The "The Journal: Part II - 'Single Blade Propeller'" Story

Cover of the Fall 2013 "The Journal"
Click on images to enlarge.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a photograph on the cover of the Fall 2013 "The Journal" which is a publication of the Lancaster County's Historical Society.  Photograph shows a young boy by the name of Jesse Jones Eckhart, age 13, standing next to a plane that has an Everel single-blade propeller.  As soon as I saw the photograph I knew disaster was soon to follow.  The single-blade propeller was a product made in Lancaster County during "The Golden Age of Aviation; the 1920s and 1930s.  It wasn't until the mid-1920s that most people had ever seen an airplane in person.  "Barnstormer" pilots were buying WWI airplanes, flying them to nearby towns and offering to take you for a ride for a fee.  It wasn't until 1927 that Charles Lindbergh made his record-setting flight from New York to Paris and in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, skilled pilot Jesse P. Jones brought his "NoNox" air show to the "flying field" at the Lancaster Gun Club along the Oregon Pike just north of the city limits.  

Jesse Jones ready to depart to Los Angeles.  He will fly
the plane behind him with the single blade propeller.

Mr. Jones liked the area so much that he bought land along the Manheim Pike and opened Lancaster's first airport.  Eight years later Lancaster opened a new Municipal Airport along the Lititz Pike.  When the airport was opened, Mr. Jones became the airport manager.  When the airport was dedicated in August of 1935 it was only one of two in Pennsylvania that had both a hard surface runway as well as lights for night operation.The Sensenich Brothers had been manufacturing wooden propellers close to the new airport since 1932.  

The single blade propeller on plane flanked by, from the left:
Harry Sensenich, Walter Everts, Jesse Jones and Martin Sensenich.

In 1937 Mr. Jones was contacted by Harry Sensenich and told that his firm was working with two men from Baltimore, Mr. Everts and Mr. Ellington, who had invented a propeller with only one blade.  He asked Mr. Jones if he would be interested in trying the new propeller on one of his planes.  Mr. Jones agreed and a few days later the propeller was installed on his 40 horsepower Continental Club airplane.  As soon as the plane started it began to vibrate and shortly parts were flying off the plane.  Mr. Everts worked day and night to correct the problem and on January 25, 1937 the revised propeller was fitted on the repaired plane.  

Jesse Jones Eckhart, age 13, is seen next to the single blade prop.

The engine was operating smoothly and the flight went smoothly.  Then on January 29, Jesse Jones flew the Continental Club with the one blade propeller to New York to meet Everts and Ellington.  The propeller was removed and shown at the Sensenich booth at the New York Aviation Show.  Most everyone doubted that the propeller would work, but the manager of the nearby airport testified that the plane with the one blade propeller was flown to his airport.  In March of that year two planes were going to make a transcontinental trip in planes with 145 hp engines and the single blade propeller.  

Helen Jones, 17 year old pilot, of
Lancaster, PA, makes adjustments
on the single blade propeller.

When one of the planes had reached an airport in North Carolina it was discovered that a bolt on the propeller had failed.  A new bolt was used, but by the time they had reached Dallas it was determined that the new bolt had also failed.  The passenger in that plane decided not to go any further in that plane.  At yet another stop, Jesse got in a conversation with an aeronautical engineer  who after examining the one blade proclaimed that "could NOT fly."  Jesse finally reached Los Angeles with the bolt being changed one more time.  That propeller was donated to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.  By the summer of 1938 dozens of the propellers had been sold in the United States.  A twin-engine plane in the English Royal Air Force used two of the propellers.  It was later found that climate and temperature change were hard on the propeller.  The experience gained by the use of this propeller helped in the making of two blade propellers.  What makes this story so interesting and meaningful for me is that the daughter of Jesse Jones married Dr. Howard Eckhart, a local dentist and pilot who had his own plane.  They had three sons and one of them, Howard S. Eckhart was a member of the Manheim Township High School rifle team which I coached to a win in the Pennsylvania State Championship in 1971.  Small world.....as they say!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Howard Eckhart is in back row, 2nd from left.  His mother, Jesse Jones Eckhart, is the daughter of Jesse Jones who flew the single blade propeller plane.  This is the State Champion 1971 MTHS rifle team.

