25 YEARS AGO

TODAY is Metro-day for towns in the Bolton, Bury, Leigh and Worsley areas. The old local authorities such as Bolton County Borough, went out of existence at midnight, and new ones have been created in a massive shake-up of the country's local government system. We are now in Greater Manchester, with the main body being the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County Council.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 1, 1949

STRONG condemnation of the town's common lodging houses was made at the meeting of Bolton Health Committee. 'Some of them are unfit for cattle,' said Counc. Childs. 'I feel that this committee should recommend municipal lodging houses to the Council.'

Ald Mrs Wright said: 'What touches one most is the number of old people in them.'

'They used to be full of people who travelled about, but now they seem to have permanent residents,' said Counc Entwistle. 'There must be many people living more like animals than human beings.'

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 1, 1874

THE San Francisco Chronicle publishes the following from a correspondent: 'In passing through Slack Canon, on Sunday, the 8th of February, I called at J.C. Flores' saloon. Deputy Sheriff Cheek had a Mexican under arrest, who was suspected of being one of the Vasques gang. The deputy was holding him over until Monday. One Thomas Hunt, a lawyer of considerable ability, was there waiting to prosecute the Mexican. Hunt, having copiously quaffed the flowing bowl, was asleep in the saloon, when a body of armed men, painted and attired as Indians, broke in, and, mistaking the lawyer for the prisoner, put chains on him, and, passing a rope over one of the beams, put a noose round his neck and drew him up. But for the great bravery and presence of mind displayed by the Deputy Sheriff, who rushed in and cut the rope, the lawyer would have been successfully hanged. During the excitement the Mexican got away, and has not been heard of since.'

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.