Marie Curie and a Bihn at Columbia; Coney Island Murder; Orphans - 1921

Sorry about the length, but wow, the world is so interesting!

More on Marie Curie:

COLUMBIA TO AWARD DEGREES TO 2,457

Mme. Curie, With Six Americans, Will Receive Honors From University Today.
---
GOV. MILLER TO GET LL.D.
---
Others Are Judge Mayer, President Angell, Robert Grant, J.C.Merriam and Dr. Lambert.
---
COL. DONOVAN A TRUSTEE
---
Alumni Name College Athlete and War Veteran to Represent Them on Board.


--The New York Times, June 1, 1921

Oddly, the headline used the specific number "2,457" while the article said "about 2,450." This notes that the honorary degrees are one of the last events of Commencement, which started with a procession (assembled at 10 o'clock AM and marching at 10:20). It was to be finished a bit after noon.

William J. Donovan was the "college athlete and war veteran" noted above.

But what really caught my eye is that in the looooooong list of names of graduates, under "Teachers College" and "BACHELOR OF SCIENCE" is

Bihn, Louise E.

Bihn is a fairly unusual name. Pretty neat!

I have a fascination with Coney Island. No idea why. I even have a side blog on historic Coney Island. So, Coney Island mystery! (Warning; the story below is a little graphic)

Dead in Lot, His Head Almost Severed With Ax
---
Fifty Cards on Brooklyn Victim Bear Name of Owner of Cafe Just Closed

...Michael Mommones, watchman for the Independent Coal Company, whose yard adjoins the lot, saw the body and telephoned for the police, thinking that the victim was intoxicated and had fallen.

The body was that of a man about twenty-five years old, apparently an Italian. He wore a new grey suit and new black oxford shoes. Fifty cards inscribed "Venezia Restaurant & Café, 19-21 Kenmare Street. Proprietor, Silvio Melchiorre," were found in his pocket. Silvio Melchiorre has run a café at that address for three years, but the place was closed last night.

--New-York Tribune, June 6, 1921

Assuming the streets today are the same as they were in the 1920s, Neptune Avenue and West Twentieth Street was more or less a couple blocks north of where Steeplechase was/where the ballpark is now.

SLAIN MAN IDENTIFIED.

Coney Island Victim Had $1,200 Ring, Which Was Missing.

--The New York Times, June 7, 1921

The man was Ernesto Melchiorre, Silvio's brother. The end of the article mentions Ernesto had been arrested for being a "confidence man." But when it comes down to it, it sounds like Silvio, and probably Ernesto, were dealing with bootleggers. Things did not end well for Silvio either.

A SECOND BROTHER VICTIM IN TWELFTH RUM FEUD MURDER

Restaurant Owner Shot in Crowded Street Six Weeks After Kin Is Found Slain.
---
CHILDREN AT PLAY NEAR-BY
---
Confederate Holds Man in Conversation as Assassin Creeps Up and Fires Five Shots.
---
BOTH WALK CALMLY AWAY
---
Police Ascribe Killings to Revenge by "Roughnecks" Against Leaders Who Cheated Them.

--The New York Times, July 24, 1921

The article mentions that Silvio made statements to imply that Ernesto had been killed resisting robbers, but now police think Ernesto was lured by a friend from the Venetian Restaurant to the Harvard Inn on Coney Island, and eventually lured to another address and killed.

But ending with something happy:

300 ORPHANS SEE CONEY.; Get Free Taxi Ride, Gifts and Supper--Mayor Reviews Them.

--The New York Times, June 2, 1921

Interestingly, the article actually starts out describing four "negro" or "colored" orphans. It's my understanding that there hasn't been all that much research done on segregation in Coney Island. The orphans were brought to Steeplechase "and were given toys, candy and supper." They came from 7 different orphanages, including "the Dominican Asylum, the Chinese Mission (and) the Colored Orphan Asylum."

Coney Island and Memorial Day - 1921

Looking back at Marie Curie:

MME. CURIE HAS RESTFUL DAY

Spends Sunday With Mrs. N.F. Brady--Returns to Town Tonight.

--The New York Times, May 30, 1921

The article mentions that Ms. Curie's daughters planned to visit Coney Island! It also denies she had radiation sickness from the radium! (She actually died in 1934.)

HEAVY STORM HITS CONEY.

300,000 Rush to Shelter--Railway Entrances Flooded.

--The New York Times, May 30, 1921

The story describes the Sunday before Memorial Day. There was a 6 PM thunderstorm/rainstorm that flooded the entrances to the elevateds at West Eight Street and the West End terminal. It was so bad they reportedly constructed footbridges to get people in! One woman was injured. (Elsewhere, a 20-year-old drowned at the Rockaways.)

300,000 at Coney Island.

Two Girls Saved from Undertow by Guards--One Dry Arrest.

--The New York Times, May 31, 1921

The sky was overcast on Monday, Memorial Day, evidently, so people came in the afternoon. (I wonder if Sunday's flooding kept people back--after that rainstorm, I'd hesitate to go out in the clouds too!) The sun came out in the afternoon, making it the biggest day thus far in the season. There were a lot of tourists, and the crowds were mostly orderly, with just one person arrested under Prohibition.

The article also notes that Gertrude Maddock, 7 years old, fell out of a car on "The Scrambler," lacerating her scalp. She was treated at the Coney Island Hospital so it sounds like she was fine.

Lots of old Coney Island articles at http://oldtymeconey.blogspot.com/!

And speaking of Memorial Day, on May 3, 1921, President Warren Harding emphasized that Memorial Day was to honor all war dead, not just Civil War veterans.

Harding, in Memorial Day Proclamation, Asks General Homage to War Dead on May 30.

--The New York Times, May 4, 1921

Looks like it wasn't formally made a rotating holiday (last Monday of May) until 1971! So this year we get the "true" Memorial Day on May 30, as people celebrated in the 1860s and beyond.

This New York Times column from May 30, 1921 describes the history of Memorial Day, claiming the holiday was originally intended to remember Civil War dead (this page collaborates). But, the author says, later generations forgot and made it into a holiday. By 1921, though, thoughts went back to the World War in Europe. The author calls for bringing back the spirit of Memorial Day--at least to "pause for gratitude and benediction" amid the recreation. Good idea.

The New York Times also has an article about a Memorial Day speech by President Warren Harding, too.

Flashback Friday - Marie Curie - May 20-21, 1921

SCIENTISTS' MEDAL GIVEN MME. CURIE

National Institute Presents Gold Tribute to Discoverer of Radium.

