Sepia Saturday - No Smoking

This week's Sepia Saturday Suggestion

A few yeas ago I compiled a book called Talking Pictures. It was made up of found photographs and the funny stories or captions that they suggested. I had only enough copies printed for family and friends. I wish now that I had a few extras.

Anyway, the "Smoking" theme in today's Sepia Saturday suggestion, has many fine examples in LOST GALLERY. So I decided to include some of those from the book with a Caption or a Story included.

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This rare photograph of G. P. “Chickadee” Lefingwell lll (pronounced leFINGwell) shows him about to be captured by Agent Harlan Kruhz (no relation) in an elm tree just outside the Dirtpile city limits in either Ohio or Ontario. According to legend “Chickadee” was known to elude his pursuers easily by flying into tree tops and hiding among the leaves.

His downfall, pictured here, was when “Chickadee”, steeped in the false confidence of hundreds of previous escapes, taunted agents from a lower perch. Agent Kruhz, on loan from the Holloway Junior High Jump team had been specially selected and trained for the capture of the elusive G. P. Lefingwell III. While other agents nattily dressed as sunflower seeds distracted the nefarious felon, Kruhz leapt into the tree behind “Chickadee” and put the arm on him thus ending the troublesome but illustrious career. It was now safe again to wear pink at polka parties and Chocolate Chip Cookie challenge events.

That historic day, February 15th 1915 (probably a Saturday or a Tuesday, no one knows for sure) is described prominently and in great detail, in primary school history books. The lengthy notation is credited for a renewed disinterest in the subject of history among students of that era.

After his rapid conviction, Lefingwell was incarcerated at the Indiana Yodeling Institute for Young Individuals. (The ‘I YI YI’…) He was pardoned in 1974 by President Gerald Ford along with some lesser known hardened criminals. “Chickadee” spent his last days working in a kite factory and dreaming of the old days.

Decades later, modern DNA evidence would prove that not only was Lefingwell III innocent of all charges, he was actually not a “Chickadee” at all but just another loon.

While chatting with the Swansons at the front door, Jessica discovered her lost shoe. She hoped no one else had noticed.

Bernice definitely didn't get the memo.

Bart Beasley assumes his most threatening pose. Kate (Agent 8) is obviously frightened!

This is the only known photograph of Roth Wyler, inventor and taxidermist.

Mr. Wyler discovered texting 12 years before the telephone was invented. No one knows how or why.

The batting technique is handed down generation by generation to the oldest child.

"... then you hit them in the other knee."

This is the last known photograph of the notorious Butterfat Gang of Seven who terrorized the dairy industry in the mid 1930’s. Harlan Underln, standing, center, led the gang in raids on milk trucks and neighborhood Rubber Baby Buggy Ice Cream wagons throughout Iowa and County Cork.

The Butterfat Gang of Seven, (actually there were five or so members, but none of them could count) all descended in some way from lineage of the infamous robber, Dennis Moore of the 17th century in England. Highwayman Moore was noted for lupines and doing something completely different.

The method of the Butterfat Gang was simple. They would stand in the road and stop dairy delivery trucks. Eight or nine of the gang members would circle the truck and stand lookout. Three or four other members would then insist the driver sell them what ever stock was carried on the truck. The driver would then be obligated to return to the dairy and restock for the morning deliveries. This certainly confounded dairy owners not to mention the trauma experienced by many cows.

Their last caper was said to be the carefully planned robbery of the 2:40 AM milk train. It went awry when most of the gang members overslept. No one knows how many actually showed up as none of them could actually count. The engineer refused to stop the train anyway.

Throughout their reign of confusion, none of the gang was ever caught. Actually no one ever looked for them either. They all lived well into their fifties and died overweight

Heppel Whitsig, (seated, with cigar) invented the combination creel and picnic basket and went on to a successful retirement in poverty. He never married. His twin brother, Wimpole, (also seated but no cigar) was either the youngest or the oldest in the gang, depending on which account of his birth was accurate. His mother could not seem to recall the event.

Fred (too tall) Herringbun was not on the Titanic when it tragically struck an iceberg. He married young and his wife dressed him funny.

Gable Snoot, seventh from left in this picture, worked briefly as a store window model for suspenders (or braces). He was spotted there by a Hollywood movie director who went into hiding and was never seen again.

The rest of the gang is pretty much unknown but perhaps someone will recognizes a relative or a neighbor here.

These events rarely get a notation in history books although some say the gang activities accelerated the research leading to the invention of the milking machine.

Laura Mercy was a model inlaw.

Rosetta Stone didn't mind having her picture taken but she did resent being called an "Old Polaroid" later.

The Taggart brothers enjoyed calling themselves the Brooklyn Bridge Harmony Quartet, even though they couldn't sing or dance. Spencer Taggart, third from left or right, did play bass but it was second base on the Bone Dry Holler Creek slow pitch, softball team.

Murrine wouldn’t let Carlton go to the park and play dominoes with the boys but she did consent to dress up in his other suit and play just three games with him. She enhanced the ruse a bit by pasting her false eyelashes on her face to represent a mustache and goatee.

Carlton was moderately happy with that but lost miserably to her and refused to play the third game.

That evening they went to visit her mother which was much more fun for both of them.

That night, Carlton resumed digging the hole in the cellar.

Leeland hoped for a career as a Hollywood Cowboy but the screen name of Johnny Mack Beige didn't stick.

Adele had quite enough of Cecil's remarks. The party was over.

In the end, Cecil learned the proper etiquette for handling an RSVP and a few important things regarding cravat selection. All were treated and released from Naugatuck General, except Verna, who was held overnight for observation by an interested intern.

Cecil never spoke of the incident to anyone but for many years would wear only bow ties.

(He has a cigar in his left hand.)

Okay, now it's your turn to run and hide. We'll find you!

No, no, not like last time. We just forgot. We'll really look this time.

Really.

There are three pipes, seven cigarettes and eight cigars in these pictures. (One more cigarette in the suggestion picture.)
There are smoking advertisements and a No Smoking sign.

I don't have a favorite in this batch but I do have a comment.

No smoking.

This week's Sepia Saturday Suggestion

Go back to THE MAIN INDEX PAGE

There are now more than 4,000 photographs in the Lost Gallery.
Or try out the NEW BACK PAGE INDEX

The most popular photographs An album of the most requested photographs in the Lost Gallery.

Area 51 and a Half You are probably not authorized to see these.

Don't take my picture! Oh! You DID didn't you! This is a collection of photographs that disappear on the way home from the photo processing shop.

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Square America
Tattered and Lost
Vernacular Photography
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THE KIDS It is always a mystery how a photograph of any of these precious children could end up lost or abandoned. Here are a few. You will probably say "Ooh..." at least once.

Dee and the Business School
The beautiful Dee. A curious story; What do you see?

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

"What are they doing?"