Through out my genealogical career, I have hunted for obituaries. Who hasn't, right! I have read thousands of little news blurbs in newspapers while searching for an obit.
One day, I decided to start collecting the items I found interesting. With no specific thoughts to how to use these precious pieces of history, I started printing whole pages of old newspapers.
As you can imagine, the copy quality leaves a lot to be desired. Most libraries, it seems, just use the bare minimum in the printer quality. Saves ink I guess, or the caliber of the printer is due to price concerns.
The prints come out scratchy, blurry and the font is thick. I clean the image up as well as I can using Corel X, but I haven't discovered how to "make a silk purse out of a sows ear" as yet.
These I have scanned and posted on my Squidoo lens (a page) "
Old News", and where the article is very bad, I have done my best to offer a translation.
Transcription: "On last Friday night at Dallas O. B. Strother a cattle dealer from Ennis was found with four bullet holes in his head, whether it was a murder or suicide is not at present known, but it is generally believed to have been a murder." Feb. 26, 1881 Beaumont Enterprise Beaumont, Texas
Some of the news just cracks me up. Take this one for example, "Rent a gun". Our grandparents and great-grandparents had some wild ideas!
The Malakoff News, Henderson Co., Texas Jan. 1930
Yes..I find the old news to be pretty interesting reading. And finding the obits, what I was originally searching for, is always a joy and interesting as well.
Clarksville Northern Standard, Bowie Co. TX
There is so much we can learn from reading the old news. Many subjects we were taught in school, and didn't find too thrilling (at the time) can seem to come alive once we read it as current news.
If you like reading old news, why not join the
Old News group and post items you have found interesting too.
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