From the Feb. 27 edition of the Register-News.
By:
100 years ago
Ash Wednesday was observed by the Catholic and Episcopal churches. In the former, there was the usual large attendance morning and evening to have the cross of ashes marked on their foreheads while the priest repeated these words, "Remember, man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return."
The timely action of the Board of Health heretofore when epidemics threatened this city produced good results. The present measures instituted to ward off smallpox cannot be commended too highly. Vaccination being the only means to prevent the disease taking hold of a community, it should be adopted by every man, woman and child in the city.
70 years ago
Mayor Orson H. Brown reported the chain store hold-up on Saturday night and also the breaking into of numerous garages during the week. He said several protests had been registered with him relative to the temporary abandonment of street lights in various parts of the city.
Contracts for 900 feet of new hose for the local fire department were awarded at Tuesday night’s meeting of the City Commissioners. Bids were received from five concerns and the order divided among three of these after the commissioners and Fire Chief William Kafer retired to consider the bids.
60 years ago
Mayor Lewis M. Parker has issued a proclamation calling upon the people of the city to contribute even more generously than usual this year to the War Drive of the Red Cross.
Bordentown will conduct a house-to-house canvass tonight for the Red Cross War Fund Drive. The quota which has been doubled from what it was last year is $4,300. It is hoped that all contributions will be doubled this year so that the quota might be met.
Corporal Nathaniel Potts, 27-year-old brother of Mrs. Mary Chamberlain of Mary Street, a member of the U.S. Marines who was injured in battle at Guadalcanal and was recently released from a California hospital, spent four days at his home here, leaving this week to enter the Marine Hospital in Philadelphia. Potts’ uniform was decorated with five stripes for wounds, upon which the rested three stars representing the number of battles in which he had served.
40 years ago
Although the Asian Flu reportedly skipped the Bordentown area, the second local school in two weeks was forced to close its doors due to the high rate of absenteeism on the part of teachers and pupils.
The Northern Burlington County Regional School District has started to hold a series of public hearings on the proposed new building program which will nearly double the size of the sprawling junior-senior high school located off Route 68 in Mansfield Township.
Purim, the jolliest of all Jewish holidays, will be celebrated from March 9 at sundown until March 10 at sundown. In the synagogue or at home there will be the reading of the Megillah, a scroll which contains the story of Esther as told in the Bible.
Compiled by Vanessa Sarada Holt from the Bordentown Register, 1903-1963.

