In 1923, one southeastern Nebraska housewife had seen enough.
The village butcher, she claimed, had habits that were not merely unpleasant, but downright alarming for anyone buying meat from his shop.
According to her complaint to the state food department, the man picked his teeth with his fingers, scratched his head, and then went right back to cutting meat for customers.
As if that were not enough, he was also accused of sleeping in his shop, giving state officials the perfect opportunity to catch him in the act.
Village Butcher Picks His Teeth With Fingers
LINCOLN, Nebraska. — Grant Shumway, state superintendent of agriculture and head of the state food department, has received a complaints from an observing housewife in a small southeastern Nebraska town, who charges that the village butcher picks his teeth with his fingers, then scratches his head and goes to cutting meat.
He also sleeps in his shop.
Therefore, Supt. Shumway hopes to have some one of his inspectors swoop down on the offending butcher, while he sleeps in his shop or at least at an opportune moment while he is picking his teeth.
The name of the town is not revealed, other than that it is somewhere in southeastern Nebraska.
Source: The Beatrice Daily Express. Beatrice, Neb. September 10, 1923.
