PAGE 16 - WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - MARCH 9, 2011
Area Writer’s corner
Fun with Advertising
by Mary B. Olsen, Shell Lake Ever since I can remember, a remarkable, all-pervasive marvel called advertising has surrounded me. It’s like the air itself; you breathe it in and exhale it. Some of it stays in my brain cells. In its many forms, on the airwaves or in print, we are all subjected to it. Word of mouth became outdated when people started to use print. The very first use of printing was the Beware of Dog sign. It could be considered a warning, but if the sign owner really didn’t have a dog, then it was a form of false advertising. It would chase away peddlers. Whether we like it or not, the ads in all their various forms are part of our national history. They can be rude, shameless, and/or comical, and they may give you a choice, or they may dictate your behavior. I like the funny ones and find them better than the warnings and the authoritarian messages. We had cartoons in our first newspapers. You’ve probably seen that fractured snake, drawn by Ben Franklin himself that was an early political cartoon. But it wasn’t until the 1890s that the comic strip was born. There was a struggle going on between two New York newspapers, Pulitzer’s World and Hearst’s Journal. They were trying to expand their readership. Pulitzer put out a Sunday paper and used cartoons by a man named Outcault. They ran it in color on the front page. It offered a kind of risqué humor depicting the life of the lower class. He called what became the first ever comic strip character, The Yellow Kid. People liked it. Then Hearst offered Outcault more money to use the cartoon strip. The result was a lawsuit after the strip ap-
Sarona
peared in both papers for a couple of months. Outcault had called it Hogan’s Alley featuring the kid in a yellow smock. The decision gave Pulitzer The Yellow Kid and the title Hogan’s Alley to the World. Its popularity resulted in many comic strips and continues using the panels, the balloons with the words in them and the kinds of characters, to this day. Richard Felton Outcault was born in 1863 and died in 1928. He worked for Thomas Edison as an illustrator and as a comic artist for humor magazines, Judge, and Life. He not only gave us the funny papers, but also was the creator of Buster Brown in 1902. This little boy, posed with his dog, made advertising history. Outcault patterned his character after his own son and dog. Featured at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904, it won the double grand prize awarded to a shoe company. Not only did Outcault have his character at the shoe company exhibit, but also he had his own booth at the fair and sold the rights to his trademark characters to many companies. The result was the boy and dog popping up everywhere in ads. When I was a child in the 1940s, there was a radio program featuring Smilin’ Ed McConnell and the Buster Brown gang. Like the kids shows of the time, it was a radio drama with the cute little voice of Buster Brown and the bark of his dog, Tige. He would say something like, “I’m Buster Brown and this is my dog, Tige. We live in a shoe.” Of course, we knew he didn’t live in a shoe, but his image was in the shoes and in magazines ads. Wasn’t it an old lady who lived in a shoe? The Buster Brown show aired on 165 stations and went to television until Smilin’ Ed passed away in 1954.
