One Hundred Years Ago

[Rix Gins]

The Tonopah Daily Bonanza, June 24, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

Dick's Diary entry for June 24, 1916.
http://www.willisfleming.org.uk/dicksdiary/entries/1916/06/saturday-24-june-1916.html

[Rix Gins]

On this day 100 years ago, British Commander Douglas Haig put a plan into effect that he hoped would deal the German army a deadly blow at the Somme.  This would be the first day of a massive, week long artillery barrage aimed at destroying German trench works and barbed wire in-placements.  Over 1.5 million shells would be fired and Haig was sure that a follow up infantry advance would allow British and French soldiers to easily gain new ground.  In fact, Haig was so self assured of his plan that he would have his soldiers (comprised of 13 attacking divisions) advance in broad daylight, in shoulder to shoulder formation soon after the lifting of the barrage on July 1, 1916.

Unbeknownst to Haig, the Germans had been spending a great deal of time and labor in fortifying their numerous machine gun posts and most of these would survive the barrage. Numerous German soldiers would wait out the artillery barrage in well constructed concrete bunkers.  When the shells stopped falling, they would hustle outside to man their machine guns.

But this would be the first full day of the barrage and things must have looked promising to Haig.

https://youtu.be/gqPUY9H2wE4

[K_Dubb]

The Tonopah Daily Bonanza, June 24, 1916.

That liquor list is priceless!  Some venerable names there; I only have 7 under the bar.  I am surprised Old Overholt Rye (for which I have a soft spot) is missing.

I'm fascinated by the flag-dispensing balloon.  The thought of those hard-scrabble miners scratching their heads to come up with something like that is just delightful.

[starrmtn001]

That liquor list is priceless!  Some venerable names there; I only have 7 under the bar.  I am surprised Old Overholt Rye (for which I have a soft spot) is missing.

I'm fascinated by the flag-dispensing balloon.  The thought of those hard-scrabble miners scratching their heads to come up with something like that is just delightful.

Do you create your own avatars?  Damn good job me man, but ya need a belt in this one.

[Rix Gins]

That liquor list is priceless!  Some venerable names there; I only have 7 under the bar.  I am surprised Old Overholt Rye (for which I have a soft spot) is missing.

I'm fascinated by the flag-dispensing balloon.  The thought of those hard-scrabble miners scratching their heads to come up with something like that is just delightful.

I'm intrigued by the Golden State Asparagus gin but I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to sample it.  (I thought El-Bart gin would have been on the list.)

[K_Dubb]

I'm intrigued by the Golden State Asparagus gin but I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to sample it.  (I thought El-Bart gin would have been on the list.)

Ha, that's a good one!  I suppose if Cynar is supposed to be artichoke-based the concept isn't unknown.  And there are some wonderful cucumber cordials out there now.



This the one that turned my stomach:

[Rix Gins]

I'm not quite sure but I think that Ludwig Maidl was a banker, or bank teller or worked in some type of treasury house.  That's what I get out of that super long word, second line down from Ludwig's printed name on the card. 

Ludwig was a Privateer, lance corporal in 24 Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 8 Company.  He died during a storm assault (possibly at Verdun?) on June 24, 1916, after having served 23 months of faithful, soldierly duty.  He was a holder of the Iron Cross, 2nd class.  Soldier Maidl was 33 years old.



 

[K_Dubb]

I'm not quite sure but I think that Ludwig Maidl was a banker, or bank teller or worked in some type of treasury house.  That's what I get out of that super long word, second line down from Ludwig's printed name on the card. 

Ludwig was a Privateer, lance corporal in 24 Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 8 Company.  He died during a storm assault (possibly at Verdun?) on June 24, 1916, after having served 23 months of faithful, soldierly duty.  He was a holder of the Iron Cross, 2nd class.  Soldier Maidl was 33 years old.

Would never have made it out in the usual gothic script.

That's a formidable moustache for 33!  Best I can get is that "privatier" is a "gentleman of private means", so not a working stiff.  The long word is usually prefaced in the references I found with "Spar- und" (Savings and), with which it becomes the familiar "Savings and Loan Association", of which he was the head.

[Rix Gins]

That's a formidable moustache for 33!  Best I can get is that "privatier" is a "gentleman of private means", so not a working stiff.  The long word is usually prefaced in the references I found with "Spar- und" (Savings and), with which it becomes the familiar "Savings and Loan Association", of which he was the head.

Thanks, K.  Glad to know that he wasn't a bank teller.  For some reason I was thinking that he was also a private/professional soldier. Have seen them in other cards plus a number of professional soldier's sons.   

[gabrielle]

Look, I found a car for WhiteCrow made in 1916.....from the New York Times, June 25, 1916

[K_Dubb]

Thanks, K.  Glad to know that he wasn't a bank teller.  For some reason I was thinking that he was also a private/professional soldier. Have seen them in other cards plus a number of professional soldier's sons.

