7 July 1911--THE GLORIOUS FOURTH--The Fourth of July celebration here Tuesday by the band boys drew the largest crowd ever assembled here on a like occasion, the crowd being placed by many as high as 3000. The day was beastly hot, but everyone seemed to have a good time, nevertheless. Big crowds in Higbee are noted for their good behavior, and the crowd of Tuesday was no exception, for a more sober or orderly crowd was ever assembled here. Very little drinking was indulged in and if the least thing occurred to mar the pleasure of any one we failed to hear of it. Although the heat was intense, the crowd came early and stayed late, it being after 1 a.m. before all had left the grounds. The program was carried out as advertised and we don't believe many went away disappointed with the day. The raga-muffin parade in the morning drew a big crowd, but few besides the members of the band took part in it. The costumes were various an dprovoked a great deal of amusement. One of the most pleasant features of the day was the concerts by the band which were rendered at intervals from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Taken all in all it was the biggest and best picnic ever given in this part of the county, and its success is attributable solely to the untiring energy of the band boys and the hearty co-operation of the citizens generally. Here's hoping that the band, which is the best in the town's history, will be able to repeat the performance next year on a bigger scale than ever. The following prizes were awarded: Ugliest man--John Ketchum. Largest family--Joe Sutliff. Oldest lady--Mrs. Jane Dinwiddie. Boys' foot race--Ollie Foley Boys' 3-legged race, ______Palmatary, _______Foley. Young ladies' foot race--Vera Truby. Tallest lady--Mrs. Georgia Middleton. Girl's foot race--Hilda Atkins. Tug-of-war--Albert Martin. Best saddle horse--Miss Bertha Andrews. Fattest man--Charles Frisk. Tallest farmer--E. A. Shipp. 100-yard dash__________Comstock 1st; ________Palmatary 2nd. Oldest man--J. F. Smith. Prettiest lady--Miss Eunice Nichols. Largest hat--Miss Lena Smith. Person from greatest distance--Ollie Foley. Individual tug-of-war--Wm. Foley. Boys' foot race--Earl Murphy. Most recent married couple--Mr. and Mrs. Roy Golden. Single couple coming greatest distance--John Pitney, Miss Mable Schwartz. Best recitation by child under 7--Eugene Paul Burton. Longest whiskers--E. W. Sanburn. Prettiest married lady--Mrs. ________Burrell. Fat man's race---Ben Wright. Lightest married lady---Mrs. T. R. Williams. Ladies' nail driving contest--Mrs. Maude Naylor. 7 July 1911--Those who were down town yesterday morning about 8 o'clock were attracted to Will Cave's blacksmith shop by several loud whoops and laughter, and those who rushed in to find out the cause of the merriment found Will and his assistants, T. J. Cooper and James Warford, as well as several loafers, almost splitting their sides with laughter. The cause of their merriment was an automobile on which they had been at work for several days. The machine is the property of M. S. Durham of Clark, and all the other experts in the county having failed to make it go, he brought it over to see if Mr. Cave could fix it. The machine is an automobile buggy and for contrariness and pure cussedness reminds us more of the old cylinder press the NEWS used to have than anything we ever saw. The gentlemen named had worked with the machine for about a week at odd times, and after locating and correcting the trouble in one place would grow black in the face cranking up her only to find that something else was wrong and that she still refused to cough. Yesterday morning they began work anew and at the second cranking up off she went, as if possessed, to the delight, as well as astonishment, of all. After their laughter had subsided, Will took the steering wheel and with Warford standing on the tool box they made the trip up the street and back, but not on the high speed. The machine was stripped of everything but the running gear and its ambling up the street drew a cheer from all it passed. The boys are very proud of making the machine go, as it had stuck all others, some of whom said it couldn't be made to