VERNIE YATES MAGULPIN REMINISCES Dear Friends: It has been suggested that I write a few lines about the things I remember from the past. We moved here from Auburn 74 years ago but before that Ispent several summers on our steam yacht anchored by the oldstore house (burned 1949) at the foot of Basin Street. Nearby were two coal, wood and lumber yards and a large icehouse. On warm days after work, the driver and his horses would go in the lake for a swim. There were two trains a day, one from Ithaca and one from Auburn, and in summer several passenger boats....one, the Frontenac, which burned in 1907. A ferry carried farm produce,wagons and teams across the lake. When wanted at Canoga, a large white sheet was nailed up on a barn as a signal. A stage went from here to Auburn taking passengers and doing trucking both ways. It was owned by Will Woodall, a grandfather of Harold and Gerald Reef. The Library was over a grocery the Post office, near the drug store. A movie house where Walter's garage was...Silent movies and music furnished by Leona Carr and Vernie Yates, as Harold Lloyd and Douglas Fairbanks, Senior, thrilled audiences with their bravery. A harness shop nearby was owned by Col. Richardson, who threw out handfulls of pennies and nickels on July 3rd for the children's scramble. Band concerts by our local men were held on Saturday evenings on Backus lawn...now Palmer's...and huge bonfires of wooden boxes in middle of the road on July 3 midnight...road not paved then, of course. Two big fires occurred, one at the block where the present Fire House is located...the other at a large blacksmith shopowned by Rosencrants Brothers...upper floor an opera house. At both of these fires the beautiful Princess Louise proved hereworth. She was a steam fire- engine drawn by John Kehoe's horsesand kept in fine condition by engineers Will Cozzens and W. H.Yates. Our opera house was used for home talent shows and therewas really professional talent, coached in later years by theBeswicks. The Glenn Flinns, Dr. McCully and the Dana Fessendens come to mind. The latter live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sports were important too. Willard Hoagland was worldchampion heel and toe walker and Charles Courtney was a famous oarsman and coach at Cornell. Later there were several generations of "cove" Carrs. * * * * * * P.S. No. 1. Ike Brewster and Harper Mack: Perhaps I should have mentioned the village lamp lighter who came around in his horse-drawn cart each morning to fill the lamps with kerosene and trim the wicks and clean the chimneys. At dusk he came to light the lamps which were on standards or fastened to trees. Also mention should be made of the local milkmen. Each morning milk pitchers were placed on porches or steps and soon came milk wagons with large cans of milk with dipper to measure milk, which was 8 cents a quart. There were rumors that the milk was stirred occasionally with the handle of the buggy whip.I cannot verify this! P.S. No. 2. A bit of local History. Recently I mention the fine drygoods store that was in the Mr. Smith building at the corner of Main and Factory streets.The listener was so very surprised, I decided to try to write of other changes on our Main Street since the turn of the century. This dry goods store, owned by two men, one a Civil war hero,was modern with fine line of "yard goods", beautiful trimmings and buttons....some of the latter now are in button collectionsin various states. (Also another dry good store.) There was a harness maker, millinery store, watch repair and jewelry story, 2 hotels, a bank in the store now used as displayroom by the hardware. A fine hardware store was in the present location. There were 3 groceries, 2 meat markets, drug store(weekly newspaper and printing office) shoe store, cobbler's shop, book store, 2 barber shops, pool hall, post office,bakery, feed and grain store with small farm supplies, milkpails, etc. In upstairs apts, some families lived over theirstores. There were offices occupied by a lawyer, dentist, paper and paint store. The Village Library was upstairs over the store later the Red & White. Some stores had wooden awnings to give protection in bad weather and the supports furnished hitching posts for the many Saturday night traders from the country. They traded butter, eggs and delicious home-made cottage cheese for kerosene and staple groceries. Across the street from the stores was a fine, large brick building called the Sanitarium and it was that at the turn ofthe century, with a Doctor in charge, special baths, massage,exercises, and diets were given, as patients were treated for various illnesses. Also mineral water from our local spring was stressed as being very beneficial. Main Street was a busy place on Saturday nights, especially when there was a band concert given by our own band on the lawn across from the stores. Then there were ice cream or strawberry festivals on the lawns and "a good time was had by all" was really true. Oh yes, there was a hand laundry for collars, cuffs and finewhite shirts, "dickies" during the old Gibson Girl Era...and two livery stables to furnish a high stepping horse and smart buggy or cutter for a pleasure ride. Then have their pictures taken by the local photographer in his upstairs studio, over the shoestore. In those days people knew their neighbors, and ours was a closely- knit community. In time of trouble or sorrow, the neighbors would "rally round" and do all they could to help in