NEWS

100 years ago in The Monroe Evening News

Suzanne Nolan Wisler
The Monroe News

Following are items from The Monroe Evening News, forerunner to The Monroe News, that were published in October, 1922. These are actual items that appeared in print.

Ad from October, 1922

With Monroe Folks

Queen Esther

The Queen Esther Society of St. Paul United Methodist Evangelical Church will meet tonight at the home of Miss Hazel Reau of S. Monroe St.

Evangelical Note

Those who attended the services yesterday morning at the Evangelical Church heard a fine sermon rendered by the Rev. F. B. Culber of Portland, Ore., who spoke on the theme of the “Lordship of Jesus.”

Fidelity Class

Attorney Edgar Gordan gave a very interesting address to the Fidelity Class at the Presbyterian Church Sunday morning on the subject of “Presented Day Religion.” A large number of members and visitors were present and found Mr. Gordon’s talk very interesting and instructive. At the close of the meeting, a rising vote of thanks was given the speaker. It is hoped that Mr. Gordon can be secured for another address sometime next month.

Ottawa Lake

Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Bears and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Grinage went to the cranberry marsh Saturday.

Frank Grinare was in Monroe Thursday as delegate to the Republican convention.

Ad from October, 1922

To free schools, theaters from all fire hazards

The State Department of Public Safety is pushing the work of freeing every schoolhouse and motion picture theater in Michigan from fire hazards that might endanger the lives of the occupants. This work was one of the most important duties assigned the department by the last legislature in the development of a policy.

District inspectors and uniformed men of the state police are now engaged in the regular fall inspection of schools and movie theaters. A representative of the department will personally visit every school and show house in the state, having with him data covering the 1921 inspections from which he will make a comparison to see that all improvements recommended at that time have been made.

Ad from October, 1922

It is stated that reports show most of the schools and movies were in good condition at the time of the last inspection. There were, of course, some instances where the heads of school became negligent in the matter of protecting pupils from the dangers of fire.

The inspection of the school buildings will have to do with the condition of waste accumulation in the cellars, how the doors are fastened, construction of stairways, location of fire escapes and the condition of electric alarm equipment and firefighting equipment.

In a Few Lines

Funeral of Prominent Farm

The funeral of John Heckle, for more than 48 years a resident of Ida Township, who died at his home near Lulu Sunday, was held at the Lulu Methodist Church this afternoon. Mr. Heckle was about 70 years-old and was one of the best-known farmers in Ida Township. He leaves several children.

Not Much Change in Condition

There is not much change in the condition of Walter Yentz, who was badly injured when he fell from a tree to the ground, a distance of 20 feet, Sunday morning. He is at the Monroe hospital.

Auto Accident

Two automobiles came together at the corner of Macomb St. and Elm Ave. at 9:30 Tuesday evening, but no one was injured. Both machines were slightly damaged.

This is on the most dangerous corners in the city, and hardly a day goes by without an accident of some kind.

Ad from October, 1922

Classified Ads

WANTED – Young men and boys for printing press feeders. Apply First St. plant, Consolidated Paper Co.

WANTED – Waitress at Park Hotel, $100 per week, room and board.

Basketball banquet to be big affair

At high six thirty this evening, rain or shine, some 150 baseball players, managers, members of the clergy, local notables, officers of the league and others will gather in the Knights of Columbus hall for the first-annual silver trophy presentation banquet of the Monroe Church Baseball league.

Nine local churches, who had representatives on the baseball field during the past season, will be represented at the meeting. They are: Presbyterian, Methodist, St. Mary’s and St. John’s, Trinity Lutheran, St. Michael’s, Baptist, Episcopal, Zion Lutheran and Evangelical.

The Monroe Evening News’ huge silver loving cup will be presented to St. Mary’s Catholic team, winners of the post-season series with the St. Michael’s outfit.

Baseball League banquet a success

Nearly 150 gathered for big event; elaborate program marks closing of season here

Literally eating up fouls and figuratively smashed the old leather for a circuit drive and incidentally staging one of the biggest, best and most euthanasic games every seen in Monroe, some 150 players of the national pastime, members of the school board, clergymen of the city, officers of the league and local notables assembled at the Knights of Columbus Hall last evening in one of the most cosmopolitan groups ever gathered together under one roof and played the game of brotherly love and friendship. The occasion was the first annual silver trophy presentation banquet of the Monroe Church Baseball League.

It was the first affair of its kind ever held in this city.

