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Interesting Facts About Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley was an Old West sharpshooter who gained fame appearing in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Tour, a traveling show. But as much as she was considered a Western star, she was not born in the Old West. Here are some interesting facts you might not have known about her.
Annie met Frank Butler, her future husband, after
beating him in a shooting contest and winning $100 on a bet ($2300 in 2019).
After a very short courtship, she began living with him. It turns out he couldn't marry her because he was still married to another woman. Even though Frank claimed in public that he married Annie on August 23, 1876, Frank wasn't divorced from his first wife until 1881. He married Annie in 1882.
Annie appeared with her husband in traveling shows for nine years and was billed as a teen sharpshooter. After they were working for a while in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, they started to downplay her age.
While Oakley was dealing with her libel suits against William Randolph Hearst's newspapers, Frank Butler became a spokesperson for the Union Metallic Cartridge Company. (an ammunitions company) and Annie continued to lend her name to products. When Annie retired in 1913 from her last Wild West Show, the couple settled into retirement and helped to raise money for the Red Cross for World War I. Annie did occasional demonstrations but her professional performing ceased.
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| Annie Oakley starred as a sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill's Wild West traveling show |
Annie Oakley was her stage name. Her birth name was Phoebe Ann Mosey, but her family called her Annie. Some historians show the family name as Moses or Mozee, but the census records show as Mosey.
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| A historical marker at the cemetery where the Mosey family is buried |
Annie's father died when she was four. She first started shooting at age six and by age eight was expertly hunting and killing small game. She learned to shoot once to the head so the body and skins would be clean so she could sell them to local shopkeepers. The money she earned helped to support the family until her mother remarried.
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| A young Phoebe Ann Mosey (Annie Oakley), around six years old |
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| The farm where Annie was raised in Darke County Ohio |
After contracting pneumonia at age ten, Annie and her sister were hospitalized in an infirmary that was also a home for indigents - the poorhouse. With so many children to take care of, Annie's mother told the infirmary that it was best if they stayed in the state-run home. When her sister recovered, she wanted to go home. But the childless owners of the infirmary took Annie into their home. The wife was hoping to tame her wild ways and teach her ladylike tasks like sewing and embroidery. One day, the owners got a visit from a farming couple who said that they needed a live-in caregiver for their baby son while they worked on their farm. They said they would pay a handsome salary of fifty cents a week ($9.77 in 2019 dollars) and they promised to provide a formal education to whoever was chosen for the job.
The owners immediately agreed to give up ten-year-old Annie. Shortly after Annie went to live with the farming couple, they began to physically and mentally abuse her. She tried to run away many times and was beaten when she was caught.
Two years after she went to live with them, she escaped during the night. Her mother and her new husband took Annie back to live with them on the farm, and Annie went back to hunting and selling her kills.
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| Annie around age 16 |
At age 15, Annie earned enough money from hunting and selling fresh game that she was able to pay off the mortgage on the family farm.
Annie met Frank Butler, her future husband, after
beating him in a shooting contest and winning $100 on a bet ($2300 in 2019).
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| A young Frank Butler, preparing to marry Annie Oakley |
After a very short courtship, she began living with him. It turns out he couldn't marry her because he was still married to another woman. Even though Frank claimed in public that he married Annie on August 23, 1876, Frank wasn't divorced from his first wife until 1881. He married Annie in 1882.
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| Proof of marriage in 1882 |
Annie appeared with her husband in traveling shows for nine years and was billed as a teen sharpshooter. After they were working for a while in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, they started to downplay her age.
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| Graham and Butler toured traveling shows demonstrating their shooting prowess |
For sixteen seasons, they traveled around the world, with Annie as billed as an expert female sharpshooter. Annie wowed audiences with her one of a kind act that many tried to duplicate but few succeeded, especially the trick where she hit targets by aiming backward using a hand mirror to look over her shoulder.
