Veterans of the Spanish-American War, 1899
The Spanish-American War coincided with the Omaha World’s Fair… as war loomed in the months of the fair’s planning, the fair’s leaders fretted over the impact a war might have on the celebratory nature of the Expo. But a jolt of patriotism fueled the Fair’s pomp; when victory appeared certain on July 4, the Independence Day events included a fireworks display depicting the defeat of the Spanish Navy. The Fair also featured a miniature battleship on the lagoon, with an already historically inaccurate recreation of the sinking of The USS Maine in Havana Harbor. (For the purposes of wartime politics, an explosion in the ship’s own bunker was attributed to an enemy mine.)
The photo above depicts Omahans turning out for a parade in honor of veterans returning home from the Spanish-American War. (This photo looks west on Farnam, between 14th and 15th streets.)
Hiccoughm (severe), suicide (attempt), concussion (brain), &tc.
From the Secretary’s Report of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition (the Omaha World’s Fair), by John A. Wakefield. Total number of emergency medical cases treated during the summer and fall of the Fair: 3,095. (copyright Omaha Public Library)
CLASSIFIED REPORT OF THE EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.
Total expense maintaining hospital, $4,075.13
Average number patients per day, 20.25
Average cost per patient, $1.31
Diagnosis.
Acute Gastritis,—————————————————110
Acute Pharyngitis,———————————————— 17
Acute Corryza,—————————————————— 12
Acute Bronchitis,————————————————-120
Acute Laryngitis,————————————————- 38
Acute Acholism,—————————————————- 20
Acute Dermatitis,————————————————- 34
Accute Syncope,—————————————————-117
Acute Glacoma,—————————————————— 3
Angina Pectoris,————————————————— 2
Abscesses,———————————————————— 45
Appendicualr Colic,———————————————- 4
Abortion,————————————————————- 2
Acute Oaphoritis,————————————————- 6
Burns and scalds,————————————————- 21
Concussion, (Brain),——————————————— 7
Contused and lacerated wounds,——————————330
Cholera Infantum,————————————————- 2
Conjuncteritis,—————————————————- 6
Dislocations,——————————————————- 2
Dentitis,————————————————————- 75
Dysmenorrhea,——————————————————- 39
Exhaustion,———————————————————-471
Enteritis,————————————————————633
Epilepsy,————————————————————- 7
Erysipilas,———————————————————- 2
Epididims-Orchitis,———————————————- 2
Foreign bodies removed from eyes and ears, sand,
cinders and insects,———————————————140
Fractures,———————————————————— 25
Fallicular Tonsilitis,—————————————— 18
Gunshot wounds,—————————————————- 4
Hemorrages, stomach, 2; lungs 12; Nose, 5,———— 19
Hepatic Colic,—————————————————— 27
Haematuria,———————————————————- 1
Hysteria,————————————————————- 35
Hiccoughm (severe),———————————————- 1
Insect Bites,——————————————————- 29
Icterus,————————————————————— 1
La Grippe,———————————————————— 49
Malaria,—————————————————————217
Manorrhagia,——————————————————— 2
Myalgia,————————————————————— 1
Neuralgia,———————————————————— 1w
Otitis Media,——————————————————- 13
Pleurisy,————————————————————- 13
Sprains,—————————————————————170
Sciatica,————————————————————- 41
Suicide (attempt) by strangulation (squaw),———- 1
Tumors,—————————————————————- 1
Torticallis,——————————————————— 2
Typhoid Fever,—————————————————— 4
Tends Vadinitis,————————————————— 2
Ulcerations,——————————————————— 83
Society girl tattoo
from The Herald (Los Angeles), Jan 9, 1898; caption:
“The Hindoo Tattoer, who is decorating the left shoulder of the society girl just back of her heart. It is a fad that has come to stay.”
(clipping courtesy of Library of Congress Chronicling America newspaper project)
Our large Electro-static machine
Advetorial in Omaha Bee, Jan 2, 1898:
“Electricity— The various forms of insulation treatments, the breeze, the spray, the various forms of sparks, the interrupted current, and other forms of general and local treatment with our large Electro-static machine, as well as Galvanism and Faradism, variously applied, are working wonders in our hands in relieving and curing all kinds of painful and nervous affections, such as neuralgia, paralysis or paresis, nervous exhaustion and weakness, swellings, tumors, etc. Electricity is now acknowledged to be the greatest pain reliever known in all forms of chronic nerve irritation.”
The Barrison Sisters reveal kittens beneath their skirts, at the conclusion of their notorious vaudeville cat dance, c. 1890s.