Practically every church in Monroe was represented: Protestant, Catholic and Lutheran alike met as God, in His heaven, would have them meet—to make the ties of brotherly love and friendship a little tighter and to make the feelings of true fellowship stronger. There was no mark of distinction that placed one man far above his fellow.

Ad from October, 1922

Monroe paid $6,370 to state in quarter

This third quarter of the calendar year netted the state $718,248 in automobile license fees, a report completed today by Charles J. DeLands, secretary of state, shows. Half of this amount—$359,124—will be returned to the counties for highway construction purposes.

Wayne contributed nearly ten times as much as any other county to the revenue collected during the quarter.

The collection in other counties, half of which will be returned to counties, included Monroe, which paid $6,370 to the state this quarter.

Fireman kept busy on Sunday

Fire destroyed the grocery stock of G. Green’s store on Kentucky avenue.

The second story of the building occupied by two families. The cry of a baby in a crib woke up one of the families, who discovered the lower flames.

A fire also was discovered at G. Green’s Stone. Most of the furniture was taken out by firemen. The entire stock of groceries was destroyed.

At eight o’clock on Sunday morning, fire was discovered in the basement of the post office building. The fire was confined to wastepaper and the damages amount to less than $10, according to information given out on Monday morning by the postmaster. Both fire companies were on the job in a few minutes and had the blaze under control in a short time.

Lester Baldwin who happened to be passing the post office noticed smoke pouring out of a basement  window on the west side of the building and notified authorities.

City to ban long trains on streets

Short Line Railroad company will be ordered by the city to discontinue the practice of operating long freight trains through the city of Monroe.

At the meeting of the city commission Monday evening, City Clerk Kresbach was instructed to notify the Detroit, Monroe & Toledo Electric railroad that it will have to conform with its franchise which the city in reference to hauling long freight trains through the city. Mayor James Gilmore brought this to the attention of the commissioners and stated that he had protests from citizens in reference to the long freight trains and that the company is not complying with its franchise. The mayor declared that company is hauling as high as six cars at one time.

Knights of Pythians start rehearsals

The first rehearsal for the K. of P. big musical review was held last night in the K. of P. hall

An enthusiastic crowd attended. Mr. and Mrs. Jean Jordan of Detroit will have personal charge of the rehearsals. They will he assisted by Arthur J. Sears and Harold McKae, members of the staff of the Jordan-Detroit Producing Company. Rehearsals will he held each afternoon and evening at the K. of P hall. The performances will be given at the Family Theatre the nights of Oct. 23 and 24.

With Monroe Folks

Pythian Sisters

The regular meeting of the Pythian Sisters will bd held at the Pythian Chapel promptly at 7 o’clock Wednesday evening.

Baby Boy

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Binder are receiving congratulations on the arrival of a baby boy Monday morning.

Friday the 13th

Watch your steps this is Friday, the thirteenth! What does the day mean to you? To some it means a day of ill omens: a day when everything that happens means something terrible. To others it is no different than any other day. To still others, it is held as a lucky day. Which class are you in, good, bad or indifferent?

If you are at all superstitious you won’t walk under a ladder this day. You won't let a black cat cross your path. And, oh, the worst thing that could possibly happen today would be to break a so-called looking glass. It would mean 15 years’ bad luck, some think. It is not a common occurrence this thirteenth day of the month falling on Friday, but when such is the case, some people would rather stay in bed all day for fear something might happen to them and even then the springs might fall from under them while they repose, many think.

“Friday is unlucky enough,” one person has told us. “But Friday and the 13th day of the month, it’s awful.”

So, if you stub your toe, go back to the spot where said toe was abused and try it over again. If the proverbial unlucky black cat tries to cross your path, chase after it until you capture it and then hurl it from your way—gently of course. And girls, handle your mirrors carefully on this day.

If you land in your little comfy bad all cozy this evening and fall sound asleep, with no trouble, then you will awake tomorrow morning and say, “Hosh, nothing to it!”

But if some wee, little thing goes wrong today, who will you blame? Friday the 13th, of course. Who else is there to blame? Such an appropriate time to have something to blame your alleged ill luck on, isn’t it?

There are ill omens and every one of them will crop out today, without a doubt.

Don’t let us scare you, but remember, this is Friday the 13th!

Hospital to care for poor patients

Dr. James A. Humphrey was to appear before the supervisors this morning in reference to poor patients that are being taken to the University Hospital, Ann Arbor, for operation. Dr. Humphrey informed County Clerk Kay C. Dull that he would like to talk to the board about these patients. Mr. Dull said that Dr. Humphrey had informed him that these operations would be performed at the Monroe Hospital free of charge, the only expense connected would be for the operating room and the hospital bill which would be very reasonable.

