FIRE DEPT. FUN FACTS #11

AMSTERDAM - 1403

The first written fire prevention rules were published and contains regulations on buildings, houses, and businesses.  It was stipulated that upon the discovery of a fire you must shout out loud to alert the populous.  Also, the owner of a burning structure had the responsibility to pay for damages to another's property.

Fire Dept. Fun Facts #10

(Hi.  Missed you all.  So I'll be dropping in every now and then to stay in touch.  I'll still have my new blog at writingohmy.wordpress.com.  Stop by anytime you like.)

1775-1777 - French Chemist Antoine Lavoisier coined the term "oxygen" and investigated the properties of the element.

1783 - Lavoisier discovered that fire results from a chemical process, oxidation, which occurs when a substance is combined with oxygen.  From this came the understanding that fire requires three things: fuel, heat and oxygen.

How To Honor Your Special Vet

Today is Memorial Day, a special day set aside to honor those who fought for our country.  It's wonderful we take time to honor them.  It's hard to think of what they went through.  Not everyone went off to war.  Some were in service and were not called to make that effort, that sacrifice.  But they were there if needed, and they should also be recognized and honored.

Today I heard of a special way these fine men and women are receiving recognition for their time in service.  It's an oral history project to gather together their stories.  It's a project not just for the leaders, but also for the entire spectrum of military personnel.  They want the stories of all ranks, races, faiths, and gender.  Without that diversity the story is not complete.

To find information of how you can participate, either as a veteran or a volunteer, you can go to the website set up to give you the information on what to do and how to do it.  loc.gov/vet is your go-to place for all you need to know.

My dad served in the U. S. Army during WWII, serving in the CBI (China, Burma, India) Theater.  I've been interested in oral history since my college days.  I was able to get him on tape, but my success was limited.  He would tell some humorous stories and such, but he did not want to share the hardships they endured.  I was his daughter and he wanted to spare me such details.  I wish he had given me more, but he had to do what he was comfortable with.

Good luck and God bless you for helping tell their stories, not just for today but for the ages.

Makes Sense, Doesn't It?

Ben Franklin was a very savvy man, bordering on genius if not actually over the line with smarts.  He was the initiator of so many things that had a positive impact on a large population world-wide.  For one thing, he was concerned about the dangers of fire on the citizens. 

He belonged to a group of firefighting men in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Thinking through how things were done, he formed the Union Fire Company.  Under his direction it was decided to start a fire insurance company.  He met with other fire companies to form the Philadelphia Contributorship Insurance Company.

The fireman paid a premium to the company which would pay out for property damage from fires.  They signed on for seven years.  At the end of the seven year period they would receive back the monies they paid in minus the amount paid out.  The first year they had no fires among the insured.  At the end of seven years they all got some money back.

Franklin also noticed how mature trees interfered with fire fighting.  They prevented immediate access to the burning building which hampered firefighters when getting into position for their work.  After some thought he suggested the city council require the removal of all mature trees in town.  His idea was approved and made into a city ordinance.

The citizens were not as impressed with this idea.  Think about it.  This was a time where there was no air conditioning.  Without mature trees, there would be no shady areas to allow a person to get some relief from a brutal sun.  Being inside the house would not assure you a modicum of relief, especially since cooking was often over an open flame in the house.  You know those kitchens would get unbearably hot.

I'm sure many also sat outside to catch any breeze blowing through the area.  Without the trees, would they instead have straight line winds blowing through, possibly with greater force than the less intense breeze of the wind slowing as the wind met the trees? 

Whatever the reasons for the controversy surrounding the passing of this ordinance, the population had a vigorous say about the situation.  The ordinance was rescinded.

However, Franklin must have been proud of the citizens for protesting to the city and expressing their concerns and feelings.  He did believe in the democratic process, and that process does not assure you will always get your way, only that you can have your say.

How would you feel if a like ordinance were suggested where you live?

She's An American Soldier

Deborah Sampson is the only known female soldier of the Revolutionary War.  Disguised as a man, she served the country well on the battlefield, suffering the same hardships and battles of her fellow troops and maintaining her male identity throughout.

