BOUND VOLUMES, July 26, 2012

200 YEARS AGO
Advertisement – Five Dollars Reward! Ran away from the subscriber on the 19th instant; A Negro man, named Thomas, about 18 years of age, nearly six feet high, very large feet, and a scar under one eye. Whoever shall return said Negro to the subscriber, shall receive the above reward and all necessary charges. James Morehouse, Maryland, July 20, 1812
July 25, 1812

175 YEARS AGO
Mr. Poinsett, Secretary of War and member of Mr. Van Buren’s Cabinet, made the following remarks at a public dinner in Charleston, on the 4th instant, by which it will be perceived that the Heads of the Government have not been idle spectators of the difficulties that are apparent to all, and that they will do all in their power to afford relief: “It may be expected that I should speak of the all-engrossing topic of the day – the signal distress that has fallen upon the country, which afflicts, indeed, all the world. On this subject he (President Van Buren) would say, that the feelings of the Government had been misunderstood and strangely misrepresented. The Government regarded with the deepest concern the sudden blight which has fallen upon the prosperity of the country, and have been unceasingly and anxiously occupied in devising means of relief; all such measures as the law allowed were promptly adopted for present relief; and they are seeking with the most earnest solicitude, to devise the means of restoring the credit and prosperity of the country. The result of their anxious deliberations will be submitted to Congress, in the fullest reliance on the wisdom, patriotism, and cooperation of that branch of the Government; and in the fullest assurance that laying aside all party views, they will apply themselves zealously to relieve the country from the evils which now afflict it, in common with the whole commercial world – evils which, all must acknowledge, have their origin in causes far deeper, mightier and more general than those to which they were at first attributed.”
July 24, 1837

150 YEARS AGO
Congress finally amended the Militia laws so as to allow the President to receive into the service “persons of African descent,” as diggers, camp laborers, or for “any other labor, or any military or naval service for which they may be found competent.” In a recent letter, General McClellan states that he has employed, so far as they were able to work, all the fugitive slaves who have come into his camp. Other generals have done and are doing the same thing. Gen. Hunter states that he has organized a regiment of blacks for service. It is an experiment, with which the President will probably not interfere.
July 25, 1862

125 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.
July 29, 1887

100 YEARS AGO
Cooperstown’s new fire alarm system in the shape of a special telephone placed in the International Milk Products Company has gone into operation. From now on the International’s whistle will be blown for the sounding of an alarm. In case of fire, instead of giving a number, merely say “Fire” to the operator, who will forward the message to the International Products Company. Anyone who can sleep peacefully while the International whistle is shrieking will be awarded a gold medal by the proper authorities.
July 24, 1912

75 YEARS AGO
The opinion of A. Leo Stevens of Fly Creek, pioneer aeronaut and former chief of the United States Army Bureau of Aeronautics, was given new weight when the Federal Bureau of Air Commerce at Washington reported its findings as to the cause of the destruction of the dirigible Hindenburg at Lakehurst, New Jersey, May 6, with a loss of 36 lives. In an interview published in Cooperstown newspapers, Mr. Stevens said that, through all the information he had been able to obtain in the few days that had elapsed since the disaster, and from his own personal experiences, the fire resulted from a charge of static electricity touching off a pocket of highly inflammable hydrogen gas which had leaked from a gas cell in the dirigible. The report essentially confirms Stevens’ opinion of the cause, finding that, when the landing ropes touched the ground the charge of electricity on the ship became equalized with that of the ground and the resulting electrostatic discharge ignited the mixture of air and leaking hydrogen which had accumulated in the dirigible’s stern.
July 28, 1937

25 YEARS AGO
Linda Selover and Terri Lynch, representing the Cooperstown School Community Association (CSCA), a non-profit local group engaged in raising funds for the Kid City playground project, recently updated the Cooperstown School Board about the project. CSCA seeks to build a new playground on school district property, replacing an older playground that was razed to make way for expansion of elementary school facilities.
July 29, 1987

10 YEARS AGO
Patricia Donnelly and Sue King Elkan have been named co-chairs for the Cooperstown Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk at the Clark Sports Center on September 7. Grand Marshals for the event are Cooperstown Mayor Carol Waller and her father, Otsego County Representative Charles Bateman.
July 26, 2002