May 1915 - 100 Years Ago in "That Thriving Town"

From the Andes Recorder

Among topics of interest in Bovina in May 1915 was a property squabble that was labeled a "German-American" war.

May 7, 1915
•Lois Ormiston has been hired as teacher in the Miller avenue district for the next year. [Lois Ormiston became Mrs. Fletcher Davidson in 1921.]
•Henry S. Campbell, a former Bovina resident, now of Walton, has so far recovered his health that he will resume work at his trade – a carpenter.
•Lightning struck Arthur Bergman’s barn last Thursday afternoon, splintering some of the boards, but fortunately not firing it.  One horse was knocked down by the shock.
•Professor John P. Mabon, formerly of southern Bovina, has purchased a farm of 110 acres two miles west of Oneonta.  He had to give up teaching on account of nervous trouble.
•Rev. J.A. Mahaffey, Rev. Thomas Graham, Walter Ringholm and wife and Ken Russell and wife, attended the opening of the business and auto show at Delhi on Monday evening.

A Bovina Estate
     The will of Thomas R. McFarland, late of Bovina, was admitted to probate this week.  The estate, which is all personal, is estimated at $5,286.  The legacies bequeathed are as follows Emma Cronauer, $400; Louie McFarland, $2,000; James Vredenburg, $100; Nellie Vredenburgh, $100; Lulu McFarland, automobile; Chauncey R. McFarland, the executor, is made the residuary legatee. [See this blog for November 7, 2013 for more about the automobile that McFarland willed to Lulu McFarland.]

May 14, 1915
•Dr. Scott has his barn erected on his lot.
•Frost Monday and Tuesday mornings.
•Born in upper Bovina on May 7, to Mr. and Mrs. James Boggs, a son. [This is Lauren James Boggs, born to James Boggs and his first wife, Elizabeth Felton. Lauren would die just shy of two months old in August. Elizabeth died in 1918. James remarried twice and was survived by three daughters at his death in 1972.]
•The Misses Kate and Freda Muller have had their yard graded and walks re-laid.
•The digging for the foundation for the new fire house is completed and Robert Gray, of Delhi, will commence on the foundation this week.  The sand will be procured from the Muir bank at Andes.

Railroad Talk Again
     R.B.Williams and Others in Bovina Last Friday [May 7] Talking Extension
A railroad meeting was held here on Friday afternoon to ascertain the views of our business men as to the extension of the Delaware & Northern from Andes. The railroad men here were J. Jermyn, of Scranton, a stockholder of the D.&N., and R.B. Williams, who was superintendent during the construction of the road.  They were informed that if they thought the road would pay, that Bovina would be glad to have it built but that the people would make no guarantee of any kind.
     County Clerk Maynard, Jonas Preston, Editor Wyer and Will Millard, of the Delhi Commercial Club, were also here.

May 21, 1915
•Charles Hafele had a horse die
•Harry Robson has purchased a new Metz roadster.
•Robert Gerry’s arrived at their summer home in southern Bovina this week.
•Miss Linda Ormiston in southern Bovina, expects to attend the summer school at Oneonta.
•The V.I.S. have ordered a street lamp and if this proves satisfactory five more will be ordered.
•Ward Baker, the violinist, who has been absent during the winter on a tour of the count[r]y, has, with his wife, returned to his home below Bovina Center. [See this blog for March 26, 2014 for more about Baker.]
•William J. Archibald and Nelson Siring were at Binghamton the past week.  Mr. Archibald contemplates putting in a plant and lighting his residence and barns by electricity.
•The frame for Thos A Archibald’s new barn in upper Bovina is up and is being inclosed.  The entire frame is of hardwood from the woods on his own farm and is of the balloon type.
•Ruth Ormiston has hired to teach in the Maynard district and Mary McPherson in Glenburnie next year.  Jas Crosier will again teach at Butt End and Edith Liddle up Coulter Brook.  The teacher in Armstrong district will be Hazel Russell, and at Lake Delaware, Bessie Mable.

Nose Broken by Ball
     Harold Robson, of Coulter Brook, had his nose broken Saturday.  With some other young men he was playing ball in the street at Bovina Center, when the ball hit a telephone pole and bounded landing squarely on young Robson’s nose.

Mock Trial in Bovina
     From a mock trial held last Friday night the Bovina W.C.T.U. realized $42. Will Thomson sued John Robson for a livery bill.  Rev. J.A. Mahaffey was the judge, Dr. Whitcomb lawyer for plaintiff and Rev. Thomas Graham lawyer for the defendant.  After a hotly contest trial the case went [to] the jury of which John A. Irvine was foreman, and that body after due deliberation returned a verdict of no cause of action.

May 28, 1915
•Quite thick ice was formed on water standing in pails or other receptacles during Wednesday night.
•Clara P. Hughes, R.M. has completed her case as nurse at James Boggs’ and returned to her home in Andes.
•A daughter was born May 17 to Mrs. Herman Coulter, whose husband died a few months ago.  Mrs. Coulter now resides at Stamford. [This would be Gladys Coulter, who would later marry Harry VanDenburgh. She died in Colonie, NY in 2003.]
•The State Conservation Commission held a meeting here Friday on the matter of the new water supply for Bovina Center.  No one appeared in opposition and the commission took evidence as to necessity, etc.
•Frank Gowanlock, one of the few remaining civil war veterans of the town, has been drawn as a juror for county court when convenes at Delhi on 14th of June. As he is past the age limit and in poor health he will not serve. [Born in 1843, he died New Year’s Day, 1918.]
•Bovina proposes to celebrate the Fourth of July, and Rev. J.A. Mahaffey, Rev. T.E. Graham and Rev. E.E. Benn are a committee on arrangements.  There will be ball games and field sports, with fire works at night.

Gave Domanie a Farewell
     Monday evening [May 24] nine of the male friends of Rev. Thomas Graham, pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian congregation, called on him at his rooms and made merry until the midnight hour.  There were speeches and toasts and the cravings of the inner man was satisfied with chicken, clams, etc.  The occasion was a farewell to Rev. Graham, who soon expects to leave behind bachelorism and carry out the Biblical injunction.

Mrs. Phoebe Woodard Dead
     Mrs. Phoebe Woodard died about 6 o’clock Tuesday morning, May 25, at the home of her son at Franklin.  She was born in Colchester 72 years ago, her maiden name was Phoebe Kinch. The funeral was held Thursday at the Bovina Center M.E. church and the burial made in the Center cemetery beside her husband, Horton Woodard. [Horton died in 1883.]

German-America War
Mr. and Mrs. Neupert Object to Taking of Cows by Howard Hall and Sheriff Farrell
     Last October, Mr. Neupert, a German, residing on the Alex Bryden farm in the town of Bovina, bought 10 cows and a bull of Howard Hall, giving a mortgage. Several of the cows he returned to Hall and it is reported had recently killed another and the bull.  Last week Hall accompanied by Sheriff Farrell, went after the balance of the cows. Neupert and his wife objected and came out of the house with a loaded gun and threatened to shoot both Hall and the Sheriff, the woman being the most aggressive.  The sheriff finally took the gun from the couple and still has it in his possession.  In spite of continued protests of the Germans, Hall secured three of his cows and took them from the farm. [The Neuperts lived in the area of Lee Hollow and Huff Road.]