100 years ago, 1915
A local agent of a large manufacturing concern saw a big bundle of technical magazines that his foreman would never have the time to read dumped into a waste basket and run out to the boiler room to be burned. He conceived the idea that the magazines were being wasted and placed them where the more skilled laborers in the mill could get them. The men eagerly took the magazines home and altho the time has been short since he began the practice he has been rewarded by an increase in efficiency and in suggestions prompted by the technical magazines that were thought too dry to be read except by the technical man.

50 years ago, 1965
A 50 percent increase in production to a total of five million yards is expected this year by Carleton Woolen Mills, Inc., Winthrop, Richard Meader, general manager, said Tuesday. This calls for hiring 20 more persons to bring the total employed to 170. Carleton manufactures flannels for ladies’ dress goods and stretch cloth for women’s wear on a three shift basis six days a week. In 1964, production was hiked by almost 200,000 yards to approximately 3,300,000 yards.

25 years ago, 1990
An Auburn legislator made a pitch for $150,000 Tuesday to establish a Franco-American cultural center at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston campus. State Rep. Jo Anne D. Lapointe, who has kept track of the books, tapes, art work, photographs and other artifacts compiled by Le Centre d’Heritage Franco-Americain, said the Heritage Center’s 12 directors voted last May to donate their collection to the university “because we had a concern that we were going to lose everything.” Lapointe said the center has had to move the collection four times since it was first established in 1971. The last move was made in September, when the collection was placed in storage.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.