Bound Volumes

October 1, 2026

210 YEARS AGO

Captain Mamby of the British Navy has invented a machine with which a single individual may extinguish a conflagration. It is filled with a fluid composed of antiphlogistic ingredients. This fluid extinguishes, wherever it falls, the most ardent flames. The liquid contained in one of these pumps has as great an effect as 120 buckets of water, in quantity. A case containing three of these pumps composes the whole of the machine, being three feet long, two feet in breadth, and one foot in depth. It possesses the great advantage of being always ready—can be managed by one person, and furnishes a liquid equivalent to many hundred buckets of water.

September 26, 1816

135 YEARS AGO

His Vacation—Master Henry Lamb, son of J. Warren Lamb of this village, spent a part of his school vacation down in Greene County, and has returned home. He was at his accustomed place in the Sabbath School on Sunday last, and it was noticed that he had brought a friend with him in the form of a crutch. Enquiry elicited from Henry facts that make up quite a little chapter of accidents that befell our young friend during his outing. The crutch was brought into use to favor a foot into which a rusty nail had penetrated. He had visited a saw mill, he said, while down there, and stood a little too close to the saw to escaped being marked by it; while a rather unfriendly dog had also left an impression with him that his teeth were yet sharp; and the hoof of an animal had also made its presence felt. However, Henry had come out in good shape, and in a few days expects to lay aside the crutch.

October 1, 1891

60 YEARS AGO

Watterson Lowe of New York completed his second year as social director at the Hotel Otesaga with the closing of the hotel over the week-end. He has returned to his home in the city to await the opening of the cruise season when he expects to be back at his winter vocation as a cruise director. For more than 30 years Watty Lowe has been the man remembered by thousands of people for making a vacation a memorable occasion. At the Otesaga, seated at his desk just off the spacious lobby, he has greeted hundreds and hundreds of people who have stayed at the famous resort hotel.

September 28, 1966

35 YEARS AGO

Corrections: William J. Guilfoile, associate director of the Baseball Hall of Fame said a quote was inaccurately attributed to him in the September 18 Cooperstown edition of The Freeman’s Journal. In an article headlined “Tourism Story Draws Strong Response” Guilfoile was quoted as saying “If it wasn’t for tourists, there would be nothing here but a lot of uneasy residents.” Guilfoile denies having said “uneasy residents.” Also, the last name of the grandparents of Ryan Scott Bennett, who was born on September 6 at Bassett Hospital, was misspelled in the last edition. The grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ubner.

October 2, 1991

20 YEARS AGO

A committee has formed to oversee a celebration of the Bicentennial of Cooperstown’s incorporation on April 3, 1807. Headed by Village Trustee Grace Kull, the group is planning a grand celebration for the 200th anniversary. The committee envisions a mayoral proclamation, a series of historical exhibits in the Village Hall, publications and a grand parade on September 8, 2007, to kick off a week of special events to commemorate two centuries of village history.

September 29, 2006