Sat, Dec 22 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #944 Sooner or later, he had to do it -- 'Bowser Takes an Auto Ride' by C. B. Lewis, from 1905... Time: approx nine minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.html...
Fri, Dec 21 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #943 Wrapping up a week of stories about shopping with an instructional piece from 1916 by the wonderfully funny Stephen Leacock -- 'The Grass Bachelor's Guide; With Sincere Apologies to the Ladies' Periodicals.' Time: approx twelve and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Stephen Leacock Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Leacock_Stories.html Also, do check out...
Thu, Dec 20 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #942 We are exploring a day of visiting the stores among the nouveau riche in a chapter of Metta Victoria Victor's 1884 book 'Mrs. Rasher's Curtain Lectures.' The chapter is, appropriately, called 'Shopping.' Time: approx twenty-one minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html
Wed, Dec 19 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #941 Today's story deals with a woman stranded on a desert island -- what has this got to do with this week's theme of stories about shopping? -- well, you'll just have to listen and find out for yourself! ******Ellis Parker Butler's 1920 tale 'Ads is Ads' is one of those truly rare hysterically funny stories that will leave you laughing out loud! Don't miss it! Time: approx twelve and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: h...
Wed, Dec 19 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #940 Like so many other folks do this time of year, we're going to go shopping in the Basement this week! We'll start with a Fanny Fern story from 1854, 'For Ladies that 'Go Shopping.'' Time: approx nine minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Fanny Fern Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Fanny_Fern_Stories.html...
Mon, Dec 17 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #939 Our Monday book serialization is George Ade's 1903 collection, 'In Babel -- Stories of Chicago.' The stories in this book range from the hysterically funny to the pathetically sad. Altogether, they paint a fascinating portrait of turn-of-the-last-century Chicago. Today we listen in on a conversation that takes some twists and turns before leading to a unique proposal in 'Harry and Ethel.' Time: approx ten minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog ...
Sun, Dec 16 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #938 SUNDAY SALAD offers TWO delightful Stanley Huntley stories about buying things -- Mr. and Mrs. Breezy go 'Christmas Shopping' (from 1882) and Mr. and Mrs. Spoopendyke figure out what to do with their winnings from a found lottery ticket in 'Counting Ahead' (from1881). Time: approx thirteen minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stori...
Sat, Dec 15 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #937 This time of year, all too many of us have to fight crowds at the stores, but Mr. Bowser teaches his wife how men are more efficient shoppers than women in C. B. Lewis's 1911 story 'Bowser's Lesson -- Time Wasted in Shopping.' Time: approx eight and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.html The M...
Fri, Dec 14 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #936 Mortimer Thomson attempted to go back to writing humor after the Civil War ended, but his heart simply was not in it any more. Here we present an example from 1866 -- a Baseball story called 'A Muffin Game.' Time: approx five minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Philander Doesticks (Mortimer Thomson) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/doesticks.html...
Fri, Dec 14 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #935 Not long after Mortimer Thomson married for the first time, he penned this charming tale of his wife's wiles in 'How Philander Doesticks became a Broken-in Husband,' from 1858. Time: approx eight and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Philander Doesticks (Mortimer Thomson) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/doesticks.html...
Thu, Dec 13 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #934 Between the double tragedies of losing both of his young wives, and well before his ribs were permanently shattered on the battlefield, Mortimer Thomson worked both as a frontline war correspondent and as a humorist. One reviewer of his Civil War era lectures said that "Thomson thinks the war is a big joke." From the earliest days of the Civil War, we present the 1861 piece, 'Doesticks Respectfully Inquireth -- What Do the Women Want us to Do about the...
Wed, Dec 12 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #933 It's been a long time since we read any of the sharp, witty, stories of Mortimer Thomson (Q. K. Philander Doesticks, P. B.), so let's hear some this week. From 1856, Thomson gives a detailed description of the sermon-performance of the Reverend Bloodandthunder Screecher in 'Doesticks on Popular Preachers.' Time: approx nine minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Philander Doe...
Mon, Dec 10 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #932 Our Monday book serialization is George Ade's 1903 collection, 'In Babel -- Stories of Chicago.' The stories in this book range from the hysterically funny to the pathetically sad. Altogether, they paint a fascinating portrait of turn-of-the-last-century Chicago. A policeman walking his quiet beat in the wee hours encounters a fellow with a strange request in 'George's Return.' Time: approx twelve minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be f...
Sun, Dec 09 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #931 SUNDAY SALAD presents TWO Stanley Huntley tales -- one about an 'electric dog' gone berserk -- 'In Search of Advice,' and a Spoopendyke story concerning an oyster who refuses to be opened -- 'A Trial of Endurance,' both from 1882. Time: approx twelve and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/...
Sat, Dec 08 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #930 Mr. Bowser gives a raw recruit some helpful pointers on army life in this World War I era story by C. B. Lewis from 1917 called 'Bowser's Advice.' Time: approx eight minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.ht...