 

The "The Journal: Part I - 'Red Rose Riveter'" Story

Cover of "The Journal" featuring "The Red Rose Riveter"

It was an ordinary day.  Reading one of my latest Lancaster County Historical Society's "The Journal" and came across an interesting story I thought I would share with you.  Story is titled: Eleanor "Ellie" Marie Flora, The "Red Rose Riveter".  The story in "The Journal" was written by André J. Dominguez who is a Library Assistant at LancasterHistory.org.  Many of you have probably heard of "Rosie the Riveter" who is a cultural icon of World War II.  She represented the many women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II who produced munitions and war supplies.  They replaced male workers who had joined the military to defend our country.  

"Rosie The Riveter" as seen as a United States Postal stamp.

"Rosie the Riveter"was a symbol of American feminism and woman's economic power.  Images very similar to those in the United States appeared in other countries such as Britain and Australia.  Images of women were in magazines, newspapers and posters as our government encouraged women to participate in wartime service in factories.  In 1942 J. Howard Miller, a Pittsburgh, PA artist was hired by the Westinghouse Company's War Department Production Coordinating Committee to create a series of posters for the war effort.  

Norman Rockwell's "Rosie The Riveter"

One of those posters was the famous "We Can Do It! poster which became known as the "Rosie the Riveter" poster, thought it wasn't called that until after the war.  "Rosie the Riveter" was even the title of a song and a Hollywood movie during WWII.  As for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the Armstrong Cork Company's Lancaster floor plant had it's own poster of a young woman installing rivets on a Corsair airplane's fuselage.  Woman worked for Armstrong as the company re-tooled their production lines for the War effort and signed contracts to produce ammunition shells for the armed forces.  They even found a way to convert their world famous linoleum production lines to make such things as Army duck (canvas) for use in tents, tarpaulins, gun covers, truck tops as well as various forms of clothing.  

Lancaster's JP McCaskey yearbook photo of Miss Flora

They also helped in the production of parts for military aircraft like wingtips, rudders and fuselages for some planes.  Lancaster's Riveter was a young woman by the name of Elanor whose picture was taken in 1943 when she was nineteen years old.  The following year she left her job at Armstrong to join the Nave as a WAVE and served as an aviation metal smith mate.  She was one of many Armstrong women who did the same thing by entering the service.  The photo of Eleanor was used as a "Help Wanted" advertisement for the Armstrong Floor Plant on Liberty Street and read "You Can Do It Too."  After joining the service she worked at a variety of jobs since she was skilled in many mechanical jobs.  

A more recent photograph of Eleanor Marie Flora.
Lancaster's "Red Rose Riveter"

She ended up working on PBY Catalinas which were patrol bombers that patrolled the east coast  coastline.  These planes were painted black for night patrol and were known as the "Black Cats".  It seems that there were very few facts known about Lancaster's own riveter except for her age and her joining the service and what she did in the service.  So, the author of the story in "The Journal" did some research and found Eleanor Marie Flora was born on June 29, 1924 in Harrisburg, PA.  She had the nickname of "Lynn" in high school and had graduated from Lancaster's J.P. McCaskey High School in 1942.  She was later known as "Ellie" and lived at 624 East King Street until moving from her childhood home and living on her own at 112 South Prince Street.  She entered the Navy on December 29, 1944 and was released in 1946.  She then married Donald Hall Bridges with her grandfather, the Rev. Bausman performing the ceremony.  They eventually divorced and she changed her name back to her maiden name.  She loved traveling and did so extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, Central and South America as well as many Caribbean Islands.  She became an award-winning amateur photographer.  She died on July 7, 2008.  She lived an interesting life, but will be best known as "The Red Rose Riveter".  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Saving History - Piece By Piece" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The morning paper ran the headline... "HOME FOR CHRISTMAS".  

