VILLAGE NOTES.
— Matthew Tice, Altamont’s veteran tonsorial artist, on Tuesday rounded out his forty-fourth year as a resident of this village. “Mat,” as he is familiarly called by everyone within a radius of 50 miles or more, came here on Dec. 6, 1877 and opened a barber shop in the new hotel erected by James Ogsbury the previous year. At that time this village was in its infancy and was sparsely settled. From that time until today “Mat” has kept closely in touch with people and events relating to the growth of Altamont. Of the entire population in 1877 there are only 12 persons living that were residents when Mr. Tice first came here. During all these years “Mat” has kept a diary, from which he is able to quote many an incident that happened in the early days of Altamont’s history. 

— The trustees of the Altamont Free Library held a meeting in the library Thursday of last week. Fifty-five new books were placed in circulation on Friday. This number makes a total of 1,651 books in the library. 

— Charles Severson, the veteran trapper, who has spent the greater part of his lifetime near Osborn’s Corners, and now a resident of Altamont, was trapping last week and caught a full grown mink on the E. B. Kurtz farm Thursday. The skin of the mink is quite valuable and is much sought after by fur dealers. Mr. Severson says minks are very scarce in this section and hard to locate. 

Tractor Turns Turtle. 

Scott Madison of Sharon Springs was killed by a tractor while plowing on Dec. 2. The tractor came over backward, crushing him to death. He leaves a wife and four little children, the youngest two weeks old. 

VOORHEESVILLE. 

On Tuesday afternoon at the public school building, Miss Edna Paisley, a missionary of India, gave the pupils a rare treat, showing them pictures, giving them a stereopticon lecture on “Cashmere,” called the beauty spot of the Himalayas in the northern part of India. 

NEW SCOTLAND. 

— The children are busy rehearsing for Christmas entertainments to be given in the school house and in the church. 

— Charles Steadman is serving as a witness in the trial of Brooks in county court in Albany for setting fire to a house in the town of Guilderland. 

State School at Cobleskill Offers Short 

Course in Ice Cream Making 

The results for the past summer show that the demand for ice cream is steadily increasing. This has brought about a shortage of trained men skilled in the various operations which enter into the ice cream business. 

As a result, the New York State School of Agriculture at Cobleskill announces a short course of eight weeks to prepare men for this work, from January 3rd through February 24th. It is stated by the school that any man of reasonable intelligence can master the art of commercial ice cream making in this period if he applies himself to the task. 

The course includes all necessary information for the preparation and subsequent care of ice cream. Students will learn about the Babcock test for milk and cream, the care of milk and cream products in general, the separation of milk and the mixing, freezing, packing, judging and sale of ice cream. 

Tuition is free to residents of the state.