The following news briefs were published in the “News of Long Ago – 20 Years Ago This Week” section of the Millersburg Sentinel, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in February 1951. The news items were therefore from February, 1931.
Emanuel M. Boyer, widely known retired cattle dealer, was found dead in bed, at the home of his son, Frank G. Boyer, Pine Street, this Thursday morning, by Edwin Boyer, a grandson. Mr. Boyer, who was 86 years of age, had been bedfast for 14 weeks.
Preliminary work for the relocation of the railroad tracks and the State highway, north of Liverpool station, is going ahead. The Sims Construction Company, of Philadelphia, which has the contract for making the necessary fill to relocate the railroad tracks, has a number of men engaged in erecting suitable buildings for a camp an office.
An accumulation of gasoline, leading from a feed pipe of a stove at Kerr’s restaurant, Union Street, suddenly ignited, Saturday morning. Firemen put out the blaze with chemicals and only slight damage resulted.
Edward Kelchner, of Middleburg, with his wife, in their automobile made an attempt to cross the ice on the Susquehanna, from the Perry County side to Millersburg, last Saturday afternoon, and when on-third of the distance was covered the car dropped through the ice into eighteen inches of water. Several hundred skaters gathered around the car and after a number of planks had been placed and a runway made, Mr. Kelchner drove onto the solid ice and back to the Perry County shore.
Many cases of grip and influenza are reported in the community.
Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Troutman, of this place, left Philadelphia, on Wednesday on the S.S. Republic, for a trip of sixteen days. The cruise will stop at Cuba, the West Indies and the Panama Canal.
All finished shoes and the balance of stock on hand at the Cleyborn Shoe Company, of this place, was purchased from the committee appointed to liquidate the holdings of the company, on Monday. The machinery remains in the plant and efforts are being made to rent or sell the buildings.
James M. Witman, Civil War veteran, formerly of Millersburg, died at the home of his son, Harry E. Witmer, Harrisburg, Wednesday, aged 89 years. He was the last surviving member of Kilpatrick Post No. 212, Grand Army of the Republic, of Millersburg. He enlisted September , 1861, at Harrisburg, and took part in twenty battles during the Civil War.
John E. Heckert, well known farmer residing on R.D.1, killed a Poland-China hog on Monday which weighed 755 pounds, dressed. The large porker produced six cans of lard, each can weighing fifty pounds.
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