150 years ago
March 18, 1875
THE WANZER FAMILY SEWING MACHINE! – WITHOUT COGS, CAMS, OR HEART MOTIO – Winds the Bobbin Without Running the Machine! FASTENS ITS OWN THREAD! Lengthens, Shortens, or Reverses the Stitch Without Stopping the Machine! SEW BACKWARDS AS WELL AS FORWARDS – Has Large Bobbin & Solid Shuttle! Eight different Styles to suit Purchasers – We also have for Sale a complete assortment of the Machines manufactured by the WANZER SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, HAMILTON, ONT>< among which are to be found the celebrated Wanzer D. and R. Machines of the latest improvement. Different styles and sizes. We are confident that we can suit all parties in need of a first-class Machine from our varies assortment, both in quality and price. Call and Examine for Yourselves. BOYD & CO., AGENTS for Huntingdon, Chateaugay and Beauharnois Counties.
125 years ago
March 15, 1900
HOWICK: Children’s diseases are gradually disappearing from this section, and the schools are re-opening.
The question of incorporating this village is being discussed at the present time for several reasons, the principal one being that the place would be much improved in appearance by devoting more of the taxes raised in the village to improvements, the money now going elsewhere.
ORMSTOWN: Our hotelkeepers are in great anxiety as to who will be the lucky ones to get license. Petitions are being circulated for signatures. Voters should be on their guard about signing these petitions for license.
The first of these [discussions among farmers] was the price charged by railways, namely, 8 cents per [milk] can from all stations east of Ormstown and 11 cents from stations west of Ormstown. In summer, the farmer out of every four cans gives the price of one to the railway as freight charges.
DUNDEE: Ice is being got out of the Salmon river for the Allangrove factories in Dundee. It is about 22 inches thick.
100 years ago
March 12, 1925
HORSE TROT ATTRACTS MANY ENTHUSIASTS: Friday afternoon made on think of Huntingdon Fair, for the streets were lined with men heading for the races which were staged on J.L. Cluff’s farm on the outskirts of the town. … the races were well contested, the horses and drivers were all unaccustomed to racing, therefore the enthusiasm ran high, and much good sport enjoyed. It was estimated that from 600 to 700 people visited the racetrack during the afternoon.
“I intend to ask the boss for a rise immediately,” declared the junior clerk. “Laddie,” replied the wise one, “take my advice and don’t remind the firm of your existence!”
75 years ago
March 15, 1950
We May Soon Be Able to Enjoy Television – T.V. Channels 2, 5, 9, Assigned to the CBC – Station in Montreal. … (The CBC expects to start its telecasts in the fall of next year). As in the case of ordinary radio, TV frequencies are assigned to stations by the Department of Transport in Ottawa. The Department is in constant contact with other governmental authorities in North America since all stations share the same frequencies. … To reduce interference, TV stations sharing a channel must be at least 215 miles distant and stations on the immediately adjacent channels must be at least 100 miles apart.
BUYERS would do well, before undergoing the expense of motoring to the city, to investigate their own local market. Be that as it may, the small town merchant will always face a considerable amount of competition from the city, for, even if the roads are bad, there is still the mail-order catalogue.
50 years ago
March 12, 1975
MERCIER LANDMARK: Fire destroys church – Only the stone walls of the Church of Ste. Philomène in Mercier stand witness to a savage six-hour blaze which gutted the 138-year-old building on Friday, March 7.