100 YEARS AGO – 1908

President John A. Rigg of the Chester Traction Co. mailed to John W. Harper and George W. Smith, representatives of certain secret societies of Chester, a reply to a letter he received. Rigg characterized the communication delivered to him as threatening in character. The societies wanted the strike by employees settled, however, Riggs condemned the boycott by many riders. He called the strike a thing of the past but the boycott is a crime to which submission is cowardly. Among the secret societies are the Junior Order of American Mechanics, Patriotic Order of the Sons of America, International Order of Red Men, tribes of which are the Lamokin Tribe, Mocoponaca Tribe and Tuscarora Tribe.
So much sickness has been attributed to the use of impure water, Chester residents have been advised to test the water. A simple and safe test is to draw a tumbler full from the tap at night and put a piece of white lump sugar in it and place it where the temperature will be under 60 degrees. In the morning if the water is pure, it will be perfectly clear. If contaminated by sewage or other impurities, the water will be milky.

75 YEARS AGO – 1933

Old coins, some more than 100 years old, are among the collection owned by Magistrate Frank X. Lee of the Eighth Ward of Chester, who specializes in American coins. Among the collection he keeps at his home at 926 W. Third St., he has a varied assortment of gold, silver, bronze and copper coins.
Chester Boys Club is relocating from its present beat-up headquarters at Third and Kerlin streets to a new building at Front Street and Concord Avenue.

50 YEARS AGO – 1958

Mrs. John E. Carr of Chester and Mrs. Philip J. Mahoney of Twin Oaks will be co-chairmen of the eighth annual Lawn Fair at Sacred Heart Hospital in Chester.Stop bed wetting with an automatic “wet alarm” that’s available at Nelson’s Surgical Appliances near East 9th Street and Edgmont Avenue, Chester.

25 YEARS AGO – 1983

Chester Mayor Joseph Battle plans to spend more than $8,000 in city funds for bulk food for Chester’s 16,000 welfare recipients because state lawmakers have been unable to approve a welfare plan. The Ridley Township Swim Club celebrates its 25th anniversary next week.
The 14-bed detoxification unit at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill has been completely renovated for the treatment of alcoholics.

10 YEARS AGO – 1998

GFCW-Aston has installed Pat Shinn and Norma Locke, co-presidents; Jean Larsen, first vice president; Karen Fields, recording secretary; Jean Esposito, corresponding secretary; and Virginia Burbage, treasurer.

— LEN CASTERLINE

To contact Len Casterline,

e-mail: lencas1038@verizon.net

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or call (610) 565-4298