Forest City - Along with the announcement of changes on the Jefferson division come rumors that the Erie Flyer will again be placed on the schedule when a new time table is issued. Confirmation of these reports will be good news to all the people living along the division. There is at present time no way for people north of Forest City to go south earlier than the Delaware and Hudson afternoon train. The reinstatement of the morning train would be gladly welcomed here and would be a great boon to the towns north of Forest City.

Herrick Center - O. H. Phillips' horse, which was injured by falling off the dock while hauling coal from Peckville, is slowly recovering. Mr. Phillips has purchased a new horse.

Shannon Hill, Auburn Twp. - G. B. Filkins' gasoline engine was damaged to some extent by water freezing in the cylinder.

Bridgewater Twp. - E. J. Keough, the ice dealer, has been storing ice in his ice house at Lake Mont Rose this week. Burdens' men have also been engaged in filling their ice house on the shore of the lake. The ice is about 10" in thickness and of good quality.

Little Meadows - The annual meeting of the Little Meadows' Telephone and Telegraph Co., Limited, will be held in the office of the company at Little Meadows, on Monday, Jan. 25, at 10 o'clock a.m., for the election of five directors for the coming year, and the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting.

Brooklyn - A "measuring social" will be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Kent on Friday evening of this week. Warm sugar will be served and a good time is expected. AND The squab house belonging to William Taylor, on the Fairchild's place, was partially destroyed by fire yesterday morning. The house is heated by furnace heat and Mr. Taylor had placed some tobacco around the furnace to dry and as the fire came up the tobacco got on fire, the flames communicating to the building. The fire was discovered by William Cameron and Mr. Evans, who were passing and gave the alarm and assisted Mr. Taylor in putting out the fire, but not until damage to the extent of $300 had been done. The building contained about 3000 young squabs and many of them were overcome by the fumes of tobacco and fell into the fire.

Harford - The farmers' institute held in Grange hall last Friday and Saturday was well attended and every session was brimful of good things. If there were only more men like Rob Seeds, how much happier this old world would be. The Grange cleared over $40 from the sale of dinners.

Susquehanna - Anxious to get to Binghamton, where he hoped to have some fun, Loren Swingle, aged about 16, stole an engine from the Erie railroad yards early Monday morning and got as far as Great Bend before he was stopped. He boarded pusher engine 2500 about 5 o'clock a.m., which was standing over the ash pit with no crew in attendance. Steam was up in the boiler and the lad at once opened the throttle wide. The engine gaining headway rapidly shot out through the yards, through switches and onto the main track and was soon speeding westward. A switchman who saw the engine take the tracks for Binghamton at once notified the yardmaster's office and the yardmaster took engine 1319 and started in pursuit of the lad who had taken a "special" for Binghamton. Swingle made no effort to keep up his fire under the boiler and the steam of the stolen locomotive was exhausted at Great Bend and the engine stopped. The yardmaster was close behind and the engine and Swingle were brought back to this place. Swingle was arrested by Erie Officer White. At first he denied having taken the engine from the yards, but finally owned up and said that his only object was to get to Binghamton. He will probably be held by the police authorities pending an inquiry into his mental condition.

Springville - Lional Meserole has purchased the A. O. Dunlap hardware [store] and has hung out his shingle. Glad to see some of our boys can start up in business and remain in his native town.

Hallstead - Michael J. Duffy, for 30 odd years a conductor on the Lackawanna, was struck and instantly killed there Monday afternoon by a passenger train, while trying to prevent a woman from crossing the track in front of the onrushing train. For more than 30 years Mr. Duffy ran fast freight trains between Hallstead and Binghamton and Elmira and was never in a serious accident. Recently he retired from the position of train conductor and later was assigned to look after the safety of passengers at Hallstead station. The train was standing at Hallstead when an aged woman, Mrs. Conklin, came on the platform. The train came whirling into the station. Mrs. Conklin started to walk from the platform toward the end of the standing train to cross the track on which came the "flyer" No. 6. Seeing the woman's danger, Mr. Duffy started to bring her back, but he gave her a push and cleared the track a step quicker than the train. The engine struck Mr. Duffy. He was thrown against a loading platform and bounded back under the train. His legs were severed and the body so mangled that he probably died instantly. A watch carried in this vest pocket was picked up still going. His revolver was twisted out of shape. He was a cousin of Mrs. John Birney, of Montrose.

The First Homesteader Dead. Many will remember Daniel Freeman, who attended the welcome given Hon. Galusha A. Grow in Montrose, upon his retirement from Congress. The following clipping from the Kearney (Neb.) Hub regarding Mr. Freeman's death is interesting: "Daniel Freeman, the first man in the United States to file upon and prove up a homestead, is dead at his home in Beatrice, Neb., aged 82. Nebraska has never had a more unique character than Freeman, and although he has never held office, he has made his personality felt in every part of the State. He believed the Bible was intended for people who believed in it, and that others should not have it forced upon them. This led him to bring suit to force the Bible out of the public schools. The case went through the various branches of the State court and Freeman was finally successful in the supreme tribunal of the State. Freeman was a soldier in the Civil War, and it was during that period that he filed on the first homestead. His filing was made at one minute past midnight on the first day of January, 1863. He was at Brownsville on a secret mission and it was at that point that the first land entries were made. Freeman still retained the patent papers issued to him 46 years ago. They show that it is patent No. 1, entry No. 1, proof of residence No. 1, entered in volume 1, page 1, of the United States land office, and is signed by President Grant. Freeman still owned the land at the time of his death. He is survived by a widow and several children."