any way possible. Many had the spirit to love "thy neighbor as thyself." And some of that beautiful spirit still survives, as I can testify! * * * * * * The old stone mill by the North millpond was a grist millfor grinding grain for feed and flour. The accumulation of corncobs was sold for 25c a wagonload, delivered. The cobs were used as kindling and for heating and baking before the winter coal fires were started, also for taking the chill off the parlor when the Minister was expected. This town had several very efficient repair men who could keep stoves, furnaces and pumps in working order. Calvin Wolfe,who had an iron moulding shop on Factory Street, was a familiar sight as he trudged along with a heavy tool kit. His grandson,later years, was the local rural mail carrier, named for hisgrandfather. The MacFarland reaper was famous, as was other farm machinery made by that Company. The family lived at 10 CenterSt...home now owned by Stephen Cook. The J.O. and O.J. Spencers also made farm machinery in factories at foot of Factory street...employed many local men. In later years, Otto J. Spencer sold and repaired Maxwell Automobiles (even before Jack Benny). The Austin Brothers will be remembered by many as expert blacksmiths in shop west of Methodist Church. Later added other trades, such as sawing lumber and wagon repairs. In the 1890s an ingenious inventor, Clarence Doan, lived on Basin Street in house now occupied by his granddaughter, Mrs.Clapp. One invention was a horseless carriage which was destroyed in a barn fire. He was ahead of his time! The Plaster Quarries, later the U.S. Gypsum Plant, north of town employed many men and was expected to be a permanent business here. But the owners were too greedy, asking such a high price for the property, that the company left town, and took some of the men with them... established a town "Placterco"in Virginia. There were several Doctors in town, including a woman, Dr.Josephine Howland. Our beloved Doctor was Frank Hoxie, who lived at 3 Center St. His wife was "Mrs. Doctor Hoxie". Later other fine Doctors were Drs. McCully and Fish, and now our dedicated Dr. Woodford. Through the years there have been many fine "Men of the Cloth"...both ministers and priests who have done much to make this village the fine community it is today. It would not be fair to mention any one, as there were so many. But now the fine traditions are being carried on by Father Hayes and Reverend Hess. Mention has been made of the Patriotism of this community and this applies to our fine Firemen past and present. We saw many brave deeds in the past, and narrow escapes. Just a few thoughts of this, my home town, and its dear, kind people, past and present through the past seventy-five years. * * * * * * Nov. 1, 1973 To Canal Boatmen--73 Just a few lines about the Dear old Erie Canal, while I can see. We had a steam yacht that would sleep six or more, was self-contained, 38 feet long, and on which we traveled several summers from Albany down the Hudson River and up to Buffalo...attended a G.A.R. Encampment in Buffalo in 1898...my father was a Civil War Veteran. In 1901 we spent several weeks in Buffalo, attended the Pan American Exposition and was in Buffalo the day President Mckinley was shot. Much has been written about the Canal and its Boatmen, but never due credit to their honesty and loyalty to Canal boatmen, if treated well. They were loyal friends to us and we never had anything stolen or damaged. They would call "How's the little girl?" and when we were away sketching, would leave a saucer pie, fruit or flowers on the deck. We never had anything stolen or damaged. The lock tenders were Civil War Veterans. I was allowed to be pilot and act as steam engineer until I was 18 on a permit, when I passed state examination and received official N.Y. state licenses. * * * * * * This town has been noted for its patriotic spirit ever since the Civil War, when the old 111th Regiment took many of the local men, and Mersereau's Battery was famous. In later years this town has done its share and more in every patriotic way and every situation. May that wonderful civic spirit always continue in this, the best of all Towns, containing the finest of all People. Written November 1973 when Vernie Yates Magulpin was 88 years of age. * * * * * * VERNIE YATES MAGULPIN REMINISCED AGAIN I remember when the theatre was held in the building where Walters' garage is now. It was back in the time of the silent movies. Leona Carr played the piano and I accompanied her on the string instrument, banjo, violin, mandolin, guitar, etc. Douglas Beyea was the manager. It was about the time when Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and Harold Lloyd were popular abouit 1919 or 1920. This one night in particular there was a comedy showing and Mama and Papa came down. The scene was a theatrical boarding house in which vaudeville people were living. This one act in particular was of two trained lions that got loose in the night and spent their time going up and down stairs, pushing their way into bedrooms, where people were sleeping, and bathrooms that were occupied. The resulting chaos was extremely funny, as there were amusing situations, naturally. Papa laughed so hard that he could be heard clear out into the street and people talked about it for days afterwards. Note: This story was related to Delia Cook by Vernie Yates as she sat in her chair in the Mercy Rehabilitation Center in Auburn, NY on May 14, 1975.