Wild at heart

Washington Post, July 6, 1890. I gave my mini-lecture on Wild Women last night at the Talent Show. The show was a hoot from start to finish, my talk seemed to go over well, and I met some really fun and interesting people. Made me feel like I should work all of this Wild Woman material up into some kind of structured and publishable Thing eventually, as the intelligent laity does seem to find the topic interesting.
The illuminating angle to this entry in the Wild Woman sweepstakes is the admission that such a story could have been woven from whole cloth just to sell newspapers and otherwise contribute to the gaiety of nations.

But note that this description of the Wild Girl of Catahoula is relatively weak tea, and doesn’t have anywhere near as intense a lusus naturae vibe as our previous recorded sighting.

Spare the garrote and spoil the child

Kansas City Star, April 29, 1908. Sacrificing children isn’t just for Satanists, don’t you know.
Hmm, not a lot of clues as the exact denomination here, but I’m guessing they weren’t high Anglicans.
God can’t get up off the couch and smite his own five-year-old girls? For that matter, couldn’t he provide his servant Bachman with a first name?
“The Smiths and Bachman” has an odd ring to it, considered from a rock angle. No good could have possibly come from such an unholy combination.
Again, frustrating vagueness as to the doctrines and origins of “this new religion.”

Oog. Dating Oom the Omnipotent doesn’t look like such a bad choice all of a sudden.
Atta boy, Bachman: keep punchin’! No looking back!

The data is dada

Here are the results if the latest poll concerning some stuff. Results seem plausible to me.

Chomping at the bite

Vermont Phoenix, April 27, 1838. Yeah, I’d say that horse was blooded but good.

Fait divers

Macon Telegraph, June 17, 1889. Can you believe it? We’re talking here about an average sororal poundage of 175. And yet, this is a mere bagatelle in relation to some of the ensuing prodigies. For example:

Laughter and beauty

Chicago Tribune, October 24, 1936.

Tough sell

Printers’ Ink, July 26, 1923. Encouraged by the likes of the Chicago Defender and their own plain-as-day self-interest, Southern blacks began heading north in huge numbers in the Teens and Twenties, trading lynch law and cotton-picking debt-peonage for better paid urban industrial jobs and relative civil liberties. From the perspective of their erstwhile employers, this had to be the result of conspiratorial agitation by radicals and no-goodniks, who were messing with the minds of the impressionable colored folks. Hence the decision to fight back with this awesomely misconceived “Negroes, remember your place” propaganda campaign.

Stretched to his limits

Detroit News, May 19, 1931. In South America, meanwhile, the body of a Canadian magnate is found in a forest of rubber trees.

Grand Hotel

This Beaux-Art behemoth is Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, built in 1913 and decommissioned in 1988. It’s a busted-out shell full of pigeons and graffiti. Once the tallest railway station in the world. Eventually they’ll blow it up, but it’s hardly even on a shortlist for that in the slow-rolling Motor City. I took these pictures the first time I saw it, just as the sun was setting on it. Behind where I’m standing is a terrific barbecue place that does the best smoked brisket I’d ever had.

Sloane ranger

Detroit News, May 12, 1931. Kinda makes me think, Crap: what have I ever done with my life?