June 22, 1899… The origin of poet laureate in England cannot be precisely traced. As kings in ancient times had their jesters, harpers and falconers, the English kings also had their poets. Chaucer was poet laureate to Richard II, and in 1389, he obtained a grant of an annual allowance of wine. The list as far as known definitely: Edmund Spenser, died 1599; Samuel Daniel, died 1619; Ben Jonson, died 1637; Sir William Davenant, died 1778; John Dryden, 1670 to 1688; Thomas Shadwell, 1688 to 1692; Nahum Tate, 1692 to 1715; Nicholas Rowe, died 1718; The Rev. Laurence Eusden, 1718 to 1730; Colley Cibber, 1730 to 1757; William Whitehead, 1757 to 1785; Thomas Wharton, 1785 to 1790; Henry James Pye, 1790 to 1813; Robert Southey, 1813 to 1843; William Wordsworth, 1843 to 1850; Alfred Tennyson, 1850 to 1892; and Alfred Austin, 1892 to 1899 (the date of this article). A full-grown lion will tip the scales at 500 pounds. The record for an African lion is 540 pounds. His bone is solid and heavy as ivory. The tiger runs the lion very close. A Bengal tiger, killed two years ago by an English officer, weighed 520 pounds. It is not generally known that former Empress Eugenie’s mother was Scottish, being Miss Maria Manuela Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, Dumfrieshire, who married at Grenada the late Compte Cyprian Montijo. Through her the Empress traces, without a flaw, through Euphemia, sister of King Robert Bruce, her descent up to Kenneth McAlpine, King of Scotland, A.D. 823. The Democratic convention in Versailles June 17 featured a contest between W.O. Davis, on behalf of the Stone and Goebel faction, against D.T. Edwards, in behalf of the Hardin faction. Edwards was elected chairman overwhelmingly. The delegates were instructed to cast the county vote for P.W. Hardin for governor. About 50 Midway citizens went on the excursion to Estill Springs on the 15th. At Versailles, they found the train nearly full, and though there were five coaches, several more could have been filled. Large crowds were waiting at each station and over 500 were aboard when the train reached Estill at 11 a.m. The excursion was run by Capt. John R. Pates and Robert Harris. The hotel is managed by J.M. Thomas and wife. The hotel and its grounds are in the heart of the mountains and present an ideal place to spend long summer days. The hotel is located by the R.N.I.&B. Railroad and the Kentucky River and features white sulphur for skin and kidney troubles and chalybeate as a nature’s tonic. Miss Ethel Witherspoon, who has been attending Hollins Institute in Virginia, arrived home Sunday. Miss Ella Settle arrived Sunday from Blackstone, Virginia, where she was at school. Henry L. Martin Jr. and Lister Witherspoon, who have been attending college at Lexington, Virginia, arrived Sunday for summer vacation. Miss Sue Dunlap, who held the highest mark in the graduating class at Hamilton College this year, is at her Woodford County home for the summer. The raspberry crop is short this year. The price has ranged from 10 cents to 12-1/2 cents per quart. Mrs. Sarah Davis will offer her house, adjoining the Porter House, for sale at auction next Saturday. N.B. Risk purchased the J.W. Brown lot on the north side of Railroad Street last Saturday for $467. The yearly receipts of a post office must be over $1,900 to place it in the third class, and last year Midway had receipts amounting to $2,500. Consequently, Postmaster H.P. Waits received a salary increase from $1,100 to $1,200 per annum. June 23, 1921… Capt. John Andrew Steele’s will left one-third of his estate to his widow, which property is to be subsequently divided among his four daughters; Mrs. Theodore Harris, Mrs. J.R. Horton, Mrs. E.W. Wilson and Mrs. J.C. Carter. Mrs. Harris’ portion is a lifetime interest, with the reminder to Capt. Steele’s grandson, Charles Morgan Harris, to be delivered to him at age 27. Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Cogar entertained a family party at their camp on the Kentucky River the first of the week. Those who attended were Mr. and Mrs. Cogar and two sons, James and Joseph, Miss Mayme Cogar and brother, R. Quinn Cogar, Jack Withrow, William Lehman and James Parrish. The streets of Versailles have been bountifully anointed with oil. It sure is a great blessing as the dust was a nuisance. Two tickets for city offices have been announced for the Aug. 6 primary. They are, for mayor, W.S. Berry and for council, Ward 1, Dr. W.C. McCauley, R. Keene Arnold and William McCabe; and Ward 2, Paul M. Smith, Eugene Allen Davis and James N. Fisher. The other ticket is: mayor, Harry C. Taylor, and for council, Ward 1, John H. Berryman, F.J. Rump and G.H. Smith; Ward 2, T. Wiley Edwards, James H. Frazier and Edward Brown. John Etherington, at public auction, bought the farm of the late James A. Orr, 107 acres, at $100.50 per acre.