The Old Midnight Bacon Trick
My grandfather, J.C. "Kid" Nichols, in the early 1900's, was the blacksmith at Buffalo Bill's Livery and Barn, across from his Irma Hotel, in Cody, WY. Years later, he would own the Diamond Bar Ranch, on the Southfork Road. The home office for his Nichols & Nichols Plywood Co. ,1933-62, were located in the Tribune Tower in Chicago. He therefore had numerous "dude guests" from Chicago at his Cody ranch, thru the years, and when possible, he'd take them on a guided "motor tour" of Yellowstone Park.
On these trips, they would usually stay in one of the many rustic log cabins provided for the tourists, to give them a "flavor" of the Park, not found in the more luxurious hotels. Now and then, my father Don, then in his teens, would accompany the group. In the evenings, after dinner at one of the Park's dining spots, the groups would split up and retire to their various cabins.
My mischievous father always brought along a "little surprise", for Granddad's guests. After dark, he would quietly sneak out to the backside of their cabin(s), and rub a generous quantity of fragrant bacon (grease) all along the window sills of their bedroom windows.
Later that evening, upon hearing a bumping or scraping noise at their windows, the unwary dudes would shine their flashlights out into the night. Mostly, they'd then just see big, shining eyes, large tongues, and a LOT of teeth....bears' teeth. Loud screams would fill the night, and panic usually ensued. Those were indeed the days....
Funny Anecdotes | 1920-1940
Submitted 4/5/2010, WETA
