Contemporary Mores

In order to disprove the popular idea that rural people are just slow-witted Hill-Billies one Weedsporter proceeded to prove that the great mass of ignorance lies in the cities. The same gentleman was a gifted tall-tale teller as well as a wild carrot seller. One of his stories really threw the ignorant public and the State Department of Conservation into a "tizzy." "He took bouquets of Queen Ann's Lace (wild carrot) to market to sell to the city ladies as a raras a rare oriental blossom. The name he gave it when they questioned him about thabout the plant was 'Japanese Parasol. ' It sold for 25 cents, a bit much and he sold all that all his children took the time to pick.

Weedsporters were well acquainted with his tale-spinning but strangers passing through were apt to fall victim to it. One exceptionally hot, damp, summer when mosquitoes were huge and plentiful, he informed the local citizens that the extra large mosquitoes were due to an experiment conducted by the State Conservation Department. Fearful that the wild duck population would perish from lack of mosquito larvae to eat, following an especially harsh winter, the Conservation Department had imported an exceptionally large, hardy species of mosquito from Russia. He added the convincing detail that anyone could tell the mosquitoes were Russian from the black and yellow stripes encircling their bodies.

Local farmers laughed and let the story. pass, knowing all Jersey Mosquitoes were black and yellow striped. But some visiting business men, unwarned and unacquainted by this story of negligence and sheer stupidity on the part of the Conservation Department, wrote letters to Albany complaining about the mosquito menace created by that department, and urged their friends and business acquaintances to do likewise.

There was an investigation and eventually the story was traced to Weedsport and the local tale-teller. He dismissed the Conservation Department investigator with a glass of home-brewed hard cider and the information that he'd heard the story himself from an old woman who stopped by peddling eggs. He'd naturally assumed it was true when he'd inspected one of the mosquitoes and discovered that it did indeed have black and yellow stripes."

CLOSING BARS - 1873

All bars of hotels, saloons and groceries shall be closed for the sale of intoxicating liquors at 12 o'clock, midnight, and shall be kept closed till 5 o'clock A. M. Any person violating this ordinance shall, on conviction, be liable to a penalty of not less than three nor more than ten dollars for each offense.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION - 1873

Any person who shall be drunk, or in a state of intoxication, in any highway, street or public place, or in any private house, within-the corporation, to the annoyance of any person or citizens, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten dollars for each offense.

FAST DRIVING - 1878

Any person who shall drive or ride immoderately any horse or other animal, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than two nor more than ten dollars for each offense.