Take a look back at news and photos that occurred 25, 50, and 100 years ago on June 8th in Franklin County, PA
25 years ago
Wednesday, June 8, 1994
Color Your World
St Thomas Elementary School pupils paint the finishing touches on a giant map of the United States in the school yard. The 36 by 34 foot latex map is being worked on by, from left, Steven Brindle, Kelli brindle, and Bud Stull. The project was sponsored by the PTA.
50 Years Ago:
Sunday, June 8, 1969
Almost 45 years ago Bud Filer met the most memorable man of his life, who spent an hour trying to talk him to getting off a freight train and going home.
Somehow the script worked backwards, even though his new friend was Jeff Davis, ‘King of the Hoboes’ for over 55 years from 1908-1965.
In the first place, Gordon Filer wasn’t running away on that September day in 1925. He was on his way home to Altoona after a hobo trip to Pittsburg. He still cherishes the envelope on which Jeff wrote, “Yours for success. Remember the road’s not what it’s cracked up to be. Don’t get cracked up with the road.”
Then, he discovered the king was also on his way to Altoona for a hobo convention on Labor Day. Bud went down for the occasion, tasted the traditional mulligan stew, and became a lifetime member of the Hoboes of America, Knights of the Road, Air, and Seven Seas.
Forty years later when Jeff decided to retire from voted him in 1935, Bud Filer was his choice as a successor.
But things are done democratically by the “Boes, and a ballot offering a choice of five nominees was circulated to all hundreds of thousands of members who could be located. Bud vindicated Jeff’s hopes of 1925 by winning handily, with a majority of over 73,000 votes.
That is why he will be presiding over a jamboree in Harrisburg that will be gathering on June 19-21 for the 61st annual Hobo Jamboree. But the election is now for five years and in 1970 he will have to run if he expects to continue in office. Currently, there seems to be no serious opposition to him.
Headquarters this year will be at the Harrisburger Hotel. A Friday evening a traditional stew fest will be held in one of the city parks in Harrisburg on Saturday.
For those who think it is odd for hoboes to stay in hotels, it should be explained that hoboes aren’t the same as tramps. A hobo is a migrant worker. And while in earlier years it was common for them to make their way on freight trains, times have changed.
100 years Ago:
Sunday, June 8, 1919
“CITY MAY SOON OWN HORSES”
Harrisburg –– A suggestion that the city purchase horses and wagons to be used in the collection of ashes in Harrisburg will likely be placed before Council at its meeting next Tuesday morning, according to S.F. Hassler, chief of the municipal collections bureau. At present teams are hired to do the work, but the recent bill signed by Gov. Sproul permits third class cities to conduct their own ash collection departments.
