The ‘‘Our towns’’ column is compiled each month by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. The entries have been copied from the November 1925 issues of the New Paltz Independent. To get a closer look at these newspapers of the past, visit the staff of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection at the Elting Memorial Library at 93 Main Street in New Paltz, or call 255-5030.
The annual fair of the Ladies Aid Society of the Reformed Church, held in the Odd Fellows Hall, Gardiner, the evenings of October 21 and 22, was a great success. About $640 was realized. A chicken supper was served to 259 people on Wednesday evening. The entertainment on Thursday evening was a play “Dr. Dobb’s Assistant” in which Messrs. Floyd Wells, Wilbert Alsdorf, Myron Rinehart and Alfred McKinstry took part. As the play was approaching its climax, someone called “Fire!” Upon rushing from the building, it was discovered that the barn on Gilbert Bevier’s farm was burning. As Mr. and Mrs. Bevier were in the hall at that time, the origin of the fire is unknown.
While hunting on Wednesday, October 21, George Allen of Ohioville found a skeleton in the swamp or pasture land west of Charles Sinagra’s house about a mile and a quarter south of Ohioville. Coroner Suitor of Marlborough was notified and he held the inquest the next day. The clothing was nearly all decayed — part of an overcoat was the largest piece left. The remains were turned over to Undertaker Pine for burial. A young Italian named Cannaliato who lived with his father on the former Charles Jenkins place near Clintondale identified the skeleton from the fragments of clothing remaining, as his father’s brother. The dead man’s name was Bangio Cannaliato. He had been a feeble-minded person who had to be watched constantly. He wandered away from his home about two years ago and was last seen near Eifert’s tenant house, which is a short distance south of the private road leading to the swamp where the skeleton was found. The funeral was held Monday and the burial was in the cemetery at Lattingtown.
Witch hazel is now in its glory. Quantities of it may be seen along the road to Newburgh. Its yellow flowers with their peculiar pungent odor, studding the branches, belong to autumn as much as pussy willows to April. Yet comparatively few people know what it is.
The Dutch Reformed Sunday School has extended an invitation to the Normal students to attend a “Backwards” Party to be held Friday evening, November 6. By way of explanation, students, this doesn’t mean a non-progressive condition, but please wear your clothes backwards and enter the Lecture Rooms backwards, and you’ll have the best backwards time you’ve ever had.
Mr. Jacobs reports the Yale-Army game to have been a wow! He says he is going next year if he has to hire an ambulance to take him. Yale won with a score of 28 to 7 in their favor and the Army was obliged to return with the good old mule in a badly defeated condition. The bowl held about 80,000 people and the cheering was immense!
A number of people have visited the office of the Principal to take the New York State Literacy Test. A new State law provides that no person shall be allowed to vote for the first time if he or she has not passed the work of the eighth grade or taken one of these tests.
Oscar Tschirky of New Paltz and the Waldorf-Astoria has become so much occupied with the care of celebrities and notable gatherings, that someone else, Mr. Valentine Von der Lin, has been given the management of the Waldorf restaurants and room service. Last week, Oscar had the care of the Prince and Princess Osaka of Japan who were guests at the Waldorf. Certain publishers have asked for Oscar’s memoirs, and now that he has more time he will write his recollections of 40 years’ experience of fashionable New York hotels and restaurants and their patrons.
At a special meeting held in the high school at Highland Tuesday evening, it was voted to form a central school district to comprise District No. 5 of the Town of Lloyd, District No. 1 of Wilklow’s Corners, Town of Marlborough, and District No. 7, Elting’s Corners, in the Town of New Paltz. The vote was 178 in favor, 43 opposed.
The 156th regiment of New York Volunteer Infantry, met in their annual meeting at the Grange Hall Monday. At the business meeting the present staff of officers were elected. This was followed by a dinner served under the supervision of Mrs. R. H. Decker and her aides. It proved very delicious to the seven elderly ladies and twelve old soldiers. Eight of the veterans were members of the 156th and four were visiting comrades. Comrade Barnes of Plattekill is the president of the organization. After enjoying a social time after the dinner and business meeting, the gathering adjourned to meet on October 19th, 1926, in Highland. New Paltz misses the old soldiers, whose annual reunion on October 19 was for years one of the important events of the autumn season.
November 11 was Armistice Day. The Normal and other schools of the state commemorated the day by offering a silent prayer at 11 o’clock. An Armistice Dance was given in the Normal Gym in the evening under the auspices of the American Legion. Mr. van den Berg extended permission to attend to those of the student body who received bids.
The Normal library has been refitted with numerous chairs and tables. The students appreciate greatly this addition as study room is scarce and the library constantly in use. New additional lockers have been installed in the locker room and new seats in the balcony, which bespeaks the fact that the Normal is growing rapidly.
Among the organizations of this town, bound to make itself felt in the community, is the Parent-Teachers Association. Organized two years ago, it started its third year of usefulness with an open meeting held this last Wednesday afternoon at the Normal School. One of the most important pieces of work yet sponsored by the Association is being undertaken this week at the Normal under the direction of Miss Pristch of the Health Department. Under the active supervision of this department, the need was felt for a dental hygienist to investigate the condition of the children’s teeth. Through a most unusual stroke of good luck, Miss Pritsch was able to secure for the work the services of Mrs. Mildred Skinner of Niagara Falls, who comes under the auspices of the Oral Hygiene Committee of the Dental Society of New York State.
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