1948: Dundee High School Students Strike for Beloved Teacher

The Chronicle-Express: Consolidation, January 1, 1926, of the Yates County Chronicle (1824) and the Penn Yan Express (1866); the Rushville Chronicle (1905) and the Gorham New Age (1902) The Yates County History Center’s volunteers have gleaned these entries for your enjoyment from their digitized newspapers. You can access them at the free site www.nyshistoricnewspapers. com. For more information about the YCHC, visit www.yatespast.org.

150 Years Ago March 13, 1873 Grant’s Re-election - Many who were zealous last fall for the re-election of General Grant, and the continuance in power of the party whose candidate he was, begin to have honest and serious misgivings in regard to what they have done.

Recent revelations of corruption, and the advance of salaries so easily passed by Congress, begin to have a sobering effect, even on the staunch and determined partisans, farmers especially, are thinking very hard. At no time in twenty years have times been so hard as now. The money to pay taxes comes literally by the hardest sweat.

Just at this time the President’s salary is doubled.

The salaries of Cabinet officers, Judges, and all State officials, has been increased, and Members of Congress have added fifty per cent to their already large salaries. The Philadelphia platform prated of retrenchment, economy and reform, and this is the first chapter! Men who earn your money, and never get any of these subsidies from the public treasury, what do you think of it? Do you begin to see that campaign promise is one thing, and fulfillment quite another ?

Trout Stocked In Lake Keuka - We neglected to mention last week that 60,000 more young trout were deposited in our lake, making in all 120,000.

The last lot were obtained from John Magee, of Watkins, who had them in charge to place in Little Lake, but owing to an accident on the railway near Gorham causing delay, he thought best to turn them over to the Forrester Club of this place who deposited them in Lake Keuka. The club has been very successful this year in securing a fine lot of young fish, and in four or five years all of our citizens will receive the benefit of their strenuous efforts!

Wives Needed - “Send us wives!” is the piteous plea that comes from the men in Washington Territory, and naturally the question arises, “Whose wives shall we send?”

Improvement - We find that telegraph poles are being placed along the streets and are well adapted to the purpose. Soon as the frost is out of the earth we expect to see them erected and the wires over which the lightning is to play, stretched from Watkins to Penn Yan, through Dundee.

Steamer Magee To Lose Its Captain - Capt. Mott J. Gilbert, the well-known and popular commander of one of the Seneca Lake steamers for several years past, has been appointed Steward of Willard Asylum to fill the vacancy caused by the decease of the late A. C. Slaght. Capt. Gilbert is admirably qualified for the position, which is one of great and continuous responsibility. So the steamer Magee will lose its urbane Commander, but the Willard Asylum will secure an excellent steward, a man well qualified for the position.

100 Years Ago March 14, 1923 Yates County’s Centennial - One of the attractions at the Yates County Fair this fall will be a pageant in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Yates County. This is most fitting. It is indeed unfortunate that this county has no active historical society whose duty it should be to collect and keep together the rare pictures, manuscripts, books, and other curios that have to do with its early history. If the people of this county once began to gather such relicts and properly house them, a rare and interesting collection could be made. Yates County is rich in matters historical. It can be done. It SHOULD be done and now is the time to do it!

Lowns’ Employees - Monday evening the entire personnel of The Lown Dry Goods Co. held a most enjoyable function in the store after 6 o’clock closing. A fine dinner was served, after which there were dancing, singing, music and several impromptu addresses. The affair concluded with a visit to a picture show.

Soldiers & Sailors Hospital - The building committee of the new hospital is very active these days. They are working to secure the most advantageous bids for erecting the building and it is expected that this part of the work will be completed, and it is hoped that the bids will all be in by the first of April, so that very shortly thereafter, the contracts can be let and the work actually begun. The new hospital is going to be an objective point for a walk throughout the summer to see how the work is progressing.

Playing At the Elmwood - Gladys Walton in “TOP O’ THE MORNING.” Saint Patrick’s Day won’t be complete unless you see this little Irish colleen, who journeys from Ireland to make her home with her father in New York. Mr. Wood, Elmwood’s orchestra leader, has promised us a program of old Irish melodies which together with “TOP O’ THE MORNING,” is sure to make a very pleasing evening’s entertainment. Admission: Matinee, 10-17c; evening, 17-22c. Children under twelve, 10c.

