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This newspaper page contains 26 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Dec 31, 1945
Page
4
The column celebrates wartime gains and postwar plans in Alabama. It praises Lawrence county for meeting wartime quotas, notes rationing ending with 1946, and warns of rising newsprint costs. It comments on Tennessee Tombigbee canal prospects, Moscow talks, and state liquor policy debates. It forecasts growth in Cullman and Morgan county voting strength.
The Alabama Journal notes a severe Christmas tragedy in New England where spectators at a nursing home Christmas tree died from a fire sparked by a faulty electrical plug. The piece warns that candles and cotton decorations create inflammable danger, urging stricter safety during holiday celebrations.
The Huntsville Times notes a quir k in wartime finance as Americans shun government bonds for savings accounts. Despite higher bond yields and guarantees, savers prefer bank deposits, citing safety and liquidity. The piece highlights the public’s provincial view of bonds versus bank accounts.
A West Coast paper misquoted The Age Herald, implying Alabama's Crimson Tide practiced at Occident al College. The error suggested Tide took advantage of host officials, a misread sports edit aimed at campus practice details.
A Houston liquor dealer, claiming the war is over, employed a crew of Black workers to smash four truckloads of wartime liquor worth an estimated retail value of $80,000. He declares customers will now receive only good merchandise.
Alabama Journal sports editor recounts Hugh Omas youngest son of coach Thomas turning a California trip into a small venture by buying 20 sandwiches at Houston for 10 cents each and reselling them at 200 cents each. He sold fourteen kept five and one given away, yielding 80 cents profit with a full stomach.
Westbrook Pegler recounts a flamboyant shot by a young Pegler at Pelham Country Club and other tales of nerves and luck on golf courses. The column mocks sports writers while praising Pegler’s bold stroke and late career reflections amid humorous digressions.
A reflective piece envisions a shared future where people of all backgrounds find joy in golf and creative writing, celebrating accessible hobbies and self expression as universal gifts for the new year.
Washington observers debate 1946 prospects as inflation fears mix with peacetime production. They cite wage hikes, union power, and government aims to hold prices, while consumer demand, shortages, and political pressures cloud the path ahead. Human choices and elections may shape the actual course.
Cockroaches will eat practically anything, including paint, and like it. The resilience and broad diet of these insects highlight their adaptability in urban settings, where exposure to diverse materials and household waste creates ample feeding opportunities.
A brief New Year verse by Junius Farewell reflects thanks for peace after World War II and expresses hope for lasting relief from conflict. It contrasts the era of bitter strife with a fragile, often broken, January first crockery resolution as a light, humorous counterpoint.
A Decatur father rebukes his son who aspires to acting saying the choice would dishonor their home. The son counters with the idea of using a stage name to pursue success, while the father questions what credit he would receive if the son becomes successful.
A succinct, period tone saying a soldier stands in line to get his meal while a civilian waits for broader provisions, contrasting disciplined service with civilian access to goods. The remark frames morale and supply dynamics in a wry, sociopolitical vantage.
A father from Decatur asks his son if he heard the clock strike on returning home. The son replies that he stopped the clock to avoid waking his father, indicating a quiet late night moment in a family setting.
A brief note suggests the best way to guard New Year's resolutions is to store a copy in a locked drawer or safe deposit box, ensuring they remain private and secure.
Rastus claims business success after a chain of swaps from mule to bicycle to mangle iron and a bed, then sells the bed for ten dollars. Sambo concedes no turnover yet touts the overall enterprise.
A short humor filled note shows two slick men attempting to recruit a local Decatur businessman for an investment. One suspects the other may be wary as the man counts his fingers after a handshake. Also includes a framed doctor office card quote and a quip about Florida travel and hotel profits.
A vivid column note captures Walter Winchell style bits from Manhattan nightlife. Mentions Fanny Brice’s son Billy pursuing a solo exhibition after completing canvases, aristocrat Prince Francis Graetz-Windisch, Alfred Drake with “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” Joe Everglades quieting a Copa pest, Gleason and Curran quipping at the 66 Club, and various showbiz tidbits including Berle, Milton, and Katherine Dunham readying Copacabana numbers.
A socialite gathering ends in a brawl and hints at a possible divorce between young blue-bloods. Mary Ellin Berlin, daughter of Irving Berlin, pursues many beaux with Murray McDonald a leading ardent suitor. Radio figures Thomas Hudson and Margaret Whiting are described playfully, while other social mentions mix with entertainment gossip.
Har ry Sperber, once a Broadway columnist and radio voice for German listeners, rose from being deemed unfit to describe a prize fight to serving as chief German interpreter at the Nuremberg trials. Now Capt. H Sperber of the U S Army translates judge statements prosecutors and witnesses for the German leaders facing trial. He also provides running commentary on atrocity filings shown during the proceedings.
In a lively exchange the preacher hints at women in his congregation eating an apple while a friend jokes about flirting with waitresses. A Decatur girl notes her boyfriend does not smoke drink or swear, and a sweet friend asks if he makes all his own dresses.
Duke Ellington historic concert at Carnegie Hall on January 4 clashes with Count Basie premiering Queer Street. Larry Adler Paul Draper series at City Center features Adler's Clair de Lune on jukebox circuit. Marjorie Knapp headlines Bowman Room Biltmore.
A joke-filled item notes baldness signals virility clashing with Samson lore while gag writer Joe Evens amid miseries pokes a major while Lorra ine Miller courts him. Myer Schine enters Who's Who as a theatre mogul after building 160 cinemas. Vincent Sheean recalls a Salerno landing tale with Fairbanks and Steinbeck missing Mussolini by fifteen minutes.
A string of snappy, punchy quotes from various venues including Theo dore's Ruban Bleu 1 2 3 Pelham Heath Inn Leone's Stork Zanzibar Golden Fiddle Greenwich Village Inn ABC newsroom and Howie's. The remarks joke on memory, money, war fatigue and social quirks with sharp-edged humor and playful character banter.
A lighthearted fragment notes a Decatur girl who was to testify at a dressmaker shop. The tailor jokes about a direct testimony suit and a cross examination gown as the would be star witness plans her wardrobe. The scene blends rural school life with courtroom humor.
A local minister addressed his congregation to recall that Eve did not realize she lacked clothing, framing the Genesis episode as a lesson on awareness and modesty.
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