---

COOLIDGE SPEECH READ

Illness Prevents Vice President From Attending Dinner--Visit to Hunter College.

--The New York Times, May 20, 1921

Marie Curie was supposed to be given the gold medal of the National Institute of Social Sciences by Vice President Coolidge, but he was ill so could not attend. But his speech mentioned:

"There is something lacking in our science. It is not to be discarded, blamed, ignored or cast aside, but the plain truth is that science alone does not provide the salvation of the world. Along with our boasting of science there needs must go a greater humility. We cannot substitute science for character. Instead we must make science the handmaiden of character."

RADIUM PRESENTED TO MADAME CURIE

Vial Containing Gram, Given by American Women, Is Handed to Her by President.
---
NOTABLE GROUP ATTENDS
---
Harding in White House Ceremony Pays Tribute to Her as the World's Foremost Scientist.

--The New York Times, May 21, 1921

American women took contributions to provide a gram of radium to Marie Curie, which President Harding handed to her personally.

Flashback Friday - Marie Curie and Censorship - May 12-13, 1921

MME. CURIE PLANS TO END ALL CANCERS
Says Radium Is Sure Cure, Even in Deep-Rooted Cases, if Properly Treated.
---
GETS TRIBUTE ON ARRIVAL
---
Motherly Looking Scientist in Plain Black Frock Gives Thanks to Americans.

..."Radium is a positive cure for cancer," she said. "It has already cured all kinds of cancer, even deep-rooted cases....Nevertheless there can be positive cures when properly applied. Those who have failed do not understand the method."

--The New York Times, May 12, 1921

RADIUM NOT A CURE FOR EVERY CANCER

But Mme. Curie Holds That Substance Is a Specific for Many Forms.
---
GUEST OF MRS. CARNEGIE
---
Vassar, Smith, American Chemical Society and Academy of Sciences Plan Receptions.

..."What Mme. Curie said," explained her secretary, "was that radium was a specific for many forms of the disease. She did not wish to be understood as asserting that it could effect a cure in every case."

--The New York Times, May 13, 1921

Also of note:

MOVIE CENSOR LAW SIGNED BY MILLER

'The Only Way to Remedy What Every One Conceded a Great Evil,' Says Governor.
---
HASN'T PICKED COMMISSION
---
Three Men to Decide What Constitutes Objectionable Play, With Right of Veto.

--The New York Times, May 15, 1921

Governor Miller signed the bill shortly before a vacation with Mrs. Miller, set to last about 2 weeks. He argued the law wasn't censorship, because it sets the standards--even though the standards would be argued today ("inhuman" doesn't seem to be very specific to me). The governor hasn't decided who to appoint and interestingly (and contrary to the headline), said he would choose the right people, whether male or female! They figured to charge money for each film reviewed, and thus actually make money from this proposition. The commission could demand certain scenes be removed, or reject the film outright.

The New York Archives has a good summary of the history of this censorship board.

Mothers Day 1921

CARNATIONS $1 EACH FOR MOTHER'S DAY

Florists Say Price Is Due to Supply and Demand, but Others Call it Profiteering.
---
MANY DANDELIONS WORN
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Buds and Blossoms of Other Varieties Decorate Lapels in Observance of the Day.

--The New York Times, May 9, 1921

The article notes that people observed Mother's Day by wearing flowers, and that churches that preached Mother's Day sermons had increased attendance (!). In addition to the carnation shortage, it notes that Mother's Day was only 14 years old (!!), the holiday having been originated by Miss Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia and fixed unanimously by Congress in 1914. She suggested the carnation be worn, or any other flower (like the wearer's mother's favorite). But if About.com's history is correct, she vehemently opposed the selling of carnations on Mother's Day.

Reverend Dr. G. F. Bartholomew from the First Methodist Church called for men to wear dandelions instead. Supposedly, that caused a dip in the prices of expensive flowers like carnations.

To be honest, I can't help but wonder if the extreme spike in carnation prices was in part encouraged by the New York Times, who, in a smaller article, noted carnation prices were high and it was hard to supply the demand.

MOTHER'S DAY TOPIC FOR MANY SERMONS

In Some Churches There Will Be Special Services in Honor of the Occasion.
---
EMBLEM, WHITE CARNATION
---
Dr. Grant, Rabbi Wise, Dr. Packard and Dr. Goodchild Will Preach on "Mothers."

--The New York Times, May 8, 1921

Rabbi Stephen S. Wise preached for the Free Synagogue at Carnegie Hall (!) on "The Harmonies and Discords of Home." Dr. Frank M. Goodchild of Central Baptist Church preached on "A Mother's Influence." Dr. Harold Pattison at Washington Heights Baptist Church preached on "Mothers" in the morning and "Fathers" in the evening (Father's Day wasn't a holiday yet).

Other Mother's Day sermons were titled "Unpaid Bills," "The Blessed Mother of Our Lord," "Eve, the Mother of All Living," "An Old-Fashioned Mother," "Mother's Day; Has It Come?" and "Mother's Place in the Sun."

Beneath that article is a sub-article titled, "FLORISTS DENY EXTORTION. Carnations $3 to $6 a Dozen--Ask Public to Buy Other Kinds." They explain supply and demand, which, again, I think may have led to people buying, afraid the supply would run out....

Runaways and Chocolate - April 28, 1921

So this week I traced a pretty cool mystery in 1845 Coney Island, about a dead body found (!). But it gets more interesting from there, if you believe it. Check it out on my Coney Island blog!

Just one quick update in 1921. Runaways and chocolate!

2 MISSING JERSEY BOYS AND GIRL BACK

Youngsters Glad to Return After Auto Escapade of 120 Hours and Candy and Cake Diet.
---
MOTHERS' ALARM ENDS
---
Long Branch Convinced Runaway Was a Lark--"Nicely Treated," Ruth's Comment.

--The New York Times, April 28, 1921

So 15-year-old Garrett "Garry" Disbrow Jr. took 15-year-old Bradford Ziegler and 14-year-old Ruth White on a joyride in Disbrow's father's car. But they broke the windshield and did other damage, so they stayed away to keep from getting into trouble. They lived on 4 boxes of candy and "a lot of cake." Ruth slept on the front seat, with Bradford and Garrett in the back. They stopped at a couple different garages, bartered for repair work, and got free sandwiches, coffee, and an offer for free gas. A police officer spied them fixing a flat tire, and brought the kids home.

The article notes that upon the reunion, "nobody even suggested a spanking" (!).

Easter 1921

In 1921, Easter came a few weeks earlier than it does this year.

