Thanks to Clayton J. Joffrion for steering me to the 2007 book “Baseball in Baton Rouge” by Michael and Janice Bielawa, which tells the story of Jackie Robinson’s visit to Baton Rouge for an exhibition baseball game. After the 1949 season, when he had been named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, Jackie … Continue reading →

Algie Petrere shares this tale of friendship: “Our great-grandson John, 6, has cerebral palsy, which mostly affects his left leg. “He’s able to walk and run, but his leg does tire easily and he can’t always do everything he would like to do. “His good friend Clay, who just turned 7, was apparently concerned … Continue reading →

There are some iconic figures who have run bars and restaurants — legends like Jack Sabin in Baton Rouge, Diamond Jim Moran in New Orleans, and Thomas “Silky” Sullivan in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Memphis. Silky’s friend Jim Dumigan told me of the recent death at 71 of the owner of Silky O’Sullivan’s, … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: I was out at my sister Faye Cupples’ auction in Pollock when a skillet came up for auction. It was the biggest skillet I have ever seen — about 18 inches across and 4 inches deep. One guy kept bidding on it until he got it. Later, … Continue reading →

Our seminar on unusual business names and slogans is merrily rolling along, getting weirder by the day: “Old Metry Girl” says, “An East Jefferson High School graduate has a company that puts up storm shutters and such. Name of his company? ‘SHUTTER UP.’ “And a local company selling counter tops has a logo on their … Continue reading →

Glenn Giro, of Denham Springs, says that with Flag Day coming up on Friday, “I am reminded of my childhood and my mom’s offbeat sense of humor. “I don’t know how many of your readers enjoyed the sight of a dinner plate being handed to them with a pile of white rice that was … Continue reading →

Jason Bourgeois says, “I’m not sure if you noticed that there have been flood watches issued for Omaha this upcoming week. “I hear it’s due to all the tears of joy being shed by Omaha vendors and business owners that LSU fans are returning!” Cary Owen says, “My elected … Continue reading →

This is what I love about you people. You can take anything silly in this column and turn it into something even sillier. For example, after a reader wondered in the Saturday column about how you could tell a female alligator from a male, I got these two responses: From Robin Roshto: "In response to the letter you received asking how to … Continue reading →

It has come to my attention that over the 34 years you’ve been writing this column for me, some of you have reached a rather advanced maturity. Joe Guilbeau, of Plaquemine, takes note of this phenomenon by pointing out that “You may no longer be a kid when … “… You learn … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: As I was mowing the grass around our catfish pond I noticed an unusual “thing” in the water. I called my son over, and we watched as a snout and two beady eyes glided through the middle of the pond. As I yelled for my wife and daughter-in-law to come see, … Continue reading →

Two “travel with kids” tales: Jackie Upton says in 1953 she, her geologist husband and their son Mark, 3, were living in Vernal, Utah. To visit her family in Illinois she had to fly to Rawlins, Wyo., then take a train to St. Louis. The sleeping car on the … Continue reading →

Gerald Wray, of Pride, says, “Channeling my inner Andy Rooney of ‘60 Minutes’ fame: ‘Have you ever noticed the funny names people give their businesses?’ “I travel a lot throughout Louisiana, so there are no shortage of crazy names I have seen on businesses. “But the one I saw on a hair salon in Columbia … Continue reading →

Sarah Stravinska, of Chesnut in Natchitoches Parish, says our reader’s lament about men not dressing up reminds her that “even if you dress ’em up, they still don’t behave for long. “My husband and I went with another couple to dinner and the ballet in Shreveport. Guys were spiffed up and behaved. “After enduring the … Continue reading →

Tommy Watts notices that job titles have been changing over the years and that “some of these changes seem to be for the purpose of making us feel better about ourselves. “We used to have salesmen — people who sold just about anything to other people. “Those who sold stuff in stores, like clothes, were generally … Continue reading →

Back in 1979 a gruff old Advocate editor looked out across the newsroom, saw a cub reporter pounding out a story on a battered old Underwood typewriter, and yelled, “Come over here, kid!” When the industrious youngster approached his desk, eager for his next assignment, the editor, chewing on his unlit cigar, said, “Lad, I like … Continue reading →

