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L’Etoile – A Star on Prince Street, Chapter 11

Two years ago, Louise Peloquin began sharing excerpts from L’Etoile, a French-language newspaper published in Lowell from 1886 to 1957. At my urging, she has agreed to compile some of her previous posts with added contextual information into a book manuscript to be called, L’Etoile: A Star on Prince Street. Starting this week, Louise will present draft chapters from the book in serial form here on the blog. Today, we have another installment.

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L’Etoile – A Star on Prince Street, Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Gazing at the 24-26 Prince Street Constellation

By Louise Peloquin

Between 1886 and 1957, whoever picked up a newspaper wanted to find out what was going on, look for deals in local shops, catch the latest sports results, consult obituaries and life events, consult theater showtimes and Sunday Mass schedules and so much more. Picking up the paper meant taking in information to facilitate navigating one’s environment. Picking up the paper was a reflex like grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning. For 2 cents a copy in the 1940’s, L’Etoile was a deal as well as a treasure trove not only of information but also of entertainment. Reading in French, the ethnic community’s tongue, was a bonus which added user-friendliness.

Let us stargaze at the 7-column, 8-page paper (more for special issues) by providing articles and excerpts from its sections.

L’Etoile sparked interest with an attractive front page. The capitalized bold type of the breaking international, national, regional and local news headlines were effective teasers.

Here are examples of front page headlines.

L’Etoile covered World Wars I and II extensively given that so many Lowellians served in the military as we have seen in previous chapters.

Front page, November 26, 1917

“Les Français Enfoncent les Lignes Boches

Une Armée Américaine de 3 Millions”

The French Push Through the German Lines

An American Army of 3 Million”

A secondary headline reads:

“Un Lowellois Tué sur le Front”

“A Lowellian Has Fallen to the Enemy”

Naturally, national news was just as important.

Front page, March 2, 1924

“L’Inauguration Sera Grandiose” (referring to Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration)

“The Inauguration Will Be Grandiose”

Local news often upended any other story.

Front page, January 9, 1926

“Les Spendeurs des Fêtes du Centenaire”

“The Splendors of the Centennial Festivities”

Local news within the ethnic community was often highlighted.

Front page, October 22, 1917

“Belles cérémonies au Cimetière Saint-Joseph”

“Beautiful ceremonies at Saint Joseph Cemetery”

Sometimes international and local news merged as this October 23, 1924, front page headline demonstrates.

“Le Prince de Galles Ici”

“The Prince of Wales here” (referring to his passing through Lowell)

The editorial, an integral section of the paper, gave in-house team members as well as outside commentators the opportunity to contribute opinion pieces. Some editorials were signed, come not. Some were lengthy, others succinct. The only requirement was using proper language and refraining from a derogatory, disrespectful tone.

L’Etoile’s Edouard Fecteau’s June 30, 1944 editorial demonstrates how failing to exercise one’s voting rights impacts the course of history. Fecteau’s words are still relevant today.

L’Etoile, June 30, 1944

Cinq Pour Cent Seulement

L’esprit révolutionnaire gronde à travers l’univers entier, aussi bien dans ces pays ravagés par le fléau de la guerre que dans ces pays supposés être en paix. Les journaux n’annoncent que des révolutions et des contre-révolutions.

Chaque groupe désire un ordre nouveau, mais pour atteindre cet ordre nouveau on laisse de côté les principes de la démocratie. On fait la lutte au dictateur Hitler, mais on se sert de ces mêmes moyens et des mêmes tactiques pour forcer sa conception d’un ordre nouveau.

Et ainsi la révolution gronde partout.

Moins de 10 pour cent des électeurs en Allemagne allaient voter lorsque Hitler prit le pouvoir en ce pays.

Moins de 10 pour cent des électeurs allaient voter en France juste avant la guerre, laissant au groupe réactionnaire prendre contrôle du pays.

Huit pour cent seulement des électeurs allaient voter lorsque Benito Mussolini prit le contrôle de l’Italie.

Aux Etats-Unis on annonce qu’un peu plus de cinq pour cent seulement allaient voter lors des primaires dans le Mass. Le pourcentage est à peu près le même dans tous les Etats.

Et les gens de dire: les politiciens sont tous les mêmes, ils ne travaillent pas pour l’intérêt du pays, mais pour leur avancement.

Les conséquences seront funestes et les résultats, les plus désastreux. Cette apathie de la part des électeurs ne se fera sentir avant longtemps. Car le groupe réactionnaire, la minorité, a voté et ces groupes ont élu leurs chefs. Ces chefs pourront démontrer, avec chiffres en main, que le peuple n’est plus intéressé à prendre part aux élections et auront une certaine raison pour supprimer complètement les élections. La dernière élection dans le Mass. a coûté une moyenne de $2.00 le bulletin.

Les électeurs ne s’intéressant plus aux élections, s’abstiennent d’exercer leur droit de vote, ils sont remplacés par ces petits groupes de réactionnaires qui sapent graduellement les principes de notre démocratie. – Edouard Fecteau

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Only Five Percent

The revolutionary spirit is growling across the entire universe, in countries ravaged by the scourge of war as well as in countries supposedly at peace.  Newspapers only announce revolutions and counter-revolutions.

Each group desires a new order but, to obtain this new order, the principles of democracy are left behind. One battles against the dictator Hitler but one uses the same means and the same tactics to force one’s conception of a new order.

And thus, revolution is growling everywhere.

Fewer than ten percent of the electors in Germany turned out to vote when Hitler took power in the country.

Fewer than ten percent of the electors went to vote in France just before the war, leaving the reactionary group take control of the country.

Only eight percent of the voters went to vote when Benito Mussolini took control of Italy.

In the United States, one announces that only a little more than five percent went out to vote during the Massachusetts primaries. The percentage is about the same in all of the states.

And people say all politicians are the same. They do not work for the interest of the country but for their own advancement.

The consequences will be disastrous and the results will be most catastrophic. This apathy on the part of the voters will be felt before long because the reactionary group, the minority, voted, and voted in its leaders. These leaders will be able to demonstrate, with figures in hand, that the people are no longer interested in taking part in elections and will have a certain reason to completely do away with them. The last elections in Massachusetts cost an average of $2.00 a ballot.

