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Thread Owner
I’m recently back from a tour of US National Parks in Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Had a terrific time. I came across this oddity, while researching the trip (not my photograph, but from the ‘travelnevada.com’ website):
Apparently a hungry vagrant guy found a jar of book paste in the trash near the library in Goldfield, Nevada which he consumed believing it to be some kind of foodstuff. Book paste is a starchy glue made from flour and water used for cover and binding repairs, but it also contains 60% alum. His lifeless body was found later near the automobile garage. Cause of death was determined to be poisoning, aggravated by the poor condition of his digestive and respiratory organs.
Despite a letter addressed to "Ross" being found on him, he couldn’t be identified.
Although the bright red paint has led sceptics to claim the story is a modern invention, the paint seems to be an enhancement of the original inscription. The story was apparently reported in the Reno Gazette-Journal on 20 July 1908.
One resident said: “I’m shocked… I didn’t know we had a library” (OK… I made up that bit).
Apparently a hungry vagrant guy found a jar of book paste in the trash near the library in Goldfield, Nevada which he consumed believing it to be some kind of foodstuff. Book paste is a starchy glue made from flour and water used for cover and binding repairs, but it also contains 60% alum. His lifeless body was found later near the automobile garage. Cause of death was determined to be poisoning, aggravated by the poor condition of his digestive and respiratory organs.
Despite a letter addressed to "Ross" being found on him, he couldn’t be identified.
Although the bright red paint has led sceptics to claim the story is a modern invention, the paint seems to be an enhancement of the original inscription. The story was apparently reported in the Reno Gazette-Journal on 20 July 1908.
One resident said: “I’m shocked… I didn’t know we had a library” (OK… I made up that bit).
