TIME MACHINE ... 1953, 1884, 1923, 1913, 1941

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January, 1953
(Eugene Register Guard- Eugene, Oregon)

Kissing Lessons Offered Grade School Students in Maryland

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (UP)- Serious, mild-manner Louis L. Pund said Saturday he isn't sorry he gave his seventh grade students kissing lessons "to teach them the facts of life."

"It did them a lot of good," the 40-year-old teacher said. "It helped them get over their inhibitions."

Pund, who took up psychology as a hobby, had to give up his job at historic Washington Junior High School Friday when angry parents protested against their children playing "postoffice" in the classroom.

"I started it a month ago because some of the children were inhibited and it seemed like a good way of teaching the facts of life," he said.

"Down here in this eastern shore town a good many of the parents don't appear to take the trouble to explain to the children what life is all about."

Most of the children considered the experiment a lark and School Superintendent John L. Bond said apparently no real harm was done. But he ruled the practice had to stop.

Thirteen-year-old Jimmy Byrd said the kissing games didn't make "any particular impression" on him but he thought school was a "queer" place to play them.

"I have no objection to kissing games," said his father, James Byrd. "Played them myself as a boy, but school is not the place for that sort of thing."

Mrs. C. M. Mildom said she was "very alarmed and surprised," when she learned her 12-year-old, Cradoc, was involved in the experiment.

One youngster, who wouldn't give his name, said sourly: "I didn't see anything to enjoy." But he added he didn't think anything was wrong with it.

Most of the pupils seemed sorry that Pund was leaving.

Pund, who has a small child of his own, has decided in view of the storm that he'd better give up teaching. He is going to get a job playing the trumpet or trombone for a jazz band.

The teacher-sponsored "post office" game went over big once the children got used to it, Pund said, even though they were a little shy at first and said "ah, no" or "I don't want to."

"A girl would select a boy who would go into the cloak room and call out the name of a girl who them would be it," he explained. "The girl would go into the cloak room with the boy and they would kiss each other on the cheeks or lips. They would then leave the cloak room and the girl would call out the name of another boy."

Pund's schedule called for "postoffice" for two half-hour periods every day during his three-hour mathematics classes. Playing, of course, was not compulsory.


January, 1884
(Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac)

The prospect of the railroad being built through our county is at this time very flattering. We are now authoritatively informed that the officers of the proposed road have control of the "business"Eastern Shore road, which has heretofore been an obstacle to their progress, the bridge across the Pocomoke is being built by contract, and that a large force of employees of the new road "broke ground" at Pocomoke on New Years' Day. These facts seem to justify the prediction that, in a few months now the snort of the iron horse will soon be heard in our midst. Indeed, it is now positively asserted by those who ought to be informed in the matter, that if the weather is favorable, Accomac C. H., will be connected by rail with all the busy marts of the country by the 1st day of next May, and we are hopeful enough and sanguine enough to believe that such will be the case.

　　

October, 1923 (Time Machine archive)
(The Tyrone Daily Herald- Tyrone, Pa.)

Barn Wrecked By Explosion

Pocomoke City, Md., Oct 11- Bootlegging vengeance was in evidence here again when another building was totally wrecked, this time the barn of Sylvester Messick, a retired lumber merchant, living on Walnut Street. A terrific explosion shook the neighborhood. Messick's barn had been blown to atoms. He is one of the special officers sworn in some time ago, and has been active in the apprehension of those who have been arrested for illicit liquor traffic. The barn contained nothing of special value. There is no clue to the perpetrator.

　

March, 1913
(The Hagerstown Daily Mail)

Heavy firing by ships of the Atlantic Fleet in the lower Chesapeake Bay at target practice has done much damage to property in Crisfield and throughout lower Somerset County.

　

June, 1941
(The Racine Journal-Times, Racine, Wisconsin)

OFFER TO TALKERS GETS NO TAKERS

SNOW HILL, Md. (AP)- There's a "freedom of speech" platform here awaiting any orator who wants to talk.

The speaker's platform on the court house green was left over from the last community Christmas party and Mayor John O. Byrd directed that it be left in tact.

He ordered immunity for anyone who wants to mount the platform and exercise his constitutional right of freedom of speech, saying it might encourage public speaking among the townspeople.

No takers have come forth as yet.


　

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