The Cuba Review of 1933 recounted a Route 66 crash involving a dog and two motorists.
In honor of #NationalDogDay, the blog will recount a story (actually side-by-side stories) from the 1933 Cuba Review involving a historic dog that belonged to Justice of the Peace Colonel W.H. Sweetin.
The story involves many dramatic elements: politics, car crashes, a half-vicious dog, and children (one with a hard head), and an element of humor.
Judge Sweetin’s dog tests new law.
The article from the 1933 Cuba Review chronicles the new dog law that had been published the week before requiring dog owners to keep their dogs on the premises. However, the Justice of the Peace Colonel Sweetin’s own dog (unnamed) tested the law. The article reported the canine to be a half-vicious fellow. We assume the other half was the half that endeared him to the Judge. Nevertheless, the hound had already bitten several people and snapped at others.
Marshal Cagle was determined to do his duty when the dog was reported off premises. On Monday morning, he was prepared to make the necessary arrest, but to be nice about it. Whether he was arresting the dog or the judge cannot be determined. He called on the Colonel, but the latter promised to keep his dog up and all seemed well. But in an adjacent article, we find that there was more to the story of the Judge’s dog being off premises.
Judge Sweetin’s dog contributes to crash on Route 66.
There is always “the rest of the story.” In an article placed adjacent to the first article was the report of a crash on Route 66 involving–Judge Sweetin’s dog.
Judge Sweetin lived across from Art Eads’ Cafe on Route 66. The Judge’s dog was crossing Route 66 when motorist T.W. Reed of Dearborn, Michigan jammed on his brakes to miss the dog. The brakes were reportedly not evenly adjusted, and the car swung around to the left and smashed into a parked car in front of the Cafe. The parked car belonged to Everett Ousley, also from out of state.
Both cars were occupied by the men’s wives and one child each. The three-year old Ousley child was in his mother’s lap, and his head went through the windshield, but he was reported to be uninjured. The Reed car that missed Judge Sweetin’s dog but hit the other car, was damaged to the tune of $25. The parked Ousley car had $15 of damage. The article reported that Ousley paid the $25 and that both parties continued on their vacations. However, we are thinking that Reed probably paid the money since he was driving the moving car.
The outstanding element seems to be the difference in the era when they settled the accident themselves with no insurance claims, lawsuits, or other disturbances. Times were different.
And that’s our story in honor of #NationalDogDay.
Blog by: Jane Reed, Cuba MO
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