Monthly Archives: September 2006

That Energetic Brown Fox

Posted on September 30, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 30, 1907Los AngelesWho says research can’t be any fun? I wonder what the WCTU would say about five dozen liquor jugs. Dr. J.Z. Quack? Not a reassuring name, is it?Bonus factoid: In French, it’s “Voyez le brique geant que … Continue reading →

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Loud Pipes Save Lives

Posted on September 28, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 28, 1907Los AngelesMembers of the Los Angeles Motorcycle Club have written to officials in support of a measure banning loud exhaust pipes on motorcycles.“The motorcycle club says that it has been making a direct crusade against open mufflers and … Continue reading →

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The Public Guardian

Posted on September 27, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 27, 1907Los AngelesRingling Bros. manager Charles Davis said farewell to Los Angeles, leaving $50 ($1,026.18 USD 2005) and some choice words for local authorities.Child welfare officer Robert W. Reynolds spent several days attending the circus to ensure that there … Continue reading →

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Dial Tone

Posted on September 26, 2006 by lmharnisch

So you’re wondering if James Ellroy called, as he said he would when we taped a segment of “America’s Most Wanted.”Not yet….

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Disharmony

Posted on September 26, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 26, 1907Long Beach Marco Vessella, conductor of Long Beach’s Royal Italian Band, has had nothing but trouble with Special Officer W.D. Cason after firing him from his job as ticket taker. On one September evening, Vessella and a young … Continue reading →

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The Melancholy Prizefighter

Posted on September 25, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 25, 1907Los AngelesMeet Joe Gans, a boxer whose name once echoed among fans of the ring now buried in the dusts of sporting history. Gans may well have been one of the finest fighters whoever lived—among sportswriters, he inspired … Continue reading →

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Our Prolific Poets

Posted on September 24, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 24, 1907Los AngelesA First Day in Los AngelesRoving, roving, ever restless, driftingOn from strand to strand.Have I see the years slip by me,Seeking for the promised land.From the palm trees of Jamaica andThe Golden Spanish main.To the gray and … Continue reading →

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Take Me to the Water

Posted on September 23, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 23, 1907Los AngelesA crowd of 2,000—the faithful and the doubters—gathered at Echo Park Lake as black evangelist the Rev. J.L. Griffin prepared to baptize five believers in the cold water. Children climbed in the trees to get a better … Continue reading →

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Less Than Eternal Love

Posted on September 22, 2006 by lmharnisch

Less Than Eternal Love Sept. 22, 1907Los AngelesShe was 34 and a successful businesswoman. He was a 19-year-old bellboy at the Hollenbeck Hotel. Emma and George Lloyd were married and for a time were quite happy, with Emma running her … Continue reading →

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Not a Pretty Moment

Posted on September 21, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 21, 1907 Los Angeles It is one thing to know in the abstract about racial intolerance at the turn of the 20th century and quite another to have to read it in the daily paper. I will spare you … Continue reading →

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Everything Is Boiling

Posted on September 20, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 20, 1907Los AngelesFor weeks, Colorado mining investor John Geisel, 57, had confided in his diary as he felt his mind and his life coming unraveled “Good God,” he wrote, “for the first time today I began to fear that … Continue reading →

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El Grito

Posted on September 18, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 17, 1907Los AngelesMexican Independence Day was celebrated in a grand program sponsored by the Club Porfiro Diaz of Los Angeles at Turner Hall, 325 S. Main (demolished 1951), which was decorated with American and Mexican flags.“The exercises were begun … Continue reading →

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No Corduroys for the Frosh!

Posted on September 16, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 16, 1907Los AngelesOccidental’s fall semester has gotten underway with a boisterous gathering in the Hall of Letters. The first order of business was to punish underclassmen who dared to wear corduroy trousers, a right restricted to the upper classes. … Continue reading →

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Brian De Palma’s ‘The Black Dahlia’

Posted on September 14, 2006 by lmharnisch

“The Black Dahlia,” directed by Brian De Palma, screenplay by Josh Friedman based on the novel by James Ellroy. Starring Josh Hartnett (Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert), Aaron Eckhart (Leeland “Lee” Blanchard), Scarlett Johansson (Kay Lake), Hillary Swank (Madeleine Linscott) and Mia … Continue reading →

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Her Last Walk

Posted on September 13, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 13, 1907Los AngelesThe family was too poor to take a streetcar, so Concepcion Parra, 60, and her sister Mrs. J.L. Ghiotto began walking the 12 miles to El Monte with Parra’s 5-year-old granddaughter, Delphina Verde, to see the girl’s … Continue reading →

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The Fall Collection

Posted on September 11, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 11, 1907Direct Wire From New York Wow! Now this is the kind of quote one simply doesn’t see every day, at least in the 21st century. The Victorians certainly had a different attitude toward women’s physiques: “The woman who … Continue reading →

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EBay Avenger

Posted on September 10, 2006 by lmharnisch

OK, I’ve had my fun with Ellroy’s copies of the “Avenger” books. The hardback stands at $38 and the paperback at $29. Despite my minimum bids, there is always the risk that I might end up with these turkeys! Good … Continue reading →

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Horoscope for the Day

Posted on September 10, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 10, 1907Los Angeles A very uncertain day. No evil omens glare anywhere but in all aspects there lies a heavy veil, defying those who would peer into this day. Beware, therefore, of all and any unconsidered act. Promise nothing … Continue reading →

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The Infancy of Polling

Posted on September 9, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 9, 1907Los AngelesMore than a year before the 1908 presidential election, Republican William Howard Taft is far and away the favorite over Democrat William Jennings Bryan in a straw poll reported by The Times.Taft has strong support across the … Continue reading →

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A Flirtation Goes Awry

Posted on September 8, 2006 by lmharnisch

Sept. 8, 1907Los Angeles Jack Foster, a handsome, blond actor who is the toast of the vaudeville circuit, noticed a young lady standing at 3rd Street and Main after a show. Seeing that she was alone, Foster said: “Rather late … Continue reading →

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