The National Christmas Center along the Lincoln Highway
in Lancaster County that closed last January.

Story told of the closing of the National Christmas Center in Lancaster, Pennsyl-  vania this past January and how it will be brought back to life in the future.  It was back in 2015 that Carol and I visited the National Christmas Center that opened along the Lincoln Highway (Route 30) to the east of Lancaster.  I posted a story showing all the neat and unusual Christmas items and collections at the holiday museum.  

A display from the 1950s was a favorite of mine.

I found display after display of items from my youth as well as displays of more current Christmas items that our children would remember from their youth.  The museum opened in 1998, but the attendance since that time wasn't enough to keep it open.  Many letters to the editor in the paper followed the announcement of the closing, but that didn't help keep the museum open.  Well, the newspaper told of the reopening of the National Christmas Center in time for Christmas in 2021.  

The Belmont Barn on the Mayer-Hess property.  Both barns were
taken down piece by piece and will be reassembled in the future.
The Belmont barn will be home to the National Christmas Center.

It will reopen in the recon- structed Belmont Barn on the property of Stone Gables Estate in Lancaster County's West Donegal Township.  I wrote of the dismantling of the Belmont Barn on the Mayer-Hess homestead a couple of years ago and wondered at the time what would be done with the beautiful and historic barn.  

The Mayer-Hess farmhouse with the Belmont barn in background.

The Mayer-Hess farmhouse, which sat next to the barn, still remains along the Fruitville Pike in Manheim Township and was recently renovated to be part of the nearby Belmont Shopping Center and an accompanying motel.  Stone Gables Estate has also purchased the contents of the National Christmas Center and will place the contents of the museum in the Belmont Barn when it is reconstructed.  Reconstruction is expected to take three years.  The owner of Stone Gables Estate is David Abel who has been rescuing historic structures for the past couple of years.  

The historic Star Barn which was disassembled piece by piece
and moved to the Stone Gable Estate about a half year ago.
This photo is from a few years ago, before it was moved.

He also purchased the historic Star Barn as well as the Herr's Mill covered bridge in the recent past.  He has already recon- structed the Star Barn on his Stone Gables Estate and will reconstruct the bridge as well as the Belmont Barn in the future.  He has opened his property for all to see the Star Barn, but at a fee.  The Star Barn is a great venue for weddings as well as parties and receptions.  The Belmont Barn will reopen in 2021 for all to visit the Christmas displays once again.  The business venture will keep historical buildings from being destroyed, giving new homes to closed public places and make the owners wealthy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Hey, It's Only A Shopping List!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Fall day with a slight chill in the air.  Carol and I are sitting along the 1st base sideline watching our grandson's baseball team play a Saturday double-header.  I excused myself for a few minutes to head back to the car to get a sweatshirt and when I came back my daughter-in- law, Barbara, as well as my youngest son, Tad, are looking at me and laughing.  Now what!, I thought to myself.  Then it hit me.  My wife had shown them the copy of her shopping list that featured a drawing I had made of a light bulb we needed for a light in one of our bedrooms.  I knew I should have taken more time to draw it, but I didn't.  At the time it was no big deal.....until Carol looked at the list just before we headed to the grocery store and burst into laughter.  "What is this you want me to buy?" she said.  

My wife's shopping list which I haveillustrated
for her with a photo of a lightbulb.
Click to enlarge.

