150 YEARS AGO Released – Mr. Herkimer was released from Fort Lafayette last week by giving bonds for the appearance of his son, or a substitute, in case he should be drafted into the army. He was not called upon to surrender the opinion he holds, that there are some very great scamps holding office under this Republican Administration, and that the people would be benefitted by a speedy return to Democratic rule. The 152nd Regiment (the 2nd Otsego and Herkimer) is now fully organized. L. Boyer, Colonel; Ferguson, Lieut. Colonel; Spaulding, Major; Campbell, Adjutant. Nine of the companies have been organized. Capt. Bingham’s is the ninth, Co. “I” with 83 men rank and file. There are about 825 men now mustered in. Otsego has furnished five companies. Two regiments in three months from Herkimer and Otsego! Who says the Hop District is not loyal, patriotic and wide awake!
210 YEARS AGO Casualty – Another accident has happened from carelessness about firearms. A Mr. Webster, belonging, as we understand, to a new Artillery Company, lately raised in Cincinnatus and its vicinity, being ordered by the commanding officer to drive home the cartridge, which had just been attempted to be fired without effect, had one hand blown off, the other so dreadfully injured as to render amputation necessary, and the flesh on his side burnt and torn to the very ribs. The unfortunate man was in the very act of ramming the piece when it went off. It is not expected that the unfortunate man will live.
This fall, the Greater Oneonta Historical Society (GOHS) introduces a new series of events, History After Hours!
“The program series will offer a variety of events for adults and children of all ages at the Oneonta History Center (183 Main Street) from 5 to 7 p.m., once a month on September 22, October 20 and November 17,” said Marcela Micucci, Executive Director Greater Oneonta Historical Society. “This is going to be a great series.”
The first event is on Thursday, September 22 (5 – 7 p.m.), GOHS’s History After Hours will celebrate Harvest History.
185 YEARS AGO Items – A process has been discovered in Germany by which white crystallized sugar is made in 12 hours from beet root. The deaths in New Orleans from Yellow Fever are said to be 100 daily. More than 40,000 people have been down with Yellow Fever at Sierra Leone. The damage of the late hurricane at Barbadoes is estimated at $500,000. About 1,000 lives were lost in the late disasters in the West India Islands. There has been another terrible gale at Charleston, S.C. Damage not extensive.
210 YEARS AGO On Saturday, last, toward sunset, the sound of drum and fife, announced something martial. Soon, a regiment of volunteer militia commanded by Lieut. Col. Farrington, from the county of Delaware, appeared, preceded by an escort from this village of about 30 citizens, on horseback and a number of infantry. The regiments pitched their beautiful tents near to and eastwardly of the Court-house, which exhibited a spectacle, novel and interesting to a great part of the villagers. They remained in their encampment until Monday morning when the general was played — the tents struck, and they marched for Utica, from whence they will probably proceed to Sacket’s Harbor.
185 YEARS AGO Hurricane in the West Indies – On the 2nd of August there was one of the most severe storms ever known in the island of St. Bartholomew. It states that the town, composed of about 300 houses is two-thirds destroyed — among them some of the most substantial buildings, the greater number the dwellings of the poor. As yet between 20 and 30 lives have been discovered to have been lost in the town, most of them crushed to death under the ruins, and others horribly mutilated and since dead, and very many severely injured, with broken bones, &c. Hundreds have lost all they possessed, and are thrown destitute upon the charity of others. The sea, during the gale, had risen over six feet.
210 YEARS AGO Reprinted from the London Courier — “America knows not that the vigor of the British Empire increases with the necessity of exerting it — that our elasticity rises with the pressure upon us — that difficulties only make us more firm and undaunted — that dangers only give us the additional means of overcoming them. It is in such a state of affairs, in such a great crisis, that a nation like Great Britain becomes greater. We are now the only bulwark of liberty in the world — placed, a little spot, a speck almost on the ocean, between the old and new world, we are contending with both; with one arm we are beating the armies of the master of the continent of Europe (Napoleon Bonaparte), and with the other we shall smite his Prefect on the Continent of America.”
160 YEARS AGO Causes of fires: The aggregate number of fires for six months in New York is reported at 183. The causes and frequency are as follows: Stoves and stove pipes, 55; Gas in windows and leakage of gas and window curtains, 21; Carelessness with lights, communicating fire to beds or bedding, 20; Defective chimney flues, 10; Sparks on roofs, 11; Grates, fire places and fire boards, 9; Children playing with fire or lights, 8; Furnaces, 8; Steam boilers, 6; Hot air registers, 6; Intoxication 6; Matches 6; Fluid and camphene lamp explosions, 5; Dripping fat in smoke houses, 5; Ashes, 5; Spontaneous combustion, 5.
