Hometown History

January 26, 2023

135 Years Ago
The Local News: Evaporated apples have superseded the old-time dried apple. A dealer of this town has long had on hand some 18 barrels of dried apples, for which there appeared to be no sale. He challenged another dealer the other day to make him an offer for them, and accepted fifty cents a barrel. On examining the apples they were found as lively with worms as the average Italian is with fleas. But the purchaser didn’t weaken. “I want them for a mincemeat packing firm,” said he, “and it will be economy to use those apples.” They were shipped. No patent mincemeat for us.

January 1888

110 Years Ago
Advertisement – Diabetes: A Simple Herb Quickly Cures This Dread Disease To Stay Cured. A plant recently discovered in Mexico called Diabotol Herb has been found to be a specific in the treatment of diabetes, quickly reducing the specific gravity and sugar, restoring vigor and building up the system. A 50 cent package of this harmless vegetable remedy lasts a week and will relieve the worst symptoms in the most aggravated cases or your money will be returned without question. Send 50 cents to us for a week’s supply with free booklet of special value to the diabetic, containing latest diet list and exclusive table of food elements, giving percentage of starch and sugar (carbohydrates) in 250 different foods. Call the attention of your afflicted friends to this offer. Ames Chemical Co., Box 289-3, Whitney Point, N.Y.

January 1913

90 Years Ago
McClelland Barclay, noted artist and sculptor, advances the theory that the certain something that attracts us males to our particular screen favorite is not beauty or sex appeal, but rather “type appeal.” Elaborating, Barclay selects his list of the most “type-appealing” women in Hollywood. Claudette Colbert appeals to the man of the world; Joan Crawford to the family man; Katherine Hepburn to the professional man; Miriam Hopkins to the caveman; Elissa Landis to the student-scientist; and Myrna Loy to the adventurer. Barclay’s own dream girl would be a composite of several film queens. She would possess the legs of Marlene Dietrich, the hips of Carole Lombard, the chest of Miriam Hopkins, and the lips of Helen Twelvetrees.

January 1933

50 Years Ago
The days of the Homer Folks Hospital as a treatment facility for victims of tuberculosis will sooner or later come to an end. Already, the hospital which employs 177 workers is not regarded as an economically sound or scientifically necessary operation and the state has decided that operations there should be phased out. But, as yet, there is no word as to what will follow. Almost every person you talk to has a different suggestion and almost all of them are good ones. There’s one suggestion, however, that most people don’t want to think about – a drug rehabilitation center. Freshman assemblyman Harold Luther is poised to stage an all-out effort to keep Homer Folks open, but talking to a reporter, Luther made it clear that a drug rehabilitation center isn’t his choice. Luther is against the idea and believes area residents are against such an outcome as well. Area residents may well have harbored fears about a tuberculosis treatment hospital in their midst in the 1930s, but once it opened in December 1935, those fears quickly vanished.

January 1973

40 Years Ago
Citing red ink that has risen to record levels, President Reagan called for provisional income and energy tax increases that could take effect October 1, 1985, if his freeze is approved, the economy recovers, and the deficit keeps going up anyhow. “America is on the mend,” the President declared. Senators and representatives alike were brought to their feet in applause after President Reagan declared, “We who are in government must take the lead in restoring the economy.” Reagan said he would adjust his defense budget over the next five years to save about $47 billion in actual outlays. Even with the freeze and adjustments, the overall defense budget will increase about 14 percent according to a senior administration official.

January 1983

30 Years Ago
A $375,000 low-interest federal loan will help Bresee’s Oneonta Department Store fill its racks and funds will then become available for other businesses in the city. As the anchor retail store on Oneonta’s Main Street repays the loan, other businesses will be able to borrow the money originally provided by the federal grant. “The loan is great for us, and I think it’s going to be great for downtown Oneonta,” Marc Bresee said. Joseph Bernier, Oneonta Community Development Director, said low-interest loans may be available as early as mid-1994 after the Common Council approves guidelines. Merchants have already expressed in borrowing the money, expressly for start-up purposes.

January 1993

20 Years Ago
“I don’t want war against these people,” said Henry “Hank” Williamson, a peace activist who spoke at the First Methodist Church in Oneonta on Friday night. “We’re going to be killing these people, and they’re not doing anything to us.” Williamson, 54, has traveled to Iraq twice, most recently during October and November with the Iraq Peace Team. He told a crowd of about 50 that he wants to inform people about the human aspects of Iraq – the innocent civilians who would be killed in a war.

January 2003