She was born in 1760 in Plympton, Pennsylvania.  Her father was a seaman who didn't come back from the sea, leaving her mother destitute with several kids to raise.  She was forced to give her children up to other families to raise, and then she died just a year after her husband.

Deborah was in two different families before entering the home of Deacon Benjamin G. Gannett, a farmer.  As an indentured servant, she had to work for the family until she was eighteen.  After leaving the family, she taught school for a while.  She evidently caught the eye of a wealthy young man who proposed marriage, but she had other plans.

The Revolutionary War had been raging for several years already.  She was young, healthy, tall and wanted to have an adventure.  She made herself a man's suit of clothing and ventured out in her disguise.  When she had no problems with the charade, she enlisted in the 4th  Massachusetts Regiment, using the first and middle names of her deceased brother, Robert Shurtleff.  She was off to War.

Like all soldiers in a war zone, her life was not easy, but she persevered and became a seasoned soldier.  She almost drowned once when they were crossing the Croton River, suffered a severe head wound in one skirmish, and took two pistol balls in the thigh.  She protested to her fellow soldiers that she did not want to be taken to the hospital, but they ignored her wishes.  At the hospital the head wound was treated and she managed to leave before they began work on her leg.  She used a penknife and managed to get one of the balls out of the thigh, but the other was too deep for her to reach. 

She was assigned to be a waiter in the service of General Paterson.  She fell very ill with a severe fever and lost consciousness.  She was sent to the hospital where the doctor was shocked to find she was a female, wearing a cloth to bind her breasts.  She was sure she would be immediately discharged.  However, the doctor kept her secret, transferring her to his home where she was under the care of the doctor's wife.

When she was able to return to her duties, the doctor gave her a note to take to her superior.  Knowing it must be a letter revealing her secret she was prepared to be sent home.  Instead it was a letter recommending her to be given an honorable discharge.  This was done in 783.

Back home in Massachusetts she met and married a farmer by the name of Benjamin G. Gannett.  The worked hard but lived in poverty as they raised their three children.

At some point her service in the War as a male soldier became known.  In 1792 she petitioned the Massachusetts State Legislature for monies available to veterans.  Her petition was denied because she was a woman.  She provided letters verifying her service and she finally received 34 pounds plus interest dating back to date of discharge.

Still needing money in 1802, she went out on a lecture tour, the first woman to do so in the United States.  Speaking to audiences composed of both and women, she would extol the value of a woman pursing her womanly duties to the best of their ability.  She would then leave the stage, change into her Army uniform, and come back to talk about her military experiences.  She did this for a year, but barely made enough to cover her expenses.  More than once, Paul Revere would give her money to help her out.

In 1805, and with the help of Paul Revere, she again petitioned the Massachusetts State Legislature for a military pension given to men who had served in the Revolutionary War.  After some debate she was awarded $4 a month for her service.

She died at the age of 66 in 1827.  After her death, her widower petitioned for pay as a spouse of a soldier.  Though they were not married at the time of her service, the committee concluded that the history of the Revolution "furnished no other similar example of female heroism, fidelity and courage."  He received the pension.

Ain't It The Truth

Pity the reputation of the poor little "ain't."  It's been around since sometime in the 1700s, showing up in the speech of just about everyone in England.  Rich, poor or middle class, it found a home in the language usage of just about the entire population in that great nation.

But then something happened sometime in late 1800s.  Rich and poor still made use of it, but the middle class took a disliking to it.  I have no idea just why this happened, but once the idea took hold it wouldn't let go.  Then in the early 1900s the rich decided they could do without it as well.  Then the evil eye was cast upon it and it became a castaway in proper usage.

However, it could not be entirely discarded.  Sometimes there's just no better way of putting a little emphasis to what you're saying.  Consider the everyday saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Also "This ain't my first rodeo."  Don't forget "You ain't seen nothing yet."  And as Will Rogers said, "Common sense ain't common." 

