120 Years Ago – Dec. 2, 1904
Accepts new position — The genial and obliging agent of the American Express Co. in Caribou, Mr. H.H. Coombs, has resigned his position in order to accept a situation with the L.J. Sherwood Co. This company is very fortunate in securing the services of a young man of such sterling qualities. He enters upon his duties Monday next.
A bit of fun — A professor has discovered among some ancient ruins what is supposed to be the eleventh commandment. The text is as follows: ‘Emas rof yltpmorp tseyap yht sselnu repapswen a daer ton tlahs uoht.’ The commandment is easily translated by beginning at the end and reading it backward.
Ready for ice-skating — Collins Pond has been the objective point for a large number of people during the past few days, as the ice is in pretty good condition for skating.
115 Years Ago – Dec. 1, 1909
Moved it to a new place — Reuben Anderson, the popular clerk in the Combination Clothing Company’s store, moved Tuesday into his new house on Park street which he has built this summer.
Exhibition art show — Mrs. J.O. Hastings of this place has some fine oil paintings of her own handiwork on exhibition in the display window of the Boston Art store in Presque Isle.
100 Years Ago – Nov. 27, 1924
A unique enrollment — Philip Kerstead of Caribou is now enrolled in a unique organization. As a member of WLS Tribe of Lone Scouts of Chicago he takes part in the meetings of the organization which are held entirely by radio, every Wednesday evening from 7 to 7:15, the proceedings being broadcasted from the Sears-Roebuck Station in Chicago.
A fun advertisement — The following advertisement is clipped from one of our exchanges: ‘I want to sell my cow, owing to rheumatism in my left leg, caused by her kicking at a fence post and hitting me. When I first purchased her she was very wild, but I have succeeded in taming her so that I can peep through the corral without her tearing the gate down. To a man who is a good Christian and does not fear death, she would be a valuable animal. But I want to sell her to someone who will treat her right. She is one-fourth short horn, two-fourths hyena and the rest, just cow. She will be sold cheap for cash.’ How many barrels of potatoes will you give for this animal?
75 Years Ago – Dec. 1, 1949
A special bonus given — The board of directors of the J.C. Penney Company has authorized a special payment of an amount equal to two weeks’ pay for all full-time associates who have been employed for the full year of 1949 and on a proportionate basis for extra and part-time associates and for those employed less than a year. J.J. Howlett, manager of the local J.C. Penney store, said that more than 50,000 Penney associates all over the United States will participate in this patent, including 45 of the Caribou store. He further emphasized that this was not a Christmas bonus in the usual sense and was non-recurring. All Penney associates throughout the Company share in this payment except those who are members of the management staff and whose earnings are determined largely by the Company’s long-standing profit-sharing plan. The Company some years ago substituted a Thrift and Profit-Sharing Plan for the more usual Christmas bonus and into this plan is annually paid a proportionate share of Company earnings. The current extra patent, just announced, is additional to these thrift and profit-sharing benefits.
Caribou’s largest plant ships frozen ‘fries’ all over the nation — Caribou’s newest and largest industrial plant is now running close to a full working schedule of two shifts daily. Following a series of test runs which began October 14, the thoroughly modern frozen French Fry operation of Birds Eye-Snider will employ 150 persons well into next spring. Purchased on the local market for this first season will be a total of more than 100,000 barrels of potatoes. From that source will be produced thousands of cases of ten-ounce packages of French Fries, moving by refrigerated transportation to Birds Eye warehouses all over the nation. A tour through the plant, with Franklin G. Delaney, manager, and Joseph D Nevins, assistant manager, discloses a number of machines and automatic conveyors that really dwarf the housewife’s kitchen and the usual homestyle methods of French frying. After several weeks of adjustment to various units of the machinery, this new plant was given its first test run during four hours on Friday, October 14. Since then, further adjustments have been given here and there, and the entire assembly line style of production is now rapidly nearing perfection.
25 Years Ago – Dec. 1, 1999
Bangor firm buys local distributor — Solomon Distributors will consolidate with Maine Distributors in Bangor. The family company that was started in 1950 has distributed beer and wine throughout the County for the past 50 years. Sales and deliveries will continue as always, but the family of employees that have worked at the York street building will soon break apart as the distribution center will be in Bangor. Nine of the company’s employees will be laid off. ‘There is certainly an emotional attachment (to the Caribou business),’ said Bob Soloman, equity manager at Solomon Distributors. The plan to merge the companies began in June 1998, said Scott Soloman, general manager at Maine Distributors and Bob’s son. The company will be under the Maine Distributor name by Jan. 1. The transition of bringing all the supplies to the Bangor building will take about six months.
Happy 60th anniversary — On July 4, 1999, the family and friends of Albert and Marie (Dubay) Theriault held a celebration in honor of their 60th wedding anniversary at the Sacred Heart hall, in North Caribou. It was a festive day with remembrances of family times and a buffet banquet to feed anybody’s appetite. The 60th anniversary cake was made by their daughter Marlene Staples. The couple were married on Nov. 18, 1939, at the Sacred Heart Church. They have a family of nine children, 25 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren.
