June 4, 2003
Herald news ... 100 years ago
By Emma Jane Muir
Special to the Herald
• The Traverse City Canning Co. tested the machinery Saturday last and all went smoothly. The city's newest industry is now ready for fruit and other products to can as soon as they can be furnished by the farmers. It was just 80 days ago that ground was broken for the plant.
• Things are looking darker for Mrs. Mary McKnight as additional circumstances surrounding the death of her brother, John Murphy are developed. The bodies of his wife and child will both be exhumed and the contents of the stomach analyzed. Mrs. McKnight has been arrested on suspicion and although the sheriff and prosecutor have been reticent about the case, some facts have leaked out.
• S. E. Blackwood has removed his silver, gold and nickel plating works from Leland and is now well established in the basement at 443 East Front Street. This is an industry for which there is a good field in Traverse City and the prospect for Mr. Blackwood's business is extremely bright.
• The mocking bird sounded the alarm of fire just a few minutes after 12 o'clock Friday night. The fire was in Caldwell and Loudon's shop on North Union Street and the alarm had been turned in by Night Watchman Boughton. The fire started in the engine room and Mr. Loudon is of the belief that its origin was from someone smoking who had laid his pipe or cigar down in the boiler room. The damage was very small.
• Travel Day is always a special feature with the Traverse City Woman's Club, the pleasant trips of the members being described in a very enjoyable manner. Meeting in the I. O. O. F. hall which had been beautifully decorated, the ladies were treated with excellent papers. Mrs. S. C. Despres gave an exceptional and entertaining presentation of her trip to Sault Ste Marie last summer.
• Lightning struck Walter Brazebridge and Lawrence Rogers last Wednesday. They had taken refuge from the rain under a tree and both were quite badly shocked and burned. It was thought that Walter was dead for a while and although his eyes are badly affected, he is recovering.
• The regular June session of the circuit court for this county will begin today with three criminal cases on the calendar, one for violation of the liquor law, one forgery and one assault with intent to commit rape. There are ten divorce suits and ten issues of fact.
• The Steam log roller, while passing under the telephone line at Barker Creek Friday morning, severed both wires. All communication to this city were cut off until the lines could be repaired.
• E. C. Edmunds has been promoted to an assistant superintendency of the International Correspondence Schools and will leave this city for a visit at Benton Harbor tonight. He will then proceed to St. Paul to take up his new duties. During the past month, Mr. Edmunds secured 40 enrollments in the school which is probably the largest in the state.
• H. S. Hull likes to watch the wheel of the automobile go round, but he has yet a tender spot in his heart for the horse and the good old style of locomotion. Will Germaine has returned from the southern part of the state where he purchased for Mr. Hull the finest pair of coach horses that he could find without regard to expense. It is the most beautiful pair of bays ever owned in this city.
• The completion of the Traverse City, Leelanau & Manistique railroad marks another important epoch in the history of the city, the center of northern Michigan. There is no railroad in the state which travels a more beautiful territory, the bay on one side and the pretty wood slopes on the other.
• Advice on deportment. Teach your children obedience; allow no insubordination.
• Medical advice of a century ago. To dissolve coagulated blood, grate the root of burdock and spread over the affected area.
• Best buy of the week. One pound of good smoking tobacco, 16 cents at Enterprise Cash Grocery.