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100 years ago

DECEMBER 22, 1904 — J.C. Rath, an old pioneer, died in this city last Friday morning at the home of Newton Smith, after a very brief illness of pneumonia. He had come to town but a few days before his death to visit relatives, when he was stricken with the disease which terminated fatally. "Chris" Rath as he was familiarly known, was one of the earliest settlers in Marion County. He located on a farm near Antelope in 1856. For more than fifty years he had been a resident of Kansas. In his younger days he was engaged in freighting, going to Leavenworth for goods, which he distributed at the little settlements then widely scattered over the prairies of the state. He was a very taciturn man but there was one subject upon which he was always ready to talk. It was his experience in the early day, as a freighter and buffalo hunter. Mr. Rath was about sixty nine years old.

Early in life he united with and was confirmed as a member of the German Lutheran Church. He leaves to mourn his loss a wife, a son, and a daughter. The funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Christian Church, conducted by Rev. Berkeley. A large number of the old neighbors and friends of the deceased were present to pay a last tribute of respect to his memory. The interment was in Highland cemetery.

There will be one family in New York City that will have a fine turkey for Christmas dinner. Al Carter, on Tuesday, sent to Mrs. Musick, a fine 22 pound specimen of the Kansas bird, by express. Turkey is only 50c a pound in New York.

Marriage licenses reported in this issue are as follows: Frank E. Hix, Florence, 21, and Fern H. Crist, Florence, 19; Frank Ollhoff, Herington, 23, and Alverna V. McCosh, Herington, 19; John E. Leith, Cedar Point, 26, and Katie E. Eyer, Florence, 20; Arthur Fowler, Peabody, 21, and Elva F. Stovall, Peabody, 16; Charles E Whisler, Peabody, 31, and Nora A. Cole, Peabody, 19; John P. Brunneman, Peabody, 28, and Fannie A. Good, Peabody, 23; Andrew Ratzlaff, Durham, 24, and Lena Koehn, Alvin, 21; Everett J. Alleman, Florence, 23, and Plenia Featherkile, Florence, 21; Robt. C. Hammond, Peabody, 23, and Ivy M. Royce, Peabody, 19.

Herbert Thorp has sold his residence premises to George Hauser, the consideration being $3,000. We understand that Mr. Thorp will build a modern home on the plat of ground south of the senior Mr. Thorp's home.

R. Locklin came in Saturday, to renew for the RECORD, and called our attention to the fact that he had been a continuous subscriber since the first issue of the paper. We are always glad to have these old-timers come in, but the fact that you have not been taking the paper since its birth need not keep you from coming in to renew. We'll give you the "glad hand," too.

The various churches of the city will hold the usual Christmas exercises, this year. We believe all are to be given Christmas eve, with the exception of the Presbyterian. They will give their program Sunday evening.

Tom McGuire has moved his peanut stand further east, because of the sale of the ground upon which he has been located.

Obituary

Another of Chase County's oldest and most respected citizens has been borne to his last resting place, where with bowed heads and heavy hearts his friends followed to the grave the earthly remains of Henry Collett of Elk, Kansas, who was born in London, England, August the 9th, 1841. He came, with his parents George and Rose Collett to Quebec, Canada, in 1848. From there they moved to Rockford, Illinois, in 1854 and in 1860 the family moved to Middle Creek, Chase County, where he lived with his parents on a homestead among the early pioneers. During the Civil War he was with the Army for two years through Missouri and Arkansas as a teamster. In 1864 Mr. Collett took the old homestead at Elk, Kansas, and two years later was married to Miss Carrie Huston, who was one of another pioneer family. Mr. Collett spent a great deal of time on the plains hunting buffalo, and many were the interesting stories he could tell of those early days, when Indian and horse thieves infested the country and farmers and their stock. He was appointed postmaster at Elk thirty years ago last August. His Post Office Commission was signed by P.M. General Marshall Jewell under President Grant's administration and to probably one of the oldest commission in continuous force in the State. He has owned a general store and blacksmith shop for about twenty years and for several years he worked in his shop as wagon maker but had given all his attention to stock raising and farming the last years of his life. In October Mr. and Mrs. Collett took a well earned rest and visited the St. Louis Fair, which to them was one of the greatest pleasures of their lives. After a prolonged stay in which they saw everything of interest to them they returned to Gallatin, Missouri, to visit at the home of their daughter, Mrs. E.H. Henry and other relatives. From there they came to Lawrence, Kansas, to visit their daughter Miss Lizzie Collett where Mr. Collett was taken sick and died of pneumonia on December 10th, 1904, after an illness of three weeks. Surrounded by his wife and all his children who had been summoned to his bedside, he passed away. The body was brought to Elmdale and laid to rest at Cottonwood Falls. He leaves a wife and five children, Frank and Fred Collett, Mrs. L.C. Umberger, Miss Lizzie Collett and Mrs. E.H. Henry of Gallatin, Missouri, who survive him.

Some scalawags broke into a corn crib of Robert Marshall's, Friday night, and stole a wagon load of ear corn. The Sheriff has the matter in hand and the fellow may get a free pass to the penitentiary.

(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1904 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)

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