This is Chapter II from this treasure of a newspaper given to me by Greg Peacock. Last week we published the name of the editor/owner, J. W. Ball and the rates, etc., as required by law. However, by reading down further, we discovered Mr. Ball was the new owner.

“We have been running this little home paper for five weeks, as you know the paper has been sent to all regular subscribers just the same as if it had not changed hands.”

There is then a lengthy explanation as to how to go about stopping your subscription — “order it stopped and we will stop it providing you do not owe us for the paper.”

Then there is a list of seven names and addresses of new subscribers including one H. G. Lloyd of Philadelphia. Followed by …

“The above is not very encouraging to start with, we are in hope the next five weeks will be better. If the inhabitants of this section of the county want a little home paper they will have to put their hand in their pocket and each give a dollar, (that was for a one year subscription) we are not Missionaries and we are still believers in that fact that if you get ‘Value Received’ for your money you will give your support to this paper.”

Well, Editor Ball, gives them hell for another few paragraphs and I hope it paid off. No pun intended.

Only property owners could vote?

I know when I was on the village board only property owners could hold government office. There was a small, empty lot in Saranac Lake that changed hands many times so the “owner” could hold office and even the police officers we hired had to live in the village.

The following excerpts are from a legal notice on a vote to form a school district.

“The undersigned Trustees (the names listed at the bottom of the notice are C. N. Davis, S.S. Parkhurst and R. W. Clifford) of School District, No. 2, Town of North Elba, Essex County, N.Y. in compliance with a call of 20 persons entitled to vote at any meeting of the inhabitants of said district entitled to vote thereat will hold at the Lake School House on the 6th day of September at 8 o’clock p.m. for the purpose of determining by a vote of such district whether a Union Free School will be established therein in conformity with the provisions to that end of chapter 555 of the laws of 1864 and the amendment thereof.”

Those entitled to vote — edited for space …

“Every person of full age who is a resident of the district entitled to hold land and who either owns or hires real estate (meaning one who rents property?).

“Every resident of the district who is a citizen of the United States 21 years of age being the parents of a child of school age, provided the child has attended the district school at least eight weeks within one year proceeding.

“Every resident of the district not being the parents of a child but who have a child permanently residing with them …

“Every resident and citizen of full age who owns any personal property assessed on the last assessment of the town exceeding fifty dollars in value …”

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Float night on Mirror Lake

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“The event of the week was Float Night, Monday, September 20. Long before the appointed hour the boats were on the lake handsomely decorated with lanterns and fairy lamps, which made Mirror Lake a fairy lake.

“At half past eight the signal was given and numerous boats decorated more beautiful than the ones on the lake darted out from places along the shore. The line was then formed; the Marshall’s boat was more conspicuous than the others, having a large headlight on the bow, following the Marshall’s boat the crafts glided smoothly around the large bon-fires that had been built in the center of the lake and the reflection of the bon-fires and decorations made the lake look like it was on fire.

“A pretty effect was made by the admirers of the ‘Ada B’, who threw burning cotton on the water along the whole line.

“The boats of the Grand View and other hotels were very tastefully decorated, likewise those of the Placid Club and the numerous cottages.

“The whole amusement passed without an accident.”

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World News in Brief

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The Mirror used an entire column on page two for World News, mostly in one sentence stories.

Burglars broke into the office of the Grasseli Chemical Works on Staten Island and blew open the safe with dynamite.

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A tramp was found in the office of Mayor Strong of New York City and said he was waiting for the Mayor to come in so he could give him a pair of pants.

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Alton F. Clark, a stock broker in Montreal shot himself dead in his office.

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The Women’s Sanitary Association of Peoria, Ill., has decided to thoroughly cleanse the city.

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Lightning struck a house near Croix, Mexico, killing five persons and seriously injuring four others.

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The Supreme Court of Utah has decided that women cannot vote in the coming election in November.

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Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Calvert, wife of Edward Calvert of Youngstown, N.Y., died under the influence of chloroform administered by Dr. W. F. Falkner previous to having 14 teeth extracted.

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At Huntington, Carroll County, Tenn., 13 houses were destroyed by a cyclone, and one man was seriously injured.

The End

Oh, one more thing. There may be Chapter III next week because I keep finding big stories in small print.

Oh, and another thing. We entertained important guests last week in the persons of Harrietstown Town Clerk Sabrina Bevilacqua Harrison and Harrietstown Head Accountant Beth Sullivan Bevilacqua.

We had a wonderful visit and then they had the audacity to make fun of the keyboard on my antique computer — simply because the keys are the size of Kennedy half dollars.