When looking for an obituary for my Second Great Grandfather, David A Roscoe, issues of the DeWitt News-Times were missing for the dates immediately following his death on May 13, 1884. Following that date, June 5th was the next issue on the microfilm. I took copies of the Local News as a reminder that I had looked and to share here. Maybe this will help someone else.
My hope is that someday the DeWitt News-Times can be digitized. I'm helping locally to raise funds to digitize all Hall County, Nebraska historic newspapers and I'm aware of the cost and community interest it takes. DeWitt would have my support if they ever consider getting these digitized.
De Witt News-Times, June 5, 1884, top of page
Column I
LOCAL NEWS
Pray for rain.
Two ice cream saloons in De Witt.
The population of Beatrice is 6000
Seed Buckwheat at H D Rogers
Framers report a good stand of corn.
Go to Leeper & Crane for canned goods.
The M. E. Church is receiving a coat of paint.
A. H. Denison has a new sign at his harness shop.
Mr Anderson has started his vegetable wagon.
Don't spend your money to see a one-horse circus.
Nebraska is well represented at Chicago this week.
John Calvin lost his stable a few nights ago by fire.
W. H. Staley has built a fine porch to his house.
George Grant has fixed his saloon up in first-class style.
Beatrice, as well as other towns, has a few burglars.
White and Leacock are shipping corn from Swanton.
Richard Davis is building another addition to his house.
Ladies ready made underware at cost at Miss Allensby's.
Mr. Lewis has put a street lamp at his place of business.
Fall Wheat and Rye will soon be ready for the harvesters.
Carpenters are now at work on Mr. Huestis' new house.
Mr. Adam Bucher, of Castor, was in our village last Monday.
Sixteen carloads of stock went up the road Tuesday evening.
Dunning letters have been mailed this week by the hundreds.
Daily papers have been in demand in our town this week.
Carpenters have commenced work on Wm. Nelson's new house.
Leeper & Crane are agents for the celebrated Prairie Bird cigars.
Western will celebrate the 4th. of July this year in grand old style.
C. S. Doty, representing the state Journal, called yesterday.
Strawberry festivals are in order now in every town in Nebraska.
Dr. Duncan and family returned last week from their eastern visit.
Friend will celebrate the 4th of July by holding a county re-union.
An awning has been put to the building occupied by W. H. Coble.
Mr. J. C. Ogle, late of Illinois, is now proprietor of the De Witt house.
Column II
Ladies are invited to look over the large stock of Millinery goods at Miss Allinsby's before purchasing
The big Camp meeting of the Seventh-Day Adventists commenced at Beatrice yesterday, June 4th.
The five thousand bushels of corn that spoiled in Col. Stratton's cribs at this place, is being shipped east.
Mrs. Storms and her sister, Mrs. Leacock, passed through De Witt last Saturday on their way to Exeter.
MARRIED - At De Witt, Sunday, June 1st, 1884, by Rev. E. J. Hancock Mr. N. Roberts and Miss L. Sebring.
Contractor Hickman, of Beatrice has been in our town a few days this week figuring on the school building.
A few loads of potatoes would bring a good price in De Witt if brought in before the new crop is grown.
Those persons having magazines belonging to the De Witt Reading Club are requested to leave them at this office.
Two young girls left their homes at Juniata last week without cause and were found working in a hotel at St. Joseph, Mo.
Supervisors Moffitt and Wilkinson were in De Witt Monday viewing the location for a bridge across the Blue north of town.
We depended on a party at Western for the particulars of the death of Superintendent Storms, but we were disappointed.
Candidates for Congress are begining [sic] to spring up in all directions. Nebraska is full of good men, but they can't all get there.
The strawberry and ice cream sociable given at the M. E. Church on last Friday evening, was a success in every particular.
We have held the publication of our paper one day in hopes that we would be able to name the man who is to be our next president.
Go to Leeper & Crane and get prices on Teas.
