Tales from way back when…
One night of music by local artistes
THE B.G. Choral Society presented their midyear concert on Wednesday evening to a large and very enthusiastic audience in the Town Hall. Mrs. Ruby MacGregor, M.B.E., A.T.C.I., who was introduced by the society’s conductor,  Mr. J.R. Aaron, presided over the function.

The programme opened with a soprano solo by Mrs. Martha Cox, who travelled from New Amsterdam for the occasion, and who sang all her pieces in excellent style.

The standard she set formed the pattern of performance by the other artistes, including the society’s mixed-voice and ladies choirs, the latter being conducted by Mrs. Pansy Bobb-Semple.

Doreen Wood, Patricia Loncke, Rosemary Hazel, Mrs. D. Doris, Wordsworth Irving and Donald Williams were all heartily applauded by the audience for their pieces.

Miss. Olga Britton, Jnr. Vice-President of the society, moved the vote of thanks.
(Guiana Graphic: July 9, 1960)

Train crushes boy’s legs
PASSENGERS on the Mahaica down train panicked yesterday when an eight-year-old boy was crushed unconscious.

Harrilall, of West Bank Demerara, is now lying legless at the Georgetown Hospital.

The boy was a passenger on the 9:19 express train.

According to reports, as the train approached Clonbrook station, the boy jumped from the train. He fell between two carriages and got both legs crushed.

An emergency operation was performed, and both legs were amputated.
(Guiana Graphic: July 10, 1960)

Midnight fire sweeps $250 house
FIRE destroyed a house in the Mahaica Creek on Tuesday, leaving a farming family destitute.

The $250 house was owned by John Ali of Coctoon, Mahaica Creek, and the occupants had to be rescued by other residents.

Shouts of  “Fire!” “Fire!” aroused the neighbourhood around midnight when the blaze started. But all efforts by a ‘bucket’ brigade failed to put out the fire, which quickly engulfed the house.

According to reports, there is some mystery surrounding the blaze.

And the Police have begun investigations.
(Guiana Graphic: July 1, 1960)

Death lurks in 2-gln can
SOMEWHERE in Kitty, a middle-aged woman dwells in a ‘kitchen of death’.

One scratch of a match, and she and her family can well be sent to eternity.

The woman has probably stored in her home two gallons of gasoline, which she has bought for kerosene oil.

This touched off a village-wide hunt by the Police, the Fire Brigade and the Kitty Filling Station since last Saturday afternoon.

But up to last night, despite radio flashes about the matter, the unidentified, medium-built, fair-skinned woman had not been located.

It is said she was sold the gasoline by mistake.
(Guiana Graphic: July 4, 1960)

Five Guianese novels will hit market this year
BRITISH manuscript readers have begun predicting that Guianese-born Wilson Harris will rank among the best novelists of the Caribbean.

His book, ‘Palace of the Peacock’, will be out by September, published by Faber and Faber.

Another Guianese who expects to join the ranks of Caribbean writers is Lionel Jeffrey. His first novel — still unnamed — will be out in December, published by McGibbon and Kee.

Meanwhile, the well known Jan Carew says that he has completed ‘The Last Barbarians’.

This book has created some discussion within the Cabinet of Secker and Warburg, the publishers.

Carew says : “It’s a New York saga with much heat in it.”

The story depicts the true relationship between white and coloured peoples. Jonathan Cape will publish a book of legends, to be illustrated by Aubrey Williams and written by Carew.

Mittleholzer expects to complete another Guiana story, making it a total of five novels on the market by Guianese this year.
(Guiana Graphic: July 4, 1960)

Only hard work for giveaway girl
A GIVEAWAY girl, just about twelve years old, is being slave-worked by a D’Urban Street family, according to reports reaching the Graphic.

At 10 o’clock one night, it is said, the little girl was put to wash a van belonging to the family who keeps her.

And for one hour, she toiled before she was recalled to do yet another job.

The pathetic-looking child was given away by her parents on the Corentyne, neighbours said.

For they are very poor and cannot afford the girl, and they saw the family, with whom the child is staying, as possible providers.

But the twelve-year-old girl is not allowed to attend school classes.

And one neighbour tried to justify the inhumane treatment of the girl. “Those country girls are accustomed to hard work,” she said.

A dispenser said that he had treated another girl who was kept before this one by the same family.

She became severely ill a few weeks after she was put to work.

He went on to say that the sick girl was taken to the chest clinic, which said that she had developed asthma.

But in the meantime, the diminutive girl is being forced to do all types of jobs at any hour of the day and night.
(Guiana Graphic: July 5, 1960)

4th straight set of twins
-A couple, after six years of marriage, now has eight children
MR. LINCOLN Joseph of Airy Hall, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and his West Coast Berbice born Gwendoline were married in 1954.

They are the parents of four sets of twins — three boys and five girls — all born in a row.

The first set, Lincoln and Leslie, were born on October 12 in the same year the couple were married.

Two years later, another set of twins came their way — Shelly and Valerie — born September 12.

The third set, a boy and a girl, Brian and Dawne, were born on September 11, 1958.

On Sunday, July 4, two girls, who have not yet been named, were born and doing well.

Mr. Joseph, 27, who is a village carpenter, is a very proud man who thinks that he and his 23-year-old wife have done well for their ages.

But Mr. Joseph laments the fact that in the area in which he lives, employment is seasonal, and he sometimes finds it difficult to rear his children as he would like to.

Mr. Joseph, with a smile on his face, said: “I hope that they would have the best opportunities in life.”
(Guiana Graphic: July 7, 1960)

(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)