"Oh, you mean the photo of the light bulb.  It had a long body to it and is only 27 watts," I said to her.  "I know now, but you know what it looks like, don't you?"  I replied, "It looks like a light bulb!" I said.  After some more laughter she said, "It looks like a penis!!"  Well, after some examination I guess she was right.  But then.....she had to go and show Barb and Tad the list and they were laughing hysterically at the picture when I returned.  "Nice drawing, Dad," they both replied.  "I know, I know," I said to the both of them.  And to top that, she sent an email to our daughter, Brynn, who said she handed her phone to one of our granddaughters, since she was driving and when she asked what Carol wanted, Camille said matter-of-factly, "Oh, she just sent a copy of her shopping list that has a drawing that Tampah did of a penis."  No big deal.  Over the years they have come to expect the unexpected from their grandfather.  And, I guess this wasn't anything different to them.  It's not like I meant it to be that way, but sometimes what I say or do.....or even draw, just become another funny happening in the life of their grandfather.  Hey, if I tried to be funny it would never work, so I try to be serious and it turns out most times to be just the opposite.  But, that's OK, since laughter is said to be the cure for being ill and is good for the soul.  Anyway, they know I never could draw very well.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Artist Extraordinaire" Story

Vitaly Borisenko, artist extraordinaire

It was an ordinary day.  Preparing for the Fall Open House and artist reception for Vitaly Borisenko at Grebinger Gallery where I have worked part-time for 19 years.  Keith Grebinger, the owner of the gallery as well as a former student of mine at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania had invited Vitaly to display his work at the open house.  

One of Vitaly's Plein Air paintings of Lancaster County.

Keith recently met Vitaly while both were exhibiting their work at the Landis Woods Art Show in Neffsville, PA. where Vitaly's paintings won the Best of Show Award.  Vitaly's paintings are executed in a classic representational manner.  His oils are mostly still life that feature antique items, kitchenware and food.  He also features Plein Air landscapes and structures.  He is currently working with Belgian linen canvases which he stretches himself.  

A table full of Vitaly's 6"x8" oil paintings.

Many of his works at the Open House are painted on custom prepared linen panels which are 6"x8" in size.  All paintings are painted on professional materials to ensure the archival quality of his paintings.  Vitaly recently won 1st Place in the Lancaster County Art Associations Winter Membership Show.  Very prestigious awards for a young man.  

Mellons by Vitaly

Vitaly was born in 1989 in the former USSR which today is known as Kazakhstan.  During the next few years his family moved throughout Russia before landing in Vitebsk, Belarus.  There he graduated from high school and studied English and German at the Vitebsk State University.  For the next two years he worked as a school teacher, translator and interpreter with an international company in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.  

This large linen canvas is my favorite.
The detail is remarkable.

In 2014 he moved to Pennsylvania where he finally got a chance to try oil painting.  He is teaching himself through the use of online videos, books, as well as advice from experienced painters.  He now resides in the small town of Lititz, PA and explores the discipline known as Daily Painting (painting every day in one sitting) as well as Plein Air (painting outdoors).  I spent a few hours making a variety of 6"x8" frames to display his custom prepared linen panels.  It is amazing that his work is from someone who has only been painting for 4 years.  A truly talented artist!  My only disappointment is that due to an illness in his family, I was not able to meet him.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Perfect Meal For A Teenager" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my car with friend Terry, waiting for the line in front of us to move so we can get our Cheeseburgers, fries and Cokes.

McDonald's cheeseburger

 At the time the burgers cost 19 cents and the fries cost 15 cents.  Not sure what the Coke might have cost.  We had just come from our jobs as check-out clerks at the Acme Supermarket on the Millersville Pike, about a mile or so away from the first McDonald's in Lancaster County.  Lancaster's first McDonald's had a single Golden Arch and was a   carry-out drive-in restaurant.  It was opened in 1962, seven years after Ray Kroc's original McDonald's franchise restaurant in Illinois.  At the time there were only 350 McDonald's in the country.  

Now who wouldn't want one of these instead of a cheeseburger.

