"We and They" by Rudyard Kipling

 

Father and Mother, and Me,
Sister and Auntie say
All the people like us are We,
And every one else is They.
And They live over the sea,
While We live over the way,
But-would you believe it? --They look upon We
As only a sort of They!

We eat pork and beef
With cow-horn-handled knives.
They who gobble Their rice off a leaf,
Are horrified out of Their lives;
While they who live up a tree,
And feast on grubs and clay,
(Isn't it scandalous? ) look upon We
As a simply disgusting They!

We shoot birds with a gun.
They stick lions with spears.
Their full-dress is un-.
We dress up to Our ears.
They like Their friends for tea.
We like Our friends to stay;
And, after all that, They look upon We
As an utterly ignorant They!

We eat kitcheny food.
We have doors that latch.
They drink milk or blood,
Under an open thatch.
We have Doctors to fee.
They have Wizards to pay.
And (impudent heathen!) They look upon We
As a quite impossible They!

All good people agree,
And all good people say,
All nice people, like Us, are We
And every one else is They:
But if you cross over the sea,
Instead of over the way,
You may end by (think of it!) looking on We
As only a sort of They!

Little Oyster and Big Oyster - Ellis and Liberty Islands and the Story of Wells Fargo

Many people outside of New York City look at Ellis Island and Liberty Island thinking that they were always there. But that wasnt always true. In the 1600's when Hudson first arrived they were just mud flats created by the accumulated silt from the Southward flow of the Hudson River to the Harbor at the tip of Manhattan Island.

They were the oyster beds where the Lenape Indians got their oysters. At that time the oysters were 10 inches long. They were also the source of the wampum used as money by the Lenape and other tribes in the surrounding area.

As late as 1800 these 2 areas were called Liitle Oyster, which became Ellis Island; and Big Oyster, which became Bedloe's and then Liberty Island. But until then they were really just mud shoals and a hazard to navigation.But they were a great source of food; namely the Oyster. At that time the area was considered the largest oyster bed in the world.

A great book on the subject is "The Big Oyster" by Mark Kurlansky. A wonderful h in story of both the delicacy and New York's harbor of the time. Yet another good book on the subject is "The Oyster Pirates."

The photo above is from 1937 and shows a pile of the shells left from lunch. Although the size of the oyster had shrunk, the pollution and over harvesting had not yet decimated the oyster beds. But it had diminished them in both quantity and size.

And lets not forget the role these oysters played in uniting the East and West in developing America.

In 1841 a man named William Harnden, considered by many to be America's the nation's first "expressman", hired Henry Wells to figure out how to deliver things quickly between New York City and Albany. The Post Office was too slow, and personal couriers too expensive. That left only a few stagecoach companies to fill the gap. But Henry Wells had him beat by offering a unique idea; delivering for multiple customers at a time laid out logistically.

Wells, along with Will Fargo, who partnered up in the 1840's, had to prove their worth to get an investor to enlarge their business westward from Buffalo. And this is where the Oyster enters the picture.

One of their best known achievements was in bringing fresh oysters up to Buffalo, the jumping off point westward on the Erie Canal, from NewYork City's oyster beds to show case their ability to deliver.

Until then overland travel was considered too slow to deliver fresh seafood far inland. The Erie Canal was the best means of East West transportation, but the Southern route to New York was still mostly rutted, muddy roads.

If they could pull this off they would be able to secure the necessary funding to go Westward to St. Louis, and from there to the later Comstock Lode of Silver and the the gold of San Francisco. In the 1840's the train was still in the stage of proving it's worth. So the timing was just right.

Here is Mr. Well's account of that event, 75 years afterwards;

"It may amuse you to hear that the oyster was a powerful agent in expediting our progress.

That very delicious shell fish was fully appreciated by the Buffalonians — and deeply they felt the sad fact that there was one occasion toward spring, no oysters in Buffalo. James Leidley, the tavern keeper, asked me why the express could not bring them.

“Bring oysters by coach over such roads!” was my astonished exclamation.

His answer was the keystone to all success in enterprise.

“If I pay for them — charge just what you will.” They were brought — opened in Albany and brought to Buffalo at the cost of $3 the hundred — and the arrival of those oysters by express at Buffalo created a sensation as great as would today the coming hither of a section of the Atlantic Telegraph."

Later, in the 1870's, after trains were well proven, Wells Fargo still had routes not yet  covered by the trains. And in 1849 the stagecoach transported much of the gold from Sutter's Hill to San Fransico.

For the names of more books on this subject you can just hit the link below to the NY Public library.  Since there are no real photos of the old mud flats which became Ellis and Liberty Islands, that is where I got the photo of the oyster shells.

So remember, the next time you shuck an oyster, or eat one fried, it's not just an oyster you're holding. It's a piece of history.

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2011/06/01/history-half-shell-intertwined-story-new-york-city-and-its-oysters

 "There is in every one of us a spark of the infinite goodness that created us. When we leave this Earth, we are reunited with it as a raindrop falling from heaven is at last reunited with the sea which gave it birth." 

