The "Background Music At The Cicada Festival" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking the website: The Original Mt. Gretna "Cicada Festival Concerts" to see if the concert series, scheduled for August 3-11, may have been canceled due to COVID-19.    We have been going to their concerts for close to ten years which are held at the open-air, outdoor Gretna Theatre at the Mt. Gretna Playhouse.  

The advertisement for the Cicada Festival at Mt. Gretna

The site is set in the woods at Mt. Gretna, Pennsyl- vania and the open-air theatre is the perfect location to listen to good old Rock & Roll.  But, if the concert is still scheduled to go on...it may be a bit more noisy than in the past, since this is the year that the cicadas are due to emerge for their once-in-17 year mating season.  As many as 1.5 million cicadas could emerge per acre and they will add some noisy background music for the bands performing this year.  Not necessarily a disruptive noice, but a distinct chirping!  Carol and I have never been to a concert when the cicadas have been active, but I was hoping to have a chance to see what type of background they would add to the bands.  A Virginia Tech professor said that, "Hopefully, any annoyance at the disturbance is tempered by just how infrequent...and amazing...the event is."  There are two types of of cicadas, periodical and annual, with the periodical cicadas emerging every 13 to 17 years, depending upon the species.  

The Periodical Cicada

Brood IX, as this group is dubbed, last emerged in 2003.  Parts of the region that's expected to see this brood also saw some of brood II, which crawled out from the ground back in 2013 across parts of Eastern U.S.  But brood IX won't likely affect as many states.  Why does the periodical cicada appear only every 13-17 years?  It is reported that it may be to avoid predators who treat the cicada as an easy meal.  They may be trying to avoid matching cycles and appear without notice to their predators.  The insects spend the majority of their lives underground, in an immature "nymph" state with soil temperatures and year synchronizing their transition to a mature cicada, ready to emerge, breed and lay eggs.  Climate change is what can change their emerging between 13 to 17 years.  

Another view of the cicada

Once they have emerged and bred, they die within a few weeks.  It is during those few weeks that they add the background rhythm to the songs circulating in our head.  At times it can be overwhelming and annoying.  Just how do they appear all of a sudden?  They break through like the undead emerging from their graves.   They travel in huge packs in the same direction through the woods, scurrying up trees, covering all their branches.  At this point they break through their exoskeletons, at first sickly white and soft before they take on their red-eyed, coal-black adult form and then fly off by the billions.  They're big and noisy...perfect for a rock & roll band.  The periodical cicadas' life span is among the longest of any insect, spending years and years underground eating tree roots, before breaking through the ground and seeing the light of day for just a few short days.  

Breaking through the exoskeleton

There are 15 regions in the United States where the cicadas' will emerge.  They have already started to call out to females in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.  As far as the area where I live, since the weather has been rather cool this spring, they may not appear until mid-summer.  Might they appear just in time for the concert?  If you happen to see them, do not fret.  They are not poisonous and don't bite or sting.  And, once the eggs hatch, the nymphs fall to the ground where they will nestle into the earth for the next 17 years.  What a life!  So enjoy them if you happen to see or hear them, for it will be another 13-17 years before they will return once again to add harmony to the many other noises you may hear in the woods...or on the stage at the Cicada Festival.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

PS - A few days ago my check that I sent for payment of four tickets to the concert was returned to me.  It wasn't due to the cicadas, but Covid-19.  The close quarters in the outdoor auditorium could spread the virus among the over 50 crowd and create a real problem.  Perhaps by next summer the virus will have been conquered and I will once again be able to hear some of my favorite music at the festival.

The "Living The American Dream: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  While searching for information about Harry Schlotzhauer on the Lancaster Newspaper's archives, I came upon a rather interesting letter that had been sent to Harry from his brother Martin who lived in Gehausen, Germany.  It was dated September 20, 1914.  World War I was fought from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918.  I found it such an interesting read that I have reposted the entire letter, including any mistakes that may have been part of the letter.  Being that copyrights last for 70 years after the death of the author or 95 years from the year of its first publication, I am legally able to copy this letter for you to try and understand what the brother and father of Harry must have been going through.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

LETTER FROM THE FATHERLAND

To: Harry Scholtzhauer, Lancaster Pa, U.S.A.