The date of the Nebraska Sunday School convention has been changed from Jund [sic] 3, 4 and 5, to June 24, 25, 26. The convention will meet at Wahoo.
Our old friend James Fike, of Pleasant Hill, made us a pleasant call Tuesday. Jim is one of our oldest subscribers, and didn't fail to renew while here.
Byron Drum, the ten year old son of postmaster Drum; at Beatrice, accidently shot himself while taking a gun from a boat last Saturday. He died instantly.
Our people are talking of helping the people of Western celebrate the 4th of July, which is no more than...
Column III
Professional Cards
Physicians.
J. K. L. DUNCAN, M. D.
PHYSICIAN and Surgeon. Office one door east of G. H. Hunt's Residence east of R. R. track.
DE WITT, NEB
CHARLES E. ELDER, M. D.
Will always be found in office opposite Post Office, when not professionally engaged.
DE WITT, NEB
DR. B. C. PARKER
Physician & Surgeon
Office in Wehn's Drug Store. All calls promptly attended to.
WILBER, NEB
HOMOEPATHIST
MRS. JAMES E. SHERRILL, offers her professional services to the afflicted.
Address DE WITT, NEB
Attorneys
W. H. MORRIS
ATTORNEY and Counselor at Law.
CRETE, NEB.
S. S. ALLEY
Attorney-At-Law
And U. S. Pension Agent.
WILBER, NEB
Miscellaneous.
F. M. SUITER.
NOTARY PUBLIC and conveyancer.
DEWITT, NEB
WHITE & LEACOCK
Pay the highest market price for Grand and stock.
DE WITT, NEB
LOCAL NOTICES
TRANSIENT, 10 cents per line, regular customers, 5 cents per each insertion. Announcements for Church services, Marriages, Birth, and Deaths inserted free.
Chandler Sisters have opened a full line of Millinery in Nelson's building. Prices very low.
Leeper & Crane have the Cream of the candy trade.
Go to Mrs. Dann's for bread, cakes and pies.
Ladies Gause underware, Kid Gloves, and ladies and childrens Stockings at the millinery store.
Have you seen those Elegant panels at Perry's gallery? They are just the kind for standing figures. Parties desiring views of their residence, or any exterior pictures, will do well to call on O. H. PERRY.
Wild & Son have received a large lot of Ams, Shoulders and dried beef.
The finest Oil Stove manufactured, at Murray & Hollingworth's.
The celebrated Kansas Flour at E. Hastings.
Go to Mrs. Dann's for bread, cakes and pies.
Bargains in Carpet, Carpet Warp, and Floor Oil Cloth, at E. Hastings.
De Witt News-Times, June 5, 1884, bottom of page
Column I
FASHIONABLE DRESSMAKING - By Miss Nettie Birdsall, of Binghampton, N. Y. Room at Mrs. Dann's, north of bank
It will not be long now till the new school building will begin to loom up.
The weather has been quite cool in Nebraska for several days, but no frost.
Miss D. A. Chinnock, of Lincoln is visiting her friends in De Witt this week.
"What is the Convention news?" has been asked a great many times this week.
Some of our citizens who went fishing last Saturday, came near being drowned.
De Witt has seven base ball clubs but nary a foot ball club. Why not organize?
DRESS-MAKING - By Miss Mary Ambrose. Room at Mrs. Calvins east of Depot.
J. J. Pierce is in Chicago with a lot of stock that he shipped from this place Friday.
All bids for building the new school house must be in by six o'clock this evening.
Several of our business men are attending Surpervisors meeting this week at Wilber.
The De Witt Literary club will have a pic-nic this afternoon in Dr. Goodell's grove.
Miss Emma Craig has returned to her home in Illinois, where she will probably remain.
Capt. O. H. Phillips, of Beatrice, came up Monday to visit his brother, Mr. Jas. Phillips.
Hardware of all kinds at Murray & Hollingworth's.
The houses of Alfred Hazlett and C. M. Emery at Beatrice, were burglarized Sunday night.
