50 years ago: Sept. 21, 1972

Several requests by patrons of USD 464 resulted in two classes being offered to all interested adults of the school district. A class in clothing will be available. Another class available to members of the community is Leatherwork.

Eddie Zellner scored four of the five touchdowns by Tonganoxie to lead the Chieftains to a 37-7 romp over the Paola Panthers last Friday evening in Paola.

Three Kansas City, Kansas men, who were apprehended by sheriff’s officers Monday night shortly after a break in at a cabin near here, were arraigned in Magistrate Court on charges of burglary and grand theft. They were accused in a complaint signed by Undersheriff Don Roberts of breaking into a cabin belonging to Gilbert G. Hooper on RR 3, Tonganoxie and stealing six saddles and four saddle blankets.

People in Southern Leavenworth County got a good scare last weekend when a desperate man armed to the teeth, roamed the area north of the Kansas river. He was captured early Saturday at a tavern in Lawrence, after more than 100 officers combed the area. Fred Macon was being returned from Arizona to Missouri to stand trial for murder by two officers. In Lawrence one officer stopped to get sandwiches and the second officer was overpowered. The criminal took the car and guns and sped east on Highway 32. The officer was later found handcuffed in a steel grain bin on the Vic Browning Farm west of Linwood. A big manhunt developed, roadblocks set up, and a helicopter was brought in to aid with the search. Friday night the man appeared at the John Flick home asking for food, water, and transportation.  Flick’s wife reported the visit to the sheriff’s office. Just before midnight there was a report Macon had taken a taxi to a tavern in Lawrence where he was captured. Dan Hawes and four of our deputies participated in his search.

75 years ago: Sept. 11, 1947

We reported last week about the record temperatures at the fair, the unusually large attendance and the livestock show that broke all records across Kansas. But the most talked about event was the appearance of a “hick” stunt on Friday night. A couple showed up on the midway in most unusual attire. He had a “Missouri haircut” and a hick stare. The woman accompanying him was scantily attired with a large area of bare hide. No one knew who they were and some thought they should be ejected from the fairgrounds. The law reported that they didn’t know of any law that had been violated and let them go on their way.

Ten years ago, we at the Mirror bought some Chinese Elm trees to plant at the fairgrounds. These trees are now getting to be considerably larger and offer a nice bit of shade to an otherwise bare landscape.

The basement of the new Methodist church has been poured and at least thirteen new houses are being built in Tonganoxie. The assessor reports our total population at 1,125. With the new neon lights on some Tonganoxie businesses, and these new homes, we are looking fairly citified.

A Western Railroads ad reports that union leaders for the railroad workers have a list of 44 demands for working conditions. Among them is a limitation on the number of cars a locomotive should pull. Longer trains definitely help lower costs. These people want to limit the number of cars pulled by a locomotive to 57, thus making “safer” conditions. But is it really safer or are these spokesmen trying to get a raise for less work? Keep an eye on your own standard of living.

100 years ago: Sept. 28, 1922

Stanton and Son, the contractors who have nineteen miles of concrete road to construct in Leavenworth county and two in Wyandotte county, and which was to be completed by the last of December, are falling down on the job woefully.

About one of the two miles in Wyandotte county is completed, the material being hauled over the industrial railway from Stone Station. They have a little over three miles of concrete laid between the K.C.N.W. Track on the county line and Lansing. It is possible at the rate they are going and with good weather they will get Leavenworth connected up with the Parallel Road near Piper this winter.

It is not probable that work will be started on the two sections between Tonganoxie and the county line this fall. Of course, some allowance must be given on account of the railway strike, and the fact that poor rock has been thrown out by the train load.

It is hoped that the county commissioners will let the contract for the fills on the sections east of town this fall so that the contractor can start on the work early in the Spring.

It is suggested that as the contractor will not get on the twelve mile stretch between Tonganoxie and the county line, the commissioners put some good drags on this section of the road and put it in good condition for winter travel, as this will be the most used dirt road in this part of the state.

Last Sunday more than two thousand cars went through Tonganoxie. A big part of them were going or coming from the east over the graded road, which for a little cost in dragging could be made like boulevard and kept that way all winter.

125 years ago: Sept. 23, 1897

W.L. Leidy living two miles north, heard a commotion among his chickens the other day and upon making an investigation found a monster rattler gliding noiselessly among the weeds. The snake was such a big one, it occurred to him that his capture would be a novelty.

A rabbit trap in the yard was quickly set for the varmint, and by gently driving him, the snake crawled into the trap. A small glass cage was soon constructed, and the snake was induced to move into the new abode.

The monster reptile is now on exhibition at R. Cadwallader’s undertaking establishment, and when the curious stick their noses too close to the glass the reptile rapidly wiggles his tail and makes that peculiar sound that distinguishes the rattler from other kinds of snakes.

The rattle snake in captivity is from two to two and one-half inches in diameter and is in length 3 feet 8 or 10 inches. He is of that species known as the timber rattle snake and has ten rattles, which indicates his age to be ten years. Mr. Leidy says that the number of rattles is not a safe test of a snakes age. Often times the rattles wear out and drop off, and the snake is able to conceal its age.

After catching the rattler Mr. Leidy had occasion to break up an old stump and found twelve young snakes in a bunch. They were just hatched and the shells were lying in the stump. This crowd was quickly killed.