75 years ago
August 1, 1942
H.A. Hardkey isn’t going to worry about making train schedules anymore.
When the veteran Northern Pacific engineer brought locomotive No. 70 to a halt at the railroad yards and set the throttle last night, Hardkey walked off a retired man, calling it quits after 39 year of railroading. He is 66 years old, eligible for a pension.
He started railroading in Tacoma in July, 1903 and most of his years with the N.P. were from Tacoma to Portland and from Tacoma to Aberdeen and Hoquiam. He estimates he has averaged about 200 miles a day, which in 39 years would amount to around 2,500,000 miles.
August 2, 1942
Sunday, no newspaper published
50 years ago
August 1, 1967
• Replacing altars so Mass can be said with the celebrant facing the congregation is included in extensive remodeling work now under way at St. Mary’s Catholic church. Moving the altar of sacrifice and the altar of repose is in line with recent liturgical changes in the Roman Catholic church, a St. Mary’s spokesman said. Previously the priest read Mass with his back to the congregation.
• A young Aberdeen man, Jerry Curtis, has found a way to make a living and still pursue his hobbies in a romantic spot of the world.
Young Curtis served in the U.S. Navy as an underwater demolition man and was discharged in April, 1962. Last December, he and his wife and another American couple took off for Guanaja, one of the Bay Islands off the north coast of Honduras. They took over the Boatel, refurbished it and renamed it La Playa Hotel. Emphasis in that area is on fishing and skin diving.
In the event any Harborites plan to travel to that part of the world, the rates are about $10 a day per person including meals, fishing and diving — just about everything except the bar bill.
August 2, 1967
A unique proposal by Police Judge August Hahn, under which he will serve virtually without pay in exchange for clerical help, was approved by the Raymond City Commission Monday night.
Judge Hahn explained that his actual duties in court do not infringe on his time too much, but found that the routine paper work concerned with every case in the municipal court was extremely burdensome.
To combat this, Hahn, in cooperation with Police Chief Dan Lunsford, secured Miss Carol Felber, South Bend, to maintain the records of the court. With the Judge’s salary set at $150 a month, Hahn proposed that he be paid $1 a month and the remainder of the money be paid to Miss Felber for her work.
25 years ago
August 1, 1992
Allen Slenes, 76, who delivered some 10 million copies of The Daily World on the South Beach during the 58 years he had Route 901, died at a nursing home in Olympia on July 28.
He began delivering the World when he was about 12 years old. In 1933, he took over the South Beach route (“From Aberdeen down South Bay Road, which includes Markham, Ocosta, Bay City, Wesport, Grayland, North Cove and Tokeland, and return” according to the original contract still on file.) He retired due to ill health on May 1, 1991.
August 2, 1992
About 15 teams of firefighters from Washington and Oregon are battling for regional recognition in events like bucket brigade and hose dragging at the West Coast Championship Fire Muster in Hoquiam.
One of the most successful muster teams to compete before about 400 people on E Street between 6th and 7th is from Copalis Crossing.
The 15-member volunteer group consistently intimidates teams from larger professional departments from Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Lacey. Copalis Crossing won the first muster in which it participated in 1980 at Bakersfield, Calif. and went on to win championship musters each year until 1990.
“We’ve been lucky.” Frank Johnson said. “We practiced hard to start with … We’ve had a lot of fun out of it. That’s what it’s all about.”
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
