Maine has an almost continuous crop of vacationists, which means a great deal more than most of us realize. In the spring comes the man who loves fishing, then the guest who loves the seashore or the country, and in the fall he who loves to take his gun and get into the woods or along the coast for a week of nature study. They all bring money to Maine and they leave thousands of dollars here, which adds materially to the prosperity of our state and the welfare of our people.

50 years ago, 1957

• President Eisenhower and Secretary of Labor Mitchell saluted the working man and woman in Labor Day statements today, and said employment is at the highest point in history. “In a climate of general well-being,” the President said, “we celebrate Labor Day this year with deep appreciation. We live in a favored land where the fruits of production are widely shared. More Americans are holding jobs and enjoying security than ever before.”

• Last month was one of the coldest and driest Augusts on record in the Twin Cities. Almost every night Lewiston-Auburn residents felt the chill as the mercury dropped into the 40s or low 50s. August’s average temperature was 64.427 degrees. This is the coldest August on record since 1934 when the average reading was 64.203 degrees.

25 years ago, 1982

• Strikes by almost 6,000 teachers delayed the opening of some schools in four states Tuesday, providing an extra holiday for about 100,000 students, while negotiations were still going on in many of the nation’s largest cities.

• Efforts to keep American motorists obedient to the national 55 mph speed limit on Interstate highways are running out of gas, and federal dollars, too. Where there is no move afoot to either raise or remove the legal speed barrier, drivers in increasing numbers are whizzing along beyond it.