1. "Baker's Drug Store"
Posted by harry on Feb-12th-04 at 7:07 PM

This is from Dr. Bowen's Preliminary testimony, page 403:

"Q.  After consulting the time tables, what did you do? Did you drive to the telegraph office?
A.  Yes Sir, my boy drove me down to the telegraph office.
Q.  Then right back again?
A.  I went from the telegraph office into Mr. Baker's drug store on Main street. I had a few moments conversation with Mr. Samuel Flint. Then I drove directly to the Borden house."

In this blow-up of a portion of a postcard currently for sale on eBay, Baker's drug store can be seen on the left. Note also the cigarette advertisement for Fatin--(?) cigarettes on the building in the center. They can't do that today.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2224444041&category=20215

(Message last edited Feb-12th-04  7:08 PM.)

Those cigarettes were "Fatima" brand--a name supposed to be provocative of the Near East (Turkish tobacco).  In the late 19th/early 20th centuries, there was a craze for all things Turkish, Egyptian, etc.  Another old brand of cigarettes was "Murad."  I have seen old ads that portray the packages, with a Cleopatra-like figure reclining beneath palm trees.  The only brand that survived in this vein is Camel, whose packs still have palm trees and a camel.

Sorry, I meant to say "evocative," not "provocative."

Thanks, Harry.  I wonder if that section of town was as busy in 1892?  Did people park their horses and carriage like you would a car if you needed to stop in somewhere like the drug store?  I would love to know what the conversation was between Mr. Flint and Dr. Bowen, what was all so pressing that he needed to discuss at that moment in time?

From a 1913 Life cover:


From this site: http://www.ephemeranet.com/cgi-local/client_search.cgi?category=111&order_by_field=title

Great picture, Harry.

Doesn't it almost look like a collage?  I'm trying to figure out if that's due to it being colorized, or if the photograph method was a kind that gave a sort of one-dimensional result.

Hey Susan!  This "Man of attainment" is playing with paper dolls!
Jeesh!

Thanks Har for the interesting picture.
Maybe Dr. Bowen made a phone call from there?

  Actually, I believe the man of attainment is playing with a stage maquette for layout in stage design.  But, paper dolls nontheless! 

I know a guy choreographer who uses little dolls to plan out the look he wants to get in a big stage number--it is a great way to get a stage picture!

--Lyddie

Yes but does he smoke Fatima? 

My sainted Irish mother smoked Fatimas all of her life.
She was 88 when she shucked this mortal coil. Tobacco finally got her

What did she die of? Lung cancer was unknown before WW I when cigarettes became popular, and inhaling was started.
Its how many you smoke a day that counts.

I've had aunts and uncles who died younger and never smoked.

No, but I'm sure he would have loved a poster!

--Lyddie

Bill, the story about your aunt reminds me of Bette Davis' obit headline:  CHAINSMOKING BETTE DAVIS DIES OF LUNG CANCER AT AGE OF 84.  Just doesn't have the punch of 34 or 44. Most of us would be pretty happy to have been as active as she was for that many years. I'll admit it's a nasty habit that I'm very glad to be long shut of, but eventually, we're all dying of something no matter what we eat or breathe.

--Lyddie

There is a postcard on eBay showing the interior of Baker's drug store where Dr. Bowen stopped after sending the telegram to Emmer the morning of the murders.

Maybe he picked up some Bromo Caffeine for Lizbeth. He should have taken some himself. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2231013016&category=20215

Thanks for the post card!
Cool!  We haven't seen Baker's before!

Prelim
Bowen
403
A.  I went from the telegraph office into Mr. Baker's drug store on Main street. I had a few moments conversation with Mr. Samuel Flint. Then I drove directly to the Borden house.

Did Flint own the place do you think?

Hmm Fatima?? Well, then I suppose I'll have to dig out my old Dragnet radio shows for a listen. Apparently (at least so says my copy of the episode log) Fatima cigarettes was the shows first commercial sponsor, from October, 1949 til September of '52 ...

Doug

How true Lydia, we all die of something, if we make it to age
84 and they blame it on smoking or whatever, it is just your time.  My Dad is 80 and I just pray he makes it to at least 84! 

(Message last edited Mar-9th-04  8:55 PM.)

I love Baker's favorite product's slogan:  "A man is known by the candy he sends."  Now THAT'S deep!

--Lyddie

(Message last edited Mar-10th-04  11:48 PM.)

Omigawd, another OTR fan!  My husband and I have files and files of old radio.  Have you ever gone online to OTR Cat?  The guy has wonderful CHEAP MP3 disks of anything you can name.  Also, if you check the spoken word menu on Live 365, you'll find tons of stations devoted to one show or type of show, streaming 24/7. (If you already know this, kindly ignore--it's just a hoot to find an OTR fan on a Lizzie site!)

YES!!! But they seemed to have gone to that big ashtray in the sky, like "Sweet Caporals" (both available until the mid 1960s, to my recollection). Remember "Phillip Morris"?