100 Years Ago
In 1912, it cost more to live in the month of June 1912, than ever before in the history of the United States, except, perhaps, during war times. Prices were high a year ago but this day they were on an average nearly 10 percent higher yet, according to trade authority quotations. Food products were the highest on record. Meat, eggs, butter, fish, potatoes, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, molasses, rice, beans and peas averaged 22 percent higher. Fruits were the only good thing to eat that had grown cheaper during the last 12 months but they were still higher than in 1910.
Better weather could scarce have been "made to order" for the exhibition of Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Far East show than that which was vouchsafed by the weatherman on Saturday afternoon and evening for the occasion of the latest visit of the "world's congress of rough riders." And that the favorable conditions were fully appreciated was patent to the observer of the great gatherings which filled the spacious semi-roofless tent. The crowds were exceptionally well taken care of both by the exhibition management and by the street car company, which transported the greater portion of the crowd to and from the show grounds. Some people had talked about how Buffalo Bill was getting old but those who saw him shoot were convinced that age was not telling on him very appreciably and his uncounted friends rejoiced that this was so.
75 Years Ago
In 1937, Edward, Duke of Windsor, took Wallis Warfield as his bride and Duchess this day, married under French law and with the unsanctioned blessing of the Church of England. The Rev. R. Anderson Jardine united the abdicated king and the twice-divorced woman he preferred to his throne. He did go in defiance of the Church of England's ceaseless opposition to the union, and on the "authority of his conscience." The Duke and his American-born Duchess were married first by Dr. Charles Mercier, roly-poly physician-mayor of the small French hamlet, in a civil ceremony. Then, after cocktails on the terrace of the tranquil old Chateau of Touraine, a few faithful friends gathered in the Louis XVI music room and heard the Rev. Mr. Jardine, the "Poor Man's Vicar" of Darlington, England, read the Anglican service at an improvised altar.
Elmer Lindberg Jr., 6, of Sampson Street in Jamestown, was taken to the WCA Hospital in the morning with what was thought to be a concussion of the brain. The child had climbed onto the spare tire of an automobile parked near his home and the driver started the car, not knowing he had a passenger. As the car gathered speed the youngster fell or jumped off and was found in an unconscious condition by a neighbor, Carl Anderson. He was unconscious all night but had rallied since being taken to the hospital in the morning. His condition was reported as good in the afternoon.
25 Years Ago
In 1987, proposed changes in staffing requirements and hours permitted to be worked in hospital emergency rooms were expected to have little if any impact locally, according to hospital administrators. The recommendations came from a committee appointed by state health commissioner Dr. David Axelrod, after a grand jury report criticized the care and treatment of patients and the supervision of interns and junior residents at a Manhattan hospital. If the proposed regulations were adopted, doctors would be prohibited from working in hospital emergency rooms for more than 12 consecutive hours. At least one emergency room attending physician would be required to be on duty at all times in hospitals across the state with more than 15,000 emergency room visits yearly.
Was there a trend away from locating department stores in cities' downtowns? Department store presidents interviewed by The Post-Journal said they were not contemplating moves into Jamestown. However, they disagreed over whether their stores preferred mall or shopping plaza locations to downtowns. After Bigelow's Department Store announced its closing, city officials said they would step up their efforts to get a major department store to move into downtown Jamestown. But department store company presidents indicated that attracting such a new business might not be an easy task.