Hallowe’en at Trudeau (no date) (Photo courtesy of the Adirondack Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library)

When I first read this story, I thought to myself, (whatever that means), that my pal Ron Keough, with a big part in the celebration, was scary enough (ha ha) without wearing a Hallowe’en costume. So, here it is folks:

“Seventh and eighth grade members of Our Lady’s Sodality, St. Bernard’s school, held a pre-Hallowe’en party in the school hall from 4 until 6 o’clock yesterday afternoon.

“The School committee, under the leadership of chair, Ann Rusaw, provided the afternoon’s entertainment. The party got underway with a Grand March.

“During the March, the judges, Sister M. Eulalia, Ronald Keough, Robert St. Clair and Peggy Cogan voted on the funniest, the most original and the prettiest costumes.

“Marjorie Campion was awarded the title of ‘funniest’ and Annabel Murray took the title of ‘most original.’ Both were from the eighth grade. Award of ‘prettiest’ went to Rita Darrah, grade seven.

“Following the choice of costume winners the Sodality members dances the Virginia Reel and then played Musical Chairs. Winner of Musical Chairs was Allen Bulris, grade eight.

“Refreshments were then served to the 57 attending members.

(My Aunt, Sister Mary Dorothy, RN, entered the convent of the Sisters of Mercy at age 14, when her mother died, and in her nineties was still working at Uihlein Mercy Center when she died.)

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Wild animal attacks and claws hunter in Wilmington Forest

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That was the headline in 36 point type at the top of Page 5 in that old Enterprise. As it turns out, I was a little disappointed in the story, after such an exciting headline … read it and then wonder why the reporter did not explain more about the extent of his injuries, was he treated by any medical people, was he bleeding from the clawing? I guess he just went hunting for the cat.

“Andrew Geppner of 11 Alger Street, Saratoga Springs, was attacked and clawed by a wild animal yesterday afternoon while hunting deer in the Wilmington Notch area.

“The animal jumped the man from behind and, after freeing himself, the hunter took several shots at his attacker but was unable to fell the animal.

“Mr. Geppner, who suffered several claw marks but was otherwise uninjured, described the animal as a member of the cat family, possibly some kind of panther.

“The feline was about three and a half feet long and was dark brown in color with a black streak down its back. The hunter felt certain it was not a lynx or bobcat.

“After attacking its prey, the animal quickly disappeared into the forest. The hunter, who summoned his son, Albert, who was hunting nearby at the time, was unable to track down the cat.

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Rockefeller Preserve watchman shot

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“The condition of Charles N. Roby, 50, who was wounded in a hunting accident last Friday afternoon, was listed as ‘fair’ at the General Hospital this morning.

“Mr. Roby, a watchman on the Rockefeller Preserve, was accidentally wounded when Jacob P. Weber of Herkimer, hearing a noise in the underbrush of the Rockefeller park area shot toward the sound.

(These stories lack so much. Was Weber trespassing on the Rockefeller estate? Did Roby even know that Weber was hunting there? Was Weber charged for shooting at a ? Big story, few details.)

Accident case settled

“Clifford Donaldson of Lake Clear Junction today announced that the actions brought by him and Archie Blanchard against the Town of Harrietstown and Aaron Hoyt of Saranac Lake for injuries to their children has been settled for $4,750.00.

“The action arose out of a collision between Hoyt’s school bus and a snow plow belonging to the town. The accident occurred on January 10, 1947 on the highway between Lake Clear Junction and Saranac Lake. In the accident Arlene Donaldson, Wanda Blanchard, Harold Blanchard and Charles Blanchard were injured.

(Again, the story doesn’t say anything about the extent of the injuries — were they taken to the hospital? How many other students were on the bus? That was probably all covered back when the accident happened but should be recapped in the follow-up story and by Google’s Inflation Calculator $100 in 1948 has the buying power in 2024 of $1,300.)