Tommy Watts notices that job titles have been changing over the years and that “some of these changes seem to be for the purpose of making us feel better about ourselves. “We used to have salesmen — people who sold just about anything to other people. “Those who sold stuff in stores, like clothes, were … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: I moved to Louisiana through a job transfer in 1985 and decided to remain here after I retired. I can shuck crawfish elbow to elbow with the best of them. I jitterbug to swamp pop, dance to zydeco and enjoy the sounds of Cajun music. I am familiar with the … Continue reading →

Joel d’Aquin Thibodeaux says our train tales remind her of the men who rode freight trains during the Great Depression: “In the early 1930s, when my late father John d’Aquin was about 10, he and his family lived on Boyd Avenue (now Spanish Town Road), about six blocks from the railroad. “Dad’s big brother Ansel … Continue reading →

Johnnie Canova, of St. Gabriel, tells of traveling several times to Red Bay, Ala., in the northwestern part of the state. On these trips he enjoys checking out the “Law & Order” column in the Florence, Ala., newspaper. Here are some of the reports from the Florence police: “A 2003 Chevrolet Malibu was broken … Continue reading →

When I saw the Monday Advocate headline “Snakes found in State Capitol,” my first thought was to resist making any snarky comment about it — it was just TOO easy, like shooting snakes in a barrel. But a number of readers had no such compunction, and cheerfully weighed in on the subject. (In case you … Continue reading →

This was told to me years ago by Joe F. Cannon, but it’s worth repeating: “My favorite train story happened in September 1948, when President Harry Truman was making an election campaign aboard a special train. “The train would stop at various locations and he would greet the crowd from the rear platform. Continue reading →

I’ve just had a life-changing revelation. After daughter Tammy posted on Facebook a recipe for a rich chocolate dessert, I got to thinking. Chocolate, so we’re told, is made from roasted cocoa seeds ... seeds that have been grown and harvested in an agricultural process. Therefore, it dawned on me, chocolate is … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: Back in the day, my wife, Annette, was quite the young singer. She was a “Yamette” at the Yamiblee in Opelousas, and sang on the old Dezauche Blue Room Show on KSLO. One night Little Jimmy Dickens came to town and performed at the old Opelousas High gym. While there, he … Continue reading →

Mary Ann Sternberg’s train story is also a kid story: “Many years ago, my late husband Josef and I decided we would take our three young children on the train from Hammond to New Orleans, as they had been on airplanes already but never enjoyed the fun of train travel. “We had both loved riding … Continue reading →

Jackie Upton says the tornadoes in Oklahoma take her back to her childhood there: “My dad worked for Carter Oil Co. when they built houses for their employees. “Each company ‘camp’ had its own sewer system, water tank for running water and, best of all, storm cellars. “I cannot tell you how many times … Continue reading →

Judith Lanclos tells of visiting Sicily with husband Steve and friends Leigh and Eva Hart: “While preparing for the trip, I discovered that Vincenzo Clemente, who owns Restaurante Cin Cin in Palermo, lived in Baton Rouge for several years and worked at Gino’s. “When I emailed Vincenzo for a reservation, he offered to … Continue reading →

Chuck Falcon, of Donaldsonville, says, “Your story titled ‘Kids On A Train’ reminded me of what happened to my brother Renard and a friend of his. “Living in the country in the small settlement of Smoke Bend, there were many freight trains that would pass by. Sometimes they would stop near our house. “One had … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: While attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, I was the associate pastor at a small church in Grand Prairie. Since the staff consisted of the pastor, a secretary and me, I often was referred to as the minister of music, minister of education, and/or minister of youth. The … Continue reading →

Karen Poirrier, of Lutcher, tells how a caring nurse can calm a patient with a few words: “Recently, when I went to the St. James Parish Hospital for a ‘preventive medicine procedure,’ I was apprehensive. “To lessen my anxiety before putting me under, the nurse anesthetist, Glenda Vicknair, recited the ‘Senior Citizens Serenity Prayer:’ Continue reading →

If it wasn’t for little kids, I wouldn’t have nearly as much to write about, and might have to get a real job. For instance, here’s one from Bill Rochel, of Metairie: “I am the proud granddad to 5-year-old Elizabeth Grace Rice. She does not live in this area and I see her far too … Continue reading →

