THE WAY WE WERE
Culled by Judy Garrison
With commentary by Jim Andrews
From March 1921 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
Adam Biggar, a highly respected farmer residing in Biggar Hollow in southern Bovina, died early Sabbath morning, February 27, as a result of an attack of measles. [Jim Andrews: Prior to its vaccine, measles was a deadly disease, which notoriously killed children and adults alike.]
For sometime John Latourrette of Union Grove, has refused to send his children to school. Monday the Truant Officer A. D. Liddle, arrested him and he was taken before Justice Hammond. The Justice imposed a fine of $5 and on his promise to have his children attend school the sentence was suspended.
According to Wilbur Forrest, a New York Tribune reporter, who recently interviewed Henry Ford, that illustrious multi-millionaire believes that cow’s milk can be done away with by substituting machine-made milk. By taking the same cereals that cows eat, together with a certain proportion of water, Mr. Ford’s laboratories have already demonstrated that a superior grade of milk can be manufactured Science has done wonders but until this idea is proved to be pratical [sic] the crude bovine machines, in use for centuries, will doubtless continue to produce a very satisfactory lacteal fluid.
Albany, March 8—With a total of 5,303 cars, representing a gain of 493 for the year, Delaware county has a car to every 8 of its residents.
Dr. Herman Biggs, head of the State Health department, announces that sleeping sickness is gaining up state. Since January 1st at least 50 new cases have developed.
Alex Neish, of Walton, heads the list of attorneys in Delaware county in length of service, having located in Walton in 1869 during the first term of President Grant. He is a native of the town of Andes, being born at Shavertown. [JA: The Neish family was the previous owner of my grandparents’ farm in Shavertown.]
It is understood that several patrons of the Andes postoffice have the postmastership fever—evidently believing that “the early bird” may get the plumb [sic] when the tree is shaken. The Recorder is opposed to having postoffices under civil service, believing that the people should have the say as who shall hand out their mail. Under civil service the winner might be one whom the patrons did not want. [JA: Up until about 60 years ago, Postmaster appointments were made after every election. If you were a Democrat and the new administration was Republican, you would most likely lose your job to a newly appointed Republican. I believe that “when the tree is shaken” is referring to an upcoming administration.]
Last Friday the village of Arena was the scene of a fire which threatened for a time to wipe out the entire village.The blaze started from a defective chimney on the building known as the Empire hotel, and which had been re-modeled into a three family dwelling….In the house there were twelve children, and one baby was forgotten until it was nearly smothered before it was rescued….The Empire hotel building was owned by Norwood Samuels of Andes who carried an insurance of $1,000, while the loss is more than double the amount.
A.L. VanTassle, county superintendent of highways, was in town this week. This is another useless office and should be abolished, saving the people of the rural counties thousands of dollars. [JA: Another editorial comment.]
Ejected from a house at Middletown to which he had gone to collect a debt, Horse Morehouse, a man of 84, fell and fractured his skull, dying three hours afterwards. Mathew Mathews has been held in the case on a charge of manslaughter.
Seven carloads of thorobred Jerseys, 90 in number, imported from the Isle of Jersey, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday having been purchased some time ago by Ayer & McKinney for the Meridale Farms.~