SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-2
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: We’ve abundant obsessions with smells, aromas, fragrance and odors. Daniel Robeadeau Clymer, third mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania, wormed his way into the pages of The Republican in August 1886 with a sleeplessness remedy unknown to me. “Onions inhaled cause sleep, rest and repose. “Tie a fresh onion around the neck and bruise it to make its odor thorough, and you secure sound sleep.” The fellow considered publishing his recommendation “an act of humanity.” Editor J.C. Olchiltree asked, “Who didn’t know onions put people to sleep? The odor may drive off care, but it will also drive off your best friends.” Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was in “bad odor” in mid-1853. Congress had ordered the tree removed from the capital based upon an unfounded “opinion” that it caused disease. Other cities including Indianapolis planned to follow suit. The Advertiser reported no reason for that opinion, but “there appears to be no controversy upon the subject,” adding that it was probable the tree would cease to be cultivated across America. That invasive remains – pass northbound by Blanton Woods and beyond and you can see it. I wonder whether we’ve really been fighting it for nearly 170 years. Darby’s Prophylactic Fluid in 1883 removed “all offensive odors” and prevented and treated smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, yellow fever and malaria. “Noxious odors and gases,” too, and putrescent things as well. Should mulish folks questing for Ivermectin opt for Darby’s instead? Surely, it could handle Covid. At one buck a pint, the price was right. Free for some today appears to be too steep. Readers in 1890 learned that Parisian women were obsessed with perfumes. They bathed their hair in it, wore shoes of perfumed leather and their clothes were “folded in odorous sachets.” One “fair belle of the frivolous city” had taken to injecting drops of perfume to improve her odor. “Like many social queens,” she had an opium habit, and the resulting bodily smell forced her hand. It worked for her, but after her maid blabbed about it, quite a few began running up perfume and they fell “mysteriously ill.” Sufferers from catarrh and hay fever were urged in 1887 to avoid cocaine, mercurials, and iodoform, particularly the latter because of its offensive odor. All were “injurious and dangerous.” Instead, Ely’s Cream Balm, at only 50 cents, was free of “all poisonous drugs” and it had cured thousands “where all other remedies have failed” merely by applying “a particle” to each nostril. For “perfect smell, taste and hearing” there was Sanford’s Radical Cure. That quackery restored those three senses and “deodorized” the head, leading me to wonder whether there could be something that obviated smell to unburden folks of ponderously odiferous assaults. Dear Editor, I believe I’ve shared the 1883 Pittsboro correspondent’s contribution questioningly corroborating the contention that billy goat odor possessed smallpox prophylactic properties. “A young woman who has a beautifully rounded throat, with lovely neck and arms to match” in 1892 credited nightly dousing herself for half an hour with cod liver oil. “You must be prepared for a somewhat disagreeable odor and the ruination of your night robe.” Three weeks of treatment were required. She did not recommend internally dousing with the stuff, which is a good, because I hear it causes fish breath and belching. Some suitors would be put off by that. A man “burdened with the name of W.T. Thiselton Dyer” wrote in 1887 about an unidentified plant hailing from Madras, India, that temporarily removed taste from everything from sugar to cigars. Reprinted from Chicago, the article demands something else – something that obscured “the redolent flavor of boiled cabbage, and the pungent odor of the onion.” Again, the onion. “S.F.X.” penned a paean to that vegetable in December 1881, comparing it to the working masses, “the bone and sinew of the country.” They were the hard-handed, broad shouldered, brave-hearted children of toil.” Some might call them potatoes or cabbages. Vermont Senator George F. Edmunds was “passionately addicted to onions,” a lady camping companion declared in 1885. The senator ate an onion and graham cracker for breakfast. Lunch was a graham cracker sandwich and an onion, and dinner was meat and onions. That man needed Darby’s. Paul Miner Lizton ______________________________________________________________________
No News November
