How many of our citizens and those interested in fruit culture are aware of the fact that a commercial plum orchard is growing within a short distance of the Lewiston City Hall? Yet such is the case. The orchard is owned and operated by Chas. W. Moore. Mr. Moore is a skilled machinist; but as a wise and prudent man, he believes in a sideline for diversion and amusement, and, indeed, he shows the effect of his outdoor hobby. The orchard in question is located on Main Street, Lewiston, and was mostly planted eight or nine years ago.

50 years ago, 1957

• The world’s population, now growing at the fastest rate in history, could reach 6 billion by the year 2000, the Population Reference Bureau said today. The bureau, citing a United Nations’ report on the world’s social situation, said population in 1955 was 2,691,000,000 persons, as compared with 2,519,000,000 in 1951. The rate of increase is about 1.7 percent – “the most rapid rate of growth in world history,” it said.

• Early Friday temperatures dipped into the 20s over much of the croplands of northern and central Florida, with a low of 15 degrees at Cross City. The subfreezing levels were regarded as a serious threat for citrus orchards and destructive to unprotected garden produce.

25 years ago, 1982

MONTREAL – A massive power failure left millions of people without electricity for several hours Tuesday in eastern Canada’s huge Quebec province, stopping the Montreal subway and forcing thousands of businesses to shut down in freezing temperatures. Power was restored in stages throughout the 600,000-mile province, after a transformer explosion and fire knocked out electricity at 1:22 p.m. EST.

• While Dec. 25 is the official day of Christmas, at one place in Lewiston it’s Christmastime for a full three months of the year: Christmas Village. Housed in a section of the Paragon Glass building on Westminster Street, Christmas Village offers shoppers the holiday spirit from the end of September to Dec. 23.