Historic Headlines

Hugh tells the story of a petty exchange that took place in the pages of the New York Tribune and the Syracuse Post-Standard, and culminated one hundred years ago today.

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Hugh reads the Syracuse Daily Standard's story about the funeral of Rev. Samuel J. May, which includes details about the sights, smells and sounds that he's found nowhere else.

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Hugh talks about a tennis champion from 1921, and a disturbingly familiar misogynistic media potshot at her.

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Hugh analyzes the media coverage of the life of Rev. Samuel J. May during the week following his death. Hugh does not do a good job of maintaining his composure in the face of the New York Herald's mind-boggling hypocrisy. 

To see all articles referenced in the episode, follow along with the companion blog post.

Hugh parses—and asks for help interpreting—three articles printed 150 years ago yesterday:

• The Chicago Tribune's account of Gerrit Smith's hot take on Victoria Woodhull
• The Philadelphia Evening Telegraph throwing shade at the Democracy for its hypocrisy over Jeff. Davis
• The Chicago Tribune's snark at Horace Greeley throwing his hat in the ring for a Presidential run

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One hundred fifty years ago, folks in Pennsylvania, Australia, Chicago and Iowa had strong opinions about Syracuse salt producers and the tariffs they favored. In this episode, Hugh endeavors to explain why that matters to our interpretation of the nineteenth century.

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After getting his own episode number wrong, Hugh examines a report from one hundred years ago this week about a spectacularly fatuous convocation of advertisers around the Cardiff Giant. The giant snake of Baldwinsville also puts in an appearance, as do various miraculously cured users of patent medicines.

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Hugh reads two long pieces from the Salt Company of Onondaga printed in the Syracuse Daily journal and the New-York Tribune 150 years ago today.

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Hugh paints a picture of the Syracuse of 1871, with a special focus on one remarkably annoying sound. He ends with a demonstration of the noisemaker that caused such a sensation.

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Hugh has the most fun yet with this silly little story printed in Emporia, Kansas 150 years ago today. He  examines the spread of this viral meme that originated six months earlier with one man's embarrassing moment during an Episcopal church service in Syracuse.

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