The Colfax Leader was consolidated with another local paper and became
The Colfax Press with it's first issue on October 22, 1897.


February 1897 through December 1897

FEBRUARY 5, 1897

- Mrs. John F. McDaniels, of Normal, is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Charles Gilmore.

- Miss Mary Bunn returned home Tuesday from Peoria, where she has been for several months.

- Mrs. Ellis Watson is in Chicago under the care of the doctors, and is reported to be
improving nicely.

- R.C. Snyder made a trip to Bloomington and Paxton Tuesday. He went in the interest of
his patent bread pan.

- John T. Henline froze his ears one morning last week before breakfast, and he
says he had his breakfast in the forenoon, too.

- Rufus Wood and wife, of Lexington, were the guests of John Dameron Tuesday
and Wednesday. Mr. Wood left an order with our dentist for a set of teeth.

- J.N. Gilmore and wife were in Lexington Tuesday and Wednesday. They found
the grain dealers there only paying 16¼ c for corn, while ours were paying 17c
the same day.

- A Cabery schoolboy placed a can of water, with the opening tightly corked, on
the stove and waited for it to get up steam. It exploded in his face, and he now
wears a bandage.

- R.K. Castle has located in Colfax at the Electric light plant, where he is being
let into the secret of how to force the electric juice into the copper wires and
make light.

February 19, 1897

- Job Judd, uncle of B.M. Judd is very sick with pneumonia. He is over seventy
years old, and this is the second sickness he has ever had.

- The Bloomington Trades Review says J.E. Bergsten arrived there with his
self-tracklaying road carriage, and speaks favorably of the invention.

- The father, mother, brother and sisters of Mrs. Joe Littell are all sick with the
grippe at Fairbury. The mother is in a precarious condition, having a
complication of other diseases.

- Miss Maude Riddle returned to her home at Leroy Saturday. She has been
attending school here since last September and was a favorite among her
schoolmates, who regret her departure.

- Miss Lydia Stuckey and Ed Meharry, of Fairbury, were here visiting friends
Sunday and Monday. Miss Stuckey does not like Fairbury for a home, and thinks
there is no place like Colfax.

MARCH 12, 1897

- Mrs. A. Gaddis, of Beaver city, Neb. is on her way to Illinois and will spend several
weeks visiting friends in Colfax and vicinity.

- Mrs. A. Wood, of Selma is visiting her son, Dan.

- Mr. Shinn, who has been living on Hiram Pierce’s farm, has moved near
Benjaminville.

- J.O. Watterson, the village harness maker, and family will move to Osman
about the first of April.

- Miss Luetta Tavenor has finished her term of school at the Diamond and has
returned to her home in Bloomington.

- Miss Lura Stoutenburg has gone to her home in Normal to spend her vacation.
She will return soon to teach the spring term at the Blue Mound school.

- William Brigham has completed his winter term of school. This was his second
winter at the St. Nicholas school, and his teaching has been very satisfactory. He
will probably remain in this vicinity through the summer.

- Burglars entered the residence of William Mooney a few nights ago and helped
themselves to the contents of his meat barrel.

- A.C. Lambert, wife and baby are visiting her father, Mr. Bliss.

- Little Mildred Kunkler was quite sick the first of the week.

- Mrs. Wm. Blossom died Thursday at the home of a sister in Bloomington.

MARCH 19, 1897

- The Gaddis school is enjoying a two weeks vacation. The teacher, Howard Bradford is
spending the time in Bloomington and Colfax.

- Rosa Henline took the central on March 10, and passed on 8th years work.

APRIL 2, 1897

- “Popcorn Billy” has made arrangements with Paul F. Belch, a jobber in
Bloomington, to handle his Honeycomb popcorn, which will be put up in special
boxes.

- C.G. Ritchie, J.H. Discho and Dr. and Mrs. Douglass went to Chicago Monday,
attending the trial of the case of Colfax Coal & Mining Co. vs. Crerar, Clinch &
Co.

- D.W. Kent, formerly of Colfax but now in Topeka, Kan., has lately been elected
grand secretary of the I.O.O.F. of that state, with a salary of $1,700 per year.

- Ellis Watson claims to own the most valuable cow in Colfax. He paid $40 for
her, and last Friday night she ate up a $40 set of harness for him, so he now
values her at $80.

- R.N. Puett and family went to Ellettsville, Ind., yesterday morning, to be gone
two weeks. There is to be a family reunion at the home of Mrs. Puett’s father.

