Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Miscellaneous News Items, 1935

Struck by Engine:  What might have ended in a fatal death occurred Monday morning when Adelbert Collier's car was struck by the pusher engine at the Guilford Center [Chenango Co., NY] railroad crossing.  The car was completely demolished, but in some unforeseen manner Mr. Collier escaped with but slight injuries.  He is quite hard of hearing and evidently did not hear the approaching engine.  [Bainbridge News & Republican, Nov. 23, 1933]
 
Mt. Upton to Build New Central School:  Voters of the Mt. Upton Central School District [Chenango Co., NY] voted to build a new school building at a cost of $66,000.  The meeting was held Tuesday evening.  The vote was 159 for the project, with only 13 against it.  The building will be erected on the west side of Main street, in the central section of the village, on property owned by the school district.  C.B. Wadsworth presided at the meeting.  [Bainbridge News & Republican, Nov. 23, 1933]
 
Early Leasing of Bainbridge Lands:  A valued subscriber, George E. Nichols, writes to the Bainbridge News as follows: 
Bainbridge, Nov. 16, 1933
Dear Sir:  I notice in the obituary notice of Frank Lowman mention of the Presbyterian Church of Bainbridge called "Silesia."  I have papers showing the Congregational Society of Cilecia controlled 140 acres of land, Lot 50, in the Township of Clinton, afterwards Jerico, now Bainbridge.  The above society leased, dated July 4th, 1797, to Luke and Benjamin Nichols 100 acres more or less.  Secondly an act of Legislature second day of April, 1819, transferred this 140 acres of Congregational Society of Cilecia to the School Commission of Bainbridge, Sept. 8th, 1819, the school commissioners, Thomas Humphrey, Herman Kelsey and Steven Stillwell, leased 50 acres to Luke Nichols for 999 years on annual rental of $28.12-1/2, he not receiving a deed until the Town of Afton was formed, June 10th, 1857.  Wm. S. Thayer, supervisor of Bainbridge; Daniel A. Carpenter, supervisor of Afton.  From receipts I have, Luke and Benjamin only paid $8.12-1/2 on the 100 acres.  [Bainbridge News & Republican, Nov. 23, 1933] 
 
South Main Street House Bears Evidences of Great Age:  Workmen engaged in remodeling the old house recently purchased by Dr. Ben Dodge in South Main street [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY] adjoining the Charles Clark property, have come across old newspapers which fix the age of the dwelling at 105 years, although there are evidences that the building is much older than that.  Edward Gilmore and Harry Blakeslee, Afton carpenters, have been doing the reconstruction, aided by Andy Sejersen, plasterer, of this village.  The construction of the old building is novel; the men found the hewn pine frame timbers perfectly sound, some of the floor boards were of pine two feet wide, the lath is all of the hand-split variety and the downstairs ceiling timbers are very heavy, spaced four feet six inches and filled in between with short floor joists.  The building had been set on new foundations, the walls straightened and covered with plaster board and replastered; a new hot-air heating system has been installed and modern plumbing throughout.  Pasted upon the boarded walls of some of the partitions in the house were old newspapers, including a Norwich Telegraph of April 26, 1865, a Bainbridge Ledger of October 6, 1867, and a Gospel Messenger of 1829.  One of these papers contained a letter from the widow of Abraham Lincoln.  It is a well-known fact that she suffered actual want and was forced to sell her personal property in order to live.  the heading over the story was as follows:  "The Misery of Want and a Nation's Ingratitude," and contained the following letter form Mrs. Lincoln to a broker in New York whom she commissioned to sell certain articles which she valued:
"Chicago, Sept. 14, 1867 
Mr. Brady, Commission Broker
No. 609 Broadway, New York
I have this day sent to you personal property, which I am compelled to part with, and which you will find of considerable value. The articles consist of four camels' hair shawls, one lace dress and shawl, a parasol cover, a diamond ring, two dress patterns, some furs, etc.  Please have then appraised and confer by letter to me. 
Very Respectfully, Mrs. Lincoln"
 
English I Trial:  The English I class [Bainbridge Central School], which has been reading biographies of great men, had a trial last Thursday and Friday. Viola Taft acted as judge; Stewart Friedell as clerk; Victor Gunther as prosecuting attorney, and Edward Luckenbach, Mary Smith and Ralph Riley as the jury.  The rest were prisoners and they pleaded guilty or not guilty, swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Then the prosecuting attorney asked the name of the book read, the date of birth and death of the author and the chief events of his life.  If the defendant was guilty of not reading a book, the jury made them read one or two other books as a penalty.  The class likes this form of book reports.  [Bainbridge News & Republican, Dec. 7, 1933]

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