Did you know?
There are times when I look back at old newspapers that I’m shocked (and, at times, amused) at just how things have changed over the years.
“The lewd and nude,” was a headline I found on the front page of the July 27, 1909, edition of the Uniontown Morning Herald.
It seems that a clergyman in Minneapolis, Minn., was under the threat of prosecution for displaying 25 provocative pictures during one of his sermons.
He’d been lecturing his congregation about how far the ladies of Minneapolis were going to show off their feminine wiles.
Local prosecutors weren’t pleased with the preacher’s display. What was he revealing? Well, according to the article, the Rev. G.L. Morrill was “splashing upon a screen during a sermon photographs of the ankles of some of the prominent women of Minneapolis.”
A year later, there was an article published on July 23, 1910, that reinforces my feelings about how the “good old days” weren’t always so good.
“Slaughter of Dogs is in Progress” was a headline for a story that chronicled the “crusade” that had been commenced by a local constable to eradicate Brownfield of stray dogs.
“Quiet reigns in Brownfield. The midnight howl of the homeless dog passed into history, Friday, with the advent of Constable John Feeney and an assistant,” the Morning Herald article said.
It must have been some mighty gruesome handiwork. “Shot after shot resounded and yelp after yelp filled the air until 50 canines passed away.”
But that hadn’t been enough. Youngsters were lured to the operation. “The officer was followed by a crowd of at least two dozen boys, some of whom almost fought over the privilege of carrying a carcass to the nearest coke oven.” Here’s the part that makes you wonder about those so-called “good old days.”
“The boy who carried away a dead dog was allowed five cents.”
A few days later, there was another rather bizarre item (by today’s standards of personal privacy) that appeared on the front page of the Morning Herald on July 26, 1910.
“Hubby is trailed by wife” read the headline for a story about a husband and his suspected lover who’d been jailed after the man’s wife tracked him down.
“Shadowed by his wife for several hours and finally located in the same room with (I’ll leave the name out. Who knows if their great-grandkids might read this), a widow, at her house just off Berkeley Street, (I’ll leave his name out too), a well known pop manufacturer of Masontown, and the woman were arrested by the police at an early morning hour,” said the lead paragraph.
These kinds of indiscretions rarely make front-page news these days, unless the tabloid media reveals the over-amorous details of celebrity lives.
It must’ve been very embarrassing to all of those involved back in 1910, especially since “The widow told (the man’s wife) that she did no know that the man was her husband.” Whoever wrote the story couldn’t resist including specific details about how the widow looked. She was “about 25 and handsome. She is a brunette with piercing eyes and well-defined features,” the reporter wrote.
One hundred years ago this week, on July 24, 1913, it was announced that “The Girl With the Freak Voice” would be bringing her vaudeville act to the Imp Theatre in Uniontown.
Miss Irene Gregg Jack was notable for being “one of the best drawing cards on the vaudeville stage.” Why? Because Miss Irene Gregg Jack was a baritone.
During that same week at the Dixie Theatre in Uniontown, young people would get paid (as they had in Brownfield for carrying off those dead dogs in 1910), for bringing 100 dead flies with them for free admissions.
Of course, the prices would go up the following week. They’d have to bring 500 dead flies to get in for free.
Nearly 40 years later, and with that new invention that had become all the rage – television – movie theaters all over the country needed all kinds of promotions to attract patrons.
“Cocaine — The Thrill that Kills” was part of the double bill playing at the Starlite Drive-in on July 23, 1952.
The movie’s ad included an admonition that “At least one adult from every family should attend.”
And, while the movie was clearly a drama, it was sold as an educational tool, too. “Don’t stay home and don’t stay dumb,” said the ad.
But the most interesting part of that ad was another “free” offer.
“NOTE! So Strongly Do We Urge You To See This Show That We Have Made Special Arrangements To Admit FREE Those Who Can Prove They Do Not Have The Money To Purchase A Ticket,” it said in bold print.