This quote is from Somerest Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" and attributed to Sri Ramana / Ramana Maharshi. He was born Venkataraman Iyer on December 30, 1879  but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He is also known as "the liberated being."

This film is the screen version of Somerset Maugham's thinly disguised memoir. It is an unusual book in that it is more about his memories of a close friend than his own life. It is classed as a novel only because he changed the name of that friend as well as his own family members.

The friend, Larry, is played by Tyrone Power. And in seeking enlightenment he seems to inadvertently learn that what Sri Ramana has taught him is not always true. There are people who are inherently indifferent, and still others who are evil.

An outstanding film, marked by the performances of Tyrone Power as Larry, Cecil Humphreys as Sri Ramana, Clifton Webb as Elliot Templeton and both  Anne Baxter and Gene Tierney, as Sophie and Isabelle respectively. W. Somerset Maugham is played by Herbert Marshall.

The film begins just after World War One and spans the following decade. It takes place in Chicago, London, Paris and Tibet. The book is well adapted for the screen.

It is mainly the story of Larry, the most unusual man the author ever encountered, and the contrast between the spiritual life he has chosen, and the material lives of Elliot Templeton and the rest of the cast.

Written in 1944 it was well adapted for the screen only 2 years later by Darryl F. Zanuck.

John Wise - 1859

This is one of my favorite old photographs. It was taken on August 17th, 1859 and shows John Wise about to lift off from Lafeyette, Indiana with the first attempt at Air Mail in the United States. He was bound for New York City with 123 letters on his balloon named Jupiter.

Aside from carrier pigeons there had only ever been one other attempt to use balloons to carry mail. That  was on January 7th, 1785 and the goal was to carry mail from Dover, England to Calais, France. That efffort was successful. Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American Dr.John Jeffries made the first manned crossing of the English Channel by air.

But the return effort was almost a disaster. Their ballon was equipped with a rudder and even 2 oars by which they believed they could row through the air if needed. The extra weight required them to ditch everything they could, from the oars and rudder and even including their clothes. They landed clad only in their undergarments.

10 years later Monsieur Blanchard actually did cross the Atlantic successfully by ballon carrying mail, this time landing fully clothed.

By contrast, John Wise took 5 hours to travel anout 30 miles before giving up and landing in Crawfordsville, also in Indiana, where he descended and put the mail on a train. The winds had been tending to the Southwest, and even ascending to 14,000 feet he had not been able to overcome the problem.

One letter seems to have survived over the years from the first flight and is housed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. It bears a 3 cent stamp, equivalent to 80 cents in today's currency. It is addressed to "W H Munn, No. 24 West 26 St., N York City."

One month later, in September, he tried again. This time he made it 800 miles to Hendersonville, New York. It was there that he crashed, losing all the mail in the process.

He tried several more times and failed before his attempts were interrupted by the Civil War, during which he flew Observation Ballons, which was hazardous duty. But as soon as the war ended he resumed his efforts, amassing a total of 463 fights, all of which were unsuccessful. Winds and weather always seemed to overcome him. He crashed several more times but continued; undaunted in his quest.

It was the 364th attempt in 1879 which did him in. He was last sighted sailing over Lake Michigan, blown off course and never seen again. He was 71 years young at heart, and he died a true visionary.

Finally, with the advent of the airplane, Air Mail became a reality. The first flight, carrying just 3  letters, was successful and delivered them a few miles between Petaluma and Santa Rosa, California, in February 1911. A far cry from John Wise's original goal in both capacity and distance.

The Laconia Sinking - 1942

 On 12 September 1942, 130 miles from Ascension Island, the British ship Laconia was hit by a torpedo from  German U-boat U-156. The ship was carrying 1,800 Italian POW's. In addition there were also 160 Polish guards who were tasked with the care of those prisoners. There were also 268 British Sailors, soldiers and nurses, the majority of whom were women. There were approximately 2,200 souls aboard her. 

The ship was a Cunard liner pressed into service for the war  She was hit by a second torpedo and sank.

The ship's Commander, Captain Sharp, ordered the women, children and injured into what was left of the lifeboats, most of which had been destroyed by the second torpedo. The Italian POW's were mostly killed, though a handful did survive, along with some of their Polish captors. The Italian survivors were denied entry into the lifeboats and some were even shot and bayoneted by the Polish guards. Only 415 of the 1,800 POW's survived. Most of the British and Polish survived.

The ship then sank and Captain Sharp, along with the remaining Italian prisoners were still aboard. Those who escaped were adrift in shark infested waters along with the few remaining lifeboats, which were all full of the women, children and injured. There was little hope of rescue. It was just 40 years after the loss of the Titanic.

Here is where the story takes an interesting turn. The U--boat Commander, Kapitanleutnant Werner Hartenstein, upon realizing that there were civilians, as well as POW's aboard the lifeboats, and some adrift in the water, ordered his U-boat to surface and commence rescue operations. In addition he sent for other U-boats to come and assist in this operation. 

