100 Years Ago Today - March 2023

Look at these statements from headline articles in the La Porte Argus in March 1923. Terminology, capitalization, and what makes headline news can be different. Yet accidents, business, crime, and war still make headlines. Want to read the whole article? It’s on microfilm in the Indiana Room at the Main Library. Staff will be glad to help you access it. 

 

March 1 

The U. S. may accept dyes and chemicals from Germany for payment of debts contracted in behalf of the allied nations in war-time. 

  

March 2 

The House in Indianapolis passes a bill to limit the speed of autos to 35 miles an hour on country roads. 

  

March 3 

Musical programs can be heard on the radio tonight on WDAP and KYW from Chicago. 

  

March 5 

President Harding leaves for the first real vacation he has had in 12 months.  The strain of the 12 months’ grind is told by lines on his face that were not there a year ago. 

  

March 6 

Preliminary investigations of the federal narcotics control board into habit-forming drugs legitimately used indicate that most of the dope sold illegally is smuggled into the country. 

  

March 7 

 A Michigan woman has an estimated temperature of 118 degrees.  An attempt was made to register her temperature with a special tube, but the mercury blew the end out of the glass. 

  

March 8 

Russia orders war materials, rifles from Germany and Sweden, machine guns from Czecho-Slovakia, and airplanes from Germany. 

  

March 9 

The Knights of Columbus are considering the removal of their clubrooms to the 2nd floor of the Andrew building at Lincolnway and Michigan avenue vacated by the Elks move to Maple ave. 

  

March 10 

Six gallons of moonshine and over 450 gallons of grain mash were found by the prosecutor, sheriff and chief of police last night when the trio raided homes on Mechanic and Rush streets. 

  

March 12 

The final decree of divorce is signed for Jean Ackers and Rodolph Valentino, the original “shiek” of the movies, freeing him to marry Winifred Hudnu, his current dancing partner. 

  

March 13 

The “fever girl” whose temperature registered 115 degrees deceived doctors.  She used a miniature hot water bottle to create an artificial temperature. 

  

March 14 

Dr. G. Frank Lydson, internationally known as the first physician to successfully transplant glands to the human body and regarded as one of the best U.S. surgeons dies of pneumonia. 

  

March 15 

Orders for a carload of mixed fertilizers, a carload of salt, and twine were pooled at the Springfield Township Farm bureau meeting.  Buying coal for threshing season was discussed. 

  

March 16 

Christian, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian teachers of Sunday school classes, ages 13 to 24 years, will attend a district council meeting at the Y. M. C. A. 

  

March 17 

Betty Shrock scores a complete success in the Junior class play at Central school by her characterization of the complex role of the nationally beloved “Peg o’ My Heart.” 

  

March 19 

Comparison of army cost figures for the seven leading nations of the world shows the U. S. to be the least militaristic of all great powers. 

  

March 20 

Dorothy King, known as Dorothy Kiernan, an artist’s model upon whom her masculine admirers lavished a fortune in gifts, is murdered with chloroform and $30,000 worth of jewels are stolen. 

  

March 21 

The merger of the Armour and Morris packing interests is in process in Chicago. 

  

March 22 

To reduce the sugar price, the public is urged to “reduce the daily consumption of sugar, stop hoarding, break the sugar prices and crush the sugar speculators.” 

  

March 23 

With sugar prices climbing and the world supply in the hands of a half dozen speculators, the U. S. has a potential sugar production more than to meet domestic demands. 

  

March 24 

The Boys Week director arranges for a series of industrial tours to be made by junior members of the La Porte Y. M. C. A. during the week of spring vacation. 

  

March 26 

Sarah Bernhardt, the world’s most famous actress, dies at her Paris home from uraemic poisoning complicated by heart weakness. 

  

March 27 

“Tab” Wyatt, captain of the Kansas City university football team, may be the next mayor of Kansas City as the result of a prank of college boys. 

  

March 28 

A Ford coupe loaded with over 175 bottles of Canadian beer, and which had been ditched west of La Porte is confiscated by the sheriff.  No trace of the driver is found. 

  

March 29 

Canada lodges formal complaint with the league of nations against the smuggling of drugs, #442 of morphine, #117 of heroin, and #65 of cocaine, from Switzerland into Canadian territory. 

  

March 30 

Small boys help seal the remaining treasures in King Tutankhamen’s Tomb until fall when work will be started again. 

  

March 31 

Fifty-five defendants, including prominent officials in the Gary liquor trial are found guilty by a jury in federal court.  They were charged with conspiracy to obstruct prohibition laws.