Sunday, January 17, 2016

110-year-old news highlights from The Monroe Journal from Jan. 1906

The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala., under the direction of editor and proprietor Q. Salter, published four editions 110 years ago during the month of January 1906. Those issues, which were dated Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Jan. 18 and Jan. 25, can be found on microfilm at the Monroe County Library in Monroeville, Ala. What follows are a few news highlights from those four editions. Enjoy.


JAN. 4, 1906

Christmas in Monroeville was celebrated in an unusually quiet and orderly manner. Not a single incident came under our notice to mar the enjoyment of the occasion.

The Christmas Tree in the courthouse on the evening of Dec. 25 was a very pleasant affair. The tree was loaded with a large number of presents and nearly everyone received some souvenir of the occasion.

The local merchants report very gratifying sales during the holidays, and in fact, a prosperous business throughout the fall season.

Mr. David Davis of Manistee called to see us while in town the first of the week. Mr. Davis is doing a prosperous mercantile business, as is evidenced by the recent completion of a new and commodious store building.

A few business changes are noted with the opening of the new year. Mr. A.T. Sowell retires from The J.W. Fore Co., and will shortly engage in the mercantile business on his own account. Mr. C.C. Yarbrough will be associated with Mr. H.E. Hudson in the gin and mill business and plant will be enlarged. The Monroe Livery Co., J.F. Hassell, manager, has begun at the Hybart stand while Mr. Hybart’s livery business will be conducted from the Watson stables.

Mr. C.A. Seymour of Ardmore, Indian Territory, spent a few days with his mother and sister in Monroeville. Mr. Seymour has been for some years a “knight of the grip” traveling for a leading wholesale house of Dallas, Texas.

JAN. 11, 1906

Mr. W.H. Tucker, the obliging postmaster and merchant at Jones Mill, favored this printery with a call while in town last week.

There is a movement on foot for the establishment of a rural free delivery mail route from Snider’s station on the Manistee & Repton railroad to serve an extensive circuit embracing the Jones Mill neighborhood.

Mr. L.W. Locklin was up from Perdue Hill last week and favored The Journal with a call. Mr. Locklin has embarked in the mercantile business, his firm having incorporated with ample capital under the corporate name of The Claiborne Mercantile Co. They will do a general mercantile and advancing business.

United States Marshal G.B. Dennis of the Southern District of Alabama was in Monroeville Monday on official business.

MR. COMER TO SPEAK: The Journal is requested to announce that Hon. B.B. Comer, president of the Alabama Railroad Commission, will address the citizens of Monroe County at the courthouse on Tues., Jan. 16, in the interest of his candidacy for Governor. The speaking will take place at one o’clock p.m., in case the speaker arrives in time to fill the appointment at that hours, otherwise at some convenient hour during the day or at night, of which due announcement will be made.

CORRESPONDENTS WANTED: The Journal wishes to engage a correspondent at each post office in the county to report promptly and briefly the local happenings in their respective communities.

JAN. 18, 1906

RAILROAD ACCIDENT: Logging Train and Special Collide – Several Slightly Injured: A head-on collision occurred on the Southern Alabama division of the Louisville & Nashville railroad, about two miles north of Monroe Station Saturday morning about five o’clock, between a southbound special train and a logging train belonging to the Bear Creek Mill Co.
The special train carrying the “Little Johnny Jones” theatrical company, from Selma to Pensacola, consisted of two baggage cars with scenery, a day coach and two Pullmans, and there were 11 empty cars in the logging train. The engine of the special was turned completely over 30 feet down an embankment. The engine of the logging train was entirely disabled, and four of the cars behind it were overturned with it.
Dr. R.A. Smith hurried to the scene as soon as advised of the accident to render such medical assistance as might be required, but fortunately very little was needed.
Three chorus girls of the theatrical company, Misses Maddock, Thomas and Bailey, suffered injuries about their heads and necks, and also suffered from shock, and most of the members of the theatrical company, all of whom were asleep in their berths at the time of the collision, were slightly injured. A special train carrying physicians was sent from Pensacola and returned there at five o’clock in the evening. The three young women were taken to a local hospital and remain there. Both engineers and firemen jumped in time to save themselves. The engineer of the special was Mark Boghich, and the conductor was W.L. Hahn.

Died at his home near Drewry on Thursday night, Jan. 11, 1906, after an illness of about two weeks with pneumonia, Mr. Eugene E. Henderson, aged about 40 years. Mr. Henderson was an energetic and prosperous farmer and businessman and was generally esteemed for his many noble characteristics. He lives a wife and five or six children to whom we extend sympathy.

Dwelling Burned: Mrs. E.E. Henderson had the misfortune to lose her dwelling and the greater portion of contents by fire near Drewry at an early hour on Wednesday morning. The fire was discovered while the family was at breakfast and might have been arrested and the building saved with the assistance at hand but for the failure of the supply of water. The loss is a total one, there being no insurance.
The dwelling was one of the few remaining antebellum type. The loss is in the neighborhood of $1,500.

MR. COMER’S SPEECH: Hon. B.B. Comer addressed the citizens of Monroe in the courthouse at 1 p.m. on Tuesday in behalf of his candidacy for Governor of Alabama. The adjourned term of Court being in session there was naturally a good-sized crowd present, and the number was doubtless increased to some extent by those who came especially to see and hear Mr. Comer.
Mr. Comer spoke for nearly two hours and was given respectful and patient attention throughout. His speech was an abridgement of the speeches heretofore made at other points in the state since opening his campaign and which are familiar to readers of the daily press.

JAN. 25, 1906

MANISTEE: Mr. Braxton Hobdy, who had the misfortune to lose one of his legs some time ago, will soon be circulating among his friends on his wooden horse.
Mr. J.W. Wilkinson of this place attended the Masonic lodge at Blacksher on the 20th.

Shibboleth, Ala. – Several parties in our neighborhood saw a buzzard with a small bell a few days ago. Wish you would put a little note of it in The Journal and see if we can learn where it was belled at.

WAIT AND DREWRY: The community is now mourning the death of one of its most public spirited men, Mr. E.E. Henderson. He was sick four weeks with typhoid fever, and just as the physicians succeeded in controlling that dread disease, he succumbed to heart failure. All the neighbors were most attentive to him during his illness. He left a wife and seven children, five daughters and two sons. The youngest is an infant daughter, six months old.
On Wednesday last the dwelling of Mrs. Henderson was consumed by fire. It caught from the stove flue during the preparation of breakfast. With the aid of the neighbors about two-thirds of her household goods were saved. Mrs. Henderson expects to rebuild on the former site at an early date.

Editor John S. Hunter of the Camden Progressive Era was among the visitors to our town last week.


Mr. Pat M. Dannelly of Camden, the efficient Clerk of the Circuit Court of Wilcox, was a visitor to Monroeville last week. 

No comments:

Post a Comment