Mohawk chiefs, Ulster Scots and wild horses: This was the world of the Sentinel in 1936

"The more things change the more they stay the same" is the overwhelming impression left by a flick through this paper's editions of 74 years ago.

On Saturday, July 25, 1936, the paper carried a report on "The Ulster Scot of To-day" and informed its readers that "More Claim to be Called Irish Than Those Who Regard Him an Usurper."

"That the 'Ulster-Scot' has a more venerable claim to be called Irish and a more authentic claim to the land he occupies than have most of those who regard him as an usurper is the opinion of a well-known Irish writer," the paper declared.

It went on to quote a Mr Seamus MacCall's theory that the "Ulidians" - a people displaced during the 4th Century invasion of Ulster by the ancestors of the O'Neills, O'Donnells, O'Dohertys, O'Gallaghers, O'Duffys, O'Donnellys, Maguires and MacCalls amongst others - had simply returned to their original homeland during the 17th Century Plantation of Ulster.

Argued Mr McCall: "Of the Ulidians who survived some settled in Antrim and Down but more passed to Scotland."

The Sentinel quoted the writer: "It thus came about that the Scots colonists who were brought in for the second 'Plantation' were for the most part the descendants of the original Ulidians, and it should therefore, be obvious that under his trappings of orange and purple, or red, white and blue, the 'Ulster Scot' of to-day has a more venerable claim to the land he occupies than have most of those regard him as a usurper."

And if contentious theories on the origins of the Ulster Scots people were as relevant 74 years ago as they are today, so too was the alarming 21st Century phenomenon!?! of childhood obesity and its damaging effect on young people's self-esteem.

On August 8, 1936, ano-nonsense Sentinel headline declared: "Fatness among children: Doctor Puzzled By Enormous Increase."

Apparently, a Dr DH Geffen, had thrown the cat among the pigeons by highlighting an "enormous increase" in fatness among elementary school children in Enfield, Middlesex.

This paper quoted Dr Geffen's view that: "The matter is serious, as it causes so much mental unhappiness, especially so in the case of the older girls."

A browse through the Sentinel archive also reveals that commercial advertisers were as subtle back then as they are today.

Interspersed amongst adverts for products some of which are still going strong (Palmolive Soap - "A schoolgirl's complexion all over," Stork Margarine) and some of which are now defunct (Beano tobacco - "Get some next payday") are such irresistible exhortations as "WAKE UP YOUR LIVER BILE!" and "CONSTIPATION CAN BE CONQUERED!"

Elsewhere, the credulous reader is asked "Why not keep youthful and attractive? Bile Beans." And is given the advice: "Wives who men lose interest in - Romance often killed by acid." Who could deny it?

A reader of the November 12, 1936, edition, would also have witnessed a notice by a cattle-salesman, auctioneer and valuer with offices at Ramelton and Letterkenny called Basil McCrea. Say nothing.

Thankfully, the administration of criminal justice appears to have moved on marginally since then.

For example, you could probably count on one hand the number of benchwarmers presiding nowadays who would have taken as hard a line as Resident Magistrate PS Bell, did with poor David Gilour who crashed into a car whilst cycling in Drumahoe.

On Saturday, November 7, the Sentinel reported: "Lieut. Colonel. RH Studdert, Drumahoe, said when driving near the junction of the Cross and Fawney Roads the defendant came down a side road at a hilly place at a very fast rate.

"Witness pulled up in five to eight yards, and the car was stopped when the cyclist struck the front of it and shot over the bonnet on his forehead on the road. If the cyclist had made any effort to stop he did not have much success.

"Defendant said he was going on a message to the Cross and did not see the car. Mr Bell said if the defendant had been killed as a result of not looking where he was going a lot of people would have been placed in an awkward predicament."

Poor David Gilmour of Killenan was not only nearly killed but he was forced to pay 10s with 13s costs for "careless pedal cycling."

Residents of the Fountain also witnessed a strange commotion that autumn with the Sentinel reporting on Thursday, September 10, of a "Derry Horse Stung by a Wasp."

The edition recorded an "exciting scene" in Wapping Lane when a horse pulling a bread van was stung by a wasp and bolted through the streets of the area creating havoc.

"It mounted the footpaths on several occasions during its wild dash, and when it ran into Kennedy Street, which is a cul-de-sac, it doubled back into Wapping Lane," the edition read.

"Here the van struck a wall and over-turned putting a stop to the horses mad race. So little damage was done that the driver was able to resume the service of his customers."

The YMCA - then situated at the East Wall in the middle of the city - hosted a very interesting visitor in November of the year when a Mohawk chief landed in Londonderry.

Chief Os-Ke-Non-Ton was reported to have attracted a large audience to the YMCA with the Mayor of the day, Senator Captain, JM Wilton, MCJP, presiding.

Chief Os-Ke-Non-Ton was in the city to give an illustration of life on the Mohawk reservation on the Canadian bank of the St Lawrence near Niagra Falls.

He was said to have performed traditional songs, the Sentinel stated, ranging from Indian love songs" to "barbaric war songs."

"The speaker, who was attired in full ceremonial Indian costume, explained how the various pieces of dress were made. He had four different types of feathered head dress, and spoke of the various purposes they served."

The Chief also explained Mohawk sign language and told the Londonderry audience how to make a wigwam.

But: "The most striking demonstration of all, perhaps, was that of producing fire by friction. By means of his bow and a piece of stick the lecturer produced a blaze in a short space of thirty seconds, a remarkable feat."

Whilst there are certainly many similarities between the reportage in today's Sentinel and that of 1936, mercifully it is no longer permissible to publically evince such disgusting misogynistic attitudes as those attributed to a Sir WM Bigwood in the August 4 edition.

Apparently, at the opening of a fte in Kent the gentleman voiced some controversial views by today's standards. The Sentinel reported them under the headline: "Modern Young Women: What Young Men Prefer."

He was quoted: "Some young women are seeing if they can embellish the beauties God gave them by putting horrible-looking stuff on their nails and faces. I may be told that I am talking of things of which I know nothing but 99 out of 100 young men prefer to see them with the beautiful faces God gave them rather than have them hidden by horrible stuff on their cheeks."

Unbelievably, the mores of the time were such that a Coroner felt justified in blaming a woman for causing a plane disaster in which she died because she went to the wrong airport.

Under the headline "Woman's Mistake Leads to Plane Disaster: Went to Wrong Airport" the Sentinel reported on the bizarre rationale voiced by the Coroner at the inquest.

"Evidence that a woman's mistake in going to the wrong airport caused a delay during which fog thickened was given at the inquest at Blackpool yesterday," the paper reported.

"After the journey had returned a verdict of death from misadventure in both cases the Coroner (Colonel H. Parker) said if his Mrs Miller had unfortunately not mistaken the airport this situation would never have arisen.

"'It does seem to me so pathetic that going to the wrong aerodrome has caused the disaster,'" he was reported as saying.