                                          LEXINGTON

-Myron and Jesse Barnard went to Eureka on business Wednesday.

- Mrs. A.Y. Barnard, of Normal, visited her son Myron from Sunday until
Wednesday.

- Born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Devore Sunday morning, a son. It only lived
about ten hours.

- Ed Davis started for Kansas City Tuesday. He has accepted a position there
with his brother-in-law.

- Mrs. W.M. Henline moved her household goods from Bloomington Tuesday to
this place. She has been keeping house for her son, who is attending the
Wesleyan there.

- Miss Anna Becker is expected home next Saturday. She visited in Wales last
summer, and in Pennsylvania this winter. She will take her old position with Miss
Huff on her return.

- Henry Shepers returned from New Orleans Monday night. He went there last
November to spend the winter. This is the third winter he has spent in New
Orleans the last few years. He came to St. Louis by water, and says the river
was forty miles wide in some places. He saw a house floating in the water, and a
Negro on the roof waving a handkerchief.

APRIL 23, 1897

- Miss China Henline is visiting for a few days in Atlanta

MAY 22, 1897

- Mrs. H.L. Henline, Mrs. Samuel Stauffer and Miss Jennie Gray visited Mr.
Henline’s father in the country Wednesday.

- R.H. Arnold has been retained as janitor for the school. He is a faithful and
efficient care-taker and his re-employment is a satisfaction.

- Miss Sadie Harris, of Gilman was in attendance at the commencement. Miss
Harris is an old schoolmate of Miss Mary Beckwith, one of the graduates.

- Mrs. J.L. Shawl was in Fairbury yesterday and Miss Nettie Stuckey returned
with her to witness her old schoolmates graduating exercises.

- Jake Faggot, of Indian Grove, visited John Thiss Wednesday. Mr. Faggot and
Mr. Thiss came over from France together 51 years ago, and have not seen one
another since they were 14 years old.

- The fourteen year old son of Hugh Hayes, of Blue Mound, and his horse and
dog were killed at one stroke of lightning Thursday cutting short a young and
bright life and bringing sorrow into a happy home.

-Quite a little excitement was stirred up Thursday when a team of ponies ran
away with Miss Emma Dameron. They started near the State bank and ran west
on Main street until Miss Dameron turned them into Crump’s livery barn. Luckily
no damage was done.

- Sam Clark and Wm. Phinney have opened a shooting gallery at 105 W. Main Street.

JUNE 18, 1897

- Mr. and Mrs. Gaddis of White Oak, visited Mrs. Gosnell and Dr. Kankler this week.

- R.C. Hamilton came home Wednesday night and returned yesterday morning
to Chatsworth, where T.S. Willhite has moved his stock of general merchandise
from Watseka.

- Matt McKeown stands on his head, turns a somersault in the air, jumps up and
cracks his knees together three times before lighting and screams with delight,
“It’s a girl, by granny.”

- H.L. Henline and Sam Walker went to Vermillion, near Pontiac, for the purpose
of fishing but returned Tuesday with faces so long that the barber charged them
each twenty-five cents for a shave. They report that there is a beaten path for
miles and miles up and down the river, made by fishermen, and that they could
not get even a photograph of a nibble, much less a fish.

J.R. Arnold and J.C. Johnston went to Pontiac Tuesday evening and H.H. Newell
went Wednesday morning. All went to attend the Modern Woodmen’s picnic.

- Austin Hutson and Roy Benson came home Tuesday to spend their vacation.
They have been attending school at the Wesleyan university at Bloomington.

- Jack Leonard’s one-year-old girl died suddenly Tuesday. It was taken with
spasms and almost dead before a doctor could arrive.

- Wm. Harpole came down from Chicago Friday night to look after his farming
interests here. He returned Tuesday morning.

- B.D. Billinghurst, a brother-in-law of Mrs. LaSalle Stoops, has accepted the
position as principal of the Danville school.

- Mrs. Sutton, of Wing, daughter of Perry Williams, returned home Wednesday
morning.

- Kit Orendorff and family, of Saybrook, visited his daughter, Mrs. John Sohn
Sunday.

- Another voter in Lawndale at John Schuler’s.

- Geo. McConkey, of Chicago, is visiting Geo. Swinehart in southwest Martin.

- Mrs. Win Caler, of Cropsey, was the guest of B.M. Judd Saturday.