Dear Brother:
     Your letter of August 17th received and glad to hear from you.  We would have written you sooner, had we known that you would receive our letter.  Dear Brother, I noticed in your letter that there are a great many false reports in your country regarding the Kaiser and the cause of the war.  Our Kaiser did not want war, but was forced by the enemies.  The Prince of Austria was murdered by a Servian, upon which the Austrian declared war upon Servia, whereupon the Russians sent their troops both to Austria and German lines.   Upon being questioned by the German Kaiser why the Russian troops were being mobilized, the Russian Czar replied that his troops were not mobilizing, but only maneuvering as usual, but the Czar continued to send still more troops to the front, upon which Prince Henry visited Russia and had a conversation with the Czar in regards to sending his troops to the front, who promised him that there would not be any trouble, but before Prince Henry returned to Germany to inform the Kaiser of the Czar's report, the Russians had already sent a lot more troops to the front, and as the Czar still continued sending more and more troops to the front after promising Prince Henry peace, our Kaiser began mobilizing his army on August 2nd.  
     Now, Dear Brother, can't you imagine how Germany was being filled up with Russian and Grench spies trying to wreck all bridges, cut cables and poison the streams in Gehause.  We are constantly looking for spies.  We captured one automobile with fourteen Russian spies going through our field, who carried with them very large amounts of poison with the intention to poison the streams.  You can imagine what happened to the spies.  In Vacha, 8 miles from Gehause, another automobile was captured which contained five more Russian spies.  These spies were all dressed in women's clothing, but one who drove the car.  These spies carried with them large amounts of dynamite and bombs, and were headed for the bridge which crosses the River Were.
     Only the constant watching of our troops saved Gehause and neighboring towns from much more damage.  It was only upon capturing these spies, together with others in other towns, that the Kaiser declared war upon Russia, upon which France declared war upon Germany.  After war was declared, the Germans decided to go through Belgium in order to get into France.  Here the Germans were confronted by the Belgiums who were urged by the French to flight the Germans, but to their sorrow.  Here England also declared war against Germany.  Our troops are advancing with success.  At this time there are no more enemies on any German soil. 
     From the windows and roof tops, the Belgian soldiers and civilians fired upon the German soldiers.  The Kaiser warned them to discontinue sniping else he would fire their town for punishment, but as they failed to obey orders, the Germans were forced to destroy their town Louvaine.  Out of our own village, 60 men have so far been called away and only one returned wounded.  Your brother, Adam had also been called out, and had already left for his troop, but upon arrival was discharged on account of already having enough of men at that time.  Dear Brother, I myself up to the present time have not been called away from home, which pleases my parents very much, but I do not know how soon I might be, maybe never to return again.  Everything in Gehause is about the same as before and the crops have all been put away.
     Our father celebrated his 70th anniversary on September 14th.
     Our Kaiser kept peace for only forty-four years, and put Germany in as good a standing as it is today, and we all hope God will save same, but if it would not have been for our good Kaiser, there would have been war four years ago.  Now, Brother, you can see for yourself how Germany came to war.  When we write again, we will write more.  If you receive this letter, answer at once, as I am anxious to know if you receive same.
     With best wishes to your wife and family and other relatives, I am MARTIN SCHLOTZHAUAER.  
     Note:  This part his father wrote:
     Dear Son:
     Do not put any of the blame on our Kaiser.  the Kaiser thinking that there might be war, he sent notice to all churches to hold special services and pray for peace as he did not want any blood shed.  We all hope that the war will soon come to an end, and send you our best wishes.
     Your father, JOHN ADAM SCHLOTZHAUER

The "Whoever Said History Was Boring?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading "The Lancastrian" Facebook page when I came across a post entered by Roseanna Harrison on November 1, 2019.  Story about how life was in the good ol' days in Lancaster County.  After reading the post I figured the story could have been written about just any location in the United States in the 1500s.  I thought it would be an interesting read for my blog, so I have rewritten the story to make it a bit easier to understand, yet not taking any of the most interesting parts out of the story.  So...read on:

Back in the 1500s people used to use urine to tan animal skins, so all family members used to pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the local tannery.  Those families that did this were considered "Piss Poor."  Most people in the 1500s got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, so when June rolled around, they still smelled pretty good.  Brides back then carried a bouquet of flowers to hide body odor.  Hence, the custom of carrying a bouquet still exists today.  When baths were taken, it was usually in a big tub filled with hot water.  The man of the house had the privilege of taking his bath first with other male members of the family following.  The woman of the household came next and finally the female children.  By then the water was so dirty, thus the saying of "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."  Many houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high with no wood underneath.  It was also the only place for animals to get warm so all the cats and dogs, as well as other small animals lived in the warmth of the roof and from time to time they would fall from the roof, thus the saying "Its raining cats and dogs."  Other things fell from the thatched roof into the house which posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.  And, that's how canopy beds came into existence.  The floor to most homes was dirt.  Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, thus the saying of being "dirt poor."  The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing.  As winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start to slip out the front door.  To prevent that from happening, a piece of wood would be placed across the entrance-way.  Hence, the word threshold.  In the 1500s they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.  Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot.  They ate mostly vegetables, thus not much meat was added to the pot.  They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day.  Sometimes they had food in it that had been there for quite a few days, thus the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, pease porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.  Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made then feel quite special.  When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.  It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon."  They would cut off a bit to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.  Those with money had plates made of pewter.  Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leak onto the food, causing lead poisoning death.  Bread was divided according to status.  Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle and guests the top, known as the upper crust.  Lead cups were used to drink ale and whiskey and the combination would sometimes knock the drinkers out for a couple of days.  Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.  They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.  Hence the custom of holding a wake.  And, that my readers was life in the 1500s, believe it or not.  And...I'm sure many of you do not believe it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Other Larry" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My boss at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania, Keith told me to do a really good job on the "Beatles" poster he had just given me.  When I looked at him with a confused face he laughed and said, "The job is for a former high school friend of yours!"  My friend began talking to Keith when he brought in the poster and Keith told him his former high school teacher worked for him, the customer asked whom that might be.  Keith passed along my name and the customer instantly got a smile on his face.  "Make sure you tell him to do a good job on my poster."  

Larry, framer of the Beatles poster with the other Larry, childhood friends.
We removed our masks just for the photograph.

He then told Keith that we lived a few blocks from each other while growing up and went to school together.  When Keith told me his name was Larry Snyder, I had to tell him about all our time together in school from kindergarten to the end of 9th grade.  Seems that at the end of 9th grade, Larry's mom and dad decided it best if he went to a Military School to help with his.....well.....schooling!  The stories I could tell here, but won't, might have been responsible for his switching to a more formal schooling for the final three years of high school.  When I went home I began to search for photographs of "the other Larry" as my mom and dad used to call him.  Being that they had named me Larry was the reason for my friend's name.  The other Larry lived on Jackson Street near the world famous Armstrong Cork Company.  He lived a few blocks from another friend and now my traveling buddy with his wife Sue, Jere Herr.  The other Larry, Jere and I all began elementary school together in 1950 at Brecht Elementary School.  Jere and the other Larry lived on the West side of the  Lancaster Train Station while I lived on the East side.  