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| Annie Oakley shooting over her shoulder at a target while using a mirror |
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| William Randolph Hearst, Newspaper Owner |
Annie Oakley sued millionaire newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst for reporting a horrendous and false story in two of his newspapers that Annie Oakley was a cocaine addict who was arrested for stealing a black man’s pants. When more than 50 other newspapers picked up the story, Annie Oakley went into attack mode trying to clear her name.
It turned out that a burlesque performer using the stage name of Ann Oakley was the one who was arrested. Most of the newspapers printed retractions, but William Randolph Hearst refused to do so. Instead, he went into his own attack mode and hired a private eye to get any dirt that could be found on Annie Oakley. He found only that her marriage date was in question, but nothing else.
Annie sued 55 newspapers for libel and by 1910, she had won settlements from 54 of them. She did win a $27,500 settlement from Hearst (which is 741,318 in 2019), but the total of her legal expenses outweighed all of the settlements she received so that she lost money trying to clear her name.
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| Annie Oakley endorsed some products early in her career |
While Oakley was dealing with her libel suits against William Randolph Hearst's newspapers, Frank Butler became a spokesperson for the Union Metallic Cartridge Company. (an ammunitions company) and Annie continued to lend her name to products. When Annie retired in 1913 from her last Wild West Show, the couple settled into retirement and helped to raise money for the Red Cross for World War I. Annie did occasional demonstrations but her professional performing ceased.
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| Canada Dry was only one of many food products Annie Oakley endorsed. |
In 1912, the Butlers built a brick ranch-style house in Cambridge, Maryland. It is known as the Annie Oakley House and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. In 1917, they moved to North Carolina and returned to public life. Until she became too ill to do so, Annie continued to go hunting with her dog whenever possible.
Working in a man's world, Annie Oakley played to very rowdy audiences. However, she never lost sight of her femininity and made it a point to appear in embroidered skirts and blouses. What most patrons didn't know was that the stitching on her costumes was by her own hand during down times between cities. It was a skill she most likely learned in her youth from the infirmary owners.
Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1926, at the age of 66, after a three-year illness of pernicious anemia, which is caused by a lack of Vitamin B-12. She was cremated according to her wishes and her ashes were placed in one of her shooting trophies, then given to her husband, Frank. Some say that to go on without her was too much for Frank Butler to bear. He died 18 days later on November 21, 1926. The trophy was placed next to his body in his coffin and was buried with him. He is buried near the Mosey family plots.
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| Signed by Annie Oakley, she enjoyed hunting with her dog. |
Working in a man's world, Annie Oakley played to very rowdy audiences. However, she never lost sight of her femininity and made it a point to appear in embroidered skirts and blouses. What most patrons didn't know was that the stitching on her costumes was by her own hand during down times between cities. It was a skill she most likely learned in her youth from the infirmary owners.
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| Annie personally did all the embroidery on her clothes |
Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1926, at the age of 66, after a three-year illness of pernicious anemia, which is caused by a lack of Vitamin B-12. She was cremated according to her wishes and her ashes were placed in one of her shooting trophies, then given to her husband, Frank. Some say that to go on without her was too much for Frank Butler to bear. He died 18 days later on November 21, 1926. The trophy was placed next to his body in his coffin and was buried with him. He is buried near the Mosey family plots.
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| Annie Oakley, around 62 years old |
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| Annie Oakley with her husband Frank, and their dog. This is one of the last public pictures of Annie Oakley |
DIY Hacks To Fix Eyeglasses
Skip the Ad on the video after 5 seconds, and enjoy these six DIY Hacks to fix eyeglasses: broken frames, foggy lenses, eyeglasses that slip, scratched lenses and more!
HOW TO TAKE A SCREENSHOT
This is not a new skill if you have been using a computer for over five years, but we do have some newer readers.
This post is also on our Geek website and it has step by step instructions with pictures. By the time you do it twice, you will be an expert. Have a look, comments are welcome.
