I love digging through historical newspapers. Usually I’m doing it when searching for one of my ancestors, but today I did it because I realized I haven’t done a “this date in history” lately and wanted to do something related to the place we’re in right now.
So I turned to a January 30, 1913 newspaper from Coshocton, Ohio: The Coshocton Daily Times
There’s nothing like a newspaper timecapsule to make me feel inadequate about what a crappy housewife I am (said me…never).
Here are a few glimpses into the advertisements, quips and what was newsworthy in Coshocton, Ohio on January 30, 1913…
Coshocton Daily Times masthead from January 30, 1913
I just can’t understand why the early 1900s were a time of womens’ Suffrage marches, when all we needed to do was use Electric Bitters to get a good man. Actually, I kinda wouldn’t mind some peach bloom and ruby lips. Unfortunately, my blood isn’t pure. I’m “tainted” so I probably wouldn’t qualify. And, uh, I get “firm” muscles, but what are “free” muscles? I’ll have to hit the weights again and see if I can’t free them up some more.
What the heck are these women caterwauling about? Don’t they know the Electric Bitters are out there? Don’t they realize the nation just voted to give them SKILLS to be better housewives? Sheesh? What do they want, an amendment or something? Shut up and get back in the kitchen already!
Okay, I mighta’ sorta’, kinda’ definitely peed myself over this ad. I used to type my little poems and stories on my grandfather’s clickity clack keys, punching each one hard with my little fingers, occasionally having to manually lift up a key stuck against the paper. Mmmmm nostalgia {shudders}
I can’t be the only one who feels bad for a person in gender identity crisis in 1913, can I? This probably got a lot of laughs. Maybe it still does. I find it more sad than funny.
I can’t tell which is funnier: the monkey and scotch terrier tied together, or the wife joke. You know, this same type of ball & chain wife joke has been circulating for 100 years. I’m so glad I’m not married to a man like that. It would probably create in me a wife like that… Thankfully these little quips make a Robert Louis Stevenson sandwich, and who doesn’t need a little RLS between the trivial and negative sometimes?
Let’s see how this compares to January 30, 2013 forecast for tomorrow: chance of snow, colder by night (why yes, go on…) Ooh, so CLOSE! Winds from the West SOUTH West for 2013.
Well friends, thanks for joining me on this entertaining journey from the Coshocton Daily Times 100 years ago today.
Love, Marla
P.S. For my fitness pals. First, I will get the My Fitness Pal up and usable before the end of today so we can connect there. Second, yesterday’s weights went pretty well. I did 3 sets of 10 reps each on bench press at 65 pounds, but they were pretty hard to get through. For Thursday weights I’m going to see how many 70’s I can get through. I’ll get there. My bicep curls, modified to hammer curls because of the stupid right elbow tendonitis, are at 25 pounds each. My “Arnolds” are 15 pounds each. My good girl/bad girl machine puts me at 65# good girl, 75# bad girl. Hmmm. Kurt did the weight circuit with me, mostly lifting more than me (‘cuz I’m a girl he keeps reminding me, risking serious slappage). Actually, it was a lot of fun training with him and I wish we had that opportunity more.
9 thoughts on “The Same Wife Joke 100 Years Later? Coshocton: January 30, 1913”
I may have read “It was a lot of fun training with him” as “It was a lot of fun TAUNTING him” the first time. I feel like this reveals something about me. Great post 🙂
God!, It’s tough to be a man with posts like this! 😉
I’m pants around the house too Marla but I do make a mean Tartini Martini!
One day I am going to hop across the pond and we are going to drink those Tartini Martinis together!
You know, they wouldn’t have been bothering with that kind of ridiculous legislation if those men weren’t feeling the heat. The women are getting uppity; we’d better do something to entice them back into the kitchen. That’s the kind of stupid stuff you see the Houses doing when they’re up against a wall, kinda like all the anti-women, anti-gay, anti-latino, anti-black crap that has been coming up on both the Fed and State level for the last handful of years. It’s infuriating on one hand, but on the other, it’s also just the last gasps of oppression. =) Think of it that way. Also, RLS makes me swoon. I love him. LOVE.
That’s a good way to look at it.
Yeah, I actually thought of you when I saw the RLS quote in there, and I almost wrote about your love and your biography reading, etc., but then I wasn’t sure if you were in or out of the closet on RLS, teehee.
Yeah, I always think of you when I think of him. 🙂
This is the second “I saw this and thought of you” incident I’ve had in a week. The other was “zombie Jesus.” I can’t tell you how good it is to be thought of when someone comes across zombie Jesus or RLS. =D Oh, and I’m SO out of the closet with my RLS love. Say it loud, say it proud… 😉
Marla, I love your choices! Sounds like Violet from Akron had read her Stevenson thoroughly. Yes, her world was cruel (arrested for wearing pants and a tie?!), but she certainly had some cajones! Makes me a little prouder to be a woman, knowing bravery like that existed a hundred years ago. I think I’ll make this Honor Violet Day 😉
That’s a beautiful thing to say. I wish I had been more conscientious about my post title. Instead of going for the hook like I always do, an Honor Violet Day title would have been so beautiful. Thanks for reading and commenting, Melanie! I can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!
I may have read “It was a lot of fun training with him” as “It was a lot of fun TAUNTING him” the first time. I feel like this reveals something about me. Great post 🙂
God!, It’s tough to be a man with posts like this! 😉
I’m pants around the house too Marla but I do make a mean Tartini Martini!
One day I am going to hop across the pond and we are going to drink those Tartini Martinis together!
You know, they wouldn’t have been bothering with that kind of ridiculous legislation if those men weren’t feeling the heat. The women are getting uppity; we’d better do something to entice them back into the kitchen. That’s the kind of stupid stuff you see the Houses doing when they’re up against a wall, kinda like all the anti-women, anti-gay, anti-latino, anti-black crap that has been coming up on both the Fed and State level for the last handful of years. It’s infuriating on one hand, but on the other, it’s also just the last gasps of oppression. =) Think of it that way. Also, RLS makes me swoon. I love him. LOVE.
That’s a good way to look at it.
Yeah, I actually thought of you when I saw the RLS quote in there, and I almost wrote about your love and your biography reading, etc., but then I wasn’t sure if you were in or out of the closet on RLS, teehee.
Yeah, I always think of you when I think of him. 🙂
This is the second “I saw this and thought of you” incident I’ve had in a week. The other was “zombie Jesus.” I can’t tell you how good it is to be thought of when someone comes across zombie Jesus or RLS. =D Oh, and I’m SO out of the closet with my RLS love. Say it loud, say it proud… 😉
Marla, I love your choices! Sounds like Violet from Akron had read her Stevenson thoroughly. Yes, her world was cruel (arrested for wearing pants and a tie?!), but she certainly had some cajones! Makes me a little prouder to be a woman, knowing bravery like that existed a hundred years ago. I think I’ll make this Honor Violet Day 😉
That’s a beautiful thing to say. I wish I had been more conscientious about my post title. Instead of going for the hook like I always do, an Honor Violet Day title would have been so beautiful. Thanks for reading and commenting, Melanie! I can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!