(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Nov. 3, 1995

ORONO – A muddy uniform lies in the corner of his room. Cuts and bruises bedeck his body. Rugger Chris Pathwick-Paszyc is quick to tell you, though, that these images only scratch the surface of the rugby player within.

“If you’re committed and 100 percent into everything you do, you’ll be accepted into the rugby community,” Pathwick-Paszyc says of the University of Maine Men’s Rugby Club, which he also refers to as his extended family.

“We don’t all come from the same mold, but we all have the same ideals,” added the club president after a rigorous, but victorious weekend match with Bowdoin College’s squad.

The game of rugby was invented in England in 1823 and is played on a 75-by-110-yard playing field by the 15 competitors, or ruggers, on each team. The game quickly became immensely popular with the British, and it is among these lovers of the sport that Pathwick-Paszyc, at age 10, kicked off his own fascination with the game in Wales.

25 years ago – Nov. 3, 1980

BANGOR – A Bangor women’s organization has begun to direct its community service projects into cooperatives with other organizations.

The Junior League of Bangor Inc. will look at a number of community needs, as described by other groups, to see which project it will throw its efforts behind to help. Help will be in the form of money, and up to 10 league volunteers.

The approach is not altogether new, since the league already has done the Telecare service at the Eastern Maine Medical Center.

50 years ago – Nov. 3, 1955

BANGOR – “The Tall Men,” which opened at the Bijou, is a slam-bang, high, wide and handsome Western complete with 3,800 longhorn cattle, nearly as many Indians, and Clark Gable and Jane Russell tossed in for good measure. Now, podner, I ask you, what more do you want?

“The Tall Men” is, for all things considered, a dandy of a picture. There are plenty of laughs, some unhappy moments and more than enough excitement for a dozen pictures. The reason is, of course, the tremendous drama of the old trail drives, when great herds were taken across thousands of miles to market or new grazing ground.

The Cinemascope cameras are ideal for photographing the panoramic scenes of the drive.

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BANGOR – The executive board of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Eastern Maine General Hospital voted $1,000 toward a program of expanded out-patient clinics which the hospital is planning.

The group meeting at the home of Mrs. Paul Freese also voted $750 for an electric oxygen tent; $475 for a portable electric oxygen tent; $600 for a surgical suction pump; and $300 for 10 bedside sets.

The board also allocated $1,500 for the Nurses Scholarship and Loan Fund to assist 17 student nurses, as well as $500 for the development of an obstetrical recovery unit.

It was announced that the annual Country Fair of the Auxiliary held recently at the Nurses’ Home netted $3,677.55.

100 years ago – Nov. 3, 1905

ORLAND – Another attempt will be made by the U.S. Fish Commission to stock the Penobscot and possibly other Maine rivers with a new species of salmon, this time the humpbacked salmon of the Pacific. Experiments with other species have been failures. Although thousands of fry have been placed in the Penobscot, none of the mature fish were ever found. Whether the fry did not live or what is more probable, would not return to the river, is a matter of conjecture.

G. Atkins of the Craig Brook hatchery at East Orland received 55,000 humpbacked salmon eggs from Birdsview, Wash. This is the second shipment of these salmon, making 400,000 in all.

Superintendent Atkins is a very busy man just now as he is “stripping” the eggs and milt from the Atlantic salmon caught alive last spring. Already 1.5 million eggs have been procured and the work is not finished.

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NEWBURGH – Mr. and Mrs. Isaiah Curtis of Newburgh are a remarkable couple. Mr. Curtis is in his 81st year and Mrs. Curtis is nearly 80.

Mr. Curtis was born in Bowdoinham, Feb. 14, 1825. He came to Newburgh when he was 20 and has resided there since, having paid taxes 60 years. He had four children living: Emery of Hampden; Charles of Massachusetts; Mrs. Estelle Sterett of Warren; and Mrs. Elmer Miller of Newburgh.

Mr. Curtis has the first silver dollar that he earned after he was of age. It was coined in 1802. He had a large pile of wood all prepared for the stove before many of the younger men thought of cutting theirs. He has dug his potatoes and does many other chores and is considered very smart [Editor’s note: In the context the word ‘smart’ means alert, clever and witty] for a man of his age.

Mrs. Curtis was born in Dixmont on Jan. 15, 1826. She is a very smart, active lady and anyone wouldn’t take her to be more than 60 years old at most. In the past year Mrs. Curtis has spun and knit more than 20 pounds of wool besides having knit about 60 pairs of stockings for Mrs. Rowe of Hampden. [Ed. note: Perhaps Mrs. Rowe was a storekeeper and sold the stockings there.] Mrs. Curtis attends to all her housekeeping duties and is always ready to joke and have a good time. She has one son, Patrolman, E.A. Bickford of Bangor.

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ORONO – The views shown in the lecture on Japan to be given in the Universalist church are all colored and were made in Japan. They are of most excellent workmanship and depict the social life of the people.

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ORRINGTON – The Methodist Episcopal Church in South Orrington was built in 1852-53 and dedicated in the autumn of 1853, just 52 years ago.

The building stands on a tract of land where once stood the village schoolhouse. The Rev. Mr. French was the first preacher in charge. For more than a half century this building withstood the storms of life, eternal and spiritual, and never had any very extensive repairs been put upon it.

In September work was begun to excavate underneath for a suitable place to set a furnace for heating purposes. The dirt has been used for filling and grading in front of the church. The old gallery and entry are torn out and partitioned, separating them from the audience room. Work of remodeling the interior is in the hands of Henry A. Ryder, one of our local carpenters, assisted by E.H. Lewis and Arthur Miles of North Bucksport.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin