BOUND VOLUMES, July 4, 2013
200 YEARS AGO
Advertisement: Vaccine Matter – The subscriber having been appointed by the President of the United States, Agent for Vaccination gives notice that genuine vaccine matter will be furnished to any physician or other citizen of the United States, who may apply to him for it. The application must be made by post and the requisite fee (five dollars) on the current bank paper of any of the middle states forwarded with it. When required, such directions, and how to use it will be furnished with the matter, as will enable any discreet person who can read and write to secure his own family from the small pox, with the greatest certainty and without any trouble or danger.
July 3, 1813
175 YEARS AGO
Mr. Fenimore Cooper has a letter from Mr. Greenough, the sculptor, of a date as late as May 6, 1838, in which that gentleman, speaking of the statue for the rotunda of the Capitol, says: “The statue of Washington, after cruel delays, from Cholera, quarantines and the state of the roads, is now in full progress. The marble promises well and we are near the surface. The block weighed 130,000 pounds when we commenced on it. It is fast losing its chips.”
July 2, 1838
150 YEARS AGO
Summary of News: The Seminary – The success with which Miss Butts has for several terms conducted the Musical Department at the Seminary, and her popularity as a teacher was acknowledged in the large audience in attendance at the concert on Tuesday evening last. The exercises on that occasion reflected credit alike on the young ladies who participated and their accomplished instructor. Some of the pieces were exceedingly well-executed and even the youngest scholars in the class showed considerable proficiency in Music. When three pianos, six hands, are played in correct time, by young Misses, the evidence of good training is conclusive. The examination of classes occupied two days, and the Exhibition came off on Wednesday evening.
July 3, 1863
125 YEARS AGO
If the politicians would stop their war cries long enough to study the real needs of the country they might find better material for their campaign tracts than now fills the sheets sent out broadcast over the land. Here is a man with stout lungs crying out for “protection to home manufactures,” when anyone not wholly blind ought to be able to see that what manufactures need most is a wider market. There is not a leading industry in the United States that cannot, under a very moderate tariff compete successfully on our soil with any foreign producer of similar goods if the home demand is large enough to exhaust its capacity. It is not more protection, but rather more customers that is the crying want of American producers of all classes.
July 6, 1888
100 YEARS AGO
Thomas Mulgrove of New York, the professional golf player, is at the Cooperstown Country Club for the summer, in order to teach players the more difficult golf strokes and to give exhibitions of professional golf. He has also built a court golf course on the grounds of the O-te-sa-ga, and is making a complete golf course with the correct space allowed to the nine holes at the Country Club. This is done by filling in a large part of the swamp to the south of the club. During the winter he gives professional exhibitions of golf throughout the popular southern resorts.
July 2, 1913
75 YEARS AGO
One of the features of the celebration here in 1939 of the Centennial of the origin of baseball will be a game between the varsity teams of Williams and Amherst Colleges. It is interesting to note that the first game of college baseball in 1859 was played 80 years before the centennial year between these two colleges. Lester G. Bursey, chairman of the Cooperstown Program committee for the centennial was assured by the athletic authorities of both colleges that they would be happy to accept the invitation
July 6, 1938
50 YEARS AGO
Vacation Church School in the Presbyterian Church in Cooperstown has closed after six days of study of Hong Kong, its refugees and its problems. There was an enrollment of 45. Under the direction of Mrs. David Smith, Mrs. Lester Hall, Mrs. William Karl and Mrs. James Brayden, a replica of a fishing fleet and dock in the harbor at Hong Kong was constructed as well as a miniature hillside village. The children found that there are as many or more similarities between Chinese and American boys and girls than there are differences.
July 3, 1963
25 YEARS AGO
Rev. Canon George Frederick French of the Christ Episcopal Church in Cooperstown ended three decades of community service with his retirement on July 3. Starting with his arrival at Christ Church on August 10, 1955, Rev. French provided leadership for parish projects including the construction of the parish’s Christian Education Center on Fair Street which was dedicated in 1969.
July 6, 1988