100 years ago
SEPTEMBER 15, 1904 — Sam Lucas, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Lucas, now a resident of Haines, Alaska, writes his parents a letter which recalls some interesting pioneer history. Acknowledging the receipt of a flood picture which showed the RECORD office, he says: "That picture is fine, and everything looks natural, especially the RECORD office. Old Gallimore built it for Dr. T.T. Davis. I will tell you an incident that happened in that building when the RECORD office was up stairs, in 1875. It was a loafing place for the old crowd and when Ed Hoch was making a struggle to make the "Old Thing" as he called it, pay a dividend. He had two boys working for him — Orin Meachim and Will Baxter. The night after Hoch was married to my old school teacher, Miss Dickerson, he came up into the office. Olin, Billie, Jack Gaver, John Lucas and I were there. The boys asked him to treat. He said, "Boys, I haven't a cent." Olin Meachim spoke and said, "Joe Young left a quarter for that extra notice." "All right, go and get a treat with it," said Hoch. Olin took the quarter and went down to Wadn's drug store and bought six cigars. That caused a dispute as in who should have the odd one. Billie Baxter proposed that the one who smoked his cigar first should have the extra one. We took the chimney off of the lamp and all got around to get an even start. I went in to win that cigar. There we sat, five of us, smoking with all our might. That was my first cigar. I worked bravely for awhile, then a feeling came over me I can never forget. I was sick, awfully sick. I went down stairs and sat upon the curbstone. Across the street was Pete Toomy's billiard hall, and that billiard hall was chasing the other buildings around in a circle. Well I didn't think my story would be so long, but it shows what memories a picture may recall. And when Ed Hoch said "I haven't a cent," he meant it, and now he is as good as Governor of Kansas.
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Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson, after a residence here of nearly a quarter of a century, left this week for their new home in Wheaton, Illinois, where they will be more closely associated with their children. For many years, rain or shine, hot or cold, when in health, these faithful folk could be found in their accustomed place in the church, and earnest in every good work. "They have lived here so long, we thought them permanent fixtures in the community. Here they have raised and given in the world three splendid sons whose manliness, and uprightness of character, reveal the perfect training they have had. None were more pure in thought and action, none more lovable and sweet tempered in disposition, than Mother Tomlinson; none more upright and conscientious, or keenly scrupulous about his private life and public acts, than Father Tomlinson. They will be greatly missed in Marion. They will be a splendid acquisition to the moral life of the city in which they make their home.
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What does a local paper hope to accomplish by trying to belittle that Republican gathering in Marion on the first of September? The local readers know that it was a great meeting, and old settlers know that the town never before had as many people in it. Maybe there was no sense in all those people coming here, maybe the Republican party is no good, maybe the speeches on the occasion were poor, weak things, maybe the meeting was a failure in every other way, but everybody knows that the crowd was immense, and what's the use in the Headlight trying to belittle it? It looks as if that paper is determined more and more to reverse the syllables in its title.
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The heavy rain of last Saturday night softened the earth to such an extent that a portion of the west wall of Ehrlich's building settled so it was necessary to employ a force of men, Sunday, in tearing it down. The excavation for the cellar of the new Hauser block, adjacent to the wall, was the cause of the difficulty, sufficient earth not having been left to sustain the weight. This is a serious loss to the parties interested, and will delay the construction of the Hauser building as well as cause John Ehrlich's Sons great inconvenience in conducting their business.
Marion seems to be having an exodus of old times right now. Uncle George Griffith and Aunt Betsy are going to sell their household goods and go to Washington State. We hate to lose these good pioneers. Marion won't look natural without the familiar face and form and "Uncle George" on her streets.
Last Thursday evening, about 6:30, Lawyer L.F. Keller's barn was discovered to be on fire. An alarm was immediately given, but before the fire laddies arrived and the water pressure was sufficient to be effective, the building and most of the contents were a total loss. "Fortunately there was little if any wind, or the conflagration might have spread to the adjoining buildings, and possibly have worked sad havoc in one of the best residence blocks in the town. Little Howard Keller started the fire in the mow, with a match he found upon the sidewalk. In addition to the loss of the barn, some valuable lumber stored there and a quantity of oats were destroyed. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, it was very fortunate that there was no greater loss of property, and possible loss of life.
There will be a social at the residence of A.E. Case on Friday, September 23, for the benefit of the reading room. Everybody invited. Come and help a good cause.
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1904 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)
