August 1916 - 100 Years Ago in "That Thriving Town"

From the Andes Recorder

August 1916 in Bovina was not a good month to be on the road. A truck went through a bridge, two Ford vehicles collided, a horse ran away while drawing a milk wagon and another Bovina wagon was hit by a train in Hobart.

August 4, 1916

•           Thomas Ormiston had four cows killed during a recent thunder storm.

Bovina Minister Has Accident

Auto of Rev. J.A. Mahaffey Collides With Culvert-Badly Smashed

            Friday while J.A. Mahaffey of Bovina, was on his way to Roxbury by auto and running on the State road above Stamford, he ran into a culvert with disastrous results to the car.  The radiator and engine were forced well back to the front seat of the car and Rev. Mahaffey was thrown thru windshield.  He escaped with injury to one leg and a few bruises.  The brim was taken off his derby hat as clean as if cut by a knife, and this no doubt saved him from receiving cuts from the glass.  The car is fit for the junk heap.

Truck Thru Bridge

            The big Alco auto truck of Thos H. Johnson, of Bvoina, broke thru the covered bridge near the Stone School House at Dunraven about noon Thursday and was hanging suspended from the solid parts of the bridge.  The bridge cross ties did not break but the sleepers gave way.  The truck was loaded with hardwood lumber and the driver escaped injury.

August 11, 1916

•           Hilson Bros have received their new auto truck.

Horse Ran Away

            Saturday the horse of Frank Kinch which was driven by his daughter ran away. The horse was hitched to the milk wagon and in coming down the “school house hill” at J.D. Burns’ the hold back strap broke and let the wagon onto the horse.  Miss Kinch was thrown out and sustained an injury to one hip and ankle.  The horse was caught at F.W. Hyatt’s and no milk was spilled.

August 18, 1916

•           John A. Irvine has purchased a five passenger Chalmers automobile.

•           Mason W. Pressley, a former pastor of the United Presbyterian church, now retired, and wife were here Saturday.

•           Saturday morning Carleton Miller, the young son of Gideon Miller fell a few feet from an evergreen tree and hit the ground on his forehead.  He went to the house and soon afterwards became unconscious and remained in that condition for several hours.  He has now recovered.

•           Mr. Brush, of Maryland, and two ladies were here this week.  He is a grandson of Alex Brush from whom Brushland got its name.  They had the Brush house, now occupied by Wm. Armstrong, pointed out and took the inscriptions on Brush tombstones in the old cemetery in the village.

•           Saturday night while Floyd Rockefeller and a party of young ladies, were going by auto from Bloomville to Delhi in his Ford car he collided with the Ford of Harry Bosthwick, of Bloomville.  The accident happened near the Hoag Crossing.  The mud guard on the Rockefeller car was torn off and the car otherwise damaged.

Bovina Farmer hit By Train

            William B. Smith, of Bovina, who lives on the hill toward Hobart, sustained two broken ribs and minor injuries about 10 o’clock Thursday morning, when the milk wagon he was driving was struck by the eastbound passenger train on the U.& D. at the Smith creamery crossing.  Mr. Smith did not hear the approach of the train and his wagon was squarely on the track when the locomotive hit it, and he was thrown from the wagon, but held to the lines and prevented the horses from running away. He was taken to the office of Dr. Hubbell at Hobart and his wounds dressed.  The wagon was wrecked.

August 25, 1916

•           Miss Jennie Miller is having her residence re-shingled.  John Muir, of Andes, is doing the work.

•           The following have purchased Ford cars; Charles Hafele, William Oliver, William A. Hoy, George Decker and Alfred Russell.