- H.H. Newell returned from Chicago Saturday, where he had been since
Tuesday.

- Mr. Richard Arbuckle and family, of Hudson, were in Colfax Saturday and
Sunday visiting relatives.

- Rev. Hobbs, of Cropsey, came down last Saturday to see John Loar, who has
been sick for some time.

- Mrs. T.B. Mead joined her husband in Chicago last Saturday, where they will
spend a few days and then to Madison, Minn., their future home.

- Monday just as the family of Henry C. Henline sat down to dinner, Homer, the
seven-year-old son, pulled a cup of coffee from the table, spilling the contents
on his right side, scalding him badly. His clothing not being immediately
removed, he was burned very deep. Surgical aid was called at once, and the
little fellow's pain relieved as much as possible.

- While riding on the handle bars and standing on the coasters of a bicycle that
Leo Chapman was riding Monday morning, Carlin King slipped off as they went
over a crossing, bruising and straining his foot badly.

- Miss Alice Graham, the youngest sister of our townsman, J.M. Graham, came
Monday and will spend a few days visiting him. Miss Graham has been teaching
for several years in the Bloomington schools. She will go from here to her home
in Clinton.

- Prof. Gentry's dog and pony show passed through attached to the passenger
Monday morning after showing two days in Bloomington. Prof. Gentry is a cousin
of Harvey Gentry of this place.

- Ezra Henline has been awarded the contract for building an office, engine room
and elevator for the middle Division Elevator Co. at Heyworth.

- It remained for Bud Henline to invent a new patent that will certainly be useful
to our many readers in time of need. He calls it the patent cardia gastonomic
extensor flexor. It reveals all things incidental to the kingdom of calfdom, and is
for the especial purpose of learning a calf to suck. The machine closely
resembles a rubber hose with the nozzle in the calf's mouth and a force pump at
the other end.

- Fred and Frank Knight and their families, formerly of this vicinity, are in
California and are engaged in washing oranges for packing. They work by the
piece and make $1 to $1.80 per day each. The women and girls accomplish
more of the work than the men.

JUNE 25, 1897

- Henry Henlines child which was badly scalded last week, is getting along nicely.

JULY 16, 1897

- Rev. C.D. Purlee was in Bloomington Tuesday.

- Perry Bourquin went to Bloomington today on business.

- E.D. Riddle was in Bloomington Monday on legal business.

- The wind blew down one of T.B. Kilgore's windmills last Friday.

- A bolt of lightning struck the house of George Hester's Friday evening.

- Wm. Allen, of Bloomington, was in town Wednesday buying heavy draft horses.

- Mrs. Hattie Hill and daughter, of Lincoln, are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Discho.

- Aaron Bierbower will serve his country as the next grandjuryman from Martin township.

- Lightning struck four different trees within ten rods of the home of John Thiss Friday night.

- Charles Shultz returned from Chicago Tuesday evening and will spend his
summer vacation at home.

- Raleigh Jennings started for Eureka yesterday morning on his wheel. He will
visit his grandparents for two or three weeks.

- J.M. Hammond has rented and moved into 312 E. Cooper street. Mr. Hammond
expects to open his store the first of next week.

- The Misses Eva and Clara Beckelhymer, of Eureka, were guests at the home of
Mrs. E.D. Knight, 214 North St., over Sunday.

- Jerry Bunn will join his wife at Rolla, Mo., tomorrow or Monday, where he will
spend several days visiting. George Hester will officiate and dispense groceries
for him during his absence.

- Mrs. H.C. Bunn and daughter, Mrs. E. Thompson, of Melvin, visited Henry
Willhoite and family Wednesday and Thursday.

- Jim Hare and his son, Grant were in town last Saturday in attendance to the
sheriff's sale of the Clay Green property.

- Mrs. Geo. Mallory and son, of Fairbury, are visiting her aunt and uncle, Mrs.
John Scheudel and R.M. Tolbert.

JULY 30, 1897

- Mrs. Dan Wood is on the sick list.

- Franklin Batterton is the proud father of a 10 pound boy.

- Miss Pearly Henline was taken sick yesterday, but is now a little better.

- Miss Emily Woodard, of Fairbury, was visiting among relatives here the first of
the week.

AUGUST 20, 1897

- Charles Hastings, who has spent most of the summer in Iowa, is at home for a
short visit with his parents.

