Surnames: Stevens,

----Source: Spencer Advance, 3 Feb 1881, pg. 1, Federal Census Records

Spencer Advance, Spencer, Wisconsin (20 Jan. 1881 - 14 Jul 1881), Elias W. Stevens, publisher; Elbert E. Stevens, Local Editor.

HOME ITEMS--A.C. STEVENS, Local Editor.

Snow fell to the depth of about four inches last night, with a prospect of still more.

T. S. Norton has received the appointment of Deputy Lumber Inspector for the tenth district.

C. A. Lamoreux has removed his law office from Heath's building to a room over Gardner's store.

E. A. Johns is another one of the proud and happy citizens of Spencer.  Cause--the arrival of a prospective voter at his domicile.

The Sills for the new blacksmith shop are in place.  The building is to be 24 x 40, which looks as though they intend to do a pretty heavy business.

Free Will Baptist covenant meeting at the residence of E. W. Stevens next Saturday evening.  Preaching in the M. E. Church next Sunday morning at half past ten o'clock.

A series of meetings has been held in the Cole school house, about 4 miles west of here which resulted in the conversion of ten or twelve persons, Rev. J. P. Greer conducted the meetings.

Temple of Honor will meet in Prentice's Hall next Tuesday evening.  A full attendance of the membership is earnestly requested, as several initiations are expected , and business of importance will come before the meeting.

John Diamond was so elated with the improved condition of sleighing that he treated himself to a new hat.  Such extravagance is entirely justifiable under the circumstances, and no fault would be found if he had served his neighbors in the same manner.

Angus Kennedy has been quite seriously ill during the past week with dysentery and threatened inflammation of the bowels.  He is under Dr. Beach's treatment and is now improving.  We hope to see him well enough to resume his business at an early day.

Frank Marks in the employ of P. A. Thayer was caught between two logs last Saturday, and had a narrow escape from being crushed to death.  As it was his injuries were quite painful, though fortunately no bones were broken.  He was doing well at last accounts.

Mr. Chapman who is to associated with P. A. Thayer in the flouring mill to be built here in the near future, has rented a house in this place and started east last week, to settle up his business and removed his family to Spencer.  He expects to be absent two or three weeks.

The appeal published by Rev. J. N. Phillips at Chippewa Falls, is a live Temperance paper--the official organ of the Temple of Honor in Wisconsin, published monthly at 50 cents a year.  We have made arrangements with the publisher by which we can furnish the Advance and the Appeal both for $1.80 a year.  Let us hear from you "early and often."

Mrs. J. A. Brown of Milwaukee who was announced to speak on Temperance last Saturday evening failed to reach our place, much to the disappointment of the large audience which assembled to hear her.  The meeting was not an entire failure, however as the Editor was called on to fill up the time, but instead of palming off any of his own ideas, read a splendid address which was delivered years ago by the lamented Thurlow W. Brown.  The thinking portion of the audience at lest were highly pleased and edified with the address--we do not say but all present were thinking people--and of course all were edified.

Mr. Jos. Noble wore an unusually bright smile the other day as he dropped into our sanctum and upon inquiry we ascertained that it was all on account of a young lady that had taken lodgings at his house.  It arrived Saturday night and weighs nine and a quarter pounds.

A Troupe of Indians passed through this place on Tuesday, with their ponies and dogs moving east, in search of more light, or more game.  Come to think of it part of them were squaws.  we did not learn the names of any of them, and perhaps if we had we could not spell them.

Mr. Levi Hooker of Waupaca county arrived here last Friday to visit his son Charlie, who is with John Gardner.  Mr. Hooker made several calls at this office and renewed an acquaintance that commenced twenty years ago, though we have not had the pleasure of meeting him for about a dozen years.  He started for home on Tuesday. He expressed himself well pleased with this place.

Geo. Wright don't want anybody to know that he surrounded two pounds of honey on a wager and won the wager, of course; so we will not say anything about it. If he had only taken in a few bees, he might raise a young swarm by the time warm weather  arrives.  But that is nothing--we know a fellow who swallowed a dozen and a half of raw eggs, because some one else offered to pay for them, if he would get away with that number.

Rev. Dan'l Brown, pastor of the African Methodist church in Fond du Lac, was in town a portion of Tuesday and Wednesday, soliciting funds to pay off the indebtedness of their church in that city.  We did not learn how he succeeded further than the fact that he depleted the treasury of this establishment to the tune of 50 cents.  He appears to be a wide-awake energetic man, and we wish him and his people abundant success.

