Bassett's Scrap Book, Vol 2, No 10
Articles in this issue
- A Christmas essay tracing the origin of the holidays from King Alfred's decree to the mingled Dutch, English, French and German customs Americans inherited, followed by assorted Yuletide quotations from Franklin, Shakespeare, Dickens and others.
- The editor lists his ten best American novels (Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ramona, Ben Hur and others) and prints competing best-fiction and best-short-story lists sent in by readers identified only by their initials.
- A satirical story by Kate Masterson (from Life) contrasting the hard-working, principled Jane Stubbs with the flighty Maude Haddock, who dictates her restaurant sketches to a stenographer and becomes a celebrated authoress.
- The reader-query column answers questions on the District of Columbia, vodka, the site of Eden, Lafayette's visits to America, the origins of phrases like 'chestnut' and 'bull's-eye,' and the world's longest tunnels.
- Lists the L.A.W. nominees for Representatives to the National Assembly by district, including Clarence W. Small (Portland, Me.), Charles M. Fairchild (Chicago), James D. Pickens (Washington, D.C.) and M. L. Knowlton (Minneapolis), and urges members to return their mailed ballots.
- A short note observing that the late Jimmie Michael, called the most successful bicycle rider the world has ever known, received more extended newspaper obituaries than any other recently deceased man.
- A comic lullaby poem sung to a goggle-wearing baby being driven about in its mother's automobile, with the refrain 'Chug-a-chug, chug.'