The voters, no longer interested in elections, abstain from exercising their right to vote. They will be replaced by these little groups of reactionaries which gradually eat away at the principles of our democracy. – Edouard Fecteau

Briefs are always interesting. When the hungry reader does not have the time to delve into feature articles, they provide a satisfying variety of news snacks. Here is one which highlights an important Lowell community.

L’Etoile, October 29, 1924

Une Nouvelle Eglise Grecque dans Cette Ville

A une réunion des fidèles de l’église grecque Orthodoxe de cette ville qui eut lieu récemment, il fut décidé de faire les préparatifs pour l’érection immédiate d’une église qui coûtera dans les environs de $75,000. L’on prétend que les fidèles sont au nombre d’environ 600 et sont entièrement séparés de l’église Orthodoxe indépendante.

Au cours de la semaine dernière, le comité de construction a fait l’acquisition de 10,000 pieds de terrain sur la rue Common à l’angle de l’avenue Common. D’après le président Emmanuel D. Kaknes du comité de construction, un architecte prépare actuellement les plans et devis de la nouvelle église et les travaux seront commencés bientôt.

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A New Greek Church in This City

At a recent meeting, the city’s Greek Orthodox Church members decided to launch the preparations to build a new church at the cost of approximately $75,000. Apparently, 600 faithful are entirely separated from the independent Orthodox Church.

Last week, the construction committee acquired 10,000 feet of land on Common Street on the corner of Common Avenue. According to Emmanuel D. Kaknes, president of the construction committee, an architect is preparing an estimate and construction plans. The work will soon begin.

This brief presents an invention to enhance engine efficiency, still a topical issue.

L’Etoile, Front page January 12, 1926

Une Invention Mirobolante

Rock Island, IL., 12 – C.C. Herman et J.F. Herman ont déclaré hier être les inventeurs d’un moyen d’éliminer le gaz mortel nommé carbone monoxide, de rendre inutile la transmission des vitesses, de se débarrasser des carburateurs, et enfin de révolutionner de fond en comble le fonctionnement des moteurs à combustion interne pour aéroplanes ou automobiles.

Ils disent que leurs inventions augmenteront de 200 pour cent le rendement de la gazoline et donneront 43 pour cent plus de pouvoir aux moteurs, tout en supprimant radicalement la dilution de l’huile.

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A Fabulous Invention

Rock Island, IL., 12 – Yesterday, C.C. Herman and J.F. Herman announced that they had invented a means to eliminate lethal carbon monoxide gas, render transmission gearboxes useless, do away with carburetors and finally, thoroughly revolutionize the functioning of automobile or airplane internal combustion engines.

They claimed that their invention will increase gasoline energy efficiency by 200% and give engines 45% more power whilst radically reducing oil dilution.

A myriad of new items, here called “faits divers,” spiced up the reading menu. Here is an example.

L’Etoile, June 30, 1944

Serpent dans un train

Danvers, 30 – Vous n’avez qu’à voyager sur les trains du Boston & Maine si vous voulez jouir des bienfaits de la nature.

Un train filait vers Boston hier et tout marchait rondement, quand les hommes forts commencèrent à blêmir et les femmes à sortir leur bouteille de parfum, d’autres montèrent sur leurs bancs et criaient de toute la force de leurs poumons. On voyait un serpent qui se faufilait dans les allées.

Suivant les plus hautes traditions du Boston & Maine, un membre du personnel, dans son plus calme, sort l’inoffensif serpent avec une paire de gants et au grand plaisir de tous, le lança dehors.

Un professeur de Peabody qui venait d’arriver annonça alors que c’était un tour joué par un groupe d’élèves qui avait présenté deux petits jouets ressemblant à des serpents. Les femmes cessèrent de crier et remirent leurs bouteilles dans leurs sacoches, et les hommes qui étaient blêmes de peur devirent rouges comme des coqs.

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Snake in a train

DANVERS, 30 – In order to enjoy the joys of nature, all one has to do is travel on the Boston & Maine trains.

A train was heading towards Boston yesterday and everything was going smoothly, when strong men turned pale and women took vials of perfume out of their handbags. Others climbed onto the seats and screamed at the top of their lungs. They could see a snake slithering down the aisle.

Following Boston & Maine’s highest traditions, a member of the personnel, in a most calm demeanour, seized the offensive snake with a pair of gloves and, to everyone’s delight, threw it outside.

A teacher from Peabody who had just arrived said that the incident was a practical joke played by a group of pupils with two little toys resembling snakes. The women ceased their screaming and put the vials of perfume back into their purses and the men, gone pale with fear, blushed like roosters.

Daily coverage always included “faits divers” about accidents, crimes and unexpected events. These human interest stories fed reader curiosity much like social media does today. Here are examples of headlines and their subheadings.

L’Etoile, December 24, 1924

Deux Femmes de Lowell Arrêtées à Lawrence Hier

A la suite d’un accident d’automobile survenu à Lawrence hier soir, Mme. Georgiana Grenou, âgée de 34 ans et Mlle. Jennie Sweet, âgée de 30 ans, toutes deux domiciliées à Lowell, ont été appréhendées sous l’accusation de vol de marchandises dans le magasin J.F. McGrath, Lawrence. Toutes deux comparaissaient en Cour de District de Lawrence ce matin et furent condamnées à $10 d’amende chacune.

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Two Lowell Women Arrested Yesterday in Lawrence

Following a car accident in Lawrence last night, Mrs. Georgiana Grenou, 34, and Mrs. Jennie Sweet, 30, both Lowell residents, were apprehended on charges of theft in the Lawrence store J.F. McGrath. Both appeared in Lawrence District Court this morning and both were sentenced to pay a $10 fine.

L’Etoile, December 30, 1924

Une Femme Qui en Tue Quatre

Mme. Emma Hobough, 30 ans, tue son père, sa mère, son frère de 22 ans et sa propre fille de 3 ans avec une carabine chargée de plomb. Bataille terrible dans la maison. Elle allègue des mauvais traitements.

