Friday, 16 July 1915--CELEBRATES 71ST BIRTHDAY--Saturday, July 10, being the 71st birthday anniversary of Mrs. A. G. Atkins, the occasion was celebrated by a big dinner served on the lawn, a large number of neighbors, relatives and friends being present, all of whom enjoyed the occasion to the fullest. Since the death of her father, Uncle Jimmie Dougherty, whose birthday was celebrated in a similar manner for 21 years beginning with his 75th year, Mrs. Atkins' birthday has been celebrated by the family, she being the oldest child, and the occasion has always drawn an immense crowd. This year, however, the crowd was not nearly so large, owing to the busy season with the farmers, the threatening rain and sickness among the families of several. The big yard was sufficiently full, however to remind one of a Fourth of July celebration. The dinner consisted of about everything an epicure could desire and there was a world of it, the big table apparently a wagon-load of cake and pies alone. Besides hearty congratulations, Mrs. Atkins received many gifts from neighbors and friends as a remembrance of the pleasant occasion. After an hour or two spent in the lovely shade of the lawn, when old times were lived over and old acquaintances renewed, the guests departed, each wishing Mrs. Atkins many happy returns of the day. Friday, 16 July 1915--Chas. Gaines and Otto Butler, two Randolph county negroes, were taken to the pen last week, the former for two years for stealing a watch and the latter for life for attempting to enter a house. The severity of the latter's sentence was brought about by the fact it was his fourth trip to the pen, he having served three previous terms for burglary. Friday, 16 July 1915--Raymond Edwards, one of Higbee's most promising young men, was this week appointed to a cadetship at Annapolis by Congressman Rucker, and if he can pass the educational and physical examination, of which there is no fear among those who know him, he will enter Uncle Sam's famous naval school next year. He will take no changes on falling down on his examination and will put in all his spare time digging into text books. that he may come out of the school with highest honors and in time plow the main as an admiral, is the wish of The NEWS. Friday, 16 July 1915--A WOODEN CLOCK--If you have never seen a wooden clock, you are cordially invited to call at Lee Hairl's to see one he is tuning up to place by the side of his regulator. The clock, which recently came into Mr. Hairl's possession, was made in Connecticut and is over 100 years old. Except for the weights and one small wheel, the clock is made entirely of wood, and was evidently the work of an expert as well as an artist. Friday, 16 July 1915--ITEMS FROM RUCKER--Miss Ollie White has returned home from a week's visit with her sister, Mrs. Pete Slaughter, at Moberly. Ottis Cleeton gave a birthday party Thursday night to his friends. Over 100 were present and all had a big time. The Christian and Baptist denominations at Old Perche Church south of Rucker will begin the erection, jointly, of a new concrete block church soon. Over $2,000 has already been subscribed and work will likely being August 1, as all the plans and specifications have been completed. It will be the most complete and up to date church in the whole country. Friday, 16 July 1915--J. E. COONS MARRIED--C. E. Coons hands us the following, taken from the Los Angeles Herald, relative to the marriage of his brother, J. E, formerly of this place: First of the Los Angeles queens to be the target of Danny Cupid's shaft, Miss Sara Melton, candidate in the Fiesta Queen contest, today became the bride of J. E. Coons of Pasadena. Romance, it was revealed, had played a part in the contest of the beauties for Coons was one of the most active workers in Miss Melton's campaign to be named the queen of Los Angeles beauty. Coons claimed for his bride one of the most popular beauties in Los Angeles, as Miss Melton received the second highest number of votes. She was the candidate of the telephone companies. The wedding took place at the home of the bride, 1558 Ellendale Drive, at noon today. Only members of the families and most intimate friends attended the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Coons left immediately for Pasadena, where they will spend their honeymoon in their new home. Friday, 16 July 1915--FAMILY REUNION--G. T. Mobley and wife of