I had heard that scripted drama in church was a very modern phenomenon, but apparently not that new in the big cities:

CHURCHES TO GIVE TWO EASTER PLAYS

Miracle Drama in Union Methodist, Mystery Play Before Altar of St. John the Divine.
---
SPECIAL CATHOLIC SERVICE
---
Archbishop Hayes to Sing Mass--Bishop-elect Manning in Farewell Sermon as Trinity Rector.

--The New York Times, March 26, 1921

St. Patrick's Cathedral circa 2007

The article mostly details the Catholic masses at the beginning, and also at the very end. Tucked away a couple paragraphs from the bottom, it notes that Union Methodist Church at Forty-eight Street near Broadway will be putting on "a miracle play, 'The Resurrection of Our Lord.'" It lists the starring roles (Jesus is not a starring role; I assume it is more about the empty tomb).

"The Power of His Resurrection" is a mystery play by Carrol Lund Bates, put on at the Church of St. John the Evangelist at West Eleventh Street and Waverley Place. They haven't done a drama like that before.

5TH AV. HAS RIVALS IN EASTER PARADE
---
More Colors Shown in Apparel in Other Parts of the City.
---
LIKE DAYS BEFORE THE WAR
---
Outpouring Largest in City's History and East Side Children Were the Happiest.

--The New York Times, March 28, 1921

Back in the day, people used to wear their finest clothes for Easter, and then after church they would parade down Fifth Avenue. If the article is to be believed, they would parade by either walking, riding in an automobile, or riding on a bus or trolley. The article points out that other places, like "Lenox and Seventh Avenues and Riverside Drive, Grand Street and Mulberry Street, Brooklyn and the Bronx" had parades too, and with brighter and more interesting colors than the pretentions of Sixth Avenue.

It didn't rain as predicted, but there was a chill wind. They say that girls wore wraps over their short-sleeved, low-necked, sheer, summer clothes, and I think they're saying that men refused to put on their winter overcoats. They attribute the gaiety to the war (and its high prices) being over. (This was the first year in several that kids could afford to decorate REAL Easter eggs!)

The "Italian children" on Mulberry Street got to ride a small, hand-cranked merry-go-round for a penny a ride!

EASTER FLOWERS BOUGHT LAVISHLY

Week's Trade in Blooms Greater Than at This Season in Any Former Year.
---
LOWER PRICES EXPLAIN IT
---
Fifth Avenue and Broadway Shopping Districts Have Rush Like That Before Christmas.

--The New York Times, March 27, 1921

The article says that flowers were SO much cheaper that year (1921) versus the previous year, consumers just had to buy--and they were a higher quality than usual too, thanks to fortuitous weather! Interestingly, orchids used to come from overseas--there was nearly a shortage of orchids because they were trying to grow them in the US, which reduced the number of imports.

Astoundingly, "roses" were $4+, with a bunch of violets at $3, $5, and $6. "Spring flowers" were $3 to $6 a dozen.

Nowadays, many flowers come from overseas, again. 800florals.com notes that Columbia and Ecuador grow a lot of America's flowers, producing at least 90% of our roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums. Our prices today seem to be either similar to or maybe even reduced from the 1920s prices. The Inflation Calculator puts those $3 "spring flowers" at $36.24 in 2010. Many grocery stores have bouquets much cheaper than that nowadays, though $36.24 sounds right around what a florist would charge.

Flashback Friday - Taxes and Threatening and Annoying Letters

Taxes in 1921!

Income Tax Facts

Births, deaths and marriages during the year 1920 affect materially income tax returns for that year.

Millions of babies were added to family circles, each of whom brings an exemption of $200 in the parents' income tax returns.

Widows and widowers who lost their husbands or wives during the year are especially affected. They are single for the purposes of the income tax law and are granted only an exemption of $1000, unless the head of a family.

Persons who were divorced or separated by mutual agreement during the year must also consider themselves as single persons.

The status of the taxpayer on Dec. 31, 1920, determines the amount of the exemptions. If on that day the taxpayer was married and living with wife or husband, claim may be made for the $2000 exemption. If single, or married and not living with wife or husband on Dec. 31, the exemption is only $1000.

Persons who reached majority during the year and whose earnings for that period amounted to $1000 or more, or $2000 or more, according to their marital status, must file a return and pay a tax on their net income in excess of those amounts.

To avoid penalty, the return must be in the hands of the Collector of Internal Revenue for the district in which the taxpayer lives, or has his principal place of business, on or before midnight of March 15, 1921.

--Casa Grande Bulletin, February 12, 1921

THREATENED PRESIDENT.

Brooklyn Man Says He Wrote Mr. Harding Hoping to Get $300,000.

--The New York Times, April 19, 1921

I didn't see any record of what happened to him since then, but yes, there have been people a little touched in the head for at least 90 years... But they took him to court in Coney Island.

Speaking of Coney Island (how is that for a flimsy segueway?), this Saturday in 2011 is when the famous Cyclone and the new Luna Park open for the season.

Back in the 1840s, of course, people visited Coney Island for the fresh air and even to see nature. Now people also go for thrill rides!

Flashback Friday - Daniel Carone, Steve Brodie and child star Jackie Coogan - April 10-11, 1921

I'm keeping this short. Again, if you find history interesting, check out my Coney Island blog!

Leaps Off Brooklyn Bridge, Is Unhurt; Duplicates for Movies "Steve" Brodie's Feat

--The New York Times, April 11, 1921

Daniel Carone, "an expert swimmer" jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge into the East River, almost 175 feet. Supposedly, he leaped on a bet, and had it filmed for posterity.

On July 23, 1886, Steve Brodie (at least claimed to have) jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, on a bet. He went on to open a saloon and even leave $100,000 to his heirs.

If the New York Times is correct, other men died trying the same feat. Knickerbocker Village has a great rundown of Brodie's notoriety.

INFANT FILM STAR DOTES ON CASINO

That and Rum--the Card Game, Not the Liquor--Jackie Coogan's Hobbies at 5.
--
WANTS TO RETIRE AT 13
--
Calls His Partner "Charles Expensive Chaplin" and "Treats Girls Rough."

--The New York Times, April 10, 1921

The article is an intimate portrait of a few minutes with this precocious Hollywood tyke who was visiting New York. It goes on to note that 5-year-old Jackie Coogan made $64,000 in movie roles since he was 4. He would "play" casino and deal out the cards. His father, Jack Coogan Senior, was formerly a dancer in vaudeville, and says he's concerned that his child behaves in public and is "polite and obedient."