And where would songwriters be without it?  Louis Jordon sang "There ain't nobody here but us chickens."  One of Fats Domino's songs, "Ain't That a Shame" spoke to a whole lot of folks.  Let's not forget the Ira and George Gershwin musical Porgy and Bess that gave us the classic, "Ain't Necessarily So."  Another favorite was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Nickolas Ashford and Valeria Simpson.

Dizzy Dean, Baseball Hall of Famer and announcer, summed it up when he said, "A lot of people who don't say ain't, ain't eating."

I'll just close by relating something said to be a common Texas saying (though I'd not heard it before) that tickled my fancy: If that ain't a fact, God's a possum.

Over 260 Years and Still Going Strong

It takes some special folks to keep a volunteer organization going strong.  A group of firefighters in New Jersey are well aware of this and continue doing their duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

1752 - Britannia Fire Company is organized in Bridgeton, New Jersey.  It is the oldest volunteer fire company in continuous service in the United States.  Don't believe it?  They have  the minutes of that first meeting dated July 11, 1752.

1787 - The company changed their name to Mount Holly Fire Company.

1789 - The company built a shed to house their leather fire buckets and ladders, thus becoming the first known "fire house" or fire station in America.

1790s - The town changed their name from Bridgeton to Mount Holly.

1805 - The fire department changed their name from Mount Holly to Relief Fire Engine Company No. 1.

1892 - A new fire house is built for the company.  The old shed, the first fire house in the country, is moved to a location beside the new building.  This shed is now a museum housing artifacts of the company.

I don't know if I'll ever make it to New Jersey, but if so, I'd love to visit the station and museum.  My husband and my son are both retired firefighters and it's always interesting to check out the history of the profession.

A Cowgirl's Life

Connie Douglas was born September 26, 1901, in Eagle Pass, Texas.  Her father was a lawyer and she wanted to follow in his footsteps.  Her mother's father, Alfred Wallace, introduced his only grandchild to horses before she was able to sit up by herself and at five he gave her a horse.  She never lost that love for horses and they played a big part in her life.

She studied speech at Texas Women's university, earning a degree, then enrolled at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, one of the first women admitted to study law.  However, her dream of becoming a lawyer was not to be.  The Great Depression hit and she left school to help support her family.

She started work as a speech and English teacher in San Antonio and got a part time job at a stable teaching girls to ride horses.  While working at the school she started the first pep squad.  Then in 1936 she started work at Thomas Jefferson High School and where she started another pep squad, which proved to be very popular.  The girls were dressed in blue flannel skirts, red satin shirts, blue bolero jackets, and wore pear grey Stetson hats with boots.  They each carried a lasso, attached at the skirt waistband with a loop.  She brought in an Englishman, Johnny Reagan, who was a trick rope artist, to work with the girls.  The squad was named the Lassos.

Imagine 128 girls coming out on the field during halftime, twirling their ropes and performing before an enthusiastic crowd.  Before long they were performing at all the major events in San Antonio.  What a sight that must have been.

In 1936 she joined the equestrian program at Camp Waldmar in Hunt, Texas, where she continued to teach girls to ride.  There she met Jack Reeves, a cowboy brought in to take care of the horses.  With their mutual love of horses they became great friends and in 1942 they were married.

They were, by all accounts, quite happy with their very busy life.  The Camp was not always open.  When not in session they managed ranches for Lyndon Baines Johnson, watching over 10,000 acres with sheep and cattle.  Jack died in 1985.

Connie continued her active life, which was not without peril.  She suffered many a fall from a horse with subsequent injuries, some serious.  A few years before her death one fall fractured her thigh.  It didn't stop her from continuing her riding.  She also wrote a book about her husband, Jack.  It was titled I Married a Cowboy: Half Century with Girls and Horses at Camp Waldmar which was published in 1995.  I believe it is still available.

She became the oldest member of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.  She surprised many people when she rode her horse for the induction ceremony.  She continued riding whenever she could.  But in 2003 she suffered another fall.  This time she fractured her neck and died a short time later.  She was 101 years old.

Connie's motto was:  Always saddle your own horse. 

What an inspiration to anyone who has ever heard of her.  Connie Douglas Reeves, I salute you.  And I sincerely wish I'd had the opportunity to ride beside you at some point in our lives.

