Prospective on the Outdoors, Marsh Young - 1972
Remember Marsh Young’s Prospective on the Outdoors column that he wrote for the Union City Times-Leader? This outdoor column by Marsh Young appeared in the 100th anniversary edition of the Union City Times-Leader.
Thursday, October 18, 1972
Outdoors of Old
With Marsh Young
As this Hundredth Anniversary Edition of our Brown Thompson Newspaper goes to press, it would seem an appropriate time on this outdoor page to turn back the pages of countless papers noting the rich human drama that has unfolded, page after page, year after year. Perhaps the best way to look back on these past hundred years and the relation of past generations to their outdoor heritage would be to see it as it was recorded by others on the pages of their papers.
After searching many years of publishing, I have taken the liberty of selecting a very few articles out of what turned out to be thousands of accounts of outdoor activities and needless to say it wasn’t all hunting and fishing….
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June 27, 1913. Prominent Edinboro man dropped dead while fishing on the lake Monday… Hiram J. Mallory, who resided in Edinboro, went out fishing after supper last Monday evening according to the Independent, with his son Royce age 12 and his nephew. Mr. Mallory hooked a 16 pound Muscallonge off Green Point and trolled him across the lake to the outlet and then back near Green Point where he landed the fish. He asked Royce for the gaff and then saying, “I’m getting blind,” fell over forward dead.
April 2, 1914. PLEADED GUILTY. The after match of the “cockingmain” which was pulled off at the farm of Henry Bidwell in Union Township, was heard in Alderman Passett’s court Monday. Constable Clyde Magee, who made the raid on the “main” had warrant issued for a large number of participants. Those charged were: Henry Bidwell, Ernest Young, Frank Holbrook, George Bellinger, William Burns, Ben Walker, Washington Lee, Tom McDonald, Ford Shreve, Arnold Davis, Edwin Hayes, and Herbert Emerson. Officer Magee said many more warrants will soon be issued.
April 2, 1914. WOODEN LEG USED AS WEAPON-a unique fight, in which a glass eye and a wooden leg were the chief weapons used, was fought in Union City last night. Alexander James of Painted Post and James Edwards, who came here from Kentucky, were the principals. It all happened over a wooden leg. Edwards, who is a peg-legged man, loaded up with that evil liquor and lay down for a nap. A practical joker applied a coat of paint of the wooden leg and then sprinkled a handful of horse hair over it, making it appear hair had grown on the artificial leg. When Edwards awoke somebody told him James was responsible for the trick. A few minutes later Edwards met James who has a glass eyes, and calmly unstrapping the wooden prop, struck James over the head, inflicting a severe gash. James, knowing he had done nothing to provoke the assault, snatched out his glass eye and hurled it at Edwards, cutting a deep gash in his temple.
February 28, 1916-TERRIFIC STORM—The oldest inhabitants have nothing on the present generation in regard to snow storms as the one which raged in this city and vicinity from Saturday evening until Sunday evening had anything beat within the recollection of all. Accompanied by a gale the snow fell in profusion and banked the walks and streets to the depth of from 4 to 6 feet and traffic was practically suspended for 24 hours.
The street commissioner managed to get the snow plow through in some sections of the city, but the path was filled again within a few moments, and those who were down town Saturday evening and attended church Sunday morning and evening had to wade through snow almost waist deep. This morning the wind has calmed down and the weather is fine, and the paths around the city are shoveled out.
The Merrell-Soule milk teams failed to get through yesterday. The mail carriers started out this morning, but it is not likely that they will cover their entire routes.
Wesley Ward, the bus man, had a team out early this morning hauling snow shovel through the main streets, so he can use his automobile for passenger service in the city. Morton, the baker, who has had his auto delivery out every day this winter, got stalled on Main Street this morning and had to be dragged out by a team, but is making his deliveries now.
April 23, 1914. DRINKING WATER. The attention of the Times-Enterprise has been called to the fact that a number of water faucets in the city have become clogged in the past week or so and the services of a plumber were required. Upon investigation it has been found that dead frogs coming through the pipes from the reservoir have choked the pipes and in consequence the householder was without water. Quick action might save an epidemic, as “frog water” especially from the city reservoir, is not healthful.
May 2, 1914. STREAMS BEING STOCKED- Bull frogs by the thousands are being placed in the streams of Pa. by the Dept. of Fisheries, and it is expected that by the end of July more young bull frogs will have been distributed than ever before handled by the state’s fish propagation station at Union City. The propagation of frogs was undertaken a few years ago by the department when the demand for the green backed “bullies” became so great. However, problems have necessitated the release of more frogs than was ever anticipated.
October 11, 1915. The 1915 hunter’s licenses can now be secured from Alderman Bartholme. The tag that is to be worn on the arm this fall is of a dark red color bearing in black letters the number of the license and other statistics. A new feature of the regulations this year is a clause which forbids among other things the sale of wild rabbits and squirrels. The price of the license is now $1.00. So far Alderman Bartholme reports only one hunting license has been sold. Deer, elk, bear and wild turkey are not found in Erie County woods to be targets for the hunters. The effort is now being made to raise deer in the woods of this county, and the experiment is now in progress.
April 6, 1916. Commissioner N.R. Buller’s weekly letter to the fishermen of Union City and vicinity. “As the season for the taking of trout is now approaching, a few words to the fishermen might not go amiss. The law now allows the taking of only 40 trout in a day, six inches and over in length. The season for taking some being from April 15 to July 31. I would also request the fishermen of the Union City area not to fish upon the small tributaries inhabited by trout but to pick out the larger streams which are inhabited by larger trout.