The first Agricultural Fair held in Susquehanna County was at Montrose in 1846. Sixty-eight years ago. It was a day of small things as compared with the Fair of 1914. Horses or oxen furnished the means of locomotion. Merchants obtained their goods from New York City. They went up the Hudson river to Piermont, and by the Erie Railroad, which in 1847 was completed as far as Otisville. The rest of the way the goods came in wagons. Heavy things often came to Binghamton by way of the Hudson river, the Erie and Chenango canals, thence they came in wagons to Montrose. Grass was cut with the scythe only, and grain with the cradle. Threshing was mostly done with flail. Tallow and sperm oil furnished light by night. The fuel was almost exclusively wood. Five miles an hour was a good rate of travel. The people were happy, in blissful ignorance of better things in store for them. It was a slow age. Invention and better knowledge of the laws of nature has changed all this. We live in a fast age. We are not content with five or eight miles an hour in travel, it must be ten times that, or faster. We are all in a hurry to get through. Oxen are rarely seen. Horses and improved agriculture machinery do most of the hard work for the farmer. Kerosene superseded tallow and sperm oil, and that in turn has been to a great extent displaced by electricity, which not only furnishes light, but heat and power. Automobiles have largely taken the place of carriages and wagons, both for pleasure and transportation and the telephone is in almost every home—a wonderful economizer of time.
1914 Fair - As part of the entertainment in this year’s fair, Prof. Allen and his balloon will be an attraction. Prof. Allen has appeared here several times and is the best aeronaut that can be secured, his exhibitions in the past always satisfying. His dog comes with him and will sail in the clouds with the professor, cutting loose and making his descent when the “old man” drops.
Auburn Twp. – Auburn Catholics announce a big picnic in Burke’s Grove, near the [St. Bonaventure] church, on Thursday, Sept. 10th. You will get double your money’s worth in good eats, and appropriate music, etc., will be provided.
Lawton, Rush Twp. – To the lady guessing nearest the number of peanuts in a glass jar at Campbell’s tent, on the Lawton Fair Grounds, goes 6 cans of Campbell’s Liquid Stove Polish.
Ainey, Springville Twp. – Winifred Smales began her school with a large attendance. The scholars from Strickland Hill are now brought to this school.
Herrick Center – During a severe shower, Saturday evening, lightning struck the home of George Emmons, about two miles from this village. Mr. Emmons’ little son, John, had an arm badly burned and was unconscious for twenty minutes. Both Mr. and Mrs. Emmons were slightly injured and their little daughter, Sadie, was thrown from the couch on which she was lying. The house was not set on fire, but is badly wrecked. The chimney was torn off, there are large holes in the roof and sides of the house, twenty-three window panes broken and furniture and carpets ruined. It seems almost a miracle that none of the family were killed or seriously injured.
Susquehanna – Dr. Wm. P. Ahearn has accepted a position as physician in the war in Europe.
ALSO Francis Brall, a 16 year old Binghamton boy, while boarding an Erie train here on Sunday evening, fell under the wheels as it was moving out from the station and had his leg badly crushed. He was taken to the Barnes Memorial Hospital where Erie Surgeon Condon attended him.
Lake View, Jackson Twp. – Henry Miller, an aged citizen of this place, while attending the Miller reunion at Brushville, Friday, dropped dead. He was apparently in the best of health and shortly after dinner, while visiting relatives at the reunion, suddenly reeled and fell to the ground. Medical aid was summoned but live was extinct before the arrival of a physician. Heart disease is given as the cause of death. ALSO School began Monday with Mr. VanHorn, of Thompson, as principal and Miss A. E. Bartlett as primary teacher.
Heart Lake – There was a good-sized attendance of veterans and their wives at the annual gathering held here on Friday, 50 members being present. Commander M. H. VanScoten was unanimously re-elected to the office he has so ably filled for some years, the comrades having come to the conclusion that they cannot improve upon their present enthusiastic head officer. The dinner was heartily enjoyed, as well as the cigars thoughtfully provided by Att. E. R. W. Searle, when in an after dinner smoke the “boys” told stories while the smoke curled much after the manner of the camp fires of days gone by.