Per IMDB, he didn't quite retire at 13, though he took a break for 1928 and 1929, when he was about 13. According to the biography there, his popularity waned and his mother and stepfather wouldn't give him his earnings; by law they weren't his. (This led to California passing the Child Actors Bill to protect child stars' earnings!) He had his share of downs but in the 1950s and 1960s he got a new start on television. Maybe the most recognizable role to today's audiences would be Uncle Fester from the Addams Family.

Oh, and I don't know if he treated grown-up girls rough, but he did divorce three times before he settled on his fourth wife!

Flashback Friday - Winter Garden Fire; terrorist threats - April 1-2, 1921

Just a few stories today. (If you like history, I just started a blog on Coney Island history, too.)

Old tyme terrorist threats:

POLICE GUARD B.R.T. IN FEAR OF BOMBERS

Hundreds of Uniformed Men and Detectives Sent Out When Vague Threat Is Found.
---
SEA BEACH LINE IS NAMED
---
Circulars scattered Broadcast in Brooklyn Say "It Will Happen on April 2."
---
--The New York Times, April 2, 1921

The notes were apparently distributed around 10 PM on April 1, raising the possibility of an April Fool's prank. The cryptic messages were signed "K.K." which the police (like myself) interpreted as perhaps being meant to stand for "Klu Klux." The police suspected anarchists may have used the initials to instill "a feeling of dread" yet not give any clue to their identity. The police seemed to simultaneously doubt the authenticity of the threat, and yet take the threat very seriously, just in case. Like many bomb threats today, I didn't see any indications that anything actually happened.


Here's a disturbing story:

WINTER GARDEN FIRE PROVIDES THRILLS
Man Aflame Tries to Leap From Fifth Floor--Another Walks Narrow Ledge.
---
RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC HALTED
---
Explosion, After Matinee, in a Drug House Storage Room Puts Actresses in Panic.

--The New York Times, April 1, 1921

This accident was at Broadway and Seventh Avenue, at the theater that once housed Cats and is currently showing Mamma Mia. It had just celebrated its tenth anniversary where they celebrated their most famous star, Al Jolson (!), who was the star of what's considered the first "talking" film, The Jazz Singer. You can see some info about the history of sound movies on this site.

As an aside, in school when they said "The Jazz Singer" was the first talking film, they never mentioned that Al Jolson appeared in blackface (!!!!) during the film. WOW. Makes my stomach hurt. You can read more about Jolson and his relation to Winter Garden at Parlor Songs (note that one of the song titles from the 1910s has an offensive term).


Getting back to Winter Garden, it appears the theater was probably playing "The Passing Show" (see here and here). Though the theater's website notes it was remodeled in 1922-1923, it doesn't mention this fire, which evidently was fairly confined, though water damage was estimated at $35,000.

The article is pretty twisted--like the headline, the first paragraph first mentions the "thrills and amusement" to spectators, before eventually mentioning a man was severely burned. The fire originated in a drug storage room for the nearby pharmacy of Tor & Ornstein.

28-year-old pharmacy employee William Mathews' clothes were on fire and a "negro porter, known as 'Sam'" and two actors pulled Mathews back from the ledge and put out his flames.

The article mentions that actors and actresses left their dressing rooms initially, remembering "a serious fire in the building a few months ago". (But when the fire didn't spread, they went back to their rooms!)

The only previous serious fire I saw on the New York Times site was this four-hour fire in October 1920, though the Winter Garden was only damaged by water, not flames.

$350,000 FIRE RUINS BROADWAY BUILDING

Sweeps Three-Story Structure, Menacing Winter Garden, Capitol Theatre and Car Barns.
---
CAPTAIN FALLS WITH FLOOR
---
Seven Firemen Face Death from Back-Draught--Risk Lives to Save Two Kittens.

--The New York Times, October 25, 1920

("Face Death from Back-Draught" is an odd way of apparently saying that the men were caught in a backdraft but not hurt.)

Floyd Grant's antique shop and storerooms were destroyed, and several other shops. Fireman J. Feeley of Engine 14 heard a strange sound in the basement, and he and two other fire fighters found a pair of kittens "floating on a clapboard." They rescued them.


And I'll have some Casa Grande news tomorrow!

(All articles believed to be in the public domain per US law.)

Flashback Friday - Triangle Waist Factory - March 25, 1911

OK, stepping away from 1921 for a bit, because today is the 100th anniversary of an interesting (and tragic) event, which happened on Saturday, March 25, 1921:

141 MEN AND GIRLS DIE IN WAIST FACTORY FIRE;
TRAPPED HIGH UP IN WASHINGTON PLACE BUILDING;
STREET STREWN WITH BODIES; PILES OF DEAD INSIDE

The Flames Spread with Deadly Rapidity Through Flimsy Material Used in the Factory.
---
600 GIRLS ARE HEMMED IN
---
When Elevators Stop Many Jump to Certain Death and Others Perish in Fire-Filled Lofts.
---
STUDENTS RESCUE SOME
---
Help them to Roof of New York University Building, Keeping the Panick-Stricken in Check.
---
ONE MAN TAKEN OUT ALIVE
---
Plunged to Bottom of Elevator Shaft and Lived There Amid Flames for Four Hours.
---
ONLY ONE FIRE ESCAPE
---
Coroner Declares Building Laws Were Not Enforced--Building Modern--Classed Fireproof.
---
JUST READY TO GO HOME
---
Victims Would Have Ended Day's Work in a Few Minutes--Pay Envelopes Identify Many.
---
MOB STORMS THE MORGUE
---
Seeking to Learn Fate of Relatives Employed by the Triangle Waist Company.

--The New York Times, March 26, 1911

The article itself conveys a lot of the horror of the tragedy, and I think you'd be hard-pressed not to think a little of 9/11 when looking through it.

27 MORE IDENTIFIED IN MORGUE SEARCH
---
Bodies of 28 Fire Victims are Still Unclaimed--Some Burned Beyond Recognition.
---
THOUSANDS IN THE LINE
---
Morbid Sightseers Driven Away When Discovered--Women Again Collapse Beside Their Dead.
---

--The New York Times, March 28, 1911

The article itself describes the line of people to try to identify the dead--as alluded to, some people just came to try to see what they seemed to consider an interesting spectacle. The article also printed descriptions of those who weren't identified, very close to the style others used to describe bodies they found in the water outside Titanic the next year.

The disaster inspired some labor reforms (which frankly make me really grateful for my job--just 40 hours a week!):

SHORTER FACTORY HOURS.
Law Forbids Working Women and Boys More Than 54 Hours a Week.

--The New York Times, October 1, 1912

The proprietors got away with it, and didn't even seem to learn their lesson. (The article goes on to help explain some of the causes.)

