Oh Boy, the big Rooks County Fair is next week! Everything is being rapidly shaped up for the 35th annual fair. The grounds and buildings are being groomed for the annual event. The officers and committees are forgetting sleep and everything else to make the 1923 fair the biggest and most successful of all fairs ever held in the county. Now it is up to the people of the county and surrounding counties to come and swell the attendance into the thousands. The list of free attractions this year are far above last year’s fair. They have booked a fine list of entertainment and at a late date booked the Blackstone Quartette.

Kansas will have the highest tax levy this year in the history of the state. The expense of the state government makes it necessary to establish a levy of 2.41 mills compared to a levy of 1.66 mills last year.

John W. Hazelbaker, field manager for the Midland Trail, made the race over the trail yesterday, competing for the time against the Rock Island Railway. Hazelbaker left Kansas City at 2:00 o’clock in the morning and was ahead of his schedule up to the last report received, which was at Burlington, Colorado. He passed through Stockton at 10:40 a.m. just an hour and three minutes ahead of the schedule previously announced. The first hundred miles of the race was through mud and he lost a couple of tires and received a puncture at Simpson. Hazelbaker was driving a stock Buick car, carrying a relief driver, a mechanic and reporter. He was piloted from Osborne to Plainville by M. O. Koesling, Buick dealer, and at Plainville the Buick representative took up the piloting to the next Buick point. Mr. Koesling very highly complimented the county for the splendid patrol work given along the trail and the excellent condition of the roads through the county, which is due to the efficient work of our county engineer, J. A. Bodine.

A young man named George A. Benson, living at Scandia, concluded that he could pass as a member of the American Legion, so he secured a button and put it on. As a result he was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail. He went to Belleville a short time ago and appeared in a clothing store operated by two Legion men, stating that he was short at the end of the month and the storekeepers gave him $2.00 with which to buy gasoline for his car. They later made an investigation and found that he was an imposter and was not a member of the Legion and had no right to wear the button. His arrest followed a short time later. Benson is alleged to have made a number of aliases and to have served time at different places prior to his arrest there.

John Hazelbaker, manager of the Midland Trail between St. Louis and Denver was in Stockton a short time last Thursday in the interest of the trail and his business was getting things in shape for the race which is scheduled for August 15th. Mr. Hazelbaker will use a Buick stock car and will endeavor to show that the train is in such condition that a car can leave Kansas City and beat the Rock Island train into Denver. Practically all the towns along the route have pledged Mr. Hazelbaker their support in having the roads in readiness across their respective counties. City officials have promised to cooperate to the extent of keeping the streets clear of cars until he passes through their city. Roads will be patrolled the entire distance. Hazelbaker will leave Kansas City at 2:00 o’clock in the morning and expects to reach Denver at 9:00 in the evening. According to his schedule he will pass through Stockton at 11:36 that morning. People along the trail between Kansas City and Denver are showing great interest and it is believed that this will be one of the best advertisements that the Midland Trail can possible get.

A tense situation and much excitement prevailed in Phillipsburg on Saturday night when 100 armed I.W.W. men attempted to liberate three of their comrades from the county jail. The invading I.W.W.s had barely reached the jail when several score of citizen deputies under Sheriff McKenzie sprang up and demanded their surrender at the point of guns. The leader of the mob commanded his men to surrender and give up their weapons. Eighteen of them were put into jail and the balance were marched by pairs in different directions into the country and ordered never to return.

Ralph Griffin with his son, Harry and Elwyn Hawk, returned last Sunday from a visit with Ralph’s mother, Mrs. H. H. Griffin and sister, Mrs. F. V. Ison at Pleasanton, Kansas. Ralph also visited the Kansas City markets while away and bought piles of new merchandise.

Another change in business firms—this time Fred (Swede) Colson buying a half interest in C. A. Wilson’s suitatorium. The deal was made the later part of last week. Swede is an old hand at his business serving eleven years and during that time he got the business down pat. Since disposing of his interest in the store some weeks ago, he has been itching to get back into business and he returned to his old love. Mr. Wilson’s business has grown to the point of either employing a workman or taking a partner and the latter was more acceptable with him. Both are splendid fellows and they will profit in the change. Their firm name will read Colson & Wilson.

A business transaction that created some little surprise in Stockton business circles this weekend happened when George G. Hamilton sold his drug store to O. S. Ellvin, the contract being signed Saturday evening. Mr. Hamilton came here a little over nine years ago and bought the store. During those years he has prospered— continually adding in equipment and stock until he now has one of the best stores in this section of the state. Mr. Hamilton is a live businessman, alert in drug ideas and very agreeable. The sale was so unexpected with him that he has not formulated any future plans. He states that he expects to rest up a few weeks and later will re-enter the business in some other location. Mr. Ellvin needs no introduction. He has lived here for the past five years, and for three years owned the store, now owned by Roy C. Snyder. He is very pleasant and a good mixer. Mr. Ellvin is one of the oldest registered pharmacists in Kansas—not in years, but in registration numbers. He will retrain Mrs. Drumm as his assistant and she is very efficient. Good luck to Mr. Ellvin and we say goodbye to Mr. Hamilton.

Jack Glynn of the Glynn Detective Agency of Leavenworth with one of his assistants, county attorney Farrish and county sheriff Gilbert held an investigation in Plainville in which sixteen parties were questioned concerning the death of George Bedard. The Glynn Detective Agency has had several of its best detectives working on this case for over three weeks, and the investigation held last week brought out a chain of events which brought considerable light upon what so far has been a deep mystery. The Glynn Detective Agency will continue working on the case as it develops. During the investigation there were several new parties who were withholding information relative to the whereabouts of George Bedard on the afternoon and evening of the day he was killed.