Electric beans and a flask of Emergency Doctor

Thursday, 08 October 2009 05:00

October 8, 1910. Newspaper advertisements can be as fascinating as the news, as indicated by this edition of the Toronto Globe.

The Electric Bean Chemical Co. Ltd. of Ottawa promised that its beans, for 50 cents a box, will "electrify with new life your entire system," curing whatever ails you, including anemia, constipation, headache, heart palpitation, impure blood, sluggish liver, unhealthy stomach, and weakened nerves.

At the Majestic Theatre you could see "SIX BIG VAUDEVILLE ACTS" and the "latest motion pictures" for just 10 cents for the best seats and five cents for the cheap seats.

The Hiscott Dermatological Institute promised to permanently remove "superfluous hair on the lips, chin, cheek, neck, ears, brows; also moles, warts, red veins, etc."

If you planned to go deer hunting, the Julian Sale Leather Goods Co. Limited suggested you might want to bring an "emergency doctor" in one of its Julian Sale Flasks. "Nice for cold tea, milk or other beverages when one is out in the woods," Julian Sale proclaimed. What the other beverages might be, Julian Sale didn't specify.

The Canada Cycle & Motor Co., Limited's Russell 30 automobile offered the latest innovation for drivers, a "foot accelerator," while the headlights featured "larger gas lamps." The price was $2,350.

You could buy a 20-horsepower, two-passenger Ford Model T Runabout for $875 or a five-passenger Model T Touring Car for $975.

"Ill-fitting underwear ruffles the temper and irritates the nerves," The C. Turnbull Co. of Galt, Limited, warned. But its Ceettee wool underwear, it claimed, "fits snugly and wears well... knit to the form—comfortable from first to last."