CENSURES TRIANGLE CO.
---
Fire Prevention Inspector Finds it Still Disregards Regulations.

--The New York Times, December 24, 1913

And if you can believe it (and this turns my stomach):

SETTLE TRIANGLE FIRE SUITS
---
$75 Each the Price in 23 Brought for Deaths and Injuries.

--The New York Times, March 12, 1914

The girls weren't making much money, granted, but some of the dead had as much as $800+ (!) in cash on their person. The Inflation Calculator says $75 is $1,586.94 in 2009 dollars.

Lots more text articles at Cornell University's site.


The initial article references the General Slocum disaster, which I'd never heard of before. It was a ferry disaster on June 15, 1904, that killed about 1,012 people, though I don't think many people have heard of it today.

1,000 LIVES MAY BE LOST IN BURNING OF THE EXCURSION BOAT GEN. SLOCUM
---
St. Mark's Church Excursion Ends in Disaster in East River Close to Land and Safety.
---
693 BODIES FOUND -- HUNDREDS MISSING OR INJURED
---
Flames Following Explosion Drive Scores to Death in the Water.
---FIERCE STRUGGLES FOR ROTTEN LIFE PRESERVERS
---

--The New York Times, June 16, 1904

In numbers, that's a lot closer to the 1,517 people who died in the Titanic, than the Triangle disaster.

There's more information at:

http://www.newyorkhistory.info/Hell-Gate/General-Slocum.html

http://www.junipercivic.com/historyArticle.asp?nid=15

Flashback Friday - March 13, 1921 - March 19, 1921 - Earthquakes, Airplanes, Whisky...

The seasonal post comes first, and it's from the Casa Grande Bulletin!

The dance given St. Patrick's night by the American Ladies Benevolent Association proved to be an exceedingly good one and was thoroughly enjoyed by the large crowd which filled the hall. Delicious home made cake, with lemonade, were the refreshments offered and the refreshment tables were well potronized (sic). Miss Helen Browne sang "Mother Machree" and "My Wild Irish Rose." The decorations were in harmony with the occasion and were beautifully arranged. Altogether the dance was the best one this year.

--The Casa Grande Bulletin, March 19, 1921

Earthquakes are on a lot of people's minds today. But back in the 1920s?

PREDICTS BIG JERSEY QUAKE

Southern Part of State to Be Shaken Next Saturday, Says Prof. Cole.

Special to The New York Times....

--The New York Times, March 13, 1921

Professor Edgar Cole predicted an earthquake "between 3 and 7 o'clock next Saturday." Didn't come to pass.

I didn't actually see any articles on Reeves Hill, so I assume they mean this one. Note the horrifying descriptions at the front, followed by an expert explaining "it was nothing" at the end.

EARTHQUAKE SHAKES UP-STATE VILLAGES

Lake George, Fort Edward and Other Towns Experience Third Shock in Fortnight.

--The New York Times, January 28, 1921

Moving on!

LUCILLE WILL MOVE
----
Dressmaker Leases House on East Fifty-fourth Street.

--The New York Times, March 19, 1921

It appears they're talking about Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon. If that page is right, she invented the fashion runway.

SUGAR IS ACTIVE AFTER ADVANCE.

Another Increase in Price by Cuban Commission Feared by Dealers.

--The New York Times, March 19, 1921

Sugar was 5 1/4 cents per pound (an advance!). Local refiners raised the price from 6.85 cents to 8 cents per pound.

Bulk prices on March 16, 2011 were listed at about 61 cents a pound on this page on NASDAQ.com.

Victim of Prohibition, kind of:

WOMAN DIES IN A RAID.

Wife is Overcome When Revenue Officers Take Husband's Whisky.

--The New York Times, March 19, 1921

She was in poor health but dropped dead of "excitement."


Found this interesting because 1) the New York Times found it worth reporting and 2) it looks like they DID keep from incorporating.

PALM BEACH ASKS CHARTER.

Wants to Avert Any Project to Incorporate With Other Communities.

Special to The New York Times.

Palm Beach, in the Winter, has a population of 5,000, while in the Summer it is practically a deserted village except for watchmen and employes of the hotels. Winter residents want to keep control of its affairs out of the hands of permanent inhabitants in the thriving town of West Palm Beach, across the lake....

--The New York Times, March 19, 1921

Speaking of Florida:

AIRPLANE KILLS WOMAN.

Strikes Her While She is Gathering Shells on Florida Beach.

--The New York Times, March 14, 1921

All articles believed to be public domain per US law.

Flashback Friday - Daylight Saving Time - March 11, 1921

I don't personally like Daylight Saving Time because it makes me horribly jetlagged if I visit the East Coast. Timeanddate.com has a comprehensive rundown of Arizona's history with DST.

General history:

'An Act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States' was enacted on March 19, 1918. It both established standard time zones and set summer DST to begin on March 31, 1918. Daylight Saving Time was observed for seven months in 1918 and 1919. After the War ended, the law proved so unpopular (mostly because people rose earlier and went to bed earlier than people do today) that it was repealed in 1919 with a Congressional override of President Wilson's veto. Daylight Saving Time became a local option, and was continued in a few states, such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and in some cities, such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

--Webexhibits.org

This is an older article from January 1921, but I thought it was appropriate here:

DAYLIGHT SAVING REPEAL.

Mr. Betts Wants to Save the State "Annoyance" of Two Times.

To the Editor of The New York Times:

--The New York Times, January 29, 1921

New York State actually DID repeal DST, much to the New York Times' dismay:

MILLER SIGNS REPEAL OF DAYLIGHT SAVING

This City Unaffected, Though Clocks May Not Change Until April 24.

Special to The New York Times.

--The New York Times, March 12, 1921

This article rather biased. It came from a sort of column; I hope it was considered editorial.

The People's Will Is Defied.

--The New York Times, March 12, 1921

RAILROADS PERPLEXED OVER 2 KINDS OF TIME

New York Central Warns Commuters Their Daily Schedules Are Likely to Be Upset

--The New York Times, March 6, 1921

So why all the fuss anyway? National DST was repealed by Congress in 1919. The primary source articles I saw all claim that DST was now for the benefit of recreation, etc, but secondary ones claim that New York kept it to be closer to London for more arbitrage (or to gravely oversimplify, I think more hours of trading between different markets).'

At this point, the whole country was a mish-mash of areas that did and did not observe DST, and it wasn't until mid-March that New York even ruled on when DST would start:

DAYLIGHT SAVING PASSED FOR CITY

New Ordinance Provides for Change of Clocks on April 24 and Sept. 25.


