A well-timed downpour saved Neelyville and Qulin farmers from destructive wildfires in 1924. A motherly dog made headlines in 1949 for adopting a piglet, and in 1974 a shoe factory remained under examination after unexplained employee illnesses.
100 years ago
Nov. 12, 1924
• A day of heavy rains has saved Butler County from wildfires.
The Daily Republican reported yesterday’s downpour was the first precipitation in six weeks. The fires began four weeks ago, devouring woods, fields and some farms. Several Neelyville farms were damaged and part of Qulin was under threat before the rain moved in.
The rain began yesterday and continued through last night.
75 years ago
Nov. 12, 1949
• A dog named Tootsie has an unusual pup: an abandoned piglet.
When Ruby Doodard of Fisk learned her neighbor had a struggling, runty piglet, she suggested Tootsie as a surrogate mother. Tootsie was grieving the loss of three day-old puppies and immediately devoted her motherly instincts to Porky the piglet, himself only four days old. She has nursed and raised Porky for a month now and Doodard reported they’re inseparable.
50 years ago
Nov. 12, 1974
• The Florsheim Shoe Factory reopened yesterday with a doctor on duty. A wave of unexplained illnesses closed the plant for a week.
Dr. Ronald Shriver of Doctors Hospital in Poplar Bluff worked in the first-aid room and reported several workers came to him with complaints. Some had respiratory infections and upset stomachs, but the majority experienced nose and throat irritation. Twelve ultimately went home. No one fainted on the job, which happened multiple times before the factory closed for inspection.
Florsheim reopened this week even though results on air tests are still pending. Inspections revealed no obvious cause for the workers’ fainting spells. Factory Superintendent Frank Greenleaf refused to comment to the press.
Directors of the Governor’s Task Force on Occupational Safety, the State Health Department, and the Department of Labor reported the factory was cooperating fully with their investigation.
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