Bound Volumes

May 30, 2024

160 YEARS AGO

The War News—No decisive action has occurred in Virginia since our last issue. For several days after the severe fighting of seven or eight days, the armies of Grant and Lee remained comparatively inactive. On Wednesday, May 18th, General Grant commenced what was at first intended to be a general engagement. But the enemy was found to be so strongly posted that the assault was abandoned after severe fighting in which both armies lost heavily. The next day Lee attempted to turn the right flank of Grant’s army, in which he was repulsed, principally by the gallant action of a division of new troops. On Friday morning there was a skirmish, in which 200 rebels were captured. Lee commenced a voluntary retreat on Friday. Whether Lee was compelled to fall back on account of a flanking movement by Grant, or rather to secure a new and stronger position, does not clearly appear. But whichever was the case, the retrograde movement took place and Grant pushed forward in pursuit. Our forces are reported occupying Guineas’ and Milford Stations, the first fifty and the latter forty miles from Richmond.

May 27, 1864

85 YEARS AGO

New York State Governor Herbert H. Lehman has approved the bill of Assemblyman Arthur L. Parsons of Central Bridge, Schoharie County, amending the conservation law to provide that it shall be illegal to carry any rifle larger than a .22 caliber rim fire during the open season for deer in counties where there is no open season for deer. Also signed by the governor was a bill of Senator Walter W. Stokes of Cooperstown amending the conservation law, by providing that persons in automobiles shall not carry any gun or rifle unless it was unloaded in both chamber and magazine.

May 31, 1939

60 YEARS AGO

A two-year-old male Labrador retriever, owned by Mrs. George Murnane of Syosset, and handled by J. Riser, won the James Mithoefer Memorial Trophy in the seventh annual Central New York Retriever Club field trial held here over the Memorial Day weekend. The trophy, offered for the first time this year honors the memory of Dr. James Mithoefer, who was an associate surgeon at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital and a founder and the first president of the club. The Syosset Labrador bested a field of 18 retrievers in the Derby, one of three events in the three-day trial which opened on Friday and ended Sunday. Mrs. Murnane will have possession of the trophy for one year plus a replica for permanent possession.

June 3, 1964

35 YEARS AGO

The NBC Today Show crew is coming to Cooperstown for a live broadcast with host Bryant Gumbel on the morning of June 2. Gumbel will open the show at 7 a.m. in front of the National Baseball Hall of Fame talking with museum curator Ted Spencer and associate director Bill Guilfoile. Interviews with Hall of Famers and baseball historian John Thorn will follow as the program moves along through the early morning hours. As Thorn is interviewed, the local Leatherstocking Town Ball team will play the Beachville, Ontario Cornstalks for the NBC cameras at Doubleday Field.

May 31, 1989

20 YEARS AGO

The nation has seen gasoline and fuel prices escalate at unprecedented rates in recent months and the average price per gallon is higher in the Cooperstown area. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.06. However, in the Cooperstown area the price has settled at around $2.15 per gallon. Nearly half the cost per gallon goes to the oil companies.

May 28, 2004