Forum Flashbacks: Sept. 5-11
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, SEPT. 7, 1974
50 YEARS AGO Definition of ‘Oldness’ Depends on Vantage What is old? It all depends on who you ask. We asked a group of Eugene Field third graders and they had varying opinions: “I think old is like being over 50,” said Aaron Poffenberger. John Macias said he thought “old is somebody that is 80.” “Old is like a man that is 55,” decided Kenny Wilmes and Dee Ann Carmichael said old was “someone 90.” Stuart Pierce said he thought “old is 100 years old,” and Wendi Locke, who said she thought “about 10” was old, had another thought on “old”: “I think old means a lady that’s 100 and still doesn’t have to go to the nursing home.” Todd Coffman and Stephanie Smail determined age by appearance. “I think old means a lady that is around 93 with shriveled-up fingers,” Stephanie said. “Old is people who have gray hair and shriveled-up hands,” said Todd. Susan Lecklider stated simply: “Old means Grandma,” and Tommie Cashion thought of her ancestors too when she wrote: “I think old is my great, great grandma because she’s dead.”
25 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Sept. 8, 1999
Editorial: E-Bay pranks getting out of control
Recently, e-Bay, the online auction site where rare collectibles and various other things can be auctioned off, had to stop one of its people from auctioning off a kidney.
Then, just the other day, another person had to be stopped from auctioning off an unborn child.
This is now starting to get a little out of control.
Originally, when it started, e-Bay wasn’t much more than an on-line pawn shop. People came on and bought hard to find things or sold some of their belongings and could possibly get more out of it than they would normally.
Now, it’s the breeding ground for hoaxes.
In the first case, the kidney was not going to be sold, but there were bids upwards of $1 million for the organ. The unborn babies, which were also hoaxes, were getting six-figure bids before it was shut down.
Again, it seems, things on the internet are not what they seem.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Sept. 9, 1974
The first of three phases of a public water supply system for rural areas has been completed and residents of Pickering and Arkoe are now enjoying an adequate water supply.
About 90 miles of plastic pipe has been laid, bringing water service to 495 users. The water is purchased from the city of Maryville by the Public Water Supply District No. 1, a five-member board, and is metered at three locations — at Route CC, east of the 102 River bridge and near Uniroyal. …
The customers read the meters themselves and figure their own water bills. A packet of self-billing supplies is given the new user, including a rate chart and envelopes.
Mrs. Shirley McKee, Pickering, one of the first to hook up to the water system, said the water pressure is so much better than when they had their own system, that “it sure makes life easier.”
“The dishwasher, the washer, both of them work better. We had water before, but it wasn’t like this,” she said.
100 years ago
Maryville Daily Democrat-Forum, Sept. 9, 1924
Alfred LeRoy Lugar Wins Word Contest
Alfred LeRoy Lugar with 2,143 words won first prize in the Montgomery-Cummins word contest in the class of 14 years and under. Lyle McGinness received the second prize with 1,093.
In the class of 14 years or over, Mrs. Marion Lugar won first prize with 2,176 words, Amanda Anderson of Guilford took second prize with 1,808 words and Margaret Norton of Skidmore took third with 1,581 words.
There were 256 entries in the word contests. There were two entries from Esmond, S. D., and one from Tucson, Ariz. Every town in Nodaway County was represented with entries. The smallest list of words was six.
The word contest was to write as many words as possible found in the firm name “Montgomery-Cummins.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50-year and 100-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
