100 YEARS AGO — 1917

Several Danville housekeepers have been complaining they were swindled by someone who was selling potatoes on various streets in town last week. He had them in sacks and claimed each sack contained two bushels. Those to whom these potatoes were delivered, later believed they were short in weight and were astonished to find that some of the sacks that had been bought for two bushels only weighed 72 pounds. As of yet, they have been unable to locate the thief, and all are sure he is not a resident of Boyle County

The Danville Buick Co., located on Walnut Street, is selling the following cars: 1915 Ford, $275; 1916 Little Six Buick, $500; 1917 4-cylinder Buick, $550; 1913 5-passenger Buick, $350; 1915 5-passenger Buick, $400; 1917 Studebaker 4-cylinder, $750.

About 100 or more of the socks, sweaters, scarfs and wristlets knitted here have been sent from the Boyle County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Everyone who can, must knit. The need for warm woolen garments is greater than we can imagine. Can’t you help? Another 150 pounds of yarn arrived in town last week and there is plenty for everyone to have a part. The yarn is selling for half price, or $1.05 a pound. If you buy yarn from this chapter you must make the garment for this chapter. Knit loosely and as rapidly as possible.

75 YEARS AGO — 1942

Hempseed sacks have arrived and are stored at the warehouse of Banks Hudson on West Walnut Street. All growers of the seed are asked to go to the AAA office for receipts and to obtain their sacks. Hempseed sacks come wrong side out and should be used this way for rough cleaned seed so that when turned for clean seed, there will be no chaff nor dirt in them.

Wartime regulations forbids wearing of any Halloween masks by adults. Anyone violating this regulation will be arrested on suspicion of being saboteurs. Youngsters are asked not to put soap on windows of stores, homes or automobiles. Parents will be held responsible for damage done by their children.

The second daughter of a Boyle County family was accepted for service in the Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corp this week when Mary Elizabeth Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Brown of West Walnut Street reported for service. She is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Juanita Brown. Mary Elizabeth is barely old enough to join the women’s army. Her hobbies include swimming, skating and dancing. Juanita has been at the Des Moines headquarters since Sept. 14 and is receiving training in cooking, baking and butchering.

Victory Gardens planted by Boyle County residents are really paying off and many families can look forward to winter with cheerful optimisim and a full cellar. Mr. and Mrs. June Moore of Junction City grew 26 different vegetables in their one-half acre garden. They tried new vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, cauliflower and celery. Mr. and Mrs. H.T. Logue of Perryville will eat good this winter from the 460 quarts of vegetables from their three-fourths-acre garden, which included 20 varieties of vegetables. H.C. Cash grew 30 different vegetables. Limited amounts of sugar prevented most farm people from preserving all the berries and fruits they wanted, but the Victory Gardens will make living a lot easier.

The sale of coffee under the rationing program will begin at midnight on Nov. 28 with one pound per person allowed during every five-week period. Members of the local rationing board think that the sugar coupon book will be used for coffee as well.

50 YEARS AGO — 1967

Linda Robertson, a senior at Danville High School, was crowned as Homecoming Queen during halftime of the Danville-Shelbyville game at Farris Stadium. She is also a cheerleader. The DHS junior class won the best float in the homecoming parade on Friday. Accepting the trophey on behalf of the class were Jim Reynierson, Gary Rawlings and Ann Irvine.

Boyle County Sheriff Walter Clem and members of his department have planned an orderly celebration of Halloween and will attempt to carry out this type of Halloween with the help of a corps of plainclothesmen in unmarked cars who will patrol county roads throughout the night. While good, clean fun will be permitted, Sheriff Clem said no disorderly conduct nor vandalism will be tolerated.

The Future Homemakers of America of Danville High School are planning a drive for United States servicemen in Vietnam. Articles such as soap, razor blades and used paperback books are among the items needed.

25 YEARS AGO — 1992

Danville will soon have a multi-purpose trained dog for the police department. The City Commission, at the request of Police Chief Michael Lamb, changed its order for a police dog from one trained only for sniffing out drugs, to one that could find people including burglaries and other intruders hiding in buildings. The cost will now go up from $2,500 to $6,500 to purchase the special dog. Officer Charlie Parks will receive training in handling the dog.

Along Merchants Row in Perryville several residents tell stories of sightings they have had of ghostly apparitions, who they believe are soldiers who died during the Battle of Perryville which ended more than 130 years ago. Mary Tucker, who lives at 350 South Buell St., even has a photograph of one. “I felt that I was not alone. There were cold spots and hot spots. And then the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It got so bad I got the camera and said, ‘If you’re there, show yourself,'” Tucker said of the time 16 years ago when she took the picture of her living room mantle. A white fog covers much of the fireplace and to the right of the mantle stands a hazy figure. Tucker says it is a Confederate soldier standing erect and holding his gun. Tucker and her family have gotten used to the old Confederate’s presence, which is more frequent in early October. The ghost even has a name, Samuel Johnson. Tucker once found herself writing the words on a piece of paper for no apparent reason, and decided that must be his name. “I guess he’s earthbound for some reason. It’s just something that as life goes on, you realize is possible.” Down a few doors at the River House Cafe, owner Daisy Waddell says she is certain her restaurant is haunted. Waddell said two young boys once told her they spoke with a couple of Confederate soldiers in the basement of the café. The boys assumed the men were visitors for the battle re-enactment until they walked through a low doorway without ducking, then disappeared, she said.