The county Supervisors are in session this week with a large amount of business to attend to.
Dr. Duncan has the finest fence in the village. We have not seen it but that is what we hear.
Our job department has had a rush the past two weeks, and we have turned out some fine work.
Go to William Wild & Son for the choicest collection of Flowers ever brought to De Witt. Prices as low as [?] the county.
Column II
...4th of July, which is no more than they should do, as Western helped De Witt last year.
Some hungry devil who was too proud to beg but not too honest to steal, broke into the De Witt meat market Sunday night and helped himself to a few choice cuts.
Dr. J. E. Hiltz gave two lectures on Spiritualism in De Witt last week. The house was well filled with chairs and benches, but very few of our people were sold out by him.
Cole's circus company carried $8,000 out of Beatrice, and still the people of that city and surrounding country, are soon to be swindled out of more of their cash by another show.
News reached us yesterday of the death of Mr. John Burger, who for the past six years has been a resident and much respected citizen of Gage county. Mr. Burger has many frends in De Witt who will miss him.
A gentleman from Friend, by the name of Carnehan, has rented the Blue Valley house and will take possession July 1st. Mr. Dulin, at that time will open the Iowa house and run a first class hotel.
Decoration day was observed by the people of this place and vicinity, and seven soldiers graves were decorated by the school children. A short address was made by Hon. H. M. Wells, at the cemetery, when the exercises closed and the people returned to their homes.
A. W. Carmichael has made the first delivery of his books, "Anecdotes and Incidents of the Rebellion," and they are giving perfect satisfaction, not only with the old soldiers, but everyone is interested. Mr. C. is still canvasing and es [sic] the book is more than worth the price, everybody should subscribe.
Willard H. Stormes died May 27th, of lung fever after an illness of but a few days, aged 45 years. He came to Saline county in 1872, and located a homestead in South Fork Precinct, where he died. He filled the office of Sheriff one term, and at the time of his death was on his second term as county Superintendent. His remains were followed to the cemetery by at least one thousand friends, one hundred and fifty of them being Masons, to which order he belonged. The many friends of Mr. Stormes, are now in sympathy with the widow and fatherless children of our esteemed county superintendent.
Column III
I am closing out my entire stock of Dry Goods and Clothing. If you want good bargans call and examine my stock. Good Domestics at 7 to 9 cents. Good print 20 yds, $1.00 Standard 16 yds. $.00
H. Hitchcock
All persons knowing themselves indebted to the firm of H. D. Rogers & Son, are requested to call on the undersigned, or cost will be made.
H. D. ROGERS
Our merchant, E. Hastings, has lately received an immense line of Boots, Shoes and Slippers. It takes a great quantity of these goods to supply his trade. It is no secret that the cause of this success is the superior quality of the goods he keeps and the low price at which he is able to sell them.
Avery's corn planters and check rowers at Denny & Pelcer's.
You can buy a hat at Hitchcock from fifty cents up.
H. Hitchcock sells boots and shoes twenty per cent lower than any other house in the county.
Go to Mrs. Dann's for bread, cakes and pies.
G. A. Hunt's stock of clothing is the largest in Saline county.
At the lumber yard of H. Hollingworth you can find Oak and Cedar posts. Illinois and Iowa coal, and everything that belongs to the lumber trade.
A handsome stock of clothing has just been opened up at the Red Lion Store. Call in and get good clothing cheap.
M. G. GREBE
The best variety of Canned goods in the market at Leeper & Crane's.
Free Delivery
Flour and Feed delivered free to any part of the village by,
H. RUPERT
Land for Sale
Eighty acres of land, Forty acres broke, for sale on reasonable terms. Land is located about six miles southwest of De Witt. Persons wishing to buy will receive all necessary information from Mr. Burns, De Witt.
Estray Notice
Strayed from the farm of the undersigned, about ten miles west of De Witt, one black mare pony with white star in face. Any person returning the same or giving information of her, will be liberally rewarded.
GEO. MUMBY
