(A look at some of the stories that made the news ‘back-in-the-day’ with CLIFFORD STANLEY)
He fell twice into grave
-now he’s dead
A 23-year-old Public Works Department (PWD) employee was killed in a road accident at Supply, on the East Bank of Demerara yesterday — three days after it is said that he had fallen twice into a grave he was digging for a British soldier. On Saturday last, at Atkinson Field, Ganesh and some other men were digging the grave of Randolph Land, a Grenadier Guardsman, when he fell inside.
After being helped out of the grave by his colleagues, Ganesh slipped and fell into it again. And shortly after 11 o’clock yesterday morning, while Ganesh, a mason, was on the roadside with other PWD employees, who were working on the renovation of a revetment at Supply, he was struck by a PWD lorry, and died instantly.
The lorry, loaded with loam, was on its way from Atkinson Field, it was stated.
It swerved to allow another lorry, travelling south along the Public Road, to pass, when the accident occurred.
(Guiana Graphic: July 16, 1963)
BG’s bedbugs are a menace
B.G’s NATIVE bedbugs have much to answer for, according to reports being compiled by Dr. George J. Burton, a medical expert now working for the US Public Health Service on a filariasis study in Guyana.
Dr. Burton studied the natural and experimental infections of bedbugs in B.G. and will shortly publish his findings.
Meanwhile, he has written an article in the current issue of the Public Health Reports, a journal of the US Health Department, in which he reveals that bedbugs can transmit dozens of diseases, ranging from elephantiasis, river blindness, leprosy, pneumonia, rocky mountain fever, tuberculosis, meningitis, malaria, yellow fever, sleeping sickness, beri  beri and many others.
He describes how when rickettsia rickettsi — a disease organism of Rocky Mountain fever — was injected into the rectum of the bedbug, and remained virulent in the bedbug’s gut for up to 27 days.
Dr. Burton also relates how he noticed that bedbugs could transmit malaria. It was while he was serving in Russia during the First World War, although no anopheles mosquitoes were present, the troops nevertheless succumbed to malaria.
It turned out that the disease was being swiftly spread by the bugs, because the men’s beds were too close together.
(Guiana Graphic: August 8, 1963)
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4’6” Canadian Beds, complete with Spring-filled Mattresses $134.95,
plus 2 Wool Pillows free.
5-Piece Chrome Dinette Sets, $125 & $135
7-Piece Chrome Dinette Sets $195;
Rattan Chairs $15.50& $17.50 each
At Bettencourts!
(Guiana Graphic: September 8, 1963)
Train kills man
DHANRAJ, called Man-Man, a 64-year-old labourer of Kitty ,was yesterday morning crushed to death by the Rosignol-Georgetown train at the Middleton Street Railway Crossing.
Shortly after 10 o’clock, Dhanraj, father of five, left his Shell Road home and walked to the crossing.
There he spoke to a friend, who was working near the railway line.
The friend told the police that Dhanraj wanted to know if any trains had passed yet, since he said he understood yesterday to be the day when trains would resume operations.
Then the Rosignol-Georgetown train blew its whistle as it was leaving Bel-Air, and Dhanraj walked casually away from his friend.
The next thing he saw, the Police were told, was Dhanraj’s mangled body lying across the tracks.
Police, under Assistant Superintendent Percy Hintzen, arrived on the scene and carried out investigations.
A post-mortem examination will be held today.
(Guiana Graphic: July 19, 1963)
Viewers are seeing things
-TV is here
SIX GUIANESE families have sneaked their way into the dizzy band of television viewers, and are very elated about it.
Although we have got no television station here, they are ‘getting the goods’– and that’s all that matters.
Events in several Caribbean countries are now being mirrored on the screens in these six B.G homes.
The owner of one of the six sets is popular archer, Mr. Chic Young, who recently got a first-hand look at the damage wrought by hurricanes and floods in Puerto Rico.
“Reception on my set is generally good,” he says.
An electronic engineer, commenting on the current advent of TV in B.G., said that perfect reception is only guaranteed within a 50-mile range, but beyond that, well, it just isn’t reliable.
He referred to what the six Guianese families are now getting as “freak reception.”
The conditions for TV in B.G. are quite favourable, he feels, but such a project  would depend on whether Government would be willing to take the step.
(Guiana Graphic: August 18, 1963)
He wanted to finish his drink
A FARMER who asked the police to allow him to finish off the bottle of bush rum he was caught with, was ordered by Magistrate Horace Mitchell at Providence Court  yesterday to pay the minimum fine of $250 when he pleaded guilty to a charge.
Four others caught in his company were freed.
Dalia, 40, of Herstelling, had begged when caught: “You know rum is hard to get now; let me drink and be done with the matter before you take me in.”
Inspector Edward Godding , the Prosecutor,  said that Constable Primus, Constable Van Brooke, Constable Evans and Special Constable Browne were on mobile patrol  around 8pm on June 29 at Herstelling when they saw Dalia and four others.
As the Police drew closer, they saw one of the men pass a large white bottle to Dalia, who put the bottle to his mouth and had a long drink.
The four other men, Ramkissoon,  23; Lynden King, 24; Harry Badrie, 39; and Gopaul Singh were freed by the Magistrate who said that there was no evidence against them.
(Guiana Graphic: August 20, 1963)
Domestics get ready
DOMESTICS GOING to Canada were given final instructions by Labour Chief, Fred Taharally at the Labour Department on Camp Street.
The selected women are awaiting word from Canada, where their names and qualifications have been submitted for final selection for work in that country.
Approval is expected any time now, and the girls are busy shopping for the trip.
When their one-year contract expires, they will be allowed to remain in Canada.
(Guiana Graphic: September 16, 1963)
(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)