100 Years Ago
In 1912, the Republican mass meeting to have been held in Jamestown on this evening had been called off on account of the inability of state Sen. Harvey D. Hinman of Binghamton to be present. Engagements in his home city made a visit to Jamestown impossible much to the senator's regret and also to the regret of Jamestown Republicans. In his telegram he warmly commended the record of Sen. Charles M. Hamilton in the legislature of the state and recommended his election to congress.
William Sexton, a resident of Jamestown, 75 years old, was in the Corry Hospital, suffering from injuries received as a result of being struck by an Erie Railroad freight train at 2:30 in the morning. Mr. Sexton, who was a veteran of the Civil War, had relatives named JaQuay, who resided in Corry. He came to that place the previous evening but became confused and did not reach the JaQuay home until guided thither by the police who found him wandering about the city. Later in the evening, he decided to return home to Jamestown and started to walk down the railroad track. He stepped from the track on the approach of the train but a projection on the locomotive struck him.
75 Years Ago
In 1937, obviously confused by a welter of candidates and propositions appearing on the ballot, voters were executing their franchise at a comparatively slow pace in the city's precincts but many were waiting in line for their turns and there was reasonable assurances that the total vote cast would be heavy, although perhaps short of that recorded in the "off years" city election two years ago. Inclement weather during the forenoon apparently had small effect on the continuity of voting. A steady stream of eligibles moved into each polling place, keeping the machines constantly in use.
Opening of the season on raccoons in New York state brought a warning from the conservation department of changes in the game laws giving additional protection to a "selected group" of fur bearing animals. While the raccoon season, which opened the previous day, would be in effect until Feb. 10 in most counties the department said, the opening of the muskrat season would be postponed two months to prevent possible extermination of these animals.
50 Years Ago
In 1962, in a move to eliminate habitual "meter feeders" and all-day parking, the Jamestown Police Department the previous night completed adjustments to 73 downtown parking meters, boosting the hourly fee from 5 cents to 10 cents. In the city, an additional 80 meters, or a total of about 150, would provide both half hour and one hour parking when the changeover was completed. The increased parking rates had been approved by Russell C Bloomquist, president of the Retail Merchants Assn. and Police Chief John Paladino who requested the change two years ago.
Antics of a dog in an automobile were blamed for a traffic mishap involving three vehicles which resulted in minor injuries to the dog's owner, Mrs. Nancy Huckabone, 27, of R.D. 2, Akeley, Pa. The accident occurred at noon in front of 912 E. Second St., Jamestown. Police said a car, operated by Mrs. Huckabone, ran into the rear of a parked car belonging to Donald D. Cole of Dunkirk, shoving it into another parked vehicle owned by Anthony Saletta of Silver Creek. Mrs. Huckabone, who was treated at WCA Hospital for a facial laceration and a knee injury, told police her attention was momentarily distracted by the dog riding beside her in the car.
25 Years Ago
In 1987, White House and congressional budget negotiators, struggling to find ways to reduce the federal deficit, had discussed placing a cap on cost-of-living increases in all entitlement programs - including Social Security. However, several sources who confirmed the conversations said they did not believe that the negotiators would touch Social Security, since President Reagan had expressly ruled that out and it was politically too sensitive. "They never would go for that," said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Dunkirk was still stunned in the wake of a train-car collision early Sunday morning that killed six of its teenagers. Dunkirk High School Principal John Mancuso organized assemblies to help students cope with their loss, and residents planned a community discussion of the accident and why it happened. According to Dunkirk police, a freight train rammed the car at 3:22 a.m. when the car's driver apparently attempted to drive around the gate across the Norfolk and Western Railroad crossing and hit the tracks at the same time as the train arrived at the crossing. The young people were all dressed in Halloween costumes and it was believed they had been at a party.