100 YEARS AGO — 1918

A letter from France from Harrod Nichols, son of Boyle and Cora VanPelt Nichols; a grandson of Capt. S. D. VanPelt; and a nephew of John M. Nichols of Danville: In France, March 8, 1918. Dear Father. Was tickled nearly to death to get your letter. Made me feel good for a week or more … In flying, You can hardly feel yourself leave the ground; up to about 2,000 feet you don’t feel any difference … but after reaching that height it gradually gets colder, and at 10,000 feet it’s good and cold. Your leather clothes seem like summer ones from that height up … A pilot and an observer are like brothers. The pilot’s life is sometimes in the hands of the observer for you can never tell when the observer has to use his machine gun on a “Hun” … Uncle Sam gives us the best of care and the French believe that flying men are regular angels … The Y.M.C.A. keeps our spirits high and the Red Cross looks after us as a mother would do … Lots of love to you and mamma; tell mamma that I will write her in a few days. God bless you both.

75 YEARS AGO — 1943

Miss Mollie Mason, known as a friendly and energetic resident of the Gilcher Hotel celebrated her 95th birthday yesterday. This afternoon she was busily preparing for a trip to Lexington. Later in the month she will probably go to and spend her summer, according to her usual custom, in Michigan where she enjoys swimming and boating. Miss Mason is making her contribution to the present war effort as she has done in the past four wars. She knitted six wristlets during the Civil War, continued her knitting during the Spanish-American War and knitted both socks and sweaters in the World War as a prelude to the wristlets for World War II. A friend reports that Miss Mason owns the only set of solid gold sock-knitting needles she has ever seen.

Gasoline coupons No. 5 in A book, good for four gallons of gasoline each, will expire tomorrow, the local war price and rationing board reminding motorists. Coupons No. 6 in A book will become good for use on May 22 and continue through July 21.

A portrait of the late John Sallee VanWinkle will be unveiled and presented to Danville High School in the auditorium tomorrow. The portrait was painted by Mrs. C.B. McMullen, head of the Centre College Art Department. The portrait is a gift of friends of Mr. VanWinkle and will be hung in the auditorium. Mr. VanWinkle was for many years president of the Danville Board of Education, a position he held at the time of his death.

Advertisement for Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Assistance, Tom Jackson, district manager in the Farmers Bank Building: Complete hospitalization for men and women up to age 65. These benefits paid for either sickness or accident requiring hospitalization: room and board, $5 per day up to 30 days; no limit for operating room, anesthesia, hypodermics, surgical dressings and supplies and routine medicines; routine lab service, $5; X-ray for accidents, $15 limit; oxygen tent, $15 limit; ambulance in the city, no limit.

50 YEARS AGO — 1968

Danville High School will graduate 173 seniors on May 30. Boyle County High School will graduate 105 on May 31.

Dear Editor: We are writing this letter to express our concern for the misconduct of the high school students at our local drive-in in Danville. We do not attend the drive-in very often, but when we do we would rather see and hear what we paid to see rather than listen to the cursing and mouthing of youngsters under the influence of intoxicating drink (boys and girls.) … We really cannot blame any of the management when this conduct goes on in so many places, but rather the parents who should be teaching their children at home and making sure they have the proper supervision… We are not parents of teenagers nor old fogeys, but a married couple in our early 20s.

The spring meeting of the Danville Council on Human Relations will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on Thursday. The speaker will be Mike Rechnor, of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and will discuss the recently passed state and federal open housing laws.

25 YEARS AGO — 1993

Three Republicans are hoping to win their party’s nomination to run for Garrard County jailer. Ronnie Daly, Ralph “Smokey” Simpson and Kenneth Tuggle will face each other in Tuesday’s primary. Without a county jail, candidates say it’s hard to find any real issue to campaign on, and they acknowledge many people make light of the office. Essentially, the race amounts to a popularity contest, they say.

A Garrard County businessman has donated two charcoal grills to new Logan-Hubble Memorial Park. Doug Rhodus made the grills out of a water heater and other scrap materials that he recycled. Judge-Executive Ray Hammonds said the grills consist of 85 percent recyclable materials and are worth about $150 each. Rhodus, who operates a trash collection system in the county, said he made about 10 more grills in various sizes which he hopes to sell.

Danville firefighters rescued a 16-month old boy from a basement heating duct, after he fell down it from his second-floor apartment. Fireman Randy Faulx removed the child from the duct uninjured about half an hour after he fell from an apartment on West Broadway. The child accidentally fell into the duct after his older brother took off its grate. The boys’ babysitter ran to the Boyle County Jail for help. Deputy jailer Courtney Shewmaker called the Danville Fire Department and two other deputies went to the home. Faulx said, “We could hear him crying through the pipes. … We pulled two 8-foot heating ducts loose and we saw his little pink feet hanging.” In the partially-dug basement, Faulx had to creep into a crawl space to reach the heating duct. As the baby wailed, Faulx worked to break loose a nail which was holding the baby’s elbow and rubbing his stomach. As soon as the nail was broken the child, “dropped just like a baby being born into my arms,” Faulx said. Fire Capt. Tony Broyles pulled Faulx out of the crawl space by his feet with the baby safe in hand.