The scrub women of Bath have formed a union and, hereafter, work will be charged for at the rate of 20 cents an hour. Coming at the time of year when most housewives are having their houses cleaned for the winter, work by professional housecleaners will be more expensive than in the past, and it is quite likely that the mistresses of many homes will feel themselves obliged to don old cloths and assist in some of the lighter work. In the past, the prices have ranged from 12½ cents to 15 cents an hour. It is about the only line of labor in the city that has not been hitherto unionized.

50 years ago, 1957

• By shooting up a baby moon which passes frequently over the United States – without first getting permission – the Russians have set a precedent on the question of ownership of outer space.

• WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Queen Elizabeth II arrived to a royal welcome in the United States today and promptly bowed her head in prayer for “just and lasting peace.” The shy young monarch, the first reigning British Queen to visit North America, started her six-day U.S. stay in storied Virginia.

• PORTLAND – Hundreds of Maine schoolchildren, most of them teenagers, stayed home in droves today as a flu bug hopscotched around the state.

25 years ago, 1982

MECHANIC FALLS – A time capsule will be placed behind the cornerstone at the Elm Street School addition in ceremonies to be held Tuesday at the school. The sealed capsule will contain a list of all staff members, bus drivers, school committee members, building committee members and school lunch staff.

First-grade students have placed a diary in the capsule, and there is a copy of an environmental study done by ninth-grade, college-course students.

The concrete cornerstone displays a replica of a pineapple, considered a sign of welcome and hospitality.