work, and we believe that when they get through with it Mr. Durham, who is a rural mail carrier, can pass anything on the road. 14 July 1911--THE NEWS FROM BONNEFEMME--W. W. HITT is on the sick list. P. A. DOUGHERTY delivered lambs Monday at 5 cents. T. P. HARRIS delivered at Fayette Monday one cow at $3.50 per cwt, and two heifers at $4. The 2-year-old son of SAM G. WEBB is seriously ill of cholera infantum. MRS. ERNEST SHOCKLEY and little daughter of Higbee are the guests of her parents, B. M. AVERY and wife. MISS ETHEL O'BRIEN of Moberly is visiting her grandparents, ROBT. DOUGHERTY and wife, and other relatives and friends this week. ERNEST ANCELL and wife of Higbee spent Saturday and Sunday with the former's parents, J. T. ANCELL and wife. Eld. G. M. WALKER preached at St. Clair school house Saturday evening. he was en route to Perche church, Boone county, where he preached Sunday. Baldridge school house is receiving a fresh coat of paint which adds greatly to its appearance. TOBE PERKINS of Higbee is doing the work. WM. GILVIN spent the Fourth here with relatives and friends. He had been in Kansas City attending a convention. He says crop prospects are better here than in any section he passed through. By an oversight last week we forgot to note the death of NATHAN ROSELLE, colored, an inmate of the Howard county infirmary, July 1. He was working in the field with some other inmates of the place, and when the dinner bell sounded he laid down in the field. When the others reached the house they notified the superintendent, who went to ROSELLE'S assistance in a vehicle, only to find him dead. The excessive heat was supposed to have been the cause of death. He was buried the next day in the cemetery on the farm. 14 July 1911--W. F. Jones is going to prospect for water. He will do the drilling with an augur attached to small tubing. If the experiement doesn't prove too costly, and the tubing holds out, Mr. Jones will keep the drill going until he strikes water or smoke. We would suggest that before he begins he call in Frank Baker, who is a "water witch," having located water in several places on A. C. Burton's farm by the aid of a forked stick. Some people hoot at the idea of water being found in any such manner, but we believe there is much in it, as we have seen it demonstrated many times. 21 July 1911--THE NEWS FROM BONNEFEMME--S. E. DOUGHERTY delivered hogs at Fayette Monday at 6 cents. P. A. and G. F. DOUGHERTY shipped two cars of cattle to St. Louis Wednesday. ISAAC GRIGGS and ORVILLE BRUCE were Moberly visitors Wednesday. REV. NOTLEY MAGRUDER preached at Possum College Sunday. MRS. N. J. FOWLER was called to Moberly Saturday by the illness of her, mother MRS. METCALF. G. F. DOUGHERTY lost a valuable mule Saturday. It was kicked by a horse and so badly injured that it had to be killed. We are requested to announce that E. SHELBY SMITH will preach at Mt. Pleasant church the fifth Sunday in July. All are cordially invited. Some dry weather stock sales; WM. LAY sold 68 head of sheep for $120. TALT WILLIAMS sold pigs three weeks old at 10 cents each. FRANK MOONEY, wife and children of Belleville, Ill, are the guests of his parents, JOHN MOONEY and wife, of the north part of this township. JOSEPH DOUGHERTY of near Clark paid his father, P. A. , a short visit tuesday. He drove over in his auto which he purchased recently of Dr. T. H. DINWIDDIE. MRS. W. T. ROBERTS was called to Moberly on the 12th by the illness of her daughter, MISS POLLY BENNEFIELD. P. W. WARFORD, who suffered a severe stroke of paralysis several years ago, is seriously ill at the home ofhis son-in-law, WM. TUCKER. JOHNSON, the 18-month-old son of SAMUEL AND EMILY WEBB, died Wednesday, the 19th, of cholera infantum. Burial at Mt. Pleasant yesterday. the bereaved parents, brothers and sisters have the sympathy of the entire community. MRS. NANCY ROBERTSON died at the home of her son-in-law, W. A. BRUCE, of Harrisburg Wednesday, July 12th, at 2 p.m. of cancer of the stomach. She was the daughter of the late JOHN ASBURY, and was born Aug 5, 1850. She was married to THOS. D. ROBERTSON on May 16, 1870. To this union 12 children were born, five of whom survive her, viz, MRS. LYDIA BRUCE, MRS. LIZZIE WOODS of Kansas City, FRED, JACOB AND MRS. MUSETTA HULEN of Kansas City. Her husband preceded her to the grave about two years ago. She united with the church at the age of 16, and was a noble christian mother and friend. Funeral services were conducted by Eld. B. F. GOSLIN at Mt. Pleasant church on the 13th, and the remains laid to rest in the cemetery there. