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Looking Backward 9.12.2013

  25 Years Ago

September 8, 1988

 

Wade Hightower, Hartville, exhibited the grand champion foal in the opening events of the 1988 Show & Celebration on Monday afternoon.  Shakin’ Jake placed first in the colt class then went on to claim the foal championship on the stake class.

The 29th Senatorial District met for its organizational meeting on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Shadow Rock Lodge in Forsyth.  Chairman Grant Haden opened the meeting explaining the business at hand.

Herbert A. Walker hosted a family luncheon at Hutch’s Country Inn on Tuesday, Aug. 30 for a dozen of his nieces, nephews and their spouses.

Taking first place in the Ava Senior Citizens pitch tournament were Loyd Sanders and Hulda Tipton.  Second place went to Neal McFarlin and Lester Hunt.  Third place went to Chester Tate and Lil Workman.

FOIL & CLARK –– Mr. and Mrs. Otis McFarlin and daughter, and Gerry Degase called on Bertha Brown Monday.

RED BUD VILLAGE –– Hester Hale attended the 63rd wedding anniversary of her sister, Beulah Creech. She said all of Beulah and Cecil’s great-grandchildren were there.

SQUIRES –– Do you remember when you went to the grocery store with a list and the clerk would go and get the items as you read your list to him?

DENLOW – Another ‘ole timer’ Ethel Coffman, left this walk of life early Saturday morning. She had lived in this community since a child.

Dr. Howard Curry and Herbert Sanders will speak to the United Methodist Women on the subject of “Indians of Douglas County” on Sept 14. The meeting is open to the public.

50 Years Ago

September 5, 1963

 

Tentative figures compiled by the principals of the Ava R-1 schools yesterday indicate that enrollment has reached a total of 1529, representing an increase of 71 students over the first week of school a year ago.

Clifford Cunningham, a city policeman for the past four years, resigned his job here Monday and was to leave Ava this week for Kansas.

A lady’s purse was stolen off a shelf at Ava Hardware sometime Saturday, and as yet no trace of the purse or its contents has been found.  Mrs. Clinton Maloney, a clerk at the hardware store, placed her purse on a counter back of a showcase when she reported for work, and when she started to get it later in the day, it was missing.

For the first time in peacetime history of the United States, it is proposed in legislation now pending before Congress to deny the right of trial by jury!

USS ENTERPRISE –– Cecil D. Linder, seaman, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Linder of Route 2, Ava, Mo., is serving aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Enterprise which recently visited Barcelona, Spain, in the course of her six months deployment with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.

According to a news story in the Ozark County Times, Gainesville citizens are taking the preliminary steps toward the construction of a completely new and modern rest home, at an estimated cost of about $143,000.

Mrs. P. M. Brown sold her place on Water Tower Hill to Floyd Stillings, who took possession last week. Mrs. Brown moved to a new location at 107 SW 4th Ave., which she bought from Joe Sallee.

ARNO –– Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Creech, Mrs. Bonnie Phipps and daughters Linda Sue, Cecilia and Debra, visited Sunday afternoon with Mrs. Creech’s sister, Mr. and Mrs. Allan Hale.

NORFOLK, Va. –– Junior Riley, aviation machinist’s mate second class, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Riley of Drury, Mo., is serving with the recent winner of the 1963 Fleet Air Wing Five “E” Award for battle readiness efficiency, Patrol Squadron 56 stationed at Norfolk.

GENTRY –– We extend a hearty welcome to our new neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Maggard, who have recently moved to the William Lewis property.

DRIVE-IN THEATRE, Sat. The Hangman, with Robert Taylor, Fess Parker. Raw adventure of a man-hunter.   Sun. – Mon. To Kill a Mockingbird, Gregory Peck. An award-winning picture to remember.

Save at Don’s Supermarket! Sugar, 10 lb bag, 79¢;  beef roast, chuck blade cut, 39¢ lb., Campbell’s tomato soup, 8 cans, $1.00; 6 14-oz bottles Shurfine catsup, $1.00;  Pillsbury or Shurfine biscuits, 5¢.

Mrs. Emma Mae Meads returned to her home in Ava Friday afternoon after spending a few days in Lockwood as the houseguest of her niece, Mrs. Clovis Gipson and Mr. Gipson.

 

75 Years Ago

September 8, 1938

 

Enrollment in Ava schools this year reached a new high with 440 students being enrolled in high schools and 342 enrolled in the grades, a total of 782.  The high school enrollment is made up of 318 nonresident pupils and 122 resident pupils.

Officials for the annual Douglas County Fair this week are making last minute arrangements for the opening of the event Thursday of next week.

Mac Callaway, four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Callaway, suffered a severe injury Monday while playing with his cousin, Bobby Crain, and a playmate, James Coday.  The children were playing in the car and Mac was standing on the outside of the car when the car door was slammed shut by one of the children. Mac’s second finger of the left hand was almost severed just below the first knuckle.  Mac’s grandfather, Dr. R. M. Norman, dressed the finger taking several stitches. When the finger was again dressed Tuesday the doctor felt hopeful of saving the finger since it was evident that there was a small amount of blood circulation above the wound.

Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Lichty and son Franklin, are new residents in Ava. They arrived here last week and occupied the Glenn Story house. Mr. Lichty operates the sawmill at the junction of Highways 5 and 14 north of town and supplies oak bridge lumber to county commissioners in Kansas for road and bridgework. He has been in Ava frequently since last October when he started business operations here. Franklin is a senior in high school.

A white leghorn hen egg weighing 6 ounces and measuring 6 ½ inches in circumference the small way and 9 ¼ inches the other, was brought to town Saturday by Frank Robertson of the Squires community. This mammoth egg is just exactly three times the size of the average white leghorn egg.  The average weight for a white leghorn egg is 2 ounces. A two-year-old hen laid the egg, Mr. Robertson said.

