The Press., 1897-04-08

The choirs of the various churches are planning for elaborate Easter music.
 The Myra Collins Dramatic company, which has been playing a three-night's stand in town, left this morning for Rock vile. The company gave a good clean entertainment each evening. Last even- ing the attraction was That Naughty Kid," and the piece was put on in good shape. The attendance was small each evening.
 The Alumni Association of the High school will hold meeting at the Meth odlst church parlors tomorrow evening, with the following program:
 Piano Solo, Miss Jennie Clark "Life of Jean IngeIow," Miss M. A. washburn Quotations
 Miss Clara Baker Vocal Solo, Miss Bertha L. Heald "On the Skelligs." Ernest K. Taft Prose reading, selected, Miss Grace Harwood Tableau-"Songs of Seven."
 Quartet, selected. Miss A. L. Eaton, Miss M. A. Washburn, F. B. Newton, R. NJ. Ellis. Refreshments will be served after the lit erary program.
 Mrs. J. I. Bartholomew entertained Mrs. James F. Brooks, Mrs. Erastus Ben ton, Mrs. Nathan Morse and Mrs. Har- riet Champlln, the four oldest members | of the Methodist church, at the parsonage Wednesday afternoon. The oldest of these elect ladies, Mrs. Brooks, Is over 6S; the youngest, Mrs. Champlin, is near ly S6; their combined ages 346 years. Mrs. Benton has been a christian Fl years, Mrs. Brooks 70 years, Mrs. Morse 66 years, Mrs. Champlin 65 years, These ''mothers in Israel" passed through the trying years from '61 to '65. Mrs. Brooks wounded at Antietam; Mrs. Morse had one son-in-law in the army who spent 8 months in a rebel prison; Mrs. Benton had two sons in the army, one of whom received a wound which probably short ened his life Mrs. Champlin lost two sons in the war, and a son-in-law returned alive. All of these women are remarka- bly well preserved. Two other members of the church who have passed the eight ieth milestone were unable to be present, Mrs. Marcus Rowland, who is with her daughter In Worcester, and Mrs. Lydia able to leave the house.
 MR. EDITOR: Please take sharp stick and punch our selectmen, and all others who have to do with repairing our roads. Some have grown old in the service and become callus, so you will need to seek l they will not heed the public wish. Ask them to observe how we'll and hard nature packs the earth while the moisture Is in | It.. Remind them that when the town bought its road roller 1t was with the un- derstanding that it was to be put at work and kept moving, on the gravel or dirt roads, as we'll as on the mscadam. Tell them they are being watched more closely than ever, and that there Is growing l disposition to tar and feather any man found scraping or working the roads after the middle of May, excepting in the ease of washout, or extraordinary cause. Tell them they do not realize how much trouble is in store for them if they do not get at their work right away, nor how much credit they will get if they work the roads quickly and then keep out of the way of the travelling public. OLD ROAD MAKER. Stafford.
 Anyone in this section wanting grass seeds, etc., will find something of interest | in the notice of J. Glover & Son, in anoth- or column.
 Leger's livery stable has a new super intendent, Charlie Connors holding that responsible position.
 Mrs. Annie Kinney leaves to-day for a weeks visit with her daughter, Florence, in Boston and vicinity.
 | Subject for the meeting of the Y. P. s.. c. E. to-night-''Less from Christ's Miracles" All are invited.
 The new road force started the annual spring road repairing Monday, and have taken the east road to the Springs as a beginning.
 Go in some evening and see Hugh Jenk- ins wrestle with that new "Jack" he has. He can turn 1t in almost any direction that is, when 1t don't turn him.
 Old residents of the village assert that within their memory there never has been as many cases of illness in the village, at any one time, as we have had for the past few weeks. Let up hope that we have pulled through the worst of 1t.
 Mr. and Mrs. George Chaffee, of New London, were called here by the serious illness of Mrs. Chaffee's stepmother, Mrs. Colburn, and her sudden death will force them to a somewhat extended stay.
 Episcopal services will be held in the town hall next Sunday afternoon at o'clock The meeting will be under the direction of Grace church, at the Springs and everybody Is given a cordial invitation to attend. It is hoped that the audience will be large enough to warrant a contin. uance of the services.
 It will be noticed in another column that the Blodgett farm, at the Village and all the real estate, etc., connected with 1t, Is to be sold. This will make quite a change in one of Stafford's oldes homesteads, 1t having been in the posses sion of the Blodgett family for at least { hundred years, and how much longer w are unable to learn. Deacon Alden Blodg ett was the occupant as long ago as W, can get any reliable data.
 Mrs. R. G. Beebe returned nome Tues
 day after her winters sojourn in Florida
 She expresses herself as being pleased t'
 be back here after her taste of the climat
 of the south, where the thermometer fo some time has been hanging around 96 il the shade. From Florida, MT. and Mrs , Beebe went to Asheville, N. C., wher
 MT. Beebe has decided to remain for tn
 present, at least. The community vii be pleased to hear that he is much i'm proved in health since he left here in tn fall.