100 years ago, 1914
Charles Allen, who lives at Auburn plains, lost his eye, Friday afternoon, in a very peculiar and painful manner. He was driving some young cattle to the pasture, carrying a whip in his hand with a long lash The cattle being unruly, he snapped the whip at one of them and the lash came back and struck him a violent blow, full on the eye. The pain was so great that be fainted away and being a mile from home he had a very hard time to reach there, twice lapsing into unconsciousness. It is believed that chances are decidedly against saving the injured eye.

50 years ago, 1964
Auburn policemen have answered a variety of calls, many of them with unusual circumstances, but a call on Friday revealed the presence in the city, not of a second story man, but a second story cat. This crazy black cat, according to the complainant, has been stealing food in a house. She told police the big cat jumps up at her door knobs until the fleety feline succeeds in opening the door. Then the animal enters the house and eats up any food that happens to be laying around. Police were told the complainant’s husband had tried to kidnap the cat (to catnap it) but has been unsuccessful. Now police are wondering how a jumping cat can open doors.

25 years ago, 1989
One morning at dawn in November 1987, six officers from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department and five from a state police drug enforcement unit entered the home of a man suspected of dealing drugs. Cocaine, cocaine cutting and weighing equipment and $51,000 cash and assets were confiscated. Friday, Androscoggin County officials will receive the fruits of the department’s labor that day. About $17,000 taken in the drug raid will be presented to the county, according to Sheriff Ronald B. Gagnon. Federal forfeiture laws passed under the Reagan administration allow for distribution of cash and goods obtained with the profits from illegal drug activities. The money must be used in law enforcement efforts.