100 Years Ago – Jan. 14, 1925
Scotland Market Open To Maine Potatoes — 33 Carloads have already been ordered – 16 cars loaded on boat Sunday at Portland – 17 to be loaded at St. John this week – problem of over supply of potatoes partially solved. A possible outlet for the shipment of Maine’s surplus potato supply has been discovered in the announcement made Friday at the State department of agriculture that applications have been made for inspection on two shipments of the Aroostook county product going to Scotland. While the embargo against Maine potatoes exists in England and Ireland, no such restrictions are found in Scotland. The present order from that country is for 33 cartloads, mostly of the Green Mountain variety raised in Aroostook, and it is believed that after these shipments reach their destination other orders are likely to follow, so that in a measure Aroostook’s problem of disposing of her oversupply of “spuds”may be partially solved.
Potato Loss Heavy In Western States — The recent cold snap severely damaged potatoes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. It is difficult to tell how heavy the losses were, but they were estimated between 5 and 35 percent. With the truth probably nearer the large figure than the smaller one. Most of the damage was in districts where the custom is to pit the potatoes. The cold was too severe and hung on so long that the cold worked down into these pits and damaged the stored stock. Even individual holders will not know what their losses are until they have an opportunity to sort the potatoes over. There will be a decidedly short crop if new potatoes in San Francisco, California this year, it is predicted by local interests connected with the deal, especially of the Garnet variety. Growers are meeting with much difficulty in obtaining sufficient seed for their acreage. Garnet potatoes suitable for seed purposes are unusually scarce this season in Oregon, the principal source of supply. The dry season seriously curtailed production in the northern states and this is reflected in exceptionally light shipments to producers in the district immediately south of here.
75 Years Ago – Jan. 10, 1950
Biggest Whitetail Deer Taken In Maine In 1949 — Recapitulation of figures here today in the state’s “Biggest Bucks in Maine Club” showed hunters bagged 55 deer over 300 pounds apiece, swelling average weight of 837 club bucks taken during the recent season to 248 pounds each. “I call this amazing news,” the ordinarily terse-spoken Commissioner of Fish and Game, George J. Stobie, commented. Stobie said another score of application cards are in the mail. “Allowing for bucks shot and not entered, a hunter’s chance of getting a 200-pounder in Maine last fall was about one in 35,” he added. He said he feels that the 358-pound 12-pointer shot by Mrs. Merle Dwyer, Orient, was probably the nation’s heaviest whitetail deer taken in 1949.
Drew’s Lake Ore Samples Valued At $36.85 A Ton In Laboratory Analysis — Samples taken from the Drew’s Lake mineral deposits and assayed by Swastika Laboratories, Ontario, show that the gold, silver, lead, copper and bismuth contained in the area are valued at $36.85 a ton. Governor Frederick G. Payne was informed of the preliminary work done at Drew’s Lake and he has expressed an interest in its future development.
50 Years Ago – Jan. 8, 1975
Campbell Promoted — Navy Electrician’s Mate Third Class Gerald V. Campbell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon G. Campbell of Mars Hill, was promoted to his present rank aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Guam, homeported in the Mediterranean. A 1972 graduate of Central Aroostook High School, he joined the Navy in August of 1972.
In Mexico — Anna Gadbois, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Gadbois of Sherman Mills, is spending her final semester of college in the AASCU International Study Center in Cholula, Mexico. Upon completion of her courses in Mexico, Miss Gadbois will graduate from the University of Maine at Farmington with a major in Special Education.