An Autograph? Please!

There must always be a way to make life just a little bit easier, whatever the profession.  For centuries writers were restricted to hand produced products.  But in 1714 an Englishman by the name of Henry Mill filed a patent for a machine to put  letters on paper.  It was pretty vague in description, and he did not go on to produce such a machine.

An Italian, Pellegrina Turri did come up with such a machine in 1808.  He made it for his friend, Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano.  He did it to provide her with a way to write for she was blind and unable to sit down with pen and paper.

There were others who tried their hand at the making such a machine.  The Sholes & Glidden Type Writer actually came out in 1873 and in 1874 they had one manufactured by the sewing machine department of Remington arms company.

Mark Twain bought one of the new-fangled machines but was less than impressed by them.  He did turn in the manuscript for Life on the Mississippi which was probably the first book written with a typewriter.  But in March 1875, he noted his feelings in a letter: 

          "Please do not divulge the fact that I own a machine.  I have entirely stopped
           using the Type-Writer, for the reason that I never could write a letter with it to
           somebody without receiving a request by return mail that I would not only
          describe the machine but state what progress I had made in the use of it, etc., etc.
          I don't like to write letters, and so I don't want people to know that I own this
          curiosity-breeding little joker."

He did write one letter with it, though.  A boy had requested not just an autograph from Twain, but also went on to request a full autograph letter.  Twain was less than pleased with the request and sent the boy a typewritten letter.  In it he explained that writing was his trade, and it wasn't fair to ask a man for a free sample of his trade.  Would the boy "ask a blacksmith for a horse shoe," he asked, "or a doctor for a corpse?"  The letter was  produced using all capital letters, including his signature which was also typed.

Are You Greedy?

A lot of people are greedy.  In fact, most of us have probably put a little too much thought to money at one time or another.  If you lived around Charles Vance Miller, you might have had your greed put to the test at one time or another.

Charles was born in Toronto, Canada, a lawyer, and a lifelong bachelor.  At the age of 68 he decided it was time to write his will.  He opened it with the following:  "This will is necessarily uncommon and capricious because I have no dependants or near relatives and no duty rests upon me to leave my property at my death ..."

He designated a few religious leaders, known for being proponents of prohibition as well as their anti-gambling views, to be recipients of shares of stock in distilleries.  He left a life-tune tenancy in a Jamaican vacation residence to three lawyers who were known to hate each other.  (This did happen though, as he sold the place before he died.)

The one inheritance stipulation that got the most attention was the one that became known as the Stork Derby.  He said his money was to be put in trust for ten years following his death, then was to be given to the woman who had the most children in Toronto within that ten year period as shown by birth certificates registered in the city.  If there was a tie between two or more mothers for this designation, the money was to be divided between them.

Initially it was just an oddity to many of the Canadians.  After all, he died in 1926 at the age of 73, and times were pretty good for a lot of the world.  However, a few years later the depression hit and times became tough for a lot of people. 

Of course, where there is a will and a lot of money, things get complicated.  Before the will was finally through probate and the dust had settled, there would be more than 30 lawyers, nine judges, 8 days of hearings, who knows how much time and energy given in depositions and paperwork invested in settling the will.

You know there would some long lost long-distance relative show up and claim the proceeds should rightly go to him, and yes, some lawyer took his case.  Many women came forward to claim the Baby contest.  Several claims thrown out because at least some of the children were designated as illegitimate, some women claimed miscarriages as children that should be counted (but the court over-ruled that claim), some were born outside the city limits.

At last the final decision was made.  The trust now had about $500,000 to be given to the winner.  There were four women who made the final selection, each giving birth to nine children.  They each received $125,000.  In 1938, this was a life-changing sum of money.  They became celebrities and the press had a field day following them as they spent the money.  One woman moved her family from the area because she didn't want her children exposed to all the attention.  (Smart woman, in my opinion.)

I don't know how the religious leaders responded to the receipt of their distillery shares.  That would be interesting to find out, but I doubt I ever will.  More important, you wonder about all those kids conceived for the chance of getting money.  The families were poor at the outset, surely no better and possibly worse at the end. 

