The Colby Free Press from Colby, Kansas • 1

'7 TTS3 11 COLBY OFFICIAL COUNTY J. V. CONNELLY, Editor. Th Government of the People, by the People, and for the People, Shall Not Peri.h Abraham Lincoln. One Dollar FiTty Centa Per Annum VOL.

XXVIII COLBY, THOMAS COUNTY, KANSAS, THURSDAY. I) EC BE 28." 1 9 1 NO. 11 If '1 COLP WEATHER The weather during the past two weeks has been about as wintry as KEETIKI.IBSIFOT PROSPERITY The statements of the banks of Thomas- County last week in the three papers of the county showed a wonderful condition. In the two Colby banks alone three quarters; of a million dollars is on deposit, while the other four banks of the county bring the showing up to about a million and a half. This is twice the amount of deposits that has ever been in the banks before in the history of the county.

Both of the Colby banks have been forced to raise their surplus to cover the great a-mount deposited with them. The Thomas County Bank leads the other banks of the county with a deposit of $474,000 or nearly half a million, a statment that is far in advance of any other bank in western Kansas compared with the Capital and surplus invovled. The number of mort We wish our Patrons and the people of Thomas county a prosperous New Year. We have during the year 1916 tried to merit the' "confidence and good willot the people of this community and our business will be conducted in the same manner during the year 1917. i 3 (m gages and holdings against the people of this county that have been taken off of the records at the court house is amazing.

Debts that have involved the farmers of this county fdr several years have been taken from the books and the showing is wonderful. Nearly every farmer in th? county nov owns his farm or some land near where he lives and is in good shape financially compared with the farmer of 1 other localities. New homes are being built over the country, new buildings are being built in the towns of Thomas county and the country as a whole is on the boom. Real estate has gone up in price in many cases double and the advarce has not stopped ytt but is climbing higher every day. It is only the course of a few years until Thomas county will be looked up to as the wealthiest in the state and one of the most progressive.

Howard Keck one of the progress. ive and coming young farmers of ed rapidly awaV( and all left wishing Thomas county made this den a callthe bride and groom a bon-voyage last Tuesday afternoon and shoved upon Hfe.8 The groom is his subscription ahead several notch- Jthe son of Mr and Mrs IL Lar. If ui DEARING-STILLEY i Wedding bells were heard in the little village of Gem on Christmas Day when a beautiful quiet wedding was solemnized by Rev. McJunkin in the presence of a few relatives and friends at the home of the brides parents, Mr. and Mrs.

John Daring. Promptly at seven-thirty in the evening, the eldest daughter Inez was united in the holy bonds of wedlock, to Mr. Ramond Stilley, formerly of Beloit, Kansas. The bride has been reared and has grown to womanhood in and near Gem and has many friends and always a happy smile for those around her and we feel sure that Mr. Stilley has made a choice in a bride that will make a happy home and pleasant to all.

Mr. Stil ley is a son of W. Stilley of Be loit and has for some time been mak ing his home near Gem with his brother-in-law and sister Mr. and Mrs. Bert Murphy.

The bride was dressed in light blue niessalino which was very beautiful and attrac tive for the occasion. The groom was dressed in a navy blue which had been selected for this special occasion. Miss Allie Hardin and Aaron Mallory relatives of the "bride acted as best man and brides maid. At eight o'clock the bride and groom with others were seated at the well prepared table laden with many good things to eat and those who were present enjoyed a bountiful dinner. The many friends of the happy young couple extended to them best wishes and congratulations.

MRS. STEWART ENTERTAINS Mrs. L. P. Stewart entertained at six-o'clock dinner last Thursday evening in honor of R.

L. Stewart and wife who were married the evening preceding. The table was laden with delicious viands and a very pleasant evening spent at the Stewart home after the dinner. Those present were: Mr. and Mrs.

Harry Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. Darb Epard, and family, Mrs. Ralph Stewart, Mr. and Mrs.