75 Years Ago March 11, 1948 Dundee High School Students Strike - Reaction to Ag Teacher Robert Meagher Not Being Offered Contract

- High school students of the Dundee Central school marched out of the classrooms again at 10 a.m. Wednesday to continue their strike against the school board for the second day. School officials and teachers hoped that the situation had reached its climax Tuesday night when unknown persons tossed rocks and pop bottles through the windows at the homes of two of the board of education members.

Rocks weighing several pounds were heaved through the big windows in the living room of the home of C. J. Sackett, president of the board, about 9 o’clock Tuesday evening. Less than 10 minutes later a window at the home of Lawrence Smith, another board member, was broken by a pop bottle. State police from the Penn Yan station went to Dundee immediately and started an investigation, working in cooperation with Dundee’s police chief.

Wednesday morning the children came to school by bus as usual and attended class during the first period. Just before 10 o’clock they marched and and began parading the streets two by two in an orderly fashion chanting, as yesterday, “We Want Meagher!”

C.J. Sackett, president of the board of education, would give no reason for the fact that the board had decided not to employ Mr. Meagher again next year, saying only that the board “tried to do what was best for the school.” The children jammed the streets, yelling, marching, demonstrating in front of the Dundee Bank of which Mr. Sackett is president, demanding that he “Come out and talk to us,” and wanting to know “Why did you fire Meagher?” Mr.

Meagher, who has been employed at the school for some 10 years, even before the centralization of the district, is in charge of the veterans’ classes in agriculture and serves as coach for the veterans’ basketball and baseball teams.

During the summer, he coaches the town baseball team and frequently serves as referee for a variety of games for all age groups. Residents of Dundee told a Chronicle-Express reporter Tuesday that he was probably the most popular of any teacher now on the Dundee school faculty. Contacted at his home Tuesday evening, Mr. Meagher said that while he appreciated the loyalty of the children he regretted their action.

He declared he had not been given a reason by the board of education as to why his service would not be required for another year.

Major Fire - Fire Completely Destroys Marine Supply and Storage Building at Red Jacket Park, Estimated Damage of $100,000.

Loss Includes 50 Inboard Motor Boats, Outboard Boats, New Motors, Large Quantity of Other Stock. The building, which was entirely of wooden construction, was totally destroyed. At one time a roller-skating rink and dance hall, it was used as base for the Keuka Motor and Marine business until about three years ago when it was purchased by Frank A. Lanphear.

It is located just beyond Red Jacket Park at the beginning of the East Keuka Lake Road.

50 Years Ago March 15, 1973 Keuka To Remain Women’s College, One of 163 in U.S. - Keuka College in Keuka Park, has decided to remain a women’s college. Dr. G.

Wayne Glick, president of Keuka, commented on the decision by saying, “The college is committed to providing for women a top-quality education that is distinguished and distinguishable.” This was the second time in three years the college has reviewed and reaffirmed its decision. In 1970, after 18 months of careful study, a committee formed to study the feasibility and desirability of coeducation recommended to the president that the college accept as its first priority the need to make basic improvements in the curriculum and other areas such as field period, student participation in college goverance and the evaluation process.

It was believed that after these basic goals were met, the question of coeducation could be re-examined.

Stolen Safe Recovered - Two young boys, exploring the Kimble gully on the Slaughterhouse Road on Saturday, found the 600-pound safe reportedly stolen sometime Tuesday night, from the B.R. DeWitt Inc. cement plant on Cherry St. They told their parents of their discovery, who in turn called police. Village police and State Police from Dresden investigated the call received Wednesday morning, that someone had forced entry through the front door and apparently taken the safe out the rear exit. The safe when recovered had been tampered with, police said, but had not been opened.

Wildcats Win Final Game Over PYA - In the seasons finale for the regular season play the Whitman Wildcats defeated the Penn Yan Mustangs in a real cliff hanger 56-51. A great deal was riding on the Mustang-Wildcat game. PYA had a reasonable chance at a sectional berth as did Whitman depending on which team won. Whitman was hoping to avenge an early season loss to PYA and to prevent another loss to PYA on the last game of the 1972 season. It was the Wildcats who were knocked over last year by PYA after the Mustangs had gone winless through the entire season going into the final tilt with Whitman. PYA was also hoping to have their coach, Jim Johnston, leave the scene a winner in his last game at the helm of the Orange and Blue, but it didn’t turn out although for most of the game PYA was ahead.

1948: Dundee High School Students Strike for Beloved Teacher

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