--The New York Times, March 16, 1921

Eventually, World War II brought "War Time."

I had no idea that between 1966 and 1986 (excepting 1974 and part of 1975), Daylight Saving Time started the LAST Sunday of April and ended the last Sunday of October. For much of my life, I remember when it started the FIRST Sunday of April. And of course, in 2007 it got stretched out about another month, to start this weekend!

Snopes has a rundown of the whole affair.

At any rate, overall, my window to travel to the East Coast without getting horribly jetlagged continues to shrink...

*All articles except quote from Webexhibits.org believed to be public domain per US law.

President Warren Harding's Inauguration - March 4, 1921

So the big news of this week in 1921 was the inauguration of President Warren Harding! Before the 20th amendment, the Presidents were inaugurated on March 4th!

So in March 1921, Woodrow Wilson was leaving office:

WOODROW WILSON'S ADMINISTRATION
Eight Years of the World's Greatest History

WOODROW WILSON took the oath of office as President on March 4, 1913, after one of the most sweeping triumphs ever known in Presidential elections...

--The New York Times, February 27, 1921

What a heart-wrenching headline:

WILSON'S EXIT IS TRAGIC

Limping on Cane, But Smiling, He Goes to Capitol With Harding.

THERE HE SIGNS LAST BILLS

But Fearing to Venture Out on East Portico, He Regretfully Leaves for His New Home.

HE IS CORDIAL WITH HARDING

Last Formal Statement Shows Coldness to Lodge--Gets Big Ovation at His Home.

The New York Times, March 5, 1921

On the other hand, preparations were made for Warren Harding's inauguration:

WASHINGTON BIBLE TO BE SAFEGUARDED

Going on Special Car to Be Used at Inauguration of President Harding.

PRICELESS--MASONIC RELIC

New President Will Swear on Same Page Thumbed by George Washington.

The New York Times, February 27, 1921

The same Bible was used for Presidents Eisenhower, Carter, and George Bush Sr.


Fewer people than expected showed up:

THRONG OF VISITORS FAILS TO ARRIVE

Plenty of Politicians and Officeseekers in Capital, but Few Old-Time Spectators.

DUE TO SIMPLE CEREMONY

Everything Settled for Today's Event Except the Exact Part That Wilson Will Play.

Special to The New York Times.

--The New York Times, March 4, 1921

While the tradition of a morning church service prior to the inauguration started in 1933 (!), there were a couple religious articles:

WILL PRAY FOR HARDING.

Churches on New Haven's Historic Green Hold Services Today.

--The New York Times, March 4, 1921

Ohio Catholic Pray for Harding.

--The New York Times, March 5, 1921

There is an editorial on Harding's speech at The New York Times, March 5, 1921.

AIRPLANES CARRY TIMES TO CAPITAL

Two Machines Put the Latest Edition Into Washington Early in the Morning.

TRAVEL 92 MILES AN HOUR

Start from Long Island Delayed Forty-five Minutes as Result of Storm.

Special to the New York Times.

--The New York Times, March 5, 1921

And the "happy puppy story," as my family always calls fluff news, is about boots given to Mr. Harding from a shoe factory for his inauguration.

Inauguration Boots for Harding

--The New York Times, March 5, 1921

More stats on the inauguration are at inaugural.senate.gov. The inaugural Bible was open to Micah 6:8 (excellent!):

Micah 6:8: (KJV): He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Did you know that Warren Harding's full name was Warren Gamaliel Harding? Yes, his middle name was Gamaliel! I will admit full well I thought that sounded rather like a Lord of the Rings name. Actually, Gamaliel was a Pharisee, a man who always struck me as delightfully sensible:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%205:34-39&version=NASB

Acts 5:34-39 (NASB) - But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.  

And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God."

The name comes up a few times in the Old Testament and also Paul says:

Acts 22:3: I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

Guess that's enough news for today!

*All articles believed to be in public domain per US law.

Flashback Friday - Charles Gilpin - February 20, 1921 - March 6, 1921

So here's a mini-saga involving probably the first really big African-American stage star, Charles Gilpin. I think it's a reminder that, whatever horrible societal problems we have now, some things are SO much better today than they used to be.

DRAMA LEAGUE VOTES TO HONOR GILPIN

'Emperor Jones' Star is Included Among Those to Be Guests at Annual Dinner.

--The New York Times, February 21, 1921

Charles Gilpin was to be honored at the Drama League's annual dinner, but people weren't sure if he should be invited, given his race. Some people said he should get a "nice letter" instead of an invitation.

Just wow. My stomach hurts.

Then it looked like Gilpin was indeed going to decline as gracefully as he could:

GILPIN MAY NOT BE DRAMA LEAGUE'S GUEST

Negro Star Has Other Invitations for Night of Dinner--Does Not Want to Socialize.

--The New York Times, February 22, 1921

IMDB doesn't show any movies under Charles Gilpin, however, and a quick Google search didn't find anything. Might have to track down a biography to see how truthful his excuses were.

Several days later, this rather diplomatic article followed, where he agrees to attend the dinner.

Gilpin to Attend Dinner.

--The New York Times, February 28, 1921

Thankfully, a somewhat happy ending...though it's sad that it was ever any issue at all:

GILPIN GETS OVATION.

Forced Twice to Respond to Plaudits of Drama League Diners.

--The New York Times, March 7, 1921

You can read a bit more about Charles Gilpin at BlackPast.org and Find a Grave

I'll post a few updates from the Casa Grande Bulletin tomorrow.

*All articles believed to be in public domain per US law.

Flashback Friday - Women, Heels, Moral Gown and Equality - February 15-19, 1921

Again, these are stories from 1921.

So the keywords I used today were "women" and "suffrage," inspired by the National Woman's Party convention that took place this weekend 90 years ago. And here I had thought that the "equality" movement started in the 1960s! I was also interested to see the President's daughter speaking at what sounds like it would have been a somewhat revolutionary gathering...

ABSOLUTE EQUALITY WOMEN'S NEW CRY

It captures the convention of the National Woman's Party.

READY TO YIELD PRIVILEGES

Mrs. Nora Blatch Barney's Proposal to That Effect Is Received With Cheers

Special to The New York Times.

--The New York Times, February 17, 1921

SUFFRAGE STATUE GIVEN TO NATION

Women Unveil Memorial of Pioneer Leaders in Rotunda of the Capitol.

--The New York Times, February 16, 1921

I find the statue a bit homely, particularly as it has a big uncarved portion! There are some good pictures and a summary at this page--the site claims that the statue was unveiled February 15, 1921 (which is correct per the article)...and that it was placed in the basement one day later!


