Stories: Old West & Beyond 04/09/24
“He serves the state best who opposes it most.” - Thoreau
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Good Morning. It’s Tuesday, April 9, 2024. On the morning of this day in 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. Not only is this Appomattox Day, it's also National Name Yourself Day.
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STORY MENU
“You will never reach home alive” ... Deadliest Jobs of the Pony Express ... Bottoms Up ... Outrageous Pranks ... Shooting the Stars ... Up, Up, & Away ... Driving Small ... What was that noise?
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WILD WEST
On a Saturday morning in February 1896, lawyer Albert Jennings Fountain and his eight-year-old son left Lincoln, New Mexico, for home. Father and son were never seen again—perhaps victims of a political rivalry. “Vanished without a Trace.”
Pony Express riders, although a dangerous role, didn’t necessarily have the deadliest job. Here are ten things you may not know about the Pony Express.
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FIVE STORIES FROM HERE & THERE
1—HOAXES
Naked Came the Stranger ranked among the top 9 most outrageous pranks in history.
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2—FAVORITE BEER
A market research company ranks the most popular beer by generation and adults in general.
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3—PHOTOGRAPHY
Amazing shots of the night sky, thanks to incredible winners of the Astronomy Photography of the Year Contest.
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4—COMICS
A copy of Action Comics #1, which marked Superman’s debut, sold for a record $6 million.
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5—TRANSPORTATION
Would you feel safe or adventurous driving one of these? And what about the price tag (about $20,000 in American dollars)?
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FOR THE CURIOUS
"Did you hear that noise?" you might ask a fellow airline passenger. We hear a variety of different noises on airplanes. Smithsonian Magazine explains what they mean.
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REFLECTION
"As I slowly grow wise I briskly grow cautious." -Mark Twain, 1887
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