Items excerpted from the Creswell Letter column:

• Mr. Wm. AUSLEY and Miss Mary E. PHELPS were not married last Sunday, 7th inst., as we heard and wrote you.  It seems the young lady has concluded to remain single a while longer.
• On Tuesday, the 9th last, at 10 o’clock pm, Justice HOWELL was called upon to marry a couple of the 15th amendments. They came to his office about the time he was ready to retire, and as they seemed to be in a hurry he went out in his shirt sleeves and in short order made them man and wife.  They immediately left for home on foot, and when about a mile from town they met the irate father of the bride who had started to look for his daughter.  He at once began to give the bride a threshing, and the groom of course, tried to protect her, and during the melee a pistol was fired, the bride and groom took to the bushes and the father came to town and called up said HOWELL, demanding a warrant fro the groom for an assault with deadly weapons, it was past midnight when the warrant was issued.  The next day at 10 o’clock Benj. HILL, the groom, was arraigned for trial; was found guilty, and required to give bail for his appearance at our next Superior court.
• The first watermelon of the season seen in our town was brought in on the 13th inst., by Messrs. E.R. SPRUILL and J.D. STILLMAN.  Mr. SPRUILL informed us that he could cut over 100 ripe ones that day.  We did not sample them as the price was rather fancy.

Source: Roanoke Beacon, 19 July 1889.  Available online at digitalnc.org.