Aviation pioneer dies
Famous aeronaut Wilbur Wright, 45, with the world watching and hoping that he would win, lost his gallant fight for life against typhoid fever and died May 30, 1912 in Dayton, Ohio. Not until physicians uttered their last word did his loyal brother, Orville Wright, 41, constant companion and partner in his world triumphs, give up hope.
Influenced by Otto Lilienthal’s glider flights, on Dec. 17, 1903 the brothers successfully flew their first heavier-than-air flying machine which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and flew 120 feet, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Soon after, they gave up their bicycle manufacturing shop business and devoted full time to their new invention.
Their first power-driven aeroplane weighed 750 pounds and was constructed largely of bamboo with a 170-pound 12-hp engine that Orville designed. The only person who had faith in their efforts was their sister, Katherine Wright. In 1909, the brothers formed the Wright Co., an aircraft production company of which Wilbur was president until his death.
In 1909 Wilbur Wright he was awarded a gold medal by the French Academy of Sciences. Wilbur Wright was a bachelor.
George Ainsworth, a farmer residing near Hague, had a terrible fright one evening when he picked up a snake thinking it was a small piece of wood which he wanted to use in driving his cows home.
The cows kept bothering him and looking about for a switch he espied what looked like a brown stick protruding from a bush. Reaching down he grabbed it only to have it squirm and strike out at him. It proved to be a spotted adder about four feet long. Ainsworth quickly recovered from his shock and killed the reptile.
In other news, Joseph Hander, a Lake George Indian who has started a rattlesnake farm to raise the reptiles for their oil, was bitten by one of his pets about two weeks ago and is expected to die. He cut the wound promptly and took an antidote. For a few days he felt no ill effects, but when he fell from a boat into the lake he caught cold and his leg became swollen to three times its normal size.
Bolton hotel damaged by fire
The Lake View House, a popular summer hotel at Bolton Landing, caught fire at noon, June 13, 1912 and was saved from destruction by a bucket brigade composed of the villagers and boarders of the hotel, which had just been opened for the season.
The fire was caused by a burning cinder from the chimney which fell on the shingles of the cupola. The dry wood ignited readily and a lively blaze had started when it was discovered. Help was summoned by telephone and about 100 men gathered to fight the flames. The damage was confined to the roof.
The house is owned by R.J. Brown, who has conducted it continuously for 40 years.
Grand larceny nets prison term
Charles Maxim of Stony Creek pleaded Guilty to a charge of second-degree Grand Larceny. He passed a 50-dollar Confederate bill on Charles W. Harris of Garnet. Maxim was sentenced to Dannemora Prison for not more than two years and four months at hard labor.
A pleasant wedding took place at Loch Muller, the afternoon of June 20, 1912 when Cecil Butler of that place and Miss Bernice Peters of New York were united in marriage by the Rev. F.M. Bar of Minerva at the old Butler homestead which was purchased some two years ago by the bride as a summer home.
In other wedding news, a quiet wedding took place at the residence of Daniel Wells, near Igerna, at noon June 4, 1912 when their youngest daughter, Marion Wells became the wife of Dwight S. Purvee, son of Stewart and Esther Stannard Purvee of Horicon.
The Rev. Bert S. Van Vleet performed the ceremony and the attendants were Miss Nina Wells and Elwin Wells, cousin and brother of the bride. Only immediate members of the family were present, 16 sitting down at the wedding luncheon.
(Note…Dwight Purvee’s first wife was Alice McKinstry, who was 30 years old when she died Sept. 7, 1909. His second wife, Marion Wells, had a sister, Marjorie and two others, who married Frank Vaughn and Fletcher Ford. Her brother, Elwin Wells, 23, later died in New Jersey of pleura-pneumonia while serving in World War I.)
Noisy trolley, skittish horse
In the case of Stephen R. Waters against the Hudson Valley Railway Co., the jury brought in a verdict of no cause of action. The plaintiff alleged that a horse he was driving became so frightened at a trolley car that he was thrown from his wagon, his wagon was partly destroyed and one of his legs was broken. He further alleged that he held up his hand for the car to stop but that the motorman plainly ignored his sign and continued on until the car had passed and the damage was done.
Mother Nature gone haywire
The thermometer registered 82 degrees above zero on May 4, 1912 and the heat was oppressive. On June 5, 1912 the atmosphere was shivery and fires were necessary for comfort indoors. During the week following we have experienced extremes of weather, everything having frozen — Ice formed in some places as thick as glass.
This has been a bad season for road work. Frequent rains have made it difficult to work dirt roads and the unusual volume of travel has severely cut up the road beds.
Sweet and sour notes
While shoeing a horse, Charles Morehouse of Sodom was kicked on his right hand which was badly injured.
Master Ellis Jones of East Thurman lost a very fine sheep when it was killed by a Delaware & Hudson train.
While working for William Ingraham, Truman Monroe split the middle toe of his left foot the whole length.
E.H. Harrington of Wevertown has a good road horse for sale, kind and gentle, afraid of nothing on the road and safe for ladies to drive. Can be tried out for the satisfaction of purchaser.
Schuyler T. Rhodes and Miss Cora Marcelius, both of Glens Falls, were married the evening of June 4, 1912 by the Rev. H.F. Titus at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Warrensburgh.
Edward Ackerman of Bolton and Hague was thrown from a buggy and he sustained a dislocated shoulder, broken hip and broken leg. Doctors expect that he will be compelled to suffer a long period of confinement.
Dennis Donohue has purchased a five-passenger Flanders touring car and has established an automobile livery at the Grand Army House in Warrensburgh. (Note: the livery was at the corner of Main and Water streets, where George Henry’s tavern sits now.)
A Plymouth Rock hen owned by Roselle Stevens of Wevertown died the other day after passing her 13th year. She had retained her usefulness and was known to lay her usual number of eggs at 12 years and when she was 11 years she raised 42 chickens. The hen was such a motherly old biddy that she would assist the other hens in caring for their brood. Although she was only a hen, she will be greatly missed by her whole family who loved her.
Readers are welcome to contact Adirondack Journal correspondent Jean Hadden at firstname.lastname@example.org or 623-2210.