The following are selected articles from a Newspaper titled, "The Higbee News" which was issued out of the town of Higbee, in Randolph County, Missouri from the years 1888 through 1953. The editors were W. H. Welch and his son H. Scott Welch. This paper covered the Higbee area and also a great deal of the northeastern part of Howard county. The copyright notice at the end of this transcript is there for the sole purpose of keeping this work free to the public, and to ensure that it is not harvested by a fee-based corporate genealogy site, or published in any format for profit. If you decide to use the information from this transcription, PLEASE LIST ME AS THE SOURCE, rather than the paper. My transcription is another generation removed from the microfilm, and would thus be a third generation copy of the original paper. For proper documentation, a researcher should obtain a photocopy of the microfilm for their own permanent records, and use my transcript as a guide or index. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan through the State Historical Society of Missouri, and a copy is also on file at the Moberly Public Library, generously donated by the Higbee Historical Society. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 18 Nov 1926, Vol 40, No 29, Pg. 1 Col. 4--In our Huntsville letter this week, W. T. Dameron writes most interestingly and entertainingly of the "falling of the stars" in 1833, as related to him by his father. As a child we remember of hearing our grandmother tell of this wonderful spectacle, and from the way she described it a more beautiful or awe-inspiring display perhaps never occurred. Not only dozens, but thousands, perhaps millions, were seen at once, the sky at times being almost as light as day, making the reading of a book or newspaper possible. As related in Mr. Dameron's letter, folks in Boone county were equally frightened, most all thinking the end of the world was at hand, one man, she related, about their nearest neighbor, running five miles to her home that he might be prayed for! Following the event, astronomers calculated that the earth would pass through the same shower every 33 years, but so far, there has been no greater display than usual each time their appearance was predicted, and which has generally been scheduled for August. It is quite likely that the shower of 1833 all but exhausted the meteor swarm--masses or rock moving at unheard of speed through endless space, and supposed to have come from some other sun or planet blown to atoms in some terrific explosion. Thursday, 18 Nov 1926, Vol 40, No 29, Pg. 2 Col. 1--OUR HUNTSVILLE LETTER, By W. T. Dameron. (Edited by compiler)--Sherod W. Mikel, a well known farmer and citizen of Chariton township for more than a half century, passed away on Saturday night, November 5th, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Lon Harlan, north of Clifton, in the 92nd year of his life. His aged wife preceded him to the grave about four year ago. Mr. Mikel was born in Wayne County, Ky., in 1835, and was 91 years and nearly six months old. He was the father of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, and four sons and one daughter survive. He was an honest man, true and faithful to his children and friends. One of the painful regrets of his life was the unfortunate difficulties and casualties that occurred at a school entertainment at Brush Creek school house about twenty-five years ago, in which he lost a son by death and the wounding of another in gun battle with Constable Jesse Stamper of Macon county, who had been invited to the entertainment to preserve order. The shooting occurred in the school house and the affray caused wide newspaper comment at the time. The brave old man, with his wife and a few children, came to this county in 1868. His funeral services were held at Brush Creek Union Church Monday following his death, conducted by Eld. Ramsey of the Christian church. Burial in a cemetery nearby. Thursday, 18 Nov 1926, Vol 40, No 29, Pg. 2 Col. 1--OUR HUNTSVILLE LETTER, By W. T. Dameron. (Edited by compiler)--A writer in a Moberly paper of recent date, giving an account of the presentation of a copy of the Holy Bible to the "Loyal Sons of Temperancy," a temperance order organized in Huntsville in 1848, erred as to Horace Watts, now traffic manager for the Wabash, and formerly of Moberly, being the son of "Dr. O. O. Watts, who presented the Bible to the temperance lodge at a special meeting Oct. 10, 1848." Horace, or Everett Watts, as he is sometimes called, is the eldest son of Dr. Chas. W. Watts, now of Rolla, Mo., who, with his wife, is residing at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Laura Bradley, at an advanced age, and at the time of the presentation of the bible he was unmarried and therefore, had no "sick wife" who was to have presented the book. There may have a Dr. O. O. Watts, who resided in Huntsville in that day, but if so, he was not the father of the son named. Dr. C. W. Watts was the son of Dr. James J. Watts, a pioneer of the county, who settled on a farm near Thomas Hill, this county, about 1834, and there practiced his profession for several years, when he moved to Huntsville, and here his son, Dr. Chas. W. Watts, was born about 1840, and some time prior to the Civil War the family moved to Fayette, where the father died. After the close of the Civil War, Chas. W. Watts graduated