The Newspaper Database is Here

The Sargent newspaper archive has arrived.  It has been added to all 6 of our computers, and provides some interesting reading.

The oldest newspapers probably were not in the best condition when they were microfilmed, and they are hard to read.  Most of the words won’t show up in search results, but they are interesting to browse through.

I searched The Sargent Echo, from July 23, 1897. The interesting news of the day was:

“Jacob Groff, the man who was judged insane, and waiting to be taken to Norfolk, escaped from the jail last night by removing the bars from the window. “  In the editorial that followed, they were not very happy with the competence of the Custer County Sheriff.

You could get a package of coffee for 15 cents, 30#s of dried grapes for $1, and 40#s of oatmeal for $1, and 11 bars of good soap for only 25 cents.

A new drug was advertised called Vatuma.  It was an antiseptic germicide that destroyed all microbes and germs of every kind, name and nature.  People could use it as a permanent cure for whatever ailed them.  Then of course there was Dr Kilmer’s Swamp Root to be taken for back pain.

Come over to the library and search & browse for a while.