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A Woman Who Kills Four

Mrs. Emma Hobough, 30, kills her father, her mother, her 22-year-old brother and her own child of 3 with a lead-charged rifle. Terrible battle in the house. She alleges mistreatment.

L’Etoile, March 2, 1925

Elle Tire sur Son Frère Qui se Suicida Hier

Un vicaire anglais essaie de se suicider. Sa soeur, qui le voyait mourir dans son agonie, mit fin à ses souffrances.

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She Shoots Her Brother Who Attempted Suicide Yesterday

An English vicar tries to commit suicide. His sister, who saw him dying in agony, ends his suffering.

L’Etoile, March 2, 1925

50 Personnes Sortent d’un Hôtel en Feu

Les hôtes et les employés viennent bien près de se faire emprisonner dans un incendie à Salem.

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50 People Leave a Hotel in Flames

Guests and employees come very close to being imprisoned in a Salem fire.

Here are a couple of items from a weekly column called “Au fil de la Plume,” literally translated “on the thread of the pen,” featuring quips on current news.

L’Etoile, October 30, 1924

Au fil de la Plume

“Le juge Gary, président de la United States Steel, déclare que la prospérité future du pays dépend largement du résultat des élections de mardi prochain. Chose extraordinaire, tous les candidats rivaux sont aussi du même avis.

Hélas! Devant tant d’arguments contradictoires, que doit penser le malheureux électeur que tous les partis sollicitent? Cette profonde parole de Louis XIV est vraie plus que jamais aujourd’hui: ‘Il faut de la force pour tenir la balance droite entre tant de gens qui font tous leurs efforts pour la faire pencher de leur côté.’

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Judge Gary, president of United States Steel, declares that the country’s future prosperity will largely depend on the result of next Tuesday’s elections. Here’s an extraordinary thing – all of the rival candidates are of the same opinion.

Alas, in the face of so many contradictory arguments, what must the poor voter think of all the soliciting parties? These profound words from Louis XIV are truer today than ever: “It is necessary to have the strength to hold the scale straight among so many people making every effort to tip it in their favor.

“Echos de Lowell” was another weekly column which zoomed in on locals like William L. Abrams and Joseph Drainville.

L’Etoile, September 10. 1924 – Echos de Lowell

Lowellois Admis au Barreau de New York

William L. Abrams, fils de M. et Mme. Samuel Abrams, 377 rue Westford en cette ville apprit samedi soir qu’il avait réussi dans les examens du barreau de l’Etat de New York. M. Abrams pratique le droit dans la ville de New York dans l’étude bien connue de Henry Wendt.

1919. Abrams est un gradué du Lowell High School, classe de 1919. Il reçut une médaille Carney cette année-là. En 1921, il reçut son baccalauréat es-arts de l’Université Harvard, comme élève de la classe de 1932. Enfin, le 4 juin, il reçut son baccalauréat en loi de l’Université Columbia. Il obtint ses degrés avec honneur dans les deux universités.

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Lowellian admitted to the New York bar

William L. Abrams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Abrams, 377 Westford Street, learned Saturday night that he had succeeded in the New York State bar examinations. Mr. Abrams practices law in New York City at the well-known Henry Wendt firm.

Mr. Abrams is a graduate of Lowell High School, class of 1919, and received the Carney Medal that year. In 1921, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University as a student in the class of 1922. Finally, on June 4, he obtained his Bachelor’s in Law from Columbia University. He received his degrees with honors in both universities.

1. Joseph Drainville, barbier bien connu, est maintenant employé au salon de M.H. Trudel le, 714 rue Moody, Pawtucketville.

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Mr. Joseph Drainville, well-known barber, is now employed in M.H. Trudelle’s shop on 714 Moody Street Pawtucketville.

Obituaries, engagement and wedding announcements and anniversaries are part of the daily newspaper menu. Here are headlines and subheadings of life’s happy events.

L’Etoile, November 1, 1924

Intentions de Mariage

Les intentions de mariage suivantes ont été enregistrées au bureau du greffier de la ville au cours de la semaine courante:

Norbert Léger, âgé de 25 ans, fils de Narcisse Léger et de Marie Léger avec Yvonne Beaudette, 17 Lupine Road, âgée de 19 ans, fille d’Alphonse Beaudette et d’Anna Collette.” (The list of engagement announcements continues.)

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Marriage Intentions

The City Clerk’s office registered the following intentions of marriage this week:

Norbert Léger, 25, son of Narcisse Léger and of Marie Léger, with Yvonne Beaudette, 19, of 17 Lupine Road, daughter of Alphonse Beaudette and Anna Collette.

L’Etoile, October 26, 1924

Belle Réception en l’Honneur des Nouveaux Epoux

Samedi soir, à la demeure de M. et Mme. Ernest Marcoullier eut lieu une agréable réception en l’honneur de M. et Mme. Arthur Marcoullier mariés récemment dans cette ville….

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Beautiful Reception in Honor of the Newlyweds

A reception in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Marcouiller, recently married in this city, took place on Saturday night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Marcouiller….

L’Etoile, October 26, 1924

Belles Fêtes à l’Occasion de Leurs Noces d’Or

1. et Mme. Zéphirin Loranger du No. 14 rue Lawton fêtent dignement le cinquantième anniversaire de leur mariage. On leur présente un plateau rempli de pièces d’or.

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Beautiful Celebrations for their Golden Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. Zéphirin Loranger of 14 Lawton Street celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with dignity. They were presented with a tray filled with gold pieces.

Included in L’Etoile’s columns was a rubric with helpful hints for the homemaker – tips on cleaning, sorting, sewing, anything to facilitate household management. These appeared regularly for an all-inclusive target readership – from the Maman of a large family to the immigrant who crossed the 45th parallel with the dream of “making it” in the States.

Although the French word “ménagère” (homemaker) is grammatically feminine, learning to clean a stain, sew a button, wash a window, plant a rooftop garden and turn leftovers into a delectable meal, were destined to all. Everything was recovered, reused, repurposed or recycled. Nothing went to waste. It is no wonder that the “ménagère” rubric was a favorite L’Etoile staple.