Could very well have that meaning; maybe that's what they called the ones who served the Ottomans.  I'd only heard it in the naval sense before, but I suppose it's analogous.

[Rix Gins]

Dick's Diary entry for June 25, 1916.
http://www.willisfleming.org.uk/dicksdiary/entries/1916/06/sunday-25-june-1916.html

[Rix Gins]

Army soldier Ignaz Holzner was a Farmer's son from the town of Antholzen, Germany.  Ignaz was a member of 5 Company, 3 Infantry Regiment.  He was killed in Russia on June 25, 1916, at the age of 22.  (Back of card is in color.  Wish they would have done that more often.)

[Rix Gins]

Everett True, June 26, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

The Chicago Day Book, June 26, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

The Tonopah Daily Bonanza, June 26, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

Some scenes from "The Whirl of Life" now playing at the Butler Theater.

https://youtu.be/IoDekFRDs8U

[Rix Gins]

Look, I found a car for WhiteCrow made in 1916.....from the New York Times, June 25, 1916

And it looks like it comes in white.  Perfect!

[gabrielle]

Mr. Barnsley has been injured in the stomach.  I don't like the sounds of this injury.

[K_Dubb]

Army soldier Ignaz Holzner was a Farmer's son from the town of Antholzen, Germany.  Ignaz was a member of 5 Company, 3 Infantry Regiment.  He was killed in Russia on June 25, 1916, at the age of 22.  (Back of card is in color.  Wish they would have done that more often.)

Cool picture.  That verse from I Maccabees is interesting, too.  Something like "Better it is to die in war than to witness the Fatherland's disaster."

[K_Dubb]

The Chicago Day Book, June 26, 1916.

I admit I imagined #1 to happen in one smooth maneuvre and laughed inappropriately.

[K_Dubb]

The Tonopah Daily Bonanza, June 26, 1916.

Great stuff, Rix!  Excellent period color -- I imagine the sequence of thoughts they inspired were authentic, hundred-year-old reflections:

Mrs. Castle is showing quite a lot of leg.
Was it Tong violence, in Ely?
I suspect we shall see old back Dave in the alley behind the lower town within two years.

I wonder if the bull's-head's popularity was the same sort of manly chest-thumping exercise you still see on travel shows with sheep's heads and stuff.  This old cookbook my mom got as a wedding present had a section on food that men like -- sardines on toast, limburger cheese -- that fascinated me as a kid.  Why should men have their own cuisine?

Here is the description of Frazier's Wells from ghosttowns.com:

The stage line heading north to the booming mining town of Ray ran through Frazier Wells where passengers could rest before the final leg of the journey to Ray. A few small businesses housed in tents included a saloon and a small food store. When Ray ceased to exist around 1903 so did Frazier Wells. Today a few tall trees mark the site of the former stage stop. During the summers, the spring tends to dry up completely. But the site is an excellent resting spot for it offers the only shade for miles around.

Along with "Remains:  nothing but trees"

[albrecht]

The Chicago Day Book, June 26, 1916.

I'm thinking bellboy George Koltrba got taken advantage of. That wrench design probably went on to found a company and make a lot of money. Curious if it did? And what about poor Carl Brickner, in trouble for getting money from people who employed him? Isn't that called being employed? Haha. Embezzled or stole would be better.

[albrecht]

I wonder if the bull's-head's popularity was the same sort of manly chest-thumping exercise you still see on travel shows with sheep's heads and stuff.  This old cookbook my mom got as a wedding present had a section on food that men like -- sardines on toast, limburger cheese -- that fascinated me as a kid.  Why should men have their own cuisine?

I'm guess the bulls head meal is like the barbacoa we have today down here that Mexicans make? I'm sure that part of the world who have contact with those types. Then again, who knows? As I speculated before I think barbacoa or maybe head-cheese? Both are/were often breakfast foods. (Barbacoa also known to be good to cure hangovers.)

[K_Dubb]

I'm guess the bulls head meal is like the barbacoa we have today down here that Mexicans make? I'm sure that part of the world who have contact with those types. Then again, who knows? As I speculated before I think barbacoa or maybe head-cheese? Both are/were often breakfast foods. (Barbacoa also known to be good to cure hangovers.)

Starting to think your barbacoa is the most likely scenario, particularly if juicy chicken was the makeweight.  You might expect some other preserved meat to substitute for head cheese.

[Rix Gins]

Re: Attempt To Blow Up Chinese Restaurant.  Maybe it was a disgruntled customer who had a similar after effect from eating the food there.  (Explosion shattered the glass in all the adjacent windows.)

[Rix Gins]

Dick's Diary entry for June 26, 1916.
http://www.willisfleming.org.uk/dicksdiary/entries/1916/06/monday-26-june-1916.html

[Jackstar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J5pbFpZosg

[K_Dubb]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J5pbFpZosg

That music sounds a little late for 1929.

I am suspicious.