True? Maybe Not

We can find so much interesting information on the computer.  It's so easy.  Just type in a word or phrase and hit search.  In seconds you see the results popping up.  I've done it many times myself. 

There is one problem with this activity, though.  Not everything you see is the truth.  Some may be somewhat true.  Some is pure fiction.

A case in point is something that caught my eye recently.  The assertion was that President Franklin Roosevelt was transported via Al Capone's car to make a speech before both Houses of Congress after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.  It makes a good story with a lot of interesting details.  Things like the car had been painted black and green to look like a Chicago police car.  It was armored, meaning it was bullet proof and bomb proof.

The source of the story appears to be secret service agent Michael F. Rielly who wrote a book after he retired.  It was titled "Reilly of the White House."  This story was incorporated in his book.  It is, and was, a good story.

One problem is that some have said Roosevelt was never photographed in that car.  He tended to prefer convertibles, not sedans.  I would think there would be extensive coverage of that speech and surely some reporter somewhere would have made a comment about that particular car.  You would think there would be some conversation about the step-up in his security.

So, what do I think about this situation.  Well, I don't know the answer.  I can see the validity of the nay-sayers, and may be leaning to believing their view of the situation.  For now I am keeping an open mind and will go full speed ahead with the Al Capone story if I see some evidence to support the assertion.

Good reading and have a good week.  Let me know you thoughts on the subject if you like.

 

To Touch The Sky

Louise McPhetridge Thaden was born in Bentonille, Arkansas, in 1929.  Her childhood was spent in a rural environment and she learned hunting and fishing on trips with her father.  Airplane barnstorming was in its heyday then and she had a desire to learn to fly.  This was further fueled when she secured a ride on with one of the barnstormers.

She went on to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, but left in 1925 after three years, before getting her degree.  She got a job in Wichita, Kansas, at Jack Turner's lumberyard.  He in turn introduced her to Walter Beech Aircraft owner and his wife, Olive.  Beech liked her enthusiasm and interest in flying and offered her a job with his company branch in Oakland, California.  Along with a salary, she also received free flying lessons.

Her flying certificate, number 850, was signed by Orville Wright.  She also met Herbert von Thaden, a former US Army pilot.  They married in 1928 in Reno, Nevada.

She became very active in women's aviation, competing in national contests.  She won the first all women transcontinental race called he National Air Derby and held August 19, 1929.  She beat out Amelia Earhart, Poncho Barnes, Blanche Noyes and many others.  Later that year she joined in with many of these same women in forming the international organization, The Ninety-Nines, for female pilots.

She apparently was game to try anything.  In 1932 she teamed up with Frances Marsialis and together they set a refueling endurance record.  It was 196 grueling hours on constant flying in an event the press dubbed  "The Flying Boudoir."  All together they completed 78 air-to-air maneuvers where food, water, fuel and oil was passed from one aircraft to the other using ropes for the conveyance of the supplies.

In 1936 women were, for the first time, allowed to compete in the Bendix Transcontinental Air Race with the male pilots. She and Blanche Noyes flew together.  They experienced some problems along the route and were surprised when a crowd surrounded their plane when they landed.  They had not expected to win, but they did.

She retired from competition in 1938 to raise a family.  She wrote her memoir titled "High, Wide, and Frightened which was published in 1938.  Her book was reprinted in 2004 by the University of Arkansas Press.

Louise stayed active in aviation in many roles until her death in 1979 at the age of 73.  What an active and adventurous life she enjoyed.

Call Me Anytime

The 1800s were busy times for inventors.  Two of them were Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell.  Gray (1835-1901) was prolific in coming up with ideas, getting at least 70 patents in his lifetime.  Bell (1847-1922) was another busy man.  He obtained 18 patents on his own and another 12 with collaborators.

In 1876 they both arrived at the U. S. patent office to submit applications for a patent for the telephone.  It has been said that Bell arrived one hour before Gray, and thus, his patent was accepted and he is known as the inventor of the telephone.  Some insisted Gray was the first but didn't get there in time to get the documentation he deserved for his invention.

