Culled by Judy Garrison
With commentary by Jim Andrews
From October 1920 issues of
The Andes Recorder
100 Years Ago
WEEK IN AND ABOUT ANDES
Events of a week as chronicled by
the Man on the Street
Bovina is building a piece of stone road throughout the little hamlet known as the Butt End, making use of the auto money….It is planned to build a stone road the three miles between the Butt End and Bovina Center as rapidly as possible.
OCTOBER TERM SUPREME COURT-The Case of Jennie B. Doig vs. Elmer Close, for alleged slander, which had been on trial since Thursday, went to the jury and a verdict of $500 was returned for the plaintiff. This case has been attracting considerable attention in Delaware county, as the parties involved are well known.
The farmers telephone line between Andes and Shavertown is completed . [Jim Andrews: This phone company was independent of the company that served the village and issued their own stock.]
The first snowstorm (11/5 issue) of the season came Friday and about two inches of snow fell.
Andrew Anderson, overseer of poor, took James Mathews, an aged resident from the lower part of the town, to the County Farm on Wednesday.
Tuesday the voters of the United States—including for the first time women in every state—went to the polls and registered their choice for president. The “solemn referendum” is completed and Warren G. Harding is elected president of the United States and Calvin Coolidge vice president by the largest popular plurality ever recorded. The new president will have the support of a Republican Congress—over 100 majority in the House and at least fourteen in the Senate.
A gang was out Saturday night destroying property under the guise of Hollowe’en [sic]. The gang was not made up of boys but of men, who should know better, and perhaps would if they had not been imbibing too freely. [JA: The “tricks” played on Hallowe’en today pale in comparison to the damage that was done one hundred years ago. I have heard now-dead old timers tell of wagons being disassembled with the parts spread all over town—even up in trees–outhouses being tipped over (sometimes with the owners inside!!) and even the setting of buildings on fire. The article was correct in reporting it was the men, not boys, who committed these acts.]
Andes Became Too Warm for Niven, With Southern Sympathies
The death of Rev. D. C. Niven mentioned in the last week’s Recorder reminds the older people of Andes of Mr. Niven, while he was pastor of the U. P. Church from June 1859 to December 1861. He was a strong sympathizer with the South in the secession movement and openly showed his views and feelings. One Saturday evening in Dowie’s store [JA: the store on the corner] news came of the defeat of the Union army. Mr. Niven could not restrain his feelings and publicly expressed his satisfaction at the event. This so stirred up George Marks, a stalwart Scotchman, that he went for Niven and in the Melee the Dominee’s collar was damaged and his glasses broken. On the next day, Sabbath, Mr. Marks went to church and as soon as the prayer was over, in which no mention was made of the war or prayer for the success of the Union army, Mr. Marks walked out of the church.
Mr. Niven found Andes too warm for him and soon resigned and united with the Presbyterian church [JA: the Andes church was Associate Reformed in 1861] and became pastor of several Presbyterian churches near Newburg. He was a lawyer and practiced several years before he entered the ministry. He was a ready speaker and a good orator. He was succeeded in the church by Dr. Bruce who was a most loyal supporter of the Union cause.
Harry Wilber, who has occupied the Lake Mahiken (Mabon) farm [JA: Silver Lake] in Bovina will move to Andes and occupy the Owen house. He will drive team for Andes Creamery company.
Thursday was the second anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. In compliance with a proclamation of the Governor thru village presidents [sic] the bells in Andes were rung at 11 o’clock.
Robert Mackey escaped from the Delhi jail Tuesday afternoon at 6:30 and has vanished. Mackey was serving a term of five months in jail for the theft of $17 from a man. Since being confined he had seemed to be such a docial [social? docile?] person that he was appointed a trusty and allowed to be outside of his cell most of the time. Tuesday afternoon he walked out and that is the last seen of him.
Frank Hall, a farmer, living near Arena, attempted suicide by taking strychnine, while under influence of hard cider. Dr. Wilson, of Fleischmanns, pumped out the stomach and it was found that the strychnine, due to the action of the cider, had formed in hard lumps, which probably saved his life.~