Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Eddie Gruber, who left three weeks ago for Jacksonville, Fla., where he was to play ball this season as a member of that team, returned home Sunday. We understand that he did not prove quite experienced enough to suit the management. His Higbee friends, while regretting his failure to stick, from whatever cause, welcome him, and are satisfied that should Higbee later on arrange to place a club in the C. M. League, he will help the Blues bring home the flag. He is also an invaluable member of the band, which, by the way, is at present rather unorganized. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--W. A. Hitt of near Myers sold his farm of 160 acres to Iowa parties this week. We did not learn the price. Mr. Hitt will sell a lot of personal property at the farm on the 19th, a list of which can be seen elsewhere. He is undecided as yet as to where he will move, but will likely locate in Higbee. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Nat Dennis, while at work at the Walton mine Wednesday of last week, had several bones in his right foot broken by a fall of coal, and will be laid up for several weeks. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Raymond Edwards, who recently left for McAlester, Okla., for a visit with relatives, has enlisted in the army, we learn. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--ALL MISSOURI MINES SHUT DOWN--Higbee's two mines, as well as all others in Missouri, have been closed since Tuesday, being shut down by W. L. A. Johnson, of official of the Mine Operators' Association over the action of the employees of a mine at Kirksville, who, the operators claim, came out on strike and refused to return to work pending a settlement of the grievance, as provided in the contract. (Kathy's notes: I extracted this to explain the mass migrations of the mining families out of Missouri that is bound to follow this announcement.) Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Perry Goin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bud Goin, is the first young man in Higbee, so far as we know, to answer the call to the colors, having enlisted in the navy, and leaving Sunday for St. Louis. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--A daughter was born on the 11th to Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Owen of Moberly. Mrs. Owen will be best remembered by Higbee folks as Miss Lillian Bradley. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Parties hunting on the Nat Dennis farm south of town one day last week, started a fire which did considerable damage and came near getting Mr. Dennis' house. As a result Mr. Dennis has posted his farm. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--John Wilson, the 8-month-old son of T. P. Banning and wife of near Yates, died Thursday of last week from measles. Funeral services were held at the Yates Baptist church Saturday and interment made in the Terrill cemetery. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--E. W. CUNDIFF DEAD--The many Higbee friends and acquaintances of E. W. Cundiff, who moved from this place to Eldon several years ago, will be pained to learn of his death, which occurred at the Baptist Sanitarium in St. Louis on March 29, following an operation. He was 66 years old and is survived by his wife and four children, all of whom have the sympathy of a wide circle of friends in old Higbee. Interment was made at Eldon. Mr. Cundiff was a most estimable gentleman and citizen and in his death his family and his home town have suffered an irreparable loss. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Mrs. Wm. V. Forbes died at her home near Burton on the 10th of Bright's disease and measles. She is survived by her husband and six children. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--TOOK SHOT AT THIEF--Some thief, who entered the smoke house of Henry Powell, who lives in the Land property just east of the NEWS office, about 3 o'clock Tuesday morning, will doubtless give that place a wide berth hereafter, as he came within an ace of being killed or of getting a tell-tale bullet in his system. Mrs. Powell hearing someone enter the smoke house at about the hour named, got up and armed herself with a big pistol, and going to the window took a shot at the intruder, whose position she could locate pretty well from hearing him move a candy bucket which covered some cured meat. The pistol almost jumped out of Mrs. Powell's hands, and before she could fire again the intruder had made good his escape, and at a very lively clip. An investigation the next day showed that the bullet had passed almost directly over the meat and that it could not have missed the intruder but an inch or two. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--Now that Cleeton's annual fountain opening is a thing of the past, we may hope to have some real spring weather. Last Saturday was the seventh annual opening of the fountain, and as was to have been expected, the weather was the very worst possible, ending in the biggest snow of the entire winter. Of the seven openings, all but one have been on regular winter days, even though several times the opening has been delayed as much as three weeks in the hope of seasonable weather. As we never have any real spring weather until after this fountain is opened, we suggest that Cleetons be forced next year, and at the point of a gun, if necessary, to hold the opening on January 1. Friday, 13 April 1917, Vol. 31, No 2--NEW BARBERSHOP FOR HIGBEE--C. W. Lewman of Wichita , Kan, together with his brother-in-law, W. C. Knight of Madison, has rented the Rennolds store room next to the Higbee Savings bank, and will open up a barbershop as soon as the fixtures, which are being made in St. Louis, arrive. The furniture and fixtures, as well as the entire interior of the shop, is to be in pure white, and Mr. Lewman, who is a barber of many years' experience, says it will be one of which the town can be proud. He will move his family here as soon as he can procure a house. Kathy Bowlin, Additions, corrections, comments welcome.