Mrs. Good's 1st grade class.  Jere is front row far right while the
other Larry is front row far left.  I'm top row, far left.
Masks weren't necessary in 1950.

We all walked the mile-and-a-half to elementary school, but Jere and the other Larry walked across the Prince St. Bridge while I walked across the Duke Street Bridge.  All of us had Miss Boché, who became Mrs. Good part way through the year, for 1st grade.  When we began Jr. High School we all met at the local lumber yard, between our homes, to get on the school bus.  After we lost the other Larry due to changing schools, Jere and I both graduated from the same high school where we ended up teaching together after college.  We did miss the other Larry for the final three years of high school.  Then, the Manheim Township High School class of 1962 began to hold class reunions.  The names of a few who didn't graduate with us for one reason or another were suggested as being added to our class list.  The other Larry was one of them so Jere and I once again had the chance to spend some time with the guys from the neighborhood.  Then, a few days ago I had the chance to see the other Larry once again when he came to pick up his matted and framed poster that I worked on for him. It looked great, but getting to see him once again was more eventful than working on his artwork.  

One of the 4 group shots of the MTHS Class of 1962 taken at our 50th Class Reunion in 2012.  Top row, far left is Jere and I am two from him in the light brown jacket.  The other Larry is middle row, second from left.  Jere's sweetheart and now wife, Sue, is in front row, second from the left.  Great time was had by all!

Our 60th Class Reunion will come in 2022 and we will all have a chance to gather once again and relive "the good ole' times."  The stories will fly and be the same ones that we told at the last reunion and the one before that.  But, that's OK, since we probably won't remember what stories we told and may not even remember how we fit into the stories.  We'll all laugh and have a great time anyway.  And, hopefully we won't need masks by then.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Shhh! Don't Tell Anybody I Wrote This!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  "Summertime an' the livin' is easy," says the old George Gershwin song that was released in 1935.  Goes on with..."Fish are jumpin' an' the cotton is high. Oh, yo' daddy's rich and yo' ma is good-lookin,' So hush, little baby, don' you cry. One of these mornin's you goin' to rise up singin,' Then you'll spread yo' wings an' you'll take to the sky. But till that mornin', there's a nothin' can harm you, With Daddy an' Mammy standin' by."  I can remember that from my youth, but not sure where I heard it first.  Think it was on my little transistor radio that I would take with me as a child to my pup tent which was a Christmas gift from my Aunt Doris that I would erect in the backyard of my home on North Queen Street in Lancaster when summer arrived.  Not a care in the world when you are a kid in the summertime.  It was there that I spent many a day in the summer, just wasting away my time.  Had a secret club with a few of my friends and they would visit me in the tent and we would make up secret codes much like some of our dads had who were members of the local Masonic Lodge.  Remember the Masonic Lodge?  Dad never talked about it much once he became a member, but I suspected it was a secret place where they did secret things.  The mind of a young boy can work that way you know.  That secret club was known as the Freemasons.  They are the oldest and largest fraternal order in the world.  Dad would tell me that unofficially, they were a secret society that helped shape modern society...whatever that meant.  He had to pay dues and wear this funny scarf when he went to his meetings.  The first documented reference to the Freemasons is in a poem from 1390.  

Masonic logo

The group was originally a stone- mason's guild which is why they are known as Masons.  Eventually it evolved to consist of less stone laying and more secret meetings.  In 1717 four Masonic lodges formed the Grand Lodge in England and started to keep more complete records of their history.  Today there are more than six million Freemasons all over the world with about one million of then in North America.  So, what do they do in their club meetings.  Well, they make plans to make their community a better place in which to live.  They believe in education and self-improvement and strive to improve their community.  One of the most important aspects of Freemasonry is charity.  Worldwide they raise more than $750 million towards philanthropic endeavors.  A bit more than my friends and I made selling the small neighborhood newspaper I printed on my printing press my Aunt Doris gave me for Christmas another year.  But, why wouldn't my dad talk about what he did?  Had to be a secret club I thought.  I do remember that he told me you had to be invited to be a Mason.  Someone at church had invited dad to be a member one year.  He said that being a mason was different than being a member of a church like St. James where we were members.  But, you had to be a member of a church to belong to the Freemasons.  When I began playing summer baseball, one of my coaches was a man by the name of Bob Beitzel.  

A piece of type showing the Masonic logo.

He had a print shop and I often talked to him about it.  Then when I became a teacher, teaching printing, I would visit with him for help from time to time.  He once approached me about the Freemasons and said he was the leader of the Lancaster group of Freemasons.  But, that's a far as it went.  I had enjoyed being a member of my summer tent club, but didn't care to be a Freemason as an adult.  Currently there are chapters of Freemasons around the world who still strive to raise money for good causes.  I admire them for doing that, but I had had enough of the club life as a child.  I did read the names of some very prominent Freemasons.  Names such as Benjamin Franklin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, Winston Churchill, J. Edgar Hoover, The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Buss Aldrin and Shaquille O'Neal; pretty impressive names.  Much easier to remember than Kenny Herr, Bill Heckel and Dave Greenwood who were members of my summer club.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Really Neat Brewing Idea!" Story

Foreword:  The following story I wrote in late February and never found a time to post it when we began months of solitude.  Perhaps it may enliven a few who will enjoy it's content today. 