185 YEARS AGO The increase of importations of coffee and tea are the natural results of an increase of population and wealth; but we are inclined to place much of the addition made annually to the quantity of these articles used, to the fact that they are in a considerable degree supplanting ardent spirits in the public house, and in the social circle. It is indeed a gratifying truth that while we have in everything else increased our importations, in the article of ardent spirits, both imported and home manufactured, there has in ten years been a falling off in quantity of about one-half; a fact which speaks volumes in favor of the temperance effort.
135 YEARS AGO We had occasion to step into the telephone office with a friend on Sunday last, when to our surprise we found counselor Brooks in charge. He was busily engaged in pulling out some stops and shoving in others, occasionally shouting “Hello!” and trying to hold a conversation with some party who must have thought that lightning had played mischief with the wires near Cooperstown. It was very warm in the office, and the new operator sweat like a man hoeing corn. He explained by saying: “Brady has stepped out for a few minutes and left me in charge.” After another ineffectual effort to find out “what the other fellow wanted,” he discontinued operations by shouting back: “If you are not drunk at that end of the line, just hold on about five minutes longer, and your wants will receive attention.”
135 YEARS AGO A pleasant affair — Thanks to the kindness and efficiency of the Misses Hamlin, Cuyler, Chase and Cooke, the guests of the Hotel Fenimore and a few friends had the pleasure of attending a very enjoyable impromptu entertainment Saturday evening, consisting of reading, music and tableaux. Miss Hamlin is a very cultured elocutionist, and shows excellent taste in her selections. Miss Cuyler is a favorite, not only on account of the excellence of her performance as a pianist, but for the cheerfulness with which she responds to the many requests for music.
209 YEARS AGO British Monsters – Excerpt of a letter from Captain Cooper to Charles K. Mallory, Esq. Lieut. Gov. of Virginia — “I was in Hampton with my troop; that place having been evacuated in the morning by the British. My blood ran cold at what I saw and heard. The few distressed inhabitants running up in every direction to congratulate us; tears were shedding in every corner — the infamous scoundrels, monsters, destroyed everything but the houses, and (my pen is almost unwilling to describe it) the women were ravished by the abandoned ruffians. Great God! My dear friend, can you figure to yourself our Hampton females seized and treated with violence by those monsters, and not a solitary American arm present to avenge their wrongs! But enough — I can no more of this.”
212 YEARS AGO
Poem – What art thou, Death; that we should fear the shadow of a shade? What’s in thy name that meets the ear of which to be afraid? Thou art not care, thou art not pain, but thou art rest and peace: ‘Tis thou canst make our terrors vain, and bid our torments cease. Misfortune’s sting, affliction’s throes, distraction’s poisonous breath; the world itself and all its woes are swallowed up in death.
150 YEARS AGO
The Daily Papers – For years past the people of Buffalo have received the New York daily papers several hours in advance of the people of Cooperstown. Under the new arrangement of the “newspaper express train,” we now receive those papers the same day they are printed — and one day in advance of the U.S. mail. This shows what private enterprise may accomplish. Mr. Beadle has the New York papers each day, on the arrival of the first stage from Fort Plain.
187 YEARS AGO
A dreadful accident occurred at Amstadt, Austria — Linsky, the celebrated legerdemain performer, gave, in the presence of the family of Prince Schwartzburg Sonderhauser, a grand exhibition in which he distinguished himself by an extraordinary display of his art. Six soldiers from the garrison were induced to fire with ball cartridges at Madame Linsky, the young wife of the conjurer. They were, however, instructed, in biting the cartridge, to bite off the ball and keep it in the mouth, as they had been shown to do in a rehearsal. Madame Linsky was for a time unwilling to perform the part allotted to her in this trick; but by the persuasion of her husband, she was induced to consent. The soldiers were drawn up before the company, took aim at Madame Linsky, and fired. For a moment after the firing she remained standing upright, but the next moment she sank down saying, “Dear husband, I am shot.” One of the musket balls which had not been bitten off passed quite through her abdomen. The unfortunate woman never spoke another word and died on the second day after receiving the wound.
