Distaff dispatches deficient
One hundred years ago it was unusual to see the faces of local women in any part of Little Rock newspapers other than their society pages. Attractive Visitor, Lovely Visitor and Attractive Bride made routine photographic appearances there, of course. And as Arkansas women infiltrated state political parties, a few of their faces did show up on the front page of the Arkansas Gazette. Once or twice.
So a full-page ad speckled with headshots in the Dec. 1, 1918, Gazette must have been an eye-catcher. Of the 13 fundraising captains on the page, five were women.
Signed by the leader of the national United War Work Campaign in Pulaski County, the ad credited these civic leaders with bringing in three times more money than had been collected in North Little Rock by any other wartime fund drive.
Nationally, the united campaign set out to raise $170.5 million for seven organizations that entertained American soldiers overseas. Its prospects looked grim at the outset — the campaign opened on Nov. 11, just as Germany signed an armistice effectively ending the Great War. Townspeople who would have watched a parade and listened to noble-minded appeals to open their wallets instead marched in their own parades, fired guns overhead and caroused drunkenly for 18 hours.
But the fund drive continued through Nov. 18. Nationally, it raised $203 million. And Arkansas did its bit. Especially in North Little Rock, it seems, where the quota was $12,500 but the team brought in $19,007.
County leader J. Gilbert Leigh wrote in the ad: These results speak for themselves as to the generosity and patriotism of the North Little Rock citizens, as well as the thorough and painstaking work of the most efficient North Little Rock organization herewith presented to the public.
The five female faces included Mrs. H.P. Hopkins, general chairman of the women’s division; Miss Mary Vogel, Mrs. B.A. Wilson, H.O. Toff, Mrs. C.D. Hutchens and Mrs. J.W. Weed.
Hmm. H.O. Toff? Unusual name for a lady in 1918.
And in fact it was not the lady’s name. Toff was the man to her right — identified as Mrs. W.J. Kavanaugh.
Such mistakes happen all the time in newspapers. Today editors retract mistakes in neat boxes dedicated to corrections. But a century ago, corrections were rare birds. Errata frolic uncorrected throughout the Gazette and Arkansas Democrat archives. And so imagine the amusement of Gazette readers Dec. 3, who
surely noticed the four-photograph “Correction” explaining that “Toff” was in fact Mrs. Kavanaugh. And Mrs. Kavanaugh was Mrs. Wilson. Furthermore, Mary Vogel was Mrs. Kavanaugh, and Mrs. Wilson was Mary Vogel.
If readers got a chuckle thinking about some furiously tactful phone calls to the editor of the Gazette that had provoked such an unusual reaction, surely they reveled in their fantasies Dec. 5, when “Another Correction” appeared, with three photographs.
Mrs. Weed was actually Mrs. Hutchens, and Mrs. Hutchens was Mrs. Weed. And there was Mary Vogel’s photo yet again, adding the information that her district’s subscriptions led subscriptions from all the other districts.
This is horror of the sort that newspaper employees gleefully recall, year after year and down through decades, when we gather at our watering holes to laugh until we cry.
Christmas advertisements blossomed in the first week of that long-ago December, with pitches aimed at — get this — “early” shoppers. We can see three main trends in these appeals.
Exemplifying one trend, the M.M. Cohn Co. (note the uppercase M’s) of Little Rock asked:
What will you give him for Christmas? There’s one thing that is certain; it will be a useful gift; something that he needs and would have to buy if you didn’t give it to him. Nobody wants to be wasteful this year.
Another pitch is represented by the Gus Blass Co., which took out a full page to detail its “sensational price-cutting sale”:
The Merciless Slaughter of Prices on New and Staple Merchandise in the Bargain Basement — Continues Two Days Longer — Note these Great Reductions! Come tomorrow prepared to Buy, Buy and Buy!
Blass bought another full page to tout a “Special Purchase Sale.” Flanked by archaic oil lamps, its banner promised: “Service and Friendly Glow Pervade this Christmas Store.”
Amid the madly typo’d advice on the Blass page, we learn that a gift of gloves is always welcome. Also, neckwear is a dainty gift, indeed, and always popular among close friends. Close friends would love to have stocks (neck-wrapping ties), waistcoats (formal vests) or high necked “guipmes” — apparently a typo of guimpes, or wimples.
Meanwhile, the Christmas supply of handkerchiefs stood ready and waiting, having been enlarged to be “the broadest gathering of the Handkerchief clans imaginable” — bigger and more varied handkerchief stocks than this store had ever offered, ever.
But my favorite 1918 argument for shopping is the rather wild joy of the Pfeifers store at Sixth and Main streets, one of whose two fullpage ads in the Dec. 1 Gazette proclaimed — below prices for three types of shoes, a deal on holiday stationery and a promise that mail orders were filled promptly:
The Wonders and Glories of Christmas Shopping Are Intensified and Multiplied by the Victorious Conclusion of the World War The Enemies of humanity have been shorn of their power to do evil — The civilized peoples of the earth are rejoicing in the triumph of Right over Might — Everywhere is manifested joy and pride at the Glorious termination of a mighty Conflict that was never in doubt as to its final issues — The forces of Retribution and readjustment are working swiftly — and the full observance of Christmas rites and customs may fittingly be termed a privilege and among the prized rewards and Blessings of Peace.
The banner of the second full page ad is almost as good:
This Will Be the Most Wonderful Christmas the World Has Ever Known Whatever your plans may be you no doubt are going to make this Christmas an EXTRAORDINARY gift-giving one. The world is at peace — Let good cheer abound — give liberally, make everybody happy — make yourself happy by giving. Our plans have been made accordingly — Without exception, our present display is most wonderful, an exclusive collection of exquisite DIAMONDS, fine watches, solid gold jewelry — Sterling silverwares and novelties; gifts that will endure and be a constant reminder of the world’s most wonderful Christmas.
A discreet box below this optimistic effusion were terms for The Pfeifer Plan of Partial Payment — easy time payments.
I hope you have enjoyed today’s holiday cheer from 1918. I’ve diligently ignored several significant news stories from that long ago December to make this Old News the most wonderful column the world has ever known, perfect for you and your guimpe-prizing closest friends. You’re welcome. cstorey@arkansasonline.com