This year marks another milestone for the fastfood giant: the 50th birthday of the BIG MAC!  It was known as the Super Sandwich from McDonald's.  It was advertised as being made with: 2 freshly ground patties of 100% pure beef, tangy melted cheese, crisp lettuce and pickle and our own special sauce on a fresh-baked bun!  

And...my favorite dessert!

At limited locations you also got a free Apple Pie with each "Big Mac" purchase.  Lancaster wasn't one of of those locations!  It was actually formulated in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania by owner/operator Jim Delligatti who formulated what would become its signature sandwich in 1967 and available at all locations in 1968.  The sandwich got it's name from a 21 year-old girl by the name of Ester Rose who worked as an advertising secretary.  It was priced at 49 cents when it first was released.  Today in Lancaster it sells for $3.99.  In 2007 Jim Delligatti opened a Big Mac Museum Restaurant in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.  Today there are over 550 million Big Macs sold each year.  In 2007 McDonald's gave away bottles of a special-edition Big Mac sauce and in no time appeared on eBay and sold for as high as $10,000 each.  Do you remember the catchy song created to go with the Big Mac?  Words for it were: "Two all-beef patties, Special Sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a Sesame Seed Bun."  Geez...if they would have had those in 1962, Terry and I would have bought them instead of just a regular cheeseburger!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

PS - And now my granddaughter Courtney works at a McDonald's serving the likes of guys like Terry and me as we drive by their window hoping to be waited on by a good looking chick.  

The "Decorative, Functional, Or Satanic?" Story

Decorative star found on barn.  "Decorative" more than functional.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a second story written by "The Scribbler", a columnist for the daily Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania newspaper, about metal stars that appear on the sides of homes in the Lancaster landscape.  In his first column he said that the stars were popular, but purely decorative.  A former administrator at nearby Landis Valley Museum stated that the stars mimic the decorative elements originally placed on the ends of summer beams.  In house construction, summer beams carry the load between the first and second floors of houses.  

Decorative cast iron "S" with rod
through it with a nut on the end.
This would be more functional
than it would be decorative.

On many older homes you might see a cast iron script "S" or even an "X" on the end of a rod that goes beneath the summer beam.  On other homes you may see a circular decorative cast iron disc.  On the ends of these ornamentations, if you look close, are probably threads with a nut attached to it to keep the item in place.  Eventually stars became popular as fasteners on the ends of these metal rods used to hold the summer beam and keep the wall in place.  These stars were first found on the sides of barns and these barn stars date to the 19th century.  Well, today's "The Scribbler" column goes a bit further telling about the cast iron stars of the past having more than a decorative function.  One reader of the story who wrote to "The Scribbler" said the stars are actually attached to a turnbuckle that spans the width of the home and are tightened and left to provide a mechanical aid to hold the dual-course brick walls in place.  Another reader said that her school's new Chinese professor wondered why so may houses in Lancaster are decorated with red stars which happen to be the symbol of the Chinese government.  Whoa!  A friend and former teacher I worked with said that those small script "S" and "X" symbols actually had more that a mechanical function.  He said they were used to deter Satan from entering the home.  Wow!  Maybe I should look into getting a real big red star to put on the side of my "Beach House"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A modern looking "X" which appears to be functional rather than decorative.

This home with a large star on it appears to be decorative.  A functional star need not be this large to be useful. 

The "The Keeper Of The Goal" Story

Nice day for a field hockey game at Urbana High School in Maryland

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the stands at Urbana High School watching the warm-ups before the Junior Varsity field hockey game.   My granddaughter Camille defends the goal for the field hockey team.  Field hockey isn't anything new to our family, since our daughter, Brynn, began her career much the same as Camille.  

Brynn making a save for Manheim Township.

Brynn began playing field hockey in 7th grade.  As an 8th grader she was the "Sweeper" until one day in pre-season practice the coach said they needed a goalie so she volunteered to be the goalie since no one else wanted to do the job; ditto for Camille.  Brynn's freshman team ended the year 11-0-2.  As a senior three years later she registered nine shutouts an led the team to a record of 11-4-1 and the school's first ever post-season appearance in the District Playoffs.  

