HOMETOWN HISTORY, February 21, 2014

125 Years Ago
Knights of the Road – The resident of a neighboring town noticed, and the family had commented on, the unusual frequency of visits to their home from the Knights of the Road. When looking from the sitting room window one day he observed an able-bodied man hesitatingly swing the gate on its hinges, and after scanning the gate post a moment, with a confident step, boldly walk up to the back door. While he was doing justice to a substantial meal in the kitchen, the owner walked down to the gate and looked the post over. Just below the catch were the letters S.M. The gentleman returned to the house convinced that the marks had something to do with the tramps’ visits. In an interview with his guests he learned that the letters S.M. stood for “square meal;” H. for handful of grub; S. for seat at the table; and G.B. for Grand Bounce. The gentleman has marked his gate post in plain letters G.B. and says that he has not been troubled with tramps since.
February 1889

100 Years Ago
An earthquake lasting from 15 to 30 seconds and disturbing particularly what are geologically known as Devonian and Silurian sections of the northeast parts of the United States took place shortly after 1:30 o’clock Tuesday afternoon being especially severe in the central and northern part of New York State. Almost everyone in the city of Oneonta was sensible in some way or other of the tremors of the earth. This is the first earthquake of any force, old residents say, since 1872. In the City Club rooms a game of pocket billiards was in progress, and the balls rolled around in weird manner on the table when the wave arrived. At the Harmony Club several books were precipitated from a rack to the floor. At the River Street School, the principal thought for a time that the children should be sent out of the building.
February 1914

60 Years Ago
Charles Christman is the new president of the River Street School sixth grade following class organization and election of officers on Wednesday in the grade room. Other officers are: vice-president, Joseph Russo; secretary, Marshalee Kyker; and treasurer, Constance Patrick. Organization was conducted under the supervision of the grade teacher, Mrs. Wesley Many, who said pupils are planning a class newspaper in connection with language work.
February 1954

40 Years Ago
Twelve people remain hospitalized – two of them in critical condition – as a result of Tuesday’s D. & H. derailment and explosive propane fire near Emmons. Richard Vanderwerker of Maryland and Roy Altheiser, 25, of Worcester, severely burned and injured in the blasts remain in critical condition in area hospitals. Vanderwerker is at Fox Hospital in Oneonta and Altheiser is at Bassett Hospital at Cooperstown. In serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit at Bassett are Robert Moore, 36, Milford and Larry Preston, 23, Milford. Michael Dougherty, 22, Oneonta; Patrick Mastro, 50, Oneonta; Ron Kinch, Schenevus; Timothy Braddock, 24, Oneonta; Ronald Pidgeon, 48, Oneonta; and George Whiteman, Oneonta are in fair condition at Albany Medical Center where they are being treated in a special burn care unit. Released over the weekend from Fox Hospital were Norm Quackenbush, 45, Oneonta; Louis Colone, 37, Oneonta; Tony Leo Grande, 47, Oneonta; and Norman Vass, 26, Oneonta.
February 1974

30 Years Ago
The computer is going to summer camp. James LeMonn, a spokesman for the American Camping Association said his organization’s “Parents Guide” for 1984 lists 180 camps with computer instruction programs. The fad started about two years ago, he said. “We view it as a temporary phenomenon,” LeMonn said. He pointed out that camps providing foreign language classes were very popular in the 1950s. When schools started including more complete language programs, the camps faded. He predicts the same thing will happen with computers. LeMonn said there are a handful of camps operated by computer manufacturers where each camper has a terminal and there is intensive instruction.
February 1984

20 Years Ago
A 50 by 50 foot square stained glass window installation in the new Temple of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Independence, Missouri is a collaborative work that included Douglas Hallberg of Oneonta and David Wilson of South New Berlin. The piece, designed by Wilson with the aid of a computer, is titled “The Field is White Already to Harvest.” Hallberg, with the help of Walter Riesen, and working under Wilson’s supervision, cut the glass for the window’s individual units, a difficult process aided by use of a water jet glass cutter that generates 55,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
February 1994

10 Years Ago
On March 2, the Susquehanna Chapter of the Foot-Loose Adirondack Mountain Club will sponsor a ski, walk, or snowshoe outing at the College at Oneonta camp, depending on conditions.
February 2004