100 YEARS AGO — 1917

The following list of clothing composed two good size boxes which were sent to New York last Thursday by the Danville chapter of the American Red Cross. For women: 2 pair of shoes, 2 pair of bedroom slippers; 1 muffler, 5 coat suits; 8 coats; 1 flannel skirt; 21 dresses; 1 silk dress; 2 pair hose; 2 fur capes; 5 pair drawers; and two corset covers. For men: 13 pair of socks; 2 undershirts; 10 neck ties; 3 over coats and 6 pair drawers. All of these things were in good condition, mended and repaired ready to wear. Some of the things were practically new and will surely find a use in some of the Allied countries.

A recommendation that the sale of meat be prohibited throughout the United States on Tuesdays and Fridays was adopted and forwarded to Herbert Hoover, food administrator, by the United Master Butchers of American meeting.

The old preparatory building at Centre will be sold, the land to be used for other purposes. The preparatory department has been moved into other college buildings. Many a man remembers “Prep.” Some with pleasure and some with horror as the days there were long and strenuous. Many floggings will be likewise remembered by men now grown into years. The passing of “Prep” removes a famous old landmark.

Every day several new automobiles are seen upon the streets driven by local people. Danville now has several hundred cars.

The verdict of the coroner’s jury investigating the death of little Frank Wade, was that he came to his death by accidental drowning. Wade, with other boys, went to a pond on Sunday and the boys claim he fell in. The pond is located on Harrodsburg Road near the railway tracks. They were afraid to tell of his misfortune and the body remained in the water until Wednesday, when it was found floating.

75 YEARS AGO — 1942

Clark Gable, who abandoned his screen career when his wife, Carole Lombard, was killed in an airplane crash earlier this year, wound up his affairs and joined the Army as a buck private on Tuesday. He has been assigned his serial number, has taken his physical and was sworn in, not as a bond salesman nor morale builder, but as a fighting man.

Dee Dabney was fine $10 and sentenced to 10 days at hard labor in the workhouse following his conviction on a breach of the peace charge in police court. Dabney was arrested after he had slashed John Gibson across the neck with a butcher knife. In other police court happenings, a problem of the draft board appeared to be solved when Mike Gray was sent to the workhouse in default of a $10 fine on a drunkenness charge. Gray who has gone from Danville for induction into the service several times has been reported drunk upon arrival at the induction station and was sent home each time. Police say he will be sober and ready this time.

The Advocate-Messenger has received a telegram from Senator Alben Barkely that the War Department has just advised … of the approval of extensions at Darnall General Hospital at Danville in the amount of about $2 million. It is understood that the sum will just about triple or more the present capacity to about a 1,000-bed hospital. There is to be around 50 new buildings and there is ample ground for a thousand if necessary. The State Highway Department will also begin work on straightening the road from Danville to the hospital. It will also cause a new bridge to be built over Mock’s Creek which will run lower down a bit on the creek and will pass right over the site of the celebrated Mock Distillery, jump across the road and run right through Mr. Shackelford’s garden, thus eliminating the high grade and turn in the road at the turn off leading to Gwinn’s Island. The road will also go right in front of the Mayfair Night Club.

50 YEARS AGO — 1967

The Danville Country Club Swim Team recently completed its season. Members include Tommy Faulconer, David Thomas, Sam Clark, Ann Silliman, Carol Thomas, Jeff Clark, Leyla Arik, Tommy Thomas, Gil Sheehan, Carl Jackson, Nan Farmer, Bruce Mills, Mary Weidrick, Yasemin Arik, Bobby Hamblin, Charlotte Caldwell, Tali Arik, Marcy C. Martin, Vi Thomas, Kay Huffman, Mary Ann Hamblin, Steve Holbrook, Richard Sanders, John Stagg, Jan May, Kit Lively, Juanitz Brown, Eph Helton, Mike Weidrick, Billy Thomas, Karen Larsen, Lee Ann Holbrook, Pam Sheehan, Leigh Hamblin, Lee Thomas, Tammy Thompson, Denise Berry, Jane Bryant, Ruth Bryant, David Brown, Charlie Wood, Ricky Brown, Hart Brown, Dennis Berry, Mark Birdseye, Tad Kreamer and Tommy Bryant. Coaches were Bob Colclough and Linda Inman.

25 YEARS AGO — 1992

Garrard County may have the only hospital in the Bluegrass area that allows smoking, but county officials aren’t willing to follow the trend and band the practice, at least for now. The Garrard County Fiscal Court took no action at its last meeting on a proposal to make the county-owned hospital smoke-free. “Tobacco has supported that hospital,” said one magistrate.

Danville City Commission voted to advertise for bids on a proposal to expand a project to upgrade the sidewalks and adjacent areas along Main Street. Under the proposal the project involves upgrading sidewalks, planting trees and replacing overhead utility lines with underground lines.

The Rumancik family has discovered a bumper crop of giant puffballs on their Clifton Road farm. Stefan Rumancik, 13, brought a 10-pound puffball to his parents’ porch on August 8. Several more of the white-fleshed fungi, which burst at the touch when mature and discharge a brown powder, lay in the woods behind the family’s home. The first and last time they ever saw puffballs this size was on the eve of Halloween in 1984. Then, the field had 20 to 30 of the puffballs, which start to wrinkle when they decay, “It looked like a field of brains, Mr. Rumancik said.