It was an ordinary day.  The headline struck me right away..."BREWING ART".  Story about the Spring House Brewing Company in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania going to showcase the work of a dozen or so local artists on cans throughout the year.  The Brewing Company is going to sponsor a rebranding party soon to showcase some of the work that has been selected for their limited edition series of beer cans.  A few of the pieces of artwork were published in the newspaper to give the public an idea as to what they would get if they bought cans of beer that are featured in their "Brewing Art" collection.  Actually, it is a brilliant idea so they can get the beer drinkers as well as the art community involved in their venture.  The artwork will be wrapped around 16-ounce cans of beer.  The artists featured are from the south-central Pennsylvania area and made of a limited-edition series of beer cans throughout the year.  In March the original work will be on display in the Spring House Brewing Company site as well as on the beer cans.  Spring House Brewing Co. opened in a barn in nearby Conestoga in  2007, making it one of the county's older modern breweries that have survived.  A taproom opened at 25 W. King Street in downtown Lancaster a few years later with an eventual move to 209 Hazel Street five years ago.  The brewery now has its own canning line and is expanding distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.  Last year the company made special cans for Celebrate Lancaster as well as The Extra Give.  Their next adventure will be placing collectible artwork on their cans.  Actually, I think it is a great idea with many being collector's items in the future.  They looked for art that was striking, different and would grab someone's attention on a crowded shelf.  Some pieces needed a few tweaks to fit on the can or pass label approvals.  One artist said she is glad her art will be on a beer can and reaching a totally different crowd than it would otherwise not reach.  I need to stop and ask them if they may be interested in the Lancaster collection of my altered Polaroid prints which I have been selling for years.  Now, that would really be different.  Check out some of the artwork that will be available for sale on beer cans very soon.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 
 

Artwork by Charlotte Martin of Lancaster that will be placed on the Mid-Afternoon Session Ale.  Her artwork is a self-portraiture inspired from a summer she spent in a cabin by Lake Pymatuning in Ohio.  The painting is reminiscent of a particularly carefree happiness and sense of adventure.  

Vallerie Hill is the artist of this piece that is an acrylic, oil and spray paint.  It's name is Transmuter and is some sort of reference to "Star Trek".  Her dad played in a band in the "80s called the Transmuters and decided to name the painting the same.  Vallerie's artwork will appear on the Transmuter Cranberry Sour.

Elaina Posey's work is an homage to city life and how fondly and colorful Posey remembers it.  The colorful blocks building up to the skyscraper symbolizing how awesome Lancaster City has become.  It will appear on the Skyscraper Hazelnut Coffee Stout.

The brew known as Hermit Of Sleyhaven India Pale Lager is the artwork of Trent Shaeffer from Lancaster.  The idea for this piece was to express the feeling of overcoming change and how it's possible to create positive things from negative situations.  The work is a giant radioactive hermit crab who has outgrown his shell and finds a creative solution for a new home.  

The "The Home For Friendless Children" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching the LancasterOnline archives to find out a bit more about what was at one time the Home for Friendless Children.  It allegedly opened in 1860, but the first trace I can find of the home is on February 19, 1861 in a story titled "Sons of Temperance Exhibition".  The newspaper article talks about an exhibition given by the Sons of Temperance which gave such satisfaction that they have been requested by a number of Lancaster citizens to hold one for the home for Friendless Children.  The next story I can find is from April 18, 1861 in an article which says the last Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania passed an act incorporating a Home for Friendless Children for the city and county of Lancaster.  It has since received the approval of the governor and is therefore a law.  It goes on to say that the affairs and concerns of the Home are to be conducted by a Board of managers, consisting of twenty-four ladies, and Board of Trustees, consisting of sixteen gentlemen.  The members are to meet in May and elect the Managers and Trustees, according to its provisions.  These managers and trustees, thus elected, may in their discretion, take under their guardianship, all children to be placed under their management as follows:  First: White children under 12 years of age will be committed to the care of the managers and trustees by the Judges of the county or by the Mayor of the city.  Second: White children under 12 years of age will be committed to the care of the managers and trustees by the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas or by the Mayor of the city.  As you may notice, only White children were allowed to live in the Home.  Was this the start of discrimination in the city of Lancaster?  Probably not, but it certainly was discimatory.  The Daily Evening Express on Saturday, July 7 said The Home for Friendless Children of the City of Lancaster will be opened for the reception of children on Monday next, so evidently the home opened on July 9 of 1860.  One of the larger contributors to the home was Thaddeus Stevens.  And, when the Honorable Thaddeus Stevens died on August 12, 1868 his will provided for the sum of $50,000 for the orphans of Lancaster.  I found in an article on February 28, 1880 in the Semi-Weekly New Era that the home colored line was then abolished.  Appropriations to the Children's Home is to be contingent on receiving children without regard to sex, race or color.  Changing the guidelines took place on January 23 when the Board of Trustees voted to admit all children.  A petition stated that The Home was incorporated on March 29, 1860 with only white children under 12 to be admitted.  These provisions have been changed to all children without regard for sex, race or color.  

