Mish-mash of information

I learned a new phrase this week and I truly love it: Get along or get along down the road! Next time you find someone arguing, even about politics which seem to stir everyone’s ire, try that phrase. At the same time, an old friend was telling me that he lost a good friend over politics. How very sad, and quite a reflection of the times. Which side do you think is the least receptive to differing opinions…come to think about it, don’t tell me ‘cause it might start up some very dramatic arguments!

This week is just going to be things that caught my eye as I was researching. From the McCook Tribune, April 8,1898: “ J. A. Curlee has in his show window a stuffed wildcat, brought from the Black Hills by his son Ed, which attracts a good deal of attention. Mr. Curlee thought that to take his pet store cat and put him in the window, so that they might become better acquainted, would be great sport. He now has a broken showcase, which his pet cat took pains to go through.”

Same paper: “Roy King says it pays to raise potatoes, and he has measured out about fifty bushels to be planted this spring.” Now, I remember picking potatoes for Ray Trupp, a job his daughter, Karen talked me into. It seems in the 60’s we were still raising quite a few potato crops around Red Willow County by farmers but today it is only personal fields that get planted. I have several hills myself and hopefully this year will be a bumper crop but no matter how many I plant; we don’t make it through the winter with them!

This I can relate to also from the McCook Tribune, July 12, 1895: “Sidney Dodge is up early and late wrestling with the weeds.” Last year it was so dry that even the weeds looked a little weak, but as usual, they left behind a good scattering of seeds. I wish someone would find a use for kochia weeds, puncture vines and grass sticker besides them being the biggest pain in the you know what!

Speaking of wrestling, from the McCook Republican, May 10, 1895: “Last night a wrestling match took place in the Lewis Cigar store, just north of the depot, between Ed Fitzgerald of this place, and John Gosney, of Benkleman, for a small purse. There was quite a crowd witnessed the match, which was won by Gosney.”

“Mrs. Helm is collecting money to assist in giving poor Edward Lorenz another trial. Our hearts go out to those too poor to defend themselves under such a grave charge, and while no mistake may have been made, yet he should have as good a chance as a millionaire. We understand that one of the learned jurors rendered his decision not on evidence but because he knew a boy with such a shaped head was bound to be a murderer. Perhaps this statement is idle gossip, it is to be hoped so at least.” McCook Tribune, November 20, 1896.

Here’s a weather forecast for you, certainly one as easily wrong as any! “Kansas, Missouri and the Indian Territory have just been drenched and redrenched by the heaviest storms they have experienced for several years. If existing theories of the cause of the hot winds are correct, there will therefore be no hot winds in Nebraska this year. Every wind from the south between now and the first of August will be laden with rain provoking vapor instead of withering heat.” McCook Tribune, July 12, 1896.

As a final note, in the national news this morning they were warning the eastern coast about smoke laden air from Canadian wild fires. Hmmmm, I don’t remember our states making the national news when the smoke resembled a heavy fog for days around here. Of course, we start out with clean air so maybe that smoke wasn’t as dangerous for us.

Thought for the day, learning about the hardships your ancestors faced somehow helps you understand that even bad days aren’t too bad in this day and age. I mean after all; I don’t cook over a wood burning stove hoping a rattle snake isn’t going to drop out of my sod ceiling into my stew!

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