Brooklyn – Photographer S. J. Roper has a tent in this place and will be here Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for all who wish work in this line during the next two weeks.
Dimock – Remember the Dimock free library is open every day in the week except Tuesday, where you can get a good book or paper to read. ALSO School commenced Monday last in the Bunnell school, with Louanna Cronk as teacher.
Largest Panther Known in State Killed in this County: The director of the Everhart Museum, Scranton, B. H. Warren, writes the following interesting item in the Times: “Mr. Henry W. Shoemaker, president of the Altoona Tribune Co., is devoted to the study of natural history and he is particularly active in laboring for conservation of wild life. In his very interesting and valuable little work entitled, “The Pennsylvania Lion or Panther” he pays a well-deserved compliment to the ability as a taxidermist of our townsman, Mr. Geo. P. Friant, as follows—“Of the eight mounted specimens (from Penn’a) now in existence, all of which are fortunately mounted with the skulls, the heads are large. The size of the head and jaw of the specimen in the museum at State College, which is magnificently mounted, is the most noticeable feature of the manikin. This state college panther, a male 7 ft. 9 in. from end of nose to tip of tail, was killed by Sam’l E. Brush in Susquehanna Co., in 1856. It was originally mounted in a very different manner, but fortunately the skin was well preserved. The animal was presented to the writer by a relative of Mr. Brush, and placed in the hands of Mr. Friant to be remounted. A scrap of newspaper giving date of killing, with the weight and measurement of the panther, was found wrapped and tied around the skull. The flesh side of the skin had been carefully cleaned and was purplish-black in color, due no doubt, to some agent employed in tanning the hide.” [Penn State’s mascot was borrowed by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for what was supposed to be a one-year exhibit in 1953 and not returned to State College until 1994. The Nittany Lion had been the mascot since 1907 and since the eastern mountain lion disappeared from the region around Mount Nittany before 1870, the only remaining example of a mountain lion native to Pennsylvania was the stuffed male cat that was shot by Mr. Brush. It is currently on display at Penn State’s All Sports Museum].
News Briefs: Farm tenancy is the greatest menace now confronting the nation and can only be checked by affording the tenant and the laborer facilities for acquiring property, and by reducing the high rates of interest which are now sapping the vitality of agriculture. ALSO The county commissioners are preparing to have the work started on the Monument Square park. Gravel walks are to be constructed, a fountain placed, and other improvements made to make this beauty spot even more beautiful.
Several years ago, I had the privilege to attend a local junior high school event that focused on the Constitution. The students had been divided into different groups – or committees – and the experts (those of us who volunteered) questioned the groups in mock hearings regarding different aspects of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It was a blast – the kids did a great job, the teacher was terrific, and it was clear that a ton of work had gone into the entire event.
There was only one thing that bothered me - there were some really strange questions that had very little to do with the Constitution of the Bill of Rights from a historical perspective – and everything to do with something akin to governmental social engineering. For instance, I remember there were critical questions about the drafting of the Constitution in secrecy which challenged these junior high students as to how it would have been different if the press had been allowed to report on the Constitutional Convention. There were questions on the “exclusion” of women from the Constitutional Convention with the underlying assertion that the Founding Fathers were all “sexists.” There were accusations regarding slavery – and the “racism” of the Founding Fathers. There were challenges to the Electoral College – and whether it thwarted the will of the electorate. Then there were questions regarding religious freedom and “separation of church and state” that simply were historically inaccurate.
At the end of the presentation, I was allowed to say a few words – and I remember feeling obligated to underscore just how exceptional the Founding Fathers were and the pure brilliance of the Constitution itself. It was the prototype for the world – and remains the model for most constitutional democracies. I told the students – and the parents who had gathered there – that the Founding Fathers struggled mightily – not only in fighting a war against the most powerful nation in the world to gain independence, but also in creating a government that would assure the freedoms that they fought so hard to obtain. I confirmed that the Founding Fathers knew that there constitutional creation was likely not perfect – that it why there was a means to amend it – and they recognized that there were large issues left unresolved. I concluded with a strong statement that what occurred in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention was simply miraculous.