Follow this link:
https://2geekgirls1nerdyguy.blogspot.com/2017/08/how-to-take-screenshot-on-computer.html
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| https://2geekgirls1nerdyguy.blogspot.com |
https://2geekgirls1nerdyguy.blogspot.com/2017/08/how-to-take-screenshot-on-computer.html
The Inward Well On Bottles
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| The inward well is called a "Punt" |
That inward well at the bottom of your soda, ketchup, juice or wine bottle is called a "punt." The punt makes the bottle more stable so it doesn't tip over when bumped in the fridge or on a pantry shelf. It also makes the bottle stronger so it can stand the high pressure of the fizzy contents.
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SOLAR LIGHTS - TIN FOIL
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| Wrap foil around top of solar lights to improve brightness |
If you take some sheets of tin foil and wrap them around the part of your solar lights where the light shines out, you can make your solar lights shine brighter. Try it out!
Did You Know? Bananas Trick
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| Keep bananas from spoiling by .... |
You probably already heard about wrapping banana steps in plastic wrap so it makes them last a few days longer. Well, it turns out that tin foil is just as good. Give it a try!
Tape Measures - Did You Know?
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| Why do tape measures have a hole at the end? |
When the tape measure is being used by one person, the hole is to be hooked over a nail so the tape measure will stay in place.
Giant Armored Dinosaur Found In China
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| Skeleton of an Ankylosaurus, an armored dinosaur |
In August 2014 during an excavation in Liaoning Province in northeastern China, farmers found the skeleton of a juvenile armored dinosaur in a quarry. The dinosaur was almost completely intact. This area is also where the remains of feathered dinosaurs were found in 2004. It is one of the largest Ankylosaurus to have grown huge early in their lives which was during the Cretaceous Period when millions of dinosaurs roamed the earth in vast numbers.
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| Various Ankylosaurus species |
This new Ankylosaurus is named Chuanqilong (in Chinese, it means legendary dragon) Chaoyangensis (the area where it was found). As plant eating dinosaurs, the Ankylosaurus is covered in heavy armor and some had a bony club at the end of their tails. Archaeological digs have unearthed this species of dinosaur on all continents with the exception of Africa.
This fossil was about 14.7 feet long, and researchers say when compared to others they have found, that this one was only moderate in size, however, this one wasn't fully grown. The adults (called Cedarpelta) could grow to be 26 feet long.
Source: LiveScience.com
KITCHEN HACK
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| Pull out the bottom basket about halfway |
If you are tired of the freezer door closing before you get to put away your frozen foods, here's a hack for you.
Pull out the bottom basket and leave it out till you put away your groceries. It can stay open a few minutes. It will save you some frustration and definitely save you from getting pissed off that the door closes so well.
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Knocker-Uppers
Beginning in the 18th century up to the early 20th century, people in Britain who needed to get up on time for work would pay knocker-uppers (yes, it was a real job!) to act as human alarm clocks to wake them up in various ways.
The "knocker-upper" was a common sight in Britain, particularly in the northern mill towns, where people worked shift work, or near London's dock area where the shifts of dockworkers went according to the tide.
In 1931, Mary Smith (pictured below) charged each of her East London customers the sum of sixpence a week to wake them up. She did this by using a long bamboo stick and shooting a pea at the windows of the sleeping workers.
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors.
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors. Knocker-uppers were night owls who slept during the day and stayed up all night to be sure they woke up their customers on time for work.
To have a knocker-upper wake you up, you could do one of two things: put a note on your door saying when you wanted to be woken up, or reach out to the knocker-upper in person and let them know when to bang on your window. They rapped on your window once for a sequence of three or four bangs, then they went on their merry way.
They weren't like your mother or wife who would call you ten times to get up. Nope. You got one set of three or four raps for your sixpence and that was it.
Their time, after all, is money.
By the end of the 1930s, there were an estimated 1,000 jobs for Britain’s knocker-uppers and thousands of subscribers in need of their services.
But who woke up the knocker-uppers? Here's a tongue-twister from that time with the answer.
