October 11: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

October 11, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1848, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Dickens is writing another Christmas story, and as [the] report goes, is to get five thousand pounds for it. A handsome price, indeed.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1908, the Eagle reported, “Unless the Department of Commerce and Labor at Washington, which has charge of the machinery of immigration, gets busy very soon and makes an award of the contract for the catering privileges at Ellis Island, some thousands of foreigners may arrive some fine morning and find that they cannot get anything to eat while they are detained and awaiting the verdict of the inspectors as to whether or not they will make desirable citizens of the United States. There has been so much pulling and hauling over the contract that the present concessionaire, Harry Balfe, who is holding over beyond the expiration of his last contract, which expired in June, is reported to be disgusted with the whole business and to have threatened to close up shop. The maneuvering which has been going on to secure this big contract has been due to the influence of a very prominent Manhattan Congressman, it is said, who is believed to have a very lively interest in one of the bidders.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1923, the Eagle reported, “Today the second game of the World’s Series of 1923 is scheduled for the Polo Grounds, the home of the Giants. The Giants, having won the first game of the series yesterday by 5 to 4 at Yankee Stadium, should be today doubly fortified mentally, so to speak. Tomorrow the scene shifts back to Yankee Stadium, and so on until the bitter end with one team having won four games. It would perhaps be more accurate to say that the Yankees lost yesterday, rather than that the Giants won. Slow-witted base running by the American Leaguers and a marvelous defense by the Giants prevented the Yankees from scoring two or three more runs. Charles D. (‘Casey’) Stengel’s home run in the Giants’ ninth inning, smack between Bob Meusel and Whitey Witt, up on to the bank in left center, should have been merely a stirring incident instead of the decisive blow. In many respects the game was one of the most thrilling ever played in a World’s Series, and justified whatever price the spectators paid for their tickets.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Eagle reported, “Whether those old-time gridiron rivals like it or not, the demand for another Army-Navy game this year for charity will be even stronger than it was in 1930, when they battled at the Yankee Stadium for the benefit of the Salvation Army. Charity certainly will be in a receptive mood by the early part of December. The receipts from last Winter’s game exceeded $500,000. There will be more uses for that much money or any part of it in the forthcoming Winter months than there will be touchdowns all season. The unsatisfactory part of the situation, from the view of the cadets and midshipmen, is the uncertainty of their present relations. Again they have proceeded to map out their football programs without taking each other into consideration, since they have no diplomatic relations and therefore remain in a state of open disagreement. This obstacle can be overcome, thinks Alan Gould of the Associated Press, by the expedient of putting on a post-season contest between them, as was done in 1930, but this is a hardship for players and spectators, even though not for charity.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle published the following letter: “This is supposed to be Fire Prevention Week and it should be noted here, as Brooklyn’s reputation in that respect is hardly the best. Last year it had more fire alarms than any place in the country, and also more than the other four boroughs combined. Many of these alarms were false ones, thus adding another traffic hazard. However, some city magistrates don’t think so, apparently, considering their disposition of such cases. In one instance where a fireman was killed in responding, it was termed a ‘childish prank.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “It is war time and never has the need for trained policewomen been so urgent in our city, says a note from Mary Ellis, president of the Policewomen’s Eligible Association. The Police Department is not only understaffed but a majority of patrolmen eligibles are of draft status, she states. ‘At the same time that this alarming shortage exists,’ says Miss Ellis, ‘the twin problems of juvenile delinquency and prostitution, with their attendant evils, have been aggravated by war conditions. The only logical solution to this situation is the appointment of more policewomen.’ The letter asks a petition to the Mayor to appoint an additional 200 women from the eligible list.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “LAKE SUCCESS (U.P.) — The United States threw its support to the partition of Palestine today and promised to help the United Nations maintain ‘internal law and order’ while splitting the Holy Land into independent Arab and Jewish states. In a momentous policy statement, the United States also proposed formation of a United Nations army of volunteers to supervise Palestine’s transition to freedom. It did not pledge American armed strength and material, however, in case the Arabs, Jews or other forces threaten the Holy Land with international aggression. The crucial American stand was made known to the U.N. General Assembly’s 57-nation Palestine committee in a brief but fateful statement drafted by President Truman, Secretary of State George C. Marshall and top American military, diplomatic and political advisers. The statement, delivered by Herschel V. Johnson of the United States delegation, implicitly warned the Arab nations against carrying out their threat to block partition with armed force. It also told Great Britain, in a thinly veiled sentence, that it cannot expect to pull out of Palestine and unload the explosive problem on the United Nations without helping to keep peace in the Middle East until the U.N. can take over.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James M. McPherson, who was born in 1936; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall, who was born in 1946; sportscaster Jon Miller, who was born in 1951; “John Adams” star David Morse, who was born in 1953; Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, who was born in 1961; “Working Girl” star Joan Cusack, who was born in 1962; “Mystery Science Theater 3000” host Michael J. Nelson, who was born in 1964; former N.Y. Yankees and Mets pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who was born in 1965; “30 Rock” star Jane Krakowski, who was born in 1968; rapper and actress MC Lyte, who was born in 1970; “Bones” star Emily Deschanel, who was born in 1976; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Michelle Trachtenberg, who was born in 1985; golfer Michelle Wie West, who was born in 1989; and rapper and songwriter Cardi B, who was born in 1992.