L’Etoile, June 30, 1944

La ménagère

Quand on veut faire disparaître une tache d’un vêtement qui n’est pas parfaitement net, il en résulte souvent une différence de couleur. Il y aura aussi un cerne, si le travail est fait à moitié, si on est trop généreux avec le nettoyeur. Pour prévenir le cerne, guère plus joli que la tache elle-même, il faut procéder comme suit. Commencer à nettoyer les bords de la tache en manœuvrant vers le centre, par petits coups demi-circulaires; de cette façon, chaque coup se fond l’un dans l’autre sans former de lignes de démarcation. Soufflez sur la tache tout le temps que vous nettoyer. Plus elle sèche vite, mieux c’est. Quand elle n’y paraît plus, frottez légèrement avec un chiffon sec et étendez à l’air frais ou devant un éventail électrique. Un cerne causé par l’eau ne requiert qu’un léger frottage du tissu sur lui-même. Le bord d’une cuiller, une pièce de monnaie bien propre et même l’ongle suffisent souvent pour effacer un cerne pas trop prononcé. Ayez toujours à portée de la main un linge spécial, de préférence en coton, qu’il est important de garder bien propre. Pour cela vous n’avez qu’à plonger, en même temps que votre lavage de chaque semaine, dans la mousse riche et active qui donne ‘l’ultra-blanc.’

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La ménagère

To make a stain disappear on a piece of clothing which is not perfectly clean, the end result is often a difference in color. A circle will appear if the job is half-done or if one is too generous with the cleaning solution. To avoid making a circle, which is hardly prettier than the stain itself, one must proceed as follows. Begin cleaning the edges of the stain, working towards the center with little semicircular movements. That way, each movement will blend into the other without forming demarcating lines. Blow on the stain constantly while cleaning. The faster it dries, the better. When the stain is no longer visible, lightly rub with a dry rag and hang the piece of clothing outside or in front of an electric fan. A water stain merely requires slightly rubbing the fabric on itself. The edge of a spoon, a coin, and even one’s fingernail often suffice to remove a not-too-pronounced circle. Always have a special cloth, preferably cotton, on hand. It is important to keep it very clean. In order to do so, just include it in the weekly wash with rich and active soapsuds which give ‘ultra-white’ results.

Recipes shared by “La ménagère” were many. Readers appreciated ingenious ideas to make the most of their pantry contents. Chapter 5 lists many delectable ingredients that locals turned into hearty meals.

Lifestyle also included fashion. L’Etoile columns published sewing pattern information and indications on where to obtain fabric. Shops and department stores in downtown Lowell proudly advertised and displayed the latest style of wardrobe items. Chapter 7 shows how Lowell’s shops enticed customers to buy local. Here is an advertisement for men’s hats.

L’Etoile, April 4, 1925

Le jour de Pâques, ce qui ajoutera beaucoup à votre toilette. Venez faire votre choix dans le meilleur assortiment de la ville. Il vous faudra bientôt un chapeau ou une casquette. Pourquoi ne pas acheter de nous un chapeau ou une casquette de haute qualité, fait sur commande? Et à meilleur marché que vous paieriez ailleurs pour des articles inférieurs. Nous fabriquons au détail. Vous épargnez les profits des intermédiaires. Boston Hat and Cap Shop. 234 Middlesex Street.

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Easter Day, something to add a lot to your outfit. Come make your choice from the best collection in town. You will soon need a new hat or cap. Why not purchase a high quality, made-to-order hat or cap from us? And at a better price than you would pay elsewhere for inferior quality merchandise. We manufacture for retail. You save the profits of the intermediaries. Boston Hat and Cap Shop. 234 Middlesex Street.

Chapter 5 presented examples of advertisements. To continue with the lifestyle and practical information theme, here is one of many ads for student summer jobs.

L’Etoile, June 30, 1944

Hommes, femmes, garçons, filles de plus de 16 ans désirés immédiatement. Spécial aux étudiants du high school. Plusieurs bonnes vacances pour garçons et filles de high school de plus de 16 ans. Excellent salaire.  Transport en préparation de Tyngsboro via la Route 113. Demandez, téléphonez ou écrivez à Bemis Bro. Bag Co. rue Main, East Pepperell, Mass. Tél. Pepperell 232

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Men, women, boys, girls wanted immediately. Special for high school students. Many good vacancies for high school boys and girls over 16. Excellent salary. Transportation in preparation from Tyngsboro via Route 113. Ask, telephone or write to Bemis Bro. Bag Co. Main Street, East Pepperell, Mass. Tel. Pepperell 232.

Ads touting Lowell-made remedies like Father John’s Medicine appeared in L’Etoile’s columns. So did briefs on the latest medical equipment as this example shows.

L’Etoile, April 2, 1957

Lea aveugles verront

East Orange, N.J. – Le Dr. John C. Button, fils, un neurologue, affirme avoir inventé un appareil permettant de voir à une personne atteinte de cécité totale. L’appareil, dit le Dr. Button, sera perfectionné d’ici cinq ans.

Il sera attaché à l’arrière du cerveau de l’aveugle par des électro-aimants qui activeront de minces fils plantés dans la tête du patient. L’appareil, précise le neurologue, ressemblera à un appareil miniature de télévision.

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The Blind Shall See

East Orange, N.-J. – Neurologist Dr. John C. Button, Jr. claims to have invented a device to restore sight to individuals suffering from total blindness. The device, called the Dr. Button, will be perfected within the next five years.

It will be attached to the back of the brain by electric magnets which activate thin wires implanted within the patient’s head. The device, specifies the neurologist, resembles a miniature television.

Laughter is the best medicine. L’Etoile knew it. Inserted in its columns, lines to make readers smile filled otherwise empty spaces.

L’Etoile, April 2, 1957

Drôle de Raison

L’employé de bureau voulait convoler en justes noces. Sa fiancée désirait se marier un mardi, mais le futur y était opposé.

‘Je me demande ce que tu as contre le mardi?’ dit-elle.

‘C’est pourtant simple,’ répondit-il. ‘Si nous nous marions un mardi, le jour de nos noces d’argent tombera un vendredi. Et le vendredi, j’ai ma soirée de quilles.’

