SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
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The Republican
Delving Into Yester~Year
Local historian and writer Paul Miner takes items from
The Republican’s Yester-Year column to develop an interesting, informative and often humorous article.
To the Editor: I remain a huge fan of etiquette recommendations for when I “sit down to feed with the aristocracy.” It hasn’t happened yet, but I want to be prepared and avoid embarrassment. I’m talking about a meal with a multitude of courses, several plates and two handfuls of forks and spoons. I’ve read there are nearly 200 different dining tools. In an item in an October 1884 issue, The Republican advised not to be late for dinner. I never am. Actually, I’m never invited. Don’t sit too far or too close to the table. The correct distance is not provided, an oversight not lost to me. The napkin is never tucked under the chin or spread on one’s lap. For some, it should be. Rather, “let it fall over your knee.” I suppose the act denotes a disdain for ordinary slobber or tumbling morsels. I think leaning over the plate is safest, albeit unpleasant to watch from across the table. It is expressly forbidden, along with lowering the noggin to connect with the food-laden fork. Not asking for a second serving of soup is okay with me as long as there’s something else coming right up. I’ve scant time for chitchat. It’s important not to take on airs of gentility or yell while dining, or any other time. I’ve witnessed particularly disconcerting feasting faux pas -- yelling at a spouse or the TV, or they’re shooing the dog and/or cat off the table. “Don’t bite bread.” That’s what it says. Tear it into pieces and then apply butter. Am I then to swallow it without a hint of mastication? If dining on fish, use a silver knife, because people believed fish blackens ordinary knives. That’s why I must dine with aristocracy. I applaud the 1887 advice to commence eating once food is on your plate rather than wait until everyone else has loaded up. “No one notices his neighbor’s plate.” From 1889, I learned “the etiquette of eating a soft-boiled egg has been the subject of more than one clever essay.” The revelation, according to a Good Housekeeping reprint, was the work of Mary Barr Monroe, a Florida-based clubwoman and conservationist. She must have known how to behave at dinner parties. I certainly don’t. She clearly felt comfortable doling out gustatory technique counsel so readers would avoid nonplussing mortification. The soft-boiled hen fruit sits in an egg cup (no clue as to small or large end up) and a small egg spoon is needed in England. Americans broke the egg into a cup and used a teaspoon. Methinks some go to far greater lengths than eggs deserve. Just eat them. Mrs. Monroe had witnessed the egg grasped by a napkin corner, “but this is not only tiresome,” but risks soiling the napkin. I’m tired from just reading about it. That napkin is to remain carelessly draped over a knee. Then she says celery is to be “carried to the mouth” using your fingers. “Transferred” is a better word, or “crammed.” At least she didn’t instruct readers to bite off a hunk and commence chewing. Half of your butter plate is for celery salt. I prefer peanut butter. Is there a peanut butter plate? Martha Stewart has a slideshow about setting up a dinner table, but I’ve no patience for it, or for all those videos about formal dinner settings. Corn on the cob hardly seems appropriate at a dinner party, but it’s okay if you hold the cob “daintily.” I see a problem if you’ve applied butter and you’ve not got a firm grasp on that cob. Mrs. Monroe approves serving corn separately and having finger bowls. Lettuce without dressing is torn apart using one’s fingers. “This is usually the lady’s duty and there is no prettier picture than that of a young lady” ripping the greens to smithereens, highlighting her “dainty white hands.” It is “one of the most fascinating and becoming of table duties.” If hot biscuits are passed around, tear off what you want, then tear off more for the neighbor. Most importantly, if things are being passed around, don’t hold up the process, especially if I’m sitting next to you, already gagging because someone tore up my salad with her bare hands and handled my biscuit. Paul Miner Lizton ______________________________________________________________________
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It’s News To Us
Birthday parties, new babies, anniversaries, visits from long-lost cousins -these items that make up the kind of news you only find in the pages of The Republican. If you have a local news item you’d like to contribute, you can call us at 317-745-2777, send by fax to 317-647-4341, e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net or drop by the office at 6 East Main in Danville. Our deadline for submitting news items is noon on Monday for Thursday’s edition.