near Myers entertained the following at dinner Sunday, the occasion being a family reunion, it being the first time since the death of Mrs. Mobley's father, Uncle George Dougherty, fourteen years ago, all the children had been together: John H. Dougherty and wife, John Newman and wife, Tom Hern and wife, Marvin Hern and wife and grandson, W. A. Hitt and wife, W. K. Dougherty and family, Ben Feland and family, Jake Atkins and family, Mart Meade and wife, Gibson Dougherty and wife, Jas. Palmatary and wife, Willard White and wife, Mrs. Ella Edwards and grandson, Mrs. May Matthews, Mrs. Lou Fisher and Miss Leola Foley. Friday, 16 July 1915--Born, on the 11th, to Alfred Hayden and wife, a daughter. Friday, 16 July 1915--Little Misses Lucile and Evelyn Burkhalter are visiting Mrs. Thos. Warford at Madison. Friday, 16 July 1915--Miss Mable Young of Springfield, Ill, is the guest of her grandparents, G. T. Rees and wife, and other relatives. Friday, 16 July 1915--MRS. FLOYD MOORE DEAD--Gloom was cast over the entire community Monday when word came from Boonville that Mrs. Floyd Moore of this place had died in the Ravensway Hospital from an operation. The sad news was no surprise to her relatives and friends, for from the hour of the operation the physician had held out no hope. She had been in poor health for several years and had undergone several operations, and had not fully recovered her strength from one performed several months ago. It gave her no relief from her sufferings, which were intense, and in the hope of obtaining relief she again submitted to the knife, although she was told that the chances were all against her. Nettie Lee Moore was the youngest daughter of the late William and Diana Jones, and was on the old home farm near Myers on June 12, 1884. Following the death of her father about 20 years ago she moved with the family to Fayette where she attended school, later moving to the old farm, and from there to Higbee some sever or eight years ago. In 1912 she was married to Mr. Floyd Moore, who, with three sisters and one brother, survive her, viz: Mrs. T. H. Dinwiddie, Mrs. Jas. W. Marshall, Mrs. John A. Miller and Joe B. Jones. Funeral services were held at the Christian church Wednesday afternoon, of which she had long been a devout member, by her former pastor, Eld. E. Y. Keiter, who paid a glowing tribute to her many virtues, and especially of her devotion to her invalid mother. The large crowd, which taxed the capacity of the church, spoke most eloquently of the esteem in which she was held and of the deep sympathy felt for the heart broken husband and brother and sisters. Interment was made at New Hope cemetery, Howard county, amid the scenes of her happy childhood, and beside her loved ones who had preceded her to the great beyond, two of whom, the mother, and sister, Mrs. E. N. Meyers, were taken within the last eighteen months. The NEWS joins the community in warmest sympathy to the bereft. Friday, 16 July 1915--R.R. Jones of Independence was here this week looking after his property in the north part of town and visiting his son, Isaac. Friday, 16 July 1915--Dr. E. R. Adams of Kirksville, who was here last week with a view of locating for the practice of dentistry, was so favorably impressed with the outlook that he decided at once to locate among us. He has rented offices over Higbee Savings Bank and informs us that it will be equipped with the very latest appliances. Dr. Adams is a young man of very pleasing address and appearance and it is our prediction that he will make good and will never regret the day he located among us. Friday, 16 July 1915--Mrs. Thos. Evans returned Wednesday from a visit with her parents, D. L. Thomas and wife, of Wichita, Kan. She was accompanied by the latter, who stopped off for a few days before going to Excelsior Springs for a few weeks' stay. Friday, 16 July 1915--Martin Tabor has rented the Patrick building next to M. Murphy's and will open a grocery store next week. Mark's host of friends join the NEWS in wishing him unbounded success in his new undertaking, to which he will not be a stranger, by the way. Friday, 16 July 1915--Edgar Bradley returned last week from Kansas, where he had been at work in the harvest fields. He will return to Kansas, but not till the weather settles. Friday, 16 July 1915--Will Cave moved his garage yesterday to the new building just completed by M. Murphy. Friday, 16 July 