Special to the Times-Herald.
     RICHARDSON, Sept. 11.--During the storm the night before last, the barn of Mrs. Mary E. Thomas, was struck by lightning, and the building and its contents, 500 bushels of corn and 300 bushels of oats, were entirely consumed. Loss, $1200; no insurance.

Southern Afternoon Press.
     RICHARDSON, TEX., Nov. 9.--Mr. Wallace Mercer, a farmer living about three miles from this place, was here Saturday and reports being robbed of $65 returning from Dallas last Thursday evening. He says when about six miles north of Dallas, he overtook a footman who asked the privilege of riding to a cross-road about a mile ahead. Mr. Mercer, being of an obliging disposition told the fellow to get in. His team shied as the fellow got in, demanding his attention, and he did not have time to ask the fellow to share the spring seat with him, but as soon as he checked his team, he turned his head to speak to the fellow, when the fellow poked a six-shooter in his ear and made him shell out what money he had on his person.

     W. J. Halsell and wife to T. E. Ball, a lot in Richardson, $600.
     T. E. Ball and wife to W. T. McKamey, a lot in Richardson, $625.

Special to the Times-Herald.
     RICHARDSON, Tex., May 16.--The town was struck last night by lightning, destroying three business houses and the postoffice. The loss was a blow for our little town; it is estimated at $14,000 or $15,000, including notes and accounts. The unlucky ones were Messrs. White & Bros., loss $6,000 in accounts; White & Stratton, $6000, including notes and accounts; Tom McKamy, $1000, over one-half his stock saved; Dr. McMahan, loss about $1200. Insurance about $3500 on the whole. This leaves only two merchants in business at present. It is to be hoped the others can start up soon.
Wheat and oats are fine through this section. Farmers are feeling good over the flattering prospects, but there is most [sic] too much rain.

     Lora A. Harris to J. N. Blewitt, 280 acres of land in Dallas county, $1100.
     J. N. Blewett to O. K. Blewett, one-seventh interest in 320 acres of the Lemuel Bess survey, north of Richardson, $555.

     J. W. Skites and wife to C. H. Blewitt, August 6, 1894, part of lot 1 and 2, block 2, of Richardson, $750.

     J. D. Jackson to L. D. Kirby, October 23, 1894, lot 3, division 2, of Richardson, -------.

     The TIMES HERALD stated on what it regarded as good authority, that the prize baby at Col. Frank Holland's baby show at the Fair, Evelyn Harris, aged 3 1/2 months, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Harris, of Richardson, had the whooping cough.
     The TIMES HERALD is in receipt of a note from Mr. S. B. Strait, who, at the request of the baby's mother, writes: "The baby is in the best of health, and has never had any of the "plebian ills," as you are pleased to call them, but is perfectly well and in good condition, and ready for any baby show that the good Colonel may arrange."
     The TIMES HERALD gladly corrects the statement, which, perhaps, emanated from the disgruntled relatives of some ugly competitor in the show.

     C. E. Strait et al to M. A. E. Stratton, May 12, 1894, lots 1 and 2, block 12, of Richardson, $1.
     Houston & Texas Central Railway to G. B. Strait, December 30, 1886, lot 1, block 7, of Richardson, $200.
     Farmers' Loan and Trust Company to G. B. Strait, April 26, 1887, lot 1, block 7, of Richardson, $----.

     G. K. Stratton et al. to J. O. Turner, October 18, 1894, lots 8 and 9, block 13, of Richardson, $600.

     W. C. Huffman and wife to L. D. Simpson, November 22, 1893, part of block 8, of Richardson, $950.

     Jim Eastman was lodged in jail last night on the charge of swindling and forgery, by which, he is said to have obtained $22.80 and $4.85 from McKamey & Stratton, of Richardson. He had a hearing before Justice Blewitt, of Richardson, yesterday, and was bound over.

     The County Teachers' Institute met in the library of the courthouse at 10 a. m. to-day and will be in session two days.
     The subjects discussed to-day were how to teach algebra, and how to teach language to beginners.
     Prof. C. P. Haynes, of Mesquite, led the discussion in the former branch, and Miss Jennie Bradley, of Richardson, in the latter.

