Goodbye, 1914: “Stormiest and Most Eventful in History”

On December 31 a century ago, as readers of the Star-Telegram puckered up to kiss 1914 bye-bye, they read these ads and articles in the final edition of the year.

1914 gaetyNew Year’s Eve festivities were planned at River Crest County Club, Glen Garden Country Club, and the Fort Worth Club.

1914 musteroleMusterole ointment was a blister-free substitute for a mustard plaster, good for croup, lumbago, chilblains, and frosted feet.

1914 gertieThe Odeon Theater was showing Gertie, one of the first animated films and the first to feature a dinosaur. YouTube video clip

1914 lake worthDoctors debated whether the city’s new water-supply reservoir, Lake Worth, could safely be used for recreation.

1914 stormiestCiting revolution in Mexico and war in Europe, the Star-Telegram declared 1914 to be the “stormiest and most eventful in history.”

1914 warIndeed, the war in Europe dominated front-page headlines in the second half of 1914.

1914 classifiedsIn the classified ads, cows still got more space than did cars. In fact, the “Automobiles” column lists not a single car for sale.

1914 interurbanThe interurban was “the live wire ways” to Dallas and to Cleburne.

1914 railroadsAnd railroads such as the I&GN, Katy, T&P, and Cotton Belt were still important forms of intercity mass transit.

1914 time tableIn fact, the railroad time table was a regular feature of the newspaper. All these passenger trains used just two stations: the  Texas & Pacific depot and the Santa Fe Union Depot.

1914 fatimaFatima cigarettes would later be endorsed by Jack “Sergeant Friday” Webb.

1914 plangThis cartoon about new year’s resolutions is more notable for its creator than for its wit. “Plang” was Star-Telegram illustrator Jay Plangman, who had a connection to a Hitchcock classic.

1914 old and newIn days of yore, as one year ended and another year began, the personification of the new year, wearing his birthday suit, and the personification of the old year, wearing his robe and bearing his scythe and hourglass, met face-to-face in passing. In contrast, tonight at midnight Baby 2015 will simply text Old Man 2014: “YGIN&YH [Yo, Gramps! I’m naked, and you’re history].”

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