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This Week in Rockland: Newspaper Excerpts: Flashback Friday: Week of December 16

December 14, 1872 – 150 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Journal

TRAINING GIRLS
       Training girls for house-hold duties ought to be considered as necessary as instruction on reading, writing and arithmetic, and quite as universal. We are in our house more than half of our existence, and it is the household surroundings which affect most largely the happiness or misery of domestic life. If the wife knows how to “keep house,” if she understands how to “set a table,” if she has learned how things ought to be cooked, how beds ought to be made, how carpets should be swept, how furniture should be dusted, how the clothes should be repaired, and turned, altered, and renovated; if she knows how purchases can be made to the best advantage, and understands the laying in of provisions, how to make them go farthest and last longest; if she appreciates the importance of system, order, tidiness, and the quiet management of children and servants, then she knows how to make a little heaven of home; —how to win her children from the street, how to keep her husband from the club-house, the gaming-table and the wine-cup. Such a family will be trained to social respectability, to business success, and to efficiency and usefulness in whatever position may be allotted to them.
       It may be safe to say, that not one girl in ten in our large towns and cities enters into married life who has learned to bake a loaf of bread, to purchase a roast, to dust a painting, to sweep a carpet, or to cut, and fit, and make her own dress. How much the perfect knowledge of these things bears upon the thrift, the comfort and health of families, may be conjectured but not calculated by figures. It would be an immeasurable advantage to make a beginning by attaching a kitchen to every girls’ school in the nation, and have lessons given daily in the preparation of all the ordinary articles of food and drink for the table, and how to purchase them in the market to the best advantage, with the result of a large saving of money, an increase of comfort, and higher health in every family in the land,

December 15, 1932 – 90 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Leader

HERRIMAN SCHOOL BOY HURT WHILE COASTING
[Image: Baseball Game at Herriman Farm School near Monsey, NY, maintained by the Brooklyn Children’s Aid Society. One of the two cottages in which the boys live is shown in the background. Image appeared in the Times Union, Brooklyn, July 19, 1931.]
       Ernest Lake, aged 12, a pupil at Herriman Farm School, Monsey, was hurt while coasting Tuesday when his sled crashed into a tree. At the Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, seventeen stitches were taken in a deep gash in his leg.

TRAIN WRECKS ROADSTER
       A roadster belonging to Jack Havrilik of Valley Cottage stalled on the West Shore tracks at that place. Havrilik went for a wrecker to tow the car from the track. He returned just in time to see his car wrecked by the 7:30 train.

CHAIN STORE ROBBERIES
       Haverstraw police are trying to locate the thieves who steal bread and coffee cake left in front of local chain stores before the stores are opened.

POLICE PICK FOUR HILLS FOR COASTING
       After receiving many complaints concerning coasting on dangerous streets in town, Capt. Bertram J. Durie consulted Police Commissioner Edmund H. Lawler, and as a result it was decided to designate four hills where coasting will be allowed.
       These hills are:
Columbus avenue,
O’Brien’s hill, Maple avenue,
Van Orden avenue,
Ternure avenue.
       Coasting on all other streets in the village will be stopped by the police.

December 13, 1972 – 50 YEARS AGO
The Journal News

SANTA’S MAILBOX
Santa’s continuing to get letters from his friends in Rockland, but he says many pals still haven’t written. “Keep those cards and letters coining,” he urged. He’s also looking forward to letters from parents, to be published in the Christmas Eve edition of The Journal-News. Address your letters to Santa, The Journal-News, 5 Hudson Ave., Nyack 10960.

Dear Santa,
How are you. My name is Derwin. and I live with my Granddad and Grandma & Uncle Michael, could you please bring us walkie talkie set for Xmas.
Love DERWIN ADAMS
P.S. Santa last year my gramp took Michael & me to see you come on the airplane we tryed to get a toy from you but you did not have any left when we got to you. we felt very bad and did not like you then but through the year we begin to love you again so please don’t disappoint us this year. Buy the way I go to Rise West School & Michael go to Oakwood. Thank u, DERWIN. 8, MICHAEL, 6, Spring Valley

Dear Santa,
Please bring me a close and play, ice skating ring wagon. God bless you.
CHARLES ACKERSON Tallman

Dear Santa Claus,
How was your Christmas last year? Mine was fine. This year I would like a dinosaur, rock-em sock-em’ robots, the imposter, and a cart with horses. If you can’t bring me all these things I won’t mind just bring me what you can.
Love, TOMMY ISOLDE, 7, Pomona

Dear Santa,
I have been a good girl this year. I want for Christmas a real tent and a sleeping bag because I love to sleep out with my friends. And I would like a sewing maching and a real gutar. I want a pair of roller skates because I like roller skating with my friends. I hope it isn’t too much.
Your Friend SABRINA R. OSTALSKI, Piermont

Dear Santa,
Please bring me Light Bright and lots of others. Please bring my two brothers toys too. Thank you for all the toy’s that you left me last year.
Love, JIMMY JOYCE, 5, Spring Valley

Dear Santa,
Please give me lots of toys. I hope it snows again this Christmas. We are going to leave carrots for the reindeers and you. Take good care of Rudolph. I believe in you a whole bunch!
JIMMY JOYCE, 5 Spring Valley

Do you reele go up in the air. I’v bin good every year.
Frome WENDY

Dear Santa,
Are you feeling good? How come you ware a red suit? Did any of your rein-deer run away? I wish I could help you make toys. You make toys good did you know that?
Love ANDREA LABRUNA

Dear Santa,
I hope you fell better.
From GEORGE HABER

Dear Santa Claus,
I want a GI joe. and a support vehicle headquartrs.
From GEORGE OCHS

Dear Santa,
I hope you are feeling well because the Holiday is comeing up. What kind of food do you like? What is your favit color?
From NANCY DAWSON

Dear Santa,
Well you gave my weigts. Are you feeling well I am how old are you.
From ANDREW KALTER

Dear Santa Claus,
I am seven years old. I have been a good girl to my sisters, and father, and mother. How are you and Mrs. Claus? I heard your Elves are working very hard. How is Rudolph and is his nose still shiny?
Love GIACONDA JOYA, Sloatsburg
P.S. please write back.

Dear Santa,
I was a very good boy this year. So was my sister too.
Thank you, Santa TOMMY AND JANICE MAY

Dear Santa,
I was a good girl this year. I am waiting for you to come on Christmas eve.
Bye-bye now. TONIA PAVIA, New City

Dear Santa,
My mom is tired of working. I have 8 people in my family. Please send my mom a maid.
Love. DANA PAVIA, New City

Hello Santa.
When are you going to send me back a letter? I wrote to you 4 times. I want a lot of cap guns every Christmas.
TIM

Dear Santa,
I want you to give the children that don’t have any toys some toys this Christmas eve so they may have a good time on Christmas morning like I will. My big sister Tanya helped me write this letter.
FRED POWELL, Hillburn

Dear Santa,How have you been this year? Do you still want my mothers chocolate-chip cookies: Please bring us some surprises. Thank you for everything you brought last year. Have a good, safe trip. Merry Christmas to you and all your helpers and your elves for making nice toys for us last year.
RONALD DIANA GRANT, Pomona

_____

This Week in Rockland (#FBF Flashback Friday) is prepared by Clare Sheridan on behalf of the Historical Society of Rockland County. To learn about the HSRC’s mission, upcoming events or programs, visit www.RocklandHistory.org or call (845) 634-9629.

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