125 years ago

may 29, 1885

Decoration Day

To-day the old soldiers of Marion, joined by the boys in blue from Florence and other portions of the county, will pay the customary annual tribute to those of their comrades who sleep in our cemetery. And, similar honors will be paid to the sleeping heroes of Florence. It is a beautiful custom, and when all the present survivors of the great struggle for a united country shall have passed away, we trust that succeeding generations will have patriotism and gratitude enough to continue the observance of “Decoration Day.

Telephones are becoming quite fashionable in Marion.

A strange and sad accident occurred about four miles southeast of Marion last Monday afternoon. Mr. E. Liness’ little eighteen months old child fell into a puddle of water near the barn, and was drowned. It is said the water was only six or eight inches deep and the child had been missed from the house but a few minutes when it was found dead.

If Walter Sharp had as much money as he has faith in his mineral well, and energy in advertising it, Marion would soon be one of the greatest health resorts in the United States.

Our attention has been repeatedly called to the dangerous practice of many boys in town who are in the habit of climbing onto moving trains nearly every day, and we have been frequently asked to publicly notify the parents of the town of the danger thus incurred by their children. It ought to be unnecessary to caution parents about such matters, and we hardly have patience to talk on the subject, but if these boys are not compelled to stop fooling around the railroad, there will be some serious accidents for these negligent parents to mourn over one of these days. A word of warning to them ought to be sufficient, but we have no idea it will.

Mr. J.F. Helm has added one convenience after another in the way of stable, hen houses, milk cellar, all quarried into a side hill, grading the ground, and is now building quite a commodious addition including front porch, which will give him quite a comfortable home.

While crossing Clear Creek in a buggy near Rev. King’s Wednesday morning, Mr. James McIntosh and his Illinois brother had a narrow escape. The swollen current swept the vehicle down-stream. The occupants swam ashore, and the horses happily made a landing lower down. Mr. McIntosh is mighty glad it turned out no worse, but he would be grateful if the finder of his lap robe and halters would return them.