Local Happenings, July 1941

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 10, 1941

 

Local Youth Gains College Scholarship

 

Bill Butler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Butler, and who graduated an honor student from Bainbridge Central School, has been awarded a scholastic scholarship to Hamilton College and will enter this Fall.  Bill, who graduated in the Class of '40 and who was one of the finest, all-around athletes of the local high school, was a four-letter man his senior and post graduate years.  He played in All-Star games for all sports for two years, and All-Star games for football three years.  While pitching for the championship high school baseball team this year, he finished the season with a batting average of .585.  This is his fifth season playing with the town baseball team, and during these years he has made a fine record for himself at second base.  he was president of his Freshman and Senior Classes and a member of the school band for five years, he also sang in the Glee Club for four years and was a member of the vocal octet last year. 

 

Bainbridge Girl Attains National Honors

 

Miss Dorothie Branham, 15, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Branham, of Bennettsville [Chenango Co., NY], has received an honorable-mention art award in a contest sponsored by the Youth Forum of the American Magazine.  Names of the winners may be found in the August issue.  Miss Branham submitted a drawing on the theme:  What my Community Contributes to the Nation, which is on display in the "News" office window.

 

Farm Folks to Aid Drive For Aluminum

 

Farmers, homemakers, and 4-H club members will help in the nation-wide drive to collect old and not needed aluminum useful in the production of defense equipment.  The drive will be held starting the week of July 21.  At the request of the extension service of the New York State Colleges of Agriculture and Home Economics, the state and county agricultural defense committees agreed to take charge of the work in rural communities.  The farm folks, along with the city folks, will be called upon to contribute old aluminum utensils and unused aluminum parts of all sorts.  Items desired include pots and pans, radio parts, toys, screening, old washing-machine parts, picture frames, bookends, ice trays, measuring cups, camera equipment, kettles and double boilers, bottle and jar caps, refrigerators plates, shakers, and parts of electric appliances of all sorts.  Anything that's made of aluminum will do.  Families are asked to begin now to look around for things which they will be able to spare.  Gathering will commence during the week of July 21.  The federal office of production management and civilian defense say, however that housewives should be cautioned against giving more than they can readily spare, to avoid a secondary shortage in other metals.  Scrap aluminum, after proper treatment, can be used for defense purposes and will also free new aluminum for airplanes.

 

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 31, 1941

 

Troopers Arrest Local Laborer

 

Harlan W. Reichel, alias Walter Moran, an employee of the National Milk Sugar Co., was arrested July 21 by Troopers J.C. Fleming and E.J. Rock, charging Moran with abandonment on complaint of William Roseboom, Commissioner of Welfare of Otsego County.  Harlan W. Reichel, 32, married and father of three children lived in Rensselaer and worked for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., as a baker's helper until April 13, 1941.  On this day a coat belonging to Reichel was found on the West Shore of the Hudson River beneath the Dunn Memorial Bridge and in this coat were two notes in which Reichel stated that he was going to commit suicide.  One of the notes was addressed to his wife, Florence, and the other to his sister, Mabel Moskal, Broadalbin, N.Y.  Reichel was a policy holder of the Travelers Insurance Company and when Mrs. Reichel received the suicide note, she asked for a settlement form the insurance company.  But the company didn't make a settlement as they had seven years when he would be claimed to be dead in event that he or his body was found.  Previous to his job in Renssalaer, he had worked around Cooperstown so upon his disappearance, the Welfare officer of Albany sent his family to Cooperstown where Otsego Welfare officer took charge of them.  J.E. Derby, of Albany, of the Travelers Insurance Co., received information through the Albany County Welfare, that Harland Reichel was working and living in or near Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY]. State Police were notified and he was picked up at Algonquin Inn., where he lived in one of the cabins, going under the assumed name of Walter Moran.  When questioned he admitted he was Reichel and gave the reason for disappearance as financial troubles.  He stated that he did odd jobs around Algonquin Inn until June 1 when he went to work at the Sugar Factory.  He was turned over to Sergeant J. Cunningham, of Troop C. Substation at Cooperstown, and taken to Otsego County Jail and was granted a preliminary hearing before justice Harold D. Carpenter in Cooperstown. 

 

Harry Myers Finds Snake Nest

 

Harry Myers, R.D.2, Bainbridge, found a nest of black water snakes on top of a cinder pile in back of the old sugar factory on Front street [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY], recently.  the largest measured 42 inches long.