     A. R. White to W. T. McKamy, January 9, 1895, lot 10, block 4, of Richardson, $37.

     J. C. McMahan to J. B. Bryant, April 17, 1895, lot 8, block 4, in the town of Richardson.

     Constable Stratton, of Richardson, yesterday evening, turned over to sheriff Cabell, Jennie Wiggington and her daughter, Eliza, colored, who had been bound over by Justice Blewitt to the grand jury on the charge of producing abortion on Eliza.

     Dr. Newsom, County Health officer, yesterday visited the smallpox district in Collin county, north of Richardson, to ascertain if it was necessary to picket the roads leading from the infected region into this county.
     He reported to the Commissioners' Court this morning, that there is no danger of a spread of the disease, and that the establishment of quarantine would be a useless expenditure of money.
The people of Richardson, who have been undergoing a smallpox scare, petitioned the Commissioners for a quarantine, and it was in response to this petition that Dr. Newsome made the investigation.

     Judge Foree, of the city court, spent last week fighting Johnson grass on his farm near Richardson, with very discouraging results. He says the only way to kill this grass is to dig it up by the roots and apply salt, and it is about as satisfactory as the old scheme of catching birds by sprinkling salt on their tails, because the roots branch out in every direction and extend for a depth of over three feet in the ground, and it is impossible to get all the roots, and every piece of root left in the ground sends forth sprouts without delay.
     Judge Foree says he believes Johnson grass will take the black waxy land. He noticed field after field entirely abandoned to it, and it is constantly springing up in new places. He says where he was on his farm, a negro drove a team into one of his fields, unhitched it and proceeded to feed it on Johnson grass hay out of his wagon. He made Mr. Nigger move on with his hay mighty quick, as the seed from it would have started another patch of this abominable grass.
     Judge Foree says the cattle trains have spread Johnson grass all along the railroad right of way, which are about given over to it.

Special to The Times Herald.
     Richardson, Tex., Oct. 20. -- The Texas synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian church of Texas convened here this morning in the new Cumberland Presbyterian church at this place for a three days' session, which will end Sunday night. At this morning's session, Rev. W. M. Robinson, of Marshall, was elected as moderator, with Oscar Pogue, of Blum, as clerk. The selection of the moderator and clerk occupied nearly all the morning session. Fifteen churches are represented at this conference and there are thirty delegates and twenty-five visitors in attendance.
     The Ladies' Synodical Missionary society of the Cumberland Presbyterian church is meeting in conjunction with the synod and there are a number of delegates in attendance at this meeting.

Special to The Times Herald
     Richardson, Tex., April 7. -- Friday, April 9, promises to be a big day in the history of Richardson. On this day, the recently completed waterworks system of Richardson will be formally put into use. This system was built from the proceeds of a $50,000 bond issue voted some months ago. An artesian well, which will furnish a water supply for a city several times the size of Richardson, has been completed, and a system of water mains has been laid that will take care of all the households of Richardson.
     There will be speaking, plenty of eats and a plentiful supply of good, soft water for drinking, it is announced.

     Richardson, Tex., June 1 (Special). -- The graduates of the Richardson High school -- twenty-seven in number -- will be presented with their diplomas tonight in the high school auditorium by C. A. Hendrix, superintendent of the school. The closing exercises will be held at that time and the graduating class will be addressed by Dr. V. Y. Craig of the State Teachers college, Denton.
     Their four honor graduates in the class, Pauline Rippy, Dorothy Campbell, Eldridge Grugett and Billie Montgomery, each of whom made an average grade above 90 during the last four years in high school, will deliver a short address at the exercises.
     The class is composed of twelve boys and fifteen girls, as follows: Leslie Adams, Oran Anthony, Dorothy Campbell, Margaret Estes, Elzie Gravley, Alice Gant, Eldridge Grugett, Jewell Hamlin, James Howard, Robert Huffhines, Elsie Lee Jackson, Maxine Jackson, Mildred Julian, LaRoy Kidd, DeWitt Mayo, Mary Alice Meason, Tommy Miller, Billy Montgomery, Arthur Reynolds, Pauline Rippy, Cora Shaw, Clarence Shaw, Marguerite Spencer, E. F. Sutherland, Lorene Womack, Mona Alice Webb, Vera Faye Woods.