Again, another tragic twist of fate ensued. The other U-boats who came to assist him all flew Red Cross flags as required, and even signalled that a rescue operation was underway. In spite of this, by the following morning, with rescue operations still ongoing, a USAAF B-24 Liberator sighted the U-boats and the survivors. 

In spite of the Red Cross flags and the non coded message concerning the rescue, even listing the coordinates of the U-boats, in violation of their orders to remain at radio silence to avoid detection, the B-24 attacked both the U-boats and the survivors of the Laconia. 

Hartenstein even radioed the plane to apprise Captain Richardson on the B-24 of the situation. His message was ignored and the attack continued.  Later, when Richardson said he never received the original communication from Ascension, this proved that he was not telling the truth and that there was no excuse for his actions, which forced the U-boats to submerge with their decks crowded with injured and other survivors, including the lifeboats being towed.

The result of this incident led to the Laconia Order by Admiral Donitz, which stated that hereafter his U-boat commanders were not to rescue survivors after attacks. 

Even with Vichy French ships subsequently rescuing 1,083 persons from the lifeboats and taking  aboard those picked up by the four submarines, only about 1,000  survived the sinking. The rest were lost. As a result of Captain Richardson, as many people died from the Laconia's sinking than were lost by the Titanic. In total, 98 crewmembers, 133 passengers, 33 Polish guards and about 1,400 Italian POW's perished. 

Of Titanic's total of 2,240 passengers and crew, only 706 passengers and crew survived. 1,500 were lost.

War is hell, and this incident highlights the savegry of both sides. It also highlights the assertion that in war, there are no real winners.

"The Time of Their Lives" - Abbott and Costello

 I hope you will read this. Maybe you won't watch it. But it's worth the read. It's the story of the only film Abbott and Costello ever made in which they do not play their usual comedic duo. As a matter of fact, Bud Abbott plays a dual role set 165 years apart. And that is what makes this film outstanding. The only real slapstick in it is performed briefly by Lou Costello. The two actors are presented in completely separate roles.

This story begins during the American Revolution and Costello plays a tinker named Horatio, who is in love with a servant girl named Nora. He hasn't enough money to buy her out of bondage in order to marry her, but armed with a letter of recommendation by General George Washington praising his work as a tinker and a Patriot, is poised to make both their desires a reality.

The Master of the house, Tom Danbury, is a spy for King George. His butler, Cuthbert, is played by Bud Abbott. And when he learns of the letter from General Washington, he steals that letter and hides it in a secret compartment in a clock.

Horatio decides that, rather than to wait and recover the letter to marry Nora, he will elope with her. To do this he enlists the aid of Melody, a social equal, who is in love with the Master, Tom Danbury, but knows nothing of his being a spy. Together, her and Horatio go forth to find the means of obtaining the money for Horatio to marry his love.

On the way out by horseback at night, with Melody dressed as a man, they are mistaken for traitors by General Putnam and his men. Horatio and Melody, fearing that these soldiers are British, fire a shot at them and are shot and killed as they attempt to flee. Their bodies are then stuffed down the well, and cursed to never have their spirits roam beyond the confines of the property until such time as evidence of their innocence can be uncovered. The rebels then loot the house of all its furniture and then burn it down. 

165 years pass with Horatio and Melody confined to the property. And then the local historical society, with the help of Danbury's memoirs and Dr. Greenway, the descendant of his butler, again played by Bud Abbott, rebuild the house exactly as it stood. A plaque is also placed by the well containing the two bodies which identifies them as traitors. The two must now recover both their dignity and their freedom. 

They also recover every piece of furniture that was looted, except for the original clock, which is now housed in a museum. This is the piece containing the letter which will set both Horatio and Melody free. 

This is the only film the comedy duo ever made where they are not paired as sidekicks. Instead, they play separate characters. And that, along with a wonderful plot, including 2 love stories, set over 165 years, make this film very worth watching. 

"Sweet Violets" and Other Songs Which Do Not Rhyme

 "Sweet Violets" by Jane Turzy, from 1951 was the first song I ever remember which didn't rhyme. It broke all the rules. I call it implied rhyming, which is the product of the rhythm. I was about 5 when I first heard it in 1959. My Mom had a huge collection of records from the late1920's up through the 1950's.

Another song which fit this category was "Moonlight in Vermont" by Margaret Whiting. That might have been a 78 from 1950. This was when record players had 4 speeds; 78, 45, 33-1/3 and 16 RPM's.

"Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen, recorded around 1967, almost makes the grade, except for that 3 line refrain, which rhymed "blind" with "mind". But that was more as a way of connecting, or resolving,  the verses, so to me it makes the grade..

"America", by Simon and Garfunkel, from 1972, is another real gem. That song says a lot with no rhyme at all.

"What a Piece of Work is Man", from the musical Hair, is another outstanding example of this type of song.   

There are scores of songs like these, right up through the present. They seem to be products of stream of consciousness, and so easily written. But it takes an innate talent to pull it off, marrying the lyrics to a rhythm,  rather than making the rhythm fit the lyrics.

Love to hear any titles you may have noticed which I haven't mentioned. Generally speaking I'm about 10 years behind the times. New or old, doesn't  matter.......