EDITOR’S NOTE: Superiorland Yesterdays is prepared by the reference staff at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.

30 years ago

MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University now has two Xerox/Kruzweil Readers to assist vision and learning disabled students. The readers are a hybrid computer that optically scans and reads typeset and typewritten material. The reader provides a user with a variety of capabilities and functions. After scanning written material, it turns the information into “DECtalk,” or synthetic speech, allowing the student to listen or follow along as the reader recites the typewritten words. Both demand and need were factors in the purchase of a second reader, said Darlene Buck, a learning skills specialist in the Student Support Services office. “The past several years have seen a dramatic change on the number and nature of accommodations requested by disabled students at Northern,” said Buck. “Computer technology like the Kruzweil Reader offers a cost-effective and flexible way of providing these services.”

90 years ago

MARQUETTE — Sir Henry Lauder, famous Scotch comedian, will spear in the Delft theater at the 2:30 this afternoon and at 8:15 this evening with a distinguished company of artists.

His appearance in Marquette is within two weeks after his arrival in America and he is stopping off for several engagements in upper Michigan while enroute from eastern Canada to the Pacific coast. Sir Henry will arrive this morning from Escanaba, where he appeared last night, and is expected to remain here until Sunday afternoon before resuming his tour.

Those who see and hear Sir Henry Lauder, the little Scot whose song characters are known around the world, will, it is declared, discover no diminution in the power of the famous comedian to win and hold his audiences. Lauder’s local program promises to be sufficiently diversified to satisfy all demands, while, supplementing his own work there will be what is said to be an exceptionally clever array of timely acts, presented by a company of selected international performers.