Compiled by Patsy Young
120 years ago: 1896
An open air concert is to be given on the school grounds on Friday evening March 20 for the purpose of raising money with which to purchase a school library. The best talent among the young ladies and gentlemen of the community has been enlisted, aided by the older members of the school. Admission will be free with contributions solicited at the close of the performance.
(Adv.) Buckingham’s Dye for the whiskers can be applied when at home, and is uniformly successful in coloring a brown or black. Hence its great popularity.
_____
97 years ago: 1919
Rulo Hester, lately of Dierks, was brought to this city and placed in jail, charged with white slavery, which it is alleged was committed in Texas, the arrest being made on a request of the authorities at Chilicothe, Texas. Marshal C.G. Still of Dierks made the arrest and brought Hester to Nashville. Sheriff Millwee Monday received a telegram from the Texas officials stating that an officer was coming for the man.
The case of J. Y. Roberts charged with assault with intent to kill, attracted a great deal of attention, and was given to the jury late Thursday afternoon. After being out until near noon yesterday the jury returned a verdict of guilty of aggravated assault and placed his punishment at one day in jail and $100 fine. The court reduced the fine to $50 and remitted the jail sentence.
Notice: All persons are warned not to employ, feed or shelter my sons, Sebe and Gibbs Wesson. Any person so doing will be harboring runaway minors. Oscar Wesson
____
63 years ago: 1953
Dierks- Pleasant, progressive changes in the grocery world of our little town have been well illustrated in the recent remodeling of the Reese Grocery and Market in Dierks.
Purchasing the store in 1945 from E.O. Babbit, Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Reese have never stinted in bringing the best service and civic interest of trade to the people of Dierks. This service has been further extended this week into one of the most up-to-date self-service grocery and markets in Southwest Arkansas.
Saturday, the formal re-opening was a huge success as hundreds of people visited the store to wish the owners well, to enjoy refreshments of free fruit juices and to ride children in the new self-service baskets.
_____
40 years ago: 1976
“I was walking through a furrow facing the sun when I saw a sparkle 30 feet away. I kept my eye on it and walked towards it, then I just reached down and touched and it fell out. I knew it was some kind of good rock,” describes W. W. Johnson, finder of the now famous Amarillo Starlight.
Johnson found the Silver Cape 16 carat, 37 point diamond August 20, 1975, at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. His life hasn’t been the same since. The 62-year old retired maintenance man has been interviewed by dozens of journalists, besieged by countless phone calls and handled it all with remarkably good humor and cooperation.
