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Jerry Harris · 06-18-2002, 01:20 AM

Agree with Bill, what a gem of a historical snippet!

If I catch correctly, Smith worked for Baker & Hamilton, a California hardware dealer and Luger importer. He used the company letterhead and advertising envelope to write a completely personal (unsent) request for what we'd now call a "self-help" book from Physical Culture Publishing in New York.

My impressions are

a) The dealer (possibly with encouragement from DWM) took a pretty loose view of what it takes to become a "U.S Army...Automatic Pistol."

b) Adult spelling skills at the turn of the century, when the "three Rs" were king, weren't noticeably better than they are now.

c) This dealer in 1902 referred to the "Luger...Pistol" although references often suggest that "Parabellum" was used until the '20s, when Stoeger and/or Abercrombie & Fitch adopted the inventor's name.

I believe Physical Culture Magazine was run by Bernarr McFadden, a pop health guru and something like a mixture of Charles Atlas and Joycelyn Elders.

06-18-2002, 01:20 AM	#3
Jerry Harris User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 64 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Agree with Bill, what a gem of a historical snippet! If I catch correctly, Smith worked for Baker & Hamilton, a California hardware dealer and Luger importer. He used the company letterhead and advertising envelope to write a completely personal (unsent) request for what we'd now call a "self-help" book from Physical Culture Publishing in New York. My impressions are a) The dealer (possibly with encouragement from DWM) took a pretty loose view of what it takes to become a "U.S Army...Automatic Pistol." b) Adult spelling skills at the turn of the century, when the "three Rs" were king, weren't noticeably better than they are now. c) This dealer in 1902 referred to the "Luger...Pistol" although references often suggest that "Parabellum" was used until the '20s, when Stoeger and/or Abercrombie & Fitch adopted the inventor's name. I believe Physical Culture Magazine was run by Bernarr McFadden, a pop health guru and something like a mixture of Charles Atlas and Joycelyn Elders.