HOMETOWN HISTORY, May 2, 2014

125 Years Ago
Within a few miles of Oneonta resides a farmer, who a few weeks ago, in sugar time, had some fun. He had a good store of sap on hand, which he was intending to convert into sugar the next day. Some young men of the neighborhood were aware of the fact, and gathered that night in his sap bush to save him the trouble. They were having a good old time about midnight. The sap was almost sugar, the chickens were roasted to a turn and the liquid from the black bottle was “mighty refreshing” mixed with the hot syrup, when suddenly bow-wow-wow from the throat of the farmer’s dog and bang-bang went both barrels of the double gun and the young rascals were in full flight. The farmer gathered up the fragments that remained, a euchre deck, a pint of whiskey, three dozen eggs, two roast chickens, two cans of lobsters, etc. and carried his syrup to the house congratulating himself that he need not “boil sap” the next day.
May 1889

100 Years Ago
The Harmony Club, composed of the younger, young men of the city, and our youngest social club presented its first minstrel show at the theatre Tuesday night. It was an evening of mirth and amusement for the large audience that greeted the company. The young men of the company were attired in white trousers and black coats and wearing white carnations as boutonnieres. Karl Sheldon was cool and imperturbable as the interlocutor. Randall and Van Woert did much of the end work. Among those contributing solos the best were performed by Mr. Baker, Mr. Parks, Mr. House and Mr. Winans. Mr. Van Woert did a monologue stunt titled “The Wet and Dry Question” that was laughable in the extreme. He was followed by Mr. Randall in a specialty act embracing some good dancing and a humorous song. The mock trial was an original and clever creation introducing numerous typical characters. Rich Riley was the particular star of the cast and, made up as Mrs. Leonora Smithers Trustly, he was an ideal and winsome damsel, quite deceiving in voice, manners and captivating powers. Professor P.C. Riley had charge of the entire production.
May 1914

80 Years Ago
An ordinance which would legalize Sunday movies and baseball after 2 p.m. was offered at the meeting of the Oneonta Common Council by Alderman J. Kenneth Yager, but the motion was later tabled without a second until the meeting of May 15. Mr. Yager submitted several arguments in support of the proposed ordinance, pointing out that the Supreme Court has enjoined the city from taking a referendum vote on the question of Sunday movies, and asserting that with the sale of intoxicating liquors on Sundays after Noon, clean and wholesome recreation should be made available Sunday afternoon. Yager also listed 109 cities and villages in New York State which have enacted Sunday movie ordinances. None have repealed the laws due to injurious moral effects. As for Sunday baseball Yager noted that “our citizenry freely participate in all other sports on the Sabbath Day, including golf, tennis, football, swimming, boating, horseback riding, fishing and hunting.”
May 1934

60 Years Ago
Having outgrown its home in Huntington Library, the Upper Susquehanna Historical Society is turning its eyes toward the city government hoping to get some sort of storage space for its growing volume of historical records. Dr. Edward J. Parish, president, has appointed a special committee to confer with the Common Council on a place for the records and historical objects. On the committee are Julian B. Jackson, Chester A. Miller, Harry C. Bard, Mrs. Earl P. Francis and Mrs. Wendell Morgan. In addition to this course of action, officers of the society will meet at 5 p.m. today with the Huntington Library board to jointly consider the space problems of both organizations. Mr. Parish said, “The library took us in, has been a father to us, gave us space for records, and a place to meet.” At the meeting the Rev. Dr. Louis Van Ess, president of the library board, said “the two organizations belong together.”
May 1954

30 Years Ago
State Motor Vehicles Commissioner John Passidomo announced an agreement Wednesday to end New York’s status as the only state in the nation without photo identification licenses. Passidomo said the new licenses would probably cost New Yorkers about $1.50 extra every four years. The current quadrennial license fee is $16.
Robert Shear said Wednesday that the number of fatal car crashes involving 18-year-old drinking drivers fell by 42 percent in the 12 months after New York’s drinking age went from 18 to 19. Also the number of 18-year-olds involved in alcohol-related crashes overall decreased by 25 percent during the same period. New York’s legal drinking age, which had been 18 since the end of Prohibition, was raised to 19 in December 1982. Shear said the new data provided the strongest evidence to date for raising the legal drinking age to 21.
May 1984

20 Years Ago
Fox Hospital lost almost half a million dollars in the first three months of 1994, hospital administrators reported. Although a loss was expected going into the year, the actual loss of $459,103 for the first quarter was much larger than expected. “What we take in doesn’t match what we spend,” said hospital president John Remillard. “We can’t allow it to continue. However, the hospital is not planning to cut costs with employee layoffs. The staff has been asked to look at more cost-effective ways of treating patients.
May 1994

10 Years Ago
After a decade of discussion and more than 18 months of construction, Otsego Manor is nearly finished. The $30 million nursing home just south of Cooperstown should be ready to open in late June or early July according to Rep. Carl Higgins, R-Edmeston chairman of the Otsego County Board of Representatives. The construction phase will be completed by the end of May, Higgins said, but added, “all dates are tentative.” The new facility will house up to 174 residents, the same number as the old home, The Meadows.
May 2004