Camille ready for battle.  Notice how many
more pads they wear today as compared to
the above photo of my daughter.

Camille has some big shoes to fill in the family, but she is very athletic and will do her best to try and top her mom.  The game began and from the start it was obvious that Camille was going to be bored today.  After the first half the score was 2-0 with Urbana in the lead.  The opposition, Middletown High School, only crossed the mid-field line half a dozen times, if that.  The only movement Camille made was to run to the sidelines when timeout was called.  The second half wasn't much different with Middletown crossing midfield a few more times, but with a few shots taken that were no where near the goal mouth while Urbana posted one more goal.  Final score: Urbana 3, Middletown O.  

Camille taking practice shots before the game.

Camille had registered her 5th straight shutout with the same amount of wins.  She was only challenged in one of those wins when she had to make three saves.  She enjoys the challenge of being the last line of defense for her team.  It can't get past her or her team may lose.  Being that this is her first taste of field hockey, she has done a remarkable job as the keeper of the goal.  She will have three more years to hone her skills, but as of now, she can't get much better that never allowing a goal.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS: Since I wrote this story her team has had another hockey game and has battled to a scoreless tie.  She once again saved the team with a save.  She has never allowed a goal in her Freshman year of field hockey.  Even her mom can't lay claim to that!

My other granddaughter,  Courtney, is the manager and keeps the scorebook during the game.  She is the second from the left in the press box.

Camille congratulates the other team after the game.

The lonely life of a hockey goalie on a good team.

The team logo for Urbana High School.

Camille and her coach before the game.

The "Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Catching up with the local news after returning home from a week at Stone Harbor, NJ with my brother and sister-in-law.  As soon as I opened the paper I saw it!  A big photograph of Joe DiMaggio.  Yep!  The same guy who set a record in baseball getting a hit in 56 straight games in 1941.  Same guy who Kramer saw sitting in Dinky Donuts having a donut and coffee in New York City.  One of the best, if not THE BEST, New York Yankee who ever wore the Yankee pinstripes.  Now, I know that's according to me, but I'm sure many other people feel the same.  The newspaper story was written by Bruce Wittmaier and submitted to the LNP "I Know A Story" section of the newspaper.  Seems that Bruce was a student at Elizabethtown College who happened to have Professor John Campbell for English during his collegiate career.  During the class, Professor Campbell told of being a batboy for the New York Yankees during spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Interaction between the players and batboys was limited, but one day before practice a few players were already on the field, playing catch in pairs when a solitary player came on the scene.  He wanted to loosen his arm, but the other players were already occupied.  He happened to spot John and tossed the ball with him.  If you haven't guessed by now, that player was none other than Joe DiMaggio.  

The Great "Yankee Clipper"