Lou Byars and family, J. V. Connelly. WHITE-LARSON On Christmas Day at noon in the recently remodeled home of the brides parents, Mr. and Mrs.

Sam White, northwest of Colby, occurred the marriage of their daufhter Pearle to Mr. James Larsen of Charden. The beautiful ring ceremony of the church was used in the marriage and the ceremony was performed by the Rev. R. S.

Weinland of Colby. A goodly number of relatives, some coming from Nebraska and a few friends of the contracting parties were present to witness the marriage. It is needless to add that the wedding feast was bounteous and was pnioved bv all. With music and sincr- th of the fternoon cass- sen of South Rawlins. The newly married couple will make their home nenr the groom' parents, where ho is engaged in the occupation of farming.

MEETINGS AT GEM The Evangelistic meeting conducted in the First Baptist church of Gem closed Christmas eve with the church crowded to the doors. At eleven o'clock that evening Rev. II. S. Morrill and pastor C.

J. McJunkin were well pleased with the results of the meeting. The three weeks meeting it is said by the citizens of Gem tp be the greatest meeting ever held in Gem for the past twelve years. Scores of pople came forward, some nineteen of them uniting with the church. P.

S. Houston who has been active with the church there succeeded in raising over $200 for the evangelist. Rev. Morrill will help Rev. Junkin at Bethany church for, a short time and then will hold a meeting in Colby.

He will speak both morning-and night at the Church next Sunday. The meeting closed successfully with a big anniversary dinner at the church Christmas. Contributed. THAT CONFOUNDED FLY How tiresome and punk is the fly in November, which hungs onto life when it ought to be dead! A nuisance much greater I cannot remember. It ruins my temper and makes me see red.

When snoozing I lie, o'er my forehead it passes, and over my features its progress it makes; its feet are as sticky as sorghum molasses, and tickles like glitzen; the slumberer wakes. In vain are all efforts to scare it or shoo it; a nwatter I choose from the summertime pile, and then o'er the table and chairs I pursue it, and mash in its head when I've trotted a mile. Then back to my couch I repair with the feeling that I have awarded the last fiy its dose; I snooze, and a fly climbs down from the ceiling, and climbs up my whiskers and over my nose. And then I rear up and disclose that I'm master of language that smokes when exposed to the air; I shatter tho window anl, big chunks of plaster fall down from the ceiling and clotter my lair. Oh, would that sea captain and pilots could con me! I shake up the welkin and rend it until my wife ties a poultice of flaxseed upon me and puts me to sleep with a chlorodyne pill.

Walt Mason. HOME FROM COLLEGE The delegation of Colby young folks who have been away to school during the past few months have returned to spend the holidays with home folks. They are scattered a-round at various schools. Miss Irma Boerner, Mis3 Maurine Fitzgerald, and Mr. Walter Horlacher of the State Agricultural College at Manhattan.

Mr. G'uido Smith' of the Slate University at Lawrence. Miss Esther Lauterbach of Washburn at To-peka, Miss Edna Boerner of the Colorado Agricultural College, Miss El-sa Williams of the Colorado Agricultural Cellege. For Sale Two good young cows, fresh in December. Calves go with them.

Riley Eller, 3E it gets in western Kansas without a regular blizzard on the country. The ground has been covered most of the time with a thin coat of enow that has been slow in going off and what little moisture there is in it is going into the ground. During the past week the thermometer has been registering all of the way from five to fifteen degrees below the tero mark in the mornings and remaining around the zero mark most of the day. The farmers over the country have found it necessary to snelter their stock and feed them during this winter which seems to have a tendency to hang on and will perhaps be with us for several weeks. Tho supply of feed is not so plentiful over the county although the farmers tell us that they have a good supply on hand for their own use.

