Friday, 11 Jul 1913--MRS. ATKINS CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY--Thursday, July 10, was a day long to be remembered by those who had the good fortune to be at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Atkins, the occasion being the celebration of her 69th birthday anniversary. Relatives and friends from the country began to arrive early in the forenoon and the hitch racks soon reminded one of circus day, about all the room being taken. Each person brought well filled baskets to be added to the good things prepared by Mrs. Atkins, and when dinner was announced enough food was in sight to feed an army. And the crowd proved to be quite an army, too, there being over 500 present. Over 400 names were enrolled on the register and fully 100 had to leave before the register could reach them. It is needless to say that all enjoyed the feast as well as the occasion. Following the dinner the afternoon was most pleasantly spent on the lawn under the shade of the trees and many were the recollections recalled by the older ones present. The crowd this year was almost double that of last year and indicates that Mrs. Atkins' birthday is going to develop into a greater event than did her father's, the late James Dougherty, which in his latter years, drew crowds of from 1500 to 2000. Mrs. Atkins was warmly congratulated by old and young and all expressed the hope that she would live to celebrate as many as her father. She was also the recipient of many remembrances of the occasion. Friday, 11 July 1913--F. F. Guthrie, aged 83, a prominent farmer of Calloway county, was killed by the Alton branch train at Guthrie one day last week. It will surprise most people to learn that the branch train ever runs fast enough to kill anyone. Had Guthrie been but 75 he could have outrun the train. Friday, 11 July 1913--John T. Mitchell, aged 44, of Moberly was killed in the Wabash yards there on the 4th by a switch engine. Friday, 11 July 1913--Isadore Riney of near Vandalia, while temporarily deranged, was killed by a Chicago & Alton train one night last week. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mrs. W. B. Sims died at her home in Renick on the 5th, aged 30 years. Funeral services were held Sunday by E. Y. Keiter and interment made at Pisgah cemetery. She is survived by her husband, two step-children, mother, two sisters and three brothers. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 6th, to Herbert Morris and wife, a son. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 6th, to Ed Griffin and wife, a son. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 9th, to Cleveland Dougherty and wife, a son. Friday, 11 July 1913--A daughter was born on July 7th, to Geo. Carter and wife of Taylorville, Ill. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mrs. Ed. Hopson of Moberly was the pleasant guest of her sister, Mrs. Wayland Patterson, during the week. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mrs. Mary Jones of Howard county who has been the guest of her daughter, Mrs. Mary Reed, returned home Tuesday. Friday, 11 July 1913--The residence of Tobe Cleeton in the east part of town was struck by lightning at 3 o'clock Monday morning which more or less damaged the upper story. A bed in one of the rooms was set on fire and being unable to extinguish the flame, Mr. Cleeton threw the bed out of the window. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mrs. Scott Bailey, aged 23 years, died at her home near Rucker on the 4th of consumption. She is survived by her husband and two small children. Interment was made at Perche church. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mrs. Wm. McGlothlin returned to her home in New Franklin Wednesday after a short visit with Higbee relatives. She was accompanied by her mother, Mrs. J. E. Rucker. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 1st, to Wesley Floyd and wife, a son. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 4th, to Grover Grapes and wife, a son. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mart Fisher and Mrs. Lou Hern of the Myers vicinity were married on the 4th by Eld. P. A. Dougherty. Congratulations. Friday, 11 July 1913--Walton Burton and wife returned Monday from Macon county where they had been to attend the funeral of Mrs. J. F. Burch, an aunt of Mrs. Burton. Friday, 11 July 1913--John Heist, a well known citizen of Fayette, died at his home in that city on the 7th, after a lingering illness. He was a former citizen of Huntsville. Friday, 11 July 1913--Marriage license were issued Saturday to Roy Bradley of Moberly and Callie Moore of near Higbee. They were married at the court house Saturday by Judge Finnell.