Joe fired the ball to John as though he was a Yankee player.  What a thrill for John.  Soon, other players arrived and Joe moved on to throw with them.  Getting to throw with Mr. DiMaggio was a dream many boys could only have, but for Professor John Campbell it was a reality.  He actually got to throw with perhaps the best-known Yankee of that era, if not the best ballplayer ever.  After all, it was "Joltin' Joe" also known as "The Yankee Clipper."  Professor Campbell told how he moved around the ball field with a grace so effortless it had an otherworldly quality.  His bat, his glove and his grace did all the talking.  His 56-game hitting streak in 1941 probably will never be broken in this era of pitching supremacy and 100 mph fastballs.  I often thought how neat it would have been to play catch with one of the Lancaster Red Roses minor league ball players when I lived but a few short blocks from the ball park, but never got a to do that.  Only makes me more jealous that Professor John had the chance to play catch with one of the best players to have ever played baseball, and had the chance to tell his story to his class at Elizabethtown College.  Truly PRICELESS!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "My Hand Bleeds For You! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Working a few hours at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania in hopes of trying to get Keith, the owner and former student of mine, caught up from my two months off due to back surgery.  I can work just a few hours at a time before I become exhausted or my back begins to hurt.  Today Keith gave me a few jobs that I estimated would take me 2 to 3 hours to complete.  Halfway through the jobs he brings a customer's diploma from our upstairs gallery to place in a diploma mat and frame which I had made yesterday.  Wanted me to do the job immediately since the customer was waiting for it in the gallery.  Normally easy job to accomplish in perhaps 5 to 10 minutes.  Took the pre-made mat and frame apart and grabbed a cloth and glass cleaner to clean the glass before I put the diploma in place and finish the job.   With the glass clean, I took the customer's diploma and placed it under the diploma mat.  As I was moving the mat around over the diploma to make sure it was centered, I noticed a small red spot on the diploma.  Looked more closely and realized it was a drop of my blood that had come from a small cut I just got when I cleaned the glass.  Now what do I do?  Blood isn't something you can erase like a pencil smudge.  I used the corner of a tissue to absorb the liquid blood and took a hair-dryer to thoroughly dry what remained.  Took a razor blade and began to lightly scrape over the blood spot.  Within a minute I had removed the spot, but had created a rough surface on the diploma.  Would anyone notice it?  I finished the job and when Keith came to retrieve it I asked him if he could see any marks on the diploma.  He knew right away I must have a reason for my question.  He looked at it quite a few times and eventually saw the small spot.  I told him what had happened and said I would go upstairs with him and tell the customer what had happened.  I don't have any blood diseases, but some people would feel very uneasy knowing that the small spot was at one time a drop of blood.  The woman I met had bought the mat and frame for her son's diploma which I had just put in place.  I told her what had happened and asked her to look at the diploma and see if she could see any problems with it.  I told her if she did I would gladly pay for another diploma to be sent to her son and do the job over.  She looked and looked and finally I had to point out the spot.  Only then did she see it.  I believe she was amazed that I would tell her what I had done when it was that hard to see.  If it had been a spot created by a drop of ink or maybe a marker spot, I may not had told anyone, but a drop of my own blood...well I thought she had to know.  She thanked me and said it didn't bother her since she could hardly see it, but said if her son had a problem she would return the mat and frame along with a new diploma and I could do it over again.  Keith or myself haven't heard a thing, so I assume all is well.  If I had not done what I did I would have worried that at some time they would see it and eventually return it, but with a complaint.  Sometimes it pays to fess up for mistakes you may make in life.  In this case it had, so far, a happy ending.  Have you ever been in a similar situation such as I?  Did you do the right thing?  I must admit there may have been other times in my life that I never disclosed something I did that I shouldn't have, but with age comes wisdom.  At least this one time.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "So, You Want My Opinion?" Story

It  was an ordinary day.  Talking with friends about rumors I have heard and read concerning the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Lancaster, my home for 73 years now was originally called Hickory Town, but was renamed Lancaster after the English city of Lancaster by native John Wright.  Its symbol, the red rose, is from the House of Lancaster which also used the red rose as its symbol.  Lancaster is one of the six oldest towns in the United States and was the capital of the United States for one day on September 27, 1777.  It was part of 1681 Penn's Woods Charter of William Penn and was laid out by James Hamilton in 1743.  Lancaster was capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812 when the capital was moved to its current location in Harrisburg.  

The current Lancaster County Prison built in 1851.

In 1851 the current Lancaster County Prison was built on the edge of the city, styled after Lancaster Castle in England.  The prison remains in use today and was used for public hangings until 1912.  Now, for the news that I have recently heard about as well as read about in the Lancaster Newspaper.  