The Home for Friendless Children in Lancaster, PA

The four-story brick children's home sat on an 8-acre lot bounded by Ann St., East End Ave., Marshal St. and Dauphin St.  Another champion of the Home for Friendless Children was the Honorable Frank B. McClain, the Republican member of the State Legislature who constantly proposed money for the Home for Friendless Children. Then on Wednesday, December 12, 1923 I found a heartwarming story in the Lancaster New Era that said a Christmas Party at the Home for Friendless children will be given by Mr. Frank McClain.  He continued the party for many years and played Santa at each party he sponsored.  In the article he told the citizens of Lancaster that in the year 1910 we started having a Christmas Party at the Home for Friendless Children and we will have one every year as long as I am on earth and able to dress up as Santa Claus.  He said the children are already sending letters to Santa telling him what they want and are getting their stockings ready by darning all the holes in them to be hung up the night before Christmas.  He knew what each Child wanted and he was getting ready to fill his pack.  He said his headquarters, until Christmas, will be at 628 Woolworth Building and you can send your contribution by mail or bring it in person.  He went on to say that he would rather have 10 cents from a child's toy bank than ten dollars from a grown up's fat wallet.  I'm sure he would have taken the ten dollars if it was given.  He had plans to buy toys to break, drums to burst, dolls to nurse and candies and cakes and turkey and cream, too.  

He wished that all could be there when he opened his sack to see the expressions on the faces of the children?  I also found an article from the Sunday News on July 24, 1927 that said in big letters, "Oliver Twist Would Not Tremble To Ask For Second Helpings Here" meaning The Home for Friendless Children.  Photographs of the children accompanied the article. Then in 1941 the home stopped serving its original purpose and the state abandoned its operation.  In 1955 the county sold the children's home to the state who in turn sold the property to developers who demolished it in 1966 and built the Garden Court Apartments complex on the site of the original Home for Friendless Children.  A piece of history that was lost forever.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Living The American Dream: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got back from Lancaster's Central Market where I went to buy a dozen of Shady Maple Bakery's Long Johns to share with my daughter and her family when they arrive from Maryland tomorrow morning.  Shady Maple is one of my favorite bakeries, but Lancaster is, and has been for many years, known for the many types of sweets that are made in their bakeries.  One of the most popular, due to it's fantastic "Dewey buns," was Schlotzhauer Bakery.   All began in 1898, the same year that Admiral Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet at Manilla Bay, that Harry Schlotzhauer invented the "Dewey bun."  In those days all donuts were round, so he rolled one to resemble a battleship and named it after Admiral Dewey.  Ah, Ha...The Dewey Bun was born!  Harry Schlotzhauer came to this country from Germany, a penniless immigrant who was only 15 year's old at the time.  Harry didn't believe in war, and in Germany, instead of giving you a schoolbook, they threw you a rifle.  So, in 1875, he set out on his own and ended up in the United States.  He landed on the shores of the United States, hopped on the first train and got off at the stop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Before long he began working in a bakery under Charles Wingender as a baker's apprentice for $3 a week.  Knowing very little English, he took courses at the Lancaster Business College for $1.50 a week.  With little capital or equipment he opened his own retail bakery, known as the Saxony Bakery at 437 Green Street in 1898.  Eventually, in 1911 he changed the name of his bakery to the Schlotzhauer Baking Company.  

Harry Schlotzhauer

In the early days of his new business, he did all the baking and delivery himself.  He specialized primarily in bread at first, but did add cakes and buns to his selection of products.  He eventually began to show a profit and by 1923 he employed 75 people across six retail sores and a central bakery.  He had 10 delivery wagons pulled by horses as well as selling his well-known products at city markets.  And, his most well-known product was the Dewey Bun.  Harry was the type of boss you wanted to work for since he helped you find adequate housing if needed.  He also built about a dozen brick homes in Lancaster City, specifically for his workers.  

A post card of the Pennsylvania Hotel

Then in 1921 he opened the Pennsylvania Hotel in downtown Lancaster as another option for his help.  His family consisted of his wife Catherine and their sons Paul, Karl and Robert.  They first lived on Green Street, near his business, but eventually moved to the 900 block of Marietta Ave.  A few of his bakery offerings were known as "Best Yet", "Better Krust", and "King Midas."  And, there were different recipes for each one, instead of one basic batter, as evidenced by a large ledger which doubled as a recipe folder and finance keeper.  All of his bake shops were known for their cleanliness and product quality.  In December of 1919 Harry Schlotzhauer leased a building from businessman Frank McGrann on the southeast corner of Center Square which for many years was the home of Miller's Liquor Store.  He moved his bakery location in the Watt and Shand Building to the first floor of the McGrann Building.  The upper floors of the building were subletted.   As I was searching the Lancaster Newspaper archives I found an interesting story dated Monday, May 11, 1925.  The headline read: Harry Scholtzhaurer to Sail on "Republic" on First Trip in 28 Years.  It went on to say that after his 50-day trip through England, France, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, he will go to Saxony, his birthplace where he will visit his parents and other relatives.  He was to return to Lancaster on October 15.  While he is gone his affairs here will be directed by his sons and employees of many years.  I did not find mention of his wife going with him on his trip.  Harry Schlotzhauer died from complications from gallstones in November of 1925 at the age of 49.  He is buried in Lancaster's Woodward Hill Cemetery.  Harry was a very influential businessman in the city of Lancaster and will be remembered for his bakeries and the Dewey Bun.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy. 

The "Did George Washington Sleep Here?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving back and forth on SR462 in the little town of Mountville, Pennsylvania looking for two different locations that I had read about in the Sunday, February 22, 1981 Lancaster Sunday News.  Story was written by staff writer Dick Wanner and was titled "Did George Washington Sleep Here?"  

