The ‘‘Our towns’’ column is compiled each month by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. The entries have been copied from the April 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 Press Bulletin of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station says:
“The champion egg for the year was laid by a White Leghorn hen owned by James O. LeFevre of New Paltz, N.Y., during the twenty-second week of the twelfth egg-laying contest at Storrs. This egg was 2.87 inches in length and 2.14 inches in diameter and weighed a little over 4 ounces.”
Men have been at work removing the old ice and snow from the south side of Main Street, much improving the appearance of the street. Old buildings in the rear of the Memorial House are being dismantled. They partially collapsed from the weight of the snow.
The Rosendale station of the Wallkill Valley Railroad was destroyed by fire on Saturday night at about midnight. The firemen responded to the call but the fire had gained so much headway that it was impossible to extinguish it, and the building which included the freight house containing considerable amount of freight was entirely destroyed. By the effects of the firemen the flames were prevented from spreading to other buildings. The station including the freight house was the largest building of the kind along the line of the road.
The roads are becoming more passable for automobiles. The mild weather on Tuesday brought the autos out in full force.
The body of Lewis C. Hart of Albany, who was drowned in the Hudson several months ago, was found floating in the river near Highland last week.
Reports continue to come in of the great damage done by mice and Jack rabbits to the young fruit trees set out within a few years past south of our village. The great depth of the snow afforded protection to the mice and their work, but the Jack rabbits can bark the trees to a much greater height than the field mice. Mr. Tice tells us he has noted one tree from which the bark was removed to the height of a man’s hand.
Miss Helen Gaffney, Miss Margaret Walsh, James Gaffney and John Dodd attended the Charity Ball in Kingston which was held on Monday night for the benefit of the Benedictine Hospital. They had the pleasure of meeting the son and daughter of Governor Al Smith.
To Whom it may Concern: Will the people who are talking so much about the Ku Klux Klan and myself get busy and prove I am a member. CHARLES ROBINSON, Highland, R.D. 4
A number of New Paltz people attended the violin recital given by Jascha Heifetz in the Poughkeepsie High School auditorium last Friday. The famous Polish pianist Ignace Ian Paderewski, will play in the Poughkeepsie High School auditorium on April 18.
Parts of the first cars to be assembled at the automobile plant at Wallkill have begun to arrive at Wallkill.
Hands on the Arbuckle Farms are receiving forty-five cents an hour. On the Mrs. Jamison place farming will be carried this year for pleasure rather than for profit. Much work will be done in landscape farming. There are about twenty men at work for Mrs. Jamison at the Arbuckle Farms. No plowing has been done yet. They are setting out a great number of trees, especially pines. There will be a fine avenue from the residence to the swimming ground at the Wallkill.
A large gang of men are taking up the old rails on the Wallkill Valley railroad at Gardiner and replacing them with heavier ones.
The first shad of the season was caught in the Hudson River at Highland last week by Bob Barret and Charles Raymond.
New Paltz High School baseball team played the Mohonk School team on Saturday afternoon. The score was New Paltz 12, Mohonk 10. On Friday our high school boys played Raymond Riordon team with the resulting score of: New Paltz 7, Riordon 6. Our local team is certainly making an excellent beginning.
About fifty boys and several of the teachers of the Mohonk School attended services in the Reformed Church on last Sunday morning. About twenty of the boys were on mounts and the others came in wagons. They are husky lads which prove that the mountain air is a fine tonic for growing boys.
New Paltz has done nothing yet, but should take a prominent part in the Tercentenary Celebration of the settlement of New York by Walloons and Huguenots to be held next year. We would suggest that Mme. Carlo Polifeme be asked to co-operate with the New Paltz Huguenot Memorial Society. Mme. Polifeme, whose home was in Lille, a Walloon center near the farm where Louis DuBois was born, takes a deep interest in New Paltz and her tireless energy has carried through to a successful conclusion every enterprise she has undertaken.
A number of fruit growers who stored apples through the winter waiting for a better price have been moving the last of their product and receiving a good price for them. Most of the fruit has been shipped to New York City during the past two months. Several who had spoilage in storage, and were unable to sell number 1 apples, disposed of their fruit to the vinegar companies.
Mr. Millham will start up his barrel factory this week. He has been late in starting this year on account of the bad condition of the roads. He will have six men at work at the outset. Stock for the barrels is considerably higher than it was last year and it is supposed that the price for barrels will be higher. Mr. Millham has commenced shipping barrels this week, sending a carload to the factory of sugar products at Arkville, N.Y.
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