The Press., 1902-03-13
HOME NEWS.
STAFFORD SPRINGS.

MIS. JduoS N1CAdu8nAu AS flSAIiue
friends at Palmer.
James CLARK, who has been quite ILL.,
Is again able to be out.
W. E. Whitaker has taken an agency
for wall papers, as per his advertisement
Mrs. G. A. Ray and daughter, Alice
returned last Friday from visit in Spring.
field.
Misses Helen and Mary Leach have re-
turned from visit of four weeks at Rut.
land, vt.
Mr.. and Mrs. H.W. McGregory of Pal.
mer were guests of DIR. and Mrs. L. F.
Eaton, Saturday.
The annual meeting of the agricultural
society was adjourned Tuesday until next
Saturday at II a. m.
Miss Beckwith Is In New York attend.
ing the spring millinery openings, and
will return the first OF the week.
The Young American athletic club will
give ball at their hall on Westford ave.
nue. Monday evening, March 81.
The officers of the agricultural society
advertise In another column for bids fol
furnishing 200 chestnut fence posts.
The annual meeting of the ecclesiasti
cal society of the Congregational church
will be held Tuesday evening, March %
Mayor G. L. Dean of Maiden, Mass.
was among the guests at the banquet tc
Prince Henry of Prussia in Boston last
week.
The annual meetings Of the Stafford
Country club and the Stafford Golf com
pany will be held at the Springs house
next Tuesday evening.
Advantage has been taken of the op
portunity given by the changes In prog
ress at the Walker store to strengthen
the foundation timbers under the from
part of the store.
Eva Murray, 6, fell from high chail
at her home In Forestville Monday anc
broke her left arm. She was standing
up on the chair and lost her balance. The
little girl was attended by DR.. Smith.
Amos Gagnon has invented device fol
telephones which Is attracting the atten
tion of local people interested In electric
ity. The invention Is for the purpose ot
shutting off the other machines on the
line when two are In use. By this ar.
rangement the only bell to ring on line
will be that Of the party wanted. He has
thus far In his experiments been able tc
control three bells on line by this plan
Gagnon expects to perfect the arrange.
ment 80 that each bell on line can be
rung independently of the rest.
The advance In fire insurance rates Is
an interesting topic at present. The fact
that nearly everybody Is affected accounts
for the general interest. The increase o.
25 per cent. affects buildings used fol
manufacturing purposes where more thar
thirty hands are employed and outlying
stores and business places more general,
than In districts protected by water works
With very few exceptions no increas
10 made on buildings situated In fire dis
tricts, the increase falling wholly on con
tents. In the smaller villages buildings
as well as contents, are affected. In tn
Springs the increase on the Main stree
risks will range, under the new rates
from $1.25 to $3.12 on the $780, Will
there have been many disastrous fires re
Gently, surprise Is manifested by som
that the insurance companies with larg
surpluses should feel obliged to advanc
the rates. Stock in the leading compa
MES Is rated high, and lucrative dividend
are paid. a man we'll versed In insuranc
matters explains the situation by sayinI
that the business of fire underwriting ha
not been profitable for several years
Many of the smaller companies have qui
the business, and others will follow un
less there Is change. 1t is not the pol
icy of the big companies to crush out tn
small ones, and all have agreed to tn
advance. The companies with plenty Q
capital have made money on their othe
investments, and have not felt the lac
of profit 30 keenly as the smaller compa
MES without big surplus to invest.