We had a knocker-up, and our knocker-up had a knocker-up
And our knocker-up's knocker-up didn't knock our knocker up
So if our knocker-up didn't knock us up
It's 'cos he's not up.
Source: Unusual Jobs of the 19th and 20th century
The "knocker-upper" was a common sight in Britain, particularly in the northern mill towns, where people worked shift work, or near London's dock area where the shifts of dockworkers went according to the tide.
In 1931, Mary Smith (pictured below) charged each of her East London customers the sum of sixpence a week to wake them up. She did this by using a long bamboo stick and shooting a pea at the windows of the sleeping workers.
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors.
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| Mary Smith woke people up by shooting peas at their windows |
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors. Knocker-uppers were night owls who slept during the day and stayed up all night to be sure they woke up their customers on time for work.
To have a knocker-upper wake you up, you could do one of two things: put a note on your door saying when you wanted to be woken up, or reach out to the knocker-upper in person and let them know when to bang on your window. They rapped on your window once for a sequence of three or four bangs, then they went on their merry way.
They weren't like your mother or wife who would call you ten times to get up. Nope. You got one set of three or four raps for your sixpence and that was it.
Their time, after all, is money.
By the end of the 1930s, there were an estimated 1,000 jobs for Britain’s knocker-uppers and thousands of subscribers in need of their services.
But who woke up the knocker-uppers? Here's a tongue-twister from that time with the answer.
We had a knocker-up, and our knocker-up had a knocker-up
And our knocker-up's knocker-up didn't knock our knocker up
So if our knocker-up didn't knock us up
It's 'cos he's not up.
Source: Unusual Jobs of the 19th and 20th century
Hey! Protect Pets and Children from the Heat!
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| Pet safety in the heat is just as important as child safety |
There is nothing more heartbreaking that a news report about a child who was left in a car seat in the back seat of a car or a careless pet owner who left their animal in the car with barely a cracked window.
When it comes to pet safety, it isn't just limited to your car. So here are some tips to help you out.
PET SAFETY
- Walk your animal in early morning and later in the evening after dinner. Steer clear of walking your pet in the middle of the day when temperatures are at their highest.
- Take breaks in the shade if you are out for more than 20 minutes.
- Keep a 'damp to wet' hand towel around your own neck to keep yourself cool and put a 'damp to wet' bath towel in a large Ziploc bag to take along for your pet. Don't forget to grab a bottle of cold water and a small plastic bowl with you every time you take your pet for a walk so your pet can get a drink too. The cold drinking water cools from the inside. The dampness of the bath towel will cool your pet from the outside. Your pet needs both if they are ever overheated.
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| Know the numbers and what they mean! |
- Know the signs of distress: If you pet starts to pant excessively, they are overheating so get in the shade and give them a drink from your bottled water, then head for home.
- If it is above 100 degrees outside, either stay inside or if your pet must go out, then keep your walk to under five minutes.
- If your pet "feels" hot or measures with a body temperature exceeding 102 degrees and if he does not cool down with air conditioning, a pet bath or lots of cool liquids, it's time to get to the vet.
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| Leaving a window open for your pet is an invitation for someone to steal him. |
- If your pet's gums are dry, your pet is overheated. Their gums should be slimy and slick.
- An animal's foot pads will feel heat before any other part of their body. Either put foot pads or insulated socks on them before you take them outside OR delay the walk until the cooler hours of the day.
- If your animal's feet are hot to the touch, use a wet towel to cool them down or let them stand in ankle-high bath water or pool water for a few minutes.
- If you have to go inside a building for any length of time and you have to take your pet with you for any reason, bring along a friend to sit in the car with him until you return.
- Whenever you have a list of errands to run, leave your pet at home.
CHILD CAR SAFETY
- "Look Before You Lock" - Every time you get out of your vehicle, open the back door (or hatch if you don't have a back door) to check over your whole vehicle before walking away. Make sure no child (or pet) has been left behind.
