HOMETOWN HISTORY, March 7, 2014

125 Years Ago
A serious railroad wreck occurred on Sunday afternoon near Wells Bridge. A wild-cat train, in charge of conductor Connors and engineer George M. Marland, left Oneonta with orders to run to Nineveh. Earlier in the day conductor Saxton and engineer Will Ostrander had received orders to run from Nineveh to Oneonta. Neither crew knew of the presence of the other upon the road, and as a result, met near the curve just above the long switch at Wells Bridge. The engines came together with great force, and were badly broken, although not thrown from the track. The firemen both jumped and saved themselves. So soon was the collision after the engineers saw each other that it was impossible for them to reverse, which they did, and get off before the crash came. The force with which the engines struck each other threw the coal from the tender forward, nearly burying engineer Ostrander beneath it. He was not, however, seriously injured. His engine, No. 280, was attached simply to a caboose and was not near so badly broken as the other engine, No. 176, to which was attached a full train of cars. When the collision occurred, engineer Marland, who had stepped down to the deck preparatory to jumping was thrown against the boiler, and nearly buried to his neck by the coal from the tender. He was held firmly in that position for nearly half an hour before he could be extricated by his fellow employees. Steam escaping from the boiler badly scalded his back in the meantime, notwithstanding which, Marland directed the work of his rescuers and cheered them on by good-natured remarks, displaying most remarkable nerve. If left longer he would have been scalded to death.
March 1889

100 Years Ago
The blizzard which began Sunday afternoon and drove across the country with a 60 mile per hour gale almost all Sunday night and far into the day Monday produced a condition of isolation in the city of Oneonta which exceeds in seriousness even the storm of last month with its larger amount of snow. The one link with the outside world early Monday morning was the telephone and even that was badly crippled. During the day, however, communication was established gradually with other places, and towards night the city was in relatively good shape. About half past ten that evening, however, the snow commenced to fall again. None of the schools of the city were in session Monday. At the Normal School it was impossible to reach the building so deeply was the snow drifted into deep piles on the walks.
March 1914

60 Years Ago
The TEKES of Hartwick College – The 20-some inhabitants of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house at 78 Elm Street have evolved a simple working definition of their brotherhood that can be expressed as “share and share alike.” Everyone in the TEKE house pitches in to carry the load. According to Stover Snook, frat president, every frat brother realizes this equalization. When work details are posted every Friday, every one of the TEKES is listed and accounted for. One detail is assigned to the kitchen, another to the living room, and so on. But, sophomores, juniors and seniors all wield mobs, brooms, brushes, etc. Mothers may have to strain their imaginations to picture their husky offspring at such work, but it is so.
March 1954
30 Years Ago
Riegel Textile Corporation, an Aiken South Carolina-based company with a diaper manufacturing plant in Oneonta, has signed an exclusive agreement with the Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. to manufacture Cabbage Patch Doll diapers. Riegel used the cabbage patch design on baby clothes and sleepers before extending the marketing campaign to diapers. Some of the prospective buyers may be young girls who own a Cabbage Patch doll. A spokesman said the dolls are sold wearing a disposable diaper manufactured by Proctor & Gamble.
March 1984

10 Years Ago
The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) will conduct a free evening workshop, “Growing a Farmers’ Market,” on March 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Telecenter in Oneonta. The workshop is designed for market managers and vendors, as well as farmers and community members interested in farm to market retailing. The workshop will address management issues, market rules and administrative issues such as insurance coverage, kitchen inspections, and participation in discount programs through WIC and the Office of the Aging.
March 2004