Did they each know of the other and the work that was being done?  I really don't know.  Some folks do like to talk with others about what they are working on, and it has been reported that Bell's co-inventors were not happy about his diversion to the phone, for they were busy with something else they felt he should also be involved in.  But was this known prior to the patent, or did the information become public later?

Gray wasn't left out of recognition for his inventions.  His 70 patents testify to that.  And he did go on to found Western Electric as well.

The phone has changed much over the years.  Young people today would not believe some of the things that happened over its evolution.  I'm thinking in particular of party lines - shared lines where the intended recipient was alerted to incoming calls via ring patterns.

Do you remember the movie "Pillow Talk" starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson.  It came out in 1959 and they portrayed two parties sharing a phone line.  They despised each other and would argue over the phone about the other tying up the line for extended periods, limiting their own ability to make and receive call.

Of course they lived in New York City in rather posh circumstances.  All the more unrealistic to today's young people to imagine the necessity of sharing your phone and line with a complete stranger who has the ability to listen to your entire communication life.  Because of course you could not at that time conceive of taking your personal own phone with you wherever you might travel.

So thank you to Alexander Graham Bell, but also to Elisha Gray for all the work you both did to advance civilization's communication abilities.

A New Station Opens

 



          1894, Little Rock, Arkansas,  expanded their fire department across the river
          to include Argenta, which years later would become North Little Rock.  The
          move was documented in the station's records:

June 14, 1894    Moved to Argenta with one hose cart collard with 2 men from Little Rock, Julian Davis, C.M. Gaynor, 1 man from this side named James O'Riley.  Went to work on the 14th of June.  One minute man went to work June 16th.  List of things sent over 2 horses, 500 ft. new rubber hose, 250 ft. binam hose, old hose, 2 spanners, 1 plug wrench, 2 slicker coats, 3woolen blankets, 2 reflecting lamps, 1 wash basin, 1 monkey wrench for hose cart,, 2 lamps for cart.
                                Co. No. 6  Log Book Entry    Little Rock Fire Department


 

Four Chaplains of the USS Dorchester

(This blog was originally posted February 4, 2013.  I hope you find it of interest. - Karen)

The Four Chaplains of the USS Dorchester

This was written many years ago, when I was in a song writing phase.  I read about these four men and remember them every February 3.  I would encourage you to look them up, to read about them.  They are Father John Washington (Catholic), Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), Rabbi Alexander Goode (Jewish), and Rev. George Fox (Methodist).  Four men who truly represented the best of their faith, working together to help all, regardless of the other's faith.  May they rest in Peace.

                                PRAY, CHAPLAIN, PRAY

          It was February third, back in nineteen-forty-three
          The men on the Dorchester faced an angry sea
          And on the way to Greenland in the bitter, biting cold
          Just after midnight they sailed toward heaven's fold.

  (Chorus)     Pray, Chaplain, pray
                     Pray for my soul
                     As I am sinking under
                     In the deep dark cold
                     And as the waves are breaking
                     And I am going down
                     Pray, Chaplain, pray
                     Pray I am glory bound.

          In the Wednesday darkness just after the ship was hit
          Four Chaplains reached for glory as they faced the deepest pit
          Side by side they worked to help save all the men they could
          Side by side they prayed as on that dying ship they stood.


  (Chorus)

          Over nine hundred sailed out on that dark heavy sea
          Over six hundred went down to face eternity
          The Four Chaplains joined them in that black watery deep
          And with the men they prayed for they sleep that final sleep.

  (Chorus)

                     Pray, Chaplain, pray
                     Pray I am glory bound.

 

To Knot or Not

I have heard folks say that one of the greatest inventions is the wheel.  Now I won't say it wasn't a great improvement in the lives of people and is a direct contribution to our modern forms of transportation.  However, that idea needed earlier creations to come to fruition.

I'm talking the whole concept of all aspects of sewing.  Think of what that craft brings to mankind.  How do you come up with the idea of all the necessary steps to sew a project from beginning to end when you have never seen it done before.  And yet it happened, and not just in one place on the globe.  No, it was a world-wide development for people in very different environments.

