100 years ago

december 31, 1908

Home for Christmas

Last Thursday afternoon, if you were on Main and Third streets looking toward the Santa Fe station when the passenger came in, you witnessed one of the happiest scenes that can be imagined—families being reunited, some had been away for years, others for a shorter period, but all were home to enjoy the happy Christmas time. We saw brothers clasp hands, mothers affectionally greet children and everybody happy and talking at the same time. But they were happy and that’s the important part of all conditions and occasions.

They filled the sidewalks from the station to Main street, continually stopping to greet old friends and neighbors. Walter Corby came home on this train also, but he was not able to enjoy the push of the crowd, instead, accompanied by members of his immediate family, he went home in the cab, a little pale from his recent hard tussle with an attack of appendicitis and the operation following, but he and all of us were glad he was able to be home for Christmas, the happiest season of the year.

Soon the new arrivals were on the streets and in the business houses greeting old friends and having a general good time. All over town that evening and the next day there were special dinner parties and some that were not special, but all were dinner parties just the same.

Christmas Night Concert

The concert given at the Auditorium Christmas night by Miss Vella Niederhauser and Miss Emma Siebert of Marion, Miss Alice Hey of Hillsboro and Miss Emma Rupp of Canada was fairly well attended. The program, however, was excellent.

Miss Vella Niederhauser, who is this year attending the Lindsborg Academy of Music, gave the soprano numbers of the program. Marion audiences always like to hear Miss Niederhauser sing and her efforts were well received, considerable improvement being noticeable as the result of her study. Her friends all wish her abundant success in developing this talent.

The readings by Miss Hey were good and in some respects surpassed professional talent now before the public. Miss Hey has studied along lines true to life and it’s a pleasure to hear her.

Miss Rupp is an accompanist of merit, an accomplishment of which she may well be proud. Her piano solo, “Salute Pesth” by Kowalski, was well received.

Miss Siebert in her piano solo, “Automne” by Chaminade, expressed her preference for the deep toned harmonies. A splendid production.

Thus, briefly we have mentioned the personnel of the program, home talent of which we have every reason to be proud and for which we as a community should show our appreciation whenever opportunity offers. And the foundation for this accomplishment was laid in Our Public Schools.

John Thomason, proprietor of the new Marion Harness Co., received a power sewing machine last Tuesday, for sewing heavy leather. He makes repairing a specialty. He has a nice stock of goods to show you.

Miss Clara Paddock entertained a number of her friends very pleasantly last evening. The room was decorated with mistletoe, the evening spent with music and conversation and a picture was taken of the company. Light refreshments were served consisting of salad, chocolate cake, wafers, and candy. Those present were Misses Clara Sumner, Gladys Corby, Eulah Marner, Aline Frazer, Pearl Kuhn, Clara and Fae Paddock and Messrs. Fred Longman, N.S. Myers, Guy Yost, Will Kieferle, J.G. Forney, D. Lewis, Fred Coburn and Walter Corby.

There will be a meeting of the Library Association at the Rest Room next Saturday afternoon at four o’clock. All members solicited to attend.

The ME’s are now occupying their new church at Lincolnville. Same will be dedicated the 10th of January, 1909.

V.E Healea & Co. have sold 11 fine pianos during their special sale and are willing to sell 100 more before Christmas. See them one door east of W.W. Loveless & Sons’ Store.

In last Thursday’s mail this office received a letter from a Chicago mail order house assuring us that our commercial rating had been reported to them as O.K. and on account of which they would next day send us, postage prepaid, one of their new catalogues, inviting a careful examination of its contents after which they would be glad to prepare for shipment to us, a large bill of goods—all of which is nice and genteel. Monday morning the book came. We haven’t disturbed the wrapper. The house from which it came is too Sear-iously Robust to need our patronage anyhow. Why a Marion citizen should patronize a Chicago firm has never been very satisfactorily explained, especially when the same goods are for sale in Marion. Some argue that much can be saved by dealing with the catalogue house, but in the past two weeks, the fallacy of this assertion has been proven several times in two of Marion’s business house. Trade at home. Get well acquainted with the stocks of goods your home merchant carries and you will find there is no occasion to send a dollar out of town for anything needed in the home, on the farm or in the shop or for personal comfort or convenience. A portion of every dollar spent in Marion soon finds its way out into the pockets of the people of the town and surrounding country, while the mail order trade is a continual drain on the community with no return. Start the New Year right; make a bonfire of your mail order catalogues; get interested in your hometown and its enterprises and the Cash that has been going out to the Mail Order House, circulating at home will give a healthier tone to the local financial conditions.