Wilber Sweatman and Band -- March 12, 2025

Mount Vernon Argus, 12-March-1925

 Duke Ellington, who had been leading a small group that played around Washington, DC, moved to New York to join the Wilber (or Wilbur) Sweatman Orchestra. By 1925, he had already returned to Washington.

Comic Book -- The Spirit -- March 11, 2025

coverbrowser.com

The Spirit was created by the Will Eisner-Jerry Iger Studio to appear in a comic book that was syndicated to Sunday newspapers. Later he appeared in Police Comics. I bought at least one issue of the Warren reprints. I read it and reread it until the cover came loose.

Pulp -- The Whisperer -- March 10, 2025

coverbrowser.com

The Whisperer, a mysterious man in grey who spoke in a bellowing voice -- no, wait, he spoke in a whisper -- made his debut in 1937. I have not read any of his adventures, but I have heard that they are among the most violent of classic pulps.

Toonerville Trolley -- Youngsters Take Advantage -- March 9, 2025

Rutland News, 10-March-1925

I love Fontaine Fox's The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains.

Washington Times, 30-June-1918

Daylight Saving Time -- March 8, 2025

listal.com

Actress Adele Mara reminds us to set our clocks forward one hour before we go to bed tonight. Unless you live in Arizona. I like Daylight Saving Time.

Krazy Kat the Farmerette -- March 7, 2025

Kansas City Post, 30-March-1925

I love George Herriman's Krazy Kat. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Washington Times, 30-June-1918

Training for the Big Show -- March 6, 2025

San Francisco Examiner, 17-March-1925

Here we see the 1925 San Francisco Seals in Spring Training. Bert Ellison played for the Seals from 1921 to 1927 and managed them from 1923 to 1926. I don't know why he is holding a fish.

He once hit five home runs in a PCL double header.

Ash Wednesday -- March 5, 2025

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras 2025 -- March 4, 2025

Omaha Bee, 07-February-1925

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. One hundred years ago, the Illinois Central Railroad invited people in Omaha to visit New Orleans for the Mardi Gras season.

The excursion train would be parked at the station, near Lee Circle "where all parades pass." Guests could spend each night in their sleeping car.

Attend Mardi Gras at New Orleans, Mobile or Pensacola -- March 3, 2025

Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, 06-February-1925

Take the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from Saint Louis to New Orleans, Mobile or Pensacola for Mardi Gras.

The Streamlined Sunset Limited -- March 2, 2025

Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, 27-April-1952

The Sunset Limited was the premiere passenger train from New Orleans to Los Angeles on the Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Route. Southern Pacific operated it from 1894 to 1971. Since 1971, Amtrak has run it.

March, 2025 Version of the Cable Car Home Page -- March 1, 2025

I just put the March 2024 version of my Cable Car Home Page on the server:
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/

It includes some new items:

1. Picture of the Month: This real estate ad offers a space for a store and residential flats at "4068 Olive St. Terminus Olive St. Cable." The Missouri Railroad's Olive Street line started operating the month before. Note that Heath and Company's telephone number is 417. (source: Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, 08-April-1888.)
2. On the Cable Car Lines in Saint Louis page: A ten-year update about the Missouri Railroad, including contemporary newspaper items
3. Also on the Cable Car Lines in Saint Louis page: An update about the Delmar Loop Trolley.
4. Added News and Chronology items about the start of the project to refurbish all the cable car system's sheaves
5. Added News items about cable car service interruptions

Ten years ago this month (March 2015):

1. Picture of the Month: A typical three-car train of the Missouri Railroad. The open grip car is on the left. It is towing two enclosed trailers. (Source: "The Street Railway System of Saint Louis", The Street Railway Journal, June, 1895.)
2. On the new Cable Car Lines in Saint Louis page: The Missouri Railroad
3. On the Cable Car Lines in the UK page: A postcard showing the Isle of Man's Upper Douglas Cable Tramway
4. On the San Francisco page: Thanks to Ken Malucelli, photos and his memories of living in a Carville house.
5. Added News item about a visit by President Barack Obama and its effect on the cable cars
6. Added News item about the fifth annual San Francisco History Expo

Twenty years ago this month (March 2005):

1. Picture of the Month: The cover of the second edition of Of Cables and Grips: The Cable Cars of San Francisco.
2. On the San Francisco page: The second edition of Of Cables and Grips: The Cable Cars of San Francisco, by Robert Callwell & Walter E. Rice. Although the second edition is available on this web site, it is not yet available in a print-and-paper book format.
3. On the New York/New Jersey page: Contemporary newspaper articles about cable cars in Manhattan, including the beginning of the Broadway line in 1893 and the end in 1901.
4. On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Car 504 decorated for a 1954 festival, thanks to Walter Rice.

125 years ago - 1900
Mar 28 - Denver City Cable Company (Denver, Colorado) West Denver line converted to electricity
Mar 29 - Denver City Cable Company (Denver, Colorado) Welton line converted to electricity

75 years ago - 1950
Mar 24 - A Powell Street cable car hit an auto at Powell and Post.

In January 2024 I started on a long overdue process of cleaning things up on my site. I started with the development pages. Actually, I guess I started the year before with making most thumbnails 200 pixels instead of 100.

In January 2024 I started on a long overdue process of cleaning things up on my site. I started with the development pages. Actually, I guess I started the year before with making most thumbnails 200 pixels instead of 100.

Coming in April 2025: On the Kitsch page: More collectible items about cable cars, including: a wooden locomotive decorated for the San Francisco Giants (not a cable car); 1949 Examiner ads for cable car pins and wheel spinners and gearshift knobs with pictures of cable cars 

The Cable Car Home Page now has a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CableCarHomePage/

The Cable Car Home Page also has an Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/cable_car_guy/

Joe Thompson
The Cable Car Home Page (updated 01-March-2025)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/
San Francisco Bay Ferryboats (updated 31-October-2024)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ferry/
Park Trains and Tourist Trains (updated 31-December-2024)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ptrain/
The Pneumatic Rolling-Sphere Carrier Delusion (updated spasmodically)
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com
The Big V Riot Squad (updated obsessively)
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/