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Funny reason

An office worker wanted to wed. His fiancée wanted to get married on a Tuesday but the future groom was opposed to it.

‘I wonder what you have against a Tuesday?’ she said.

‘Simple,’ he responded. ‘If we get married on a Tuesday, the day of our silver wedding anniversary will fall on a Friday. And Friday is my bowling night.’

L’Etoile, April 2, 1957

Trop Tard

Un époux disait à sa femme: ‘Si tu dois me tromper un jour, préviens-moi franchement.’

“Ah! Mon chéri, tu aurais dû me dire cela plus tôt.”

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Too late

A husband was telling his wife: “If you have to cheat on me one day, warn me frankly.’

“Oh! Sweetheart, you should have told me sooner.”

The L’Etoile Publishing Company print shop on 24-26 Prince Street had no modern technology to set up newspaper layout. Advertising was essential not only for financial viability but it also “meublait l’espace,” furnished the spaces, as seen in chapter 5. Jokes as well as words of wisdom also served the purpose. No space was left vacant.

L’Etoile, March 1, 1926

La mer est l’image des grandes âmes; quelqu’agitées qu’elles paraissent, le fond est toujours calme. / L’homme prudent se tait quand il a trop à dire. / Il faut pratiquer la justice sans s’attendre à aucune récompense.

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The ocean is in the image of great souls; however agitated they appear, the depths are always calm. / The cautious man keeps quiet when he has too much to say. / It is necessary to practice justice without expecting any recompense.

L’Etoile offered its readership opportunities to escape the task-filled daily routine by publishing poems, short meditation pieces and, most popular of all, serialized novels. The latter appeared in the daily rubric called “Feuilleton (series) de L’Etoile.” Their teaser titles piqued curiosity.

For example: “Paradis Perdu – grand roman romantique” (Lost Paradise – great romantic novel) or “Larrons d’Amour – grand roman dramatique” (Thieves of Love – great dramatic novel). The reader could also devour “La Guerre des Femmes” (The War of Women), “La Peau du Lion” (The Lion’s Hide) or “La Maison des Rossignols” (The Nightingale’s House), for example.

Lowell’s entertainment scene had a prime spot in L’Etoile’s columns. The Jewel, Keith, Merrimack Square, Rialto, Royal and Strand theaters all announced their showtimes in the paper. This column often included news about celebrity love affairs, marriages, divorces, tastes, travels, and miscellaneous star chitchat.

Sports news was a source of entertainment not to be neglected. L’Etoile never failed to cover school sports as well as local, regional and national competitions. Baseball, basketball, bowling and boxing were among the favorites. The Merrimack also offered a prime sport venue. Here is an excerpt from a front page feature.

L’Etoile, October 27, 1924

Des régates sur la rivière Merrimack

Le Lowell Navy Club a fait renaître hier un sport pour lequel Lowell fut un temps célèbre. Les ‘marins’ de Lawrence ont défait ceux de Lowell et de Lynn. Plusieurs jolis prix. Foule considérable.

Hier fut une journée qui augurait bien pour le retour de sports aquatiques qui autrefois rendirent cette ville presqu’aussi célèbre que l’ont rendu ses filatures. Hier, le Lowell Navy Club a fêté le Jour de la Marine au milieu d’une foule de spectateurs au Pawtucket Boat Club.

Depuis le temps des rameurs champions sur la rivière Merrimack, la ville de Lowell n’avait pas été témoin d’un aussi grand intérêt que celui qui a été manifesté hier après-midi dans les concours de courses de bateaux à rames entre les équipes des Clubs de Marine de Lowell, Lawrence et Lynn, et de courses en canots par les équipes des Boat Clubs de Winchester et Medford.

Près de 200 matelots se trouvaient réunis à l’auditorium à 1h30. Ils se mirent en rangs et paradèrent à la rue Pawtucket avec fanfare en tête de la marche. Les matelots portaient leur uniforme….

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Regattas on the Merrimack River

Yesterday the Lowell Navy Club revived a sport for which Lowell was at one time famous. The ‘sailors’ from Lawrence defeated those from Lowell and Lynn. Many beautiful prizes. Considerable crowd.

It was a day that boded well for the return of water sports which, in the past, made this city almost as famous as did its mills. Yesterday, Marine Day was celebrated by the Lowell Navy Club in front of a crowd of spectators gathered at the Pawtucket Boat Club.

Since the time of champion rowers on the Merrimack River, the city of Lowell had not witnessed such a wide interest as that manifested yesterday afternoon in the shell boat racing competition between teams from the Marine Club of Lowell, Lawrence and Lynn and in the canoe races of teams from Winchester and Medford.

Close to 200 crewmen were gathered at the Auditorium at 1:30. Headed by a band, they paraded in ranks to Pawtucket Street. They were in uniform….

Parish events were a vital part of Lowell community life. The parishes founded by French-Canadians, Saint-Joseph’s, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Louis-de-France, Notre Dame de Lourdes, for example, had their bulletins published in L’Etoile. In the early 1900’s this rubric was called “Demain dimanche dans nos églises” (Tomorrow Sunday in our churches) and in the 1940’s it was “Semaine paroissiale” (Parish week). The newspaper wished to support one of its principal Franco-American institutions and thus offered this service free of charge.

Weather forecasts appeared daily in L’Etoile. One hundred years ago, the newspaper even covered climate change news. Here is a headline and subheading.

L’Etoile, January 2, 1926

Les Volcans Réchauffent l’Alaska

Les observateurs disent que les nouvelles éruptions vont produire un changement radical permanent dans la température. Plus chaud en Alaska.

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Volcanoes are Warming up Alaska

Observers say the new eruptions will produce a permanent radical change in temperature. Warmer in Alaska.

L’Etoile would not have been an effective daily without classifieds. This column included ads for buying, selling, or renting items and for job openings. The lonely hearts category was excluded.

L’Etoile’s columns feted holidays with ads, briefs, features and editorials. Here is an invitation to celebrate Independence Day.

L’Etoile, June 30, 1944

Chevaliers de Colomb. Soirée-boucane du Comité des Charités mardi soir 4 juillet. Le programme commence à 8 h 30 précises. Entrée sur billet seulement. Imm. Genoa Club, 167 rue Dutton.