1915--Miss Sylvia Magill of Mystic, Ia, is the guest of her grandparents, Geo. Magill and wife, and other relatives. Friday, 16 July 1915--Mrs. Thos. Forsythe and daughter, Miss Pearl, of Washington arrived yesterday for a visit with her father, J. C. Herron, and other relatives. Friday, 16 July 1915--John Tutt, one of Higbee's best-known colored citizens had a slight stroke of paralysis the first of the week, but is able to be around as usual. Friday, 16 July 1915--H. C. Eubanks and wife and A. T. Burton and wife attended a reunion of the Pyle family at the home of J. C. Reid and wife of Moberly on Sunday. Twenty eight members of the family were present as were all the grandchildren but one. Friday, 16 July 1915--Mrs. Orville Pitney and children of Denver, arrived the latter part of last week for a visit with her father, Harvey Cubbage, and other relatives. Dr. Pitney is expected in a few weeks. Friday, 16 July 1915--(Kathy's notes: I print the following, because it must have caused many a Higbee wife, to fret and fume, and no doubt put many a returning husband in the hot seat.) THE HIGBEE HARVESTERS--The following "poetry," penned by some of the Higbee bunch now in the Kansas harvest fields, was received Tuesday by Aubrey Humphrey, who asks us to print it: There's a bunch of brave coal diggers, >From good old Higbee town, Gone to the Kansas harvest To cut the wheat all down; They will come back fat and hearty >From the Kansas pork and beans, And each one in the party Have dollars in his jeans. They may come back in autos, And be right up to date-- But some may beat the railroad And ride a box-car freight; Their wives in old Missouri Think of them night and day, But they're sparking Kansas girls And feeling fine and gay. The booze is scarce in Kansas, But the diggers hunt it up And drink "white mule" and Logger >From any old tin cup: they are wily, wild and woolly When they get away from home, And they are feeling bully Wherever they may roam. Some of these sports may settle In the sunny sunflower state, Forget their wives in Higbee, An take some other mate: The readers of this paper Sure know these diggers' names, That are cutting jolly capers Out in the harvest game; They are red and black and gray haired Young, middle-aged and old; You may see them back in Higbee With lots of Kansas gold. Friday, 16 July 1915--Mrs. Nellie Long last week sold her residence property in Moberly to F. M. Randolph of that place. Friday, 16 July 1915--Now that the Alton pond is practically full, we presume the fish will begin to bite as soon as they learn how to swim in deep water once more. Friday, 16 July 1915--In a letter to the NEWS Mrs. Mary Mooney says: "Please change my address from Chicago to 517 S. Ave B, Washington, Iowa till further notice. I can't afford to miss a copy of the NEWS. Friday, 16 July 1915--BILL WHITE ON AUTOMOBILES--Bill White, whom the highbrow contingency call William Allen White, thus reflects in his Emporia Kansas, Gazette: "The automobile is a fine bird, but it sucks blood. It has a song that lures men to destruction and women to vain pride that corrodes their happiness. Look not upon the buzz cart when it is red and giveth stinkum to the evening breeze, for it chaweth skads and ducats like a hay baler, and mazuma and sesteres and rocks and dough, it lappeth up like a house afire. when the devil wagon champeth and scorcheth, flee to the mountains of the Hespidam and crawl into a hole, or the old boy will get you and carry to the poor house. Man goeth forth in the morning chugging and shaking with pride, a halo of blue smoke incircleth him as a wreath; he patteth his belly with pride, and saith behold I am a 6-cylinder brute, even a lollapalulu am I in my pride. "When lo, the sheriff cometh at the front door of the shop and swipeth up h is substance in the night and a Missouri mule hauleth off the available assets to the auction. The auto is a mocker and the touring car is raging, and whoso is deceived thereby should soak his noodle in lye. Vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction are the devil carts that eat man's time and sap his securities and in the end turn over in a ditch and make his family into hamburger steaks. Woe is his name who dallieth with them and even pants as he called in the market place who twists the brass wheel and winketh with the other eye to fate. Kathy Bowlin, Additions, corrections, comments welcome.