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Yester~Year
The Republican has published local news weekly since 1847. We offer this column as a look back at events from our archives and to help connect today’s readers to the people and events in our past. ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of July 2, 1896 Plainfield: A lawn tennis club has been formed in our town. Jack Simms gave an exhibition of “trick riding” on his wheel, Sunday, to quite a large audience. The North Salem Herald skipped last week’s issue and everybody too a vacation. This is a luxury that only a few papers enjoy. C.F. Hall has just gathered his Gettysburg berry crop. Some years ago when on the Gettysburg battlefield, Mr. Hall dug up a raspberry vine and a dewberry vine which grew where his regiment stood in the heat of battle. He brought them home but the raspberry vine died. The dewberry produces a few berries each year. Our Colored People: Miss Bessie Lee has a position as a teacher in Georgetown, Kentucky. Will Bennett will enter the State University at Bloomington this fall. Friday evening there was a gay leap year party at the Cartersburg Springs. The ladies furnished the rigs and the gentlemen, the supper. Amo: Justice Brothers have sold their hardware stock to John Phillips, who will continue at the old stand. Mr. Phillips will also handle building material. Mrs. Nancy Powell has been allowed a pension on account of her husband’s service int eh Mexican Ware. The annual reunion of the Twenty-first regiment, First Indiana Heavy Artillery will be held in Danville August 12th and 13th. Maplewood: A week or ten days ago, T.M. Shoffner’s meadow was visited by a horde of hungry grasshoppers. ______ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of July 7, 1921 The sham battle at the park, Monday night, was a wonderful sight and the movements were well executed. It is estimated that from 6,000 to 8,000 people were in the park or on the hills adjoining during the evening. The night of the Fourth of July, 1921, will long be remembered as “some night” in Danville. Both precincts of Center township voted against the proposed consolidation of the schools of Danville and Center township. Danville voted in favor of the plan. The total vote was 384 our of 2,000 voters. Sheriff Clark unearthed some nine gallons of white mule in two jugs on the banks of Big Creek, Monday. The owners were not found. One of the most enjoyable receptions ever given in the county was that in the Amo high school building Wednesday afternoon when the Amo and Hadley Home Economics Clubs entertained the Hendricks County Home Economics Federation in honor of Miss Pansy L. Norton, who soon leaves the county for other fields of work. The ancient enemy of Danville ball teams – the Coatesville “Bluze,” will be here Sunday to meet the home team on the local grounds. Manager Newby solemnly avers that “this time” his boys are going to win. If the town clock can not be made to keep something like the right time, it should be stopped. It runs from 10 to 15 minutes slow every day and is a nuisance. The Purdue Alumni Association of Hendricks county was called together Saturday night at Danville to discuss some matters of timely interest. Picnic plans were first discussed. _____ SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of July 4, 1946 Charles Sumner of the Indiana Boys School will be presented at $25 savings bond. The prize is for fifth place in an essay contest recently conducted by the Central States Probation and Parole Conference on the subject, “Reclaiming the Delinquent through Probation and Parole.” A hamburger fry will be sponsored by the Pittsboro Lions club at the Pittsboro school grounds, Saturday, July 13. Free entertainment is being planned. W.E. Carter is constructing a private, eight-acre lake one quarter of a mile long, on his farm, a half-mile south of Avon. Three new 6-room homes are being built on the lake front. The proposed lake has been named “Lake Forest.” Players will tee off at 8 and 9:30 a.m., Sunday,July 7, in the third annual Hendricks County Golf Championship Tourney at the Martinsville golf course. Mrs. John Jenner has purchased the Thompson Beauty Shop in Hazelwood. The Danville Lions club will observe ladies night, next Thursday evening, July
11, with a dinner at the Wigwam at Central Normal College. Eugene Klatte, graduate of Clayton high school in the class of 1945, was first place winner in the freshman livestock judging contest at Purdue recently. Twenty-five members of the Hendricks County Home Economics Chorus were guests of the Mollie Star Show over station WIRE, Monday. They broadcast the number, “Hie Away,” written and composed by David Stevens and Gladys Pritchett. ______ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of July 1, 1971 When the Danville Public Square gets its “new look” this summer, the Danville Police Department will move from its present location to the Town Hall. The “little brick,” which used to be a water fountain several years ago, will be torn down. Benita Swalley was named Queen of the Brownsburg Home Show, last Saturday night. The 16-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Swalley, Brownsburg, will be a senior at Brownsburg High School next fall. Effective today, Merle Funk, former Hendricks County Sheriff, replaces William Chastain as Danville Police Chief. Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Guthrie III and baby daughter, Tricia Ann, of Terre Haute, spent the weekend with his mother, Mrs. Gwen Harrison and daughter Ann. “Trip” has just graduated from Indiana State and will be teaching industrial arts in Noblesville High School this year. Charles H. Hughes, former Danville resident, was ordained into the ministry of the Episcopal Church, May 29, in Lexington, Ky. I.E. Lewis, principal at Cascade High School, has been named superintendent of the Mill Creek Community School Corporation. Saturday and Sunday, you can eat and play games or vise versa, or you can just wander around and watch others feast and have fun at the annual Danville Jaycees July 4th Celebration at the 4-H Fairgrounds, east edge of town. ______ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of July 4, 1996 John Roberts has been appointed Assistant Fire Chief by the Danville Town Council. Gregg Scott and Tom Greene are Captains, Clark Bohbrink, Rob Roberts, Bob Allen and Lonnie Lagle are Lieutenants. The Danville Fire Department announces that effective July 1, three full-time and one part-time firefighters/EMTs will be on duty, Monday-Friday. The new firefighter personnel are Alan Pike, Tom Greene, John Turner and part-time, Greg Simpson. Joshua Barton of Plainfield left Saturday for a six-week session with Young Artist Vocal Institute at Santa Barbara, Calif. Crystal Curran, of Danville, received her Girl Scout Gold Award at the June 13th Gold Award Celebration at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. A new lake is being developed. It will be called Hawthorn Lake and is located about a mile south of New Winchester and north of Coatesville. Work has been held pup on the 72-acre site by the rainy weather. Danville resident Barb Cameron will perform with the Capital City Chorus in Columbus, Ohio, at the Regional Summer Meeting of the Sweet Adelines International. ______ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of July 7, 2011 Thirty-six hopefuls will compete to win the title of 2011 Miss Hendricks County 4-H Fair Queen on Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m. The HRH YMCA officially opened on June 25 at 201 Satori Parkway in Avon. The Jackie Quant Leadership Fund will host the second annual “Drive Your Dreams” Golf Outing, on Friday, July 29, at Twin Bridges Golf Course in Danville. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra returns to Ellis Park in Danville with a tribute to popular music legend Frank Sinatra, Thursday, July 14, at the Martin Amphitheater. Taylor Raasch, 2007 Danville High School graduate, recently graduated from Purdue University with highest honors and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. The Hendricks County Commissioners honored Veterans Service Officer Lori Turpin at its last meeting, June 28. Ms. Turpin had recently been recognized by the American Legion for securing more than $1.2 million in benefits for Hendricks County veterans.
