The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-01-05
WHOLE NUMBER 2233.

The Washington correspondent of the
| Detroit Free Press says: >. Ill Kelly of
Benton HarbOr is here To secure certain
mail contracts in western Michigan.
| Through his efforts the South Haven &
Eastern railroad has been awarded
contract embracing service and mail
car two round trips per day, between
Lawton and South Haven, serving the
towns Of Paw Paw, Lake Cora. Law
renee, Hartford, Toqun, Covert and
Packard. Mr.. Kelly is also trying to
have IA mail service installed on the
Milwaukee, Benton Harbor q Kalama-
zoo road, which will probably be arrang-
ed If the railroad will accept the figures
offered by the government.
Paw Paw narrowly escaped fire
Saturday forenoon. As l.. Ii. Titus and
his stenOgrapher, Miss Packer, were at
work In his law office in the abstract
building, they noticed a smell of smoke.
Investigation showed flames to be just
breaking out around the chimney,
which was defective The fire had
evidently been burning within the par
titlon for some time. A little water,
Judiciously applied, put out the fire
without an alarm being given and be-
fore much damage was done. Mrs Dora
Richardson, owner of the building, at
once set men at work erecting a new
chimney and, while the offices are torn
up, other desirable repairs are being
made.
During the year 1897, the county clerk
issued 257 marriage licenses, decrease
of % as compared with the previous
year. There were 90 cases commenced
on the chancery side of the circuit
court during the year, 20 more than in
1896. 5l OF these cases, five more than
half, were divorce cases. There were
10 more divorce cases during the year
than for the previous year. The num-
Der of divorce DEGREES granted was AZ,
gain of % for the year. On the law
side of the court, 70 new cases were en-
tered, an increase of IA over the previ-
Gus year. AZ of these were criminal
cases, 10 of them being for violation of
the local option law. In the probate
court, 146 new estates were opened in
1897, while in 1896 there were but 1913, a
gain OF %, being an increase of 10 per
cent. A decree of per cent in mar
rlages, an increase of AZ per cent in the
number of divorce cases instituted and
an increase of 40 per cent in the num-
of divorces granted, naturally raises the
query as to how long it will be before
the divorces will outnumber the mar
riages, and emphasizes the recent state
ment made by one of the circuit Judges
of the state to the effect that, practical
~, anybody who desires it can obtain a
divorce in Michigan.
The year 1898 is to be quite a year for
comets. The first that is booked should
appear in April. 1t is known as the
NJ
Encke, the best known of the comets,
its term being only three and one-fourth
years. Two different comets will show
up in June-Swift's, whose period is six
years, and Wolfe's. Temples comet
comes in September These are all reg
ular visitors duly scheduled by the as
tronomers. The terms of all are short
from three to six years. The computa-
tions show that Biela's comet is in time
next November, but it is known that it
went TO pieces so years ago. 1t began
to divide in 1916, and when it was last
seen in 1852 it was in several parts-the
extremes being separated by ,250, 900
miles. The course of Biela's comet was
'ascertained more accurately than that
OF any OF these mysterious bodies. A
prediction that in 1882 it would APP
proach within 200 miles of the earth's
path was fulfilled within l2 hours of
the time set. CONSERVATION filled the
minds of many people, and it could
hardly be allayed by the fact that when
the comet came SO near the earth it
would be month away from that par
ticular part of its track. The comet
came and went, and nothing happened
except more generous growth TO the
vineyards and grapes on the Rhine. The
wine of the comet year was of superior
excellence. Since then a comet on the
label of bottle of Rhine wine is signifi-
cant of the time of vintage.