Meat rationing, coyote hunts and Oscars

Later local coyote hunt.

Shoot those coyotes and bop those bunnies to help the Red Cross? Yep, in 1943, organized coyote hunts were quite common with the sale of the pelts going to benefit the Red Cross.

The coyotes were also a threat to local poultry and livestock. Sometimes not too many dollars were generated so they "passed the hat" to make up a decent donation. On Sunday March 14, 1943, the hunt was in Bondville precinct. Mile captains were appointed to find hunters for each mile of the line for the start of the hunt. Rabbits caught in the round-up were clubbed as the hunt finished up.

McCook Junior College created a "speed up program" to help out service-aged young men and rural teachers. The accelerated program made it possible for a young man or woman to complete the regular two-year accredited course in one full college term and two summer terms. The newly added summer sessions would help the high school youth to get as much college training as possible before being called to serve in the military.

McCook School Superintendent Dr. Earle Wiltse outlined the new program on March 15, 1943, at a general membership meeting of the Chamber at the Keystone Hotel. It was probably the last such Chamber meeting of its kind for the duration of the war ... meat rationing made banquets a big no-no.

An unusual ad from J. C. Penney's, "In the Language of Lentil Soup ... We are all learning a lot about nourishment these days. If we can't get steak, we can stay healthy on lentil soup! And the same applies to everything else. We can still get alluring fashions ... but simpler, and with longer life. They look just as well ... they do the job just as well ... but they are geared to the war program and they lend themselves to remodeling. That's straight wartime thinking. That's the way Penney's has been thinking and running its stores for many years: No frills or costly services-just good, solid value."

The Academy Awards were a little different in the days before television. I read about the 15th annual awards that were held on March 5, 1943. It was called the "movie academy dinner" and cost each of the dignitaries $11 to eat the "blue plate special." Bob Hope started handing out prizes at 11 o'clock but Greer Garson didn't get her best actress award until 1 a.m. for her work in "Mrs. Miniver." James Cagney received the best actor award for "Yankee Doodle Dandy."

The long and numerous speeches were put in perspective by Bob Hope who said that he "felt he had to be polite to the producers of movies, because he never could tell when one of them might open a butcher shop." The rationing of meat was everywhere in the news ... even the Academy Awards.

The Bystander on March 13th remarked in regards to the old gag about the chicken crossing the road ... "With meat rationing to start March 29, no edible fowl will even get to the curb."

Entertainment on the local scene was about to have a whole new audience. "The Bystander" in his column of March 6, 1943, wrote that the local Masque and Gavel club was about to make a survey of available talent in McCook to entertain Air Base troops. "Shucks, they might well survey the talent among the guys who'll be at the air base to entertain the home folks. The latter would be the best show. No foolin'. There'll probably be talent enough at the base to put on a series of variety shows in town that would make your favorite radio entertainers sound like amateurs. The best entertainers of all are in Army overalls."

The Bystander also had another timely observation, "Kids who once drove their dads' cars 80 miles an hour are in the service, going up in airplanes and down in submarines. When they come home the fellow who invents thrill-rides at carnivals will have to stretch his imagination." It's still the same today, more danger, more of a thrill and more of a high all the time...it feeds on itself.

Ferguson Bus Service shuttled passengers between McCook and the McCook Army Air Base. Their first ad was in the March 2, 1943 McCook Daily Gazette. There were two trips in the morning, one leaving the Addams Hotel at 7:10 and 8 a.m.

The 8 o'clock bus also stopped at the Methodist church and in the 1000 block of McCook's Main Street. Return trips from the base to the Hotel were made at 5:05 and 5:45 p.m.