Trending
The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon County on Dec.18, 1908:
The Marshall Produce company has done an extensive business in buying and shipping poultry this fall, and is continuing to do so, but the past week the fur business has gone to the front in extensive manner. Five foxes hanging in the window have attracted much attention, and the interior of the shop is plastered with drying skins of muskrats, mink, and other small animals. The muskrat industry is the most extensive, and this concern buys skins from all parts of the state. A shipment of seven thousand muskrat skins were received the first of the week from Fairmont. The foxes came from Pipestone county. There are many persons in this county engaged in trapping muskrats and mink.
Men's meeting in Library building under auspices of the Y.M.C.A., Sunday afternoon at three o'clock. Secretary Eastman will speak.
Many of the trees are showing new buds almost ready to burst open, which is somewhat a novelty for Minnesota in the middle of December. A light snow fell on Wednesday morning, barely enough to cover the ground.
At the Congregational parsonage on the 16th, Miss Annie Mary Davis became the bride of Mr. Owen Williams, Rev. Mr. Sharpe performing the ceremony. The parties live west and south of town.
Great preparations have been made for the programs to be given in the different rooms at the high school building Friday afternoon. The Christmas spirit will be carried out in the lower grades with trees, and Santa Claus is expected to visit them all.
A man from the State Fish Hatchery was here the first of the week with a large number of small fish which were planted in Goose Lake.
Dr. Ferro has been critically ill during the past ten days, and at times his life was despaired of. Mrs. Dr. Ferro was called from Tracy on Monday when condition was thought to be critical. As we go to press the Doctor is in a fairly comfortable condition
Mrs. Dr. Ferro of Tracy, who was called to Marshall on Monday by the critical illness of her husband, left for Chicago the following day to attend their son, who had been seriously injured in his crippled arm. The doctor thought the boy would need the services of his mother more than he did, as a the time the doctor was feeling much better than when his wife was called.
The photograph featured this week is Dr. Ferro. This photograph is courtesy of Wheels Across the Prairie Heritage Center. Tracy's first physician was Dr. Claud M. Ferro, who was born in New York on Aug. 14, 1849. He graduated from the medical department of the University of New York. In around 1878, he moved to Tracy, where for many years he had a large medical practice. He later moved to Minneapolis where he was one of the medical staff of lecturers at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Ferro died in Minneapolis on June 15, 1910. His wife, Louisa Forbes Ferro, was also a practicing physician.