The age-herald., 1898-01-12
FLORENCE HAPPENINGS.
Extension of the Telephone Lne-Sale of
 Canning Factory.
special to The Age-Herald.


 Florence, Jan. 1.-The Southern Bell Telephone company will soon have con nection with Iron City. via Bailey Springs and Pruitton. The Pruitton line has just been completed to Iron City, and the line from this city to Bailey Springs. which has been in operation for several years, will be a part of the system. The line from Bailey Springs to Pruitton will now be built at once, and the company expects to have the entire line in working order by the-,iOth of February. This is the first connecting link that will bind Florence to the outside world by means of long dis tance telephone communication. The Bell company has had this system in view for T long time.
 The old Florence Canning factory building was today sold at mortgage sale, and was bought in by John D. Rather for the as- signee of the Ryan Grocery company of Memphis. which firm held mortgage upon the plant for s1 ,OoO. The building is brick structure 4Ox1OO feet, and adjoins the plant of tho Florence Pump and Lumber com pany, furnishing a splendid location for factory of some kind The sale was con- ducted by Messrs Kirk & Almon, of Tus- cumbia, attorneys for the Ryan Grocery company's assignee.
 A club that promises to become very popular one in the near future is the Young Ladies' Matinee club. which has just been organized The membership is limited to sixteen, and will include many of the popular society young ladies of the city. The first meeting of the club will be held with Miss Annie Brown on Satur- day afternoon and weekly thereafter. It is tbo Ia invite gentlemen friends to an open meet ing of the club to be held monthly.
 The officers of the First Presbyterian church in this city are seriously contem- plating some extensive improvements in the near future. Some of the gentlemen are in favor of undermining the present building, while others favor the erection of an en- tirely new edifice to cost about $l5,O.O. The present building is very old but sup stantial one, and with q good seating ca pacity. The congregation is one or the largest and wealthiest in the city, and well able to carry out any plans they may un- dertake.
 President Wilson of the State Norman college has given out statement as to the condition of the institution, which shows it to be in most fourishing conoi- tion The attendance has passed the three hundred mark, and the senior class Is the largest in the history of the college, num- boring fifty. Twenty pupils have entered since the beginning of the winter term and others are coming in every week. Presi- dent Wilson is much elated at the success which his first years efforts have met and at the prospects for the ensuing year. He is proving a phenomenal success as an educator, and the institution of which he is the head is doing a great work for this section of Alabama
 The Knights of Pythias tonight installed the following officers for the ensuing ysar:
 Chancellor commander, B. F. Iarrabee; ce-chancellor commander, Allen Howell; prelate, Will Temple; master at arms, A. A. McGreger; keeper of records and seals, Robert Martin; master of finance, John w. Price; master of exchequer, s. s. Broadus; inside guard, Charles Reeder; outer guard, T. D. Berry. The installa- tion was conducted in the handsome new quarters of the Knights of Pythias over the Merchants bank Hon. Turner Rice, lodge deputy. being master of ceremonies. There was no banquet.
 The trial of Sheriff Alonzo D. Carson, of this county, was begun this morning in the circuit court convened in special session for the purpose of attempting to impeach that official upon the charge of habitual drunkenness in office. The case had pre-. viously been twice set for trial, but was postponed each time upon motion of the counsel for defense, the last time upon a petition setting forth that the summondng of the special venire was irregular. The attorneys representing Sheriff Carson are Messrs Ashcraft. O'Neal. Wood, Walker and Hodges, and they are making a strong fight to save the official head of the sheriff. The result of the caEe will set a precedent which will likely cause small revolution in officeholdng in this section, and 1t is rumored that thcre may be others to come before the ''Lexow committee" commonly known as the grand jury