From the Archives IT’S A FACT! Thanksgiving has been celebrated in some form or another since 1621. The day of celebration was held on various days in different states, but became fixed on the fourth Thursday of Thanksgiving when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill making that day the official day for Thanksgiving. 130 YEARS AGO Marshal Dave Willis walked into the City Hotel last Saturday night and asked leave to enter a room occupied by a couple registered as husband and wife. He found them occupying the same bed and arrested them without further ceremony, as he had previously received word by telephone from Angus that certain parties had started for this place together. The man’s name was Joseph Silver and the woman was Mrs. Haskins, whose husband some time ago went to Des Moines to work, and whilst there had been sending her his surplus cash. * * * We are credibly informed that a certain mechanic in Adel had been employed to work through the winter at $2 per day, but owing to the fact that he voted the Republican ticket he was bounced and is out of a job. 120 YEARS AGO Our merchants have nearly all signed an agreement to close their stores at eight o’clock in the evening for the winter except on Saturday nights. 80 YEARS AGO Someday Mile Hoeye plans to quit smoking. When that time comes (if it ever does) he has the ‘last cigar’, and it has something of a history. Back in 1876, 57 years ago, when Hayes and Tilden were carrying the banner for the Republican Party in the national election, Milt bought a couple of cigars from Victor Topping, who was engaged in business in Adel at that time. He smoked one of them but put the other in his pocket and resumed his work at the Benjamin Greene farm, where he was employed for many years. He was operating a cider mill at the time and during the day the cigar dropped from his pocket. The following spring it was found and Milt, who likes to keep things, laid it away with the remark that it would be the last cigar he ever smoked. Because he still likes the solace that comes from a cigar and because he isn’t even thinking of quitting for many years yet, he keeps it and hopes, as do his friends, that he will never use it. 25 YEARS AGO A $360,325 grand and the sale of rails and ties removed from tracks will cover 100 percent of the cost of development of the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Dallas County competed with other projects for the funding.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:46:48 +0000