Franklin Forks – Gilbert H. Smith, our oldest native businessman, has sold his store property stock and good will to the Alliance Co. and will remove to a home on the Conklin road, near the site of the old beet sugar factory. This may mean little to the casual reader, but to a host of neighbors and friends it will cause a smarting pang of regret. “Gib” Smith numbers his friends by the score in this section, and our loss will be a distinct gain to New York State. He has been in business at the “Forks” for 44 years and with Mrs. Smith, will appreciate the change of scene and rest, which we know is due them.

Montrose – Daniel Searle drove a four-ton Packard army truck up from Harrisburg. The truck is one which has been allotted to this county for use in state road work and will be used entirely for carrying materials and doing highway construction work. Two bridges are to be erected in the eastern part of the county, one at Gelatt and the other near Lenox, and it will greatly assist in their more rapid construction. Mr. Searle says that from Harrisburg to Montrose he found the best stretch of road on the trip between Springville and Dimock. ALSO Carl Bullard has been visiting relatives in this vicinity. He holds the position of yardmaster for the Pennsylvania railroad in South Philadelphia.

Gibson – At a regular meeting of the Gibson Star Grange they ordered a Delco electric lighting plant to be installed in Grange hall. Ben C. Norris, of New Milford, the hustling agent of the company, was present and fully explained the Delco system.

Uniondale – It is said that a blacksmith is to locate here and is to occupy the shop near the bridge where A. M. Knapp was wont to pound the anvil. At present we are without a blacksmith and the coming of a good smithy will be hailed with great satisfaction.

Herrick Center - Roby Felter and Dorothy Fletcher graduated from the high school.

Thompson – At the meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, held at Mrs. Corey’s, seventeen were present and luncheon was served by the ladies. The day was spent in quilting for Mrs. Corey, whose great ambition lies in piecing and quilting bed-quilts and who has become adept at the work. She was very grateful for the service rendered her and responded in a very feeling and appreciative manner.

Susquehanna – H. E. Wentworth and G. D. Benson have formed a partnership and taken over the Oakland garage here, conducted for a number of years by John W. Murphy. Both are experienced auto mechanics and will give their whole time to repairing and overhauling cars. A vulcanizing plant will be operated, Mr. Wentworth, being an expert in this line.

Forest City – Mining at the Clinton Falls tract will soon end. C. M. Truesdell, the surviving owner, intends to leave in a few days for other fields. Since the death of his partner, Jerry Wescott, he has been engaged in settling up the affairs of the firm.

Brooklyn – On Wednesday afternoon the telephone called for help from the men of our town to stop a fire, which had been started at T. A. Capron’s farm, a mile below town. Stuart Capron, his five-year old son, and a neighbor’s child, a year younger, had been playing with matches and set fire to some excelsior in a building which was used partly as an ice house and partly as a store room for tools and some lumber, which was intended to be used in building a new ice house. The fire had made some head way before it was discovered by Mr. Capron and the sparks, which fell on the roof of his house, threatened to destroy that, also, but thanks to the prompt aid of willing neighbors the fire was soon under control, and only the one building burned to the ground. Mr. Capron’s loss included a cultivator, a good sled and a quantity of lumber.

Binghamton and Montrose Railway – The announcement was made by R. W. Day, general manager of the Scranton, Binghamton and Montrose Railway, that next week a force of men will begin the work of extending the line from its present terminus to the Parlor City and that there is hope that the task will be finished by fall, so that transportation will be furnished the people of the towns immediately concerned, as reported in the Scranton Republican. It was stated that a high tension supply line will connect the Electric and Parlor cities, running “straight as the crow flies” from Tiffany Junction, east of Montrose, to Endicott, NY. When this line is completed the entire electric street railway system in Binghamton will be operated from the power plant in Dalton. This plant now sends power as far south as Providence and north as far as Tiffany Junction. When completed, the total length of the line over which power is furnished will be sixty-eight miles.

Brandt – Andrew Blank, Sr. died at his home Tuesday, May 4, age 86 years, 6 months. Mr. Blank was born in Germany; came to America when young, and spent most of his life here in the brick business. He was the oldest resident of Brandt, a charter member of the Harmony Presbyterian church and highly respected. Interment at the family plot at Brandt.

Thompson – Mrs. C. E. Layton had a narrow escape on her return from delivering mail; coming from Jackson, between A. P. Blackman’s and L. B. Whitney’s, she met a motorcycle at which her horse took flight and jumped to a bank on the side of the road and throwing her out. She sustained a few bruises, but fortunately no bones were broken. Some boys caught the horse and she started for home, but the horse still seemed unmanageable and she stopped at the nearest house and phoned for Mr. Layton to come for her, which he speedily did with his auto. George Belcher, who was with the motorcycle, drove the horse home.

Harford – We just heard that wedding bells have been ringing at North Harford, and guess we did not listen very closely, for we failed to hear them. Any way, Harry Smith and Miss Margaret Titus, also Stanley Carey and Miss Mildred Smith, were united in marriage. Congratulations.

News Brief: The President signed the Fuller pension bill granting minimum pensions of $50 a month to all Civil War veterans. The bill, it was estimated, would cost $69,000,000. In addition to pensions for all Civil War veterans, the bill grants new pensions or increases to their dependents.