Washburn County Area Humane Society ADOPTABLE PETS OF THE WEEK
by Marian Furchtenicht
Woke up to a couple of inches of fresh snow on Monday morning, overcast skies and more snow showers in our forecast. It’s still March! Marlene Hansen, daughter Krista and little Jayden spent 10 days on a fun trip to Maui, Hawaii. Thursday held up in the Twin Cities for a day due to the big snowstorm when they left. They returned Friday afternoon, so now they are resting up. Krista and Jayden will return to their home in Minot, N.D., on Wednesday. Marilyn Zimmerman took in the bison feed at Turtleback in Rice Lake. Renee Zimmerman spent the weekend with her friend, Michelle Alters, in Eau Claire, helping her celebrate her 30th birthday. Folks were shocked to hear of the death of neighbor, Victor Chowaniak, who died at his home Friday, March 4, on his 77th birthday. He was diagnosed with cancer about six weeks ago. He was a great guy, fun to be around. He will be missed. Sympathy to his wife, Gayle. A memorial service for him is planned for a later date. Condolences to the family of Lucille Gefroh, Spooner. She was well-known, friendly and loved by all who knew her. She loved bowling, horseshoes, gardening, so we had a lot in common. She will be dearly missed. Sarona folks also extend their sympathy it Bob and Janet Single in the death of her brother, David Lerback in South Dakota and also to LeRoy and Virginia Sandridge in the death of their son-in-law, Tony Whitehead, 52. They left to attend his funeral in North Carolina. Corey and Linda Furchtenicht met her sister and husband, Curt and Corissa, and spent the weekend at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells and had a great time. A birthday supper was held at Russ and Nancy Furchtenicht’s Saturday night for her mom. Besides Arlene and Ralph VanMeter, aunt Audrey and Ernie Baker of Holman, Tooker and Sue Weathers, Kari and Aaron Gombodi and Zack and JoEllen Weathers of Spooner and Ryan and Jessie Furchtenicht, Jillian and Jaxson were there to help her celebrate. Many more are wished. Sunday, Russ Furchtenicht hosted a party at the deer shack with Jeff Pederson, Kim Odden, Glen Albee, Mark Bruce, Swanee Wennerberg, Mark Parker and Ryan Furchtenicht there to reminisce about old times and talk about current events, a reason to just get together. The Sarona United Methodist Church will be celebrating 100 years on Aug. 27-28. If anyone has information or pictures they would like to share, please contact Elfreda West, Virginia Sandridge or myself. Elfreda West went to a family birthday party for grandson-in-law, Joe Hastrietor, his 40th at Joe and Jennie’s in Rice Lake on Sunday. Many more are wished. Kati West is looking forward to getting her cast off her leg that she had broken while roller-skating in Rice Lake with the Girl Scouts about a month ago. I went along with Roger and Casey Furchtenicht and enjoyed the Shell Lake High School Festival Concert last Monday night. They have such a nice band and
The show continued with Andy Devine until 1955. I remember their voices well, the cheery kind of chuckle of Smilin’ Ed, and the throaty voice of Andy Devine. The dog wore a scarf around his neck. The ads are still coming, but now there is an updated version with a boy wearing a baseball cap. Other than shoes, you could have bought Buster Brown banks, rugs, cups and saucers, dolls and paper dolls. Some manufacturers refrained from advertising, like Hershey. They would not advertise, believing a good product would sell without the undignified message. Later, they began advertising and found it increased sales. One thing I like about ads is they can be funny. The Morton salt packages always say, “When it rains, it pours.” I learned that if you put a bit of rice in your saltshaker it will pour even when it rains. I should try it and see if it’s true, that it pours in wet weather. Ads can be informative. Back in 1944, the United Fruit Company hired two songwriters to write a song, a jingle, to sell their bananas. Len MacKenzie and Garth Montgomery wrote the immortal lyrics all kids in that generation sang. “I’m Chiquita Banana and I’ve come to say Bananas have to ripen in a certain way ... Bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator So you should never put bananas in the refrigerator.”
choir. Thursday evening, I went with grandkids, Sara and Brian Marschall to Frederic for the wake of their greatgrandpa, Harold Owens. We sure saw a lot of deer along the roads between here and there. Fifteen-year-old Annika Olesen raced and competed in the two-day, 150-mile junior Iditarod sledding dog race in Alaska on Feb. 26-27. Annika lives with her family on the east side, Great Slave Lake in NW Territories. Her grandmother is Linnea Olesen from Oak Lake in Madge. This week happy birthday wishes to Peter Lechnir, Tonya Milton, Joann Olson, Clarice Linton and Marie Hoecherl, and little Paige Sundeen will turn 1 on March 10; Marie King and Gary Weuthich, March 11; Kenny Konop, Sadie Malmin and Emily Milton, March 12; Duane Swanson, Roger Furchtenicht turns a big 50, Bradley Semm, Carolyn Palvas, Nicholas Studt, Helen Pederson, Kennedy Glaze, Vivian Poquette, Jaci Pfluger, Tyler Foote, Becky Meier, Michael Reynolds, March 14; Dennie Boland and Rick Johnson, March 15; Gina (West) Noterman, Mike Durand, Andy Frey, Byron Baker, Jennie Wood, Josh Frisbie and Levi Swenson, March 16. Have a fun one! A happy anniversary to Karl and Sharon Krantz on March 13. Remember, spring ahead on March 13. Then the days will really seem longer as the sun won’t set until after 7 p.m. We will gain one hour and 27 minutes of daylight the month of March.
Dewey-LaFollette by Karen Mangelsen
Hank and Karen Mangelsen visited Ray Bestler Tuesday afternoon. Clam River Tuesday Club met March 2 at the home of Trudy DeLawyer. After the meeting, the ladies answered questions on a trivia quiz about products, people and events from the ‘40s and ‘50s. The next meeting will be Wednesday, April 6, at 1:30 p.m. at the home of Lida Nordquist. Donna and Gerry Hines went to Vadnais Heights, Minn., Thursday and stayed overnight with Brenda and Tim Sweet on Friday. They attended the funeral of Tim’s father, Arthur Sweet. Nina and Lawrence Hines were supper guests of Lida and Don Nordquist Friday. Saturday visitors of Karen and Hank Mangelsen were Jake, Holly and Grace Mangelsen and April, Dave, Patty and Mandy Close. Lawrence and Nina Hines visited Marlene Swearingen Saturday. Weekend visitors of Maynard and Ronda Mangelsen at various times were Karissa, Randy and Debbie Jorns, Becky, June and Lloyd Anderson, and Tyann, Ken and Duane Otis.
Perhaps you have heard the expression, about how it rains cats and dogs, We think that this may have just happened, and we’re feeling a bit in the fog. The shelter was running quite smoothly, and then all of a sudden it hit, Like a storm we got so many puppies, unexpected I have to admit. Two Socks and her litter of her seven, yes, 4-week-old puppies it’s true, Then five were surrendered and three more were strays, tell me what’s a small shelter to do. Three-month-old puppies that stray from their home, why would one, that’s so young, go so far, And all the big dogs with no collar or tags, how should we know who their owners are. There are many ways you can help us, when there’s simply not room for one more, Fosterings a way, for a week or a day, it’s an option we wish you’d explore. Stop by for a visit, walk dogs, play with cats and the pups, well you’re just what they need, There’s no better feeling a person can have like they do when they’ve done a good deed!
Dogs for adoption: 1-1/2-year-old spayed black Lab/chow mix; 6-year-old female black Lab/shepherd mix; 4-year-old male black Lab; 9year-old spayed white/black Chihuahua; 2-year-old male Lab/hound wirehair mix; 1-1/2-year-old male American Eskimo; 2-year-old neutered brown/white pit bull/boxer mix; two 8-month-old male Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix brothers; 2-year-old female black Lab mix and her seven 4-week-old pups; 3-yearold spayed longhair min pin/dachshund mix; 1-1/2year-old spayed chow/retriever mix and a 3-1/2-month-old male tan/black shepherd or collie mix pup. Cats for adoption: 1-year-old spayed shorthair gray/black/brown tiger; 2-year-old male gray/white shorthair tiger; 8-month-old white shorthair male with different color eyes; 3-year-old neutered orange/white shorthair; 3-year-old male gray shorthair; 6-month-old male white/tiger shorthair; 5-1/2month-old female white/tiger shorthair; 1-year-old female black/white shorthair; 7-month-old female white/tiger shorthair; 1-1/2-year-old female medium-hair cream-point Siamese mix; 9-week-old shorthair tortie; 2-year-old female black medium-hair; 2-year-old female tricolored declawed longhair and an 8-month-old female gray/cream tiger. Strays include: 3-1/2-month-old male tan/black shepherd or collie mix pup found on CTH A in Spooner; neutered black Lab wearing an orange collar found on Hilltop Drive in Spooner, and a 3-1/2month-old male black Lab mix puppy found on Hwy. 70 west of Spooner.
Located at 1400 Cottonwood Ave. in Spooner (Behind the county fairgrounds)
715-635-4720 www.wcahs.com