Columbus Day is celebrated

The Christopher Columbus Society of Monroe celebrated Columbus Day in a fitting manner yesterday. The celebration was held in the Knights of Columbus Hall and was attended by a large gathering.

The speakers were Attorney J. C. Lehr; William E. Sturns; state secretary of the K of C, and George C. Kirschner, grand knight of the Monroe Council.

The speakers paid a glowing tribute to Columbus and the Christopher Columbus Society for the work it is carrying on in this city among the Italian population.

$1,240 pared from salaries of three county officials

The county officers Monroe Bounty Board of Supervisors was successful in getting resolutions through Tuesday afternoon cutting the salaries of two of the officers and doing away with a clerk in one of the offices.

The officers were cut to bring down a yearly decrease of $1,240. The board cut the salary of the county treasurer from $2,000 to $1,700 a year; school commissioner from $2,500 to $2,000 and disallowed a clerk in the prosecuting attorney’s office. The prosecuting attorney salary was fixed at $2,400, while at the present time he is receiving $2,000 and is allowed a clerk at $840 a year. This means a cut in this office of $440 a year. The school commissioner is now receiving a salary of $1,500 per year.

Bequest of $4,700 given to B of E

At the meeting of the Board of Education Thursday evening, a check in the amount of $4,700 bequeathed to the board by the late Mrs. Elizabeth Manning Sill was presented by Secretary Carl Kiburtz. Under the will of Mrs. Sill the interest from the above amount will be used for the poor children and their families in Monroe.

The board will invest the principal in some good securities. The will says that a full membership of the board must be present to accept the gift. Only four members were present and the matter was held on the table until a future meeting.

Huge steel mill may locate here; 50 acres wanted

Major James H. Gilmore announced at the meeting of the city commission Monday evening that he is in negotiations with representatives of a steel mill that desires to locate in Monroe. The representatives were here last week, looking over sites and will be here again the last of this week, said the mayor. They were taken around the city by the mayor and shown a number of sites.

“I have consulted a number of citizens about the plant, but am sorry to say I did not get very much encouragement,” said the mayor.

The company wants a site of less than 25 acres located near the water.

“The company has a payroll of $70,000 per month and must begin operations within 60 days,” the mayor said.

The commission went on record to assist the mayor in finding a factory for Monroe.

Monroe students in entertainment

Children of all of the public schools in Monroe will put on a program at one of the Monroe theatres.

The program will he for the benefit of the senior class trip to Washington next spring.

The entertainment will be divided into three parts, the first to be given by the grade school children, with second by the eighth-grade pupils, and the third by the students of the high school. The participants of the first division, pupils from the Macomb, Christiancy, Union, Lincoln and Central schools will put on drills, songs, readings and perhaps several solos and group dances. The eighth grade will give a pantomime, and a series of tableaux may be put on by the high school students.

The Goblins’ll Get Ya If Ya Don’t Watch Out

Tonight’s Hallowe’en, after the gloomy shadows of darkness have clothed Mother Earth in a somber cloak of black, will appear goblins and elves. For tonight, folks, is mystery night personified. The small kids delight in Halloween, which is now upon us. They revel in the unknown and the untold mysteries of the 31st of October.

Men may well sit in their easy leather rockers, blowing a heavy smokes rings, and again enter their plea of: “Backward, turn backward, oh time in your flight, make me a boy again just for tonight." For this, if any one night in the year ever was, is boy’s night. Before out imaginative vision on this notable eve will appear witches with brooms, ugly jack-lanterns, snarling black cats and queer little elves. They peer inquiringly at us from every cranny nook and corner and we shudder, yet delight, in the scary objects that are set on making us creep down under the bed covers, there to sleep fitfully and dream of the days when we were chased blocks for playing some boyish prank on an innocent resident of the small village where we spent our boyhood.

Orange and black predominate in the shop windows along Front and Monroe streets. As red and green announce the approaching of the yuletide season, so do orange and black herald the nearing of the mysterious night. Mystery night, we repeat. The kids are waiting for tonight —the big night when nothing but darkness may hide their mischief. They are making plans, as well as Jack O’ Lanterns galore. The boys aren’t planning on being destructive this year—that is confidential, folks, and we promised not to tell, but boys will be boys— and we are. The lads are just going to have a mighty good time with their "lanterns” and their soaps and their tick-tacks. And I say what harm is there in that.