Today In Johnson City History: Feb. 22

Feb. 21, 1889: The Comet reported two exciting news items pertaining to Johnson City. "Col R.A. Johnson, General Manager of the Three C's road, arrived in the city Monday. He has been very busy since his arrival arranging matters connected with the road. He is stopping with Gen. J.T. Wilder.""Johnson City, the beautiful and blushing little maiden, is being courted by the great Iron King, Andrew Carnigie (sic). Mr. Carnigie (sic) has proposed to her and if she agrees to take his name has offered to make her a bridal present of the finest library building in the South and will also put in a large steel plant here. The Comet will take pleasure in announcing the decision of the maiden when reached and also the wedding day."The Three C's refers to a railroad.Feb. 21, 1897: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Chattanooga Sunday Times gave more information about an arson that was first mentioned in this column yesterday. With a dateline from Johnson City and a date from Feb. 20, readers learned, "Squire Martin, before whom John Gregg, James Gregg and Deputy United States Marshall Henry Hay were tried on warrants charging them with burning John Gregg & Bro.'s saloon, rendered his decision at 9 o'clock this morning, binding John Gregg and Henry Hay to court in a bond of $1,000 each and releasing James Gregg.""The case has attracted considerable attention and it took two days to try it before the magistrate. The evidence was purely circumstantial, but was rather conclusive.""The saloon was saturated with oil and then fired. The purchase of a barrel by Gregg and the trailing of it from place to place was one of the principal circumstances which led to his arrest. Henry Hay was the bartender for the Greggs, and also a deputy United States marshal. The parties had no trouble to make bond."One thousand dollars in 1897 is now equivalent to nearly $33,600, according to www.in2013dollars.com.The Chattanooga Sunday Times was published as The Chattanooga Daily Times other days of the week. It is now published as the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Johnson City did not have a daily newspaper in 1897. The Comet was published weekly.Feb. 21, 1916: The Johnson City Staff reported news from the from the Soldier's Home in a column called "Soldiers' Home News Notes", which had the byline of Jonah Jones. "Miss Elizabeth Alexander, daughter of our bustling home clerk, has been visiting her father. Miss Alexander returned to her home in Fountain City on Monday.""Nat Simpson expects to return to his old company soon. Nat is a valued member of company (sic) B., but is at present undergoing repairs at Major Erwin's health shop.""We will be grateful for any news handed us, but poetry will have to be submitted to the Editor direct, for our education is limited to plain prose."The Soldiers' Home is now known as the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center.Fountain City is a suburb of Knoxville.Feb. 21, 1922: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle reported, "Gov. A.A. Taylor had as his weekend guests Mr. R.A. Ashbury and Mr. John Thomas of Chattanooga. Gov. Taylor left yesterday afternoon on Train No. 25 for his home in Nashville, after a visit with his sons at his old home at Milligan."Feb. 21, 1937: With a dateline from Elizabethton, the Johnson City Press-Chronicle reported, "Mrs. Allen Harris, regional director of Girl Scouts and a member of the National Board of Scouts, spoke to the Business and Professional Women's club (sic) on the background of scouting Friday evening at a dinner at the Governor Taylor hotel (sic). Mrs. Harris was introduced by Miss Ruth Cass of Johnson City."Feb. 21, 1947: Seventy-five years ago today, the Elizabethton Star reported news about several area residents who had recently been, or still were, patients at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. "Mr. E.H. Gentry, Route 1, Elizabethton, is improving following medical treatment.""Mrs. Virginia Alexander is reported much improved.""Mr. Ralph Roberts, Rt. 5, Johnson City, is improving following an appendectomy.""Mr. Oliver Williams is showing marked improvement. Mr. Williams, injured when struck by a car, is recovering nicely.""Richard Douglas, Rt. 4, Elizabethton, underwent a major operation yesterday.""Master Jackie Kyte, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kyte, Rt. 4, Elizabethton, is recovering from pneumonia.""Mrs. D.F. Von Cannon, Rt. 5, Johnson City, is recovering from an operation.""Joseph N. Shull, Rt. 5, Johnson City, was discharged today."St. Elizabeth Hospital was the forerunner of Carter County Memorial Hospital, which was the forerunner of Sycamore Shoals Hospital.The Elizabethton Star is still being published.Feb. 21, 1957: The Johnson City Press-Chronicle quipped, "Not all women are guilty of repeating gossip. One of them has to start it."Feb. 21, 1972: Fifty years ago today, the Johnson City Press-Chronicle reported that "Members of the Johnson City Emergency and Rescue Squad made a total of 198 calls during the month of January.""During the month, the squad traveled more than 200 miles in the performance of their volunteer services and worked more than 820 hours.""Automobile accidents in which there were injuries led the list in categories of duties with 28 incidents.""Overall, 126 emergency calls and 72 non-emergency calls were answered during the first month of the year.""Of the emergency calls, 93 were within the city limits of Johnson City and 33 were in Washington County.""The squad, a member of the Johnson City United Fund, now has 35 members and is presently conducting First Aid classes for several groups throughout the city and county at no cost to the participants."The Johnson City United Fund is now known as the United Way of East Tennessee Highlands.Feb. 21, 1997: Twenty-five years ago today, in an article with the byline of Sue Guinn Legg, the Johnson City Press reported, "A Johnson City attorney and his wife have been granted a dismissal of a $22 million legal malpractice suit filed against them by a former Johnson City doctor convicted of sedating and raping a female patient at his office in 1989.""Dr. Mohamed F. Ali filed suit against attorney James T. Bowman in October 1993 for alleged negligence resulting in his September 1993 convictions for rape and attempted bribery. The following year, Dr. Ali amended the suit to include additional malpractice claims against Bowman's wife and legal assistant, Martha Perkins Bowman.""After filing the suit, Dr. Ali had acted as his own attorney in subsequent criminal court hearings that ultimately resulted in his receiving a 15-year prison term for rape, attempted bribery, and four counts of attempted insurance and Medicaid fraud."