Culled by Judy Garrison
With commentary by Jim Andrews
From MAY 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

New York State ranks first in production of market milk, and second in the production of milk. Approximately one-half of the milk in the state is used in human consumption and one-half in manufactured products. It produces 80 per cent of powdered cream, 50 per cent of powdered skim milk, and about 80 per cent of the powdered whole milk manufactured in United States. The State ranks second in the manufacture of cheese, producing approximately the same amount as the entire output of Canada. The estimated value of dairy products in the State is over $300,000,000.

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William C. Laing, one of the oldest residents of the town of Andes died at his home in Andes village in the early morning hours of Saturday May 7, from heart trouble at the age of 81 years. Mr. Laing was born in the village of Andes, where the house of Dr. Gladstone stands in August 1839 [Jim Andrews: The site of the former Rick Shaver house behind the Bruce mansion] and his entire life had been spent here. He was a son of Rev. James Laing, who organized and for many years was pastor of the U. P. church of Andes. In early life Mr. Laing learned the cooper trade and worked at it until 1867, when he became assistant postmaster under George Clinton. Later he was in the grocery business….About 55 years ago he was united in marriage with Isabella Anderson, who survives. He also leaves one daughter, Mrs. George Polley [JA: Her name was Linda and she lived in the large Colonial Revival Foursquare at the traffic light. She also died young.] of Andes. Three sons, grown to manhood, died a few years ago and two daughters died in early life.

Memorial Day is a day set apart especially to pay tribute to the soldiers and it is not fitting that a burial of a civilian should be made on that day.

The inmates of the Auburn State prison have already begun work on automobile plates for the year 1922. The plates, of which there are to be 850,000 sets, will be bright green with white letters.

Arrangements for the formal and appropriate observance of Decoration day in Andes on next Monday are now completed, and it is believed that the exercises will be among the most impressive and interesting every held in this village.

The parade will form at 12:30 at Firemans Hall and will move in the following order:

Dr. James A. Gladstone, Marshall

Professor L. A. Webber, President of Day

Flag Bearers

Andes Military Band

Veterans of G. A. R.

Spanish-American Veterans

Sons of Veterans

Veterans of World War

Andes Fire Department

Pupils of the Schools of the town,….

Then will come the address of the day by Hon. M. Linn Bruce, and the people are assured of a rare treat. Following the address will come the planting of the Memorial Tree to the memory of those who fell in the World War. After the services at the cemetery there will be a ball game.

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ANDES BANK ROBBERS STILL FREE

There is still no clue to the yeggs who burglarized the Andes National Bank on the morning of May 16, and probably never will be. That morning about 4 o’clock a car with four or five men in it passed the laundry in Delhi and turned down Elm street. Apparently the same outfit passed thru Hamden, Walton and Beerston, arriving at the latter place about 5 o’clock, stopping long enough to get some milk of a farmer. Sabbath evening as Dr. Goodrich was returning to Delhi from a visit to Andes he met a Ford car in the Meeker woods, coming toward Andes. The car was without lights and running fast. It contained men. It would look as if these might have been the men who did the job, and that they had left their car somewheres outside the village.

On the night following the burglary someone stayed in the Palmer Hill school house and early the next morning Avery Ryer discovered the tracks of three men in the road headed toward Margaretville and reported it to the State police, who were in Andes at the time the bank was entered, but they made no effort to investigate until some four hours later.

Bank robbers are evidently too big game for the State police to tackle and burglars are perfectly safe. Their specialty is the arrest of some poor “kid” who does not light up when he leaves his car in front of some business place for a few minutes. Their uniform can cover a multitude of sins. [JA: Another caustic editorial comment.]

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The State Conservation Commission has ordered that pheasant shooting in Delaware County be prohibited until October 1, 1923.

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The ruins of the Connor fire of over a year ago (the current site of the Andes General Store) still remains a blot to mar the beauty of the village and no likelihood of being cleaned up because of a dispute over the property. Another unsightly place is the old boarding hall lot and still another, an ash pile at Union Hall [JA: the Tin Horn building] . [JA: The boarding hall was the original Andes Academy building and when the Collegiate Institute Building–later Hilton Memorial High School—was built became the residence of some of the teachers as well as out-of-town students. The building was allowed to fall into disrepair and eventually was torn down. The Presbyterian church across the street purchased the lot shortly after this news item was printed and constructed the church’s manse.]

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Tuesday an informal ballot at Hobart resulted in a sweeping victory for standard time. When the votes were counted it was found that 380 were in favor of standard time and 60 in favor of daylight saving time.~