Mister Ron's Basement II
Exploring the Universe of Public Domain Humor, featuring the greatest writers in the world, seven days a week! Indexed at http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html
Thu, Nov 30 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #563

Concluding a second week of sketches by Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' from his 1852 collection 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

Today's tale is of a mourning widower and a sympathetic neighbor -- 'A Second, But Not So Very Sober Thought.'

Time: approx five minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-30.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:05am EDT

Wed, Nov 29 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #562

Continuing with another week of sketches by Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' from his 1852 collection 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

A young man will do anything to cure sadness in his lover. Listen as he roots for the cause of a troubled spirit in 'The Confession.'

Time: approx four minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-29.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:03am EDT

Tue, Nov 28 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #561

Continuing with another week of sketches by Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' from his 1852 collection 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

Today we revisit the Cheap Reverend from the hat store yesterday, this time paying a visit to a Farmer and His Wife in 'Cutting It Fat -- Or the Parson and the Cheeses.'

Time: approx six minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-28.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:58am EDT

Mon, Nov 27 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #560

Continuing with another week of sketches by Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' from his 1852 collection 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

Today's story features a Reverend who could have been Jack Benny's great grandfather, shopping for a new hat, in the story 'Cutting It Thick.'

Time: approx four minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-27.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:55am EDT

Sun, Nov 26 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #559

On Mondays we are serializing the 1890 book 'Samantha Among the Bretheren' by Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley). Today is Chapter Twenty-Three, 'Sick of Bells and the Deacons Go Fishing.'

Time: approx eleven minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-26.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:53am EDT

Sat, Nov 25 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #558

Josephine Dodge Daskam relates the sad tale of 'The Woman Who Could Not Sew' from 1901.

Time: approx three minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Josephine Dodge Daskam Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/daskam.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-25.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:51am EDT

Fri, Nov 24 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #557

Mister Bowser decides to reduce a utility bill by making his own gas. The results are what you would expect in the 1902 tale, 'Reducing the Gas Bill' by C. B. Lewis.'

Time: approx eight and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/quad.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-24.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:05am EDT

Thu, Nov 23 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #556



Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' ran a column of sketches of the people and doings in the beautiful, quaint town of Newburyport, for the readers of The Boston Post. In 1852, he published a collection of these pieces under the title 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

While many of these 'Cymon' sketches appear to be true stories, this one may be a bit tongue in cheek. Still, the author paints a colorful picture in a tale of two whitewashers and a barrel of spirits in 'Whitewashing Extraordinary.'

Time: approx six minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-23.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:41pm EDT

Wed, Nov 22 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #555

Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' ran a column of sketches of the people and doings in the beautiful, quaint town of Newburyport, for the readers of The Boston Post. In 1852, he published a collection of these pieces under the title 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we present one of Somerby's shorter essays, about a woman who makes strange errors -- 'A Slight Mistake.'

Time: approx three and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-22.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:39pm EDT

Tue, Nov 21 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #554

Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' ran a column of sketches of the people and doings in the beautiful, quaint town of Newburyport, for the readers of The Boston Post. In 1852, he published a collection of these pieces under the title 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

The author tackles a tale of a fifteen year old boy and a young lass in what could best be tastefully described as 'A Situation.'

Time: approx five and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-21.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:38pm EDT

Mon, Nov 20 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #553

Frederic Thomas Somerby, writing under the pen name of 'Cymon' ran a column of sketches of the people and doings in the beautiful, quaint town of Newburyport, for the readers of The Boston Post. In 1852, he published a collection of these pieces under the title 'Hits and Dashes, or A Medley of Sketches and Scraps Touching People and Things.'

From that collection we present a tale of two gentlemen with enormously bad taste in liquor -- 'Spicing It High and Doing It Brown.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-20.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:36pm EDT

Sun, Nov 19 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #552

On Mondays we are serializing the 1890 book 'Samantha Among the Bretheren' by Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley). Today is Chapter Twenty-Two, 'Church Bells Ringing.'

If you haven't heard the previous twenty-one chapters, go back and listen to those first! You'll be glad you did!

Time: approx fourteen minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-19.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:33am EDT

Sat, Nov 18 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #551

Josephine Dodge Daskam reveals what Modern Men need to look for in a life partner in the 1901 fable 'The Woman Who Caught the Idea.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Josephine Dodge Daskam Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/daskam.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-18.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:32am EDT

Fri, Nov 17 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #550

Mister Bowser confronts Mrs. Bowser with a set of statistics about Home Fires and decides to do something about it in C. B. Lewis's 1902 story, 'He Buys A Fire-Extinguisher.'

Time: approx ten minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/quad.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-17.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:29am EDT

Thu, Nov 16 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #549

Wrapping up a week of stories from Frank Hutchison's slangfest, 'The Philosophy of Johnnie the Gent' with the 1905 story 'A Tale Which Goes To Show That A Bar Room Is No Place To Fall Asleep.'

