BOUND VOLUMES, January 16, 2014
175 YEARS AGO
The message of our Whig Governor (William H. Seward) is most intolerably long, prosing and windy. As a piece of composition, it is sophomoric, involved and inelegant; and as a statesman-like expose it is confused, obscure, over-labored and second-handed. Nearly all that is valuable about it has been promulgated, enforced and reiterated by the Governor’s predecessors – and the small part that is new presents little that is profound in theory or desirable in practice. His Excellency reminds us of the frog in the fable attempting to swell himself to the size of an ox. He assumes to play the profound and sagacious statesman, without the capacity to carry him successfully through the part. He would be a Clinton without the tithe of Clinton’s talents. His ideas – even where they contain something valuable, either original or borrowed – are hidden beneath such a mass of verbiage as robs them of half their force, and even leaves them, at times, very difficult to be understood. He seems impressed with the idea that he is a very great man and must show his greatness, but don’t know how. Hence, his attempts have all the grotesque awkwardness of a bear turned beau, or a dancing elephant.
January 14, 1839
150 YEARS AGO
Advertisement – Skating Park. At the solicitation of numerous friends, I have undertaken to keep a plot of ice clear of snow, and in order for the skating public, shall endeavor to have good skating as much of the time as is possible. As it is a considerable expense and labor, a light charge will be made to defray expenses. I design procuring large lanterns to light the Park, providing sufficient encouragement be promptly given. As skating is a healthy and innocent amusement I hope the citizens will respond and help this project along. If we should have a heavy snow storm, I do not want to think that I must loose (sic) money and labor to clear it off again, so come on and let us have some fun of our own getting up. The sign for the ice being in order to skate upon will be a flag or other signal at the top of the flag staff at the foot of West Street (now Pioneer Street). When the signal is down there will be no skating. Good skates will be kept to let. P.P. Cooper.
January 15, 1864
125 YEARS AGO
Local: A Public Park would be a great acquisition to the Village of Cooperstown, and had the old fairgrounds – which were sold at a very low price – been purchased for that purpose, we think most citizens would have been pleased with it. (Ed. Note: The old fairgrounds referred to were located on the site of the Bassett Health Center encompassing the grounds from the Susquehanna River
to Pioneer Street. In the decade that followed the site was developed and used as a baseball field)
On Wednesday morning last, Mrs. George Amber, nee Miss Aurie Holcomb, a well- known character in this village, was arraigned before Justice Cook, and charged with being a disorderly person. After hearing the testimony the Justice concluded that perhaps five years at the House of Refuge for fallen women at Hudson might have a tendency to correct her evil ways. And, he so sentenced her. It is a step in the right direction which several others are likely to take, if brought before the Justice.
January 18, 1889
100 YEARS AGO
In Our Town – Following its usual lines of progressiveness the Taylor and Ellsworth Store is installing one of the latest models of the National Cash Register. It is a most elaborate piece of mechanism operated by an electric motor, and records the total sales of the day, the individual and total sales of each clerk, besides issuing a ticket of each customer’s purchase.
January 14, 1914
75 YEARS AGO
Cooperstown winter sports fans enjoyed the first favorable weather conditions of the season and several hundred made use of the new ski tow on Drake Mountain. The new tow is sponsored by the Cooperstown Winter Sports Association. The site is approximately six miles from Cooperstown and about one mile north of the Pierstown Grange Hall. The tow has a pull up the side of the mountain about a quarter mile in length and is operated by a tractor at the top of the mountain. Ice skating at the community rink at the entrance to Doubleday Field and at the Cooper Inn rink was also enjoyed by large numbers over the holiday weekend.
January 18, 1939
50 YEARS AGO
Two graduate programs leading to the master’s degree to be offered through the combined resources of Oneonta State University College and the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown have been approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of the State of New York. The two programs, known tentatively as the “History Museum Program” and the “American Folk Culture Program” will fill a long-standing need in the museum profession, according to Dr. Louis C. Jones, director of NYSHA.
January 15, 1964
25 YEARS AGO
Steps are being taken to improve village streets this spring. Work will commence on Elk, Fair, Leatherstocking, Main and Spring streets. Most of the heavy construction work will take place on Leatherstocking Street, since one side of it has never been curbed. Several new storm sewers will be installed along with curbing. Sewers and catch basins will also be installed on Railroad Avenue.
January 18, 1989
10 YEARS AGO
After a nearly 25-year hiatus, the Cooperstown Volunteer Fire Department’s annual “Fireman’s Candlelight Ball” is slated to make a triumphant return later this month at The Otesaga Hotel. Department Chief A. Fred Lemister says the January 24th Ball is “an important and sacred way for the department members to allow a very important component of their service to flourish. It’s a little way of allowing firefighters and their spouses to have a night to themselves,” he explained. “It’s about camaraderie, fraternity and friendship.”
January 16, 2004