HOMETOWN History

March 13, 2020

150 Years Ago

The Inebriate Asylum – A portion of this humbug institution, created and kept up at the expense of the State for the benefit of Binghamton, was burned a few days since – loss estimated at $75,000. The Legislature is already being called upon for an appropriation to repair the damage. The Binghamton Leader publishes a list of items of expenditures for the past three years, which foot up at $409,880.79. Receipts from patients amount to $86,517.95. The balance against the Institution is $323,362.84.

Shooting Affray – We understand that a difficulty occurred between two men at Pepacton on Saturday in which pistols were used, each firing two or three shots without much damage. It is said there was a woman in the case. We are not informed of the particulars or names of the parties.

March 1870

125 Years Ago

Got a Whale off Nahant – A whale about 75 feet long, evidently an old one, was killed off Nahant yesterday by a picked crew of experienced men made up in Nahant. Deeply embedded in the whale’s back was a harpoon, badly rusted, with the inscription, “Hiram K. Swain, Nantucket 1858,” still legible.

New Illuminating Gas Discovered – An illuminating gas to vie with electricity and to completely eclipse the present coal gas is said to be about to come into use. It is also said that gas bills will then be only at the rate of five cents a thousand cubic feet. The new gas is acetylene, made by a simple process. Professor P.L. Wilson discovered it in his laboratory in Spray, North Carolina. The chemists in the big gas companies in New York and Boston are looking into the gas a means of increasing the power of coal now used. In liquid form it burns in lamps. No wicks are necessary as the liquid turns to gas and ignites as soon as it rises in the tube.

March 1895

100 Years Ago

The Fairchild Camera – The current number of “The Aerial Age Weekly” has an interesting illustrated article describing the Fairchild Automatic Film Camera authored by Major Herbert E. Ives, who had charge of the photographic branch of the air service during the war. This camera, the invention of Sherman M. Fairchild of Oneonta, has many novel features. Ives sates: “When you compare its performance with that of other between-the-lens shutters, it shows the new shutter to be quite in a class by itself for speed and efficiency.” The article includes a photograph of a section of the City of Washington, D.C. photographed from the air during the government’s test of the camera and which demonstrates the accuracy of its work. The camera was designed to photograph the enemies’ lines to obtain military information such as the position of batteries and ammunition dumps, changes in trench systems, troop movements, etc. Had the war continued longer, the Fairchild camera would doubtless have been of great service to the government.

March 1920

80 Years Ago

Just as the telephone did not do away with the telegraph, and radio did not do away with the telephone, television will not do away with radio. But, it can aid these other great benefits by extending man’s horizons and contributing to his material comforts, Patrick H. Crafton of Schenectady told the Kiwanis Club at the Hotel Oneonta yesterday noon. Mr. Crafton described television as the result of thousands of experiments and discoveries in a dozen fields of chemistry, physics and mathematics. He described the work done by Dr. E.F.W. Alexanderson, General Electric engineer and said that many Schenectady residents were among the first in the world to witness television when a demonstration was held in Proctor’s Theatre there in May, 1930. Since that time unlimited improvements have been made. Mr. Crafton pointed out that nearly all sporting events are adapted to television and said that women will be able to view the season’s new hats and gowns paraded on live models, see cooking demonstrations and all kinds of products and appliances.

March 1940

60 Years Ago

Housewife Loses Grocery Money – Seeks its Return. “It may be extra money to the finder, but it is grocery money to us,” Mrs. Harold Grube said when reporting the loss of her purse “just about the time school got out,” between Bishop’s Drug Store and the Grand Union on Main Street. Mrs. Grube said it contained all of her grocery money, and had plenty of identification in the form of a Social Security Card, credit cards and other items. Mrs. Grube resides at 372 Main Street. Phone: GE2 -1256.

March 1960

20 Years Ago

Oneonta High School Second Quarter Honor Roll – Twelfth Grade High Honor: Kathryn Browner, Joy Forsythe,
Willa Friedman, Lindsay LaRose, Jami Mileski, Brian Murphy, Kristen Perry, Rachel Pollak. Marlies Roberts, Benjamin Scheim and Jennifer Woodam. Eleventh Grade High Honor: Jeremy Beck, Matthew Brown, Zahra Eagle, Kira Syvertsen, Nicole Thomas and Phillip Zimmerman. Tenth Grade High Honor: Claire Blechman, Elizabeth Brown, Michelle Cooper, Cheryl Downie, Alec Macaulay, Jenna Marmet, Liam Murray, Melissa Pigeon, Joseph Sandoli. Ninth Grade High Honor: Daniel DeThomas, Amanda Geisler, Isaiah Ilowit, Carlena Johnson, Katrina Kollgaard, Emily Maskin, Andrew Perry, Meghan Stetson, Joseph Tannenbaum, Allison Thomas, Parisa Zohoori.

March 2000

10 Years Ago

Andrew McIntosh aims to destroy doors on gay closets and he started with his own. Last year, as a newly appointed lacrosse team captain at SUNY Oneonta, McIntosh said he wrestled with suicidal thoughts until he decided to talk about being a gay man. First, he told a close friend from high school and his sister. Since then, he has told his coach, Dan Mahar, and his fellow lacrosse team captains. On February 5, McIntosh told his teammates, the same day Outsports.com, an on-line gay sports community published his article, “College lacrosse player comes out to his team.” McIntosh who is from Putnam Valley said, “Being honest is very important to me. I wanted them to hear it from me and not from anyone else,” he said. Coach Mahar said he is proud to say there has been no hint of negativity from players. “The guys see Andrew as Andrew,” said Mahar.
“It really didn’t faze anybody,” Tom Kelly, a SUNY Oneonta junior said after practice.

March 2010