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| Protect the most precious thing in your life - your children. |
- If you are in the habit of allowing your children to play with your keys, give them an old set of keys or a pretend set of keys to play with. Children will instinctively pick up your keys because they are familiar with them they to crawl inside the car or trunk when you are not aware.
- Keep this 3-point checklist on a Post-It note and tack it on your dashboard, on your handicap hang tag, on your rear view mirror, the center of your steering wheel, or on your drop down sun visor. Do the three steps every time you are leaving your vehicle and before you lock it. They are: 1. check back seat. 2. check car seat 3. check trunk
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| People remember their phones but forget they have a child. |
- Give yourself a reason to go in the back seat every time you use your vehicle. Behind the driver's seat on the floor, place your purse, cellphone, laptop, jacket -- something that you'll need to take out of the vehicle with you, so that you have to open the back door to get it out every time that you park.
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| Hot Weather Safety Tips |
- Keep a LARGE stuffed animal in your car and put it in the front seat with you after you have put your child in the car seat. Seeing the stuffed animal will remind you that your child is in the back in his car seat.
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| Keep a stuffed animal in the front seat to remind yourself you have a child in the car seat |
- Put a policy in place with all child care providers that you will call when the child will not be attending. Likewise, if the child does not show up as expected, that the facility should call you to be sure the child is safely at home.
- As a matter of safety, check the inside of your vehicle before you get in, no matter if your car is garaged, in a driveway or in a regular parking space, and regardless if you just got out of the car ten minutes ago. People do strange things to their pets and children - like forgetting they left them in cars, and strange people do even stranger things to your pets and children - like stealing them out of cars.
- Don't use your pet as a reminder of which car is yours in a crowded parking lot. Leave your pet at home. There are other ways to find your car: use your remote to find your car, hang something unique from the rear view mirror, put a funky bumper sticker on the fender, or buy a colorful windshield sun protector so you know which car is yours.
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| You can easily spot your car when it has a unique sun cover. |
- Don't leave a child of any age in a car with the doors locked. Anyone can say they are locked out, get a code to unlock your doors and steal your child. If you can't take your child inside a building with you, leave them at home. Get a neighbor to watch them for you and make it snappy while you are out.
- Some people crack a window and think that is good enough for a pet, then it is good enough for a child. Neither is correct.
- Having a child is a responsibility, just as having a pet is a responsibility. Start making arrangements for alternate caregivers to help out in a pinch so you aren't leaving a child in the car for any reason.
- If a child is asleep and you hesitate to take them out of the vehicle to go inside any building with you because you fear waking them up, get over the hesitation and take the sleeping child out of the car. A child can always go back to sleep, but you can't replace a child who has died from being left in a hot car. If it is not possible to take a child inside a building with you and that's your reason for leaving them in the car, leave them at home with a responsible adult or ask someone at your appointment to look after the child until you have completed your business.
- If you ever think your child is missing, before you call 911, go check the inside of your vehicle (all passenger compartments and trunk). Children might lock the doors if they see a stranger approach. Newer model cars self-lock when the driver gets out of the vehicle.
- Be aware at all times who and what is inside your vehicle. Anyone can get in your car or take something (or someone) out of your car in parking lots, gas stations, and shopping centers.
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| People forget their children in the car because the child fell asleep. |
- ANYTIME that you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 immediately. If the child appears to be asleep, overly hot or sick, break a window or damage door handles and get them out as fast as possible. Then, stay with the vehicle until police arrive. The same goes for pets.
- There are 11 US states that have the "Good Samaritan" law which gives citizens the LEGAL right to use any means necessary (smash windows, damage door handles, etc.) to save a distressed animal or child. They are: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Indiana, Colorado, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin. In Canada, England and Australia, it is illegal to break windows or do damage to vehicles when animals or children are locked unattended inside a vehicle.
- Know the signs: If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, immediately call 911. Warning signs of hyperthermia include red, hot and moist or dry skin; no sweating; a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse; nausea or acting strangely.
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| This is a growing epidemic. Please check your car so you aren't leaving behind a child. |
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