Sylvia, I don't wonder at your response, I had to read it several times before I "got it." As others have already stated it is a rather oblique birth announcement. There are several others in a similar vein. I don't know whether they were trying to be cute or if the Victorian times caught up with them and the "upper crust" didn't talk about crass things like giving birth. Just a sign of the times, I guess. Ruth Sherburne 12/11/1885 HUH? On Feb 9, 2011, at 3:14 PM, Ruth Barton wrote: > t is curious how people will talk about their neighbors. Just now the > current points to Wm. DOUBLEDAY. Some say he is lucky, others say he > "missed it," hiring a fellow to work for him this winter. In > reality it's > on one's business but their own. Weight of the fellow, 9 1/2 > pounds, Dec. > 1st. -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT

I think they were trying to be clever. When I was born (1942) my dad (he who was born in Barre 1899) sent out penny post cards announcing that another war bond buyer had entered the Gordon household and is now the loud ruler of the battalion. It was cute and I was delighted to find one that he kept in his safety deposit box all these years - it was discovered when the estate was settled. Alice Gordon -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ruth Barton Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 8:17 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [VERMONT] Sherburne 12/11/1885 Sylvia, I don't wonder at your response, I had to read it several times before I "got it." As others have already stated it is a rather oblique birth announcement. There are several others in a similar vein. I don't know whether they were trying to be cute or if the Victorian times caught up with them and the "upper crust" didn't talk about crass things like giving birth. Just a sign of the times, I guess. Ruth Sherburne 12/11/1885 HUH? On Feb 9, 2011, at 3:14 PM, Ruth Barton wrote: > t is curious how people will talk about their neighbors. Just now the > current points to Wm. DOUBLEDAY. Some say he is lucky, others say he > "missed it," hiring a fellow to work for him this winter. In > reality it's > on one's business but their own. Weight of the fellow, 9 1/2 > pounds, Dec. > 1st. -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT *************************************** List Guidelines: http://home.sprynet.com/~darrellm/list_rules.htm Visit the Gateway to Vermont Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I love it, Alice!! Neysa ----- Original Message ----- From: Alice Gordon To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 11:16 PM Subject: Re: [VERMONT] Sherburne 12/11/1885 I think they were trying to be clever. When I was born (1942) my dad (he who was born in Barre 1899) sent out penny post cards announcing that another war bond buyer had entered the Gordon household and is now the loud ruler of the battalion. It was cute and I was delighted to find one that he kept in his safety deposit box all these years - it was discovered when the estate was settled. Alice Gordon -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ruth Barton Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 8:17 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [VERMONT] Sherburne 12/11/1885 Sylvia, I don't wonder at your response, I had to read it several times before I "got it." As others have already stated it is a rather oblique birth announcement. There are several others in a similar vein. I don't know whether they were trying to be cute or if the Victorian times caught up with them and the "upper crust" didn't talk about crass things like giving birth. Just a sign of the times, I guess. Ruth Sherburne 12/11/1885 HUH? On Feb 9, 2011, at 3:14 PM, Ruth Barton wrote: > t is curious how people will talk about their neighbors. Just now the > current points to Wm. DOUBLEDAY. Some say he is lucky, others say he > "missed it," hiring a fellow to work for him this winter. In > reality it's > on one's business but their own. Weight of the fellow, 9 1/2 > pounds, Dec. > 1st. -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT *************************************** List Guidelines: http://home.sprynet.com/~darrellm/list_rules.htm Visit the Gateway to Vermont Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message *************************************** List Guidelines: http://home.sprynet.com/~darrellm/list_rules.htm Visit the Gateway to Vermont Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On 2/11/2011 9:16 PM, Ruth Barton wrote: > Sylvia, I don't wonder at your response, I had to read it several times > before I "got it." As others have already stated it is a rather oblique > birth announcement. There are several others in a similar vein. I don't > know whether they were trying to be cute or if the Victorian times caught > up with them and the "upper crust" didn't talk about crass things like > giving birth. > > Just a sign of the times, I guess. Ruth Ruth: I don't know about Victorian times; people shared a lot more of their personal lives than we do today. To me, the announcement was humorous because the baby was "big enough to be confused with a new hired man" at 9 pounds plus. (I was 9 pounds 3 ounces at birth, but somehow escaped the "hired man" label.) Reporters were certainly given more latitude in their phrasing in the 19th Century than we get in the mainstream media today. The Internet is a different story.... Darrell