Photographer Jason and I started talking about the ancient newspaper days recently. It happened as we were getting ready for a 4:30 a.m. broadcast. I brought up the fact that first editions of morning newspapers were often called "blue streak" or "bulldog." There are a few on-line entries explaining why those first editions were called "bulldog." Unfortunately, there isn't much information on "blue streak."
Most of my newspaper contacts who would know have either retired or passed on. I did appeal to a couple of newspaper contemporaries. They heard the phrases, but didn't know the origins.
If you can shed some light on the "blue streak", drop me a line via Twitter or Facebook. I'm curious.
By the way, what a wonderful time it must have been-- before television, before the internet. You had radio and the glory days of newspapers. Multiple editions. Fresh content. Fierce competition between dailies in the same city. Content. Detail. Columns. Opinions. Pictures.
I remember what a kick it was when my parents brought me in to one of those newsstand/variety stories in downtown Scranton. I can still smell the newsprint, the ink, cigars... And I can still remember the fascination of looking at all those out of town newspapers. The internet is fantastic. It's the world at your fingertips. Unfortunately, it can't even come close to the romance of newspapers.
