On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. We will also recount the events occurring in the war on that day. So, check back each day for new editions.
To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com
TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1915
The skies over the city will be partly cloudy and a bit on the gray and gloomy side. The high will reach about 37° with the low tonight near 31°.
Lady Eglantine, who was visiting this city from her home in Greensboro, Maryland, was given a royal send off for her journey to New York City this morning. She left the Hotel Walton at 8:30am in a triumphal procession to Broad Street Station escorted by a troop of mounted police and prominent poultry men. Yes, poultry men. For Lady Eglantine is the champion egg laying chicken of the United States. Under the strict auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture this “Lady” laid 314 eggs in 365 days. This morning after a good night’s sleep in a lovely suite and a hearty breakfast consisting of a dab of oatmeal and some grains of wheat she boarded a special Pullman car to New York where she will be appearing at the Palace Poultry Show. Bon Voyage M’Lady. [Editor’s Note: In 1915 Lady Eglantine was a national sensation. After her death in 1916 she was taken to Philadelphia and stuffed. Her remains are on display at the Greensboro Historical Society in Maryland. Below is a picture of this stuffed champion.]
Lady Eglantine
The 3rd annual Reading Terminal Business Men’s Association Food Exposition begins today. There will be cakes from China, beans from Brazil and fish from French waters along with many local delicacies in dozens of stalls. The exposition began with a parade this morning of 150 men accompanied by a brass band all dressed in white marching from 12th & Filbert Streets down Market Street to Independence Hall and back again. The exposition will continue through Saturday.
On the sports beat the official National Baseball League pitching records were released today and Phillies fans can be proud. The records show that Grover Cleveland Alexander gave up only 1.22 earned runs per game making him 1st among all National League twirlers. Alex pitched in 49 games last season. Fred Toney of Cincinnati came in 2nd with a 1.57 average. In the American League Walter Johnson took the prize. Johnson averaged 1.55 earned runs per game in 47 appearances. In boxing last night at the Olympia A.A. Johnny Ertle took just 45 seconds to dispatch Young Diggins in the featured bout. Ertle is now the number 1 challenger for the bantamweight title. And Lew Tendler took the decision over Kid Goodman in the semi-windup.
WAR NEWS
In the Balkans, German forces have captured the Montenegrin town of Ipek and forced the retreat of French forces in southern Serbia. Ipek is in eastern Montenegro and 73 miles from Scutari where the Serbian government is now located. In the Middle East, the British army has fallen back to Kut-el-Amara on the Tigris River, 105 miles from Bagdad. The retreat followed the battle of Ctesiphon in late November, 25 miles from Bagdad, in which the British suffered casualties numbering 1/3 of their forces.
GET YOUR COPY OF PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS BY JUST CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW.