COLUMN
Take a look back at what summer was like back in 1911
In conjunction with the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society, the TimesLedger
newspaper presents
noteworthy events in the
borough’s history
Welcome to June, 1911.
Summer was in full swing
with free fireworks at North
Beach each Tuesday and
Thursday. Daily shows with
Chief Red Eagle and Tribe
at the Gala Park! All trolleys
lead to all attractions
and amusements!
A Tammany organization
excursion on Steamboat
‘Orient’ taking 1,100 guests
to College Point for picnic
and games had an unpleasant
surprise when the guests
crowded to one side of the
boat and it began to take on
water. Despite orders from
the Captain to move, people
began to panic. Prudently
docking at a Long Island City
pier, he let more than 100
passengers jump off before
abruptly leaving when a like
number seemed anxious to
join them. That evening,
a large portion of the
crowd refused to return on
the steamer.
Those wishing more sedate
entertainment could go to the
Court Square Restaurant and
enjoy a first class regular
dinner for 40¢. The Improved
Order of the Red Men and the
redoubtable Bean Bag Eating
Society both advertised their
annual banquets.
As today, people had
different opinions on
the homeless. Samuel
Gompers announced that
the American Federation of
Labor was trying to organize
the nation’s three million
hoboes into a union. Officials
in Albany, describing hoboes
as dangerous to society and
organized workers, drafted
a bill establishing a 500-acre
work farm for those convicted
of vagrancy.
A heat wave caused a
number of ‘prostrations.’
With too few watering
troughs for
horses, they
began to
drop dead in
the streets.
W o r k e r s
overcome in
the humidity
fell from
scaffolding. A
dog on lower
B r o a d w a y
went crazy
from the heat. Desperate
for relief, night-walking
populations of Queensboro
Bridge Promenade
wandered over to Central
Park. Mattresses were set
up in vacant lots, roofs,
and sidewalks.
On a note of personal
hygiene, the Daily Star
suggested that every
community should have
a good sanitary-privy
law. The proper care for
controlling fly-breeding
outhouses and stables was
liberal use of kerosene
and screens.
Booker T. Washington,
on tour in Europe, wrote
in an op-ed
piece about
the Slavic
underclas s
in Austria-
H u n g a r y ,
c ompa r i ng
t h e i r
c o n d i t i o n
to the
experience of
black people
in the United
Those wishing more
sedate
entertainment could
go to the Court Square
Restaurant and enjoy a
first class regular
dinner for 40¢.
States. “I made inquiries
about these so-called
‘inferior people’ and were
told they were lazy, immoral,
had no initiative and not
fit to govern themselves.
I found them in fact doing
all the hard, disagreeable
and ill-paid labor with
fewer opportunities than
those around. them. I was
frequently surprised at the
bitterness between races
in Europe.”
An ad for Peter Doelger
First Prize Bottled Beer
stated that beer is virtually a
liquid bread. The ad warned
that not only was there is
no nourishment or benefit
drinking ice water or soft
summer drinks, but they
really do more harm than
good. Drinking beer gave one
health, strength and vitality!
Aviator Harry Atwood
completed a marathon trip
from Boston to New York in
what was the longest flight
at that time. Needing fuel, he
landed in Astoria on Woolsey
Avenue. Mobbed, police were
called out to protect him and
the plane. After refueling he
left flying down Vernon Blvd
at 1,000 feet.
For further info, call the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society at 718-278-0700 or
www.astorialic.org.
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