January 1, 2003

Herald news ... 100 years ago

By Emma Jane Muir
Special to the Herald

      - The campaign to secure 5,000 acres of sugar beets in this section has begun with considerable energy. A big public meeting will be held in the City Opera House at which Prof. Clinton D. Smith of the Agricultural college will talk to the farmers and businessmen about sugar beet culture. A committee will go to Saginaw next week to inspect the sugar factories and gain information for the project.
      - Undertaker W. S. Anderson has kept a careful record of the deaths that have occurred in the city during the past year and finds that there have been 193 deaths This is exactly the same number as in 1901, though the population of the city has increased considerably.
      - Mr. Hadley has returned from Monroe Center where he has been doing the interior work of the M. E. church for some time. He says it is a nice little structure. H. W. Smith was the contractor.
      - Preparations are underway for the first annual ball of the Traverse City Musicians' association. It is to take place in the Elks hall January 4th. The finest of dance music will be given and no detail will be omitted that would add to the pleasure of the occasion., A fine spread will be one of the features.
      - W. N. Kelly of this city and Ralph Case and J. O. Crotser of Kingsley have formed a partnership to be known as the East Head Lumber Co. They will stock a sawmill and cut all kinds of logs from this section. They plan to start in about two weeks.
      - The annual party of the Boston Store employees was held Monday evening in the Academy. Music was furnished for the dancing by Stewart & Steffens. A dainty lunch was served in Jackson's restaurant which concluded the happy event.
      - The members of the First Methodist church are to be complimented upon the achievement of raising more than $500 in one day to apply upon the debt of Albion college. Although most subscriptions were less than $16, it gives an idea of the liberality of all the members of the church showing that while not large, the contributions were numerous.
      - Mrs. Marie Ansorge Friedrich, mother of Frank Friedrich and Alfred V. Friedrich of this city, died at Ann Arbor, December 25th. Mrs. Friedrich was born in Austria and came to America at the age of 16 years. She and her husband established the Front Street House, a hostelry, in 1873. Following Mr. Friedrich's death in 1879, Mrs. Friedrich conducted the house for two years, after which she leased the property.
      - The Christmas tree at the church at Mayfield Wednesday evening last was greeted by a full house. The program was especially good with much music of an unusually high grade. A double quartet of ladies' voices, a male quartet and singing by the primary department of the Sunday school were the numbers mentioned by those of the audience as particularly pleasing.
      - Mrs. Elijah Cox, a resident at Long Lake, had her leg broken Sunday. She had gotten in the cutter and stepped back, causing the cutter to tip over. She was thrown out and fell so heavily as to break her leg. Dr. Garner set the limb.
      - The circuit court is now busy with the divorce suit of James F. Powers vs. Amy E. Powers. This suit is contested, the defendant having filed an answer and a petition for alimony. It is said that the case will be fought to the bitter end.
      - Christmas festivities are now a thing of the past at Kingsley and everyone enjoyed themselves, as usual. Before the schools closed, an exercise and a Christmas tree were held. In the days which followed, the M. E. society had two big trees and good exercises by the children. The Baptists changed the program somewhat with a well rendered cantata instead of the old time tree. The German Lutherans held their usual exercises and the tree on Christmas night.
      - Advice on deportment. A gentleman may, with propriety, request an introduction to a lady at a party or ball and should pay her some attention.
      - Medical advice of a century ago. To treat colic in children, give a scruple of powdered aniseed in their meat.
      - Best buy of the week. Cashmere and Worsted Suits. All good styles. $8.00 - $10.00 at Steinberg's.