Wandering Through Old News

Doctor Reveals Phony Labels on Seized Liquors, The Long Beach Sun (Long Beach, California), April 30, 1934

So it only had alcohol in the purported “absinthe”? Wouldn’t that just be the equivalent of today’s Everclear? No sweet fennel, no green anise, no grand wormwood flowers and leaves? Sounds like Dr. J.D. Donshee is upset because he didn’t see the Green Fairy.

Patrols Called Reckless, The Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles, California), January 14, 1924

This 1924 “Letter to the Editor” has a valid concern. One wonders how long it took for the speeding police to slow it down or if the practice ever stopped.

Twines’ Catskill Bookshop, The Kingston Daily Freeman (Kingston, New York), October 31, 1969

This building is now occupied by the Catskill Art & Office Supply. The featured books look interesting (to us anyway), but we wonder, given the date of this advertisement, if this shop was frequented by Bob Dylan or Levon Helm or Rick Danko or Albert and Sally Grossman, all of which were local residents at the time. A real “If these walls could talk” kind of thing.

Loew’s State Listings, The Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City, Utah), January 1, 1922

The Little Minster stars Alice Calhoun (1900-1966) as Lady Babbie and James W. Morrison (1888-1974) as Gavin Dishart. At this time in 1922, Vitagraph was experiencing the pains of the ever-evolving moving picture technology and would be sold in 1925. Also, this version of J.M. Barrie’s The Little Minister is one of at least five films released in a 20 year period based to take on this Barrie classic.

The Man From Lost River stars House Peters (1880-1967), Fritzi Brunette (1890-1943), and Allan Forrest (1885-1941).

It should be noted that both of these films are now “lost” and will never be viewed by the human eye again.

Schools Criticized, The Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles, California), January 2, 1924

Really? Why can’t baking fudge (cooking), devising necktie holders (woodwork), darning socks (sewing), and fixing a leaking sink (plumbing) all be taught equally, as cooking, woodworking, sewing, and plumbing are all useful and practical skills to have in life?

A Rich Mild Smoke, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), November 13, 1920

Need a cigar? I don’t, but I thought I would ask politely. Sigmund Freud would certainly say “yes”.

Wreck of Titanic, The Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, New York), April 19, 1912

Everyone knows the tragedy of the RMS Titanic, right? If you don’t know already, please look it up. It’s a pretty good example of how capitalism is horrible in practice and 1,514 people perished because of it.

There Is a Time for Everything, The Lewiston Daily Sun (Lewiston, Maine), June 24, 1916

Pretty good prices for a pair of shoes, right? Until you account for inflation, that “whole family” offer of shoes for $5.00 in 1916 would be $139.16 in 2023. Enough to make your pocketbook say “ouch”.

Music in Surgery, The Billings Times (Billings, Montana), June 9, 1927

Early music therapy. This is interesting topic and, in our opinion, worth researching and jumping in that rabbit hole. Enjoy!

Deacon’s Drink Recipe, The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts), October 16, 1895

We had never heard of this drink, so we looked it up. There are litterally hundred’s of versions of this concoction and no story of it’s conception. If anyone has any idea where this recipe came from, please let us know in the comments below.

Have a great day and be safe!

During our genealogical research, CMS Research & Genealogy comes across many stories that have nothing to do with our current project. We have tons of them and will be sharing them all with you on this blog. All the more reason to come back and visit us again!

May 26, 2023

CMS Research and Genealogy

CMS Research & Genealogy