Fred Westhusin went out to get his car ready to take his mother to town earlier in the week and as he did not return for some time, she went out to see what was wrong. She found him hanging between the bows of the top of the car, which was a touring car. Mr. Westhusin was a bachelor living with his mother a few miles east of Plainville. The supposition is he slipped from the running board of the car while working on something in the back seat.

The latest rumor regarding a hospital for Stockton is that such an enterprise will be headed by Dr. Colby, now of Woodston, and a Kansas City surgeon. Dr. Colby has a large practice and does considerable surgical work. Stockton needs a hospital and we trust the rumor is well founded and will soon develop into a first class institution.

This week the firm of Snyder Brothers is dissolved, Roy Snyder purchasing the interest of his brother Harold. Some three years ago the boys purchased the Rexall Store of O. S. Ellvin, and have since conducted a very successful and profitable business Harold Snyder retires because he prefers some other line of work and may eventually go into the clothing trade. The store was closed Tuesday while invoicing was going on. Both the boys are very competent and very popular young men and their many friends wish them abundant success in their several callings.

Home for Christmas: Delbert Crowell, who is enlisted in the Navy, is home on furlough from Honolulu. Walter Brown and Duffie Hindman, who are attending Washburn College, are spending Christmas vacation at home. George Price, who is attending college at Manhattan, spent Christmas vacation with his uncle F. M. Streeter and family. Harold Butler, who is attending school at Salina, is spending Christmas holidays with Stockton relatives and friends. Miss Marie Dahlgren, who is working in Topeka, is home on her Christmas vacation. Mr. Maurice Stroup of Salina is spending the Christmas holidays with her parents. Pat Joyce and Frank Tarbell came home on Saturday from Goodland where they are working. Pat returned on Monday evening and Frank will return after New Year’s. Frank and Leonard Schruben were down from Sheridan County for the holidays. Frank is at the present time, helping Leonard get out his corn. Leonard moves on to the Dan Kelly place in the spring. Miss Flossie Bats of Alton spent Christmas with her sister, Mrs. R. M. Prizer. Mr. and Mrs. Scotty Muir spent Christmas with Mrs. Downie Jackson of Downs. D. H. Scott is conductor on the passenger train while Walhezier is enjoying his Christmas vacation. Ray Grimsley came down from Colby to spend the Christmas holidays with the home folks. Mr. Ralph Nobel, who is attending school at Hays, and who is also employed in the Ellis County News office, came over last Friday afternoon to help out the Record office force this week during the Christmas vacation.

(The following article is taken from the December 14th, 1922 edition of the Rooks County Record) Removing Landmarks Old Academy building to be razed/Stockton’s first house to stay The meeting that was called for Friday afternoon at the school auditorium for the purpose of disposing of the old Academy building and the McNulty log cabin, was rather poorly attended. However the keenest interest was shown in the matters presented by the board and a considerable part of the audience participated in the discussion of what to do with the tall building on the hill was first discussed.

Roy Wyant told the barber shop the other evening how he was able to capture a mysterious egg thief, who had for some time taken all the eggs from two hens’ nests. He had made a nest egg of magnesia rock and the nocturnal marauder, a big bull snake, swallowed it whole as he had been wanting to do with the eggs. When he tried to crawl into his hole, it sat very hard on his stomach and he could not crush it, neither could he get into the hole, and when discovered, he paid with his life for his greediness.

We were at the new school building on Monday afternoon and visited the auditorium. Here we found workmen installing the new moving picture apparatus and iron booth. The object of our visit was to see paintings executed by Rev. T. S. Hunter, who is an accomplished artist and decorator, as well as a profound pulpit orator. Mr. Hunter is adept at free hand drawing and never a copiest. His view of landscapes are from memory of the places he has been. He has painted two scenes of the river Jordan—one for the Baptistry of the Christian Church and the other for the Odd Fellow Lodge. We found him on the stage at the school auditorium commencing on a large interior scene. The drop curtain is on a grand scale, showing a lofty range of mountains, shrouded in mists, with lesser eminences near, and a river and woods in the foreground. The colorings and perspectives are natural. This is entirely his own conception. A street scene is painted from memory. It shows a short stretch of St. Charles Street, New Orleans, with an old French cathedral in the center. He is working now on a fine parlor scene and soon will paint an outdoor garden scene. When completed Stockton will have the finest stage settings to be found in any auditorium. All the curtains roll from the top and present a flat surface while ascending.

Some vandal shied a rock through the window of Frank Vardaman’s Chili Parlor on Monday evening, barely missing his boy who was sitting there reading. Frank immediately rushed out, but could not find the miscreant whereupon he got as hot as anything in the chili line.

The Midland Café will serve a fine chicken dinner on Thanksgiving. If you can’t afford a turkey, and many there be who can’t, take life easy on that day and enjoy a real appetizing spread at a moderate price, prepared under the skillful direction of Mrs. Sherrill, the gracious hostess of the Midland. You’ll certainly enjoy it.

The Central Branch passenger train crashed into a Ford coupe at the crossing just west of the Woodston Depot. Mrs. Roy Tipton received injuries about the head from which she died three days later. Mr. and Mrs. Tipton were living at Hays where Mr. Tipton and his brother, Ralph, are conducting a bakery. Mr. and Mrs. Tipton had driven to Alton to attend to some business and were on their way to the home of Alex Low, father of Mrs. Tipton, where they had left their baby in Mrs. Low’s care. Something went wrong with the motor on the Rock Hill north of Woodston and Mr. T. said they would go back to Woodston and get it fixed before going any farther. In approaching the crossing next to the depot, he passed close to the elevator and by a long string of coal chutes. He could not see the train on the other side, which was slowing down to stop at the station, and he turned to cross directly in its path. Mrs. Tipton saw the incoming train, but too late. She evidently tried to get out just as the engine struck the coupe. She was thrown upon the cowcatcher and carried to the depot where she fell into a pile of boxes. The coupe was thrown over on its side with Mr. Tipton in it, and pushed along the track about 60 feet until the train finally stopped. The mail clerk and others rushed to the coupe and pulled Mr. Tipton out. No one had seen Mrs. Tipton and she was not known to have been hurt until Mr. T. asked for her. Then her limp form was found on the pile of debris. She never regained consciousness, though she lived for three days. Every possible human aid was rendered without avail. Bertha Nevada Tipton was born on November 3rd, 1889 and died in Woodston on November 12th at the age of 23 years and nine days.