OK, now that we've been mildly educated, on to fashion! I do hate heels, but it appears the human race has survived them nonetheless. (Yes, the article says due to high heels we are "dying physically" and that 87% of women's problems are cuased by them!)

STAND BY HIGH HEELS.

Massachusetts Shoe Men Oppose Law Banning Them.

--The New York Times, February 15, 1921

It is amazing the changes that occurred in fashion in just 10 years or so, if you imagine Victorian and Edwardian clothes, versus 1920s wear...

RIDICULE "MORAL" GOWN.

Lady Randolph Churchill and Dr. Chesser Assail Proposal.

Copyright, 1921, by The New York Times Company.

Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES.

--The New York Times, February 16, 1921

Chapter 5 of "Only Yesterday" describes the "moral gown" as being "very loose-fitting" with "sleeves...just below the elbows" and a "hem...within seven and a half inches of the floor." Times sure have changed.

STATE GETS $37,354,865.

140,000 Women Paid $6,500,000 in First Year's Income Tax

--The New York Times, February 18, 1921

One more for equality! :/

WOMEN AID IN BURGLARIES.

Get Jobs as Servants and Help Husbands Gather the Loot.

Special to The New York Times.

--The New York Times, February 17, 1921

And I think that dear fellow at the Casa Grande Bulletin had a rough week (as well as the continual encouragement to pass the bond issue, which seems a bit biased!).

The Man About Town Says:

If you have faith in the Casa Grande that is to be, be sure and vote for the new light and water bond issue.

Don't you think it would be a good thing to organize a "Be On Time" club.

What is the use of announcing an affair for a given hour and then start it from one-half to three quarters of an hour later.

Announce a time; begin on time. Thus be fair to all.

--Casa Grande Bulletin, February 19, 1921

All articles believed to be in public domain per United States law

Flashback Friday - "Perfect Girl"? Valentine's Day 1921

Hey, everyone!

So the New York Times archives only list 8 articles with the word "valentine" in the headline from February 10 - February 16, 1921. Makes my work easy.


Here's one that made my jaw drop a bit.

AMERICA'S 1918 MOST PERFECT GIRL WEDS

Miss Betsy Buell, Selected by Smithsonian Institution, Marries Frank R. Valentine....

--The New York Times, February 15, 1921

Yes. America's most "perfect girl" married Mr. Valentine, on Valentine's Day. I wonder what ever became of them.


Pretty much the rest of the stories are about charity benefits and the like.

FRANKIE BAILEY, VALENTINE.

Stage Favorite of Long Ago Takes a Benefit in Costume Ball.

--The New York Times, February 15, 1921

Though the article makes her sound like a rather old lady (and she WAS over 60 at the time), Ms. Bailey lived to 1953, and appeared in a few films in the mid-1920s. You can see a picture of her legs at Find a Grave.

BIG TEA PARTY GIVES HOOVER FUND $32,500

Society Bids at Biltmore for Boxes and Seats for Gala Performance of 'Carmen.'

HOPPER THE AUCTIONEER

His Wit and Antics Stimulate Sales--Clock Ticks off $134,736 as New Yorks' Gift Since Saturday.

--The New York Times, February 15, 1921

I gotta say, Ms. Bailey's benefit sounds like more fun to me.


I would have thought that the Casa Grande Bulletin would have had something about Arizona statehood--February 14, 1921, Arizona was having its ninth (!) birthday. Nothing there, though.

But for the sports fans, they did have a story about the big game that happened the prior Sunday:

Local Fans Enjoy Game
Notwithstanding a cold wind that blew from the souhtwest (sic), quite a good-sized crowd gathered last Sunday to watch the scrub game between the local players of the North and South Side. There was quite an interesting game, which see-sawed until the end of the eighth inning, when the game was called with the score 8 to 8. There were some new players, some of whom gave promise of becoming a fixture on the regular team. A game has been arranged for tomorrow afternoon. The fans should all turn out and get a line on the new material. Game will be called about 3 o'clock...

--Casa Grande Dispatch, February 12, 1921

Jana Bommersbach's post gets a bit political but it's worth skimming just for the description of celebrations back on February 14, 1912, when Arizona became a state. I do wish that we had more planned for our centennial but I haven't heard anything.

Sharlot Hall, Arizona historian, wore this copper dress to deliver Arizona's electoral votes to Washington D.C., circa 1924, per The Prescott Victorian Society site.

AND, if you want some thoughts of the true meaning of Valentine's Day, Nadine had some intriguing thoughts on her blog.

If not, happy Arizona Statehood Day, a few days early. :)

(From the Sharlot Hall Museum, 2008--not actually a Valentine, but I thought it was sweet :) )

*All newspaper articles believed to be in the public domain per US law

Flashback Friday - War brides, Tokio, CLOTHES, Men Cooking - February 1-5, 1921

A good amount of my (admittedly limited) search engine traffic is people Googling "What happened" (insert date from 1921 here). So I figured I could try covering a few more days instead of just sticking to one day.

Though if you're really interested in the 1920s, check out Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen. It's a remarkable history of the 1920s, particularly considering it was published in 1931.

THIS is a romance novel plot if I've ever heard one, though Mr. Spiker could work on his sweet-talk.

SPIKERS WILL CELEBRATE.

Marriage a Success, Says Bride of Brother of First Woer...

--The New York Times, February 4, 1921

Emily Knowles Spiker came to the US in search of Perley Spiker, the father of her baby who had promised to marry her in London...and since Perley had a family in the US, they talked her into marrying his brother Guy. At the time of the marriage, it was predicted the marriage wouldn't last a year.


Flashing forward to September--not surprisingly, it didn't end too well.

MRS. SPIKER TELLS WHY SHE RAN AWAY

Asserts She Was Ill Treated by Her Husband and His Relatives.

WANTS HER BABY RESTORED

Woman Who Married Brother of Her Child's Father Plans to Wed a Soldier.

--New York Times, September 15, 1921

I guess whether it's a happy ending depends on where you end the story.

HALF TOKIO BUDGET FOR NAVY AND ARMY

Opposition Member Predicts That the Proportion Will Rise to 75 Per Cent.

WANTS MORE FOR SCHOOLS

Party Split Threatened Over Proposal to Join in Curbing Armaments....

--The New York Times, February 4, 1921

Japan was an interesting problem for the Western world (and not just because of the lack of a standardized spelling of "Tokyo"!). You can see one major reason why they were such a concern. Eventually they agreed to the Five-Power Naval Treaty, which I think my history teachers simplified into 5:3:2. The US and Great Britain could have 525,000 "aggregate battleship tonnage" apiece, with Japan at 315,000 and France and Italy at 175,000.

