If present plans and indications bear fruit, Augusta will soon become unique among American cities in the possession of a movable sidewalk. The sidewalk will be built by a stock company and will cost, with the necessary capital to put it upon a running basis, in the neighborhood of $50,000. A location was given some time ago by the municipal officers, and a charter was granted by the legislature of 1903 for the formation of such a company to place a sidewalk of this kind upon Winthrop Hill.

50 years ago, 1958

• President Eisenhower, moving to bolster the sagging economy, announced today he will ask Congress to approve a $2 billion modernization program for post offices and the postal service. “The program,” a White House statement said, “will involve rehabilitating, enlarging or replacing 2,500 government-owned post office buildings, replacing or remodeling 12,000 leased buildings, and providing modern mall handling equipment for all postal facilities.”

DIXFIELD – About 200 young children escaped injury, although 29 were shaken up, when a furnace boiler exploded in mid-afternoon Tuesday at the grade school here. The children filed out in an orderly fashion as smoke spread through the structure.

25 years ago, 1983

• Establishing Lewiston’s reputation as a good credit risk with investors and working for economic development in the city are two efforts that make retiring treasurer and tax collector Alfred A. Plourde proud. Plourde, 46, announced on Wednesday his intent to retire on March 4. Plourde has been a city employee for the past 25 years, spending the last 20 as treasurer.

WASHINGTON – Leaders of independent truckers called a halt Thursday to their violence-marred protest strike after they won assurances from nearly three dozen congressmen that their complaints would be examined.

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