Photo from the 1981 Sunday News of the log house.

Pretty neat article telling about one of Lancaster's oldest homes, a log cabin which was built sometime around 1734 and another place known as the Blue and Gray Hotel allegedly located at 14 W. Main Street (SR 462).  Seems that Al Trimble, who owned and lived at the Blue and Gray Hotel down the road from the log house, bought, along with friend KenLaukhuff, the log house.  

Photo of the log house taken recently.

They had planned to remodel the log house and stay at the hotel during the process.  The log house and a few out buildings, one which may have been a blacksmith shop, sits on a property that is halfway between Lancaster and the town of Columbia which is located along the Susquehanna River.  The log house is on the road that Columbia founder John Wright created between Lancaster and his plantation along the Susquehanna River.  

Closer view of the squared logs and old hardware on the doors.

The old log cabin was thought to have served as an inn and tavern at one time in history and might have been a stopping off place for horses and riders traveling from Philadelphia, west to Wight's home along the Susquehanna.  Among those riders who may have spent a night or two at the log cabin were Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Benjamin Rush and possibly George Washington.  

The 1981 photo showing the Roman numerals on the corners.

George may have stabled his famous white horse and had new horseshoes put on while at the log cabin.  The fellow who owned the log cabin back then, Jacob Klugh, also was the town smithy.  As I took a few photos today I had to admire the old log cabin that now has siding on all sides except the front which faces SR462.  

As you can see, the numbers are now
covered by aluminum siding on the corners.

Most cabins of the time used round hemlock logs, while this home had logs that had been squared off and had been joined in the corners with dovetails.  Even thought the corners were covered with siding, I could still see a hint of the dove tails that held the corners together.  But, what I didn't get to see were the Chiseled Roman numerals that were cut into the ends of the logs.  It was thought that they were chiseled into the corners to help in the placement of the logs when the home was built.  I would have loved to have seen the interior, especially the top floor or attic which was said to have been a smokehouse.  The floors on the second  level were planks about two feet in width and supposedly the same as when the house was built.   

 The attic was said to be pitch black and on one side was the chimney that had a wall of bricsk and had a hole in it on the attic level so the smoke could enter the attic.  On the walls of the attic are supposed to be S-hooks that are blackened by hickory smoke with a layer of fat from the hogs that hung on them.  

Here you can see the second floor windows.

The second floor ceiling, or attic level floor is said to look like packed earth, but may be a type of mortar made from clay and horsehair.  I wonder how much of the smoked odor escaped into the lower floors.  The story I had read in the newspaper was written 39 years ago and much may have changed since then in the house, but standing in front of the home today, I imagined all sorts of things such as horses coming around the path to the right as well as perhaps Ben Franklin walking out the front door, ready to head back to Philadelphia.  Some photos I have posted are from the newspaper and may be hard to view, but at least you may be able to see some of what the place looked like in 1981.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Lancaster Picture Framing Amazes A Customer" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had just caught up with most of the jobs at Grebinger Gallery where I work part-time for a former student of mine who opened his mat and frame shop about 30 years ago.  We have been busy recently making mats and frames for high school and college diplomas for just about every and any school in the USA.  Just when I thought I was done, Keith brings this large piece of mat board that held a variety of items on it to show me my next assignment.  The project was a collection of Indian relics from along the Susquehanna River which is the biggest river along the east coast which flows through Pennsylvania into the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.  The majority of the items the customer brought in for matting and framing were relics from the Susquehannock Indians.  The Susquehanna Indians lived in nearby Manor Township between 1575 and 1763.  The area along the river where most of the Indians lived was known as Washington Boro.  The artifacts that he bought to the gallery were found prior to the sanitary sewer extension that occurred in Washington Boro in the late 1990s.  The job was perhaps one of the most challenging projects that I have worked on during the 20 plus years I have been working at Grebinger Gallery.  The following photographs will give you an idea what I had to do in order to complete the project for the customers.  I may have missed taking a photo or two, but I believe you can still understand what was involved in this project.

These are the items to be matted and framed.  The two large rocks made it challenging since we would need a large  rather large frame to accommodate the thickness, as well as the weight of the rocks.  Arrowheads, a bracelet, a small rock with score lines on it and printed pages were part of the job.  Keith and I decided that wooden framing pieces would work best to help hold the rocks in place.  The mat that the customer selected is under the pieces.  Click on images to enlarge them.

The frame was a 3" high frame which I cut, glued and placed metal pieces in the corners for extra support.  After placing Museum glass in the frame, I placed foam board pieces with the same mat attached along the side of the project to hold the glass in place.

I once again placed everything in position so I could begin to attach them.  First I glued and screwed the two pieces of framing material to the bottom mat.  They were allowed to dry before I continued.  

To hold the rocks in place we used a netting similar to the veil from a wedding dress.  It is strong and easy to work with.  I had to cut lines above the frames in which I forced the netting through to the back.  To hold the netting in place we used a glue gun and applied an adequate amount of glue to hold the netting in place so the rock wouldn't move.  After doing both rocks, I was ready for the next step.

This shows pulling the netting tight on the back so I could use the hot glue gun.  The two screws you see are holding the framing piece in place.  That framing piece is what I sat the rocks on when gluing.

