Great Bend – The glove factory has closed down for a few days owing to scarcity of help. S. Balier left Monday night for New York to secure help.

Forest Lake – W. B. Lincoln and wife, who recently went to Montrose to live, have come to the conclusion that the farm is the best place and have returned to their home here.  We welcome them back.

Springville – Our neighboring township of Lathrop is alarmed over the cases of diphtheria already developed.  The teacher at Lakeside school is very ill at her boarding place, the home of Charles Rockwell, and two children and a pupil at Lakeside school are also ill with the disease.

South Gibson – Mrs. W. A. Chamberlin and Mrs. H. L. Abel, of Harford, spent the week end in Binghamton and Johnson City, and had the pleasure of going through the Endicott-Johnson shoe factory, seeing the multitude of workers at their machines, each doing their special part making 19,200 pairs of shoes daily, also at the box factory, where the boxes are made ready for the shoes and then shipped to all parts of the world.

Clifford – Work on the stoning of the road from this place to Carbondale has begun in earnest. The crusher is being used on the Carbondale end and the work will be pushed this way as fast as possible. The work of putting gravel on the road from the cemetery to the village will begin soon. This section of the highway was stoned some years ago, so the top dressing is all that is needed. ALSO During the year 1913, Henry D. Jones and James E. Jenkins, of Clifford township, brought suit against the school directors of said township, seeking to compel them to reopen and maintain a school which had formerly been closed and consolidated with another school. After a hearing in our local court, Judge Little sustained the action of the school directors. An appeal was taken to the Superior Court and that body has recently handed down an opinion affirming Judge Little’s decision in the case.

East Rush - Our creamery man, E. W. Estus, is soon to leave us, so it is reported.  We sure hate to part with him for we feel that the community is losing a good citizen, the Creamery Co. a good butter maker and the church a staunch supporter. While some, doubtless, will be glad to see him go, the majority of the people feel that they are going to lose a good friend.

Montrose – The death of William Smith, an old colored resident of Montrose, occurred on Sunday morning, Oct. 10, 1915, after a long illness with tuberculosis. He was a son of the late Rev. William Smith, at one time pastor of Zion A. M. E. church, and two brothers are in the ministry, Rev. Charles Smith and Rev. George Smith, who hold charges in New York State.  Mr. Smith was well known for his cheerful disposition and he was obliging to all. For many years he assisted as butcher in the South Main street meat market. He is survived by his wife and five adult children. The funeral was largely attended from Zion church on Wednesday afternoon.

Jackson – Miss J. M. Hovey, of Binghamton, will be at the Central Hotel, Oct. 20-21, with a complete new stock of millinery goods.

Fairdale – The Dewey Medicine Co. visited Fairdale last week and gave away several valuable presents, among them being a valuable silver ware set for the most popular married woman. Mrs. Grace Downer secured the prize.

Susquehanna – The Simon H. Barnes Memorial Hospital graduating exercises will be held in the L. A. C. Hall, Wednesday evening. The Misses Mildred Washburn, Mildred Stewart, Gertrude Lewis and Gwen Lewis will graduate. ALSO Fritsy Fon, Hon. C. F. Wright’s chauffeur, attended the races at Sheepshead Bay, Saturday.

Thompson – On account of the interest and large attendance at our high school, the directors invited Supt. Stearns to meet with them Oct. 4th, in regard to changing the school from a third class school to a second class.  After considering the matter from all sides, it was the unanimous decision that it was the proper thing to do. The directors and faculty are working together to make Thompson Borough school one of the best second class high schools in the county. All pupils who wish to attend high school will make no mistake if they choose Thompson, as they will be under good influence and instruction.  Board can be had at good homes at reasonable rates.

Lynn, Springville Twp. – Wanted in this place—a good barber and cobbler. The same can make a good living and would be appreciated by the whole community at large.

Great Bend – Galvin Newman and family, of Elyria, Ohio, are visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Newman. They made the trip in a new Maxwell car which had been bought in Elyria by Almon Newman, of this place.

Franklin Forks – J. C. Webster expects to move his house onto the cellar he has just finished this week.  Mr. Lilly, of Montrose, will do the work.

N. Harford – Friends from Scranton, Binghamton, Harford village, Kingsley, Wilkesbarre and Kingston, have been recent guests at W. S Sophia’s to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, of Montana, but we all regret that the latter place is so far away.  “We meet, but we must part,” and Mr. and Mrs. Alexander and their three fine little girls leave here sometime this week for their Western home.  Friends will always be glad to welcome them back to “good old Pennsylvania.”

The murder of Jackson Pepper, continued from the week of Oct. 8, 2015.  When criminal court opened at Montrose this week it was fraught with but few of the outward appearances that usually mark the initial scenes of a trial wherein a human life is at stake, but within 24 hours the news had been borne on the winds, as it were, that the case against J. James Eagan, alias Smith, charged with the cruel murder of Jackson Pepper, was really on, and the town swarmed with the witnesses on either side, and many others who came simply as interested spectators. Monday afternoon the case was called and those present were at once filled with expectancy. The prisoner was brought in by the deputies and was instantly the cynosure of all eyes; his step was firm and elastic, his form erect, his face slightly flushed and his cold gray eyes seemed to flash defiance at those about him, as he strode into the room with something of a swaggering gait and took his seat near his counsel, T. J. Davies, Esq., and to whom he vouchsafed a cherry, “How are you.”  Mr. Davies moved to quash the array of jurors on a technicality, but was promptly overruled by the Court. He then made a similar motion to quash the indictment against the prisoner, and this, too, received an adverse decision from Judge Searle. Following these preliminaries every one settled down with resignation to the long and tedious undertaking of selecting from the jurymen, impaneled for the week, an even dozen, who were unobjectionable to either side. One after another, as their names were called, a juryman would be sworn and take the witness stand, where perhaps a few questions would cause him to “stand aside” at the command of the commonwealth, or perhaps they would “pass muster” so far as the State was concerned, only to be held up by one of Mr. Davies’ peremptory challenges for the defense, or else a “challenge for cause.” Few were found but what had formed some opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused. When Court adjourned on Monday, seven jurymen had been accepted and given into the sworn custody of Court officers Geo. C. Hill and Fletcher G. Warner. (To be continued next week.) The above article is a murder mystery that took place in 1898 in Rush Twp., Susquehanna County, brought to you in conjunction with “Susquehanna County Reads” program.  See details on the Library website. The Scavenger Hunt in the museum is now on.  The museum will be open during regular hours.