Selected from the pages of the Windsor Locks Journal and lightly annotated by Wendy Taylor, Kent Memorial Library
February 3
There have been several tobacco buyers around the town recently, but very few sales have been reported… Most of the Havana seed has been picked up at fair prices. Reports of sales of broadleaf in surrounding towns at from 20 to 30 cents, looks as though there might be a demand for that type… The packers claim that there is a large amount of broadleaf still on hand in the packing houses and they must sell that in order to get capital with which to purchase the new crop. It has been estimated that the value of tobacco in the hands of the growers in the Connecticut valley is well over $8,000,000.
Thursday was Candlemas day, and the rain in the morning and sunshine in the afternoon gave opportunity for argument over the time when the ground hog should see its shadow. As the day was about half and half, it was decided that the weather will be somewhat varied during the next six weeks, some sunshine, some clouds, some cold and some mild, and that eventually summer will come again.
February 10
The County Farm Bureau held a meeting at the Town hall… for the enlightenment of the farmers and tobacco growers. The principal speaker was T. B. Wilkinson of Washington, D. C. of the bureau of markets, who spoke on the “Standardization of the Grading of Leaf Tobacco.”
February 17
Miss Eunice Greenwood, daughter of Rev. And Mrs. Victor L. Greenwood, and Alfonso Carney, aged 12, son of John Carney of Depot street, were bitten by a dog which ran through the town Sunday. Miss Greenwood was bitten on the right hand as she was walking across the park about noon and the dog continued down Depot street [the east end of Mountain Road], where it attacked the Carney boy, biting him through the coat on the left rm.
The dog came from Windsor Locks to this place and bit several dogs on the way through Boston Neck and Kent avenue. After going west as far as the Hastings Hill road [HillStreet] he turned and was next seen at the lower end of Main street, where he attacked any dog that happened to be in his path. He was finally killed by Herman Hayes on Kent avenue while attacking a dog belonging to Jerry Hayes.
The body of the dog was taken to the home of Dr. James. H. Prophett, who is dog warden, and that head was removed and sent to the state laboratory in New Haven for examination, and word was received early Monday morning that the dog was suffering from a severe case of rabies.
Miss Greenwood and the Carney boy were attended by Dr. Caldwell and both are now receiving the Pasteur treatment by the physician. Both are comfortable and no serious results are anticipated.
The Y. P. S. C. E. of the Second Baptist church will give its annual play in the Town hall… The play this year will be “Patty Makes Things Hum,” a comedy, which will be staged under the direction of Mrs. Sarno.
The Woman’s Reading Club will meet…at the home of Mrs. E. A. Fuller. The current events topic will be in charge of Miss A. F. Owen; “Indian Reservations,” by Miss Florence Brown; recitation by Mrs. E. G. Hastings.
February 24
There has been a little stir in tobacco the past week…A few sales of broadleaf have been reported at prices of twenty cents and under. A good many of the growers are assorting their tobacco and will pack it rather than to sell at the price offered. Some of the packers are buying the assorted crops at around forty cents a pound for the upper grades. Some of the growers have signified their intention of cutting down the acreage this year as they claim that owing to the continued high prices of farm machinery and fertilizers and the low price of tobacco, there is no money in the crop. The real trouble is probably due to the decrease in the consumption of cigars, as it is said that the manufacture at the present time is about one-third of normal.
The water front of the range at the home of Horace G. Eggleston on Day avenue exploded Tuesday morning, wrecking the stove and causing considerable damage about the kitchen. Mr. Eggleston, who was in the kitchen at the time was struck in the leg by a piece of the stove but the injury was slight.