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Robert J.
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MADE IN THE U.S.A. You won’t find much outside of the auto industry that is made in the United States in recent decades. But an old thing turned up last week to remind us that there was an era when Americans made and bought their own products. Barbara (Mrs. Bill) Carter found a tiny sewing kit once given away by the News-Journal during a promotion of some kind. It was saved by her mother, the late Agnes Eckard Cady. It is pictured with a dime and a quarter for comparison. The thimble popped off the top. Inside the outer metal canister was a wooden canister with a considerable amount of thread wound around it (appearing to be the original thread). A wooden top popped off of the inside canister and inside that was a needle.
It is barely detectable in this photo but imbedded in the bottom end
of the canister is a patent number and “Made In The U.S.A.”
See it for yourself in the curio cabinet near the RN-J front entrance, with other old keepsakes. Another thing about relics in the curio cabinet you will see are several miniature tractors. They have no bearing on the printing industry and probably no attachment to being “relics.” But years ago my forbearer, publisher R. J. Sr., enjoyed buying things as he called on advertising customers, many of which were farm implement dealers. His collection entertained many youngsters while parents tended to business in our front office. In this respect there could be many young parents reading this who will recall those little farm implements and remember their “old days.” On the top shelves of the cabinet are everyday items once used to mechanically produce the newspaper: keys with wooden and metal quoins that locked up a chase of linotype and stereotype; space band used to expand a line of brass matrices in the linotype; a beat up Vogt Roller cap (maker of composition rollers that transferred ink on the news press); engravings … and other rather legendary trivia. The cap was used by three generations at the linotype to keep the glare of a 100 watt light out of the eyes. In April there will be an open house to celebrate 100 years of this newspaper as a Mueller family publication. We may find more old stuff for display at that time … then we can finally throw it away and focus entirely on the modern era! That is, unless someone gets behind the formation of a local museum for these relics! Mike Reiss, of MBR computer and video store fame, is collecting quite a bit of memorabilia, including that great (1908) historic picture of the Carter Photo store used on our front page in January. He likes the museum idea too.
THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING – How a telemarketer got my cell phone number is a mystery which I’d love to solve. If it was a store where I bought something and had to list my number for maintenance reference I’d be sure not to buy from that store again! The cell phone rang Monday. Immediately, this lady (a recording) began a stressed warning that “This is your last warning about your credit account …” Well, your credit is not something you want to mess up. So I listened a bit more while she ranted about my being given several opportunities to apply for XYZ line of credit. Ah yes, I remember those unsolicited cell calls and hung up. “She” would not have heard my expletives anyway! I hope you don’t listen to telemarketers. Even the ones who don’t yet issue snarly warnings!
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 Click mailbox to email web design |
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