Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas Past (From Buckles)


Scan11096, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This was the center-fold of the Dec. 16, 1916 Billboard.

Buckles

6 comments:

Buckles said...

This card reminds me of a passage from "Gus The Great" when his wife asks him to to place an ad in Billboard regarding the recent death of her maid.
"Gus Burgoyne mourns the loss of Madam ......., long time friend and confidante of Mrs. Burgoyne.
This is the same Gus Burgoyne who's Burgoyne & Pawpacker Circus will open next week in Des Moines, Iowa with performances starting promptly at 2:00 and 8:00."

Anonymous said...

I'm glad someone else remembers ole Gus. Also the Gus that Wade mentioned. They were both great.

Anonymous said...

"Gus The Great" is my favorite book to read..I have two copies,one that was my Mothers and another that I found at a used book store several years ago..

Buckles said...

Margaret, I'm sure you are aware the setting for this book was at my birth place Lancaster, Missouri and the principal characters were patterned after Fred Buchanan and William P. Hall.

Anonymous said...

There are several used copies of Gus the Great starting a $2. for a beat-up edition. Prices go all the way to the top floor dependent on the condition of the book. Beware, there are hardcover and paperback available, be sure you know what you are buying. Caveat emptor -- or something like that means-dont get screwed.
Shop Amazon.com where you can buy anything legal immediately. Illegal items take a little longer.
Did you find everything you were looking for?

Anonymous said...

Buckles: Yes, part of the book takes place at Lancaster (called Winchester in the book) but the great opening scene takes place in Granger, Iowa (Oxenford in the book).

Margaret: I have had my bedside copy of this book since the mid-1950s; it is worn and dog-eared and has many notes scribbled in the margins.

Have you folks ever read Duncan's story of writing this book? It really took over his life and for months he wouldn't let the manuscript get out of his sight.

Duncan stated that he once saw an elephant take the life of a man. I think it must have been at Des Moines in 1938 when Wallace Mabel killed George Page on Hagenbeck-Wallace.