The way it was 9/7

100 Years Ago -- September 9, 1903

The action of the railroads in refusing after January 1 to issue passes to stockmen, have put the latter thought to thinking. Several Vernon County stockmen met at the County Clerk's office Tuesday and while discussing the railroads action, one proposed that all the stockmen enter into an agreement not to ship any stock over the railroads but to organize a system of stations along the road and drive their cattle through the country to market. At each of the stations there would be water, food and pasture for the cattle. The plan if practical, would reduce the railroad's earnings considerably and might prove very profitable to the stock shippers.

75 Years Ago -- September 9, 1928

AROUND TOWN -- There was many readers at the library in August. Despite the August had some of the hottest days in the year, interest in reading was maintained at the Nevada Public Library, said Mrs. V.O. Williams, the librarian. Nearly 2,300 people visited the library during the month; these figures based on the number of books borrowed, 2,291 being taken out. This made the daily average of a little more than 83 books each day, including the both juvenile and adult volumes.

50 Years Ago -- September 9, 1953 Lamar's fabulous underground river, located several weeks ago by various water-witchers has petered out, according to the Lamar Democrat. Superintendent Marion Henley and two of the city boys spent the entire day Sunday working with the pump at the site. "There was a flow of something like 150 gallons a minute for an hour and a half," the Democrat reported. "Then the thing came to a stop," it continued. The large crowd of onlookers was pretty well agreed that the trouble arose from the fact that the pump was set too high for the casing. The superintendent and the boys spent the entire afternoon, raising and lowering the pump to meet at every possible suggestion made by those who remained firm in the faith. Occasionally there would be a flow of maybe 50 gallons a minute for a short time. Lamar citizens will vote Thursday on an $180,000 bond issue to finance the construction of a lake as a future water supply. MEDICAL NEWS -- Cancer caused the deaths of 6,556 Missourians in 1953 and for the fourth straight year more men than women died of the disease. In Vernon County, there were 32 deaths from cancer last year.