Philadelphia Story 1

[neil]

"Here lies W. C. Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia."

Hey, what's wrong with Philadelphia?

Have just returned from an Easter break week in the country to find 450+
emails from ADS awaiting - don't you guys ever go on holiday?

While in my Somerset summerhouse I came across a small volume published
almost a century ago (October 1905) by George W. Jacobs & Co, Philadelphia,
titled 'That Reminds Me'.

The unsigned introduction informs us that :
'For some years the 'Public Ledger' of Philadelphia, and earlier the
Philadelphia 'Times', before the two journals were united, have offered
premiums for contributions to a column of jests called "Tales Worth
Telling." [...] Such humor, springing, as it does, from the people, much of
it being caught at first hands from those who invented it to be transcribed
for the newspaper in which it first appeared and now to be preserved in this
volume, illustrates many important truths in our American character. "Show
me a nation's humor and I will show you its civilization," is a sentiment
worthy to become a proverb.'

I seem to recall one previous posting mentioned 'Honey-do's', so I'll
commence selected highlights with:

AT THE WRONG DOOR
The following story is told of an American gentleman who was recently
stopping with his wife at the Hotel Cecil in London.
The first evening there she happened to return somewhat earlier than her
spouse. Arriving at the door of what he supposed was his own room and
finding it locked, he tapped and called, "Honey." No answer came and he
again called more loudly, "Honey." Still there was no reply, and becoming
somewhat uneasy, he shouted the endearing term with his full strength. This
time an answer came and in a male voice.
"Go away, you blithering idiot! This is a bathroom, not a blooming beehive."

Tomorrow, A TEACHER'S JOYS.

-- Neil Crawford