A glance in the rearview mirror

April 1922—Carpet rags for lunch. Bloomers fixed with inner tubes. Manure in hooch.

by Mary Jo David

The following news excerpts are from April 1922 editions of the Stockbridge Brief-Sun newspaper. These are mostly reproduced in the original, without edits or corrections. Visit the Stockbridge Library to view electronic copies of old local news publications dating back to 1883.

Why Not Rubber Boots?  …With the coming of spring we suggest…the girls wear rubber boots during the sloppy, wet weather of April. …dainty little light weight boots reaching about midway between the ankle and the knee, and perhaps with a bright red band around the top to give them a dash of color and relieve the plainness. We believe such a boot would be both practical and nifty… –4/6/1922

Advertisement: L.M. Milner. Funeral Director. Funeral supplies constantly on hand. Office at store. Night calls at residence on South Clinton Street. –4/6/1922

American Legion’s Genuine ‘Cave Man’: Remarkably few newly married couples ever thing of settling down in a little cave in the Ozark mountains. And yet, Parlee C. Gross of McComb, O., says that caves are much warmer than apartments and farmhouses. … [Gross] didn’t understand why his American Legion post hadn’t picked out a nice ripe cave for its quarters. He said cave life was the only life. … –4/6/1922

This office is still cut off from the outside world by telephone, which is a very great inconvenience. For the past three weeks we have been unable to get the markets … a good many local items could not be printed because we did not hear of them. A gang of men are doing all they can to get the telephone lines in shape and we kindly ask all our readers to hand in any items of news and thus help us out until the lines are fixed.
–4/13/1922

Stingiest man: Many stories are told about the typical “stingiest-man” of different communities. And we heard one the other day about a young man who always stuffs his handkerchiefs in his shirt pockets before sending them to the laundry so as to get the handkerchiefs washed free. –4/20/1922

Regulation of temperature: Heating experts tell us that churches should be kept warmer than lecture rooms. … Experts apparently do not believe in making prisons attractive in cold weather, as they recommend a temperature for them between 50 and 64 degrees. –4/20/1922

The Kitchen Cabinet—Helpful Hints Worth Noting: …Old inner tubes from auto tires make fine elastic for rompers, bloomers, and shirt sleeves. Such elastic will survive several washings without losing its elasticity. … Mend a torn hair net with a hair from your head threaded through a needle. –4/27/1922

LOCAL/PERSONAL—Apr. 6, 1922 edition:

• A baby was born on the morning train from the west Wednesday, causing the train to be several minutes late. The mother was a young woman and was traveling alone to Detroit. She was taken off the train at Howell. –Brighton Argus
• Plainfield: S.G. Topping has at last found an ideal driving horse.
• Waterloo: The beautiful avenue of maples planted sixty-five years ago by the grandfathers Beeman and Groton and viewed by many sightseers all over the counties are a pitiful sight as the results of last week’s storm.
• Munith: Daniel Mayer and Charles Kitley were at Jackson Saturday to attend the contest, and won first place in the county contest, not missing a one of the hundred words.

LOCAL/PERSONAL—Apr. 13, 1922 edition:

• Local Fire: About noon Sunday the house of John Mackinder on “Home Acres” was discovered to be on fire, and before help could arrive, with the high wind blowing, the building was destroyed together with the contents, practically nothing being saved.
• Runaway Team: Lute Ives’ team made a lively runaway in town Monday. He left them standing at C. Taylor’s mill, when they started and ran east through three blocks, struck and broke a large telephone pole, and stopped when they struck a large maple tree in E.B. Daniels’ yard. A broken wagon tongue was the only damage.
• Derby Neighborhood: Several of the ladies went to Mrs. Clarence Wilson on Thursday afternoon and assisted her with sewing carpet rags. They got a nice lot sewed and Mrs. Wilson served them with a nice lunch before going home. [Ed. Note: Seems the carpet rags would be somewhat dry; wondering if they were served with gravy!]

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL NEWS

April 6, 1922 edition:

• Canada is making a big profit on booze sent to the United States. Customs officials stand at night on the river bank of the Niagara river collecting $13.50 for each case loaded on a boat which will smuggle it across. Canadian laws allow the manufacture of liquor, but not its sale in Canada.

April 13, 1922 edition:

• Novel Method of Home Brew Production in NC: Federal Prohibition Director R.A. Kohloss of North Carolina has reported to Commissioner Haynes the seizure, by his men, of a 150-gallon copper still and a large quantity of beer in the vicinity of Hunting Creek, Wilkes County. … Reports Kohloss, “The still was in full operation on our approach, but no operators were in sight. There was a batch of manure from a hog pen by the side of the distillery and the operators were using this in the beer. The odor from the condenser was nauseating. I understand that they use this for the purpose of adding kick and causing it to bead high.”
• Interesting Old Deal: A penciled note, undated, nameless and cryptic of subject was picked from a floor of the Library of Congress the other day: “All along by the west side of the Delaware River—as far as a man can ride in two days with a horse, for and in consideration of these goods to us in hand paid and secured—20 guns—40 tomahawks—100 knives—40 pairs of stockings—1 barrel of beer—30 glass bottles—30 pewter spoons—30 combs—5 gallons of molasses—100 strings of beads—” and so on. (Deed giving Pennsylvania to William Penn.)