Stagecoach Stop
     THE DRIVER of the old-time stagecoach used to hop off his box to stretch his legs while they changed horses at the Huffhines barn, but he had to scramble right back up again, because the boys took pride in being pretty lively themselves.
     Well, about a mile north of there, or such a matter, was the Uncle Bennie Wheeler farm. When the railroad came through, Uncle Bennie donated the town site. The townsite became what we know now as Richardson, Texas. And, they have filling stations for the stagecoaches now.
     Progress is like that.

Just Folks
     NEWT HARRIS has been running a barbershop in Richardson since 1881. Ask him what he likes best about the town and he replies on the instant, "the folks." Roy Chick, president of Citizens State Bank (chartered in 1905, with a clear record all through the depression and sturdy prospects for the future), answers the same question the same way. C. B. Reddick, who has had a grocery business on the same corner for twenty-eight years, and is still hustling to get a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk for customers early and late, says the same thing. Folks are the principal asset of Richardson.
     It ought to be that way. The Huffhines, Blewetts, Greers and other pioneer families came from the backbone country of America and nobody then was very rich and nobody then was very poor. It's the same way today.
     "In the last seventeen years," says Mayor Tom Jackson, "to the best of my knowledge, we have had only three families on relief."

Dirt and City Farms
     RICHARDSON has two kinds of farms round about -- dirt and city. The dirt farmers diversify and the city farmers hobbyfy, as it were. So, the dirt farmers raise enough to feed the city farmers and their hobby stables and pens. Cassidy Feed Mill grinders are going day and night to supply the city farmers with the ground version of country farm crops.
     The dirt farmers no longer depend upon cotton alone. Onions are a specialty with them. Grain, hogs and dairy products are plentiful. With from fifteen to twenty commercial hatcheries close around Richardson, the poultry business is substantial and steady. Sheep are coming into the farm program and fences are in style again. In fact, Arthur Stults makes a business of fencing and erects hundreds of miles of it every year.
     In town, also the Richardson people till the soil. Uncle Ed McCroy, for example, lives on a city lot, but he has the finest blackland apple tree you ever saw, loaded with fruit, which will be juicy and firm by November. He even has a strawberry crop planted in a barrel, and is figuring on another one for next year. There are chickens, flowers and a lawn. Uncle Ed has won back his health at it -- and eats pretty well, too, thank you.

Industry
     NOT MANY TOWNS of 719 population can be considered great printing centers, but Richardson puts out eighteen different publications, including the Richardson Echo, and a large amount of general commercial printing. That is because the Harben-Spotts Company, Inc., has a plant modern in every particular and able to turn out city-class work at city speed and in city volume.
     The Farmers Co-operative Gin is one of the oldest and most successful in the state. Customers get dividend returns regularly, even under the reduced cotton production schedule now in effect.
     Perhaps the most unusual industry represented is that conducted by Mr. and Mrs.. Richard A. Lyons. They started with iris and cactus for fun, but now it is the Cactus-Iris Gardens with five or six hundred named varieties of iris and about eight hundred kinds of cactus. Thousands of visitors come out, and every state in the union is represented. Not along ago, fanciers from India came to compare notes. As a side line, Mrs. Lyons runs the household and cans fruit and vegetables. She holds blue ribbons on her canning from the Richardson Fair and elsewhere.
     By the way, the Richardson Fair is pretty nearly Industry No. 1. Jackie Huffhines (Mrs. Neely Huffhines) is captain, boatswain and crew, when it comes to the fair. Boundless in energy and good will, she sees to it that the fair is better each year than it was the year before. Don't forget the Richardson Fair, September 19, 20, 21.

City of Richardson
     MAYOR JACKSON and his people are proud of the churches, ten-acre school plant, $25,000 gymnasium, high school standing of 22 1/2 credits, modern football field, tennis courts, croquet grounds, Rotary Club, city park, community house, new fire department equipment soon to be installed, low fire insurance rates, new homes going up, neat lawns and gardens, clean streets and alleys, high standards of respect for law, and so on and on.
     It gets back to folks, you see. The folks are substantial, law-abiding, self-supporting Americans. That is the sort of town Richardson is.
     The chances are that Uncle Bennie Wheeler would be right well pleased with Richardson, if he could see the crop his old farm is growing now.