100 Years Ago: 1921

The Pulsifer Brothers gave a masquerade ball at Stevens Mills Grange Hall Friday evening. Special invitation had been extended to the employees of Cushman-Hollis Shoe Factory, and seventy-five of them were present. Everybody masked, even the orchestra, which was Pulsifer’s four-piece. Mrs. Bessie Reed, who wore a clever knickerbacker costume, won the ladies first prize, and Earle Lothrop, dressed as Old Cyrus, ranked first among the gentlemen. Some of the other striking costumes were a gypsy dress worn by Ethel Brown and a Little Red Riding Hood worn by Flora Pulsifer. Mystery shrouded a charming young lady who proved to be Merritt Harris when the company unmasked.

50 Years Ago: 1971

The Viet Cong’s Liberation radio announced Friday that Viet Cong forces in South Vietnam will observe a ceasefire for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays and also for the Tet Lunar New Year in February. The Viet Cong said their forces would mark Christmas and New Year’s with three day truces and would observe a four-day cease-fire during Tet. The South Vietnamese government and allied forces have traditionally called holiday traces, but usually withhold announcements until shortly before each ceasefire is to take effect.

25 Years Ago: 1996

A Tennessee truck driver, tracked down with a global positioning system faces a drunken driving charge. A  Denver based Navajo Express Inc. asked South Portland Police for help in reclaiming the truck which was two days overdue with a load of meat for Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain Friday night. Navajo equips its trucks with a global positioning system monitor, which can pinpoint its vehicles anywhere in the country.

The material used in Looking Back is produced exactly as it originally appeared although misspellings and errors may be corrected.