Out of the Past

125 Years Ago

Jan. 11, 1883

A description of the Edison electric light is reprinted from the Buffalo Telegraph. A reporter from The Bee witnessed its excellent working last Saturday. The Edison dynamo is located in the engine room of Mr. Urban's mill. It supplies current for the thirty-four lamps. The lamps consist of a pear-shaped glass globe, about four inches in length, exhausted of air, into which is sealed a filament of carbonized bamboo the size of a horse hair. This filament becomes incandescent by the passage of electricity through it, giving a beautiful, soft, white light exceeding the illuminating power of a gas jet of the best quality.

Mr. H.B. Secrist is buying wheat for the Dodge Roller Flour Mills.

"A woman was offered a sealskin cloak if she would not speak for an hour. At the end of seven minutes, she exclaimed, 'Mind, it's got to be a $250 one.'"

"We read frequently of some persons whose hair has turned white in a single night, through grief or fear, but the white-haired man who goes into a barber shop and comes out in half an hour with hair and whiskers black as the raven's wing never gets a line in the paper."

"'That butter is all right,' said a boarding-house keeper; 'It is keg butter, and tastes a little of the wood, is all.' 'If that is the case,' replied a boarder, who was also a contractor, 'I should like to get some of that wood to make railroad bridges out of.'"

100 Years Ago

Jan. 9, 1908

Mrs. Rose Schallmo, a past president, installed the officers of the LCBA, Branch 820. Mrs. Mary Fischer, the president, was presented with two handsome cut glass vases as a token of appreciation for her work.

75 Years Ago

Jan. 12, 1933

Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States, died unexpectedly on Thursday, January 5, 1933. His death brought sorrow not only to our country but to the entire world. He led his country wisely, sanely, constructively, from 1923 to 1929.

John G. Monk was re-elected a trustee, and Mrs. Glenn Coykendall was a new trustee chosen at the annual meeting of the Williamsville-Amherst Free Library, held last Friday evening.

Miss Genevieve Watson of Buffalo has been engaged by the Board of Education of Amherst Central High School as instructor of music. She will succeed Miss Doris Weegar.

Howard F. Stimm of North Forest Road was elected treasurer of the Buffalo Launch Club.

Clesson H. Field was appointed town engineer for the year 1933 at a yearly salary of $2,500, payable monthly.

Haibel's Meat Shop, 5640 Main St., advertises fresh, home-made liver sausage, 14 cents per pound. Lamb stew, 7 cents per pound.

50 Years Ago

Jan. 9, 1958

All employees of the Town of Amherst received salary increases when the Town Board held its annual reorganizational meeting on Jan. 2. However, most of the elected officials did not receive salary increases. Formerly the employees received a cost of living bonus but this has been discontinued in favor of graded steps of increases.

25 Years Ago

Jan. 5, 1983

Edward E. Cook, 68, who who served seven terms as an Amherst town councilman, died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 1983. He was elected to the Town Board in 1951 and never lost a local election. He was a trustee of old School District No. 4, which served Getzville before centralization.

James R. DeSantis. president of the Nova Group Inc., has been elected first vice chairman of the Amherst branch of the American Red Cross.

Charlie Garfinkel recently presented Eggertsville Snyder librarian Marie Robillard a copy of his recently-released book, "Racquetball for the Serious Player."

The Amherst Major Bantams brought 1982 to a close with the greatest come from behind victory in the 15-year history of the prestigious Golden Horseshoe Tournament in Burlington, Ont. last Thursday. Jimmy Freeburg was named the tournament MVP.