This tale, from Gerald Wray, of Pride, is dedicated to all working couples who share a bathroom: “My wife, Kathy, wakes up before me and starts her morning routine of getting ready for work. “I usually just lie in bed and wait, because I know the ‘process’ usually takes 30-45 minutes to complete. “But … Continue reading →

Henry Bradsher has gained a new respect for our furry friend the cat: “After several years of watching feral cats parade across our rear patio as if they owned the place, we asked the parish Animal Control & Rescue Center for a cat trap. “They delivered a trap on a recent Tuesday and baited it … Continue reading →

Thomas Murrel, of Church Point, says the recent death of country music legend George Jones brings to mind this tale: “Although many people didn’t realize it, George Jones lived for a time in the Sunset-Grand Coteau area as well as in Church Point. “My longtime friend Lee Worley, of Opelousas, says the phone rang … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: Now that Capital City Press is no longer a Manship company, may we tell a happy bit of newspaper history: A particularly rigid member of the editorial staff of the State-Times (we won’t name names) was prowling the paper one late December afternoon, convinced that employees were drinking alcoholic beverages … Continue reading →

Dionne Viosca, of Metairie, says our recent police blotter stories “brought back a hilarious ‘best of the blotter’ memory for my husband and me. “Our son lives in Durango, Colo., and every few weeks he e-mails us some really funny police reports: ‘A loud noise was heard coming from an apartment on 16th Street around midnight,’ … Continue reading →

A Mother’s Day memory: Bernadette Mills says the pedals moving on an old treadle sewing machine is the sound she associates with her mom: “Mother had an old treadle sewing machine on which she made most of our clothes. “When Daddy worked late, we would wake up and hear the treadle going. “After … Continue reading →

Dr. William Smith passes along this story that supposedly happened on the Panama Limited, the legendary train running from New Orleans to Chicago. I doubt that it really happened, but it’s still a fine tale: A businessman boarded the train in New Orleans and told the head porter, “I’m dead tired, so I’m going to have … Continue reading →

Years ago I was dealing with a computer company about a problem, and got to know many of their employees in India so well that I felt like inviting them to drop by for a visit if they were ever in the States. So I can identify with Gladys Ford’s story: “While trying to make … Continue reading →

Bo Bienvenu, of Prairieville, says, “I just attended my 50-year reunion, and have a few observations: “Gray hair, lack of hair, fat, wrinkles, limps, lumps etc. can’t hide real beauty. “True friendships are only interrupted, not terminated, by distance and time. “Old people lie — a lot. ‘You haven’t changed a bit,’ … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: I noted that an LSU attorney blamed efforts to obtain public information on the search for the new LSU president on “press curiosity.” It reminded me of an incident when I was working for a paper in Arkansas. A board considering selection of a site for a new prison … Continue reading →

Every few years Jess Walker visits Grass Valley, Calif., and brings us back reports from the local paper’s “Police Blotter”: The reports by local law enforcement agencies indicate that things are a lot more exciting there than they are here: “10:53 p.m. — A caller reported two men beating up a woman with flashlights. It … Continue reading →

Since I joined The Advocate about 100 years ago, I’ve worked for three publishers. With a new regime coming in, I’m reminded of what class acts preceded it. Doug Manship Sr. was publisher when I joined the paper to cover business news and was a valued source of tips. He obviously had … Continue reading →

One of the many changes in lifestyle since I was a youngster involves haircuts. The first barber I remember was a bald guy who cut my hair with one hand while holding the phone in his other hand and making book. As a kid I didn’t find this unusual, thinking it was just … Continue reading →

Tom Toddy tells of a situation faced by every parent who ever took a long car trip with the little darlings: “My daughter tells of a drive to a Florida vacation spot with her young children. “They had barely cleared the Baton Rouge city limits when the barrage of questions began: ‘How much longer … Continue reading →

Dear Smiley: While shopping recently in Gonzales, my husband, Buddy, and I met “Slick” Schexnayder, a gentleman who had moved from our community years ago. After asking about his and his family’s well-being, I excused myself and continued to shop, to give the two men an opportunity to catch up on one … Continue reading →