by Laurel | January 16th, 2014
16 January 1903
“The Limited Mail” company will close their engagement at the Empire theater this evening. There will be the usual matinee. Seats are now on sale for “The Power of the Cross,” which opens a three nights stand Monday evening.
Street Railway Company Buys Land — The Holyoke Street Railway Company has bought of the American Thread Company the square in Ward 1 bounded by Canal, Bridge, Lyman an East Streets, containing about 76,000 square feet, for about $38,000. The sale is made with an eye to the future, apparently, as the president of the company W. S. Loomis said yesterday that the company had no immediate plans for its use, nor had any plans for the erection of buildings upon it being made. It will be with regret that the news of the sale is made known as it was believed that this section of land would wisely have been held for a public park. The park commissioners hoped to obtain it., but the wherewithal was not forthcoming. The lot has been used as a sort of common for sports, and as a haunt for the long-wiskered goat and aged and infirm canine. The sale was through the Williams and Allyn agencies.
More Sport on the Speedway — There was another fine day’s sport trotting on Northampton Street yesterday afternoon, Smith Bird, F. C. Steele’s trotter, being given a hard rub by “Joe” Prew’s Sultan and D. H. Young’s Beldina. Beldina was said to be the fastest of the bunch yesterday, with Smith Bird and Sultan tied for second place. Old Tom Jacobs had a lively brush with “Ed” Gauthier’s pacer, and won out, two out of three. George Lawrence was out with his bay gelding, Baby Yell, and showed a clear pair of heels to some of the lesser lights. There were about a score out, and some other lively brushes too place. The snow was softening yesterday and last evening, and the sport will hardly be as good as today, unless freezing weather comes on again.
A lifting contest, followed by a dance, was held at Parsons hall last evening, the two Sandows being Alphonse LeClair and Joseph Masse, who endeavored to overcome each other and the attraction of gravitation for glory and a side bet of $200. The program of events consisted of six lifts of heavy dumbbells, of which LeClair won two and Masse one, the other three being draws. Masse won the 89 pound lift, and LeClair the 125½ pound and the 177 pound lift. Le Clair is anxious to meet any lefter of his weight in Western Massachusetts for $100 a side.
Mrs. Mary H. Higgins, 85, widow of Dennis Higgins, died last night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. J. Fenton, 27 Suffolk Street, after a short illness. She was one of the oldest residents of the city, having lived in Holyoke 50 years. Her husband, who died a number of years ago, was for many years a grocer on High Street. Besides her daughter, she leaves a son, Thomas Higgins, and brother, John Harmon, both of Holyoke. The funeral will be held Monday morning at the Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in St. Jerome Cemetery.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.