Turn it off, don’t click on that headline, and just say “no” to news in November. This includes Twitter and all “chatters.” Impossible? No, it’s not. You don’t want to miss anything? You won’t. Last September, one month before the election, I had to turn it all off. The level of toxicity at that time both locally and nationally was too much, so off it went. And one month later I was noticeably happier. I want to share the gift with you this year. Since November seems to be the month for skipping normal activities such as “No shave November,” I will be turning off the news once again, but this time in November, and invite you to do the same. You will need to let your friends and family know of this in advance and ask them nicely not to spoil this 30 days of bliss for you. They may try to thwart your efforts but once they see how happy you are, they might join you. So, prepare to have extra time on your hands to spend with your family and friends, to pick up that book you wanted to read, to start a new hobby. Write us at the newspaper and let us know how you are doing. If you don’t think you can do this or if you need support, call or text me. I will help you. (317) 431-2672. I own a newspaper. If I can do it, you can too. Enjoy. You’re welcome. Jerry Vornholt
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If you have a local news item to share, our deadline for receiving news items is noon on Monday for inclusion in Thursday’s edition. You can send your local news items to us by e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net. Call 317745-2777, send by fax to 317-647-4341. After hours, news items may be slipped in the mail slot in the front door at 6 E. Main, Danville. ____________ If at first you do succeed don’t take any more chances. Kin Hubbard
Thursday, September 23, 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 September 24, 1896 Coatesville: The McKinley Club here is going to fit up a drum corps and get ready to attend all speakings. Clayton: Last Saturday night a McKinley club was organized with a goodly number of members. Avon: School began Monday with an attendance of seventy-five. New Winchester: The McKinley club organized here last week with fifty-two members. A small army of tramps invaded Danville Tuesday morning and hardly a house failed to have a caller, some having four or five. John Foster, a popular barber connected with Dudley’s shop, and Miss Clara Cloud, of Pecksburg, were married Tuesday. David Reynolds leads the gardeners of our town in raising mango peppers. He exhibited one on the streets last Saturday measuring thirteen inches in circumference. A Republican bicycle club is being organized as messengers and escorts during the campaign. Joseph Clements, brother of ex-sheriff Clements, has been granted a pension at the munificent rate of one dollar per month. Rumors are afloat that Hinshaw has confessed to the murder of his wife. The story, according to the News, embraces a confession made by Hinshaw to a lawyer who had been a college friend. The Republican of Union township met Saturday evening in the school chapel for the purpose of perfecting the organization of a McKinley Club. One hundred twenty-five names were recorded as members of the club. Plainfield: The Friends Yearly Meeting closes today after a profitable session. Sunday, though it was cold, people began to pour in early and by two o’clock at least 10,000 people were on the grounds. _____ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of September 22, 1921 Women in the Friendswood neighborhood meet today to organize a Home Economics Club under the direction of Miss Dix. The authorities of North Salem have certified to auditor Pattison that there will be no tax levy made by them this year. The first annual reunion of the Jackson-Whyte families will be held at the home of John C. Taylor on Sunday, Oct. 2. Amo: Mr. Hickson and Victor Burch shipped a traction car load of hogs to the city one day last week. It was the first load every shipped from here on the interurban line. Hazelwood: “Skyfire,” a royal northwest mounted police story, featuring Neal Hart, and a comedy, “Razzin’ the Jazz,” will be the attractions at the Cozy theater Saturday night. Persimmons for sale. Have over 100 trees of grafted varieties. One mile west of Cartersburg. W.F. Little. There are more changes in Avon. The new Jenkins block is completed. The building is of concrete and about 50 by 100 feet. The store room is fitted up and leased by E.J. Misch, who is putting in a complete stock of general merchandise. As pretty, as well as pathetic, service was held by the Daughters of Rebecca and the Camp, at Odd Fellow hall, Thursday evening, when their service flag was demobilized. Two soldiers of the world war slowly lowered the flag, which was tenderly caught and folded away by two old comrades of the civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Walters have taken another little girl into their home, Jeanette Walters, who will enter the fifth grade. A large, double Oriole plane, direct from the Curtis-Indiana