Museum Corner January 2020
Daily Mail newspaper employees front row left to right: John Wicker, Ova Sipes, Paul Rhoda, Sidney Brooks, unknown, Florence Wykoff, Nellie Pollard, Hallie Johnson, Amelia Ebert, Bert Wicker. Back row: Roe Taylor, Voyle Armstrong, Leland Wicker, Clarence Rhoda, unknown, Barney Biggs, Fred B. Otis, Wes Rhoda, Eldana Johnson, Curt Joshland. Photo date is unknown.
Extra!Extra! Read all About It
By Becky Buher , Printed in the Times-Mail Newspaper , Jan. 8, 2020
Happy New Year Lawrence County! Today’s century-old “news” comes to you from January 1920.
The Bedford Democrat’s front-page news promoted a special New Year show at the Grand Theater—Cecil B. DeMille’s “Don’t Change Your Husband.” The (Bedford) Opera House’s New Year’s vaudeville program included “The 3 Beauties, Comedy and Singing,” “LaRue & LaRue, Singing and Comedy” and “Clifton & Umpbley, Harmony Singing and Comedy.” The Opera House’s picture program was “Two Men of Tinted Butte,” a Far West drama.
The Citizens Trust Company broadcast a $20 prize to be awarded to the member who brought in the greatest number of new members. Webb Dry Goods was having a Pre-Inventory Sale—50 fine coats, $24.50 each.
Beautiful Home Wedding—Miss Mary Gainey and James Bittles were married at the home of her parents, 14th and L Streets. Rev. R. H. Toole, pastor of the First Methodist church, officiated.
The Lawrence County Medical Society enjoyed a chicken dinner. Mabel Wagoner Fagan filed suit for divorce alleging her husband, Boyd Fagan abandoned her in Philadelphia.
There was a business opportunity for men of proven business ability to act as exclusive county representatives for a nationally advertised line of automobiles, trucks and tractors.
The following news was published later in January 1920 in the The Bedford Daily Mail. That newspaper sold for 2 cents a copy. Its banner recorded it as the county’s Republican newspaper.
NATIONAL: “Washington, D.C.—The next forty-eight hours will develop a showdown in the situation unparalleled in political annals. The deadlock in the Senate will be broken, and the treaty put on the road to ratification or be irrevocably injected into the political campaign.”
STATE: “Indianapolis—The legislature cannot ratify the suffrage amendment constitutionally in one day, says the Indianapolis Times. It quotes the constitution that every bill passed shall be presented to the Governor, and no bill shall be presented to the Governor within two days of adjournment.”
LOCAL: Miss Helen Duncan of this city; Miss May Gladys Ragsdale of Heltonville; Enoch Burton and Gordon W. Batman of Mitchell are among the three hundred students who will receive the Bachelor of Arts degrees from Indiana University this year.
ACCIDENTS—Avoca’s Clifford Turner got his clothes caught in Needmore Mill’s diamond saw gearing and suffered one of the most terrible injuries ever recorded in this district. Lawrence Guthrie of North I Street, a Southeastern Shops employee, was also injured when a piece of steel hit him in the eye.
THREATENED—Mary Cline, filed suit in the Lawrence circuit court through her attorneys, Smith & McCormick, for a divorce from Dan Cline. It was alleged the defendant was guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment, threatened to kill her and said she had to work to clothe herself.
“WATER IN GAS MAIN—The gas company has been trying all day to get the water out of a 4-inch gas main at 16th and J Streets with a handpump, but the supply seems to be inexhaustible. Either the main has been cracked and surface water is forced in or someone has connected a water pipe to a gas pipe.”
Mr. and Mrs. James Knight’s son, Roy, of Washington Avenue, was hurt while coasting on the Wallheiser hill when one of his companions ran into him, tearing the muscles of his right leg.
Albert F. Smith filed suit in the Lawrence circuit court against Aaron D. Pless for $300 complaining Pless ran into his automobile causing $300 damage.
Eli Pavey was taxed $10 and costs for running a gaming house. The fire department was called to James Long’s house on North I Street near 9th when the chimney flue caught fire. Mrs. Leo Williams came down with scarlet fever while caring for her mother in Terre Haute. Oolitic’s grade team defeated Williams—score 17 to 8.
The First Presbyterian church’s Worth While Bible class presented former local singer, Jen McCormick now of Indianapolis. Margaret Seegmiller, violinist, and Ruth Murphy, pianist, accompanied the performance.
Back to the Future, January 2020—A workstation is being set up at the museum for patrons to efficiently search historic digital Bedford and Mitchell newspapers. Museum board member, Carol Sanders, obtained funding for this easy-to use digital service through a Lawrence County Community Foundation grant. This invaluable research tool is available to all.