Prohibition Frenzy; Strange-Looking Elocutionist; Water Works Uncertainty: Tidbits from the March 4, 1887 Ypsilanti Commercial

"The crowd that customarily greets the numbers of the Normal Lecture Course was on hand last Monday evening to listen to Mrs. Laura Dainty's readings. Her appearance did not predispose the audience in her favor, but before her first selection was finished she had their sympathy, and held it till the close of the entertainment. She has a good voice, well trained, and is perfectly at home before an audience, but her work as a whole does not compare favorably with Mr. Burbank's."

"The dry goods stock of the late Joseph Kitchen was sold at auction by C. L. Yost this week. Mrs. H. D. Martin will move into the Kitchen store Mar. 15."*

"It must be evident to all candid minds that our people are not prepared to vote on the water works question, until they had more definite information as to a source of supply and the probable cost. What then justified the action of the Council in refusing to hire an expert to investigate the matter?"

"Opera House for March:
Manager Curtis announces that the dates for March at the Opera House have been filled as follows:
Mar 10: Wrestling match between Jake Martin of Ypsilanti and T. J. Murphy of Minneapolis.
Mar. 11: Walter Thomas Mills on the prohibition amendment under auspices of W. C. T. U.**
Mar. 15: M. E. Hawks, lecture on the prohibition amendment under auspices of W. C. T. U.
Mar. 17: St. Patrick's Day--the great play 'Devil's Auction or the Golden Branch,' under the personal management of Chas. H. Yale.
Mar. 20: Col. Geo. W. Bain, of Ky., lecture under the auspices of the W. C. T. U. on the prohibition amendment.
Mar. 21: Mendelshon [sic] Quintet Club of Boston, the last in the series of Normal Lecture and Music Course entertainments.
Mar. 23: Sylvester Larned on the prohibition amendment under the auspices of the city committee.
Mar. 24: Young Men's Prohibitory Amendment Club mass meeting--the addresses to be by young men.
Mar. 26: Afternoon and evening, Prof. Morris' celebrated trained dogs.
Mar. 31: Hon. John B. Finch under the auspices of the W. C. T. U., a lecture on [take a wild guess --ed.] the prohibition amendment.

--Ypsilanti Commercial, March 4, 1887

*She opened a millinery store.
**Women's Christian Temperance Union.