Straight from the digital files of The Evening Sentinel, courtesy of The Ansonia Historical Commission, this week we take a look back at 1914, the year the term “Cup of Joe” was invented to mock U.S. Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels, who banned alcohol consumption in 1914, replacing it with coffee.
The Panama Canal opened. The world’s first electric traffic signal was placed on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Popular baby names were Mary, Helen, Dorothy, John, William and James. Life expectancy was 52 years for men and 56 years for women.
Fun Fact: Speedo swimwear originated in 1914 under the brand name ‘Fortitude.’ It didn’t become known by its current brand name until 1928.
Here is what was happening in our Valley!
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1914
Unusual Burglary At M’Keon Saloon
ANSONIA – An unusual burglary was committed early this morning at the saloon of James McKeon, on Central Street, where a gold watch and chain, 75 cents in cash and a bottle of gin were taken and other jewelry, including a diamond ring, money and liquors left undisturbed. The watch and chain are valued at $75, while the value of the bottle of gin is about $1.50.
The burglar did other odd things. Entering by way of a window in the rear of the saloon, he turned off the light which is kept burning in the bathroom and turned on the lights in the storeroom adjoining. Here he rummaged a tool chest from which he took out a pair of pliers which he carried to the café. The pliers were evidently not used, for they were found lying on the floor in the back of the bar.
City Sheriff Assaulted
DERBY – The difficulties that a city sheriff encounters when he goes to take under a writ of attachment a piano from a private home came out in the city court this morning.
Yesterday morning, City Sheriff Hall went to the home of P.H. Boone to seize a piano. He had engaged a truck to be at the house at a certain hour, but he got there before the truck came. The wife asked the sheriff if he would not wait until her husband returned and he consented, so she telephoned for Boone. He came in, asked to see the writ, and said that the paper was no good. Then he took off his coat and took a pugilistic attitude toward the sheriff who looked upon the proceeding as calmly a man under the circumstances might be expected to view them.
Boone suddenly struck out and hit the sheriff on the nose, and being an act of war, caused the sheriff to grab him by the collar. Then Boone, using both fists, beat a tattoo on the sheriff’s short ribs. Both men went down on the floor and the sheriff placed Boone under arrest.
Busy Court Session
SEYMOUR – A disturbance that happened Saturday night at Malkin’s salon at the Windsor hotel, was aired yesterday afternoon in the town court. A row started inside the saloon, and the belligerents were put out. They went to the rear door of the saloon, and proceeded to throw bricks, beer bottles, etc., through the glass panel of the door. Officers Williams and Thrall responded to a call for assistance and placed four men under arrest.
Returned From Germany
SHELTON – Miss Minnie Stolzenberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Stolzenberg of Howe Avenue, returned yesterday from Germany, where she has been studying for the past year. Miss Stolzenberg graduated from Shelton High School and went to Germany where she entered a college at Cassel where she took up a course in domestic science and languages. Last evening, a reception was tendered in her honor.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1914
Find Good Digging
ANSONIA – Good digging is being encountered by City Engineer Clark’s workmen in the Central Street sewer extension work. The digging thus far has been through sand and gravel, the only stones encountered being in the form of cobbles. While the work has been in progress but a few days, Jewett Street has already been reached, and a start will be made in a few days on the Root Avenue section of the extension.
Heat Closed School
DERBY – Yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock, the heat was so intense that Superintendent of Schools Edward Fitzgerald ordered the Irving School to be closed for the remainer of the day. The thermometer registered 92 degrees in the school rooms, and both children and teachers were showing the effects of the heat. In the primary grades, two children were taken sick. At noon today, it looked as though the Franklin and Irving schools both would be dismissed this afternoon.
Bitten By Shepherd Dog
SEYMOUR –Fred Sheppene of Rimmon Hill called Seth Washburn from his work Tuesday to show him the boundary line between their property. His shepherd dog came under the fence and bit Mr. Washburn just above the top of the shoe. Mr. Sheppene drove the dog home. The animal is said to have previously bitten three cows, and the owner, according to reports, has been ordered to keep the dog shut up. The dog had no tag on, it is said.
Broke Through Cesspool
SHELTON – Michael Deptula, the truckman, nearly lost a valuable horse yesterday afternoon when one of a pair which he was driving walked into a cesspool. A number of rotten boards and earth covered the cesspool and when the horse was driven over, his hind legs went through. Help was summoned from the neighborhood and after a half hour’s work, the horse was extricated from its position without harm.
Thursday, Sept. 24, 1914
Good Collections
ANSONIA – The receipts of taxes thus far exceed those of a year ago. Short time in the shops has not affected the collections and it appears that people have been preparing for the tax. There is no doubt many small property owners have found it hard to meet the tax, but it looks as if few of them will neglect payment.
Detained In Italy, James Tisi, Ladies’ Tailor, Held To Fight In Italy’s Army If Necessary
DERBY – Joseph Anroma, of this city, has received a letter from his brother-in-law, James Tisi, a ladies’ tailor, who for several years has had a small shop on Main Street, in which Tisi states that he is detained in Italy by the authorities on the ground that he is a military subject and must serve in the army, which rumor has it, is mobilized and ready to move.