Going all the way back to the Neanderthals, humans have benefited from the ability to obtain hides from animals, treat the hides properly to use them usefully in providing clothing, shoes, blankets, and probably other things we have forgotten about down through the ages.  One aspect of the process is the skill of making threads and laces and learning how to knot them to come up with a finished product that serves a specific purpose.

You know how little kids look when they learn to tie their shoes?  They have spent years watching the adults in their lives tie shoe laces.  These tykes determine to learn the process and work diligently to twist the two laces around and through just so, then pull tight, loop around a make a bow then pull and tighten.  And they must learn how to do at least a couple of types of knots - the hard knot necessary to secure a seam in a piece of clothing so it doesn't unravel, and of course the easy bow knot to do a shoe so you can pull it apart later to remove the shoe without effort.

This learning takes awhile to get right, even though the adults have been familiar with the concept for thousands of years.  What must it have been like to be the first to come up with the idea?  Were they sitting around the campfire discussing ways to keep those scraps of hides close to the leg so the scraps would stay in place as they walked or ran through the forests?  Did someone suggest a skinny strip of hide to wrap around the scrap of hide to hold it close?  How much experimenting was necessary to wind up with the final draft?  Did the naysayers laugh and call them names for trying to do this?

But aren't you glad they did it?  Without the laces and the ability to knot them, how could they ever have learned to attach the sharpened rock to the end of a long stick to aid them in killing those animals.  How else when you came up with a wheel could you manage to put two of those things together attached to another stick (the axle) to have a pair of wheels to later be added to a cart which could then be pulled with a horse/mule/oxen?

No, I can't see the wheel coming around without first learning the skill of sewing.  And this one craft/skill provided shelter, warmth, clothing and shoes for everyone in the community.  This was one thing that benefited all in just about every aspect of daily life.  So hats off to those unknown people who made such a positive change for everyone.

Fire House Wieners

                            (from my unpublished cookbook Fighting Fires and Feeding Firefighters)

 

    

 

 

Ingredients:  1 can (14 1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes     2 or 3 heaping Tbsp. salsa

                      1/2 pound wieners                              black pepper to taste

 

To prepare:  Put tomatoes and salsa into saucepan.  I use salsa strength preferred by the family.  Add pepper to taste.  Bring to boil over medium flame and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Cut wieners

into about 1/2 " lengths.  Add wieners to tomatoes and cover.  Continue cooking until wieners are nice and plump, about 10 minutes.  Serves 2 or 3 people.  Serve with cheese toast.

 

* * * * * * *

                     

City Ordinance, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1866:

     The Fire Engineer in command was given the authority to direct the hook and ladder men to cut down and remove any building, erection or fence, for the purpose of checking the progress of the fire.  With the advice and agreement of two City Aldermen, the Engineer is also given the power to blow up and building or erection during the progress of a fire for the purpose of extinguishing the fire.

 

 

Election Time Again

  
A lifetime ago as I became an adult I can't believe how naive I was about politics and politicians.  I actually believed the majority of candidates really had the interest of the country foremost in their hearts and minds.  Over time I did become much more cynical and this song, written in 1989 and incorporating some of the events of the day, was the result.  Specifics may have changed somewhat, but the overall concept unfortunately seems to have remained.

                                                 I'M A CONGRESSMAN

     I spend my life kissing babies and shaking hands
     Get important jobs for all my friends
     Pass a few laws every now and then
     It's a damn tough job being a Congressman.

      Chorus:  Yeah, I'm a Congressman living up on a hill
                     We tell you how to live your life and better still
                     We take all your money that you send to us
                      And spend it like we please, just have a little trust
                     In your Congressman.

     I believe in making young people pay their way
     So put my son and my daughter on the government pay
     My brother-in-law drives my limousine
     While my wife struts around the town acting like a queen.

     I'm a Congressman, son, thanks a lot
     I appreciate your vote now just get lost
     We can argue six months over minimum wage
     Then turn around and say we need a 30,000 raise.

