125 years ago

july 13, 1888

The Rebecca ladies of the Christian church will give a social Friday evening July 13th at Central Park. Ice cream, cake and other delicacies will be served. Rebecca will be at the well to supply all who may be thirsty. The band will furnish music and a general good time is anticipated. Everybody come. Mrs. J.B. Fuller, president, Mrs. A.K. Zercher, secretary.

The managers of the First National Bank and the Union Mortgage & Trust Company, whose western headquarters are in this city, and whose magnificent building is the pride of Marion and Marion county, and whose several branch establishments in this State are on a similar scale of elegance and solidity, are now preparing to extend their system into Ida Grove, Iowa. Our indefatigable Mr. Donaldson will himself put in a good deal of time up there.

Gen. D.A. Alden and wife, celebrated “little people,” have been in Marion this week. The General is giving daily exhibitions of glass-blowing, something very few people ever get a chance to see. It is worth much more than the pittance of ten cents charged to see it. Mr. and Mrs. Alden have given exhibitions all over the world. He is but four feet tall and weighs only eighty pounds. His wife is considerably smaller than he is. Go and see the General melt glass and make birds, etc., out of it by hand.