Afterward, I actually had some parents come down to me to thank me for my concluding remarks. They expressed frustration with some of the content of the lesson plans that their children were encountering – lessons that the parents opined threatened to undermine the respect and admiration that our children have for our greatest leaders. I suspect that some of the questions that they were hearing were rubbing them the wrong way as well.
I was thinking about this when a friend sent me an email that outlined some new teaching material for history classes. These materials were written by Grant Wiggins – who happens to also be a Common Core professional development trainer – and my friend was expressing concern about Common Core given its connection to people who would ask children these kinds of questions. Among the objectionable questions was the following: Was George Washington any different from Palestinian terrorists trying to protect their country?
It is hard to even begin to comprehend how this question would be suggested as a teaching mechanism for children. Mr. Wiggins contends that such questions encourage critical thinking skills - but such a defense does not hold much water. How is George Washington similar to “Palestinian terrorists” who launch bombs into residential areas or send suicide bombers into crowded civilian areas to increase the carnage? There is no connection whatsoever between the two – and without such a logical and reasonably arguable connection, the question only serves to degrade and undermine the respect and admiration that the students would have for George Washington.
Here is a novel idea – and a time-proven method of teaching that works – simply tell students the facts without a social agenda tied to it. As someone with two degrees in history, I never encountered anything as ridiculous and bizarre as this question in either my undergraduate or graduate classes. We were expected to think critically and read different interpretations of events that provided different historical perspectives. I had professors from every different ideological stripe – but I never had any professor who ever suggested something as ridiculous as Washington being similar to a Palestinian terrorist. It is absolutely chilling to think that the people implementing Common Core in our schools believe that George Washington can reasonably be compared to a Palestinian terrorist – and even worse to think that there are teachers out there who would actually use this garbage as a teaching tool.
Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801 or at our website www.SusquehannaCounty-DA.org or discuss this and all articles at http://dadesk.blogspot.com/.
Tape This To Your Fridge – 6 First Aid Tips
Your pharmacist (aka Street Doctor) has a wealth of information that can make your life a lot easier – especially when it comes to those “bound to happen” medical emergencies. So print out this column and tape it to your wall, fridge, or bathroom mirror.
Bee sting – First, get away from the bee. Bees release a scent when in danger to attract other bees. If you are still around when reinforcements get there, they will also attack you. Remove any stingers with your fingers. The longer stingers remain in the body, the more severe the reaction. If the person who got stung is allergic to bees, check to see if the victim is carrying an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen). If the allergic victim does not have the epinephrine pen, call 911 immediately!
Bloody nose – Holding your head back is not the best cure for a nosebleed. Instead, sit up straight, with your head tilted slightly forward to prevent blood from running down your throat. Pinch your nostrils closed to stop a nosebleed. This may take 10 to 15 minutes. Apply a cold cloth or an icepack to the nose. Go to the ER if the bleed is unusually heavy or cannot be stopped.
Deep cut – While rinsing a minor cut is a good idea, rinsing a deeper gash can actually cause it to bleed more heavily because the natural clotting factors also get washed away. Use a clean towel instead and apply pressure to the wound for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and bandage.
Kitchen burn – Do not ice – the skin is damaged and intense cold can worsen it. Run cool water on it for 20 minutes to reduce swelling. Cover with loose bandage and avoid oil-based ointments which can trap heat.
Spider bite – If possible, kill and save the spider for identification purposes. Clean the bite site with soap and water. Apply a cool compress over the spider bite location. If the bite is on an extremity, elevate it. Aspirin or acetaminophen and antihistamines may be used to relieve minor signs and symptoms in adults. Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers.
Sprained ankle – During the first 4 hours, elevate the ankle above hip level and ice it for 10-20 minutes at a time, with 10-minute breaks. Ice and elevate as needed while discomfort persists.
Of course, consulting with a healthcare professional – or calling 9-1-1 – can be essential if there are other complicating factors, such as a very deep cut or when breathing is difficult or has stopped.
Ron Gasbarro, PharmD is a pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Write him at ron@rx-press.com.