“In their most famous act, the sisters would dance, raising their skirts slightly above their knees, and ask the audience, “Would you like to see my pussy?” When they had coaxed the audience into an enthusiastic response, they would raise up their skirts, revealing that each sister was wearing underwear of their own manufacture that had a live kitten secured over the crotch.” - From Wikipedia
(Photo from Wikimedia: Via:billyjane: thetranscendentalmodernist & turnofthecentury)
Better eat morphine
In advertorial article from Omaha Bee, Jan 2, 1898:
Let it be distinctly understood that the spirit and purpose of the Shepard specialty system is two-fold.
First, it is to bring to the treatment and cure of chronic diseases generally the efforts and labors of physicians specially educated and trained to their mastery, and thus to insure a more competent, a more radical and a more successful handling of those seated, stubborn and malign disorders most prolific of human misery, or most destructive of human life.
Second, it is to place rich and poor alike on absolutely one level and footing, as regards its benefits, by making the fee undeviating and uniform at a small sum per month, including all medicines.
Pure sugar stick candy and real butter scotch
One day the Bregants stopped by the Woodward factory to place an order for their [grocery] store. John Woodward met them and insisted they give up the grocery business and work for him as salespeople and “demonstrators for his goods.” … The “Bregants of Council Bluffs” toured 20 states — putting to use showmanship skills from their vaudeville years — to sell Woodward’s confesctions. Husand and wife also appeared in advertisements for the candy giant. They were known as the “Candy Kids.” — March 12, 2012; Mike Brownlee writing for the Omaha World-Herald. http://www.omaha.com/article/20120312/NEWS01/703129951
From Los Angeles Herald: Midget Bride and Groom: Liliputians Fell in Love While Playing at Coney Island and Wed Council Buffs, Ia., Jan 7 (1906)
Inez Lewis of Council Bluffs, who is 42 1-2 inches tall and who weighs forty-five pounds, yesterday became the wife of Jean Bregant, an Austrian midget, forty-five inches tall and weighing only sixty-six pounds.
The romance which culminated in the Christmas wedding is full of interest. Both Inez Lewis and Jean Bregant were playing in vaudeville at Coney Island last summer. Curiously enough, they both were at the Midget City opera house and it was not long before the acquaintance which sprung up between them became serious.
The bride is only eighteen years old, while Mr. Bregant is 35. The bride was born in Denver, but has spent most of her life in the Bluffs. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lewis, of 410 North Eighth street. They are both of normal size, and so were their ancestors, so far as known. Inez is their only child.
Jean Bregant, who was born in Styria, Austria, is also the only midget of his family. His parents are of normal size and so are his brothers and sisters. He has been in vaudeville fifteen years, in which time he has played in Berlin, St. Petersburg, Bucharest, Belgrade, Vienna and all the principal European cities. He played in New York last summer, which was his only engagement in America.
Jean Bregant is a linguist. Besides his native Slav he speaks English, French, and German.
No, not she!: Susan B. Anthony in Omaha
From an article in the Oct 29, 1898, issue of Omaha Bee, titled “What Women Should Wear: Dress, Reform and Otherwise, Get a Full Morning’s Discussion… Miss Anthony Explains the Only Service Man Can Be to Her…”
Say a word of praise for man? No; not she! Miss Susan B. Anthony could not find one single reason for approving a “government of, by and for men,” the evening previous, when the subject of patriotism was being discussed. Yet she did find the value of one man – Gerritt Smith – to illustrate a point when the Women’s National Council at its last morning public session took up the subject of dress. True the only use for man Miss Anthony has is to illustrate a point. She doubtless thinks that is all the good he is to nature generally.
…Miss Anthony had a story to tell. In 1855 when dress reform was at its height Mrs. Miller, the daughter of Gerritt Smith of New York, the millionaire abolitionist member of congress, wore the “bloomer” costume – a dress much less “queer” than the modern gymnasium dress or bicycle costume – in all classes of society. So intensely did Mr. Smith feel upon the subject that he wrote a letter to his cousin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, saying it was no use for women to expect equality of rights so long as they persisted in following Parisian fashions. Elizabeth Cady Stanton replied that the dress of women was not the cause but the result of the conditions imposed upon her. Here Miss Anthony commented:
So long as women are disfranchised, so long as we have to ask some man for a chance to make a living, so long as the wife is a servant to her husband and the favors she gets are because of her subjection to him, so long will we be compelled to dress in the conventional way with all its inconveniences and drawbacks. What we need is free women.
