HOMETOWN History

March 5, 2020

150 Years Ago

Railroad Rules of Travel: The following “Rules of the Road” are based upon legal decisions and ought to be universally made known. The courts have decided that applicants for tickets on railroads can be ejected from the cars if they do not offer the exact amount of fare. Conductors are not bound to make change. All railroad tickets are good until used. Limiting conditions such as “good for this day only” or otherwise admitting time of genuineness, are of no account.

March 1870

125 Years Ago

Organization Needed: It is an open question if the dairymen of the country realize how important their industry is in the aggregate. The newspapers of the day teem with the volume and immense
importance of the iron interest. The value of the wheat of the country is large, but it is insignificant when compared with that of dairy products. The lumber interest is of great importance, but it, too, dwindles into small proportions when contrasted with the products of the dairy. Lumber and iron have representatives in every legislative hall, but we know of hardly a single dairyman in public life. The reason for this is that the dairy interests of the country are not thoroughly organized. An industry that has an annual output of more than 1,250,000,000 pounds of butter and ten times that number of pounds of cheese, and billions of gallons of milk contributing to the aggregate, ought to possess influence enough to stamp out the manufacture of oleo.

March 1895

100 Years Ago

More than half the rural churches in New York State are in a state of decline, one in every nine literally dead, and three in every nine dying, was the statement made by Henry S. Huntington, Editor of Christian Work, in his presentation of the rural surveys of the inter-church world movement before an opening day’s meeting of the State Pastors three-day conference in Rochester. Close to 2,000 clergymen
representing about 30 denominations. Mr. Huntington was one of several speakers. An address was delivered by George C. Haynes, a prominent Negro educator and publisher, in which he demonstrated the neglect of the Negro’s spiritual welfare.

March 1920

80 Years Ago

Ex-Pitching Ace Turns “Water Boy” – The powerful right arm which Big Ed Walsh pitched with while managing Oneonta’s strong semi-pro baseball club back in 1921 twists gadgets these days so that 42,000 inhabitants of Meriden, Connecticut may be served with pure water. The former Chicago White Sox ace, famed for his feats on the twirling mound between 1904 and 1913 is supervisor of Meriden’s filtering plant and pumping station, a position which provides him with a modest home and a comfortable living. Big Ed, who will be 59 years old May 19, was appointed to the job by Meriden’s Mayor Francis Danaher. Back in 1902, Danaher’s father, Cornelius J. Danaher, brought Walsh to Meriden from Plains, Pennsylvania to pitch for the Meriden club in the old Connecticut baseball League. “I’m still in marvelous condition,” Ed says. Big Ed weighs 194 pounds – “exactly the same as when I was toiling for the White Sox.”

March 1940

40 Years Ago

Five students at Oneonta State were arrested for marijuana possession in a morning dormitory raid Monday by seven officers from state and city police and the Troop “C” Narcotics Investigation Squad. Mark Robert Barr, 23, of Gouverneur, was charged with third-degree possession of marijuana, a felony, and criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, according to police. Police did not report how much marijuana Barr allegedly had, except that it was over the minimum 8-ounce amount
for the charge. Robert E. Snyder, 19, of Surprise, and Craig J. Hodges, 19, of East Meadow were both charged with fifth-degree marijuana possession, a misdemeanor. The other two men, David L. Wilder, 20, of West Hurley, and Michael J. Limar, 19, of Huntington, were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, an offense punishable with up to a $100 fine and no jail term for first offenders. The five men were asleep in their dorm room, room 206 at McDuff Hall, at about 7 a.m. They offered no resistance. The search warrant was issued by City Judge Frank Getman based on an investigation by the State Police Narcotics Squad.

March 1980

20 Years Ago

The Oneonta School District is taking steps to strengthen its foreign language department as New York State tightens academic standards for students who study modern languages, school officials said. At the Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Joseph C. Piscitelli said he has received a proposal to hire a new foreign language teacher to work in the Middle School beginning next year, starting in the seventh grade. “As of now, it’s not in next year’s budget,” Piscitelli said. “We’re still looking at ways at reducing the budget and the tax levy – not increasing it.” The district needs to hire someone because foreign language teachers in the schools already have full course loads, Piscitelli said. “We could not give them an extra class to teach.” The position would require someone fluid in both French and Spanish. German would be added for eighth grade. Finding someone with those qualifications could be difficult.

March 2000

10 Years Ago

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office was busier than ever last year, Sherriff Richard Devlin, Jr. says. “Arrests, complaints, domestic incidents and DWI’s all were up last year compared to 2008,” Devlin said. Statistics from 2009 confirm the trend and the increased demand for Sheriff’s office services.

March 2010