Forest City – The beautiful church edifice of St. Agnes Roman Catholic congregation was destroyed by fire on Thursday night of last week. The church with all its contents was totally consumed. For a time it seemed certain that the parochial residence would be destroyed but by the heroic work of the firemen it was saved. Bucket brigades saved the dwellings north of the church. The Enterprise and Hillside Hose companies of this place and Vandling and Browndale responded to the alarm. The insurance on the church and contents totaled about $15,000 and the loss will probably reach $45,000. The church debt had recently been wiped out. The corner stone for St. Agnes was laid in 1888 and the church completed in 1892.  Rev. T.F. Coffey organized the parish as a mission of St. Rose parish in Carbondale.

Jackson – A washing machine, a very appreciable Xmas gift, was given by the people of  this community to Mrs. Vina Wheaton, equipped with a ringer and a gasoline engine and will be of great assistance to the grateful recipient. About 20 people were present at her home during the evening. ALSO A valuable sugar house belonging to E.E. Leonard was completely destroyed by fire, Sunday evening, with its equipage of syrup utensils. It was also stated that a quantity of grain was consumed by the flames. The origin of the fire is laid to some ashes placed too near the building.

East Clifford – Large bear tracks were seen by Joseph Westgate on the Wm. Carr farm on the Crystal Lake road. The tracks led to Grattan’s swamp where they were lost to view.

Friendsville – Snow drifts are plentiful around here and wood cutting is the chief occupation.

Stevens Point – The many friends of George Prentice of Camp Meade, were he has been in training for the last 3 months, were glad to welcome him home for Christmas. He arrived home Monday afternoon and left Wednesday morning on the Erie Flyer for Scranton, where he expected to leave at 1:30 for Camp Meade on a special train for the soldier boys of Susquehanna Co. and others in the vicinity of Scranton. His wife and sister went as far as Scranton with him. We all join in wishing George and his wife much joy and a long and happy life together when he gets home and the war is over. ALSO The Mountain school closed for vacation last Friday night with appropriate Christmas exercises.  All report a good time. Marie Zeigler, teacher.

Hop Bottom – A large sleigh riding party of young people from this place attended the social at Ira Pratt’s, Brooklyn, last Friday evening. ALSO Rev. Howard Flowers, a former pastor of the Brooklyn Universalist church, now of Hartland, VT, was called here by the sudden death of his four year old son, Thalem. Mrs. Flowers and three children had spent several weeks at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Rose, of this place, when death suddenly carried away the eldest child.

Brooklyn – Brooklyn people will have a good reason for remembering her Christmas celebration in 1817, for all united in a community Christmas for the children and about 300 people joined in the memorable celebration. The program of music, recitation and concert exercises was well rendered by the children. Santa came and distributed oranges and popcorn balls among the children, but the crowning feature was the offering taken for the Armenian sufferers which amounted to over $26.

Susquehanna – Arthur T. Palmer died at his home in Wamego, Kansas, New Year’s day. He was a brother of Polk Palmer, of Susquehanna, and the first engineer to pull a train over the Jefferson division of the Erie between Carbondale and Susquehanna. He had held a superintendency with the Union Pacific for thirty-five years.

Harford – Many of our undrafted men are taking up government work and we shall soon be, indeed, a manless town.

Montrose, etc. – Zero weather continuously for a week past breaks all records within the memory of the “oldest inhabitants.” It is stated on good authority that the mercury has gone lower this week than at any time in 37 years. Sunday morning was the coldest in Montrose, the lowest being 26 below. From Jackson comes the report of -46, from Auburn -36, from Birchardville -40; Rush -32; Dimock -40; New Milford-32, while all places agreed it was the “coldest ever.” Plumbers have been busy day and night thawing out water pipes, and some have burst in homes, causing serious damage. Apples and potatoes have been frozen in cellars all through the country, causing a serious loss. The mercury has been at zero or below every night since last Friday.

News Briefs: Forty-five years ago water-power mills that were located on Martin Creek, beginning near its mouth, where there was a chair factory, were as follows: At the present dam, at Hallsteads, at Bell’s mill, three in Hop Bottom, at Oakley’s, at Kingsley, one a little way above the village, and one at Alford. The exception of one at Hop Bottom and the one at Kingsley, these water-power sites have all been abandoned. ALSO Will women wear trousers? That grim question has long been hotly debated. Since the war trousers have become realities to those women who are doing men’s work, in order that they may be released for fighting. In Paris, however, trousers for women have more than a strictly utilitarian use. The Paris correspondent of Harper’s Bazar writes, “More and more trousers are being worn indoors instead of robes that cling and cling and cling, fashioned of the richest of tissues are these trouser-frocks—trousers of gorgeous metallic stuffs below jackets of soft velvets, below coats rich with embroideries, and exquisitely filmy mousselines. In the salons of Marthe Gauthier in the rue des Capucines, there is a creation of putty-colored velvet embroidered most decoratively with rose and blue thread—the square Chinese coat falling ungirdled over embroidered velvet trousers of the straight variety.

Two Hundred Years Ago from the Centinel, Montrose, PA.

*DIED – December 12, 1817 at Rush, Miss Ruhamah Burnham, a young woman of respectability, after a long and tedious sickness which she bore with patience; and left an evidence to her friends that she fell asleep in Jesus. “Youth, sense and beauty, have not power, To save from death one single hour; The summons came without a stay; And call’d the lovely soul away. Her lover weeps her brothers’ cry, Her mother shrieks, her father sighs, Her breath was stopt, her spirit fled; Alas they cry Ruhamah’s dead. Farewell, Ruhamah, fare you well; Alas our grief no tongue can tell, And yet one cordial drop we find, From words and prayers you left behind.

*20 DOLLARS REWARD. Escaped from the Jail of Susquehanna County on Tuesday evening last, JAMES PERRY, alias JOHN RUNNYAN, confined in said jail for passing forged Bank Notes. Said Perry, alias Runnyan, is about 20 years old, 5 feet 7 inches high, of a sandy complexion, light hair which is very bushy and long ear locks. Had on when he escaped a blue coat, light jacket, and light colored corded pantaloons, stained round the watch pocket with oil of Vitrol. He had in a bundle, which he took with him, a dark colored surtout coat, and an extra hat. He is rather sleepy in his appearance, at first sight, but he undoubtedly is an adept in villainy. The above reward, and reasonable charges, will be paid to any person who will apprehend him and return him to the jail from which he escaped. AUSTIN HOWELL, Sheriff, Montrose, Dec. 26, 1817.