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This newspaper page contains 19 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Shafter Press
Location
Shafter, California, United States of America
Date
Dec 08, 1938
Page
8
A young man in a powerful sports car takes a woman out for the day, while the mother asks about breakdown readiness. The couple returns late and the daughter tells her mother they are engaged after the car breaks down and Jack handles the situation.
A faded scene shows an absent-minded professor clinging to a strap aboard a train as he speaks with a conductor. He carries bundles and sways, his face growing apprehensive while attempting to pay his fare.
A humorous exchange asks what kind of hired man is desired. The farmer says he needs one with big feet to reach around and fix holes in the bottom of the shayrack, highlighting pragmatic, rustic concerns.
In a humorous scene Mrs Wood Borer questions dining options while Mr Wood Borer points to a sign reading Tables reserved for ladies, prompting a lighthearted exchange about etiquette and seating norms.
A mix of quirky snippets from Stray Stories Magazine features a botany teacher’s fable about a rose and violet, a Crimson Gulch curfew tale with a jail turned nightclub, and shipboard romantics with a comic ape misunderstanding.
A string of brief, comic dialogue snippets shows a restaurant patron scolding a waiter about milk, a minister recalling stone walls, a hypnotized prisoner, a scoutmaster asking for a good deed, and a boy sharing castor oil with his brother.
A brief literary exchange shows Miss Pump asking about love and Mr. Oxford answering with his sole devotion. The light verse captures whimsy between two characters in a historical text.
A terse exchange aboard the U S S Maryland features a sailor noting a visitor's sea legs and rough reception. The remark playfully alludes to naval life and a casual confrontation aboard the ship.
The butternut is a native tree with the largest compound leaves in the region. It ripens early and often loses leaflets when blown by winds. Its sap is sweet but does not sugar like maple, and nuts are large with thick shells. Pioneers used butternut husks for dye and oil reputed for medicinal uses learned from the Indians.
A Portland Oregonian note reports hippos can weigh up to four tons and resemble elephants in size. Natives hunt hippos at night using traps and harpoons, chasing them in canoes and using ropes to tire the animal before striking with spears for meat and valuable tusks.
Noting scholarly debate on early English lexicography, the piece cites Henry Cockeram’s 1623 The English Dictionarie as the first true dictionary, with Robert Cawdrey’s 1604 Table Alphabeticall as an earlier but inferior work. Cockeram urged writers to seek learned style by consulting simple words and expanding with long synonyms.
The kangaroo usually peaceful, but when dogs hunt it turns defensive. It backs to a tree while the dog lunges for a throat hold, the kangaroo then ensnares it with strong forelegs and powerful hind legs to rip the dog’s hide. Sometimes it traps the dog in water and holds it under until it cannot breathe. The Old Man kangaroo can reach eight or nine feet tall, with many sizes below that.
The excerpt discusses a Roman general and Antiochus agreeing to half the fleet, saving ships by twice saving them. It notes Plateans and Thebans in a pact to restore prisoners, who were executed after a prior pledge. Pericles pledged to spare those who surrendered but ordered killing of armed opponents.
The text notes a crude bathtub removed from the White House during Andrew Jackson's presidency and a long gap before another was installed. It mentions Dolly Madison's prior installation and President Fillmore's era, with his wife promoting bathing to prevent malaria then common in Washington.
Postmaster Lois L. Berry urges careful holiday mailing with secure wrapping and clear addresses. Parcels should be wrapped in durable paper, not sealed unless labeled Contents merchandise, and include sender name and address for inspection if needed. Weights capped at 70 pounds domestically and 20 pounds to U S possessions, size limit 100 inches combined length and girth.
A note states that rates for domestic and foreign mail may be obtained at the local post office. It mentions tags and address copies for indentification when necessary. The guidance emphasizes upper left placement for placement and use of tags only when required.
A 1300 year old legend recalls Chinese emperor Li-Shin-Min offering to heaven by swallowing a live locust to prove his prayer could halt a plague. The strange rite reflects ancient belief in direct sacrifice to divine will.
Members of the Shafter volunteer fire department refused to accept the resignation of Chief Oliver Sly at a regular meeting. They deferred action to allow time to arrange business affairs so Sly could continue as head of the department. The meeting also reported a 119 dollar profit from the firefighters dance and plans to buy slickers with funds.
League games began last week at Richland school with A team results showing Giants first, Cubs and Drillers tied for second, Eagles and Golden Bears tied for third, Wildcats in last place. Also notes Farm Bureau meeting attendees George Harrison Gordon Smith and W A Livers from Shafter.
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