Spence is gaining notoriety through the Advance that she would never have enjoyed if it were not for the paper.  Already we learn that copies of the paper have gone to England.  Scotland and Germany, and who knows but some capitalist from the old world will come here and start a pottery, gathering the material from some of our extensive clay beds.  That reminds us--if some one would invest--no, discover--a sand bank hereabouts, we could have a first-class brick yard right at home.

Wendell's blacksmith shop is a fair sized building, but it was not large enough to shoe one horse that was brought to the shop yesterday, so they took the animal out in the street and were obliged to throw him down before they could reach his feet; and after he was down they were compelled to tie him to a big stump to prevent his clearing everything out of the street.  Maybe it was ugliness more than size that made the shop too small for the horse.

Officers of the new Good Templers Lodge were elected as follows:

J. A. Robinson, Chief Templar

Miss Barbara Lindsay, Vice Templar

A. C. Hull, Recording Secretary

Miss Jennie Kyen, Assistant Sec'y

Chas. Salisbury, Financial Secretary

Mrs. C. Salisbury, Treasurer

E. W. Stevens, Chaplain

Arthur Short, Dep. Marshall

Miss Nellie Lowe, Guard

J. A. Gunn, Sentinel

Sam'l Hagan, Past Chief Templar

Our January Thaw came in February this year.  The mercury rose to 34 degrees on Monday an towards evening we had quite a shower of rain which continued at intervals during th the night, settling the snow considerably.  The road are in a splendid condition and the logging business is booming.  They are hauling big loads now and if the present good roads continue for two or three weeks, the most of the lumbermen will get in all the logs they wish this winter.  It has already been more than an average winter for business.  The sleighing has continued without interruption since November.

Mrs. Brown was greeted last evening with the largest audience ever seen in the Methodist church.  Her theme was "the evils of intemperance," and the subject was ably handled from the stand point of personal observation, presenting an array of facts and figures that made a terrible arraignment of the liquor traffic.  The appreciation of the lecture was demonstrated in the profound attention of the large audience.  At the close of the lecture the Good Templers' Lodge was reorganized with twenty-two members present.

Wanted--Five hundred cords of wood, 50 barrels of flour, 600 bushels of potatoes, 800 pounds of butter, any number of geese, turkeys, chickens or eggs, in fact we want most everything, on subscription for this paper and will even go so far as not to refuse cash.  We are nearly in the same boat with the fellow who said he "didn't come to this country for want, for he wanted a plenty at home."  This means simply that we will take all kinds of farm produce on subscription, from a flat boat to a a saw horse, provided they can be eaten or worn as clothing.

Meeting are being held in the Methodist church every evening this week with a probability that they will continue for some time.  We trust they will be eminently successful in awakening renewed interest in spiritual things.  Let every one assist who can, for it is the aggregation of individual influence that makes the moral power of the world.  A single snow flake is a very small affair, but he accumulation of snow flakes in a given place blockades ponderous trains, and makes the might avalanche which engulf or seeps away everything in its course.  So the united harmonized efforts of the Christian world can sweep away every obstacle that hinders the triumph of truth and righteousness in the earth.

Bear Hunt!--An exciting bear hunt occurred in the woods about two miles from here, last Saturday.  Messrs. Perry and Lucia were out in the woods and came across a large hollow tree, lying on the ground, and perhaps remembering the legendary idea that bears come out of their dens on the 2nd day of February, they looked around for bear signs and sure naught, something had come out of the old tree and gone back again.  Both being armed with a good as, after a brief council of war it was decided to bombard the entrenchment of the ferocious beast.  A shower of well directed blows made breach after breach in walls of the enemy's strong hold, and with every new opening, our heroes expected to invade the private apartments of the possessor of the fort; and their arms were ready to give battle to the monster as soon as he should be routed from this lair.  The excitement increased as they felt that the crisis was near at hand--finally there was an indication of something moving, and while one chopped away at the log, the other stood with ax poised ready for an aggressive movement as soon as bruin abowed his head, and before he could have time to form a line of battle.  Now he is surely coming, and every nerve and sinew is brought to the highest tension for a decisive blow, when out jumps a bristling bno, porcupine.  The muscles relax, the ax is gently lowered and we would have given half a nickel to witness the expressions of disgust as the bear hunter turned awry and left the hedgehog alone in his glory.