- Cards have been received announcing the wedding of Rev. J.E. Groendyke to
Miss Murphey at Logan, Iowa, August 12.

- Rev. Tait and wife went to Bloomington Monday. Mrs. Tait went to have her eye
treated, as it is giving her serious trouble.

- Mr. Blossom and daughters Lou and Lucy, of Bloomington, spent several days
visiting at the home of Mrs. Jacob Edel recently.

- Mrs. Alex Fossett has gone to New Salem for a two weeks visit with her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hoopes.

- A new son arrived at Martin Wordy's Monday.

- Irvie Burns and Lee Vawter attended the show at Pentine last week.

- Little Mae Davis, daughter of Jesse Davis, has been quite sick but is improving.

- Mrs. Jack Wiles returned Saturday after a four weeks visit with relatives in
Iowa.

- Seth and Uncle Jack Henline spent Tuesday in Belleflower with Dr. Harris and
family.

- Charley and Ettie Perkins, of Chatsworth, visited friends here and near Colfax
Saturday and Sunday.

- Frank Davis treated the threshing outfit to ice cream at his place on his job of
threshing being finished.

- Mrs. Amanda Wilson, of Normal, has been visiting her nieces, Ettie and Maggie
Smith, the last two weeks. She returned last Friday.

- Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Leonard will soon move into their new house. It is now in
the hands of the painters, who are finishing it up in fine style.

AUGUST 27, 1897

- Monday as James Graham was passing a large pile of flour in Scott & Co.'s
store it fell over on him, crushing him down on the edge of a salt barrel and
bruising him painfully. On examination no bones were found broken.

- Jim Pratt went to Bloomington Monday. This is the first day's outing Jim has
had since March, 1896. It is remarkable how much good it has done him, and his
friends are surprised to see how corpulent he is becoming.

- Grandma Wiley and grandma Crumbaker went to Bloomington this morning,
where they will attend the Midway Park campmeeting.

- Mrs. C.H. Gilmore went to Normal Tuesday and returned yesterday. She visited
her parents, both of whom are sick.

- Miss Maud Davison, of Tolono, came Saturday night for an extended visit with
her brother, T.E. Davison.

- Dan Wood and family are taking a week's vacation and visiting in Lexington
among relatives.

- Al Hankins, Chicago's greatest gambler, was killed Wednesday night by a
folding bed.

- Oliver Hatcher returned last night from a two weeks visit in Iowa.

- H.L. Henline is in Bloomington today.

- Mrs. John Wood is very sick with malarial fever and flux.

SEPTEMBER 10, 1897

- Mr. Frank P. Woodard of south Martin, is very sick with typhoid malaria.

SEPTEMBER 17, 1897

- Mrs. Kate Britton, of Deland is visiting her sister, Mrs. LaSalle Stoops.

- Arthur Stewart and Marshall Brown, of Anchor, are in town today.

- Rev. C.D. Purlee and Zack Taylor went to Bloomington this afternoon.

- Miss Mina McMackin and Ben Stagner, of Cooksville, were in town last evening.

- Misses Daisy Littell and Nellie Gilmore went to Fletcher this evening to visit relatives.

- Mrs. Arch Harpole starts Tuesday for Cottonwood Falls, Kan., where she will
spend three weeks visiting her parents.

- James L. Loar, the lawyer who has lately returned to Illinois and located in
Bloomington, will speak at the Cropsey fair next Thursday.

- Henry Woodard of, Fairbury, is here visiting his brother Frank, of south Martin.

- Frank and Joe Harris went to St. Louis Monday in search of butcher stock.

- John McClintock and wife left Tuesday for a week's visit among relatives.

- Mrs. Lamkins, of Lawndale, has gone to New York for an extended visit with
friends.

- Mrs. Wm. Benn has packed her household goods and gone to Peoria to live
among her children.

- Albert Stoddard, of Webster City, Iowa visited his cousin M.M. Sharples from
Saturday until Sunday.

- Amos Means and wife spent Saturday and Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Mitch
Williams, the parents of Mrs. Means.

- C.C. McCown will preach in the M.E. church Sunday morning and evening, his
father being absent at conference.

- Herman E. Bulkley returned to Chicago Wednesday morning after a visit of
several weeks with his cousin, Mrs. J.P. Arnold.

- James Benson commenced his first school last Monday at the Wilson school
district. We predict and wish him success.