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Knights of Columbus Charities Committee jamboree Tuesday evening 4th of July. The program begins at 8:30 sharp. Entrance for ticketholders only. Imm. Genoa Club, 167 Dutton Street.

On Thanksgiving, if the family cook was off-duty, Mr. Lee was happy to take over the wining and dining.

L’Etoile, November 22, 1944

Le plus confortable restaurant du centre de Lowell. Célébrez ici Thanksgiving. Délicieux dîner au dindon pour toute la famille. Lee’s, fameux pour chop suey, riz frit et chow mein. Dîners spéciaux du dimanche. Meilleur service et meilleur nourriture toujours chez Lee’s. Commandes préparées pour emporter, Lee’s chop suey, 7 rue Merrimack, au-dessus de Schulte’s Cigar Store. Jimmy Lee Wong, prop. Le plus confortable restaurant du centre de Lowell.

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Lowell center’s most comfortable restaurant. Celebrate Thanksgiving here. Delicious turkey dinner for the whole family. Lee’s, famous for chop suey, fried rice and chow mein. Special Sunday dinners. Best service and best food always at Lee’s. Orders prepared to take out. Lee’s chop suey, 7 Merrimack Street, above Schulte’s Cigar Store. Jimmy Lee Wong, prop. Lowell center’s most comfortable restaurant.

Noël meant gift-giving and that required money. An institution founded by the French-Canadian community offered reliable financial services. Its advertisements appeared regularly in L’Etoile.

L’Etoile, December 22, 1944

Puisse le bonheur être de la partie à votre table de Noël et vous apporter la paix et la prospérité durant l’Année qui va suivre! – Caisse Populaire Jeanne d’Arc

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May happiness be at your Christmas table and bring you peace and prosperity during the year to come! – Jeanne d’Arc Credit Union

On its December 24, 1924, front page, the Star of Prince Street, extended holiday wishes to all in three languages.

L’Etoile souhaite à tous ses lecteurs, annonceurs et amis, un Joyeux Noël, et s’unit à eux dans le glorieux choeur des anges. L’Etoile wishes all its readers, advertisers and friends, a Merry Christmas, and joins them in the glorious chorus of the angels. Gloria in excelsis deo, pax hominibus bonae voluntatis!

This chapter was but a block of L’Etoile’s elaborate quilt, 71 years in the making. Every headline, brief, ad, article, editorial, represent a colorful ensemble of word threads mindfully chosen to inform, educate, stimulate, inspire and entertain.

Bunker Hill story told through new eyes by Marjorie Arons-Barron

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog.

Bunker Hill: A Siege, A City, A Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick is the perfect book to top off the nation’s 250^th birthday year. Having spent most of my life in Massachusetts, having driven or walked through most of the places that Philbrick recreates, I didn’t think I’d have much to learn about the nation’s early history and the city I grew up in. But Philbrick’s brilliantly researched and retold account of the events leading up to Bunker Hill provides many aha moments.

It’s an old story, of course, but told in such a painstakingly granular way, that it opens our eyes to less-known details about both patriots and loyalists as well as the factions dividing each side. Philbrick provides new insights into the colonies torn between those who simply wanted liberty from onerous taxation and iron-heavy British governance but still thought of themselves as British, and those who wanted independence altogether. Philbrick explores their personalities, ambitions and limitations. We learn more about the disagreements and challenges inside the mother country as well. And we learn more about the different approaches of the British generals, the ultra-aggressive William Howe, whose every move drove the locals deeper into military action, and the more measured Thomas Gage.

On the home front, the focus is not just icons like John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere.  We are on intimate terms with Dr. Joseph Warren, his prominence as a doctor giving way to his growth as a charismatic military leader; his deepening relationships with not just Mercy Scollay, the woman who became his wife, but his hidden relationship with Sally Edwards, his pregnant mistress. I met afresh Dr. Benjamin Russell, a member of the Provincial Congress secretly sharing crucial information with the British.

We’re not spared (as perhaps we were in elementary school) the rashness of some of the patriots, their frequent mob uprisings and even their violence (we learn every gruesome detail of the tarring and feathering of British loyalist John Malcom in Boston). We get a tactile sense of privations they endured and primitive inadequate armaments undermining their heroism in what would become an eight-year war.

Philbrick also sheds light on what really happened at both Bunker Hill and nearby Breeds Hill both defensively and offensively. The focus of this book is on Boston and the surrounding area in the years leading up to the battle, which was a turning point in the war.  He would go on to write two more books on the Revolutionary War, focused more on George Washington.

His research and writing for Bunker Hill took three years leading to publication in 2013. He immersed himself in contemporaneous diaries, journals, publications, archives and historical societies. Yet his writing style is as easy and evocative as an historical novel. The vivid details bring to life characters and events that we once learned from dry hagiographic accounts from often-uninspiring history teachers.

Today, we can scoff at the hypocrisy of Bostonians fighting for freedom while a fifth of their families owned slaves. We can smell the fetid air of the battle, try to block out the screams of the wounded, and cringe at the rashness of British and provincial officers.  Most of all, we can breathe a sigh of relief that the Founding Fathers like Samuel Adams and John Hancock, gathering in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress, had the vision of a coordinated response that ultimately forged the 13 colonies into a new nation. Bunker Hill is a story well told, and worth reading again and again.

Lowell Politics: November 1, 2026

A couple of fiscal matters from Tuesday’s Lowell City Council meeting warrant discussion. The first was a transfer of $1.1 million from the FY24 Certified Free Cash Account to the Lowell Police Department “to support various equipment needs.”

As a reminder, “free cash” – which is the source of these funds – is surplus money left at the end of a fiscal year. At the start of each fiscal year, the council adopts a balanced budget that accounts for all revenue and then directs how that revenue is to be spent. But government operations can be unpredictable. Sometimes money allocated for a particular purpose cannot be spent due to factors beyond the control of the city, so that money is left over at the end of the fiscal year. Likewise, if the city’s revenue estimates that form the basis of the budget are exceeded by the amount of revenue collected through the year, then the extra money is left over.