aviation field at Kokomo, bombed Danville with circulars, Tuesday afternoon, advertising the three days’ flying carnival at that city the rest of this week. Aquilla Dawson is the new agent in charge of the local traction station. With an attendance one-third larger than last fall, Central Normal College opened its doors, Tuesday. A new feature is a college cafeteria under the control of Mrs. Breeding, where meals may be obtained. _____ SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of September 26, 1946 Latest pre-registration enrollment figures for Canterbury College brought the total of new students to 205. A total enrollment of approximately 300 students are expected. “Call the tomatoes or tomahtoes,” says
Manager L. E. Burris, “either way, 16,509 hampers came to the loading station here last week.” From all over the county, they came, they saw, and they enjoyed the carnival and a tidy sum, better than $3,000, has been added to the building fund of the Hendricks County Post of the America Legion. Many Danville people attended the opening of the Jones and Matthews Mortuary in Brownsburg on September 15. Mr. Matthews is a former Danville resident and Mr. Jones is a Pittsboro resident. Mrs. Arthur Shartle attended the Poet’s Corner meeting at Indianapolis in the Atheneum in Indianapolis, Saturday afternoon. Dallas Guthrie, local radio repairman, shot a piney squirrel north of Danville. Local nimrods say that they have never before known of a piney in Hendricks County. North Salem: Miss Lida Hicks made many garments for the Red Cross. She has been receiving letters from grateful persons living in Russia, Greece and some small islands who received them. She placed her name in some garments, hoping she would hear from the recipients. Come out and see the new J-3 Cub Plane. Free lessons with each new plane. Gulf gas and oil. Soft Drinks. Steward Field, 1 1/2 mile east of Danville. _____ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of September 23, 1971 The Danville Jaycees will have a fish fry, October 8 & 9, to raise money for the Community Building Fund. Vernon Gipson, manager of Danners, Inc., Danville store, presented a check for $300 to Danny Pritchett, drum major, and Randy Clayton, assistant, Danville Community High School Band, to help purchase new uniforms. Local business men have contributed $795; concerts netted $490.66 and parent organizations contributions, $2,856.50. Three schools in Hendricks County are among 20 school corporations named defendants in the Indianapolis desegregation case. Those schools are Plainfield, Avon, and Brownsburg. Coming Soon - C&R Car Wash (formerly Auto-Teria Car Wash), 425 S. Cross St., Danville - 1 Manual Bay, 1 Automatic Bay, 1 Brush Bay, 7 Brush Unit. Plainfield Elks will have Golf’s Greatest Show, featuring Paul Hahn, a member of the PGA, Sept. 25. Born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Thurnall, a daughter, Angela Denise, September 13, at the Hendricks County Hospital _____ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of September 19, 1996 The Danville Park Department has seven Norway spruce trees that can be taken for those who want them, to make room for the new bathhouse, west of Gill pool. The Hendricks County Council has red-penciled $2,412,058 out of the General Fund of the advertised county budget, which totaled $24,572,727. Kerry (Cook) Trout of Danville brought home a first place ribbon in the 1996 Hoosier Dollhouse Miniature Show at the Indiana State Fair. The cardiac rehabilitation department of Hendricks Community Hospital wishes to invited all present and former cardiac rehab clients to their first ever golf scramble on October 13, at the Hendricks County Golf Course. Hendricks County Senior Services and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles are sponsoring “Coaching the Mature Driver,” a free driving class designed especially for older adults. _____ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of September 22, 2011 This year’s Corn Maze at Beasley’s Orchard is “Lost in a Book.” The annual Quaker Day celebration in Plainfield will become a two-day “Quaker Festival.” The event will include carnival rides, booths, entertainment and the 32nd Quaker Day Parade. Two Hendricks County football teams will play on the Colts’ home turf as part of the Hoosier Classic High School Football competition, Saturday, September 25. The Tri-West Bruins will battle Crawfordsville Athenians and the Danville Warriors will take on the Frankfort Hot Dogs. Employees at Hendricks Regional Health had a little fun wrapping up their annual United Way fundraiser campaign with a pie throwing event. For $1, per pie, employees could take a turn throwing a cream pie at middle-managers. Steve Hartsock was recently appointed Safety Officer at Lucas Oil Raceway. ____________
