Continuing with this week’s preoccupation, here’s a strange photo I picked up on eBay after I had purchased the booklet I discussed in the previous post.  The 8″ by 10″ photo, dated 29 September 1939,  was circulated by the Acme News Agency with a caption that would allow it to be used as a space-filling “human interest” feature in a newspaper.  Here’s the headline and caption:

Pet Skunks Come to News Room to Protest.  Houston, Texas — “Dear City Editor: Just a note to protest against all those terrible stories about us skunks.  We’re three months old and live with Pat Turney, dairyman, on the Mount Houston Road, Houston, Texas.  Signed, Micky and Katy Skunk.”

I wonder how many newspapers picked up this item to fill space on a slow news day.