HOMETOWN HISTORY

December 24, 2020

150 Years Ago

Home and Vicinity – The walks in some parts of our village have been made very slippery by boys sliding and skating on them. A bad practice!
Now is a good time to provide yourself a nice scarf or warm overcoat. Anything of this kind can be bought cheaper in Oneonta than any other place short of Albany.
All ye who are troubled with mice should call at the store of Moody and Vosburgh, and purchase a “Novelty Mouse-Trap.” The construction of this trap is such that it would be fun to sit up nights and watch the little pantry robbers as they slide in under the gate.
Miss Mary Burton lost a valuable gold watch from her chain last Thursday evening. The loss was first discovered while in attendance at Washburne’s show. Search was made that night in the street from Mr. Burton’s residence to the Hall with lanterns, but without success.

December 1870

125 Years Ago

The Nagging Woman – Isolation and meagre intercourse with the world at large often brings to an intellectual, ambitious woman a morbid nervousness which results in a condition peculiarly favorable to nagging. Of course, the members of the family about her are the sufferers. Sometimes it is ill health or multifarious household duties, or physical inability to carry all the load placed upon her, or it may be the conventionalities that hedge about a woman’s life, a life that allows no expansion, no bursting of bonds that are merely chains. There are women, and there are women. And, a nagging woman has no mercy. The worst sufferers are the children, because a nagging woman has no comprehension of child-nature – nothing of the ideal mother about her. Weak women, vain women, affected women are tiresome enough. But, unsatisfactory as they are, they are all better than the nagging woman.

December 1895

100 Years Ago

Oneonta newspaper readers the past two months have no doubt noticed clever short stories of the holiday season which have been written by Mary Graham Bonner. The talented young author, now of New York City, is a descendant of an old Otsego family, the Worthingtons of Cooperstown. She formerly resided in Cooperstown and was for several summers the society editor of The Glimmerglass. Of late she has given much time to literary work of a more ambitious sort, her stories for children being particularly attractive. Miss Bonner regularly visits many of the city hospitals for children, where she reads stories to the crippled little folk. Her coming is always hailed with delight.

December 1920

60 Years Ago

A $1,865,500 expansion, replacement and improvement program was completed by the New York Telephone Company during 1960 in the Oneonta district. In Oneonta alone, according to D.F. Parce, manager, the total number of telephones increased from 27,175 to 27,440 during the year. Local and long distance calls on the average business day reached 45,600, he said. Direct distance dialing was installed for all Oneonta subscribers; also for those in Milford, Otego, Schenevus and Worcester. During the year Miss Mary Chadick was appointed Chief Operator and John Rhymestine became installation foreman at Oneonta. Miss Chadick was transferred from Oneida and Mr. Rhymestine from Herkimer. The new compact Princess phone is now in the homes of 150,000 New York State residents of which 210 are in Oneonta. Mr. Parce reports that the telephone company paid nearly one million dollars in wages and salaries to its employees in 1960 in Oneonta and the surrounding area. The company also paid $55,895 in local taxes to the city and town of Oneonta in 1960.

December 1960

40 Years Ago

Non-teaching public school employees will be covered by the New York State minimum wage law for the first time on January 1, 1981 when the general wage floor rises to $3.35 per hour. A measure signed into law by Governor Hugh L. Carey on June 30, requires school districts to pay the State minimum wage to workers previously excluded along with all government employees. The law will benefit public school employees in such occupations as cafeteria worker, bus driver, custodian and office worker, who are not already receiving the minimum wage. The law does not apply to teachers, professional employees, administrators, school executives, volunteers, apprentices and subsidized students. The minimum wage law has risen incrementally through standing legislation as follows: $2.65 in 1978; $2.90 in 1979; and $3.10 in 1980. When the minimum wage increases allowances for tips, meals, lodging and uniforms also rise proportionately.

December 1980

20 Years Ago

Telemarketing Regulations – Under the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Prevention Act: 1. It is illegal to intimidate, harass or use profanity during a telemarketing call or to call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. 2. Calls are prohibited to anyone who previously stated that he does not wish to receive solicitation call from that seller. 3. Each local telephone company must inform its customers of their rights with respect to telemarketers and automatic-dialing-announcing devices. 4. The Secretary of State is directed to develop rules and regulations for the two-year Telemarketer registrations. 5. Upon any violation, the Secretary of State is authorized to assess civil penalties of not less than $2,000 for each violation. 5. Anyone is prohibited from acting as a telemarketer without first receiving a certificate of registration.

December 2000

10 Years Ago

TJ Maxx, the national name brand department store is coming to Southside, perhaps as soon as next summer. Renovations are about to begin in the former Kmart at the mall’s west end, mall general manager Jessica Dombrowski said in confirming the news. The mall intends to redo the façade to meet TJ Maxx standards, repair all sidewalks and parking spaces and widen the lanes of the main driveway.

December 2010