SEPTEMBER 24, 1897

- Monday while hauling a load of straw from the country, one of John McClellan's
horses dropped dead in the harness about half a mile west of town.

- George William and wife, of Ford county, were in town Monday and Tuesday.
George exhibited some fine ears of corn, and says he has plenty more where
they came from.

- Claire Green was sick several days last week with some kind of throat disease
that has got among the students at the college he is attending in Chicago. He is
reported all right again and at his books. Claire says the work there in the high
school is more child's play compared with what he has now.

- Mrs. A.J. Crawford, Mrs. J.T. perkins and Mrs. Sarah Spray spent Saturday in
Anchor, the guests of Mrs. C.D. Morris.

- Marion Davis and son Harvey will start overland to the southern part of the
state about Monday on a prospecting tour.

- Mrs. Sarah Spray returned to Kankakee Tuesday after several weeks visit with
her daughter, Mrs. A.J. Crawford.

- John Pendergast, Dan Wood, Allie Wood and their families all visited at the
home of Ike Wood at Selma Sunday.

- J.E. Willhite and family, of Olney, are visiting his brothers, John and T.S.
Willhite of this place.

- Mr. and Mrs. George Wood, of Gibson, visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.R. 
Williams Sunday.

- A. Tongreen left yesterday for Connecticut, where he will engage in the
stone-cutting business.

- Chris Belsley, of Bellewood, Neb., is here shelling the rent corn from his farms
near Evergreen.

- Ernest Wonderlin and Wm. McClure returned from Missouri Saturday night.

- G.G. Waltmire and sister Lutie, of Delavan, are the guests of Wm. Gaddis.

- Uncle Jack Henline went to Bloomington Wednesday.

- Mrs. John Sohn moved to Saybrook yesterday.


OCTOBER 1, 1897

- Wm. Gaddis will go to Nebraska on an excursion next week and visit his brother.

- One of our girls received a letter from Mettie Stuckey, who said she was enjoying
school life in Fairbury, but would rather be in our school.

                         THE COLFAX PRESS

OCTOBER 22, 1897

- Ike Wood and family, of Selma were the guests of Dan Wood Sunday.

DECEMBER 10, 1897

- The two youngest children of Wm. Gaddis have recovered from an attack of
scarlet fever.

- Lexington Unit: Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Kilgore had an extra cause for thanksgiving -
a fine boy was born to them on Thursday morning at 7 o'clock.

- John Seymour and wife went to Moweaqua yesterday morning to attend the
funeral of his brother, George, who died Wednesday morning after a lingering
illness of several years. The deceased was 22 years old and lived in Colfax
before and during a part of his illness.

- J.A. Miller, of Bloomington, was in town Wednesday.

- Mr. Rosenblum spent the first of the week in Chicago with his family.

- Mrs. Lucy Hudson, of Saybrook, visited in town the first of the week.

- John Nafzinger's child has been quite sick with tonsilitis, but is improving.

- Chester Mooberry, who has been very sick for several weeks, improves slowly.

- Miss Verna Crawford, of Colfax, visited Misses Clara and Leona Morris on Saturday.

- Charles Decker and family, who have been quite sick with measles, are reported better.

- J.H. Mantle has entertained two brothers, John and Frank, from Arrowsmith since Sunday.

- Ira Hinshaw, James Smith, Stella Smith and the Misses Decker spent Sunday at Mr. Hagar's.

- Ed Wells' mother, who resides in Saybrook, received a fall the first of the week
which broke her arm.

DECEMBER 24, 1897

- Claire Green came home Wednesday evening, where he has been attending
school since last September.

- W.A. Robertson will drive the nail in old Dobbin's feet in the future. He will be
found at Henry Schultz' shop. Bid is a good workman, and will please if given a
trial.

- Ohas Schultz is home spending the holidays with his father.

- W.B. Knight will tell you how to get an engine out of the Mackinaw and
whatever he says Alex Gillan will substantiate. Instead of attempting to cross the
bridge, W.B. attempted to cross the creek with the engine and got stuck. It took
them a good part of the night Tuesday to get out.

- David Gillan and Miss Della Henline were united in marriage Wednesday
evening at the M.E. parsonage, Rev. Jno. Wilkinson officiating. Miss Henline is a
daughter of Henry Henline, well known in and around Colfax, and is a very
charming lady. Mr. Gillan is the youngest brother of Alex Gillan. The young
couple will occupy one of Henry Henline's farms.