Middle Ages, but by 1903 it was viewed in medical circles as an effective disinfectant. It was frequently used on patients with typhoid fever to cool the skin and mask any offensive odors.

[iii] This was the fraternal organization called the Independent Order of Heptasophs (seven wise men).