100 years ago

january 13, 1910

Nearly all of the front page of this issue is taken up with reports of a town meeting to discuss changing the way the business of the City of Marion was run. This is a sampling of that page.

Commission Form

of Government

Movement started at a large and enthusiastic meeting of citizens to inaugurate the system in Marion.

It is claimed:

• That a board of three men could transact the business of the city more expeditiously than eight or nine men can do it;
• That the latter number is too cumbersome for effective work;
• That where there is such a large number and the consequent variety of opinion on every matter however trivial, there is naturally and unavoidably a great deal of time wasted in discussion;
• That under the present system responsibility is not sufficiently personalized;
• That what is so many people’s business becomes nobody’s business;
• That the specific division of duty and responsibility among the three men would greatly promote business efficiency;
• That this division would enable the public to know exactly where to place responsibility in any particular matter, and exactly to whom to make suggestion or criticisms with reference thereto.

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Miss Clara Frazer met with a serious accident while coasting last week. She was thrown from the sled and sprained her ankle.

A number of the leading business men of Ramona were here Tuesday for the purpose of having Ramona incorporated as a city of the third class. The commissioners ordered a redraft of the petition to include the Lewis cemetery for protection. The election will be held February 8 at the school house. While in the city, the Ramona delegation made the Record office a welcome call.

Mr. C.E. Gardner, who has been working for John Lavoni at his ranch west of Marion, has moved to the Seibel place two miles east of town and will work for Geo. Hauser, who is the owner of that place now.

Another Overflow

All high-water records, for this time of year, were broken here last night. The river broke over about five o’clock yesterday evening and reached its highest sometime during the night. It is impossible now to give accurate figures as to the heights of the water at different places in town. But the water was on Main street, filling the street to the top of the curbs on the sidewalks at most places. It only got into two business houses—Kuhn’s barber shop and Richardson’s grocery store. It was only in the front part of the former, but all over the floor of the latter.

As we go to press, the water is receding very slowly. This is due partly to the ice which clogs the outlets. The water on Main street has frozen in many places perhaps a half an inch thick; the thermometer is now but a little below freezing point.