Did you know?
Did you know that 100 years ago this week, telephone services in Uniontown were free?
According to the front-page story that appeared in the Sept. 20, 1911 edition of a local paper, while Uniontown’s customers made between 500 and 700 free calls a day, there was one hitch. There was such a great demand that those calls were limited to five minutes each.
Also that day on the front page, there were two other stories of note.
Connellsville was under attack by hundreds of thousands of miller moths.
That invasion was being compared to the onslaught of “seven year locusts” that have been known to inhabit the region.
The millers were “scattered about windows, on door sills and littered about the streets in profusion,” the report said.
But the more troubling problem along the streets of Connellsville, was that four girls (each under the age of 16) had been either been arrested, or questioned about their alleged “street walking” activities on Water Street.
Connellsville Burgess, J.L. Evans vowed there would be a “crusade inaugurated against ‘street walkers.'”
“Over 100,000 dead in Florida hurricane,” was the above-the-masthead headline that greeted the readers of the Uniontown Morning Herald, 75 years ago – on Sept. 20, 1926.
Fortunately that headline was a bit of an overstatement. In succeeding days the estimates of those who died during that hurricane were lowered.
Between 265 and 373 had actually been killed as a result of the 150 mile per hour winds that swept through the southern parts of the United States.
Also that week, the Morning Herald announced there would be “ringside” seats for the upcoming heavyweight championship fight between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey.
Those people who were interested could go to the Herald-Genius editorial rooms and hear the “blow-by-blow” account of the fight on radio. A special radio installation had been set-up for that fight.
There were also loudspeakers that were set-up so people could line the streets outside of the newspaper, so they could hear the fight.
“Tunney decisively wins championship,” was the big headline on the front page of the Morning Herald on Sept. 24.
There was one story, a firsthand account, written by legendary writer Damon Runyan.
The second story was about the local appeal of that fight.
“Greatest crowd that ever congregated in Uniontown to hear the returns of a big sports event gathered in Herald-Genius square last night for the blow by blow story of the crowning of Gene Tunney as the world’s new heavyweight champion,” it said.
In 2011, we can witness just about every major sporting event (or any kind of event for that matter) live, and on any number of devices with the click of a button.
But in 1926, our ancestors would rush downtown, and, “The square from Gallatin avenue beyond the Court House was a solid mass of humanity eager for every word of the announcer as the greatest upset in pugilistic history was unfolded.”
It makes you wonder if technology may, regrettably, replace community.
In September of 1962, Uniontown’s city council declared war. That’s war on rodents.
According to the Sept. 19, 1962 edition of the Uniontown Evening Standard, much of the previous night’s city council meeting was devoted to the city’s growing rat problem.
There was $335 set aside for Uniontown’s initial volley in the War on Rats.
Another $45 a month was dedicated for that purpose for the coming year.
Also on the front page, it was a reported that a Cleveland Avenue woman, Mrs. Ann Kurta, would be appearing on the NBC-TV show “The Price is Right” the following day.
On Sept, 21, it was announced that President John Kennedy would be making a stop through the bituminous coal areas of southwestern Pennsylvania.
That word came from Pennsylvania’s governor, David L. Lawrence in Harrisburg, where Kennedy was making a campaign swing that week.
On Sept. 28, the Evening Standard’s front page headline, “Kennedy may visit county,” appeared above a story, in which, a spokesman for the State Democratic Party said there were hopes the president would visit both Washington and Fayette counties.
There was speculation that Uniontown Joint Senior High School’s football stadium would be the likely venue for Kennedy’s campaign speech.
But when Kennedy returned to Pennsylvania, he didn’t visit Fayette County.
However, a contingent of Fayette County residents traveled by bus to Monessen, and they were among the crowd who cheered him at his Oct. 13 rally.