Lancaster County's current Courthouse 

Seems that rumors have spread of a tunnel underneath the city of Lancaster that led from the Lancaster County Courthouse to the prison which is over three-quarters of a mile away.  That tunnel was picked by newspaper readers to be discussed in the newspaper's "We the People" series.  Well, I knew right away what was going to happen.  Many people think that the prison located six blocks away from the current court house must have a tunnel connecting them.  

Lancaster's original 1739 Courthouse which stood
at the center of the city.

No way!  Maybe connected by a sewer line or even water lines, but not a tunnel.  So, the newspaper did some checking and a city official said no one in the court house had ever heard of a tunnel.  That also was confirmed by the President Judge of the court house.  So Marianne, the daughter of friends of mine, who works at the Lancaster Historical Society, was asked and she said she knew of vaults for cold storage under the streets near city breweries and of the sewer system and the storm drain system, but she wasn't sure of a tunnel from the court house to the prison.  

An artist rendering of the original 1739 Courthouse.

You may remember reading here about a tunnel that existed from the prison to the market house in the nearby city of Columbia, but nothing about a tunnel in Lancaster.  My guess is the rumor about the tunnel may have to do with a totally different court house and a totally different prison which many people may not have known about or have remembered from Lancaster City's history.  It was in 1739 that a large brick courthouse, one of the oldest in America, was built in the center of the city of Lancaster.  It was a two-story building with a courtroom on the first floor and council chambers and storage rooms on the second floor.  The courthouse had lead, hand-made, glass panes and a shingled roof with a steeple and belfry which held a hand-cast bell atop it.  

The 1852 Courthouse at East King and N. Duke.

In the fall of each year Lancasterians gathered at the courthouse to elect officials.  It was in 1744 that my church, St. James Episcopal, held its first organizational meeting there.  Then, on June 15, 1774 citizens met to protest Britain's passage of the Boston Port Bill.  During the meeting a resolution censuring the British Parliament was adopted.  Nothing was resolved from this meeting so on July 9th, citizens once again gathered at the Courthouse where George Ross led the meeting that expressed loyalty to the King of England, but denied their right to tax the colonies.  

Original 1763 jail on North Water and West King Streets.

On January 14, 1775 Lancas- terians met at the Courthouse to elect delegates for a general convention in Philadelphia.  On April 25th of that year news of bloodshed, which started the Revolutionary War, was received at the Courthouse.  

The Paxton Boys broke open the doors to the jail
and massacred the Indian men, woman and
children who were being held in protective
custody at the jail. They then burned the jail.

The most famous event ever held in that Courthouse was on September 27, 1777 when Lancaster was our National Capital when members of the Continental Congress, fleeing the British in Philadelphia, met to discuss the nation's business.  The following day, Congress headed to the west to nearby York, PA.  In June of 1784 the Courthouse burned to the ground.  The spot stood vacant until 1884 when the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument was erected on the site.  As far as the first jail in Lancaster, it was built in 1763 at the intersection of  West King Street and North Water Street, about a block from the Courthouse.  

Fulton Hall was built using the jail's foundation.

The same year Pontiac's War broke out which caused widespread settler suspicion and hatred against Indians.  On December 14 the Paxton Boys attacked the remaining peaceful Conestoga Indians who had asked for protection at Lancaster's jail.  All Indians in the jail were massacred and the buildings in the jail were burned.  Then in 1852 Fulton Hall was built using the lower portion of the jail for its foundation.  I had a chance a few years ago to visit the basement of what is now Fulton Opera House and see the wall that was at one time part of that prison.  Now, my theory about the tunnel rumor is:  There existed a tunnel at one time that ran from the 1739 Courthouse, down West King Street to North Water Street and into the 1763 jail located on Water Street.  That sounds much more believable than a three-quarter mile tunnel.  But, no one asked for my opinion, did they?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

One of the original door hinges can be seen in this photograph I took a few years ago.

The outside of the rear wall of the original prison holds Fulton Hall, now known as the Fulton Opera House.

Current Fulton Opera House.