Today in Delaware County history, June 5

100 Years Ago, 1923: William Briggs, 202 W. 23rd St., this city, has aroused the interest of local botanists by producing a poppy of yellow hue. The original poppy is a vivid red and was grown in quantities in New Jersey, after the war. This new color is the result of several experiments by a Philadelphia wholesale seed merchant.

75 Years Ago, 1948: "The most proximate danger today is not communism but secularism – living without God," Rev. John H. Donnelly, Ph.D., chaplain of the Newman Club at the University of Pennsylvania, told the 120 graduates of St. James Catholic High School for Boys, Friday night. Father Donnelly was the principal speaker at the eight annual commencement exercises held in Columbus Center, during which 117 seniors and three veterans received their diplomas from Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph M. Corr.

50 Years Ago, 1973: The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital is striving to save the life of a Darby police (K-9) dog that fell into a vat of paint during a search of an industrial building early Sunday morning. Cpl. Thomas Patterson and his German shepherd "Duke" were searching the building of the Sentry Paint and Chemical Co. in the 200 block Mill St., when the mishap occurred. The 2 1/2-year-old police dog ran upstairs as in pursuit of someone, slipped off a platform and fell into a large vat of yellow paint.

25 Years Ago, 1998: Suburban Cable Co. officially joined the Internet access race yesterday, betting that its link has the speed to win it. The announcement comes a day after Bell Atlantic unveiled its plans to offer some customers speedier Internet access over existing copper telephone lines using ADSL" asymmetric digital subscriber line technology. "Our connection is via cable, not over phone lines," spokesman Tom Gailey said, explaining that the company will be able to deliver speeds up to 100 times faster than traditional telephone connections and up to 20 times faster than ADSL.

10 Years Ago, 2013: Two weeks after Jack Quinn opened the Lamplighter Tavern in 1971, Lee Trevino outlasted Jack Nicklaus to win the U.S. Open in an 18-hole playoff at Merion Golf Club. The U.S. Open will return to the narrow course next week and bring with it millions of dollars in revenue for local businesses. Quinn is one of the few, if not the only, restaurant owners still in business since the Open came to Haverford in 1971. "This will be the biggest thing that people will ever see here," Quinn said Tuesday afternoon. "I can't wait for it."

— COLIN AINSWORTH

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