Bound Volumes, Hometown History
September 3, 2026
160 YEARS AGO
Matrimonial Awakening—Young men and bachelors cannot you inaugurate a matrimonial revival? Are you to allow the balmy evenings, with their soft and gentle moonlight, to waste away in unprofitable silence? Are you ever dreaming of dollars, and watching crops and gold fluctuations? Will you never tire of those four old black walls that seem to hold every thought and impulse? Have you rolled and tumbled long enough on that weary cot, lonely and alone in your selfishness? Are you not ashamed to know that night after night your guardian angel has to hover over and watch your worthless trifling form with no answering slumbers near you—watching one slow heaving bosom when it could as well have watched two? Are you ashamed of all this? In the name of your mother, of humanity and religion, we conjure you, nay we implore you, be a man—a married man! Arise, ye bachelors, from your slumbers; weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you. Come to the altar of your affections and let there be such a revival as will make old hearts weep with joy.
September 1866
110 YEARS AGO
The Oneonta City Band, acting with the Band Concert Committee of the Chamber of Commerce is planning to give Oneonta an innovation in the way of amusement on the evening of Labor Day, Monday, September 4. Instead of the usual concert on Main Street, a combination concert and street dance will be held at the intersection of Grand and Division Streets. Those who care only for music will be able to enjoy themselves as heretofore, while those more actively inclined will have the opportunity of indulging in the light fantastic. The committee, made up of the Hon. L.P. Butts, chairman, Arthur Seybolt and D.F. Orcutt, believe that this form of entertainment is one which may well be tried out in Oneonta. Such cities as New York, Albany and Troy have promoted this form of amusement as well as smaller cities the size of Oneonta. The street will be illuminated and the pavement put in good condition for dancing.
September 1916
90 YEARS AGO
A Sad Blot on the German Olympics—The Olympic Games ended in a blaze of glory for Germany, which won more points than any other nation—and then came a shameful thing. Much of the success of the games had been due to the intelligence and devotion of Captain Wolfgang Fuerstner, who built and organized the Olympic Village in which the athletes from all nations were quartered. That accomplishment won the admiration of visitors. It was pronounced superior to anything of its kind in any previous Olympiad. Captain Fuerstner had been accused of having “non-Aryan blood,” in what proportion is not clear, but perhaps he had a grandparent who was Jewish. Because of that, the threat of discharge from the Army had hung over his head. He believed and his friends believed that his services to his country made him safe. But he was dismissed from active service, and committed suicide. Could any Nazi victories wipe out that shame?
September 1936
30 YEARS AGO
Findings of a ten-year national trend survey titled “Beyond the Classroom: Why School Reform Has Failed and What Parents Need to Know about It” include: Half of 20,000 high school students surveyed said they could bring home grades of “C” or lower without upsetting their parents. One-third of those parents said they had no idea how their students were doing in school. About 40 percent of students surveyed said their parents never attend school programs. One-third said they spent the day mostly goofing off with friends. Only about one-third of students engaged in daily discussion with parents about school.
September 1996
