Mr. McKee’s Cow

February 20, 2008 by
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

Top Secret

Interesting things turn up when you run the search terms “Greenpoint” and “bigamy” through the Brooklyn Public Library’s online archives of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Back in the day Greenpoint was quite the swinging place. Anything that could “go” indeed went. Except of course if you happen to fatten a dairy cow in your back yard and try to get it through your front door. In which case you will discover that you have a serious problem on your hands, as you will learn from this article from the August 19, 1899 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Enjoy!

Ideal Urban Innocence

I repeat: I found this story while running the search terms “Greenpoint” and “bigamy”. Think about it.

Miss Heather

P.S.: If you’re wondering what “green goods” are, it is a scam which involves selling counterfeit money. Harry Houdini (yes, the famous magician) wrote an excellent description of this swindle. Read it for yourself by clicking here. As for the Barrison sisters, they sound like a pretty fun lot. Here’s a New York Times story about one of them.

Photo Credit: Top Secret

Comments

2 Comments on Mr. McKee’s Cow

  1. bboy on Wed, 20th Feb 2008 1:15 pm
  2. this blog is SO great…
    btw, on my corner in Flatbush a white van pulls up every second Sunday and people flock around to take the goat carcasses therein home….
    re: Hackensack = farm… my aunt & uncle (born & died in the Bronx) used to call NJ the “country.”

  3. calyercooze on Fri, 22nd Feb 2008 9:00 am
  4. Read this about the Barrison sisters! Quite the famous act.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrison_Sisters

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