During the last three or four years the supply of feed has been so plentiful that tho Thomas county farmer has not thought much of putting it away with a few exceptions and this winter he is wishing that ho had some of that which has been plentiful in tho past. A good many of the older men who have been here for the past quarter of a century predict a big storm in the near future if the present cold weather holds out. The roads are in pretty fair shape as yet so that travel is not hindered to any great extent except by tho cold weather. ANOTHER SUGGESTION It has been suggested by several of the people of Colby that now is a fine time of the yer for skating and that the people of Colby could huve a good pUce to skate if they would only do so. There are several places over tho city that could be flooded by the city water and make a dandy place for this winter sport.

Several sra ago this wai done and gnat many pouiile enjoyed the sport and it. could be fione ut this time just us eil. j-ne the city council get busy and give permission to use the city water for this purpose free, it would be appreciated. WOODMAN MEETING A meeting of the Woodman Lodge Cactus Camp G4! on January 9 at tho Woodman Hall. All Woodmen requested to be present.

E. V. Snell, V. C. Miss Edith Davis formerly of this place but now of Decatur Illinois is hero this week visiting with her uncle and family, II.

F. Davis. She is at present at Kingfisher, Oklahoma where she has 'a position as librarian in a college there. Mr. and Mrs.

Earl Kendall are occupying the Conner's residence during the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Connors who are in Chicago for the holidays. Mr. anil Mrs.

Bert Dolph entertained ut the home last Monday at Christinas dinner to Mr. arid Mrs. George Cork of this city. IDE IO Jl CHRISTMAS IN COLBY The churches of our city held Christmas devotion last Sunday. At the Christian church a progrum was given and a Christmas treat given for the little ones.

A large Christmas' tree and a Santa Claus were in evidence as well as a largo number of small sacks filled with Christmas cheer for the little ones of the Sunday school. At the Presbyterian church a program was held in the evening on which were several excellent numbers and a treat for the members of the church. The Baptist Sunday school put on a program Christroa3 night and also had a tree laden with sweets for the children, Nearly every town in the western part of the state held devotions in their churches or in some large build-ing where they had a Community Christmas tree. Tho Community Christmas tree is for everyone and something that will in time be in Cbriw-' time. haps next Christmas the people of Colby will see fit to have one of these gatherings for everyone and the community ut large a thing which is and should be a credit to every town.

A LETTER FROM VIRGINIA A letter from Mrs. Saruh Miller who is spending a winter in the south and is at this writing at Jennings Ordinary, Virginia visiting with relatives states that she is getting along very nicely in the south und that she likes it fine. She states that it has not been so cold where bIic is, the thermometer dropping only to twelve degrees below freezing point during her stay there. At present she is staying at a farm house that was built about a hundred and twelve years ago and is well preserved. She sent a small box of mistletoe to this office which we have put in our office window.

Mistletoe is a rarity here and something not very well known. She expects to go on south to Florida this winter wlu ru she will remain until spring. IE 3E i es. tie tooK advantage 01 our spec ial price offer on five years and the check opposite his name on the books reads up into 1921. We received word this week from Bill Shultz who has been at Kansas City that there are a few notes with his name signed to them that are worthless because of the manner in which they were gotten and he wishes to warn Thomas County people against buying them for they are void.

An announcement reached our desk this week of a fine baby girl which arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jean Cain of Falls City, Nebraska. Mrs. Cain was formerly Miss Blanche Fike of this city.

Mrs. Ed Bartlett received word 'last Friday morning of the death of her brother in Kentucky and joined her sister on No. 8 passing through this city Friday evening from Denver to the funeral in Kentucky. Mr. Prescott of Emporia is here this week visiting his sister Mrs.

E. B. Barnes. in IE Who whom will May With PA TRONS TO have been loyal, who have helped us and whom we we will cherish through the years until they become ever strive earnestly to deserve, we tender this have helped as best we knew; and to the newer friends old friends; and to YOU whose friendship we want and Ixreetmgs the new year be a prosperous and fruitful one; may joy and recompense come to you, and may it be our privilege to help add to your success. Hearty Good Wishes to You and Yours for a Prosperous NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN.

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