Turning Back the Pages

125 years ago — June 1900

Ward Eggleston’s little girl Helen is very ill with typhoid.

W.E. Pectal has accepted a situation as fireman on the C.N.E. He will still keep his family in Salisbury for the present at least.

Nikola Tesla the inventor now claims to have invented a sort of fighting machine to take the place of soldiers in war. Every once in a while we hear that Tesla has invented some sort of a weird, wonderful thing, but what we would like to see is something that would really work.

SHARON — Mrs. G.A. Lamb is recovering rapidly from her recent severe illness and is now able to ride out for a short distance each day.

Mrs. Dwight Hotchkiss of Sharon is improving her residence by the addition of a large bay window.

F.H. Chapin has started his ice wagon for the season.

Horace Landon is wearing a wise look and gratified smile these days. It is a fine bouncing 10-pound boy. Born Wednesday afternoon.

There is a rumor that the N.Y.C. railroad is trying to acquire the C.N.E. road with a view to establishing a through line from the coal regions to New England.

Charles Millspaugh on Wednesday captured a monstrous snapping turtle on the Milmine place. The tortoise weighed nearly 12 pounds or more and snaps viciously at everything that comes in his way.

The new fast train on the C.N.E. made its first trip last Monday and was quite liberally patronized. When once well established the train will doubtless be a favorite with the travelling public.

Dr. Bissell’s residence now presents an exceedingly neat, rich looking appearance in its new dressing of paint. The body of the house is reddish brown with cream trimmings. Artist Kisselbrack did the work, which speaks for itself in unmistable terms. We understand the Doctor intends to place a new iron fence around the place, making a still greater improvement. W.H. Kenyon’s summer residence has also been undergoing improvements. The house and fence have been painted by F.P. Scribner and men, and a very neat summer kitchen has been added to the rear of the house.

100 years ago — June 1925

At the closing of the General Assembly last Wednesday Representative J. Mortimer Bell was presented with a strong magnifying glass and a pair of gum shoes. Representative Geo. R. Sturges of Woodbury made the presentation speech, stating that the shoes might be used by Mr. Bell when he next ran for office and the magnifying glass was for the purpose of scrutinizing all vicious bills which might be introduced into the legislative body.

Thieves entered Clark’s store on Tuesday night. A small amount of change, some canned goods and groceries were taken. It was probably the work of a hobo who was hungry.

Adv. — Fifteen Bamby Bread wrappers and 39 cents and you get the most wonderful bread knife ever made. Worth $1.00. Ask your grocer or market man about it.

If the person who took a pearl necklace, pin and ear rings and several other pieces of jewelry from a house in town the last of May will return them, there will be no questions asked and they will save trouble for themselves.

There is a report in circulation that the Ford Motor Co. is to buy the Ore Hill Mines and build furnaces and rolling mills. This is interesting if true. Another report is that the Bethlehem Steel Co. has purchased the Sharon Ore Bed. These rumors sound well, in fact they sound a little too good.

The lake with its fine bathing facilities has been a popular place since the hot wave.

50 years ago — June 1975

For the first time since Peter Reilly’s first-degree manslaughter conviction last year, his attorneys have hinted publicly at another suspect. They say this suspect may have had a motive and an opportunity to kill Barbara Gibbons in September 1973. A hearing on motions in both the conviction appeal and the bid for a new trial on the civil side, will be held June 17 in Litchfield. In an amended petition for a new trial, filed last month in Litchfield Superior Court and unsealed Friday, Reilly’s attorneys T.F. Gilroy Daly and Robert Hartwell state that: “Newly discovered evidence reveals for the first time that a person with one, and possibly two, motives to do harm to Barbara Gibbons, who had had an alibi defense, no longer has said alibi defense.” The identity of the person was not given.

Whatever you may have heard about instant summer in this unusual year, don’t forget that it can bring instant winter too. On Tuesday morning — June 10, no less — light frost was reported at numerous spots in the Tri-State area.

Water in Lake Wononscopomuc is now beautifully clear down to about 25 feet, where the reminders of this spring’s “red tide” still lurk, Salisbury Town Grove Manager Frank Markey said Wednesday. Scuba divers report that the decaying red algae — actually blue-green while they are alive — are still to be found at the thermocline, below which the cold water remains. But, Markey said, there is no evidence that these are new algae.

Sharon Center School is taking three steps to preserve and enhance its hot lunch program. The Board of Education voted Tuesday night to drop its price for lunches by a nickel to 45 cents. It also voted to continue the $2,000 subsidy which covers the annual deficit in the cafeteria program. Finally, Principal John DelGrego announced, the sale of ice cream in the lunch room has been discontinued. The ice cream, it was thought, may have been luring some children away from the hot lunch.

The late Andrew Casale was honored Sunday when the class of 1974 dedicated the combined lecture hall- senior home room at Housatonic Valley Regional High School to his memory. Mr. Casale, former head of the Social Studies department and the Adult Education program, was drowned while fishing in the Housastonic River a year ago.

25 years ago — June 2000

Leo is Salisbury’s classiest canine, its doggonedest dog, its primo pooch. This year, for the first time, a drawing was held for owners interested in receiving the first five numbered dog licenses issued in town. The lucky dogs’ names were drawn by First Selectman Val Bernardoni from a straw hat held by Town Clerk Susan Spring. They are Leo, owned by John Arnold, Bee, owned by Mary G. Bodel, Tony, owned by Ellen L. Palmer, Sarah, owned by Mrs. Roy F. Littlehale Jr., and Lucky, owned by Josh and Justin White.

KENT — Veteran state Senator Adela “Dell” Eads (R-30th district) announced her retirement from politics last week to the surprise and disappointment of many. “This was not an easy decision to make. After all, the Legislature has been an important part of my life for 24 years and, believe me, being part of all this will not be easy to give up,” Mrs. Eads said. State Rep. Andrew Roraback (R-64th district) has been suggested as Mrs. Eads’ most likely successor.

LAKEVILLE — The Patco Handy Stop on Route 41 was robbed of a “mediocre” amount of cash at 1:25 a.m. Monday, according to Manager Walt Gisselbrech. Although neither police nor Mr. Gisselbrech would comment on possible suspects, whoever robbed the store of its cash box apparently had a key, which was used to enter the building. There were no signs of a forced entry.

NORFOLK — The round stone observation tower that sits atop Haystack Mountain became a blazing torch Friday night, sending firefighters from four towns up steep terrain. Canaan Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal John Foley was called upon to investigate the blaze. He said earlier this week that the investigation was continuing, with a number of possible causes still under consideration. A lightning strike is certainly one. A massive thunderstorm drove through the region earlier that evening, dropping a tornado in Winsted. Winds were still gusting on the mountaintop when firefighters arrived just before midnight. The tower, part of Haystack Mountain State Park, is several stories of stone and concrete. Wooden stairs that lead to a circular observation deck lined with wooden benches gave fuel to the fire, as did rafters supporting the roof.

Canaan Resident State Trooper Bob Janco is connecting with the streets on bicycle, weather and circumstances permitting. This alternate mode of transportation allows him to circulate through the downtown area discreetly and to be more accessible to follks and situations on the streets. His cruiser now sports a bike rack and will be kept parked in a quickly accessible spot while he is on two wheels.