The Vermont Tribune, Ludlow, Friday, December 21, 1888 State Notes 12/21/1888 Minneapolis flour men have selected St. Albans as their distributing centre for New England, and intend building there two immense storage houses. The much-needed light house at the mouth of Otter Creek will be put up the coming season, the light house inspector having fixed the cost at $1,000. Elias PALMER of Hinsburgh, recently converted his property into money, and skipped to parts unknown with the wife of his brother Oscar. Some 17 years ago, John, son of the late Maurice HOAR of St. Albans, disappeared from home, and was given up for dead, but he has recently returned. At last reports, Louis WALDEN (the man whose skull was fractured in a fracas near Bennington, last week) was alive, and prospects for his recovery were improved. Mrs. Oliver WELLS, aged 70 years, fell down stairs at Dr. TILLOTSON's house in Underhill, causing concussion of the brain, which resulted in her death two hours later. Among those who recently presented themselves for examination by the Board of Pension Surgeons at St. Albans was one man whose disability proved to be a case of leprosy. Madame LaFARRAR of Swanton, whose children and grandchildren are old men and women in that town, died Sunday. If she had lived a few weeks longer, she would have been 105 years old. The seventeenth annual meeting of the Vermont State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, was opened in capitol hall, Montpelier, the 12th inst., 53 granges reporting by about 75 delegates. Recently, while Mills D. F. BLODGETT and his son Bert, of Lemington, were hewing railroad ties, Bert slipped, his ax grazed the log, and his father, who had stooped at that moment to pick up his measure, was struck in the face by the ax, which cut a deep gash. James HADLEY went around from hose to house, in St. Albans, collecting small subscriptions for an alleged "Christmas dinner for the poor, at the rink," and is now in jail under $350 bonds, for obtaining money under false pretences. His little scheme worked to the extent of about eight dollars, and then it was checked by the authorities. John PADLOCK of Groton had a fight with a bear, one day last week, in which the bear came out second best. PADLOCK was out looking after his traps when the bear made for him, and received a charge of shot. This only made the bear the more ferocious; but PADLOCK drew his hunting-knife and succeeded in slaying the brute after a hard struggle. Willie E. CULLEN, grandson of Luther COLBURN of West Glover, while at work on the State House building at Topeka, Kan., the 20th of November, fell three stories, struck upon his chin, and broke his neck. His last words were, "Ten minutes more, and I shall have my job here finished up." He was 27 years old, and was to have been married at Christmas. Josiah BURCH, sexton of the Congregational church at Bennington, had a narrow escaped fro death, Sunday. BURCH discovered that the pipe in the pit near the gasoline generator was leaking, and went down to fix it. According to his own story, he found that he was being overcome by the escaping gas, and tried to climb the ladder, but fell back unconscious, and was discovered in a comatose condition. Transcribed by Ruth Barton -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT