Bootleggers, a man hunt and roadside parks

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Editor’s note — We’re continuing our tradition of taking a look back each Saturday at some of the important, interesting or even odd events as they were reported during the same week throughout the years, along with interesting advertising features from years gone by.

This week in 1888, the Hillsboro Gazette said the best trade to learn was one that can never be handicapped by machinery. The paper went on to say that “inventive genius has driven the poor shoemaker into the poor house since shoes can be manufactured so cheaply by machines that many cobblers have been driven into other pursuits.”

In Pricetown news, the old school house in District No. 4 was being sold to the highest bidder at auction on April 14, and old Grandma Martin died at the residence of J.W. Ruble Sunday morning and was buried Monday.

Farmers were advised that the moon was right if they wanted to have early vegetables, and that garden seed and seed potatoes were available at John Matthew’s store opposite the public scales.

In news from Samantha, Mrs. Runk received a nice present in the way of Jersey calf from her brother in Athens.

The Board of School Examiners of Highland County gave notice that examinations for school teachers would take place in the Hillsboro Union School on the first Saturday of every month, and the third Saturday of February, March, April, August, September and October. The exam fee was 50 cents.

This week in 1910, the front page of the Hillsboro Gazette reported on the arrest of two men charged with bootlegging at a pool hall in the Koch Building on North High Street in Hillsboro. Though the defendants claimed that all the pool hall served was lunch and soft drinks, the paper alleged the chief business was booze, “the real fiery old kind that makes its users want to fight.”

At Bell’s Opera House, Robert Robinson was presenting “St. Elmo,” billed as “the greatest play success in years” with Catharine Hadley and a great cast. Good seats were still available at 25, 35 and 50 cents.

The Boys’ Store of Fiebel Brothers in Hillsboro had good, reliable boys’ knickerbocker suits for only $2.50, and the “Fiebel $5 special” was $3.95.

The Norfolk & Western train schedule showed that residents could hop the No. 135 train in Hillsboro at 7:35 a.m. and arrive in Sardinia at 8:20 a.m., departing the Pearl and Butler stations in Hillsboro daily. Passengers could then board No. 35 and leave Sardinia at 9:35 a.m. and expect to arrive in Cincinnati shortly before noon.

Passbook savings accounts at the Hillsboro Bank and Savings Company were paying 3 percent interest.

In news from Winkle (present-day East Danville), The First Regiment, which had a company of soldiers from Winkle, was going into camp for training Aug. 27 to Sept. 4 at either Sparta, Wisconsin or Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

This week in 1938, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that five new roadside parks would be built in Highland County as part of the New Deal’s National Youth Administration. They were to be built on U.S. Route 62 near Samantha and New Market, near Dodsonville on U.S. Route 50, at Marshall on SR 124 and on U.S. 50 near Rainsboro.

Concern over the fruit crop was expressed since over the weekend temperatures dropped into the upper 20s and George Karnes, owner of a 40-acre orchard in eastern Highland County, said the peach crop was OK, but thinned out some, and that the apple crop showed no damage.

The Hillsboro Taxi advertised that it would transport people any place, any time for just a dime, to any destination within the corporation limits. Package delivery was also 10 cents.

The Allensburg Auction Co. offered for sale a 1929 Ford Coupe that “looks like the devil but runs good” for $20, and a 1931 Oakland Coupe for $100 that “looks fine and runs like a sewing machine.”

All members of the 1928 Hillsboro High School graduating class were urged to meet at the home of Mrs. Willard Puckett at 314 W. Walnut St. on April 14 to plan for their 10th anniversary reunion.

This week in 1969, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported an intensive manhunt was underway for three men who sawed their way out of the Highland County Jail. A fourth man who escaped with them was captured a short time later.

Showing at the Colony Theatre was Disney’s “Swiss Family Robinson,” which was filmed in the tropical West Indies. Admission was $1.25 for adults, 75 cents for children.

At the Hoagland Grocery, ground beef was 59 cents a pound, pork chops were 79 cents a pound, bananas were 10 cents a pound and Blue Seal margarine was 25 cents.

The Hillsboro Auto Company advertised the lowest prices in town on used cars like a 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 for $1,645, a 1965 Ford Mustang two-door hardtop with four on the floor and just $1,095, or a 1964 Thunderbird with a V-8 under the hood, automatic transmission, radio, heater and white wall tires for $1,395.

Events for the “bigger and better” 1969 Highland County Fair were firming up, with the fair board spending most of the week’s session working on the program for the fair and firming up details concerning advertising and premium books.

Town & Country Discount Department Store was celebrating the centennial of baseball with a Little League opening day sale on Hutch gloves for $3.88, Kassnar baseballs for 77 cents each and all MacGregor bats, including the Jackie Robinson and Al Kaline autograph models, for $1.99.

Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.

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A look back at news and advertising items through the years

By Tim Colliver

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