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Headlines from 100 Years Ago - February, 1899

For more than 10 years I have been receiving from the Manship School of Mass Communication something which I refer to
as Headlines of 100 years ago and there is a headline of five per week for 52 weeks per year.

Sometimes they read so up to date to me that I will copy them out and make a comment on the headline. Often, I find some
that only changing the name and date one would think that you were reading today's 1999 paper.

Another thing that I sometimes fail to keep in mind is the difference between the population of 1899 versus the population of
1999. To help understand what I am trying to say is when we get to attractions of Baton Rouge, Feb. 9, 1899. Remember: 1999
Baton Rouge Parish has a population of approximately 375 thousand people.

"BOY THIEVES
Last night three boys were arrested on Rampart, near Girod, by Detectives Rainey and Bruneau and locked up on the
charge of stealing a lot of men's and boys' trousers from a clothing store. The boys, it appeared, entered the store and
asked the proprietor to take their measures for a pair of trousers, and while he complied, the others would steal the
goods. - The Daily Picayune (New Orleans), February 2, 1899"

Keep in mind this was 100 years ago and undoubtedly there was no difference between a juvenile and an adult when one
was caught stealing. We are gradually getting back to that today when the law is speaking of trying 15 year olds as adults.

"COURTHOUSE
There was little doing at the courthouse yesterday. A few persons were in the sheriff's office paying their taxes and they
were about the only ones to be seen around the building. - The Daily Advocate (Baton Rouge), February 2, 1899"

What a difference in Courthouse business one hundred years later. Today, I passed the Ascension Eastside Courthouse
Annex and there were so many cars there that it looked as if not another car could be parked, except in the Special Reserved
parking spaces. When we get the new three-story, five court room, where will the jurors and witnesses park? There is reserved
parking places for special people. But no parking place for people who are called for Jury Duty. Even when they are CULLED
DOWN to the PRESCRIBED number, there still is no reserved parking space for the people serving on the JURY.

"DESPARADO KILLED
Bob Marx, a noted sporting character and typical dead-shot Texan, was killed in a desperate duel early this morning with
John W. Bennett, proprietor of the Silver King Saloon and gambling house. Marx had been drinking and announced as he
left his own saloon that he was going to die with his boots on. He entered the Silver King saloon at 2:30 this morning and
threatened to shoot the lights out. Words were passed and guns drawn. Marx emptied the five chambers of his gun,
shooting Bennett in the abdomen. Stretched on the floor, mortally wounded, Bennett fired three shots at Marx. The
latter was shot through the body and died with his gun still in his hand. Bennett died at 9 o'clock tonight. - The Shreveport
Times, February 3, 1899"

This thrilling episode took place in a saloon. 100 years later, it takes place at the DRUG EXCHANGE.

"BAD ROADS
The roads throughout the parish are reported to be in horrible condition. The Bayou Sara road is lined with wagons that
have remained in the mud holes, most of them having wheels pulled out. In some places persons have volunteered to
assist in putting the roads in passable condition, but the material is wanting and not much can be done. - The Daily
Advocate, February 3, 1899"

When I read this "Bayou Sara Road lined with wagons that have remained in the mud holes most of them having the wheels
pulled out.", I thought about abandoned autos on the streets in the cities on blocks with the wheels removed.

"ATTRACTIONS OF BATON ROUGE
Baton Rouge contains fifteen thousand inhabitants and is thoroughly cosmopolitan in population. Among the citizens we
have a large tincture of foreign nationalities. Visitors to the city to see the fireman's parade on February 22 should visit
our state institutions before returning home. - The Daily Advocate (Baton Rouge), February 9, 1899"

Do you not love this sentence: "Visitors to the city to see the fireman's parade on February 22 should visit our state
institutions before returning home"? Today, some people that see some of the institutions cannot return home until after they have
served their sentence for breaking some law.

"CUT HIS THROAT
No suicide in recent years has had the thrilling features which were connected with the death of Joseph Villio. The
tragedy was planned in a second or so, and executed in a little time, as Villio sat in the barber's chair in the tonsorial shop
of the Young Man's Gymnastic Club, on North Rampart street, last afternoon. Now that Villio is dead, it is recalled that he
hinted at suicide several times. Not so long ago, it was a day or two back, he tried to stab himself in the heart with an
oyster knife in a barroom, but was prevented by the saloon keeper. He complained that he was miserable and had no
peace. - The Daily Picayune (New Orleans), February 9, 1899"

"No suicide in recent years has had the thrilling features which were connected with the death of Joseph Villio". I wonder
what was so thrilling to that reporter. Planned in a second as he sat in the barber's chair and undoubtedly he cut his own throat, as it
was classified as a suicide. Should the barber have sliced his throat at his request, would it have been called murder? What the
barber shop must have looked like with the blood all over everything.

"THE CROPS AND THE BLIZZARD
The fact, officially announced, that the thermometer here reached a minimum of 6.8 degrees above zero on Monday
morning last, hardly impresses the mind of the man with a full appreciation of the severity of the cold wave to the same
extent as the sight of immense fields of ice floating down the Mississippi River past this city. This occurrence, which,
according to the memory of the oldest inhabitant, has had only one parallel in the history of the city, cannot fail to impress
even the most thoughtless and convince him of the fact that we have just passed through a spell of arctic weather, never
before experienced in this section. - The Daily Picayune, February 20, 1899"

"A minimum of 6.8 degrees" - apparently that was the lowest the temperature went. Please keep in mind that wind chill
factor had not been invented in 1899, so our forefathers actually did not know how cold it was.

"The sight of immense fields of ice floating down the Mississippi" - I recollect seeing a picture of this field of ice in a book
once.

"HIBERNATING TRAMPS
Perhaps the tramps hibernate. They will turn up as soon as warm weather permits them to roam from charity firesides, or
some other haven of temporary rest. - The Daily Picayune (New Orleans), February 24, 1899"

"They will turn up as soon as warm weather permits". Today they are referred to as homeless people.

"WAR TIMES
There were warm times near Burtville recently. A benevolent association gave a ball near the village and when the
participants began to feel the effects of the "bad booze" which had been put away in generous quantities, there was a fight
every minute. Both men and women took part in the scrapping and many a black eye was visible among those who
participated. - The Daily Advocate (Baton Rouge), February 28, 1899"

"... near Burtville" L.S.U. today is near Burtville and this reads like some of the present day fraternity parties - so called frat
parties. "Both men and women took part". It seems like the benevolent association served a huge quantity of bad booze that must
have tasted very good, as each consumed "generous quantities".

Is society 100 years later much different?

O. W. Stevens