--Huntsville Times. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 6th, to John Davis and wife, a daughter. Friday, 11 July 1913--Born, on the 4th, to Joe Marcutz and wife, a daughter. Friday, 11 July 1913--KILLED BY ALTON TRAIN--The mangled remains of a man were found on the C. & A. track, about a hundred yards west of the pump house at 5 o'clock Wednesday morning by the crew of an east-bound freight. On investigation, the body proved to be that of Grover K. Williams of Elliott. He had spent the afternoon here, and the last seen of him was about the time the Katy train went north at 11:40, and it is said he was under the influence of liquor. The presumption is that he started to walk to Elliott and mistook the Alton for the Katy track. Whether he was walking on the track or was asleep will never be known. He was evidently hit by an east-bound train, a pool of blood and portions of his brain being found about 150 feet west of where his body was found. The body was horribly mangled, and it is supposed that several trains passed over it. The remains were taken to the undertaking parlors of Smith & Feland and prepared for burial, and were taken to Elliott at 4 p.m. on the Katy Wednesday afternoon. Deceased was 30 years of age and leaves a wife and two small children, who have the sympathy of all in their sad bereavement. Friday, 11 July 1913--E. N. Myers and wife of Utica, Ohio, are the guest of the latter's mother, Mrs. Diana Jones, and other relatives. Friday, 11 July 1913--Mrs. Julia Smith spent Friday with her brother-in-law, Frank Smith, and wife, of Burton. Mr. Smith is 84 years old. Friday, 11 July 1913--Leonard Ancell of this place, who recently went to work for Uncle Sam as a railway mail clerk, writes us from St. Louis that he was in the big Missouri Pacific wreck at Berger last week, in which the engineer was killed and about 50 injured. He states that he thought his time had come. There were fourteen clerks in the two mail cars and all but five were more or less injured, Leonard being one of the five to escape without a scratch. Friday, 11 July 1913--The following, received by the NEWS this week, will be read with interest by Higbee people, all of whom join us in congratulations and best wishes: "Rev. and Mrs. I. F. Betts request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Nannie Lou, to Rev. J. D. F. Houck, Wednesday evening, July 30, 1913, at 9 o'clock, at First Methodist Church, Marlin, Texas. At home after August 21st, Calvert, Texas." (Kathy's notes: I print the following with some reservations. I want to state, upfront, that the editors in these papers were far from politically correct. They were extremely prejudiced, and saw nothing wrong with being so. They bought into a lot of stereotypes about the Negroes of the time period, and weren't shy about saying so. I also want to apologize ahead of time, if I offend anyone by reprinting this. I know that this may be painful to some of you reading this, and causing pain is not my intent. However, this is a death notice, and leaving it out seems to be a form of censorship that I feel would be unfair to the descendants of this man. I am transcribing it exactly the way it was written, in dialect and all, because I just don't know any way to soften it for today 's reader. They aren't my words, and they are exactly what was on the microfilm.) Friday, 11 July 1913--BISHOP ALBERT MACK DEAD-- "Bishop" Albert Mack, the well known negro Baptist preacher, died of heart disease at the home of one of the Bassett negroes near Holliday Monday, having been stricken on his arrival at that place Sunday. The remains were buried at Granville Tuesday. Mack was a unique character and was known throughout North Missouri. Though a Baptist he early took a fancy to priestly habiliments as well as nomenclature and in addition to appropriating the title of Bishop wore robes and miter while preaching. Missouri colored Baptists made a united protest against these unorthodox practices a number of years ago, but to no avail. Mack loved the outward form and show, they impressed his ebony congregations, and he proceeded independently, sticking to his robe and crown. He was a big mulatto, fat and heavy, and when dressed for services looked as if he had stepped from some canvas done in the time of Boccacio or Rabelais. Unlettered in a way he was yet possessed of shrewd common sense and knew negro character perfectly. He was a powerful exhorter and in his early years preached to his people almost exclusively on sex morality. One of his famous sermons along this line was "The Speckled