Alec Murray of Gardiner and Vital Bolduc of this place left here last week for the Penobscot River region on a gumming expedition which will occupy them until the first of November.

Both are gummers and Mr. Bolduc has been at the business for a portion of each year since 1892. His plan is to put in about two months in the woods in the fall and about the same time in the winter after a good depth of snow has fallen. With one partner, he has averaged to harvest and market about 300 pounds of gum, one especially fortunate season of yielding twice that amount.

In the early years, 75 cents was the usual market price, but this has continually advanced until this byproduct of the Maine spruce sells readily at $1.50 per pound. The whole forest area has been gummed over but yet Mr. Bolduc is able, with his long experience, to find a reasonably good harvest each year.

50 years ago, 1957

Lewiston-Auburn area residents are now receiving bigger unemployment compensation checks. A bill filed at the last Legislature by Rep. Paul A. Couture of Lewiston, and which went into effect Aug. 28, increased the maximum weekly payments from $30 to $33. The bill also extended the eligibility period for payments from 23 to 25 weeks.

25 years ago, 1982

• Androscoggin County Commissioners took steps Tuesday to tighten security at the County Building in Auburn, recently subjected to vandalism. The commissioners voted to improve security at the building, including new locks on all the outside doors, as a response to two recent incidents of vandalism.

• Shaws Supermarket: Chicken leg quarters, 68 cents/lb.; breast quarters, 88 cents/lb.; roasting chicken, 68 cents/lb.; blade roast, $1.58/lb.; sirloin roast, $1.68/lb.; boneless roast, $1.98/lb.; country style spareribs, $1.78/lb.; pork chops, $1.68/lb.; semi-boneless ham, $1.78/lb.; whole dressed fresh haddock, $1.29/lb.; fresh cod, $2.19/lb.