Druggists of Lewiston and Auburn as well as throughout the state are beginning to wonder where they stand. Although they were willing to give up their liquor tax receipts and refused to carry liquor for sale at all, they are now confronted with circulars issued by the treasury department naming a list of medicines that contain so much alcohol that dealers carrying any of them in stock will be expected to pay for their liquor licenses as if they were carrying a stock of liquors.

50 years ago, 1958

• The cold snap did one thing for Auburn youngsters, and some adults as well. The near zero temperature of the past few days produced good skating surfaces on lakes, ponds and rinks, and brought out throngs of skaters over the weekend. Many family groups were taking advantage of the first good skating of the season Sunday at Lake Auburn, according to Auburn police.

• Maine canners packed 2,117,151 cases – more than 200 million cans – of sardines in 1957, the Maine Agriculture Department reported today. The total pack was about 5 percent under that of 1956 and well below the 1950-56 average of 2,485,000 cases.

25 years ago, 1983

AUGUSTA – The top U.S. judge’s warning that overcrowded prisons may lead to “explosions” of violence was applauded Monday by Maine Corrections Commissioner Donald Allen, who plans to ask the Legislature for more prison space. In his year-end report on the nation’s legal system, U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger said new and enlarged prisons, more job training for inmates and better training for prison officials are needed to avoid “prison explosions.”

SOUTH PORTLAND – The same brand of lock which was blamed for escapes at the Penobscot County Jail last year was not strong enough to hold back a youth who freed fellow inmates from the Maine Youth Center, officials said Monday. Only one of the eight youths who escaped Sunday was still at large Monday afternoon.