Submitted By Beverly Clinkingbeard
Yesterday’s little town newspapers were today’s Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat, etc., and though they lacked speed and distance, with the content of news appearing antiquated, they served much the same purpose. They were folksy, personal, judgmental or sympathetic, entertaining and neighborly. For example…
“…An epidemic of measles is imminent. Parents should be very careful to keep children at home in case that they show symptoms of a cold, a dry cough, headache or watery eyes. It is hoped with the precaution the spread of the disease may be prevented…”
And this, for every farm wife that kept chickens as a means of ready cash and food for her family, “NOTICE We are installing a Buckeye Mammoth Incubator this season and will do some custom hatching. Make reservations if you want chicks hatched. We will set eggs every week. We charge $3.50 per 100 eggs to incubate your eggs and if you bring good hatchable eggs your chicks should not cost more than 5 cents each to get them hatched… Your eggs will have the same attention and hatched in the same machine as our own, turned 6 times a day and incubated to hatch the strongest chicks possible….We hatch 96 eggs or any unit of 96 up to 8456 eggs at a time. Van Valin’s Leghorn Farm
“DOG WRECKS FORD Saturday evening the Ford coup of Lee Parsons in which he and his best girl, together with another couple, were riding met a good sized dog near the Jim Hays farm west of town. The dog failed to keep to his side of the road and one front wheel of the Ford struck him amidship. What happened to the dog we cannot say, but when the Ford hit him, it went over—and over. Fortunately none of the occupants were seriously injured, but the body of the car was a complete wreck. New Market Herald
“Harness Oiling now only $1.00. I use a No. 1 oil and no water in the tank. Repairing prices are reasonable, but for Cash only. Come in and give us a trial. The Cash Shoe Store, G.C. Harkins, Prop.
“NOTICE I have again opened my shop and am prepared to do all kinds of blacksmithing and wood work for CASH ONLY, but please, do not come to the house with work or business. J.S. Cuttell”
Newspapers filled space with jokes. From the Columbus Dispatch, “Inexperienced. A stingy man got a hot shot from his wife when he reproved her for taking a counterfeit bill. “I don’t see how you were dumb enough to let a man pass counterfeit money on you,” he roared. “Well, you don’t let me see real money often enough to know the difference,” she hurled back at him.”
As compared to the technology of today, yesterday’s newspapers had limited resources at their beck and call; the typesetting arduous. Sometimes the news was limited to available characters in the typesetter’s box. Though the times and lifestyles may differ, the need to connect the same. Thanks to the Current Press, College Springs, Iowa, 1924 edition, for a peek into a life that was.
Until next time…
