First of all, I'm in fine fettle today because I just found out that the third book in my Hearts of Owyhee series, Much Ado About Miners, won a Laramie Award for Western Romance/Comedy Novel. I attribute that directly to Dr. VonSouter's Medicine Show. So thank you, Keith. The Laramie Contest is sponsored by Chanticleer Book Reviews, and I'll be attending the conference in September, so if you're in Bellingham, WA, stop by and say hi.
Now it's time to get back to the newspapers--the 1870s newspapers, that is. These articles are all from The Owyhee Avalanche, the oldest newspaper in Idaho, and currently based in my hometown, Homedale. They have a good sense of humor there, and since I'm in good humor (the award and all), I picked out a few articles that show the Silver City residents' lighter side.
We might as well start with fashion. In the old days, fellows liked their ladies a bit on the plump side, as evidenced by this article published July 24, 1875.
I'm not sure what zephyr bosom pads are, but I know that the online dictionary said "bosom," meaning a woman's breasts, wasn't in use until the 1920s. Well here it is. 1875. Take that, dictionary.
It seems like no matter where you go, someone wants to make off with someone else's stuff. This report was also printed in the July 24, 1875 issue. I'd say Mr. Lord robbed the wrong person, and definitely stayed in town too long.
Speaking of Dr. Souter, here's a report of a bullet extraction in the July 17, 1875 issue. I don't know many men these days whose first name is Patsey. That would get you shot right there. Maybe Keith will tell us why Dr. Peters left the bullet in Patsey's leg for three months before removing it.
This next article is about a saloon brawl, which isn't funny at all, but the wording in the July 3, 1875, article made me laugh.
I don't think I've ever read a newspaper from any era that didn't complain about the state of the roads. It appears the ruts were impeding their fun. This is from July 17, 1875.
And I learned a whole new term: caterer. I don't think they're talking about serving cute little sandwiches at parties in this next article.
So that's what happened in Silver City, Idaho Territory, in July of 1875. The people weren't so different, but the reporting was a lot more interesting!
May your saddle never slip.
