In 1912, Robert Strong, the young man from Warren who a few days previously was sentenced to three months in the penitentiary for snatching a purse from Miss Nellie Haas, was again at liberty. Justice Maharon, at the request of his friends, modified the sentence to a $25 fine, which was paid. Strong was sentenced to the penitentiary but was not committed to that institution. Investigation showed that he was of good family and had never before been engaged in any wrong doing. His father came to Jamestown and employed Attorney Jerome Fisher to intercede for him.
The January issue of The Wells Fargo Messenger, the house organ of the Wells Fargo Express Company, contained a photo-engraving of the Wells Fargo depot in Jamestown, showing the record-breaking shipment of voting machines shipped from here by express just before election day. The picture showed four truckloads of machines, two horses and delivery wagons. In the accompanying article the Messenger stated, in part: "The past year has been one of the best in the history of our office in Jamestown and Agent Bradt looks forward to even better business for our company in the future in this city. Extensive changes are to be made by the Erie Railroad. A new station, up to date in every respect, will be built by the railroad."
In 1937, the National Broadcasting Company banned use of Mae West's name in scripts broadcast by any of its managed or operated stations. The ban was effectively immediately. The rule would be applied also to any network broadcasts coming from the studios of these stations. The action was taken, it was explained, to avoid the use of her name in "gags" or the like and had came about as a result of her broadcast in the Charlie McCarthy Hour two Sundays ago. An "Adam and Eve" comedy sketch in that broadcast met with listener protests over the propriety of the script.
Approximately a 10 percent increase in mail canceled at the local post office in Jamestown during the Christmas rush this year from Dec. 16-23 inclusive, over a corresponding period the previous year, was reported by Postmaster E.R. Ganey. During the rush period, a total of 667,060 pieces of mail was canceled in this year as compared with 608,480 pieces a year ago. A definite slump in mail was evidenced when all extra clerks were dismissed and regulars were handling the last-minute cards and parcels in stride.
In 1962, firemen continued to soak down the ruins of a business block in the community of East Otto, destroyed the previous night by fire of undetermined origin. Destroyed in the blaze, battled by 270 firemen of nine companies, were the Red & White store, the Gerald Krise meat market, the post office, St. Isadore Roman Catholic Church and the Ernest Dewey hardware store. Extensively damaged was the Minnie Tennies general store. The alarm was received at 5:43 p.m., Christmas day and the fire was brought under control at about 8 p.m. The fire apparently started at the rear of the grocery store and spread quickly to adjacent buildings. The same block had been destroyed by fire in 1893, residents recalled.
A file cabinet and undetermined amount of liquor was taken from Fairmount Liquor Store, 100 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown, after the building was broken into the previous night, police said. Detectives said glass in the front door was kicked in to permit unlocking the door from the inside. The file cabinet was recovered in Celoron and returned to the store proprietor, Mrs. Mercedes O'Dell of Winsor Street. No report as to the amount of liquor taken had been received as of noon.
In 1987, the director of the Buffalo region of the state Department of Transportation said members of the Committee for the Preservation of Route 394 had taken information out of context to support their opposition to widening the road to five lanes through West Ellicott. The group had challenged the traffic counts which the DOT used to support the need for a five-lane road. The DOT has projected an increase in traffic over the next 20 years. The committee said population increases projected by the DOT were misleading, because population growth for the corridor served by that part of Route 394 was stagnant. But DOT Regional Director Robert Russell said population and traffic did not increase equally. "It's a misnomer that because population is not increasing, traffic is not increasing," he said. In addition, Russell said, the DOT's growth projections for the area were extremely conservative.
Approximately 2,300 toys were distributed by the Christmas Friendship Fund to children in Jamestown and the surrounding area, said James E. Johnson, president of the fund. He said most of the toys were provided by the Troopers Toys for Tots headquarters in Fredonia. "They would have cost us $15,000 or more if we had to purchase them," Johnson said.