(I decided to skip ahead in the months to match up with approximately where we are in the calendar year).

Dear People from the Past:
If somehow you are reading this (afterlife? time machine?), I have a question for you: how did you do it? How did you stand the heat during an Ann Arbor summer? It was a heat index of 97 today, I wore shorts and a tank top and spent most of the day in air conditioning and I still feel miserable. How did you do it wearing a ton more of clothes and having maybe a fan? Are you pissed off that we have air conditioning (I would be)? I want you to know that I think of you folks often, especially when I’m trudging up the hill on Fourth Avenue to go downtown. When I start to get fussy, I remember you. You had wooden sidewalks (if that), dirt roads and horse shit to deal with in addition to the hot weather and heavy clothes. I still complain–make no mistake–but I do think of you. I admire you greatly.

Your friend, Patti

Now, for the news of the day….

• The city council did a “good hot night’s work”. (Did people have Council Viewing parties back then? I know they didn’t have TV but maybe they still went and had a council drinking game like we do?
• Drinking games aside, a number of good citizens showed up to ask for new walks on Geddes and a new hydrant at the corner of Madison and Second. John Manning and 42 “tax payers and residents” showed up on behalf of the North Main people to argue against altering the grade of North Main. (I don’t live on Main Street proper but I think I am a “North Main” person, too! Glad to see you were keeping the fire alive, my friends). By the way, it looks like the council agreed and passed a resolution to leave Main Street as it was.
• Oh, dear. Professor Loisette cheated a good many people out of $500 (how much is that today?!) when they signed up for his “memory lessons”. He was actually a fella named Larrowe who was a Yale graduate (he claimed) and a lawyer (another of his claims). He also bragged about making $500,000 that year (?!?!?!?). I feel badly for these nice folks who got swindled. We could have Googled his ass and found out he’s a cheat.
• Mr. and Mrs. Caleb Krause are at it again! For the third time those two are marrying each other. Oy.
• Strawberries will be out of the market in a day or so but raspberries are forthcoming. (I just bought some end of season strawberries at the market today. They are delicious!)
• “Everyone” said it was one of the quietest fourths of July ever in the Deuce. The idiots who were letting off fireworks just two days ago obviously didn’t live here back then.
• W.G. Snow’s horse Flora got a bad cut when someone ran his carriage into her (presumably on accident)
• The circus will be in Ypsi in two weeks
• Mrs. Bridget Clark died of cancer…in the forehead. ?
• Anton Brahm has a restaurant and confectionery on Depot Street! Opposite the freight house, they serve warm meals at all hours of the day.
• Dr. L.D. White, clairvoyant physician, relocated from our fair area to Detroit. He ‘treated” chronic diseases.
• And the little son of Tony Schiappacasse (dealer in fruits, nuts and confections at No. 5 Main Street) fell down a flight of stairs at the opera house. While the force of the fall was enough to “break every bone in his body”, the plucky little guy was back up and around by Sunday.

Stay cool!