Tisi left this city shortly after July 1, being called home because of the illness of his father. His father died three days before Tisi reached his home. He remained there for a visit expecting to return to Derby about September 1. He is a citizen of the United States, having been a voter about seven years, and his name appears on the Derby voting list. He is thirty-six years of age and a member of the Eagles and of the Owls. He has a wife and four children in this country.
When the European war broke, he was notified that he must do military duty, coming under the head of those under thirty-nine years who must serve. He protested that he was a citizen of the United States and could not be called upon to do the duty, but he was unable to satisfy the authorities that this was true.
Burned To The Ground
SEYMOUR – The old Sponheimer house on the old New Haven Road was burned to the ground this morning. The house, which was next to the Leonard Wyant place, was owned by the Ansonia Water Co. and occupied by John Ley and his family.
The fire started at 8:10 and the house was soon a mass of flames. In the house at the time were the two Ley children, the oldest of whom is a girl 13 years of age. As soon as they discovered that the house was afire, they called for assistance and neighbors went to their aid. All the furniture and clothing were carried out the burning structure to a place of safety.
The local fire department was notified on a still alarm and the auto chemical truck made a trip to the scene of the trouble, but the building was far too gone for any efforts to save it to be availing.
Careless With Rifle
SHELTON – Last night a youngster playing with an air rifle in front of the Cotton Mill block unnerved the neighbors so by this careless use of the gun that Officer Keating confiscated it. The youngster took several shots at windows on the opposite side of the street and came dangerously near hitting people sitting on a veranda.
Friday, Sept. 25, 1914
Old Post Office Leased
ANSONIA – The store in the opera house block now occupied by the post office has been leased for five years by V.P. Hoopis, of Providence, R.I., who will cut it in two and conduct a fruit business in one half and a lunchroom in the other. It is expected that the post office can be moved into the new building by Dec. 1 and Mr. Hoopis will take possession after that.
Build The Shop Addition
DERBY – John J. Brennan & Sons of Shelton have secured the contract for the masonry work on the new machine shop that is being erected on the old canal bottom for the Birmingham Iron Foundry.
Beautiful Bed Of Asters
SEYMOUR – Mrs. Fred Doll has at this time one of the most attractive flower gardens in Seymour. A space about the size of the ordinary kitchen vegetable garden, adjoining her home on West Street is devoted entirely to asters, which are now in a profusion of bloom in the characteristic colors of white, pink, red and violet. They are greatly admired by passersby, and Mrs. Doll has had considerable demand for them, selling them in large quantities for decorative purposes. Without doubt it is the finest aster display in Seymour.
Fine Window Display
SHELTON – Carl Diefenbach has just finished decorating the two show windows of the T. S. Allis store of which he is manager. The decorations are unique inasmuch as he has combined a beautiful dahlia exhibit with a display of new fall goods in suits, hats and furnishings. The flowers are certainly fine specimens, being the choicest of the garden of Joseph Wehner of Derby, who makes a specialty of dahlia bulbs.
Saturday, Sept. 26, 1914
Boys Damage Watering Trough
ANSONIA – The boys who have been in the habit of putting the watering trough out of commission at the junction of Fourth, Winter and North State streets are flirting with trouble. By throwing dirt, stones and sticks into the water, the boys have not alone blocked the passage of the water, but have made the water in there so dirty that horses refuse to drink it. Citizens have cleaned out the trough more than once, but it is not long before it is filled up again. The police are on the watch for the culprits.
Trousers Stand Hardware
ANSONIA – People who passed the store of the C.H. Allis Co. on Main Street yesterday and today were considerably surprised to see a keg of nails in the window and wondered whether the store had added a line of hardware. Investigation proved that the nails were being used in a unique way to demonstrate the strength of some trousers, one leg being suspended from the ceiling and the nails attached to the other leg. As the nails are guaranteed to weigh one hundred pounds, the outfit naturally attached attracted much attention.
Giants Are Coming
DERBY – It is estimated that fully three thousand people will witness the game between the New York Giants and Derby tomorrow, and accommodations for this number and over have been practically all completed. The game will take place at Sunnyside Park and special trolley service will be in force both before and after the contest.
Thirty Passengers Hurt In Rear End Collision
SEYMOUR – The trolley cars, laden with employees of the Beacon Falls Rubber Co., who were on their way to work from Naugatuck, were in a collision near High Rock station, just outside of the town this morning and some 30 persons were more or less hurt.
One boy is understood to have received internal injuries, but with this exception, the passengers who needed surgical treatment suffered from bruises or had superficial wounds from broken glass.
Three cars were coming from Naugatuck with work people. The first car stopped to let off a passenger and the next car following was not stopped quick enough and crashed into the other car which had just gotten under way. The third car was not involved in the incident.
Ran Into Automobile
SHELTON – An automobile owned and driven by F.W. Shelton ran into a two-seated runabout owned by Donald Ross, which was standing with a horse attached on the north side of Howe Avenue just above Brook Street last night and wrecked the runabout. The horse was not badly injured, and the automobile was only slightly damaged, the owner being able to drive it to police headquarters where Mr. Shelton was allowed to go home on his own recognizance.