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IP WILMETTE LIFE J an u ary 1, 1926Looking from any direction whe~e the present electric trains groan the1r agonized way could be seen forests as deep and mysterious as any e~er sheltering gay Robin Hood,_ and ~n tersected only by elusive Indtan tratls. Tf we listen intently we might hear an old-time wagon crashing vver one r.ow, heavily loaded with household furniture and small children, the older ones trudging behind. We suspect it's the identical pioneer who built the. weather beaten dwelling disappearing in the shadows. One Train a Day Less than a dozen houses :::,catterecl along Central avenue was th~ nucleus · of the young village. A quamt wood~ en railroad station was the center of excitement as in the morning the one and only train puffed its tedious w~y toward the city 1 to puff hac~ agam c.t twilight. Another focus of mtere st was the small schoolhouse where a handful of urchin . learned their three R\ by clay and gathered to conc<;>ct deYiltry hy night. The best known mdiYidual. until the helo\·ed doctor appeared, was the station master. who also maintained a country ~tore, acted as postmaster, was express agent ;:~nd whose small emporium wa-; a clearmg house for the villare gossip. Religi?us scn·ices were held in the ~chool bmldit~<Y to which the de\·out were' guided. a f· ; er dark, hy their trust~· flickering l<~ntern~. Doors were ldt unlocked. the onlv fear being that oi the small hoy wh.o imagined the Tncran's whoop and the wild beasts' gr0\\·1. Simple, Wholesome Life But what a simple wholesome life . E H'n· man respected his n ~ ·igh h0r _and rrien~lship knC\\' 110 pomp. Ltttlc rin·rs trickled along the cke1> ditches 'o swell into fears ome torrents in the spring freshet~ or ~uclcl ·· n ~ummer ..;torms. Dlue --e\·ecl Yiokh glanced 'ru..,tfulh· from eYer~- footpath and th(' 111c a <I ow ~" grew go Icl en \\'it h ye 11 :)\\c·mysJip . and buttercups. The lark 1 rilled his song at sunri~" <tnd the ., hip-poor-will's mournful note~ wcr heard after dark. The old lake made "Olden ripples in summer and angrih· tore awa v acre~ of latHl in win tl.:f. 1h ·: pa.rkling beach was the bo _,-·~ para'lise and young savage that h was. he paraded his domain naked and unashamed and the fem=nine ~ex maintained a discreet di~tance or was preceded by storm signals. Just a Rustic Hamlet Giant basswoods or dwarfed crahapple trees al ike perfumed the air with t heir mv riads of blossoms and the industr io us hds gloa t ed like young squi r rels over t h eir hoards of fall nu t ~. The soft dirt roads gave no hint of old Dobbin's approach ing footfa ll s and the tired sleeper was undisturbed exc ~ pt by beetl e,s d rone or insect's song. From this rustic herrin n ing our bea utifu l vi ll age has emerged. As we remember these loYe lv. bygone day·; " ·e hum the word.;; of a fami liar old ~0111!- A Revery BUDSON·ESSEX SALES AND . SERVICE Editors' Note: Herewith w are happy to submit an allurit g· retrospection of the Wilmette tnat used to be-the rustic hamlet that was th foundation of our present' beautiful and, in some respects almost metropolitan community. This is written b~' a 'W ilmette pioneer who modestly t·equests that his identity be conceal e d for the reason that, surrounding that old house of which he writes are all the memori s of a glorious boyhcJO(l. J. F. DAVIS 9 11 LINDEN AVE. T EL. WINN. 2268 Your Dampers and Your Fuel Bills Accept our offer to have a Service Man call, and you will be. impressed with the importance he places on the fit of your dampers and the way you regulate the .draft with them. Your dampers affect your fuel bills no matter what fuel you burn. Have one of these men look over your plant and show how economically you can heat your home with Chicago Solvay Coke. Your fuel merchant will arrange for the call. This service will save you a part of your fuel cost for this winter. · Change to this better fuel now. Better because it contains more heat, ton for ton, than hard coal and costs 30% less, because it is more easily handled than soft coal, makes no soot nor smoke, leaves few ashes and costs only about · as much as the "best" grades of soft coal. Call your dealer now. A gay Christmas sun shines brightly upon plies of rough stone and unhewn granite, rapid ly being fashioned into a shapely temple. The unpretentious old house that stood for many years on this spot has been dragged away like an offending criminal to begin life anew in a strange neighborhood. After 57 years of faithful service its receding form appeared pathetic, outliHed against an at. tumn su nset, frayed leaves falling around it like withered protests of its long-dead owners, a~,ain . t r<.'lllOYal. It was on.:! of the first few houses erected in the Yillage and we may, for a f evv brief minutes. he permitted to think of those early times. Bectric 1\efrigeratic:~ $~50 r. 0 . 8 . Q E T R.O l t Complete ( tht KELVIN·ET A refrigerator with Kelvinator already installed, re quiring only a single electric connection to put it in operation. Refrigerates with out attention, relieving you of all the worries of caring for an ice box. Call and see the Kelvin-et, or phone for information. ·s olvq Coke Buy it, Bum it You'll Like it Sold exclusively by CHICAGO OIL BURNER [ REFRIGERATING and] Co. "The claYs ma \' co111e. the days may g-o, But still the hand of memory weaves The di. tant scenes of long ago." -Old Timer. HOFFMANN BROTHERS WILMETTE Phone 131 KELVINATOR The Oldest Domestic Electric ~frigeration Yf rs. Ha rold Knight of English vi llage, Glencoe. entertained at tea \ Vecl, nesday for h er sis ters, M iss Dorothv and Ains lee Bennett of Ken il wo r t h. who a r e spending th e winter a t t h e gelmont hotel. --.,..Q- M rs. Ma rk Cr esap, 239 Essex road, Kenilworth, gave a s m ~ Il dinn e r at In cl ian club Tuesday. The g uests en ;oved w in ter ' sports la t er in th e e vein g-.