100 years ago
SEPTEMBER 1, 1904 — The Republican State campaign was opened in this city with a monster demonstration. The crowd began to arrive on the afternoon and evening trains Wednesday and the early morning trains Thursday. The sky was overcast with clouds and threatened rain throughout the day, but nevertheless, from every point of the compass, the farmers and their families, in carriages and wagons, came pouring into the city, and by the time of the arrival of the Fairbank's special train, at 11:25 a.m., the streets were filled with happy, good natured, well dressed crowd.
The Wichita special on the Rock Island arrived about the same time as the Fairbanks train, and the 600 Wichitans with campaign umbrellas, preceded by their splendid band, made an imposing guard of honor as they ushered the Vice President and his party through the waiting thousands upon the streets. From Topeka, Hutchinson, McPherson, Abilene, Salina, Sedgwick, Newton, Emporia, Cottonwood, Herington and other intermediate points came unnumbered thousands to swell the crowd and add to the enthusiasm of the day.
Many private homes were handsomely decorated and it seemed as if the whole town vied in doing honor to our visitors. It was a great undertaking for a little city of 2000 souls, all told, to feed and care for five or six times its own population. But Marion did it and had plenty to spare. There was no disorder of disturbances of any character. Everybody had a good time, all our visitors were enthusiastic in complimenting the town, and Marion had a red letter day.
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At the annual meeting the W.C.T.U. elected the following officers: Mrs. L.F. Keller, president; Mrs. J.P. Reed, secretary; Mrs. A.E. Case, treasurer; Mrs. H. Buschlen, corresponding secretary; and Mrs. E.W. Hoch, Mrs. John Kendrick, Mrs. James Hoch, Mrs. Minton, Mrs. A.C. Case and Mrs. Musick, vice presidents.
Miss Burlingame of Erie, Kansas, an experience milliner, and an estimable lady, will have charge of the millinery department at W.W. Loveless & Son the coming season. She served her former employer three seasons, and was urgently requested to stay with them indefinitely, but she preferred coming to Marion. All our lady friends are invited to make her acquaintance at an early date, and "get next" to some of her millinery ideas.
Last Saturday, the little three-year-old boy, Clarence, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Penland, went into a cane field and is supposed he fell asleep. His uncle, Nathan Smith, who was mowing the cane didn't see him, and ran the machine into him, cutting his left arm at the elbow. He was taken to the doctor, but is feared the elbow joint was cut and that he will have a stiff arm, but lucky the little fellow got off as well as he did.
A moonlight boating party down the Luta and Cottonwood was participated in by a party of young people Wednesday evening of last week. Starting from the Park spring, the party were rowed down to Ehrlich's mill, where a boat load of ice cold watermelons were served to the strains of music. Returning home by moonlight (hour not mentioned) a concert was given at the Park Spring. Those who comprised the party were Misses Mamie Wheelock, Gertie Bown, Dorothy Graham, Lola Hoch, Maud Bixler, Edna Yost, Lucy Mollohan, Mamie Caldwell, and Mabel Brumbaugh. Messrs Wayland Ackley, Jacob Good, Mr. Clark, Clarence Waring, Fred Wheeler, Wilton Vaughn, Dr. Stauffer, Ralph Bryan, and Cecil Scott.
Fred Spicer will commence next week giving his series of school house entertainments with the great Victor Talking Machine. Dates for next week are as follows: Beauty of the West school house Monday, September 5th; Pleasant Hill school house, Thursday the 6th; Williams school house, Wednesday, the 7th; Bridenthal school house, the 8th.
A Good Investment
As a mere matter of town interest, altogether aside from politics, the money expended on the Republican campaign opening, is about the best money the town ever spent. The event put new heart in the old town. The flood had discouraged and disgusted many citizens. Town pride was at a low ebb. But this meeting revived the spirits of the people and put new heart in the town. It prompted new efforts at home adornment. People cleaned up their premises and put everything in presentable shape. The town, always beautiful, is particularly so, now. You can't find its equal of its size in Kansas. No, you can't. And then, the great crowds have come and gone and left much more money here — vastly more than the town put in this enterprise — and carried away with them a good opinion of the place and its people. They will speak their praise all over the state. This "opening" of the State campaign in Marion was a great honor to the town. Nothing like it ever before occurred in Kansas. It was a big undertaking for a town of its size, but it was a good investment.
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1904 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)\
