The hunters over Kenduskeag way are on the trail of a strange animal which has been haunting the woods and pastures in that vicinity for some months past. This animal, according to stories of those who have seen it, seems to be a hybrid of some sort, perhaps a cross between a bear and a bobcat. Only a week ago the animal was seen in a pasture near the road at Worcester’s siding. The animal was apparently hunting for field mice and paid little attention to the people in the carriage driving along the road.

50 Years Ago, 1956

The Census Bureau estimated today that females now outnumber males in the United States by about 1,381,000.

The greatest disparity is in the 25 and older age groups.

Six years ago there were only 600,000 more females than males.

The census report said the ratio changed somewhere in the 1940s.

The 1940 census showed 100.7 men for each 100 women. The decline in the proportion of the male population has been going on since 1910, when the ratio was 106 males for every 100 females.

25 Years Ago, 1981

The management of the B. Peck Co. formally announced Tuesday that the Lewiston department store will be closing its doors after 101 years due to a lack of profitability over the last few years.

Peck’s General Manager Laurence Williams ended months of speculation with the announcement of the closing, which Williams said came after “a lot of hand wringing.”

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Williams said an exact closing date has not been set. The store will close after all of its merchandise is liquidated, which could take anywhere from a week to six months, he said.

Peck’s 60 employees, some of whom have worked at the department store for several decades, will be laid off gradually, Williams said, adding that there may be opportunities for some employees to transfer to other stores owned by the chain that purchased Peck’s this summer.