For governmental entities like state or federal agencies, not spending money in the budget by the end of the fiscal year means that money reverts to the funding authority, but that’s not how it works in city government. The legislature allows municipalities to keep that extra money as “free cash” provided its first “certified” by the state department of revenue. Once certified, free cash can be used for many purposes, although maintaining much of it as a reserve or “rainy day” account is prudent and, perhaps more importantly, it leads bond rating agencies to score the city’s finances as more fiscally sound which results in lower borrowing costs which saves the city money in the long run through lower interest payments on bond debt.

For some reason, FY24 ended with the city holding a substantial amount of free cash. Much of that excess has already been used for other purposes, but a good chunk remains. The memo accompanying this proposed vote explained that the fund from which the money was being taken had been set up as a “pay-as-you-go capital account designated for municipal building improvements” but the money was not needed for that purpose right now.

Of the $1.1 million being transferred, $612,500 will be spent on police body camera expenses and $487,500 is for new police vehicles. A deputy police chief was present to answer council questions. I believe he said that the body camera expenditure was an annual fee rather than a one-time payment. It sounds like the city has a comprehensive contract with the company providing the cameras that includes online storage of the video recorded by the cameras along with a rolling replacement of a portion of the physical cameras each year. The same company also provides the police with tasers which are also partially funded by this expenditure.

Video requires an enormous amount of digital storage and housing all that data is not cheap. Conceivably the city could do it in-house, but that would require a substantial expenditure on IT equipment, software and personnel so it’s probably most efficient to outsource it. Still, computer companies succeed by getting customers to spend a lot of money on a recurring basis. It’s much more lucrative for them to ensnare the customer with high annual fees than to just make a one-time sale of equipment. None of the councilors drilled down on this issue, pressing the city manager on whether the police are paying for the bare minimum of what is needed or have they chosen the Cadillac option.

Speaking of automobiles, that brings us to the second expenditure. The deputy chief explained that the front-line vehicles used by the police department have a very short lifespan. These vehicles operate year-round, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and log nearly 45,000 miles per year. As new vehicles are acquired, the replacement vehicles are handed down to other bureaus within the police department where instant reliability of the vehicle is not as critical.

Someone explained that whereas the useful life of a fire engine or DPW dump truck is 15 years and therefore made part of the city’s capital spending plan, police cruisers, with their 3-year life expectancy, are typically part of the city’s annual operating budget.

A few councilors pushed back on this proposal with some arguing that both items are normal operating expenditures that should have been funded by the FY27 budget the council enacted last June. Others didn’t like the idea of taking money slotted for building repairs (mostly school repairs) and spending it on recurring operating costs. A motion to refer this request to the council’s finance subcommittee was defeated after which the vote to make this transfer passed with (7) yes votes from Councilors Sokhary Chau, John Descoteaux, Belinda Juran, Sidney Liang, Rita Mericer, Vesna Nuon and Corey Robinson; and (3) no votes from Mayor Erik Gitschier and Councilors Sean McDonough and Kim Scott.

It’s not a good sign when money in a reserve account is needed four months into the fiscal year to pay for two things that are normal operating expenses which should have been funded in this year’s budget. The exact same expenses will exist next year, only there won’t be a money reserve to tap since it was already spent this year. At some point, the math doesn’t work. But for now, this fiscal issue has been kicked down the road until the FY2028 budget is discussed next spring.

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The second fiscal matter discussed by the council was a vote to “raise and appropriate $1.5 million to the Lowell Fire Department to support the hiring of 14 new firefighter recruits.” Unlike the police transaction, which was a transfer of existing funds, this proposal would raise this $1.5 million from the city’s normal revenue sources during the current fiscal year. While that sounds like an increase in taxes, it seems that city revenue is being collected at a pace that exceeds budget protections which would leave a surplus of funds at the end of the fiscal year. Rather than devote that to free cash for future use, the council by this vote has opted to spend the money in the year it’s received. This also means that the FY2028 budget for fire department personnel will already have a $1.5 million increase baked into it which might require a property tax increase next year to cover this cost going forward.

As for the purpose of this money, the memo supporting this action explained that while the Lowell Fire Department is authorized 213 firefighters, it currently employs just 196. This discrepancy contributes to the high cost of overtime since a minimum number of fire fighters must be on duty for each shift, and the lesser number currently employed eliminates any personnel cushion to cover for illness, injury, vacation and other absenteeism.

The memo goes on to state that three new hires are “currently enrolled” in firefighter academy training and that this appropriation will allow the city to hire an additional 14 recruits which would bring the number of firefighters up to the fully authorized amount of 213.

While hiring a dozen and a half new firefighters should help with staffing, the department continues to lose personnel to retirement on a regular though unpredictable basis. Nevertheless, staffing closer to 213 than to 196 should help, although it comes at a cost.

Speaking of costs, a line in the supporting memo caused Councilor Belinda Juran to have some understandable trepidation. The line in question read, “By strengthening our workforce, the City hopes it can meaningfully curb overtime expenditures helping to ensure that annual overtime costs remain below the $4 million threshold . . .” (emphasis supplied).

Councilor Juran’s concern was that by its very terms, the memo said this new expenditure of $1.5 million would at best keep overtime costs at the current $4 million per year level (which is higher than it’s ever been before) with seemingly no hope of reducing it.

The council passed the proposal unanimously.

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If you’re interested in what else happened at the council meeting, the agenda is online and the full YouTube recording of the meeting is here. If you want to view a particular portion of the meeting but don’t want to sit through the entire 3 hours and 26 minutes that this one lasted, YouTube has a handy feature that synchs the items on the agenda to the time in the recording when that item was discussed. Underneath the YouTube viewing window is a line that (currently) says, “794 views.” Underneath that is a link that says, “…more.” If you click on that, the meeting agenda will display with each item on the agenda preceded by the time stamp when that item was discussed. Just click on the timestamp and it brings you to that part of the video.

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If you haven’t already voted, remember that the state election is this Tuesday. If you’re heading to the polls to vote in person, be sure to bring your answer key for the nine referendum questions that are on this year’s ballot.

