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Alaskans, Hawaiians Favor Statehood

Throgs Neck Bridge Construction Begins
March 1958

Booze Bounty Busts

Sunnyside Gardens Planted
March 1924

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APRIL 1931

TWO DEAD IN QUEENSBORO BRIDGE DUEL

Get into a conversation with a long time Queens resident and you're likely to discover a subscriber of the Long Island Star- Journal, a daily paper that informed the community about local and world news until it folded in 1968. A banner across the Star Journal masthead reminded readers that the newspaper's name came from the merger of the Long Island Daily Star (1876) and the North Shore Daily Journal - The Flushing Journal (1841).

Welcome to April 1931!

Spring was in the air in Queens in April, 1931 and the Long Island City Star was filled with ads for Easter lilies. Horaks Florist, at 256 Steinway Avenue, boasted that flowers can be telegraphed to all parts of the world. They sold Easter lilies for 25 cents a plant.

Headline News: Twenty three construction companies bid for the Astoria Span Anchorage of the Triborough Bridge. The contracts will not be awarded until the Board of Estimate grants permission to discontinue and close three Astoria streets under the anchorage site.

Crimes of passion hit the waterfront. Two people are slain in a duel in the shadow of the Queensboro Bridge. Two men, who, as the paper said, hated each other more then they loved life blazed away with revolvers in an old fashioned duel. before dawn on Bridge Plaza South. Their bullet pierced bodies were found clutched in an embrace indicating a struggle after both had been mortally wounded.

In the city news, Babe Ruth’s Shop for Men in Manhattan went on the auction block today after seven months of business. The Sultan of Swat stated he lost nothing since the store was capitalized by haberdashers who paid him a royalty for permission to use his name.

The depression hit all New Yorkers. City ash collectors found less work to do during the winter because many people, unable to afford coal, burned old boxes and rubbish.

Prohibition angered Queens doctors. The Queens County Medical Society opened fire on the Volstead Act advocating the repeal of sections restraining physicians prescribing fixed amount of liquor for medicinal purposes. In its petition, the Society declared that Congress took over the function of a physician. Dr. Harold Fruchter of Long Island City was present at the meeting.

Not everyone was concerned with the medicinal effects of liquor. Two men and 42 barrels of alleged beer were taken from Oetzels at 24th Avenue and 21st Street in Astoria. A lone Federal Agent identified himself after drinking several glasses of beer. The Astoria police were called in to guard the beer.

For your entertainment pleasure Loew’s wonder theater ”The Triboro” offered ace vaudeville shows nightly.

From the Editorial Page “Spring robins may come and crocuses too but the most convincing sign of spring is the baby carriage jam on Steinway Avenue”.

On the local pages: Astoria Civil War Veteran, George Wehen, was honored on his 84th birthday. A resident of 32-27 46 Street for 36 years, Mr. Wehen welcomed many of his friends to celebrate his birthday. He came to America in 1863 from Germany and while still on board the ship in quarantine he was drafted in the Army and fought in both the Civil War and the Indian Wars.

Mrs. Ella Marcella of Maspeth is arraigned. Because her brother “absented” himself from school for 5 days, Mrs. Marcella was arrested and arraigned in Ridgewood Court for violating the compulsory education law.

The Old Astoria lighthouse will be changed. Situated on the northern tip of Hallets Point , it is a landmark to ships in the Hellgate. The lightbeam will be modernized as an air beam to guide the ships along the East River.

And on a sad note, Paddy, the oldest dog in Elmhurst, is no more. The 28 year old dog died peacefully in his sleep. Family and friends will miss him.

That's the way it was in April 1931!