What Stocktonites Were Doing 98 Years Ago
Our sister town, Woodston, recently had another disastrous conflagration. Tipton and Stewart’s Bakery, and three other buildings of frame construction on the north side of Main Street, were entirely destroyed by a fire within an hour. Mr. and Mrs. Tipton, who were sleeping in one of the buildings, barely got out with their lives, being compelled to jump through a broken window. None of the contents of the bakery was saved. They had recently installed new bread mixing machinery and a new gasoline engine. They carried $1,800.00 of insurance on the property, and their loss will be considerable. We have not learned who owned the other houses. One of them was occupied by Will Tallman. A phone call for help was received at Stockton at 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning and in a very few moments George Beckley and A. L. Graham had got their cars out, which were loaded with citizens and made a quick trip, but upon their arrival everything was burned to the ground. The origin of the fire is still shrouded in mystery.
The people of Palco are planning a new building for both grade and high school for which they expect to spend about $50,000.00. They have decided to make it of pressed brick and fireproof it this time. The old building and equipment had burned down last week, and was valued at $6,000.00 on which $3,000.00 insurance was carried. The city district had recently consolidated with two rural districts on the north and a rural grade building had been moved into town. This, with the two churches will provide for the grade schools, and the high school will use the new township hall for the balance of the school year.
H. C. Sweet is remodeling his house, building on two rooms, a sleeping porch and a bathroom. A furnace will be installed also, and the house made thoroughly modern.
Jack Dryden has commenced drilling, hitting shale rock at a depth of 60 feet. Some difficulty was experienced in shutting out the 30 feet of water that flowed in. The well is 130 feet deep as we go to press. Jack expects to strike the artesian water when down about 550 to 600 feet. He is confident there will be a surface flow when the proper depth is reached.
The big derrick at the courthouse attracts many spectators as it lifts and swings into position the huge blocks of stone weighing five or six tons each. When everything is ready, they are lifted and quickly placed, but everybody gets out from under.
We had the pleasure of being shown through the high school building at Woodston by Supt. Ellsworth Dodrill. We were astonished at the completeness of everything, the extent and artistic arrangement of the departments, and the auditorium/gymnasium is a beautiful hall, capable of seating 600 or more. There are no wasted spaces in the structure. Superintendent Dodrill stands very high as a progressive educator and with the able faculty associated with him, using these splendid facilities for work in this noble building, he can rest assured that his is accomplishing big things in the mental and moral development of the community he serves.
Elmer Maddy’s little three-year-old boy fell off a step in the afternoon and broke his leg above the knee. He was taken to Dr. Richmond to have the bone reset.
Forty family friends and neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. James McCauley gathered with well-filled baskets of good things at the home of their son, Warren, and proceeded to the McCauley home to help them celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary. They were not expecting such a crowd or such a display of enthusiastic appreciation of the event and were consequently flustered for a time, but all settled down finally to an evening of real enjoyment with lively conversation, games and music, and sketches from Uncle Josh by Earl Garber who is always ready to add his quota to any entertainment A delicious luncheon for the assembled was served by Mrs. Hilda and Ruby McCauley, assisted by Miss Garber. All departed wishing the genial couple many more such auspicious anniversaries.
Mrs. W. A. Thompson of Bow Creek Township fell one day last week while going out of her house and sustained severe bruises about the head and shoulders which have caused her considerable suffering.
An exchange asks: “Can a married man live on $15.00 a week?” Yes, he can, but what would become of his wife and family?
