Reel News

gregslic shares an old newsreel from way back in BC (Before Cronkite). Going to the movies isn't what it used to be.  A long, long time ago, I remember movies with newsreels.  By the time I could take myself to the movies, they were gone.  It's something we will never experience again, sort of like anvils falling on cartoon characters.

Get To Crankin'

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

bsgs98 posted this great Brunswick recording from 1921 by Isham Jones.  'Make Believe' is a new song for me, and it has that great 1920's Fox-Trot feel, except, I wonder where did that slide whistle come from? 

"I Didn't Need A...WHAT?"

Typos are a problem whatever you write, whether it's personal notes or business, and once the ink is on the paper, you can't make them go away.  Here's a good one!



This player piano selection is by AeolianHall1.


Baby Face was written by Harry Akst, a composer of note who worked with (among many others) Nora Bayes, Irving Berlin, and Al Jolson.

Weekend Steam

Here are a couple of great steam train videos from Down Under, by Rocketboy1950.  This is a 2' 6" narrow gauge engine, and be sure to note that the wheels are inside the frame, and the cranks are outside the frame,  like most of the engines you see on the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railroad. 

One Thousand Flags

Go read the news reports about Sgt. Michael Bartley through January 17, on WFIWRadio.com.,

and visit the pages honoring him on WFIW's website.

Crankin' It Up

The Revelers recorded this vocal number on September 4, 1925. Acoustic disc, played on the old Brunswick, just to be authentic.

Old Times Mostly Forgotten

 Looking at old farmsteads is  enjoyable and educational, and I always wonder what became of the families who lived on them.  This still-sturdy barn shows that this farm was prosperous in its day, with lean-to additions on three sides.  The tin roof has allowed the barn to survive well past its working days.

 These dilapidated corn cribs show us that the farm was not a huge corn producer, and that the farmer who used these cribs never made the switch to shelling in the field.  The farm ground would have been rented out to a neighbor when this farm family retired from agriculture.

 This proud old manure spreader was a horse drawn unit, and was always stored inside, protecting the paint from the elements until recent years.

 Collectors of John Deere equipment would probably put on a real show if this old machine was put into an auction.  I haven't seen one of this vintage with original paint on it for around fifty years.

The windmill and pump sit about mid-way between the house and barn.  This well is located on a low river bluff, and sits atop Illinoisan alluvial deposits on the Little Wabash River in Edwards County.  It's deep enough to be a problem for anyone who might unwittingly fall into it, so I hope that this well is filled in when the ironwork is scrapped, which will probably happen sooner than later.  The wooden cover is already crumbled, and is a hazard to animals.

Beer Can Burglars

About one month ago a beer can showed up under our mailbox one day.  I noticed it when I came home from work, and I thought right away that it wasn't necessarily an ordinary beer can tossed out of a passing vehicle.  Cans usually land a bit farther into the front yard, and this one just seemed a bit "placed," being right under the mailbox.  I see lots of trespass issues in forestry, and one thing I have learned is that trespassers often test the waters with little things to see if anyone is paying attention, such as making a No Trespassing sign disappear.  Just in case this can was such a test, I smashed it and put it back under the mailbox, and then came back with a .22 and put a hole in it.  The next evening, the can had been moved, so my suspicion was confirmed that someone was using it to check our attentiveness.  A day or two after that, Susan called me to report that a beer can had appeared adjacent to Patti's driveway, and it too, was obviously placed.  She smashed it flat and put it right in the middle of the driveway for the crooks to see.  The next day she almost made the crooks as they circled the drive on their visit to check.  She saw that it was a black Chevy pickup with two occupants, but couldn't get the license number.  I saw a vehicle of the same description reconning our house again, but they didn't let me get close enough to see their license.  About a week after that excitement, one of our neighbors was burglarized, losing a .410 shotgun to the thieves.   We haven't seen the black pickup again, and I assume they are working other neighborhoods in our part of the world.  True Blue Sam is passing this on to our visitors as a reminder that criminals are alway looking for an opportunity.  Be vigilant, and don't give the crooks a chance.

Here's A Nice Engine Display

This Fairbanks-Morse engine display was shown over at Evansville last summer. The adjustable stroke on the pump is worth noting, so it's in the video.