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 March 8, 1918:

The first shipment of state fish have arrived and are on sale at the Francois store. One hundred seventy pounds of dressed bull heads packed in ice arrived by express yesterday morning and will be sold at 16 cents per pound.

Marshall friends received announcements last week of the marriage of Miss Mildred Hunter to Major Joseph Gamewell Evans, M.R.C., on Thursday, the fourteenth of February at Seattle, Washington. They will be at home at Fort Lawton, Seattle, Washington. The bride is well known in Marshal, having lived here and at Tracy most of her life. She is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Hunter and the niece of W.G. Hunter of this city.

The United States Food Administration announces that the ban has been lifted temporarily on meatless meals and porkless Saturday. This new order allowing the greater use of meat is temporary, probably for sixty days only. It is made possible by lack of facilities to ship meat from big packing centers to the seaboard for export, and to some extent, to the lack of ships to carry it to Europe. For sixty days then, meat may be served on all days except Tuesday.

This is “moving week” around Lynd. R. Marson is loading a car at Balaton from which place he leaves for Frost, Minn. Mr. Kreifel and family of Amiret have moved onto the farm vacated by Mr. Matson. J.W. Atwood and family moved to the Lee Harris farm. Elmer Sharratt has moved onto the C.B. Adams farm. L.L. Stewart to the C.H. Austin farm and C.H. Austin into his house in town, while Otto Fischer is waiting for a car to ship to Selby, So. Dak.

On Saturday, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fields. She has been named Lucile.

Mrs. Steve Blanchett and Miss Gleva Fortin returned last week from Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, where they visited Harold Blanchett, who is in the Signal Corps waiting to be called to France. They reported that Harold was feeling and looking fine, and well satisfied. They found good quarters, and that the men were well cared for with wholesome food and plenty of it. Harold was telegrapher at the North Western station here and his experience together with what he has learned since in training have advance him to a good position.

The Ghent Manufacturing Company evidently are doing a thriving business in grain cleaners. Several loads have been delivered here and many shipments are noticed on the North Western. We are told they have a capacity of twelve machines a day, and are working overtime.

The photograph featured this week shows a Wonder Wild Oats Separator and Grain Cleaner that was manufactured by the Ghent Manufacturing Company. It is currently on display in the basement exhibit, “Life on the Prairie” at the Lyon County Museum.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a nonprofit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon St in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open year-round to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.