nix-no-never-not

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Nix No Never Not

 
While searching though back issues of the Toronto News for holiday-related material for an upcoming Historicist column, I stumbled upon a cartoon that seemed to fall into the genre of strips/one-offs whose plot was built around getting one of the characters to say the title in the final panel. You be the judge as to whether this style of humour still cuts the mustard a century on.

 
The same page of the News found the gruff old Scot on the left passing judgement on the quality of pipes found at Toronto branches of United Cigar Stores. This stereotypical depiction appeared in the retailer's advertising of the period, with different captions under his satisifed visage to suit the ad copy.

 
News stories on the same page:

 
  • A bedroom fire at 69 DeGrassi Street destroyed a $20 feather mattress belonging to a Mrs. Dowling.
  • Windsor dry goods merchant Joseph Appelbe won a partial appeal of a judicial dismissal of an injunction against the Erie Tobacco Company to cease the "obnoxious odors" eminating fom their factory. The new judgement ruled that the injunction go into effect six months later, so that Erie Tobacco could fix the problem.
  • Federal Minister of Finance W.S. Fielding returned to work after a bout of illness (referred to as "facial trouble"). A date for the resumption of reciprocity negotiations with the United States had yet to be established. The deal he reached was a key factor in the defeat of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier's government the following September.
  • The state treasurer of New York gave away $500 worth of gold to his office staff, orderlies, and elevator operators at the government offices in Albany.
  • Words of wisdom: "If a man's conversation is heavy it's safe to bet that his words carry but little weight."

Source: The Toronto News, December 23, 1910. - JB

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