The Way It Was

100 years ago:

Brigade parade and review

Outpost duty today proved an exciting practice -- suggesting that Nevada be made the permanent camp.

Camp Bates near Nevada, Mo., July 21 --Brigade parade and review was held on the parade grounds last evening. It was witnessed by many people from town.A problem in outpost duty was worked out today by the First and Second regiments. The two regiments left camp at 7:30 this morning acting as advance guards to two main armies. They were stretched over considerable country. Umpires were detailed for both regiments to score positions. They returned to camp about noon.

75 years ago:

Pin and yard of cloth taken from throat

Springfield, Mo., July 22 -- An open safety pin and a piece of cloth a yard long and eight inches wide yesterday was removed from the esophagus of Mrs. Mary Blaish, 30-year-old Springfield woman, at St. John's hospital.

The items had lodged upside down halfway between the woman's throat and the stomach, the cloth to which it had been pinned packing down tightly above it, and greatly hindering Dr. W.G. Cheek, who performed the delicate operation.

Mrs. Blaish was under the influence of an anesthetic more than an hour while Dr. Cheek and an assistant worked to remove the obstruction. A long tube one-quarter of an inch in diameter, with a tiny electric bulb attached to the end of it, was inserted through the throat, and through this the surgeon worked. After the wad of cloth was removed, Dr. Cheek found the point of the pin, freed it from the walls of the esophagus and got it inside the tube. The pin could then be pulled out without danger of tearing the throat.

How the pin and cloth were swallowed at Mrs. Blaish's home is something of a mystery.

50 years ago:

Ordinances chief topic for council

Extensive discussion of proposed ordinances and the passage of several of them took up the major portion of last night's City Council meeting. The Council agreed to a compromise in regard to requiring a watchman at the Hickory Street crossing on a 24 hour basis. With the Katy and Missouri Pacific railroads agreeing to place a 10 mile per hour speed limit on their trains within the city limits. The Council voted to go along with the plan on a temporary basis with the watchman maintaining his present schedule.