Out of the Past

125 Years Ago

May 25, 1882

At his residence near Wolf's Mills, Amherst, John Brunner, aged 38 years, died Monday of typhoid pneumonia after an illness of nine days.

Fishermen are not telling as large stories this year as usual. Either the sport isn't as good as formerly or the sportsmen have become better men.

A bill making the three cent stamp carry a letter weighing an ounce will probably soon be passed by Congress.

The female suffrage bill at Albany was defeated by the Assembly on Tuesday of last week, fifty-four votes being cast for it and fifty-nine against. In molding the heads of our present legislators, nature was altogether too economical in the matter of brains, and so they failed to appreciate the importance of this great question.

"The best way to make hens lay eggs is to put up in the chicken house a notice that eggs are going down in price five cents a dozen every day."

"The man who has half an hour to spare generally drops in and occupies half an hour that belongs to someone else."

100 Years Ago

May 23, 1907 Mrs. Anna Witmer of Snyder celebrated her 88th birthday on May 18.

The State Assembly and Senate have killed the street paving bill, by which Amherst and Williamsville hoped to have their streets paved with brick to a width of 40 feet.

75 Years Ago

May 26, 1932

Fire completely gutted the upper section of the home of Mrs. Mary Willett, located on Main Street, the second door from Springville Avenue, Wednesday afternoon, about 12:45 o'clock.

Building operations of the new office and plant of the City Ice & Fuel Company in Williamsville were begun this week. The company recently acquired the Kreutz estate at 5441 Main Street. . . next door to the new building of the Iroquois Gas Corp. (Editor's note: This is the old "ice house" which fell into disrepair and was demolished to make way for a hotel and drug store.)

Ralph A. Wilson of Buffalo was engaged by the Board of Education of the Williamsville High School at a special meeting Tuesday evening to fill the new position of industrial arts teacher.

John Friedley passed away at his home on the Transit Road on Tuesday, May 24, 1932. For forty years, Mr. Friedley was an engineer on the New York Central Railroad.

Amherst Bee Editorial: "If we could eliminate war from the Earth, we should leave to our children and generations to come the greatest heritage possible."

50 Years Ago

May 23, 1957

Amherst's 1957 observance of Memorial Day next Thursday will be under the sponsorship of George F. Lamm Post 622, American Legion. Continuing a long-standing tradition, representatives of various organizations will decorate the graves of all veterans in Amherst area cemeteries.

Lack of patronage is forcing the Buffalo Transit Co. to curtail its evening bus service on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, effective June 23.

The first flying trip ever to be made by a class at the Sweet Home Central School was taken Tuesday by the eighth grade. The entire 90-member class flew to Rochester on a luxurious Capital Airlines Viscount.

25 Years Ago

May 19, 1982

Twenty-five years as Amherst police chief has not dulled Herb Zimmerman's enthusiasm for the job. If anything, it has only whetted his appetite for more. He will be feted at a cocktail party Monday, June 14 in the Pierce Arrow restaurant, 422 Evans Street.

The fate of a proposed bike path between the Buffalo and Amherst UB campuses remained in limbo Monday night when the Town Board delayed a decision on erecting signs marking the route.