The following newspaper clips were copied
from The Afton Star Enterprise.
The Enterprise
Afton, Iowa, March 16
1882
Mr.
Paulus, last Monday, got on a spree and was taken to the cooler, and
while
there, thought he would amuse himself by setting fire to a woolen
blanket. The smoke would have suffocated
him in a very
short time, had not the Marshal come to his rescue. He
was so far gone that it took several
minutes to restore him again.
The Enterprise
Afton, Iowa, March 23,
1882
Mr. Thos Little has built, plastered, and papered his new house this winter and called it No. 16 that being the number of houses he has built to reside in since he was married. He built eleven houses in Illinois, three in Ottumwa, one in Decatur county and one in Afton. He was burned out four times. The only house he ever insured burned three days after the policy run out. High water on the Mississippi river, washed a good home with house-hold goods away once. The above has all occurred inside of forty-five years
The Enterprise
Afton, Iowa, April 20,
1882
A young
man living in the west side of town recently proposed to a young lady
and she
accepted. He asked the privilege of
naming the day; she granted this. He
named the next day after the resurrection, stating if she came up good,
he
would take her, if not, he would not accept her.
The Enterprise
Afton, Iowa, July 20,
1882
Jos.
Smith, who was arrested at Hopeville, a short time ago, charged with
horse
stealing, recently turned state’s evidence and exposed an organized
company of
horse thieves composed of himself, John Monroe, now in jail at Afton,
and Dode
Smith of Ringgold Co. The last named
person was arrested, last Tuesday, and taken to Mt. Ayr.
The trial of Smith was postponed for 30
days. Shields said Smith is the leader,
that he (Smith), furnished the pony and gave all the directions for
stealing a
horse for which he (Shields) served a term of 18 months imprisonment at
Ft.
Madison and that the horse was sold and money divided between the three. They, it appears, have been in cahoots for a
number of years. Monroe says he could
have sent Smith to the penitentiary over fifteen years ago.
Afton, Iowa, Oct. 5.
1882
The
new and thriving town of Tingley, Ringgold Co., was visited by a fire
one day
last week. Dr. St. John’s drug store and
several other buildings were razed to the ground, including a new
furniture
store-room. We understand the buildings
are being replaced.
Afton, Iowa, Mar. 13,
1884
Osceola
has had quite a sensation on account of the body of an infant child
being
exhumed, on last Thursday, on the lot of a widow names Amanda Harris,
(colored). A coroner’s jury decided that
the child came to its death by violent means.
A warrant for arrest was served on Amanda Harris and her
daughter, and
Lee Berger, her son-in-law, on a charge of murder.
All the parties waived examination and are in
jail awaiting the action of the courts.
The accused admit Mrs. Harris, to be the mother of this child
but deny any
crime having been committed.
Afton, Iowa, April 3,
1884
Miss
Amanda Barnhart, totally blind, is now making preparations and expects
to start
for Dakota next Tuesday for the purpose of taking up a homestead and
tree
claim. This is spunk and enterprise that
we feel proud of, and we are willing to wager that there is not a
county in
this state or in the United States which can produce her equal. Our
girls are
all made of just such material.
Afton, Iowa, April 17,
1884
The Enterprise
Afton, Iowa, May 29,
1884
The graduating class of the Afton High school of ’84 comprises of fourteen
girls and but three boys. The names are as
follows: Alice Bishop, Viola Baxter,
Effie Bolinger, Hattie Bagg, Willie Berry, Ethel Cherry, Gertie Diven,
Mollie
Groves, Meda Hunter, Willie Hunter, Josie Kirkwood, Mary Martin, Cora
Miskimins, Libbie Nix, Thomas Robinson, Nettie Stayt and Mary Wright
July 10, 1884
Last
Saturday the Marshal was called upon to kill what was supposed a mad
dog, which
was running around the streets frothing at the mouth.
In the evening, however, it was learned that
the dog had run under a brick-kiln, at the brick yard, to get in the
shade, and
the boys, not knowing of his presence there, built a fire at each end
of the
kiln. Later in the day, the workmen at
the yard, were occasionally disturbed by a moaning sound.
The dog had been in his terrible prison five
hours before he was discovered, and was so weak that he had to be
dragged out
and water poured over him before he was able to walk, but he would
doubtless
have recovered had he not been shot.
Afton, Iowa, July 24,
1884
The
State Board of Health has issued a circular calling attention to the
new law
governing burial permits. From and after
October 1st, 1884, no incorporated city or town in this
state shall
allow the burial of the dead body of any person without a permit issued
and
signed by the clerk or recorder of such city or town.
Afton Star-Enterprise Thursday July 10, 1947 Mrs. Meharry Honored at Party On Sunday June 29, Mr and Mrs. Ira Walker opened their home to a group of old friends and neighbors in honor of the 90th birthday of Mrs. Minerva Meharry, a pioneer school teacher of this community and a friend and neighbor of the host and hostess for three quarters of a century. Mr. U. S. Carey (one of the honored guests) was a pupil of Mrs. Meharry in 1876, when she taught Dodge No. 6. At this school she walked 4 miles across the open prairie, keeping a sharp eye for the Texas long horn cattle that was on the range and also keeping an eye on the snakes. Her best day of snake killing consisted of seven snakes including three rattlers. The schools then averaged about 30 pupils ranging from 5 to 21 years of age which of course included all the grades. All this was done for the princely sum of eighteen dollars per month. In the many years we have known her, wherever help was needed in sickness or death she was an ever present help, and those kindnesses should long be remembered. She has been a mother to many a homeless child. The host and hostess served a bounteous two course dinner at one o’clock such as the hostess knows so well how to serve. The afternoon was spent in visiting and taking pictures. Those enjoying the courtesy were: Mrs. Minerva Meharry, Mr. and Mrs. U. S. Carey, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Doty, Mr. Ed. Pettigrew, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Seeley, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Tyler, Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Tyler and the host and hostess.