in medicine and about 1867 came to Mt. Airy to practice his profession, and before his marriage to Miss Adaline Mathis a first cousin of mine, about 1868 or 1869, he boarded at my father's home. Now, it may have been Horace Watts' grandfather, Dr. James J. Watts, who presented the bible, to the "Loyal Sons of Temperance." Thursday, 18 Nov 1926, Vol 40, No 29, Pg. 2 Col. 1&2--OUR HUNTSVILLE LETTER, By W. T. Dameron. (Edited by compiler)--It is with deep and profound regret that I chronicle the death of another old boyhood friend, that of H. S. (Bud) Newby, whose death occurred at two o'clock Thursday morning, Nov. 11, 1926, at his home in Mt. Airy. Mr. Newby had been in poor health for some time and suffered slight heart attacks. He and his wife made a trip to Callao, Mo., Friday before the election to visit some of his wife's relatives for a couple of days. I had a short talk with him as they passed through Huntsville. He appeared cheerful and the last word he said to me as he entered his car was "We'll be back in time to vote." and little then did I think it would be the last time I would see him alive. He had a slight attack of heart trouble while at Callao, but recovered sufficiently to return to his home before the election, and was carried to the polls and cast his last vote. But his sudden death Thursday night was no surprise to those who knew of his physical condition. Most of his family had died when they were near his age, and he seemed to have had a premonition that he would not pass the age of most of the members of his family, none of whom ever reached the age of 80, save one, Thos. O. Newby, who died at Columbia, Mo., less than a year ago at that age. He related to one of his grandchildren this fact and stated he would not live through the year. After he became worse Thursday night he stated to his wife and those present that he "would not live over an hour." And he quietly passed away within that time. The week prior to the appearance in the NEWS of the story about the old heirloom--day clock--I had quite a long conversation with him, and in the course of our talk he referred to his health, with some misgivings as to any improvement and how sudden one could be taken away with his trouble and said, "Well, long or short, I'm ready to go when that time comes." While he never discussed religious matters but little, he was a true christian man. He had strong faith in God and in His power to save and I know his hope was strong for a blissful immortality beyond the grave. He was a kind hearted man, social, generous and accommodating, and I never knew him to speak an unkind word towards anyone. In fact, I never knew a more kind and generous a more kind and generous hearted family than the Newby family, and from 1863 to 1885, when I left the old homestead, I was much in their homes and company. Now, the youngest of the family and with whom I romped the most, in boyhood and manhood days, has passed on to his reward, and I am satisfied that it is a rich, blissful and everlasting reward. Bud was an inveterate squirrel and quail hunter and a good shot, and I have had many a hunt with him, and in our last two conversations with him he invited me to his home and to take one more hunt with him, stating that "he could still bring them down from a tree or on the wing." Hiram Sidney Newby was born in Madison county, Kentucky, in August, 1850, being past 76 years old when he died. He emigrated to Randolph county with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Woodson Newby, and other members of the family, at the beginning of the civil war, and settled, temporarily, in the neighborhood of Yates. In 1863 the father purchased the Thomas Humphrey farm near Mt. Airy where he and his wife died many years ago. The deceased was married to Miss Sadie Malone in 1874. To this union three children were born--two sons, W. B. (Jack) and Jesse Newby, and one daughter, now Mrs. Jennie Eubanks of Mt. Airy. Jessie Newby resides in Kansas City. W. . Newby died near Huntsville many years ago. The mother of these children died about five years ago. Mr. Newby married the second time about three years ago, Mrs. Lula Englefritz of Callao, who was born and reared in Silver Creek township, and a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Thomas. The deceased professed religion about 45 years ago and united with the Methodist church and was a faithful christian man to his death. His funeral was preached at Sweet Springs Methodist church, near Mt. Airy, at 2 o'clock Friday, following his death, by Rev. Craig, his pastor, in the presence of a large crowd of relatives and friends. Burial in the Huntsville cemetery. Thus ends the life here of a good man, friend and splendid citizen. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright notice: All transcriptions in this email are copyrighted by their creator. They may not be reproduced on another site or on any printed or recorded media, CD, etc. without specific written permission from Kathy Bowlin. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which it is presented, transcriptions, notes & comments, etc. is. It is however, quite permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use only. Permission is granted to public libraries, and genealogical and historical societies to print and bind for the use of their patrons. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, comments welcome.