What qualified as “odd” news and weird things in 1912 was actually rather grim. There were a lot of strange murders, violence at the strikes, and political cheap shots happening.
1. Sandwiches are Something Else
In Portland, Oregon, Judge Tazwell ruled that a sandwich is not a meal.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 22 Feb. 1912.
2. Darn Those Aeroplanes
Chicken farmers in Marysville, California claimed that after Aviator Charles Hamilton flew his airplane over the area, their hens stopped laying eggs. They vowed to do something to stop airplanes from flying over them again.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 19 March 1912.
3. Pay Staff a Living Wage
The United Commercial Travelers asked its three thousand traveling men to end their patronage of all the hotels, restaurants, and barber shops where the employees had to live off tips.
“The travelers also urged that waiters be paid enough to get along without tips.”
Sad to see this is still an issue today.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 11 May 1912.
4. Watery Milk
In March, 4 milkmen were arrested and fined for selling milk without the cream and for watering down milk.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 13 March 1912.
5. Suffragette Insanity
In London, Dr. Leonard Williams said in an interview that suffragettes suffered from a wide range of mental disorders. Teachers, he claimed, were the worst.
“The suffrage movement has a large number of school mistresses among its warmest supporters. The public does not seem to realize that the influence of these enthusiasts over their pupils is having a very insidious effect, of which the inevitable effects are the spasmodic outbreaks against authority to which we are growing accustomed. School girls are being even driven into the whirlwind of illegitimate and lawless excitement.”
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 04 April 1912.
6. What a Way to Die
Fate has a way of baffling us all. For example, in Cleveland, Ohio, two men stepped onto an elevator, closed the cage door, and began to argue. No sooner did they get into their heated debate when the steel cable broke and they dropped 100 feet.
The men were found at the bottom of the elevator shaft, mangled and locked in a tight embrace.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 25 March 1912.
7. Fell Into Open Graves
At a funeral in New York, several people stood on planks placed over an open grave during the service. However, the planks could not hold all the weight and they broke. The group of people fell into the open grave, landing on the coffin beneath. Meanwhile, those who had not fallen panicked, and several more were pushed into the open grave. A total of 19 people filled the hole.
Source: The day book. (Chicago, Ill.), 20 May 1912.
8. Lucky Little Boy
Two-year-old Albert was on the railroad tracks (a common occurrence in the past) when a train knocked him down. However, instead of being mangled, the child was knocked down between the rails. He remained there until the train passed over him. The child was unhurt.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 30 March 1912.
9. Praise the Candy Maker
In New York, Otto the candy maker decided it was time to return to his home in Europe. Upon his departure, he unlocked the doors to his candy store. Soon after, neighborhood children gathered in his store to eat all the free candy they could get their hands on.
Source: The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 26 June 1912.
