I believe this story will blow you away; especially if you are one who has every spent any time driving a boat with an outboard motor. In the 1940’s, all of us high school kids drove a lot of outboards with motors of various horsepower owned by parents and usually tied to the docks at the their state camps. Help yourself.

The most boring trip ever in an outboard was when I agreed to do Natalie Bombard, a high school classmate, a favor. I agreed to bring a little aluminum outboard with a 5-horse engine from Martin Island on Lower Saranac down to Duso’s Marina. It was so slow, I swear it took half a day to get there.

Read on…

“Two local outboard drivers, Charles Keough and Bill Distin, Jr., today entered the 140-mile Albany-New York marathon, the Hudson River classic which annually draws the nation’s best to the starting line and which is scheduled for May 14.

“The 22-year old Keough, first amateur to cross the line last year and fourth in the entire field, is entered this year as a professional. The husky pilot turned pro this winter while competing in the ‘Grapefruit Circuit’ in Florida. He is entered in the Class B professional division.

“Distin, 17-year-old, will start in the Class B amateur for the first time. Entered last year, Bill withdrew at the last minute with scores of other drivers when a blinding snow storm made navigation perilous and threatened to cancel the race.

“Aiding the pair with the refueling will be the veteran driver, Frank Baker. Not entered in the marathon this year because of a back injury he suffered while racing at Miami, Florida, this winter. Baker heads the crew of mechanics that will assist the two local drivers.

“Four others, George and Andy Stearns, Bob Agnew and Jack Buehler, will, accompany the drivers as ‘grease monkeys’.

“Keough and Distin, busy in recent weeks overhauling their motors, expect to put their ‘flying shingles’ on the waters of Lake Flower this week for trial spins.”

[It is amazing to me that in 1939; no route 95, that these guys could afford to travel to Florida, hauling their boats and equipment, stay in a hotel, etc.]

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Firemen busy, 4 men injured

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“Fire alarms, seven of them, gave Saranac Lake’s Fire Department a busy weekend with six alarms within the space of 12 hours Saturday and another yesterday.

“Four men were injured fighting the most serious weekend fire which broke out at 9:15 a.m. Saturday in the cellar of a resident at 64 Park Avenue, owned by Mrs. James Davison, and which left damage of several hundred dollars.

“First Assistant Chief John Mooney was overcome by smoke and escaping gas as was Gene Brittell of Woodruff Hose Company No. 1 and John Mullen of Miller Hose Company No. 2 who discovered the blaze, suffered cuts and bruises and Maurice Moody received lacerations of the hands.

“The firemen were called back to the scene about 11 p.m. Smouldering rubbish in the cellar produced mush smoke and hampered the firemen in their work. A unusual sidelight of the fire was the rescue of a canary from the upper floor where it had lived through heavy smoke fumes and heat of the fire.

“Firemen stretched 650 feet of hose in combating the blaze.

“A false alarm, sounded in from Berkeley Square, interrupted the work at about 11:30 Saturday Night.

“Earlier in the day, the firemen were called to extinguish three grass fires, one at Petrova Avenue at 11:30 in the morning, another on Ampersand Avenue near New St. Bernard’s cemetery at 3 o’clock and the last on Kiwassa Road at 6 p.m.

“A fourth grass fire yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock near Peck’s Corners [of Lake Colby hamlet] drew the firemen out once more.

“Fire Chief Esmond P. Winch gave a stern warning against the setting of grass fires and leaving them unwatched. He reminded all that a permit is needed for grass fires and that ‘steps would be taken’ against violators.”

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Piano recitals were popular

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“The last in a series of piano recitals which have been held throughout the winter was given yesterday afternoon by the pupils by the piano class of Miss Loretta Leonard at her studio at 15 Park Avenue.

“The 10 students who played at yesterday’s program were Peggy Garen, Jane McDevitt, Maxine Feinberg, Ann Owens, Mary O’Haire, Phil Klein, Jr., [who became a talented, popular pianist], Manuel Benero, Cynthia Pettinger and Alice O’Haire. Miss Leonard concluded the recital by playing the Sonata in A Major, composed by Domenico Scarlatti.”

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Assessor’s school in Malone

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“Two Harrietstown property assessors, Frank Lobdell and Thomas Harrington, will go to Malone tomorrow to attend the one-day “school” [not my quotation marks] conducted by representatives of the state tax commission for Franklin county assessors and supervisors.

“Methods of taxation, assessment and preparation of tax rolls are included in the subjects of discussion.

“Harrietstown Supervisor Fred C. Conrad will also attend the session as well as a county board meeting.”

This was a daily column in The Enterprise:

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Coming and going

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“Irving B. Hunt has returned to Potsdam where he is a student at the Clarkson School of Technology after spending the weekend visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. I. B. Hunt of Ray Brook.”

“Hugh Kelly, also a student at Clarkson spent the weekend with his mother, Mrs. Edith Kelly at Prospect Avenue.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Walter Duffy have returned to their home at 69 Bloomingdale Avenue after visiting Mrs. Duffy’s mother, Mrs. W. J. Burke of Mineville over the weekend.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Moody have returned here after spending the winter in Hollywood, Florida and are guests of Mrs. Moody’s mother, Mrs. Minnie Kelly of 36 Duprey Street.”

“A.W. Currier, Leonard I. Houghton, Alfred A. Moody, C. J. Stickney, E. M. Parrish, William Cardy, T. E. Williams [probably Mayor Jimmy Williams Uncle?] and William C. Distin, members of the Saranac lake Rotary Club, left yesterday for Binghamton where they are attending the 172nd district conference in that city, yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

“Miss Catherine Fogarty of 26 Baker Street left today for her home in Newburgh, N.Y. Miss Fogarty has spent the past year and a half in this village as a public health nurse at the Red Cross office at 30 Main Street.”

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Don’t miss this!

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“Oklahoma City (AP) – Traffic Policeman W. S. McCall was offered his reward for 15 years’ of faithful service – a Sergeant’s stripes.

“He had to turn it down because he couldn’t fulfill a major requirement. He couldn’t drive an automobile.”