Here you can see the two rocks have been glued in place.  All the buttons you see were the arrowheads that I attached in place on the front side.  I used clear fishing line to place around the rocks and arrowheads and ran through a single hole I drilled with a small drill bit.  When I pulled the fishing line tight, I threaded the two ends of fishing line through the holes in a button so I could pull them tight and tie them.  As you can see by all the buttons, it took a considerable amount of time to accomplish this step.  You will also notice that to hold it in place I had to use metal tabs along the edge of the job.  I couldn't place the matting inside the frame since the rocks were too thick to allow me to do so.

Here I have attached the backing paper to keep dust and parasites away from the job.  This backing paper needs to be trimmed and the screw eyes placed along the sides to hold the picture wire.

After attaching the wire I placed the logo for the gallery on the back.

The final result!  The two printed items were attached to a piece of black foam board and trimmed before gluing them to the rear mat board.  If you struggle, you can barely see the fishing line, but most people will not see it if they are just looking at the final job.  The project weighted about 10 pounds when finished and looked great!

The "'Black Lives Matter' Is Gaining Momentum: Part IV" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the many food companies who have been criticized for using racial stereotypes to sell their products.  

One such food product is Mars Food Company's Uncle Ben's rice which features an older black man smiling on the box.  Another food product was ConAgra Brand bottle of pancake syrup which featured a bottle shaped like a mammy, a caricature of a black women as subservient to white people.  But wait, there is the B&G Foods Inc. Cream of Wheat, which features a beaming black man in a white chef's uniform.  That figure has been on the box since it's debut in the late 19th century.  The character's name is "Rastus," a pejorative term for black men, who was once depicted as a barely literate cook who didn't know what vitamins were.  

But perhaps the biggest figure, literally, was the large woman dressed in a white cooks outfit with a head covering who was known as Aunt Jemima.  All these products depicted racial stereotypes and were offensive to black people.  The protests have been going on for quite some time, but I guess it took the recent widespread anti-racism protests to make the companies finally do something about the figures on their packages.  According to Kevin D. Thomas, a professor of multicultural branding in the Race, Ethnic and Indigenous Studies Program at Marquette University, perhaps the current push for change will finally lead to a substantial overhaul in the marketing world.  The companies are now stating that they want to stand in solidarity with "our black and brown communities, an we can see that our packaging may be interpreted in a way that is wholly inconsistent with our values."  Seems rather unusual that it took them this long to see what their packaging was doing to the black and brown communities.  

There is also one other figure that graces the packaging of Chiquita Bananas.  Miss Chiquita allegedly is meant to portray something exotic, but that can have the same effect of marginalizing people.  The company says it was meant to project a vision of something that is exotic.  Professor Rebecca Hains, a media and communication instructor said that presenting people is really problematic.  

It marginalizes people and suggests that they're not important or equal to the majority.  At times, I disagree with some of the reasoning involved, but for the most part, I think that the figures on the products are demeaning to most black and brown citizens.  There has to be something else they can placed on the packaging to make it appeal to the public!  If they have to rely on racial characters to sell their products, perhaps buyers should be looking to buy another product.  One final note for my story today would be to tell you that some companies have made changes in the past to correct mistakes in packaging they had made in the past.  One such product was the gun-toting Mexican-American known as the "Frito Bandito."  That was changed in 1971.  In the 1950's the Sambo chain opened pancake restaurants by the hundreds across the United States.  The founders, Sam Baristone and Newell Bohnett said the restaurant's name was based on the first letters of their names.  Didn't keep it from being racist though.  They then changed the name to "The Jolly Tiger" and recently closed their final location.  Could be there are other products and references that are racially offensive, but not on a national stage.  Change seems to be happening...finally.  And it is due to the "Black Lives Matter" orgainzation.  Results are finally happening...at last.  It was another extraordinary dah in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "'Black Lives Matter' Is Gaining Momentum: Part III" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania has always been a place where citizens have gathered in public spaces for political protests.  I can personally remember quite a few of the protests that have been held, mostly in the center of the city of Lancaster.  I have been there myself and have taken photographs to share on this site a few times.  One group that usually appears for anti-war demonstrations is the Mennoite community.  Same goes for the Franklin and Marshall College students who also appear for protests.  Over the past few weeks we have had numerous protests, of which I have written. They have been predicated by the death of a black man named George Floyd .  Many protests from the past have been attended by small gatherings, but there have been a few that drew hundreds, if not thousands to Penn Square or the nearby county courthouse.  The three most memorable, up until a few weeks ago, when there was a large protest at the Lancaster Police Station, were the April 7, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. gathering, the October 15, 1969 Vietnam Moratorium Day and the May 3, 1992 Rodney King demonstration.  

In 1968 the Rev. Ernest E. Christian spoke to a crowd of about 700 people on the courthouse steps in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.  Three days earlier Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenessee.  Riots broke out in more than a dozen cities due to the murder of the beloved civil rights leader.  In Lancaster, the city's Southeast, black neighborhood experienced some minor vandalism before it was curtailed by the local police department.  A sniper fired a shot at a police officer, but was quickly apprehended.  Three days later a gathering of 700 gathered to pay tribute to Mr. King and to mourn his death and call for change.  A group of about 60 gatherer at the Crispus Attucks Center in the Southeast section of Lancaster and marched to the courthouse, being joined by a large number along the way.  Rev. Christian spoke last at the event and said, "You have shot Martin Luther King, but there will be another Martin Luther King, and you may shoot him, but there will be 13 million more Martin Luther Kings coming."  The crowd of 700, mostly black, burst into applause.

