100 years ago in the East OregonianMrs. Elsie Hohbach, widow of Ernest Hohbach who committed suicide yesterday afternoon, denies emphatically a story in the morning paper today that marital trouble was the cause of her husband’s act.

“Mr. Hohbach and I have never had domestic trouble,” she said. “I attribute the cause for his act to poor health and financial trouble.”

Mr. Hohbach, who was 49 years of age, shot himself through the mouth, the tragedy occurring in the basement of the French Restaurant, of which he was one of the owners.

50 years ago in the East OregonianUnemployment in Umatilla County dropped to its lowest mark in 1972 to a rate of 5.2 percent in August. That is a drop from 6.0 percent in July.

While the drop was not expected, it was later than what is normally experienced in the county. Ray Donald, labor market analyst for the Oregon Employment Division, Pendleton, said there is normally a significant drop in unemployment in July. But, due to local industrial lay-offs that month, July’s rate was unseasonably high, he said.

Donald said that with the expected level of agricultural activity and industrial employment, the unemployment rate should remain relatively constant until November unless there is an early winter.

25 years ago in the East OregonianPlucking out dead spiders and cat hair is just part of the task Clyde Mullin accepts while volunteering to clean cassette players for the Oregon State Library’s talking book program.

Checking cords for bite marks, fishing out coins, and clearing away spilled dinners are also part of his job. And once the cleaning chores are complete the repair work begins.

Mullin, who has fixed countless machines during his seven years as a volunteer in Salem, is one of five Telephone Pioneers working with 10 inmates during a two-day training program at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution this week. Six inmates will eventually be chosen based on good conduct and experience for the program, in which 1,434 machines in need of cleaning and repair will be looked at.

The hope is that with both groups’ efforts the library’s stockpile of flawed cassette players will be whittled down, said Nancy Rupperta, a machine lending agent.