Founded in 2017, Strange Times is a twice-monthly newsletter that explores the weirdest news of 1921, one day at a time. To get free games and the original PDFs of every article that runs in Strange Times—plus stories that didn’t make the cut—back me on Patreon.

Things I Like

1. Victoria 3! I recently recommended Crusader Kings 3, one of my favorite video games of all time, and I’m happy to say that its Victorian cousin has finally started to make good on the promise that went unfulfilled during its disappointing release. Although it looks like grand strategy, Victoria is really an economic sim, in which players explore the multifaceted horrors of colonialism through the ugly lens of capital. If you’re even remotely curious about this weird best of a game, this video series will show you the basics and teach you a lot about Canadian history along the way.

2. The Ministry of Time! A rollicking scifi mystery about time travel, climate change, Arctic exploration, and fucking, Kaliane Bradley’s debut is the rare blockbuster novel that’s honest to god fabulous. I just finished reading a couple of mediocre novels and god it was refreshing to hang out with someone who doesn’t waste your time.

3. Superfly! One of the best movie soundtracks ever. They were making a (also pretty good) movie about a super cool drug dealer and they got Curtis Mayfield to do the soundtrack and he came back with nine tracks about how drugs are destructive and horrible. I’m listening to it right now and you should too.

Today we have Mr. Lightbulb flinging opinions and someone in Astoria flinging fruit. (Or is it a vegetable?) Fear for your Summery frock on…

August 13, 1921

• Less than four years after taking power, Lenin makes a major change to the Soviet policy of state industrial ownership, decreeing that small and medium industries will be leased to enterprising citizens.

• At a convention of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ International Alliance and Bar Tenders League, a unanimous vote rejects a suggestion that the members start referring to themselves as “beverage dispensers” instead of “bar tenders.”

• Two teenage inmates of the Ohio State Reformatory face federal counterfeiting charges after admitting to circulating fake five dollar bills behind the prison walls.

• Oklahoma Congressman Manuel Herrick, an aviator and rumored lunatic, introduces legislation that would make sponsoring a beauty contest a criminal act, saying that women are “thinking more of their looks than of their homes.”

• The Weather: Fair today and Sunday; not much change in temperature.

A timely reminder that just because someone had a good idea a few decades back doesn’t meant that they’re right about everything always.

WEST ORANGE, N.J., Aug. 12.—Today is the 44th anniversary of the invention of the phonograph by Thomas A. Edison, and there was a meeting of distributors here and a luncheon at the Essex County Country Club. The inventor in reply to a question when affairs would get back to normal replied: “I have my own business problems to attend to, and I don’t want to be set up an authority on every question.”

He gave these views on prohibition:

“It is the greatest thing in America today. Drinking whisky is a rotten habit, just like opium, cocaine and too much eating. Everybody ought to help to protect themselves against the sale of whisky. Even the drunkards should help and they would if they had plain common sense.”

Mr. Edison is an inveterate cigar smoker and some one suggested that the reformers might get after his cigars next.

“I don’t think so,” said Mr. Edison. “Tobacco does not harm anyone, except paper covered cigarettes which are harmful, especially for young people. This cigarette smoking is a fixed habit; the victims don’t want tobacco; they want to smoke the paper. They ought to use tobacco wrappers only. But tobacco aside from cigarettes does no harm to society. It is not dangerous like narcotics and whisky and few smoke it to excess.”

So much wonderful stuff here. I’m enamored of Madeline Le Compte Roos, who apparently emphasizes everything she says. She’s found guilty of tomato-chucking here, but the case had a shock twist a year later. Check the Patreon for more.

One tomato, quite ripe, has disturbed the midsummer serenity of Astoria’s most select neighborhood and yesterday gave the courtroom of Magistrate Harry Miller the appearance of a gala night at the Astoria Club. Limousines with chauffeurs and footmen, sedans driven by women and girl owners, and motor cars with business men brought members of the Woolsey Street section to the scene as principals, witnesses and spectators.

Adele Campbell, daughter of Peter P. Campbell, Secretary of the Queens County Republican Committee and aide to District Attorney Dana Wallace, was the complaining witness. She lives with her parents at 105 Woolsey Street. She is 18 and attractive. Mrs. Madeline Le Compte Roos was the defendant. She is the wife of Charles Roos, wealthy copper broker of this city, and formerly the wife of Edward Le Compte, now dead.

“I was sitting on the stone walk leading to papa’s house on Wednesday evening, when suddenly a tomato dropped at my side,” testified Miss Campbell. “It almost hit me, and I shudder to think what would have been the result if that horrid tomato had hit my Summer frock. When the tomato dropped I turned suddenly and I saw a screen drop in the home of Mrs. Roos. I am sure the tomato came from there.”

“Charmingly absurd,” declared Mrs. Roos, with emphasis, when she came to the stand. “Why, I was entertaining company in my Summer parlor at the time that this tomato dropped near Miss Campbell. I am sure I do not entertain my friends with any such proceedings as throwing vegetables. If that tomato were thrown it was by boys who were playing in the street at the time.”

Magistrate Miller found Mrs. Roos guilty as charged, and said he would adjourn sentence until next Monday and that in the meantime Probation Officer John Hamill would make an investigation.

“I’m being railroaded,” declared Mrs. Roos with emphasis as she was leaving the courtroom.

“Take down that statement for consideration on next Monday,” remarked Magistrate Miller to Court Stenographer McMahon.