 On October 15, 1969 a crowd of about 450 people gathered for a torchlit vigil on the Franklin & Marshall College campus for Moratorium Day, a nationwide protest against U.S. involvement in Vietnam.  In the days prior to social media and 24-hour-a-day cable news, it was thought to be impossible to organize a nationwide protest on the spur the moment.  But anti-Vietnam War "Moratorium Day" proved that wrong.  The anti-war protest was organized by Franklin & Marshall College's Students for a Democratic Society which was accosted by a group of counter-protestors  who threw eggs, started fist fights and tried to run down protestors with cars.  Hours later a much larger crowd gathered to decry the violent response and call for free speech.  Then on May 3, 1992 several hundred people gathered in Penn Square to protest the verdict in the Rodney King beating trial.  

In the King case, Mr. King was beaten by several police officers during an arrest in Los Angeles on March 3, 1991.  But, a bystander with a camera recorded the entire event which resulted in public outrage and the officers being charged with assault and use of excessive force.  When they were acquitted after a trial over a year later, Los Angeles erupted into six days of rioting that spread to other cities. The Rev. Harvey Speakman III, local NAACP and pastor of Bethel AME Church expressed outrage and urged the crowd to take the spirit of the protest back into their church and communities.  He handled the situation well and told everyone that prejudice starts at home.  The recent protests over the deaths of two black men have been large and many, but church leaders have helped to quell the anger and given ideas as to how to proceed in the future.  The "Black Lives Movement" will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the problems faced by the black community and lead to a better society for them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "'Black Lives Matter' Is Gaining Momentum: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had just returned from taking a photo of the statue of Christopher Columbus that is located on Lenox Lane in the center of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  In the past week or so someone had spray painted the bust a bright red as a protest to his being featured  as a local hero in Lancaster.  

Christopher Columbus

Seems the legacy of the 15th century explorer is not what most of us believe it should be.  The statue is in a small pedestrian alley next to the courthouse where it is the only prominent item for all to view.  Same thing seems to be happening in various other cities all around the United States.  In nearby Philadelphia, Mayor Kenny has initiated "a public process" to determine the future of their Columbus statue located in South Philadelphia.  Lancaster's statue goes back 50 years.  In 1970 Antonio Palumbo, a retired electrician, began promoting the idea of a statue honoring Columbus.  In 1988 former Mayor Art Morris appointed a seven-member committee to study a downtown place for the statue if one is made.  In 1991 the Columbus Quincentenary Committee  was permitted to put a bronze statue of Columbus in Lenox Lane, next to the old county courthouse.  A year later it was unveiled, with about two dozen protesters present.  

So, what's the big deal with Christo- pher?  I remember him from school when "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."  No, wait... maybe it was "In 1493, Columbus sailed the deep blue sea."  Well, doesn't really matter since he sailed with his three ships, the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria.  He was credited with discovering the "New World", but has long been considered a contentious figure in US history for his treatment of the indigenous communities he encountered and for his role in the violent colonization at their expense.  During his voyages through the Caribbean Islands and the Central and South American coasts, Columbus came upon indigenous people that he labeled "Indians."  Columbus and his men enslaved many of these native people and treated them with extreme violence and brutality.  During his years in the Americas he forced natives to work for his own benefit.  At one point he shipped thousands of Taino "Indians" to Spain to be sold, and many of them died during the journey.   They weren't immune to diseases such as smallpox, measles and influenza and when they did arrive in Spain, the majority of them died.  The natives who weren't sold into slavery were forced to look for gold in mines and work on plantations.  When he was Governor of what is now the Dominican Republic, he killed many natives in response to their revolt and had their bodies paraded through the streets.  It is thought that close to 90% of the native population died due to Christopher Columbus.  So, it is easy to see why his sculptures are being taken down in many US cities.  My guess is it will also be taken down in Lancaster.  Now, as disturbing as that may be, another famous Lancaster County resident is General Johann August Sutter who lived in the nearby town of Lititz, Pennsylvania for the final 10 years of his life.  In the center of town is an Inn named after him.  In the courtyard of the Inn sits a beautifully carved 8 foot tall figure of Sutter.  

John Sutter

John was a Swiss pioneer who found his way to California in the mid-1800s and established Sutter's Fort in 1841 in an area that eventually became Sacramento, the state's capital.  He discovered gold on his land which brought disaster to him.  He tried to keep the gold a secret, but the news leaked and his land was overrun with prospectors.  His property was finally ruined and by 1852 he was bankrupt.  He was awarded a monthly pension by the government, but the following year arsonists destroyed his home.  By 1871 he had settled in Lititz, Pennsylvania, while continuing to travel to Washington D.C. to try and get money back from the government for his losses in California.  

General Sutter Inn will be renamed shortly.

While in California he enslaved Native Americans of the Miwook and Maidu tribes and Hawaians he had brought from their home island.  He also had Native Americans that were placed into slavery.  His slaves were kept "strictly under fear" in order to serve their white landowner.  The Native Americans slept on bare floors in locked rooms without sanitation, and ate from troughs made from hollowed tree trunks.  In 1846 he held 600 to 800 Indians in a complete state of Slavery.  My guess is that when he ended up in Lititz, no one knew the real John Sutter.  Eventually the Lititz Spring Hotel was remanded the General Sutter Inn.  That was until a few days ago when the owner of the General Sutter Inn removed the large statue and will more than likely change the name back to the Lititz Spring Hotel.  Sutter died 140 yers ago and his remains are nearby in the Lititz Moravian Cemetery.  Due to the work of many who are part of the "Black Lives Matter" Organization, former residents of the United States with a questionable history are being uncovered and history is not being kind to them. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The wooden statue of Gen. Sutter that was recently removed.