Too bad it didn't prevent World War II...



Does the upper-class still change clothes for the afternoon and evening? I apologize for the lazy cultural shorthand, but if you read the article, the descriptions almost sound like something you could picture on the Titanic.

DAY WITH DESIGNERS TIRES MRS. HARDING...

GOWNS ARE CONSERVATIVE

The Skirts Will Be Not More Than Five Inches From the Ground...

--The New York Times, February 4, 1921

You can argue that just a few shorts year ago, the 5" above the ankle hemlines would've been pretty scandalous, especially considering Mrs. Harding was 60 years old (!).



Speaking of clothes (which I love!). The prices are fascinating.

FIX $332.75 AS COST OF WOMAN'S OUTFIT

Chicago Fashion Experts Include Only Necessities in Their Estimates.

--The New York Times, February 2, 1921

I'm pretty sure that story is mostly for shock value. I thumbed through my partial reprint of the 1927 Sears, Roebuck catalog and took the LOWEST prices I saw (the highest were at least twice most of the prices below; in some cases several times more; in the case of actual fur coats, they were up to $198!):

Union Suits: 63 cents
Corsets (if used): $1.29
Silk hose: 3 pairs for $2.25 "Silk Reinforced With Rayon From Top to Toe"
Shoes: $2.98
Full-body slip (I think that's what they meant by chemise): $1.00
Bloomers: 29 cents
Camisole: The only thing I saw that looked like it might be a camisole was labeled "vest" at $1.98
All-day frock: $1.98
Nicer dress (not sure what a "street suit" is to be honest, but they have some labeled "Unmistakably New York"--or might those be all-day frocks?): $5.98
Hat: $1.33
Evening gown: Didn't spy one of those
Coat: $6.48 (with "velour coating"!)
Nightgown: 89 cents (69 was sleeveless)
Panama negligee: I don't know that Sears sold that; the only "negligee" I spied was $6.98

So I'm not convinced that the average woman was spending $332.75 for a day's clothes. Especially given that the average wage for a woman working in 1921 may have been something under $15 a week. (An unskilled man made about $4 more.)


My dad says that the only people who should know how to cook are people who eat. It's amazing to think this would be even marginally newsworthy 90 years ago:

MEN JOIN COOKING CLASS.

Pennsylvania State College Giving a Course to Twenty.

--The New York Times, February 5, 1921

Flashback Friday - January 28, 1921

Most news stories are from January 29, 1921, because the stories would have mostly happened Friday.

OIL PRODUCTION INCREASES....

--The New York Times, January 29, 1921

The US produced over 443,000,000 barrels, and consumed the "unprecedented" amount of over 531,000,000 barrels. The article notes the US is becoming more dependent on foreign supplies. Based on data from 1920!.

Now if this government page is accurate, we use over 18,000,000 barrels a day--that's 6,851,415,000 barrels a year--not quite 13 times more than in 1921. About half of that is imported.

Not trying to get political; just find it interesting that some of the things we worry about today were concerns 90 years ago.


With film recording making up most news stories, you don't see many descriptions like this anymore. Though I don't know why there were two different spellings of the same place. Then again, I'm not French...

LAST FRENCH RITES FOR UNKNOWN HERO

Burial Beneath the Arc de Triomphe Is Completed With Simple Ceremony....

--New York Times, January 29, 1921

The article is very artistic. I think Americans tend to forget World War I since we took so long to enter into it, but America felt it keenly at the time, and it really hit Europe hard.

CHRISTMAS SALES NORMAL.

So-called "Consumers' Strike" Did Not Affect Buying Here....

--New York Times, January 29, 1921

There was a pretty serious recession in 1920-1921 (deflation, decreasing wages, and I read unemployment rates may have been 12%). Sound familiar? As far as I understand, things were awful for farmers, too. Unfortunately, most pages on the topic seem to be highly economic and/or political.... Anyway, when I write about the 1920s it tends to be later in the decade, so I'm not so up on this part. I will work on it.

And I couldn't quite find any good info on the supposed "consumer's strike" referenced above but this quite is a little chilling. Too close to today (replace "coal" with "oil").

The 'consumers' strike' so vociferously denounced in recent weeks has a twofold origin: the actual straits of many families and institutions at a time of lowered incomes, and the absence, so far, of any authoritative statement why the price of coal at the present time should be higher than a year ago when retail prices of almost all other commodities are falling.

--The Survey, Vol. XLVI - April, 1921--September, 1921

Let's conclude with a happy story! Even if some of the language is rather old-fashioned.

BLIND GIRL LED GRADUATES.

Got 100 Per Cent. In All Studies but One--Plays, Dances and Sews....

--New York Times, January 29, 1921

The story tells about 14-year-old Rosa Cohen, who led a public school, mixed-gender class of 35.

Flashback Friday - January 21, 1921

Again, I mostly take stories from the Saturday after, because the stories themselves generally occurred that Friday. Aside from huge stories (and not always then, even), news wasn't really instantaneous in the early 1920s. Radio spread throughout the decade, but in 1921 it was really fairly obscure, kind of like the Internet.

HECKLED A PRINCESS.

Brooklyn Man Asks Why Princess Cantacuzene Pleads for Russia's Starving....

--New York Times, January 22, 1921

Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant (1876-1975) married a Russian Prince in 1899 and moved to Russia with him. She was there during the Russian Revolution and she wrote a book about her experiences. If you believe it, she eventually moved to Sarasota, Florida! Can you imagine seeing so many changes in your life? She was reportedly born IN the White House, while her grandfather was in office, and became a Russian princess, moved back to America, was divorced...never mind the technological and societal changes she lived to see. I can hardly even fathom it!

Old-time Ponzi schemes. The article linked uses rather more blunt language than we see in mainstream publications today, such as "gullible.":

'FEMALE PONZI'S' FIANCE CALLS HER SWINDLER...

--New York Times, January 22, 1921

Not only did there not used to be income tax at all, but the tax code has become so complex, they've added a full month to the deadline we had 90 years ago!

INCOME TAX FORMS READY

Those for Small Returns to Be Distributed Next Week.....

--New York Times, January 22, 1921

I find this job listing interesting, as it allows men or women! Worth reading the linked article.

The Civil Service....

--New York Times, January 22, 1921

And a shout-out to Bisbee, Arizona!

"SAVE MY BABY," SHE CRIED

And Three Firemen Risked Their Lives--It Was a Dog.....

--New York Times, January 22, 1921

*All articles believed to be in public domain per US law.