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved children and relatives. 21 July 1911--Those who do not believe in water witches and their work of locating water with a forked peach limb will have a chance to see the thing demonstrated in a few days, for Jas. Graves and John Dennis each had "streams" located Wednesday--the former on his farm south of town, and the latter at his residence in Higbee. The locating was done by R. M. Enyart who has located water hundreds of times. He can not account for the strange actions of the forked peach limb turning in his hands when held over running water under ground, and says that he has yet to meet a single failure. Both Mr. Graves and Mr. Dennis will put down wells at once, and each is willing to wager all he has that water in abundance will be found. Mr. Enyart informed Mr. Dennis that he would find a very strong stream at his place at less than twenty feet. (Here's a little slice of history. This is General Omar Bradley) 21 July 1911--OMAR BRADLEY TO WEST POINT--Omar N. Bradley, son of the late John S. Bradley of this place, was here from Moberly Monday visiting friends, and showed us a letter from Congressman Rucker notifying him of his appointment as a cadet at West Point. He expected to leave for that place the latter part of the week. Omar is one of the best boys Higbee ever turned out as well as the most studious, and if he lives and keeps his health will be heard from some day as a noted engineer or army officer. That such will be the case is the earnest wish of the NEWS. Mr. Rucker's letter, in part, follows: "You will be gratified, I am sure, to learn that in a report I have just received from the War Department the Academic Board advises me of your success in the recent examination at Jefferson Barracks that you are thereby eligible to admission to the military academy at West Point. In that examination you made the required grade in every branch in which you were examined. The principal nominee, Dempsey Anderson of Keytesville, failed in some of the branches to make the grade and you are therefore the successful contestant. I wish to congratulate you heartily upon the remarkable showing made by you in this test. In view of the limited notice given and the short time in which preparation could be made your grades reflect great credit upon you as a student." 21 July 1911--THE NEWS FROM BONNEFEMME--Frank Mooney and family returned to their home in Belleville, Ill, Friday. W. H. Hitt and wife and Chas. Eaton and wife visited relatives north of Higbee Sunday and Monday. S. M. Naylor and granddaughter, Margaret Price, of Fayette are visiting relatives here. Forrest Radford and wife of St. Louis are the guests of Mrs. R's parents, John Mooney and wife. A two weeks' protracted meeting began at Myers Chapel Saturday evening. Henry Foster of Moberly is doing the preaching. "George Dewey," a valuable stallion belonging to C. F. Dougherty, died last week of water founder or something similar. W. A. Bruce had a horse bitten by a rattlesnake a few days ago. The reptile was lying in the public highway and escaped before it could be killed. A steady rain fell for six hours Sunday morning. It was a great benefit to growing crops, but not heavy enough to replenish the water supply in wells and ponds. While engaged in driving turkeys Monday evening, Mrs. Leonard Ancell fell on some jagged rocks and sustained some painful bruises and two painful cuts on the face. Chas. S. Grigsby and Miss Louida Kirby were married at Fayette Thursday, July 20. The groom is the youngest son of Mrs. Joseph Grigsby and an excellent young man and hustling farmer. The bride is the charming daughter of Mrs. F. M. Kirby of near Armstrong. They will make their home with Mr. Grigsby's aged mother. May health and happiness be theirs through life. Kathy