.jpg)
Feb. 26, 1925
HARTINGTON- Most people who didn’t know much about chickens and don’t care much for them unless they are nicely served up for a Sunday dinner may doubt that anyone in Hartington would ever pay $15 for a single rooster, but if they had been in the Hartington post office last Monday afternoon, they would have seen a bird which was bought by Postmaster Louis Eby for that price.
Mr. Eby has a fine bunch of Rhode Island Red chickens out on his “farm” in the eastern part of Hartington, and he has been hunting for a classy rooster to boss these chickens around.
The individual which arrived here Monday certainly looked the part, for he was an outstanding bird in every respect. He is a young cockerel which was purchased from a breeder near St. Louis, Mo.
It is believed that the price paid by Mr. Eby sets a record for the Hartington community, although it is known that several other chicken fanciers have come close to that price.
The newcomer was given a great welcome by the post office force. Joel Johnson, who happens to understand the chicken language and can speak it as well, talked things over with the new rooster, and interpreted for the bystanders who were admiring.
Joel says the rooster was quite well satisfied with Hartington, but thought that his new owner had put him in a queer chicken house, for he didn’t see any nests in which the hens could lay eggs.
And Norman Smith, who checked up pretty closely on the rooster all afternoon, claimed that he laid three eggs between two o’clock and six.
Feb. 26, 1925
HARTINGTON — Will Hartington have a new post-office location sometime during the present year? That is a question which is being debated among a few people who are “on the inside” this week, for bids to furnish a location for the office here were opened on Wednesday in Kansas City, and one of these bids includes a brand new building.
The bid with the new building was made by Will Israelson, while the Knights of Columbus, in whose building the post office is now located, also made a bid in which a number of improvements are considered.
The result of these bids will not be known for some time, so the future of the post office location will be undetermined until the outcome of the bids is known.
The proposition submitted by Mr. Israelson is to erect a building primarily for post office use. The location will either be on the lot north of Dr. Dorsey’s office or the lot south of his office. The building is to be a one-story structure of brick construction. It will be set back from the sidewalk a short distance. There will be a revolving door opening into the lobby. The lobby will be tiled. New equipment will be put in throughout the building. Skylights are to be put in over the workroom. The building will be on the ground level, so that the mail truck can drive up directly to the back door and leave the mail. Toilet facilities will be provided for the postal employees.
In the proposition which was submitted by the Knights of Columbus, extensive improvements in the present location are considered.
J. S. Blough, a postal inspector from Kansas City, paid a visit to Hartington a short time ago regarding the bids for a new office. At that time he condemned everything in the present office except two sections of lock boxes and Postmaster Louis R. Eby’s desk.
100 years ago
