125 Years Ago

The Northfield News

July 30, 1884 3 cents a copy/ $1.50 a year

Geo. H Richmond, editor

Sixty-four places have been provided for the "fresh air" visitors, and it is expected that the party will arrive on the 3:45 train Saturday afternoon, Aug. 9th. While the visitors are all from the poorer classes, yet the Boston managers use every effort to send out only deserving persons, and only those whom they believe will not bring discredit to them; at the same time we must hardly expect to find them all models of behavior and very likely in some cases be called on to exercise that charity which covers a multitude of sins. By next week we will be able to give full particulars of the visit. The cheerfulness with which the people have responded to the call for places does credit to the town.

100 Years Ago

The Northfield News

August 3, 1909

3 cents a copy/$1.25 year

Fred N. Whitney, editor

A few weeks since Joseph C. Rice of Northfield, was struck by an automobile while he was working on the highway, as noted in these columns, and had a very narrow escape from serious consequences. Mr. Rice has never fully recovered from the injury sustained to one leg. The car which struck him was a Stanley in the hands of a demonstrator, H.M. Talbot of White River Junction. Mr. Rice has now brought suit for $2,000 damages against the demonstrator and the case is set for trial at the September term of Washington county court. Mr. Rice alleges negligence and gross carelessness in that the driver did not give any signal of his approach. The defense denies any responsibility, claiming in substance that he was running very slow, had given the usual warnings and that after stepping out of the road to allow the machine to pass, as the defendant supposed, Mr. Rice again stepped into the highway directly in front of the machine.

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A curious development occurred in the yard of Prof. Carleton this week, when a fungus growth about one inch in diameter pushed itself through the hard concrete next to the house in a single night and for a time grew at the rate of about threefourths of an inch an hour. It has now subsided and withered away. Scientifically it would probably be referred to the botanical department but if the News was to discuss it at any length, it would assign the task to the snake editor.

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The experiment of oiling the streets to lay the dust is to be given a thorough trial here. A subscription paper has been circulated among the business men and $150 raised for the experiment. The crude oil to be used has been ordered and upon its arrival the entire business square will be given a thorough dressing. There has been all kinds of opinions in regard to its success, but the enterprising business interests has taken the wise course of finding out just what there is in it.

75 Years Ago NEWS AND ADVERTISERAugust

2, 1934

5 cents a copy, $2 a year

John E. Mazuzan, editor

Two 14-year-old boys are giving Vermont another newspaper this summer. It is "The Falls News," published at Northfield Falls by John Donahue and his cousin, Thomas Donahue, in a print shop established by the boys in the hen house at the rear of Tom's home at the Falls. John, son of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Donahue of Watertown, Mass., where he attends East Junior High School and edits "The Telescope," school paper, is spending the summer in Northfield. Tom, son of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Donahue of Northfield Falls, is entering Northfield High School next fall. While in Boston, John accumulated over 200 pounds of type and brought it with him to Northfield. He and Tom added to this equipment two hand presses and other printer's paraphernalia that enables them to turn out job printing in addition to their little four-page paper. The masthead of the Falls News lists Thomas Donahue as city editor, John Donahue as news editor, Thomas Donahue as sports editor, John Donahue as feature editor and J. and T. Donahue as advertising managers. Published each Saturday, the paper has a circulation of 200 copies.

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Frank N. Carpenter...has been a member and player in the Northfield Coronet Band for 62 years. And when he joined he paid five dollars to get in! The writer, when a little kid in Northfield, remembers Frank playing then and he is still at it and going strong. "Lib" Howes, George Coffin, Fred Cook and all the rest, including most of the boys who used to carry torches at the lawn parties so as to get in on the ice cream, are gone, but Frank Carpenter plays on.

50 Years Ago

NEWS AND ADVERTISER

July 30, 1959

5 cents a copy, $2 a year

John E. Mazuzan, editor With a staff photographer's picture of William D. Hassett, the Washington Post on Friday carried the following article under the headline," 'The Late Bill Hassett,' at 78, Is Very Much Alive"; William D. Hassett, lately the late Bill Hassett to readers of the Washington Post, would like his friends to know that he is very much alive and having a delightful time, thank you. Tall, scholarly Bill Hassett, White House secretary for both Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, was in Washington yesterday for the "farewell Journey" of his old friend, Fleet Adm. William D. Leahy, to Arlington National Cemetery. In its obituary report of Admiral Leahy's death, the Post remembered: "He was known to sing slightly ribald songs with the late Bill Hassett... Yesterday Hassett... said he "can't recall ever singing an even slightly ribald song with the Admiral" he smiled. "But I still remember the lines of a sentimental sailor song the Admiral liked. It went like this: Though she's been barred from the Navy Yard She's true to her sailor boy." ...Hassett retired to his native Northfield, Vt., seven years ago with some 10,000 books.

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The death of more than 7,000 brown trout at the state fish hatchery in Roxbury was attributed to cyanide poisoning last week...evidence indicates the source of the poisoning as a dump on the bank of a brook above the hatchery.

25 Years Ago

NORTHFIELD NEWS

August 2, 1984 25 cents a copy, $2 a year

Erik Nelson, editor

From the Alps of Switzerland to the Himalayas of Pakistan-India and returning to the Green Mountains of Vermont, a native son of Northfield, Jerry Bean- LeFebvre, 31 a professional chef of international dimensions, has returned to ply his trade as an American Yankee. But the culinary journeyman is still hobnobbing with the road since he purchased a former Budweiser Beer truck, a 68 International, since transformed into a catering mobile serving Italian sausages, hotdogs, hamburgs, homemade fries, ice cream and soda. Bean- LeFebvre, son of Mary and Mathew (Babe) Bean, had worked for nearly ten years in Switzerland as a creator of gastronomic delicacies, serving such dignitaries as Rock Hudson, Jackie Gleason and the Grand Dali Lama of Tibet... "I wanted to return to the US and be my own boss," he stated. "I took this job because when its busy I know the money is coming to me and not somebody relaxing out on the terrace." His big white lunchwagon business is known as Rocket J's after a nickname given to him in his youth... It seems Bean- LeFebvre's business risk of purchasing a lunchwagon is paying dividends after secure employment within the much storied alps where the jetset simply fling money about for meals. Now its burgers and pops for sweaty softballers and swimsuited kids, but it's home.