August 18, 2005
 

This week I am going to use an old story I printed in 1999. It goes well with the articles I just completed on Hazel Shelton’s collection. Also new subscribers will enjoy.

I haven’t run out of talk from under the tipi, but sometimes I have to be like an automobile I just simply need to change gears and keep on looking through the old stuff that found its way to my company. I still have old boxes of old clippings and other stories from long ago that my Grandma willed to me.

You know I really think that my Grandmother didn’t have time to do anything else but collect these old recordings of events, but I do know she spent a lot of time doing other things as well as raising her family and working her beautiful yard of flowers and taking care of my Grandpa.

I know one time when she went to downtown Aubrey to do her weekly shopping when one of the new fangled four wheel gadgets that make a lot of noise got in her way or vice versa, and the automobile ran over and almost killed her. This was during the year 1907.

She was a midwife and a person who cared for others – she was able to get herself home with all of the broken bones and ribs and with her skillful nursing, she was after many months of rest and rehabilitation was fully recovered.

She never had a reason to go to town again for her shopping. She became a recluse and was very happy staying home and saving interesting write-ups about local happenings.

So today, I am going to include another story about a newspaper write-up about a newspaper write-up that was about an old newspaper write-up – so this will be the fourth newspaper that has included the following story that first came out in an old press that was in the neighborhood back during the 1860's. The Aubrey Banner printed the story again on May 4, 1895. It was Volume I, No. 31. The headlines of the old newspaper reads:

AN INTERESTIN OLD PAPER.

(Note the spelling and period as it appears.)

Mrs. S.A. Ashley hands in an old paper that is the climax of anything we have published about old papers issued in Aubrey.

This one is a copy of the Aubrey Banner and bears the date of May 4, 1895. It is Vol. 1, No. 31. The paper at this time was under the management of Charles Burch. Mr. Burch is now linotype operator at Pilot Point.

The paper contains quite a bit of interesting reading matter, but the advertising patronage is slim. One ad is from the Central Business College of Sedalia, Missouri. Mullins and Mountain carried an implement ad. Newt Henderson and Company carried a hardware ad. And at this time were making a special on queensware. They advertised teacups and saucers as low as twenty cents per set. Seven-inch plates were priced as low as 35 cents per set. The City Barber shop was conducted by G.D. Culpepper and Mullins Hotel conducted by W.J. Mullins, was the town’s popular hostelry. The rates were $2 per day. Those were the good old days. G.M. Smith was in the stove repairing business.

Some of the news items were: "Mr. J.M. Coffey and Miss Leslie Simpson were married at the Methodist church in Aubrey last Wednesday evening between seven and eight o’clock. The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. C.C. Davis in the presence of a large audience, and was very impressive. The Church had been previously decorated under the supervision of Mrs. McDougal, and was extremely beautiful. The Banner joins with their numerous friends in congratulating the beautiful bride and the handsome groom. May peace, prosperity and happiness be their constant companions in their journey through life are the wishes of the Banner.

Mr. J.A. Rhoads left Wednesday for Hope, Arkansas, on business to be gone several days.

Mrs. Sam Hodges visited Denton, Thursday and Friday.

On account of being crowded we were compelled to omit a short composition by Master Andrew Copeland. It will appear next issue sure.

Aubrey had just suffered a severe windstorm that week and a great amount of damange was done. The residence of J.C. Kemp was torn down and blown open and Mrs. Kemp and her baby were in the house at the time. The house caught fire, but was extinguished by the rain and Mrs. Kemp and baby were rescued by W.L. Zumwalt. The baby spoken of is now Mrs. M.C. Millibar. The house of Mr. Hobson was considerably wrecked. The business houses of J.B. Statler, W.H. Tatum, W.P. Crawford and Company, and Reynolds, Wilkins Company were all damaged to some extent.

The above article was not dated by my grandmother which is unusual because all of the rest of her clippings have a date written in pencil markings that say "Save This." I think it was written in about 1910. The wedding ceremony was performed by Pastor C.C. Davis who was pastor during 1891. Mrs. McDougal was wife to the pastor A.C. McDougal who was pastor during 1889.