The Last of the Civil War Soldiers

Yesterday, my mother and I found the obituary of the last remaining civil war soldier of Harlan County, Kentucky in the local newspaper. My great great great grandfather, Baxter Cornett. Born May 10, 1845, died September 21, 1934.

Harlan Daily Enterprise, September 23, 1934

Extra! Extra! 9/14/15

I haven’t been gleaning much useful information in my treasure hunt for family history lately.  The year 1932 just hasn’t panned out thus far, but it’s been great for a laugh!  Enjoy these funny and bizarre front page headlines.

Likes His Beer

Tree Saves Man

Big Shot Convicted

New State Fish, Game Group Sworn In

Dies For Parrot

Man Faints as Cousin Drives Nail Into Leg  (His own leg, which it turns out was wooden.  Not the first wooden leg story I’ve read.  Once read one in which a carpenter was called to repair a broken leg, and told only once he arrived that it was wooden.)

Lodges Self In Jail  (The local sheriff had been threatened, so he decided he’d be safest by locking himself up in the jail.)

Woman Catches Bass With Hands

Rattlesnake Hissing Irked Woman

Is It True About Red-Headed Girls?

Huey Takes Stump  (Huey long, at the time, governor of Louisiana.  Never explained who or what “stump” meant.)

Boom Boomerang

Large Cucumber

‘Skeeters Happy As Nudists Move to NJ

Watermelon Seed

‘Ol Swimmin Hole Is “Burned” Clean  (In case you were wondering from before about the ‘ol swimmin hole.)

Woman, 93, Swims Twice Around Pool

Busy Ohio Bee Stings Undertaker

Eats Ham Sandwich Made of Cotton Seed

Zoo Head Succumbs After Biting Tongue

Freckled Chin Winning Point, Kiwanians Decide John Wilder Has Best Crop of Freckles  (The local Kiwanis Club had a freckle contest in 1932 wherein they decided which little boy had the cutest freckles…  This one apparently had a goodly amount of chin freckles which edged out his competitors.)

Extra! Extra! 9/10/15

Yesterday was a pretty good day for funny and bizarre newspaper headlines.  Enjoy these little gems from 1932.

Ring of Chicken Thieves Nabbed (They stole thousands of chickens.)

“Old Swimmin’ Hole” to Be Prepared

65 Pound Baby (At 18 months.)

Impromptu Duel Settles Grudge  (As opposed to a more formal, black tie affair.  In poor taste if you ask me.)

Celebration on Fourth of Jury

All Clews Probed in Wide Search

Sentence for Slaying in 1883  (The killer got a 10 year sentence, this is, I remind you, 1932.)

This one is so good that I had to share the full story.  From the associated press in the year 1932.

Shoots 4-Pound Bass Out of Big Pine Tree

Wallace, Idaho, May 19 (1932) (AP)–The reputation of Earl Elstone for veracity is good, so there is no one willing to say he didn’t tell the truth when he related he shot a four-pound bass out of a large pine tree with a shotgun.  The explanation is that a hawk caught the fish in its beak and flew to the tree, so Elstone cast aside his rod, took up his gun and blazed away, scoring a direct hit on the fish as well as the hawk.

Lucky break or whale of a fish tale?

Extra! Extra! 9/8/15

I have to say, I am really hitting the ground running and setting–most likely–unrealistic expectations for the future when it comes to the frequency with which I post

This will be the first in a series of posts I’ll be sharing on this blog called “Extra! Extra!”  In this series, I will share headlines from the front page of old newspapers I found to be either particularly humorous or humorously bizarre (sometimes even despite my best efforts not to find it funny).   Sometimes there are a lot, sometimes only one or two.  Today was a full day, so…

“Toot Shoot” is Prague Rule

Twirling His Hat

Mercer County Dog Sentenced to Death

Grasshopper Fund OK’d by Senate

Pear Tree Blooms  (I have to say, I am honored, for I am a descendant of the grower.)

Birds in Formation

Found: Perfect Job–Pay for Not Working

Gets Turkey

Outline Finest Fishing Places (This one was so important, it warranted a continuation on page 2.)

Frankenstein  (Not October.)

“Lolly Pops” to be Given Collegians  (Why is “lolly pops” in quotations?  Wouldn’t you like to know.)

Rosa Wants “Right Man”  (Get in line, Rosa.)

2 Farmers Sentenced for Parts in Cow War

Not Red Pajamas?  (Sleepwear was a popular topic in the thirties.  Fun fact, there was a full-on incident–which made national news–for which Louisiana governor Huey Long had to issue a public apology involving pajamas.)

Shot Through Pants

Navy Likes Cones  (Joke is on you England, this refers to the British navy.)

Hounds on Trial (Not one, but 2 K9 cases this year.)

Nightshirts Again Used in London