One Hundred Fifty Years Ago

(From the Ringgold Record, Thursday,  May 13, 1875.)

We have been having some pretty warm weather of late, the mercury reaching 100 degrees on last Friday afternoon.

Corn planting will soon be in order.

Mr. Joseph Robinson sold twenty-five head of hogs on last Thursday which were about 10 months old and averaged 240 pounds. At .50 cents per hundred, ($1.20 per hog) the price he got, it makes a very nice little pile.

(From the Ringgold Record ,Thursday, May 20, 1875.)

Red Cloud, Spotted Tail and other Sioux Chiefs, have gone to Washington, to treat for the sale of that portion of their reservation in which is included the Black Hills.

Towns promise to become very numerous in our county. The surveyor informed us last week that he would on Wednesday of this week lay off a town in Athens township, which is to be christened New Chicago. He also informed us that Dr. Thayer of Page county would immediately build a dwelling and office in the new town, and permanently establish himself there for the practice of his profession.

One Hundred

Years Ago

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, May 20, 1925.)

Did you know that in the spring of 1919 amidst complete devastation the poppies bloomed in abundance on the battlefields of France where so many of our men had fallen in battle and that because of this the poppy has become the Memorial flower of the American Legion and American Legion Auxilary. That the poppies sold  have been made by disabled veterans. That the money obtained from this sale is for disabled soliders and world war orphans.

Sheriff Marion Stephens was called to Diagonal Thursday morning to investigate the mystery surrounding the finding between 11 o’clock and midnight Wednesday night, near the Great Western tracks, a man about 28 years of age who gave his name as Victor Renault, his skull fractured and in a weakened condition as the result of his loss of blood. Just before the north bound train pulled out a young man approached Paul Beymer, who was at the depot and asked him to look after the injured man and Beymer saw to it that the young man was taken to the Diagonal Hotel and and a physician was called. Officers in Des Moines were notified and as a result five men who were beating a ride on the train were taken into custody, one man suffering a broken leg by stepping into a hole when he made an attempt to escape. The day following Renault was taken to the hospital in Creston. He has thus far been unable to account for his injury and until yesterday the officers were working on the theory that he had met with foul play. Sheriff Stephens and County Attorney Grant Hayes went to Des Moines Saturday and after questioning the men held there decided to bring Emerson Jones, of Peoria, Il., and George Witzebacker, of Springfield, MO., to Mount Ayr. The men came without information being filed against them and signified a willingness to remain until thorough investigation had been made. They were held until Monday when they were released, there being no evidence to connect them with the crime, if one had been committed.

Thus far the officers have been unable to learn anything about Renault. Sheriff Stephens has received several letters of inquiry, one from a mother who is looking for a lost son, another from a lady who thinks he may possibly be her lost adopted grandson and others from sisters who are anxious to know the whereabouts of wayward brothers.

The assumption of the Ringgold county officers is that Renault was injured before he reached Diagonal, possibly Conception, MO., where he boarded the train. The injury is such, according to the theory, that it might have been caused by the victim being thrown against one of the heavy timbers in the car. Renault claimed he had $35 in bills and 25 cents in change when he boarded the train, but when found had only 25 cents. When found he had in his pockets some letters and newspaper clippings, a package of cocaine or other drug, a cigarette book in which were notations of questionable character and some tools, such as files, hack saws and the like. He claims to be a tailor by trade, and that the tools were used in making adjustments on machines.

The officers are still working on the case, but with slight hope of solving the mystery.

The department of agriculture has just made an investigation which discloses, it  says, that unless during the next five years more horses and mule colts are raised by farmers, they will be hard put for work animals.

At the present rate of production, the number of these animals on farms at the beginning of 1920 will be only about 66% of present population. Evidently too much reliance has been placed upon the forecast that tractors would put work animals out of business, according to the federal government.

Birth: Born Thursday a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Sanders…May 10, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Mason…Born Sunday a son to Mr. and Mrs. Dick Weeda.

  Seventy-Five

Years Ago

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, May 25, 1950.)

Elmore E. Ericson assumes his duties today as manager of Hydes’ food store in Mount Ayr, succeeding Wilson (Bill) Clemens.

Curtailment of postal service throughout the nation was extended to Mount Ayr, effective Monday of this week. Since Mount Ayr does not have city delivery, reduction in service is centered on the time for opening and closing the office, mail dispatch and opening and closing of the windows. The order for reduction in service was received by Postmaster Marion Euritt following the visit of Geo. Bonger and C.H. Sharpio, postal inspectors, at the Mount Ayr office Thursday and Friday of last week.

Through the reduction in service there is no immediate saving in dollars and cents. However the eventual elimination of a temporary substitute clerk, as planned will mean a savings of approximately $2,150. A nation-wide reduction in postal service was ordered about a monty ago. The postmaster general’s office said the cuts were necessary in view of congress’ decision against recommendations for rate increases amounting to approximately 600 million dollars a year.

Marriage: May 7, Anna Rose Bolton and Dean Goodman…May 20, Mary Robinson and Louis Bronson.

Birth: May 15, a son, Tony, to Mr. and Mrs. Forest Rusk…May 18, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Bob Osborn.

Obituaries in this edition were: Tony Alan Rusk, Ida Estella Blaker Stephens and Noble Waller.