Miscellany, May 15, 1939

Enthusiast

In Lewes, Del., Birdy, a parrot, died. When President Grover Cleveland first took office, Birdy was taught to shout: “Hurrah for Cleveland!” For 54 years Birdy cheered for Cleveland.

Lollypopeye

In Manhattan, one John Bowie Carter wanted $1,000,000 so he could get started on a “humanitarian play” covering events from 1649 to the 1940 Presidential election. He wired to the New York Daily News: “Will hold up J. P. Morgan’s Wall Street headquarters at 11:07 a. m. . . .” Police met him there right on time. In his pocket they found a bag containing six lollypops.

S. P. G. E.

In Tampa, university undergraduates organized an Alpha Chapter of a Society for the Prevention of Goldfish Eating, vowed to eat canned sardines instead.

Temper

Near Paris, Tex., irascible Farmer Marion Mackey lost his temper at his neighbors’ trespassing chickens, grabbed his shotgun, told his wife: “I’m going to kill that whole damn outfit.” Marching to the farm of Neighbor James Winchel Snow, 79, Marion Mackey began shooting. When he had mowed down Farmer Snow and Mrs. Snow, their two daughters and son-in-law—killing three of the five—Mackey was still mad. On his way to hide out in the Red River bottoms, he stopped to kill Farmer Dee Chandler, who was plowing a field.

Home & Home

In Dunellen, N. J., homesick Carl Schurr, a German iceman, traded his $1,300 house & lot for one in Stuttgart, Germany, recently vacated by Jewish Refugee Rudolph Stoessell. As Herr Schurr auctioned off his ice business lock, stock and tongs, Refugee Stoessell, already well housed in midtown Manhattan, put his new Dunellen estate up for rent.

Butcher

In Lancaster, Calif., Chinese Butcher Yackie Mun-choo was fined $150, forbidden to sell meat for two years. Reason: to prevent his hamburger from spoiling, Butcher Yackie embalmed it.

Young Fellow

In London, the gaffers of the Royal Meteorological Society, impressed by the excellent observations he had been mailing in for three years, proffered Roger Cade a fellowship in the Society. Roger proved to be 14 years old. Anxious beard-wagging over the by-laws discovered no age limit at either end for Fellows, so Roger Cade was admitted.