Hen." In the height of his fame twenty years ago a number of Paris society folks of both sexes went to hear him preach the sermon in question and had to beat a hasty retreat, it being too frankly Paulinian for refined ears. The best Mack story, and there are many, comes from Woodlawn, this county, where he preached for years. A big meeting was closing and on the approach of communion Sunday it was discovered that there was no wine. One of the Arnold negroes was sent to Moberly after the wine, and on his way home, having gotten a start in that city, drank it all, landing back at Woodlawn not only minus wine and money, but intoxicated as well. Mack was incensed and when he arose to preach entered upon a few prefatory remarks. "Bredderen and sisters," he began, "Ize pow'ful sorry to infawm you dat dere'll be no communion so'vices in dis house today as previously announced. As you all know we had 'tended to partake of de holy emblems dis mawnin' and had tuk up a collecshun an' sent Mose Arnold to Mob'ly to git the wine. Ize pained to tell you dat nocount nigga not only drank up all de blessed sacrament on his way home, but is now settin' down heya in front of yo pasta as drunk as a bear--" At this juncture Mose arose with difficulty and began to protest. "Look out, pa'son," he said, "don' you go cas'n sinewation agin me--" But that was as far as he got. Mack, who was a powerful man, picked up the big pulpit Bible in both hands and turning on the offending member, shouted: "Set down dere nigga! Set down! If you don't I'll knock hell out of you wid de wur-rud of God." A handy implement for this form of exorciszation, and Mose took his seat, the sermon proceeding--Paris Mercury. Friday, 11 July 1913--REV BRINEY ON SPLIT SKIRTS--The order issued by Chief of Police Lindsey for the arrest of women seen on the street wearing a split skirt was cited last night by the Rev. W. N. Briney, pastor of the Broadway Christian church, as evidence that "the times are out of joint, when the police department is more anxious to protect young girls from insult than are the mothers who permit their daughters to wear such dresses." Rev. Briney's sermon was on "Luxury and Intemperance." He said in part: "Luxury is an unfailing sign of a decaying civilization. In ancient Rome the accumulation of colossal riches in the hands of a few resulted in the ruin of the middle classes and finally in unrestrained luxury and voluptuousness. It finally came to pass that labor was looked upon as disgraceful. Life was one prolonged revel, and in the absence of serious occupation was filled with mere frivolities. Intoxicated with pleasure and sensual enjoyment, men yet found life dull and stale, and they sought in vain, by every new device, to impart fresh zest to existence. "No casual observer can doubt that in the matter of dress this generation has run to great excess. When we look upon the extreme type of feminine apparel we wonder what is to come next. Women boldly appear upon our streets in suggestive and immodest dress, and the saddest feature of it is that they themselves are not shocked. That mothers permit their daughters to appear in public clad so suggestively as to provoke coarse and jesting comments from every male passerby is a sad commentary upon our present day motherhood. "When the police department of our city is more anxious to protect young girls from insult than are the mothers of these girls, and must needs issue an order for the arrest of women so clad as to make spectacles of themselves, the times are surely out of joint. "One would expect that such an order was meant simply to restrain the demimonde from vulgar display of themselves. That such is not the case even a careless observer knows. A criminal some months ago gave as an excuse for his vile crime the "make up" of his victim. Our girls and young women do not perhaps realize the danger and the folly of this fashionable immodest attire, but their mothers know and should warn their daughters against it."--Louisville Courier-Journal. Friday, 11 July 1913--John Griffin, aged 21, an Alton freight brakeman, was killed at Vandalia one night last week. His train had taken siding to let the Hummer pass, and it is said that he went to sleep on the boards of a road crossing between the tracks. He was awakened by the approaching train and in his confusion approached the main line. His head was crushed. Young Griffin was quite well known here, being a frequent visitor to Higbee. He was the son of traveling engineer Griffin of Slater and was the only boy in a family of several children. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, and comments welcome.