“Geauga in Print: Part Nine”

c. 2012 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(6-12)

The adventure continues – my quest for old newspaper stories about Geauga County has turned up a wealth of journalistic material from bygone days. The language used in these reports is often quirky and anachronistic. Yet the subject matter frequently resonates with themes that are timely in nature.
What follows are more glimpses of our region, from the wordsmiths of yesterday:

BUICKS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER
Painesville Telegraph, July 23, 1927

“‘Two hundred and fifty new Buicks in Lake and Geauga counties in 1928!’ is the slogan of the entire personnel of I. M. Crowther, Inc., Buick dealers for the two counties. The enthusiasm with which the salesmen have received the 1928 models spells assurance that they will succeed in the attainment of the high sales record that they have established for themselves. Headed by R. I. Patterson, general manager of the organization, since April 1st, the firm has taken remarkable strides forward in the further establishment of Buick standards in the two counties… Mr. Patterson has re-organized both the service and sales ends of the company since succeeding the late I. M. Crowther as manager… at Chardon, T. W. Murray is in charge of sales and is surrounded by an experienced staff of assistants.”

MANAGING THE BANKING CRISIS
Painesville Telegraph, March 15, 1933

“At Chardon this morning, two banks were open for full business. Officials of the Chardon Savings Bank Co. and the National Bank of Chardon said that deposits were received far in excess of withdrawals. There was more activity than usual, but only because people had been forced to wait half a month to transact necessary banking business and were taking advantage of their first opportunity. The spirit of confidence exhibited by the people in doing business at all the banks convinced banking officials that there is no public anxiety over the situation.”

POTATO PROUD
The Southeast Missourian, September 1, 1934

“Chardon, O – Drouth or no drouth, the Hoover brothers in Troy township, have just dug up 428 bushels of Irish cobblers from a single acre. It’s their bid for the northern Ohio potato championship.”

CHARDON ON (WINNING) SPREE
Painesville Telegraph, October 5, 1935

“MADISON – Three touchdowns marked Chardon High School’s grid win over Madison, 18-0, here Friday as the teams opened their Lake-Geauga football league schedules. Touchdowns were scored by Eglston and Thrasher of Chardon. An aerial attack played a very important part in the Geauga county team’s 18-point shutout win over the Madison eleven, passes scoring two touchdowns and another pass putting the eleven in scoring position for the final tally. After advancing the ball downfield on a series of passes, Chardon scored its first touchdown in the second quarter when a seven-yard pass from Davidson to Eglston opened scoring. The try for (an) extra point failed. A 12-yard pass in the third quarter after the ball had been advanced downfield in similar manner made the Chardon team’s advantage 12 to 0. Varney’s toss to Thrasher accounted for that one. A long pass from Leggett to Capron put Chardon on Madison’s 15-yard marker where a trick play sent Thrasher across from the 15-yard stripe to score. Chardon’s passing attack worked perfectly Friday as the team connected with 10 passes in 10 attempted. Madison threatened the Chardonites only once, and that was in the third quarter when a fumble gave them the ball on Chardon’s 30-yard line. The Hillmen quelled the threat, however.”

TURNING BACK THE YEARS
Painesville Telegraph, February 11, 1939

“Twenty years ago, today, February 11, 1919 - An item carried in The Telegraph and taken from the Geauga County Leader read as follows: ‘A Painesville minister objects to his church members going to the movies instead of prayer meetings. No such complaint in Burton, as few go to either.’”

GRANGE GURU FROM GEAUGA
Painesville Telegraph, December 2, 1941

“COLUMBUS – Paul McNish of Chardon is the new acting master of the Ohio State Grange. Mr. McNish succeeds Walter Kirk of Port Clinton who had died after an automobile accident. The acting master will preside at the Ohio Grange convention in Columbus from December 9 to 11. The meeting will be conducted as a memorial to Mr. Kirk and to the late Rev. W. C. Patterson of Cadiz who was Grange chaplain.”

GAMBLING
Youngstown Vindicator, April 11, 1950

“Columbus – Gov. Frank J. Lausche said Monday night if visitors to the Pettibone Club decline to give the grand jury testimony about gambling for fear of being indicted, he ‘will have no fault to find with them.’ The governor issued a statement after learning of the charge given a grand jury Monday in Chardon. Judge Blake C. Cook of Portage County, sitting as a criminal judge in Geauga County, told the grand jurors: ‘…If you find that a person or persons have operated games of chance in violation of the law, you will return indictments against such person or persons, and all persons who were unlawfully playing such games of chance.’ The state has been trying to close the Pettibone Club for violating the building code. At a hearing last week persons who said they had gambled at the club were introduced. But Judge Cook suggested they appear before the grand jury. They did not appear when the grand jury convened Monday.”

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