Straight from the digital files of The Evening Sentinel, courtesy of The Lower Naugatuck Valley History Archives, this week we take a trip way back to 1900.
U.S. life expectancy was 46.3 years for men and 48.3 years for women.
A first-class stamp cost two cents.
Here is what was happening in our Valley!
Friday, June 15, 1900
Wading Through Gravel
DERBY – Third Street is one of the few streets in this city at the present time that people are avoiding. The two blocks that are being cut down to grade are very rough. A person can reach any part of Minerva or Caroline streets faster by going as far as Fourth Street than they can by wading through the lower gravel. The gang of workmen are now between Minerva and Caroline streets, and they are rapidly taking the street and sidewalks down to grade.
Derby’s Population
DERBY – It is estimated by one who has made a canvass of this city recently that the population of Derby is about 8,900. Many people were of the opinion that Derby’s population would reach nearer 10,000 than 9,000.
Schools Close For The Summer
SEYMOUR – The schools closed at 11 o’clock this morning for the long summer vacation, and from that hour until noon, the streets were alive with students, their happy expressions and joyous prattling showing that they were all glad the vacation had come. ‘Was you promoted?’ and ‘I passed,’ were two of the favorite expressions heard, and it was pretty evident that the past term had been successful.
Will Travel Abroad
SEYMOUR – Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Humphreys will leave Seymour next Friday for New York, and on the following day, will sail for Glasgow, Scotland and other European cities of interest, intending to be gone about two months.
Horse Turned Over
SHELTON – As Charles St. Clair, of Monroe, was driving down Howe Avenue this noon, one of his pair of horses slipped on the rails of the trolley line and fell, turning completely over before it could stop. Luckily the horse was not injured nor the harness broken and within a few minutes sufficed to get the team in working order again.
Saturday, June 16, 1900
Woman Smokes Aboard Train
ANSONIA – The veteran smokers who were riding in the lounging compartment of a parlor car on the Housatonic Road recently were somewhat startled by the appearance in their midst of a lady who quietly seated herself in an unoccupied seat. The lady was very expensively dressed and showed every indication of education and refinement.
Immediately upon seating herself she drew from her pocket a handsome nickeled case from which she removed, with all the naivete of a confirmed lover of the weed, an Egyptian brand of cigarette. Any of who has knowledge of this brand of cigarette know they have an odor as of burning rags and are decidedly unpleasant to many people.
One by one the smokers dropped out of the compartment until the lady was left alone.
Small Child’s Head Cut
DERBY – Mary Smith, the six-year-old daughter of Charles Smith of Minerva Street, fell in the Irving School yard Friday and was badly injured. The child was running when she stumbled over a stone and struck another stone. She was rendered unconscious by the fall and received a bad cut over the eye. The child was picked up by a companion and later taken to her home. She regained consciousness a few minutes after and is feeling quite well today.
Unpleasant Experience With Dog
SEYMOUR – Augustus Schuster was bitten by a dog Thursday night while entering a house on Bank Street. The dog fastened its teeth in his knee and left a bad wound, which was cauterized by Dr. Strapp.
Sunday, June 17, 1900
The Evening Sentinel didn’t publish on Sundays
Monday, June 18, 1900
Cheap Rate To New Milford
ANSONIA – Firemen and their friends will be able to go to New Milford to witness the firemen’s parade on Wednesday at greatly reduced rates. Many have supposed that the special was for the firemen alone, but that is not so, for all can purchase tickets for the trip. The Eagles and the Fountains are preparing for the trip and are doing considerable practice in marching and drilling. They have had their parade carriages brightened up, and some new uniforms or pieces of them have been procured, so that all may look fresh and neat.
Burglars In Lunch Wagon
DERBY – Burglars entered Wentworth’s night lunch between 3 o’clock and daylight this morning, and breaking open the till, secured about $2 in change. The glass in a rear window was smashed, and the sash was unbolted so that it could be opened, and by this means, entrance was gained. The burglar apparently took only the money, as none of the food stuff had been disturbed. This makes the third time the lunch wagon had been broken into.
Red Hot Game Saturday
SEYMOUR – The Seymour baseball team added another victory to its list Saturday when it defeated the Shelton team in the most exciting game that has been seen on the Athletic grounds this season, the score being 18 to 14. The biggest crowd around and not withstanding the large score, the game from beginning to end was an exhibition that kept the cranks on tip-toe.
Presented With Watch Fob
SHELTON – Henry Schneider, who has been superintendent of the box department of the Star Pin Company for many years, has resigned his position and gone to work for the Sterling Pin Company. Mr. Schneider was very popular with those working under him, and Saturday, he was presented with a watch fob and chain and silk umbrella as a token of the goodwill borne him.
Tuesday, June 19, 1900
Runaway Disturbs Clifton Avenue
ANSONIA – There was a runaway (horse) on Clifton Avenue Monday night which created a great deal of excitement for a time, and a number of people followed the frightened animal to Bridge Street, where it was stopped by Richard Manuel.
The horse belonged to T.D. Lindsay and started from Derby. It was thought that a bad accident would result before it was stopped.
Repairing Church Spire
DERBY – The exterior of St. Mary’s Church on Elizabeth Street is being repainted and pointed up, ‘Steeple Jack,’ of Stratford, and his men doing the work. ‘Steeple Jack’ reached Derby on Monday and began his preparations for getting a rope around the outside of the spire so that a man can be raised to the very top.
Complaint About Sewer Gas
DERBY – Residents of Cottage Street are complaining about the odor of sewer gas in that neighborhood. They claim that there is some faulty construction about the new catch basins and that the gas comes through them. Complaint has been made, but nothing has yet been done to improve the condition of things, and they are getting tired of the bad smell.
Free Soda Follows Victory
SEYMOUR – After each victory that the Seymour baseball team scores, the players are privileged to have free soda at the People’s Drug Store, and the ball players have thus far taken advantage of the kind offer of the proprietor. Mr. Smith is willing to wager that some of the local players can hold their own in getting outside soda water.
Wednesday, June 20, 1900
Lost Legs On Derby Dam
ANSONIA – That man that was playing a hand organ on Main Street Tuesday afternoon was known to many Ansonians. He is an Italian and lost his leg by an accident a few years ago while working in Derby the rebuilding of the dam.
Gone To New Milford
DERBY – About twenty-five members of the R. M. Bassett Hook & Ladder Company, headed by the Avon Drum corps, of Ansonia, marched from the quarters on Fourth Street to the Shelton depot this morning, and took the train for New Milford where they will take part in the parade. The men wore their natty uniforms and made a fine appearance.
Bat For Champion Shop Team
SEYMOUR – Proprietor Smith of the People’s Drug Store has offered a handsome bat to the stop team that wins the largest number of games this season. Thus far it looks very much as though the bat would be the property of the Humphreysville Mfg. Co.’s team, as it has played four games and all were victories.
Pigeons Pull Up Peas
SHELTON – A gentleman was looking from the windows of a Howe Avenue business on Tuesday, when his attention was attracted to the movements of a number of pigeons in a lot on Coram Avenue which has been planted by some of the neighboring residents with early vegetables. The pigeons were hard at work, but for some time, the gentleman could not tell what they were doing.
He finally took a walk to the spot and found that the birds had been having a fine time with several rows of peas which were several inches above the ground. The pigeons had paused along the rows and pulled the peas up by roots apparently for the purpose of getting at the seed pea. They had destroyed the greater part of the peas before the coming of the gentleman drove them away.