     Cho:

     I got a secretary don't know how to type
     I make a lot of money from a book I didn't write
     I sell a little influence whenever I can
     It's a damn tough job being a Congressman.

     Cho:
  
     Tag:  Yeah, it's a damn tough job being a Congressman.

              

One Cool-Thinking Kid

Hot summer days have often left us wanting something to partake of that would cool us off and slow us down to enjoy the lazy passing of time.  That's not something new to us or our generations.  It's been going on since the beginning of time, I'm sure.

Wealthy Romans would have ice carted from the mountains down to the villages, and the ice would be mixed with fruit bits and fruit juice to give them a form of snow cone.  History tells us they weren't alone.  Similar practices were showing up in China, India, and the Arabian peninsula.  And as we can all attest, these shaved ice confections can sure hit the spot.

But it wasn't until 1905 in San Francisco, California, that an accidental discovery lead to a treat still popular today with kids of all ages.  Eleven year old Frank Epperson had some powdered soda mixed up, using a wooden stick to stir the concoction.  He left some of the stuff out on the porch overnight.  When he arose the next morning, there was his treat, still there, but now frozen onto the stick. 

Now Frank wasn't a dense lad.  The next summer he was selling his treat to the neighborhood kids.  But it wasn't until 1923 at the Neptune Beach amusement park in Alameda, California, that he had a good commercial business going.  The next year he applied for and got a patent for his Episicle, which soon were a big hit.  He soon changed the name of the treat to "Popsicle," and it is still widely eaten by folks everywhere.

Frank didn't enjoy the profits from his "invention" long, however.  In 1925 he sold his patent to another company to pay off creditors.  The Popsicle today is still the Popsicle, although the varieties have grown in number and taste.  But it still hits the spot on a hot summer day when you need something light and refreshing to consume while relaxing, indoors or out.  I don't know that Frank invented anything else,, but he did leave us all a cool taste treat we can eat just about any time of year, 

Thanks, Frank.

Shady Side of History

It's summer here in the United States of America.  And a strange one it has been.  We've experienced some cool weather for this time of year.  But the really hot weather will still make its presence known.  And when that happens, we will all be searching for some cool, cool shade.

It has been that way everywhere throughout history.  Mankind prefers his climate to suit his own preferences, rather than submitting himself meekly to what the climate delivers to him.  The proof exists all over the world.  Whether it's sculptures on monuments in Egypt, paintings on Ancient Greek vases, or ancient artifacts found in China, man has been bringing his own shade with him wherever he traversed in the form of parasols (protection from the sun) or umbrellas (protection from the rain).

Of course, the devises were available to the nobility of the world, carried by the common man to protect his "betters."  But at least 600 years before Christ, portable shades were popping up all over the world.

People are still looking for ways to improve on this simple design.  In fact, there are so many designs submitted to the U.S. Patent Office, that it is said they have four full-time workers to assess the designs. I read that by the end of 2008, the U.S. Patent Office had registered 3,000 active patents.  Many of these involved making designs to make them more aerodynamic for better wind flow and control.

For all these patents, we rarely see umbrellas in use around the country.  Of, yes, when it is raining they will pop up here and there.  But many dash from car to building using anything at hand to try to keep a bit of the weather off the head.  Maybe it's a newspaper or book, a plastic bag, or a shirt collar pulled up as high on the head as possible.  But you don't see folks just strolling around the area with that bit of material to keep the hot sun at bay.  Or perhaps, I just live in the wrong part of the country to see them on a regular basis.

In fact, we seem to use the umbrella more with our outdoor furniture.  Whether on a patio, a deck, or a porch, we do like to sit out under the shade as we sip our sweet tea.  (This is the south, after all.)

I myself carry an umbrella with me at all times.  It's under the driver's seat of my car.  But that is really where it remains.  I do intend to put it to better use, but then the notion just slides away from the brain and the item stays in place in the car.

Maybe I'll do better.  But then again, maybe not.  What about you?  Do you use the brolly?  That's a term more often associated with our friends in Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia - among other countries.  How do we bring it to the forefront of the grey matter and put this very handy item to more use?  Let me know if you have any ideas.