”;Back in the Day,”; appearing every Sunday, takes a look at articles that ran on this date in history in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Hawaii's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. The items appear verbatim, so don't blame us today for yesteryear's bad grammar.

Piano does swan dive from truck to street

Here is a player piano that plays in a method all its own, and it is very amusing, too, although the owner does not care for his music box to repeat the performance.

The piano in question was boxed and on a truck on its way from the dock, and rode nicely, not displaying any freakish disposition.

But when the truck started to turn a corner, the instrument showed some eagerness to get off and walk. Rocking from side to side to get up headway, it made a big leap and did an excellent swan dive, landing upon the pavement.

A crowd gathered, expecting to see sights terrible and awful, but disappointment was their lot for a rescuing party tore off the shattered box to reveal a piano as whole as a new chick. When set upon its feet it was rolled off the street unharmed.

Smashing of meters arouses Wall's ire

Two water meters, their faces beaten in with a hammer and the recording apparatus deliberately smashed, reposed today on the desk of W.A. Wall, superintendent of waterworks.

“;This happens every once in a while,”; said the superintendent.

“;Apparently the ratepayer thinks he can dodge his bills, but instead the result is that we shut off the water entirely until he makes good the cost of the meter.

“;The culprit unfailingly pretends to feel himself deeply agrieved and roars like a wounded lion, but our patience has become exhausted.

The next time we find a meter smashed, we shall report the case to the city attorney for prosecution.”;