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The Origins of Lynch Law.

March 25, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Wide West, 25 December 1854 The Washington Sentinel, in a long and interesting article on this subject, says: ” Lynch Law originated in what is now known as the Piedmont country of Virginia, which was at the time the western frontier. The nearest court of criminal jurisdiction held its sessions at Williamsburg, which is but … [Read more…]

Posted in: California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Thinking about Tagged: 1854, Jamestown, Judge Lynch, Lynch Law, The Washington Sentinel, Virginia, Wide West

The Wide West – San Francisco 1857

March 20, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

CITY NEWS. The Earthquake.—One of those shocks that terra firma is heir to, visited our city on Thursday evening last, Feb. 5th, in the shape of an earthquake. Having given the oscillating movement a fair trial on its previous visits, the present tremblor adopted a different system of tactics, and addressed itself to the brick … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Thinking about Tagged: 1857, Earthquake, San Francisco, tremblor

Piromusical 1995

March 14, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

After Saturday night’s festivities at El Correfoc we were wondering what would be in store for us on Sunday. The newspaper had a listing for a “Piromusical” at a large square at the base of the National Palace around Montjuic Fountain. The site was ready made for public displays with the Palace standing on a … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: Bengalas, confetti, mines, Montjuic, mortars, Piromusical, Pyrotechnics, Pyrotechnics Guild International, rocket racks, salutes

La Merce

March 13, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

La Merce – Fireworks in Barcelona the last weekend in September. In 1995, wife and I took a three-week trip to Spain and France. When planning the trip I looked for festivals  that may occur in areas around our planned stops. In Fodor’s Spain 1995,  in the sections on festivals, only one festival appeared to … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: 1995, Barcelona, Carretilla, Catalunya, Diablo, Drac, El Correfoc, Festival, fireworks, La Merce, Las Colles, Maco, Pirotechnica, Spain

TEPIC

March 12, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Daily Alta California, 7 February 1881. — Our Mexican Letter. — Description of the December Festivities — The Churches, Music and Procession — Mexican Fireworks [SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE ALTA.] Tipec, January 19th, 1881. Editors Alta: The week ending on the 12th of December is one of much interest and excitement to the people of … [Read more…]

Posted in: California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers Tagged: A FIGURE OF A BULL, balloon, bell ringing, festoons, fiesta, fireworks, La Señora Guadalupe, lanterns, laughter, Mexicans, promenading, Rockets, Saint day, TEPIC, the plaza

THE PRESENT CONGRESS

March 5, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Healdsburg Tribune, 5 March 1927 THE PRESENT CONGRESS passed out of existence at high noon on March 4th. Its present session has certainly been a dismal failure. We think of no outstanding measure that has been given to the people. Several good measures were before them, but the democrats and republicans seemed to be afraid … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Politics, This Day in History Tagged: 1927, BOULDER DAM, Democrats, Healdsburg, Republicans, Senator Hiram Johnson, Volstead act

BIG DISTILLERY IN KAWANA HOSTELRY

March 2, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

If I didn’t know better, I would think I’m reading about an illegal pot growing operation in Sonoma county in 2017. Somethings never seem to change. Healdsburg Tribune, 2 March 1927 OFFICERS FIND BIG DISTILLERY IN KAWANA HOSTELRY GIANT ILLICIT ALCOHOL OUTFIT CONFISCATED BY OFFICERS In the course of a raid on Taylor mountain, located … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, This Day in History Tagged: Distillery, Dry county, Jack, Prohibition, Pure Alcohol, Sonoma County, Taylor Mountain, White Sulphur Springs

The True History of Fake News

February 19, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

L.M. Slackens: The Yellow Press, showing William Randolph Hearst as a jester handing out newspapers, published by Keppler & Schwarzmann, October 12, 1910 ” In the long history of misinformation, the current outbreak of fake news has already secured a special place, with the president’s personal adviser, Kellyanne Conway, going so far as to invent … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Politics, Thinking about, Trump Tagged: Anecdota, broadsides, canard, Fake News, Journalism, misinformation, pasquinades, Procopius, Yellow Journalism

Kellyanne Devolves

February 15, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Last night, over our Valentine’s dinner with friends, mention of Kellyanne Conway’s name quickly devolved into Cuntyanne Cuntway. As this twist on her name was howled at by all the women at dinner, it seems it has a female approval, at least, after a nice dinner with good friends.

Posted in: Faits Divers, Politics, Trump Tagged: Cuntway, Cuntyanne, Kellyanne Conway

A New Calculating Machine.

February 13, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Daily Alta California, 13 February 1857 We read in the Moniteur – “M. Thomas, of Colmar, has lately made the finishing improvements in the calculating machine, called the arithmometer, at which he has been working for upwards of thirty years. Pascal and Leibnitz, in the 17th century, and Diderot at a later period, endeavored to … [Read more…]

Posted in: California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Thinking about, This Day in History Tagged: 1857, addition, Arithmometer, banks, calculation, counting houses, Diderot, division, Leibnitz, multiplication, Pascal, square root, subtraction, Thomas of Colmar
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