Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-09
NEWS FROM NEAR BY
Daily Doings of Some of Ottumwa's
Close Neighbora
Personal, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
Everything From Joyous Births to
the Philosophical Observation Of
sages, Are chronieIed by The cour.
ter's Special Correspondents.

ier's Special Correspondents. a
Charlton.
Charlton, April S.-John King, an
old resident of Charlton, but now en-
ployed at Derby was in the city Satur-
day visiting friends and transacting
business.
Horace Wilson, formerly of Chari-
ton, but now in charge of Stewart &
Co.'s lumber yards at Tacoma, spent
Saturday visiting friends in this city.
The Simpson College Glee club
gave performance here Friday even
ing for the benefit of the Sunday
school. 1t was of high order of mer-
it, every selection being the finest
it was possible to produce
and every member an ar
fist in his line The club is composed
of sixteen male students of Simpson
College and it would be hard to find
better body of artists in the country.
While the people here enjoyed every
number on the program they were per-
haps more interested in the work of
George Saddler, the reader who ac-
companied them, from the fact that he
is an old Charlton boy. He certainly
did himself much credit in his excel
lent rendition of several different Sc
lections and the audience showed their
appreciation of his great talent by re-
peatedly enchoring him. The club
was greeted with full house and the
Sunday school is several dollars
richer from the venture.
Harry Harvey of Charlton, has en-
gagged to help Isaac Bonnets of Ben
ton township on the farm this sum.
mer.
r. Coles and family, formerly res
idents of this place, but for the past
few years located in Nebraska, have
returned to Iowa and will make Chart
ton their future home. Mr.. Coles has
secured the position of state deputy
for the Royal Highlanders lodge for
Iowa and will make Charlton his head
quarters. The family is now nicely
located in house in the west part of
town and would be pleased to meet
old Charlton friends.
Mrs. w. w. Treasure has departed
for Holly, Colo, where she goes to join
her husband, and where they will
make their future home in the hope
that the climate will agree more fully
with Mr.. Treasures health.
Geo. w. Scott, who is working on
the railroad construction work near
Cromwell, came home Saturday even
ing and spent Sunday with his family
in Charlton.
Savilla Mcdowell will teach the
spring term of school at Carson school
house in English township this sum
mer.
The persistent rumors of the exten.
sion of the Rock Island railroad from
Des Moines to a point in Missouri and
which would compel the road to come
thru Lucas county has stimulated
some of the influential citizens of
Charlton to use their influence to have
the line run thru Charlton. The
route as now surveyed while running
thru Lucas crosses the c., B. & @.
tracks near Cleveland No. 4, point
nine miles west Of this place and as
the proposed extension would make a
direct route between Des Moines and
Kansas City, the business men are not
slow to see the advantages of secur
ing the line for Charlton. While
bringing it thru Charlton would be a
more practicable route and avoid
many hills and grades and thus be a
saving to the company while tapping
Just as valuable lands as the proposed
& route, yet they realize that it is hard
\to induce a railroad company to
&hange its plans. They are, howev.
Ell preparing to bring strong influence
to Npear upon the officials of the Rock
Island to have the route, changed so
as to strike Charlton and 1t is to be
hoped that they may prove successful
Last Friday was Good Friday and
the day that is usually set apart as
the proper one on which to plant DO.
tatoes. 1t was a cold, wet, stormy
day, however, and but few people
thought enough about it to try and
plant. We have heard of two people
nevertheless. who braved the elements
and in order to get them planted or
the appointed day buried them il
mud holes that filed the garden patch
Saturday was Mrs Sarah Melville's
seventy-ninth birthday and to cele
brate this event her daughter, Mrs
Eva Beardsley, planned and success
fully carried out surprise party
About twenty of the old friends ant
neighbors were invited to Mrs. Beard
sley's, and when they had assembled
she sent for her mother to come down
E To say that Mrs. Melville
was surprised puts it bu
mildly. When she had sufficiently
recovered from the shock of the frs
surprise she entered heartily into tn
spirit of the evening which passe
most pleasantly and swiftly in socis
conversation and refreshments Whel
the guests departed they left benin
them many beautiful and useful gift
as marks of the high esteem in whic
she is held by her many friends.
Mrs. E. e. Lewis and baby, Maurint
returned to their home in Charlton o
Sunday after a two weeks visit wit
her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. J. M. Lol
ing of Creston.
The free public library of this plac
is always adding new books to il
shelves and is always UP to date wit
~ tho f1,,hli M fione hoth fny, voi1uo f,llr