Published: July 30, 2008 04:19 pm            

Yesterday in Newton: Conversation of the Day - Part II

NEWTON — F. P. Strong, electrical inspector from New Orleans has been here this week inspecting the electric light system. He found everything in good order.

Will Shields of Jackson has succeeded G. E. Russell as night operator at the Alabama and Vicksburg depot.

A couple of Gospel Army representatives have been in Newton this week and preaching one or two sermons on the street.

Miss Blanche McKay, daughter of R. R. Miley is able to be up after a week or ten days severe illness with malaria fever (she was the mother of the late Pete Bassett, long time city clerk who many of us remember).

Some moving has been going on in the C. R. Hoye building on the corner of North Main Street and West Church St. (Today it is known as the Tracy Gallaspy building.) Jackson and Gallaspy, the druggists, are moving their store of goods into the corner building (side of first floor) and Mrs. H. Burnettle who has been occupying the corner store room with her stock in transferring to the room vacated by Jackson and Gallaspy. Some changes and improvements are being made in both rooms.

Meridian survived a disastrous fire at midnight the last part of last week causing a loss of over $300,000. The blaze originated in the interior of the Gulfport Compress Co.’s plant and destroyed one third of the buildings, two presses and machinery and cotton ware rooms. Something like 4,000 or 5,000 bales of cotton were either burned or badly damaged; a loss of about $250,000. The buildings and cotton were covered by insurance. The company will rebuild at once.

A train load of cross ties was sent out north this morning on the new railroad and likely means that steel laying will again be resumed after a cessation of several weeks.

Will Darwin, who has been stationed at Newton for the past nine months as a fireman on the M.J. and K.C. has been transferred to the passenger train running from Mobile to Newton.

Jim Dansby won the pair of shoes offered by C.R. Hoye to the man who could make a home run in the ball game this week.

The town officials could not do a better thing to promote the health of the citizens than to require a general cleaning up of the premises over town.

Several cases of small pox developed among the black people living in the west part of the county during the past week (June 1905). They have been isolated and were getting along very well at the last report.

Miss Versuelle Dearing has been with the Cumberlin Telephone exchange at this place for three years. She has tendered her resignation because the business of the exchange has increased so that one cannot do the work and she cannot attend to the duties in a satisfactory manner unless the company gives her an assistant. She says the people of Newton with the exception have been very kind and courteous which she very much appreciates.

The dining cars running between New Orleans and Chattanooga on the Queens and Crescent Route day train will at once be equipped with electric fans. Train leaves New Orleans daily at 9 a.m.

There are to be four overhead or deck fans and one rotary bracket fan in each car.

The use of overhead fans, so popular in offices, is not the usual in dining cars but the management of the Queen and Crescent Route believes they are much preferable.

The injuries of J.C. Wilson, fireman on the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City who was making repairs on an engine, were not as bad as reported and he is up and getting along all right.

All articles used for conversation pieces were taken from the Newton Records published in June and July 1905.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.