Yet the sad truth is that every restriction imposed on the decent was made necessary by the cussedness of the indecent.  –– Robert Quillen.

RIPPEE –– A large crowd attended the baptismal services at Rippee Sunday afternoon. Those baptized were Mr. and Mrs. Grant Ward, Mrs. Jane Love, Mrs. John Strong, Mrs. George Hutchinson, Mrs. Lily Harley, Miss May Werle and Henderson Strong.

DOGWOOD –– On August 24, Miss Claris Veir and Rossie McCullough were married at Ozark, Mo.

MT. TABOR –– Dr. Norman called to see Jerry Mendell Sunday and reported him some better. Mr. Mendell has malaria fever.   Little Mearl, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Turner, also has the fever.

Robertson School is getting along nicely under the teaching of Miss Mary Roy and Miss Margaret Morgan.

 

100 Years Ago

September 18, 1913

 

Last Friday night closed the first Chautauqua exercises held in Ava.  To say that it was good and well appreciated is putting it very mild.  As it was the first entertainment of the kind for Ava, the house was not so well filled.   The Chautauqua, which has just closed in Ava, may not be the best on the road, but it was well and more than worth the price it cost. If it has inspired one single soul to a higher standard of morals and right living, if it has pointed the path to better things, spiritually, morally, mentally or physically, it has been worth many times over the cost of the entire week.

The stock law election, restraining sheep, goats and swine from running at large, which was voted on in Washington and Boone townships last Saturday, was very interesting. The result in Campbell Township was 63 for enforcing the law and 35 against. In Boone Township the vote stood 64 against and 44 for. It will be seen that Campbell will have a stock law while Boone will not.  Let the will of the people be the supreme law. The people will always get exactly what they want.

PANSY –– John Phelps is still freighting down Little Beaver.

GIRDNER JOTTINGS –– Everybody is glad now that the long continued drought is broken.  In this locality we have had no rain since the latter part of May. Corn will not make five bushel to the acre on an average.  But farmers can now plow and sow wheat and rye.

MT. ARARAT SCHOOL –– The term will be short possibly not over four months, certainly not over five months. For the month ended the enrollment was 52; average attendance 90 percent; tardiness 2; corporal punishment 0.

Last Saturday was a very good day in Ava among our merchants.

Circuit Court will be in session next week. A very large and interesting docket is to be disposed of.

Marriage licenses were issued this week to Harry Spurlock to Clona Singleton, both of Ava.

Young men wanted for station agents and telegraph operators. Salary $65 and over.

 

125 Years Ago

September 20, 1888

 

The apples of southwest Missouri have made a record in all the eastern markets and in past years our orchards have helped to supply their deficiencies.

Henry Laboucher, the caustic editor of London Truth says that Stevenson’s story “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a ‘shilling shocker’, and not the best of them.

Well-known American publisher says that the works of Charles Dickens can hardly be brought out fast enough to keep up with the demand, while reprints of Thackeray hardly pay for the paper used.

John Tod, a Scotchman who has just published in Edinburgh a book entitled “Bits About America”, says that American women have great power of expressing what they mean. There are a few married men in this country that will thoroughly agree with Mr. Tod.

The receipts of the Suez Canal are sometimes $40,000 a day.

Jennie Jenkins of Orlando, Fla., is 105 and still chews tobacco.

The first frame barn built in Orrington, Me., still stands. It was erected in 1783.

One of the odd features of our naturalization laws is that an army officer need not be a citizen, but a naval officer must be.

A bride in Newark succeeded in inducing her husband to give up beer drinking, but at the end of three days of sobriety he shot himself dead. It has gotten so that it is beer or death with heaps of fellows in this country.

There is talk of a brick vault to hold the county records. A good idea.

James Miller has sold his mill at Vera Cruz to Messrs. Busch and Beasey, who will shortly commence the erection of a large mill on the site of the old one.

A. R. Turner and wife, of Rome, were callers at this office Monday. Mr. Turner informs us that he will open a general merchandise store at Rome shortly after court. The building is ready completed, and is 30×30, with a side room 20×30.

The Devil Has Failed, as yet, to Call Home His Own.  On Saturday night, last, an infamous attempt was made to burn our courthouse. The prime object, it seems, was to make sure of burning the circuit court papers –– the September term of court being near at hand – and the result would surely have been accomplished had it not been for the chance arrival of Deputy Sheriff Sloan upon the scene.  The incendiaries had saturated with coal oil the door and floor around the entrance to the clerk’s office and set fire to it, but after burning the principle part of the oil had gone out, and a second attempt was being made to start it burning when Mr. Sloan’s attention was attracted by the lighting of matches.  It being very dark the villains made good their escape before Sloan could get near enough to identify them.

Farm – 60 acres with 12 acres under cultivation; 40 acres under fence; hewed log dwelling, 16×8; good spring and spring house; located 2½ miles from Ava, the county seat. Price $250.   Bulgar & Sprague, real estate agents, Ava.

* * *

Looking Backward

August 1959

Local Baseball Team Downs District Squads

The Ava baseball team has won two games from district opponents, taking an 8-6 verdict Aug. 17 at Mansfield, and downing Mtn. Grove, 2-1, Aug. 24 in night games.

In the Mansfield game Merle Prock struck out 22 batters, while Verness Shull, Jr., Perry Pool and Dale Moore had three hits a piece to lead the attack.  Gordon Shanks pitched a 3-hitter against Mtn. Grove.  Shull hit a home run, with the winning run coming on successive singles by Perry Pool and Dale Moore.