Sat, Dec 08 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #929 Today we feature yet another 'Told by the Colonel' story by W. L. Alden from The Idler Magazine of 1892 -- a uniquely complex and convoluted tale of tightfisted twins called 'Thompson's Tombstone.' Time: approx thirteen and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/alden.html...
Thu, Dec 06 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #928 It is very strange that as truly funny an author as W. L. Alden was is totally forgotten today. From Alden's 1902 book, 'The Adventures of Jimmy Brown' comes another hysterical story that deserves to be read -- 'My Pig.' Time: approx six and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/alden.html...
Wed, Dec 05 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #927 *** ONE OF THE FUNNIEST STORIES, EVER! *** W. L. Alden wrote this piece for the London Magazine, 'The Idler,' back in 1893, concerning American marriages. It is called 'A Matrimonial Romance.' DON'T MISS IT! Time: approx fourteen minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/alden.html...
Tue, Dec 04 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #926 More insane stories from W. L. Alden's 1877 collection, 'Domestic Explosives' grace the Basement this week. Today's tale follows a truly whacky chain of events in 'A Profitable Fork.' Time: approx eight minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/alden.html...
Tue, Dec 04 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #925 Our Monday book serialization is George Ade's 1903 collection, 'In Babel -- Stories of Chicago.' The stories in this book range from the hysterically funny to the pathetically sad. Altogether, they paint a fascinating portrait of turn-of-the-last-century Chicago. Today we feature a convoluted dialogue concerning the relations between the members of the Exclusive Set in 'The Relatives' Club.' Time: approx eight minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Cat...
Sun, Dec 02 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #924 SUNDAY SALAD features another rare Spoopendyke story by Stanley Huntley that originally appeared in the hard-to-find Drake's Traveler's Magazine in 1884, called 'A Mouse in the Room.' Time: approx seven and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Spoopendyke_Stories.html...
Sun, Dec 02 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #923 Mr. Bowser gives an inspirational talk to a group of tramps, who respond with a bit of rhyme, in 'Mr. Bowser's Lecture' written by M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) in 1903. Time: approx eight minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/quad.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry....
Fri, Nov 30 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #922 W. L. Alden displayed a strange sense of humor as he examined quirky news items in his New York Times columns. From his 1877 collection, 'Domestic Explosives and other Sixth Column Fancies,' we find that logical inferences from scientific discoveries can lead to truly grisly conclusions in 'The Theoretical Barber.' Time: approx eight minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. ...
Thu, Nov 29 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #921 ONE OF THE FUNNIEST! W. L. Alden displayed a strange sense of humor as he examined quirky news items in his New York Times columns. From his 1877 collection, 'Domestic Explosives and other Sixth Column Fancies,' one of the most hilarious tragic events of all time is described in 'The Recent Calamity.' Time: approx seven minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catal...
Wed, Nov 28 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #920 W. L. Alden displayed a strange sense of humor as he examined quirky news items in his New York Times columns. From his 1877 collection, 'Domestic Explosives and other Sixth Column Fancies' we investigate the diplomatic niceties of royal giving in 'An Inconsiderate Gift.' Time: approx five and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at:...
Tue, Nov 27 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #919 W. L. Alden displayed a strange sense of humor as he examined quirky news items in his New York Times columns. From his 1877 collection, 'Domestic Explosives and other Sixth Column Fancies' comes a tale of a fleshy rainstorm in 'The Kentucky Meteors.' Time: approx seven and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The W. L. Alden Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/...
Mon, Nov 26 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #918 Our Monday book serialization is George Ade's 1903 collection, 'In Babel -- Stories of Chicago.' The stories in this book range from the hysterically funny to the pathetically sad. Altogether, they paint a fascinating portrait of turn-of-the-last-century Chicago. Today we listen in on an old Civil War veteran complaining about how Spanish-American War vets are treated in 'Mr. Lindsay on 'San Jewan.'' Time: approx seven minutes The Mister Ron's Basement...
Sun, Nov 25 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #917 SUNDAY SALAD features TWO Stanley Huntley stories from 1883 about boats this week. A Captain tells his amazed listeners some tall tales in 'A Few Moderate Anecdotes' and Mr. Spoopendyke buys a large sailboat in 'A Short Cruise.' Time: approx ten and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The Stanley Huntley and Spoopendyke Catalog of Stories is at: http://ronevry.com/Spoop...
Sat, Nov 24 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #916 A SPECIAL FIND! Today's tale, 'Mr. Bowser's Rejuvenation' from 1924, may very well be the last Bowser story written by C. B. Lewis. Later stories all seem to be credited to his son, who continued after Lewis passed away, using the pen name 'M. Quad, Jr.' Time: approx eleven and a half minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at: http:...
Thu, Nov 22 2007 Mister Ron's Basement #915 W. F. Croffut asks the big Thanksgiving question in his poem 'Give Thanks for What?' from around 1890. Time: approx four minutes The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at: http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html
