One hundred years ago today (July 31, 1924), the Ridgeway Journal had these items in the paper for people to read and enjoy: The pastor of the Methodist church lamented that Sunday School attendance was down considerably from the previous week and wanted to know where everyone was. The Rex Theatre was showing the film “Way Down East” Both the Hardware store and the Furniture store changed ownership that week. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union held a program at the Methodist Church. The Ridgeway Produce Co reminded the public that they closed their doors at midnight on Saturday until Monday morning. People wanting to buy chickens for Sunday dinner needed to get them on Saturday as S. D. Rardin would not open up to sell chickens on Sunday morning.
The Ridgeway ball team, named “McHugh’s Colts” won their game against a team from Pleasanton IA by a score of 5-2.
That year was also an election year and there were several political ads in the paper. Republican candidates Sam Baker and Lt. Gov. Hiram Lloyd both wanted your vote in the Republican primary. (Spoiler alert: Sam Baker won the primary and went on to be Missouri’s 36th governor.) More interesting was an ad by A. C. Flint, a candidate for Harrison County Sheriff who warn that the “klan” was working hard to take over the government, including county government but Mr. Flint had never “taken any oath to obey somebody in Atlanta, Georgia, nor will I be influenced by somebody who has.”
Of greater concern to Ridgeway area residents was a quarter page ad taken out by the three sellers of coal: the Atlas Lumber Co, the Miner & Frees Lumber Co and the Ridgeway Elevator, to inform their customers that they would no longer accept credit for coal purchases. Coal would have to be paid for at the time of purchase. Per the ad, sales of coal had only a very slim profit margin and the additional bookkeeping for charge accounts caused the sellers to take a loss, hence the change in policy.
