St. Clair County Republican
Osceola, Missouri
2 December 1897

Rainey Dew Drops:
Last Friday night was the coldest of the season. Water froze in the watering troughs three quarters of an inch thick.

The largest crowd ever assembled at Old Union was there last Sunday to pay the last tribute of respect on earth to Mrs. Ida Thompson.

We are to have a Christmas tree in the West End and many of our young people are already preparing for it in grand style. If the boom continues it will be the grandest society event of the winter.

A box supper is one of the attractions our people are to enjoy on Thursday night, December 9th, at the Union church near Jimmy Elliot's. Everybody is invited. A good literary exercise is on the program.

Next Sunday is the regular day for preaching at the Valley church and the pastor, Rev. A. Calhoun, has promised these people one of his best sermons on that day; so come out, everybody, and bring the children.

Thanksgiving was duly and appropriately observed by many of our best citizens. Our mayor and his better three fourths feasted and entertained many of their friends. Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Hawkins did likewise, while John Culbertson had a hog killing time and salted away his year's pork. Young America put in the day hunting.

Died, On Saturday morning, November 27th, at her home near Cobb City, Mrs. Ida, wife of William Thompson, and eldest daughter of William Farrar, aged twenty-eight years and eleven weeks. Deceased was married to Mr. Thompson on her twenty-eighth birthday and therefore was a bride of only eleven weeks, the last four of which she was confined to her bed and sufferred all that a mortal could, yet bearing up with all the christian fortitude of a true follower of the meek and lowly and was conscious until death struck her which was about fifteen hours before she passed over the dark river into the unknown, and even during the last days of her suffering she would at times burst forth in strains of almost angelic sweetness and sing through one of the sweet songs of Zion, after which she would lie still and suffer on and on until the death angel came. All that remained of the once loveable and beautiful Ida was laid to rest in the cemetery at Old Union on last Sunday amid a vast concourse of friends and relatives. Let us all so live that our end may be like hers and we be wafted into the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the praises of Him who died for us upon our lips.

Cathrine Cullings:
In a few days O. A. Hodges will begin work on his new residence.

On last Thursday Lawrence Bros. completed the comfortable residence of Capt. Thos. Terry.

C. B. Ragan on last Thursday sold and delivered his spring calves to W. J. Delozier at $12 per head.

Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Bishop visited their daughter, Mrs. Geo. Fields of Talley's Bend, recently.

Emmett and Virgil Kelley moved a portion of their effects to their new homes in Polk county last week.

J. F. Tucker of Vista will expound the scriptures for the King's Prairie Baptist Chruch the ensuing year.

James Webb of Osceola was in this neighborhood a few days since looking after some real estate which he recently purchased.

John H. McMullen is another of our good citizens who will soon leave old St. Clair. He will take up his abode in Kansas City.

C. B. Ragan, our popular road overseer, will in future be enrolled among the regular readers of this correspondance and the Republican.

The long talked of road from this place to Cross Roads school house is at last a reality. This was brought about by our sturdy road overseer, C. B. Ragan, last week. The road will be a great convenience to many people.

Ten dead dogs and one dozen deceased cats is the result of a mad dog circulating in these parts recently. A dog belonging to W. D. Bridges of this place showed unmistakeable signs of rabies and as soon as possible was sent to its happy hunting ground, but not until it had bitten one person, Miss Dora Pitts. The young lady was taken to the residence of J. P. Stoltz of Hickory county where a madstone was applied to the wound. The stone adhered several hours. Quite a number of animals were bitten also.