TexasEscapes.com 
HOME : : NEW : : TEXAS TOWNS : : GHOST TOWNS : : TEXAS HOTELS : : FEATURES : : COLUMNS : : BUILDINGS : : IMAGES : : ARCHIVE : : SITE MAP
PEOPLE : : PLACES : : THINGS : : HOTELS : : VACATION PACKAGES
Texas Escapes
Online Magazine
Texas Towns by Region
  • Texas Hill Country
  • Central Texas North
  • Central Texas South
  • South Texas
  • East Texas
  • West Texas
  • Texas Panhandle
  • Texas Gulf Coast
    Texas Towns A - Z
    Over 2600 Towns

    Texas Ghost Towns
    Over 700 Ghost Towns

    Book Hotels
  • Texas | Columns

    Things here and there

    by Bob Bowman
    Bob Bowman
    Things you might not know if you didn’t read this column.

  • Biscuits were first made for sailors to take with them on the high seas. To keep them from spoiling on their long journeys, they were cooked twice. The French word for twice cooked is “bis cuit.”
  • A law in Corpus Christi forbids raising alligators in your home.
  • In Louisiana, it is illegal to shoot a bank teller with a water pistol while committing a bank robbery.
  • Civil War soldiers cooked a dish called “Hell-Fire Stew.” It consisted of adding stale biscuits and bacon grease to boiling water and cooking until soft. This delicacy was known as “Burnside Stew,” “Hish and Hash,” “Son of Sea Dog,” and “Skillygalee.”
  • While relaxing on the deck of a Mississippi riverboat, Mark Twain was approached by a grubby deck hand who asked if he could shake Twain’s hand. “Pardon me if my mitt is a big greasy, but I’ve just cleaned a mess of catfish. ”Twain replied: “Pardon me, too,” as he extended his hand, “but I’m just getting over a touch of leprosy.”
  • Peel an apple in one long strip and toss the peel backwards over your left shoulder. The shape the peel makes when it falls will show the initial of your future wife.
  • Burlington, Wisconsin, annually hosts the World Champion Liars Contest.
    The competition is not open to politicians because, in the words of a Burlington man, “Politicians tell so many lies that we consider them professionals. And right after an election, all of the good lies get all used up by the politicians.”
  • One of our favorite lies wasn’t entered at Burlington. One cold winter, an East Texan, being somewhat curious, wanted to see how fast a kettle filled with boiling water would freeze. He set it outside and, minutes later, he went out to check it. Not only had the boiling water froze solid, but the ice was still warm.”
  • A cow’s sweat glands are in the nose. A group of twelve cows is called a flink. Cattle were first branded in Egypt over 4,000 years ago. And India is the only country that has a bill of rights for cows.

    © Bob Bowman
    July 24, 2011 Column
    More Bob Bowman's East Texas
    >
    A weekly column syndicated in 109 East Texas newspapers
    More
    Columns
  • (Bob Bowman of Lufkin. is the author of almost 50 books about East Texas history and folklore. He can be reached at bob-bowman.com)

    More Columns by Bob Bowman
    Bob Bowman's East Texas >
    "All Things Historical" archive >

    Related Topics:

    East Texas
    Texas Towns
    Texas History
    Texas

    The Forgotten Towns of East Texas, Vol. I
    By Bob and Doris Bowman
    Custom Search
    TEXAS ESCAPES CONTENTS
    HOME | TEXAS ESCAPES ONLINE MAGAZINE | HOTELS | SEARCH SITE
    TEXAS TOWN LIST | TEXAS GHOST TOWNS | TEXAS COUNTIES

    Texas Hill Country | East Texas | Central Texas North | Central Texas South | West Texas | Texas Panhandle | South Texas | Texas Gulf Coast
    TRIPS | STATES PARKS | RIVERS | LAKES | DRIVES | FORTS | MAPS

    Texas Attractions
    TEXAS FEATURES
    People | Ghosts | Historic Trees | Cemeteries | Small Town Sagas | WWII | History | Texas Centennial | Black History | Art | Music | Animals | Books | Food
    COLUMNS : History, Humor, Topical and Opinion

    TEXAS ARCHITECTURE | IMAGES
    Courthouses | Jails | Churches | Gas Stations | Schoolhouses | Bridges | Theaters | Monuments/Statues | Depots | Water Towers | Post Offices | Grain Elevators | Lodges | Museums | Rooms with a Past | Gargoyles | Cornerstones | Pitted Dates | Stores | Banks | Drive-by Architecture | Signs | Ghost Signs | Old Neon | Murals | Then & Now
    Vintage Photos

    TRAVEL RESERVATIONS | USA | MEXICO

    Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Contributors | Staff | Contact TE
    Website Content Copyright ©1998-2011. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. All Rights Reserved