In my newsletter two weeks ago, I briefly explained the purpose of each of the nine questions and the implications of voting yes or no. If you need a quick reminder of the questions, here’s a link to that newsletter.

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There were a couple of Halloween related posts on richardhowe.com this week. First, Henry Marchand wrote about the world’s most famous escapologist and musician, Harry Houdini, who died on October 31, 1926.

Then, Leo Racicot wrote about favorite Halloween candies from the 1950s & 1960s.

Louise Peloquin shared a report from an Open House hosted by the UMass Lowell Library.

Charlie Gargiulo wrote a review of Louise Peloquin’s fictionalized account of attending a Catholic girls boarding school here in New England in the 1960s. The book, Boarding School Blues, is available through online print-on-demand.

Finally, in Wednesday’s Seen & Heard column, I wrote a book review of Sword Beach: D-Day Baptism by Fire by Max Hastings; reported on a great art exhibition at the Addison Gallery of Art in Andover; noted an historical obituary of Lowell’s Harry “Bucky” Lew, the world’s first Black professional basketball player; and commented on a podcast the featured the journalist James Marriott talking about “the end of reading” in modern culture.

Houdini: Recalling A Legend

Houdini: Recalling A Legend

By Henri Marchand

Harry Houdini died on Halloween, one-hundred years ago at the age of 52.  In those short fifty-two years he took the world’s imagination by storm and in so doing became an astonishing American legend.  Although he is best known as a magician and escape artist, he was also an author, aviator, actor, film producer and debunker of psychic frauds.  He was, above all else, a master showman who rose to the top of his field by accepting seemingly deadly risks and routinely doing the impossible.  He did so with supreme self-confidence, meticulous preparation and shrewd, relentless self-promotion.

Always in search of bigger headlines, he piloted a plane on the first sustained flight on the Australian continent and appeared in a string of melodramatic silent films showcasing his daring and skills.  But it was his spectacular escapes, on stage and on the street, that made him a star.  While other magicians put their assistants at risk, sawing them in half or running them through with swords, Houdini placed himself in harm’s way, always emerging victorious, always receiving wild applause and always with the press present.

Born Ehrich Weiss in 1874, Houdini was the quintessential self-made man.  He had no formal education but was a voracious reader who amassed a huge library.  He began performing professionally at age seventeen, playing music halls, dime museums, and carnivals.  Though physically short in stature, Houdini developed a Herculean physique and combined an eye for the dramatic with bold ambitions and an outsized ego to become larger than life.  By the late 1890s he and his wife Bess were performing “Metamorphosis,” a trick whereby they would switch places in a locked trunk.  Ever the showman, he developed the challenge act, offering a $100 reward to anyone who could restrain him in handcuffs.  No one ever collected.

Houdini’s breakthrough came in 1899 when vaudeville impresario Martin Beck saw his act, convinced Houdini to concentrate on escapes and booked him on the western circuit of the Orpheum theater chain.  By 1900 the former “King of Cards” was billed as “The King of Handcuffs” and for or the next 26 years he would dominate American entertainment.  Still, he dreamed of greater fame and sailed to England with little but his dream and audacity.  Upon arriving in London, he challenged Scotland Yard to restrain him.  He promptly escaped and there followed extended runs, more well-planned challenges and sold-out engagements throughout Europe.  He returned to the United States five years later an established celebrity and continued the publicity stunts that would fill theaters and solidify his legend—an escape from the jail cell that held President Garfield’s assassin and death-defying escapes from straightjackets as he hung upside down above busy downtown streets and from packing crates tossed into New York Harbor.  These stunts guaranteed front page news and sold-out performances.

It was Houdini that first got many interested in magic including myself.  After watching the 1953 movie Houdini starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh on TV, my brother and I began experimenting with escapes from ropes, handcuffs and padlocked chains.  We had no real clue what we were doing but we faked it enough so that our friends and family were mildly impressed.  Fortunately, we were smart enough, or scared enough, to not attempt Houdini’s underwater escapes by jumping into the Merrimack River or Lowell’s canals in manacles.  Had we done so, it would have been the end of our “careers” as escapologists.

Houdini was at the height of his career in the fall of 1926, when he began a run on Broadway in a one-man, two-and-a-half-hour show titled simply, HOUDINI.  In October the show went on the road with performances in Providence, Albany, and Montreal.  Beginning in Providence, Houdini suffered a series of setbacks.  Bess contracted food poisoning and Houdini got little sleep as he stayed by her side.  In Albany he broke an ankle during his famous “Chinese Water Torture” escape.  Stubbornly refusing medical care, he finished the show and moved on to Montreal.  Weakened by pain and lack of sleep, Houdini, who claimed to be able to withstand body blows, allowed a McGill University student to strike him.  Unprepared, the punch staggered him.  Though in pain, he went on to perform three more shows and on October 24 the troupe moved on to Detroit where he finally saw a doctor but, against advice and with a temperature of 104, performed again that night, collapsing at intermission and at the end of the show.  He finally entered Grace Hospital and was operated on for a ruptured appendix but it was too late.  After nearly a week struggling to escape death one more time, he succumbed to peritonitis in the early afternoon of Halloween.

In the end, he was beaten by shackles of his own making—pride, bravura, and the showman’s mantra that the show must go on.  For someone who meticulously planned to reduce risk of failure and rehearsed for absolute success, Houdini failed to recognize real risk when it arrived.

A century after his death, Houdini’s legend lives on.  On Halloween, at twenty-six minutes past one, the exact time of Houdini’s death, magicians again conduct solemn broken wand ceremonies, traditional memorials by fellow conjurers symbolizing the deceased’s broken powers.  Halloween séances will be held by fans and followers in yet another attempt to make contact with Houdini.  It’s unlikely they’ll succeed, for, after ten decades, the man who in life never failed to escape all devices made to confine him remains captive to the grave.  But these annual events will succeed in recalling the remarkable story of Houdini the man and in generating more press clippings for Houdini the legend.

After the trick-or-treating is done this Halloween, I will stream Houdini and recall a bit of the magic that an 11-year-old felt watching the black-and-white, small screen adventures of Harry and Bess.