These have all been funny, but this one is a scream (quite literally)!

Time: approx eight and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-16.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:26am EDT

Wed, Nov 15 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #548

Another Big Con, this one involving the Sweet Science -- A Boxing Match -- from Frank Hutchison's 1905 book, 'The Philosophy of Johnnie the Gent.' The story is called 'He Relates A Tale In Which It Is Shown That A Fight Can Be 'Fixed' In More Ways Than One.'

Time: approx nine and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-15.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:24am EDT

Tue, Nov 14 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #547

Continuing with tales of con games and shady characters from Frank Hutchison's 1905 book 'The Philosophy of Johnnie the Gent' -- Today's story is called 'He Discusses the General Propensity of the General Run of Humanity to Go Up Against Get-Rich-Quick Schemes and Other Propositions That Promise Something for Nothing.'

Time: approx nine and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-14.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:22am EDT

Mon, Nov 13 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #546

Mister Ron returns from his hiatus with a unique find -- stories from the 1905 collection, 'The Philosophy of Johnnie the Gent -- A Collection of Humorous Slang Stories' by Frank Hutchison.

Today's tale, 'The Story of a First-Past-the-Post Frame-Up That Proved A Boomerang' has a number of elements that seem strangely similar to the movie 'The Sting.' We are assuming this is a coincidence, but your comments are welcome!

Since posting this episode, I have discovered that 'The Sting' screenwriter David S. Ward was heavily influenced by David Maurer's 1940 book, 'The Big Con.' After reading that book, I discovered that much of what passes for humorous fiction in 'Johnnie the Gent' is actually highly authentic, well researched tales based on the activities of con men back in 1905! Perhaps Maurer himself was inspired by "Johnnie the Gent.'

Time: approx twelve minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-13.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:19am EDT

Wed, Nov 08 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #545

Stories of politics and elections are spotlighted in the Basement this week, for those who don't get enough of these things. Today's story is genuine cliff-hanger from George W. Peck -- 'Woman-Dozing A Democrat' from 1882.

Time: approx six minutes

Mister Ron will be on hiatus for a few days, but will return after the weekend. Use this opportunity to catch up on missed episodes if you like...

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The George W. Peck Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/georgewpeck.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-08.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:17am EDT

Tue, Nov 07 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #544

Stories of politics and elections are spotlighted in the Basement this week, for those who don't get enough of these things. From 1883, Bill Nye pays a visit to Old New York City to examine 'The Zealous Voter.'

Time: approx four and a half minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Bill Nye Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/billnye.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-07.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:14am EDT

Mon, Nov 06 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #543

Stories of politics and elections are spotlighted in the Basement this week, for those who don't get enough of these things. From 1876, Max Adeler tells us 'How We Conduct A Political Campaign'

Time: approx eight minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Max Adeler Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/maxadeler.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-06.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:12am EDT

Sun, Nov 05 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #542

On Mondays we are serializing the 1890 book 'Samantha Among the Bretheren' by Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley). Today is Chapter Twenty-One, 'The Thresher, The Rat-Trap, and The Chances.'

If you haven't heard the previous twenty chapters, go back and listen to those first! You'll be glad you did!

Time: approx twelve minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-05.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:09am EDT

Sat, Nov 04 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #541

Josephine Dodge Daskam brings us a tale concerning a letter-composing woman who may have been too smart for her own good, in the 1901 fable 'The Woman Who Played Cyrano.'

Time: approx four minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Josephine Dodge Daskam Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/daskam.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-04.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:06am EDT

Fri, Nov 03 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #540

Mr. Bowser demonstrates his astounding psychic powers in C. B. Lewis's 1902 tale 'Mental Telegraphy.'

This is one of Mister Ron's favorite Mr. Bowser stories!

Time: approx ten minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/quad.html

The M. Quad (C. B. Lewis) Mister Bowser Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/mrbowser.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-03.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:04pm EDT

Thu, Nov 02 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #539

Ambrose Bierce spins a yarn about a seven mile walk across the prairie and a Clock of Doom ticking away in 'Mr. Swiddler's Flip-Flap' from 1911.

Time: approx nine minutes

Congratulations to Pete Anderson, the winner of the 1902 'Mr. Bowser' book! You may want to visit his blog at http://boogaj.typepad.com/pete_lit/

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Ambrose Bierce Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/bierce.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-02.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:01am EDT

Wed, Nov 01 2006

Mister Ron's Basement #538

Ambrose Bierce combines a thrilling story of a hunter, a bear, and a showman, along with a completely sardonic and cynical point of view in the 1899 story, 'The Lassoed Bear.'

Time: approx four minutes

The Mister Ron's Basement Full Catalog can be found at:
http://ronevry.com/Mister_Rons_Full_Catalog.html

The Ambrose Bierce Catalog of Stories is at:

http://ronevry.com/bierce.html

Direct download: revry-2006-11-01.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:55am EDT