HOMETOWN HISTORY

December 17, 2020

150 Years Ago

Home and Vicinity – A singular worm was found in an apple by Sable Hudson which we have seen and examined. It measures 7 inches in length, is nearly white and when taken from the apple its body was about the size of a small knitting needle. How did it get there? The worm will be sent to the State Entomologist at Albany for an examination.
J.W. Carpenter is now pleasantly situated in the fine rooms over the bookstore, opposite the Susquehanna House. He has received a thorough instruction in the
business, and is competent to attend the most difficult cases, in extracting teeth and making of plates.

December 1870

125 Years Ago

Business Matters – Of “Black Friday” last week, a city paper says, “The foreign holders were large sellers. The depreciation on stocks, bonds, cotton and tea was about $350,000,000 for the day. Three and a half millions of dollars in gold went abroad. More could have gone but it could not be got. The European selling was so sudden that the gold shippers could not get, on such short notice, greenbacks or gold certificates of big enough size to enable them to respond. What will be the use of trying to keep our currency and business on a gold basis in this country, if we are to have a big war on our hands?

December 1895

100 Years Ago

Trainman Harry J. Flaherty suffered fatal injuries in one of the worst accidents that has occurred in the Oneonta, Delaware and Hudson rail yards in several years. Fireman
E. E. Keiffer and Trainman J.W. Buckley escaped uninjured. The three men are Binghamton residents. The accident occurred near the Pony Farm crossing when Engine 839, while pushing the caboose ahead of the engine down Track Nine, collided with an empty coal car which was the rear car of a string of empties standing on the track. The three men were standing on the head platform of the caboose. Flaherty failed to see the danger and was caught between the caboose and coal car and was badly crushed. Buckley jumped from the platform before the impact. Fireman Keiffer and Trainman McKrell, inside the caboose, escaped with bruised backs. Flaherty was recently married. The accident comes as a severe blow to the young widow.

December 1920

60 Years Ago

Christmas Charity Appeal Cases: Sam is an undersized young fellow who needs lots of spirit to meet his competitors. He works hard at his lessons and his daily chores on the farm that is his home. He will not receive family remembrances and support this Christmas. He needs a comb and brush, a beginner’s razor set and young adult good grooming paraphernalia to encourage his self-respect and approval of schoolmates.
Judy is a teenager full of exciting emotions and wishful thinking of a happy future in teaching or writing novels. She would like a diary to keep her secrets in and would particularly cherish one with a lock and key.
Two little sisters, six and seven, hope and hope, that Santa will leave them each a dolly with hair and sleeping eyes.

December 1960

40 Years Ago

Oneonta Savings and Loan’s President Robert G. Bolton announced that John F. Lettis has been promoted to the office of Assistant Vice President in addition to his present status as the Association’s Cooperstown Branch Manager. Mr. Lettis who has been with Oneonta Savings and Loan Association since 1973, is a native of Oneonta and graduated from Oneonta High School in 1965. He received his B.A. Degree from Drew University Madison, New Jersey in 1969. Mr. Lettis was previously employed for three years as a district executive by the Boy Scouts of America and served as a member of the New York Army National Guard for six years.

December 1980

20 Years Ago

The Freeman’s Journal Annual Christmas Fund Case #6: Darlene is a single Mom of four children. Darlene works a number of part-time jobs, some of which are seasonal. Darlene receives support from her ex-husband, but struggles on a daily basis to try and meet the needs of her children. Assistance with Christmas would be appreciated. Josie is 12-years-old, wears size 14 jeans, size 8 socks and shoes, size 14 dresses and needs a winter coat (14/16), snow pants (large). She would like a CD player and likes country music. Barbara is an 11-year-old. She wears size 12 dresses and needs a size 12 winter jacket. She would like a radio/CD player and country music CDs, especially Terri Clark. Donald is 17 years old. He wears size 9 work boots and size 34 underwear. He likes tools – especially carpenter and car tools. His jean size is 33×30. He wears a size XL sweat shirt. Peter is 20 and he could use a heavy sleeping bag, blank CDs for a computer, shirts and tee shirts (size XX Large).

December 2000

10 Years Ago

The Unatego Area Land Owner’s Association is ready to negotiate with gas-drilling companies on behalf of 300 families who control 30,000 acres of land in the Towns of Otego, Unadilla and Butternuts. This is in addition to 71,000 acres already under lease according to the Otsego County Conservation Association. Together, that comprises roughly 16 percent of land in the county. The association has developed its own lease which calls for 20 percent of the revenues of the extracted natural gas rather than the 12.5 percent offered on the standard leases of gas companies. “We will go anywhere. We will talk to anyone. But we are not in negotiations with anyone right now,” said Dick Downey of Otego, who is leading the landowners’ effort locally. “There is just too much money under the ground for this not to occur sometime in the future.” Said Alan Springett, a geologist who works for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in New York City. According to Springett, tests show there are at least 23 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under the Marcellus shale formation in New York’s Southern Tier valued at $348 billion.

December 2010