The "You Invented What?" Story

John Stith Pemberton, Coca-Cola inventor.

It was an ordinary day.  Opened an email sent from a local restaurant telling of one of the biggest inventions in the history of the food and drink industry.  Guy by the name of John Stith Pemberton supposedly invented a patented medicine.  Instead it was introduced as a soda known as Coca-Cola.  John shared his original formula with at least four people before he died in 1888.   Three years later Asa Griggs Candler purchased the rights to the formula from Pemberton's estate and founded the Coca-Cola Company.  He made a few changes to the ingredients which allegedly improved the flavor and entitled him to claim that anyone in possession of Pemberton's original formula no longer knew the "real" formula.  

It became one of the world's best known and best loved soft-drinks throughout the 20th century.  Today the Coca-Cola Company produces concentrate which in turn is sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world.  The bottlers produce the final product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, filtered water and sweeteners.  One hundred years ago Ernest Woodruff led a group of investors who purchased the company from Candler.  Woodruff placed the only written copy of the formula in the Trust Company Bank in Atlanta as collateral for the acquisition.  In 2011 the copy was taken from the bank and placed in the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta where it remains on public display.  

An old Coca-Cola vending machine.  It
was similar to the one in Lancaster, PA
that was located at the Railway Express
terminal.  My friend Jere's father worked
at the terminal and we made many visits
to get sodas from the machine.  Open the unit,
pry the lid off the glass bottle, empty
the bottle with a straw and close the top.

Coca-Cola became known as one of the most popular coca-based drinks with alleged medicinal properties and benefits.  It was said to alleviate headaches and acted as a "brain and nerve tonic."  The coca leaves that were used in Coca-Cola's preparation were said to contain a very small amount of cocaine along with caffeine from kola nuts that provided Coca-Cola's tonic quality.  Then in 1903 the cocaine was removed, leaving caffeine as the sole stimulant ingredient which caused the company to remove all medicinal claims.  Today the FDA still screens random samples of Coca-Cola syrup for the presence of cocaine.   The company still strives to protect its secret formula by shipping ingredients to its syrup factories in the form of anonymous "merchandises" that are numbered.  The managers of the individual factories are told the mixing procedures using the numbered materials.  

Today's Coca-Cola. Still the best!

Today's taste of Coca-Cola is said to come from vanilla and cinnamon, with trace amounts of essential oils and spices such as nutmeg.  It really doesn't matter to me what they put in the bottle.  Coca-Cola is my favorite soda.  I must say that a bit of Ma DouDou rum, from the island of St. Martin, in it may increase the flavor somewhat as well as adjust your attitude toward life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Bottles of Ma Doudou rum line the shelf in this St. Martin store.

The "Millstones And More Millstones" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I are heading south on SR324 (aka Marticville Road) to try and find the location of a wall along the side of the road that is allegedly made from millstones.  Address was supposed to be 10 Hilldale Road, but with all the sharp turns in the road it will be tough to read the mailboxes along the side of the road.  I turned off Marticville Road onto Hilldale Road and after rounding a curve in the road, Carol yelled, "There's the wall!"  

The millstone wall in southern Lancaster County

Too late to stop, but I pulled into a driveway a hundred yards further along the road and turned around.  Sure enough, there was a wall of millstones which was extremely hard to see since the growth along the side of the road had covered much of the millstones.  So why is there a millstone wall built into the side of the road?  Seems that the fellow who lived in the house, Paul Flory, worked at the family business known as Flory's Mill which was about a mile from his home on Hilldale Road.  

A building nearby showing millstones.

The mill used large rounded stones to turn grain into flour.  These stones were known as millstones and weighed a hundred pounds or more.  In the early 1900's mills around the county were beginning to close so Paul bought millstones from those mills that closed and took them to his home to repurpose them.  How he did this is a mystery to many.  He collected more than 300 millstones and used some in the wall he built near his house.  The current owner of the property got the house and all the millstones when he bought the place.  He found that some were very rare and donated them to museums; some even making their way to the Smithsonian Museum.  Down the road from the millstone wall was located Flory's Mill which sat along a small stream known as Climber's Run.  

The original mill built by Abraham Keagy in 1770.
Known today as The House at Climber's Run.

It was first built by Abraham Keagy in 1770 and was a 30 feet by 40 feet by 3.5 stories high timber-framed mill.  Henry Keagy took over operation until 1783 when it switched hands to Richard Keagy in 1785.  By the end of the year Richard had sold the mill to Rudolph Keagy who proceeded to build a new mill a year later.  This mill was 40 feet by 55 feet by 3.5 stories high.  Richard reacquired the mill in 1792 and sold it in 1795 to Abraham Kendig.  It passed hands six more times until it closed in 1923 under ownership of Benjamin Flory; thus the name of Flory's Mill.  

This is Flory's Mill at 894 Marticville Road.  It was a mill
at one time, but is now a private residence.  It is beautiful!

In 1999 the structure was remodeled and served as a private dwelling.  It was resold in August of 2017 to it's present owner.  The place is beautiful, but being it is on private property, I couldn't walk around it.  Standing a close distance to it is the original mill that was built in 1770 which makes it older than America herself.  It too is in beautiful shape and you can stay there if you are in need of lodging.  

Another view of Flory's Mill which is a private residence.

For information you can contact The House at Climber's Run.  If you stay there you have access to many of the original documents including deeds, photographs and stories passed down through the generations.  Now, a brief description as to what is a grist mill.  It grinds cereal grain into flour.  

Final view of Flory's Mill.

The term grist mill was used for a local mill where farmers brought their own grain and received back ground meal or flour, minus a percentage called the "miller's toll."  Most towns and villages had their own mill so the local farmers could easily transport their grain there to be milled.  Communities were dependent on these local mills since bread was a staple part of their diet.  Most mills were water-powered and used the water from a water source to power a water wheel which was usually mounted vertically inside the mill.  

Behind the properties is Climber's Run.

Through a series of gears the millstones would be turned.  One stone was laid on top of another with the bottom stone called the bed which was fastened to the floor.  The top millstone, called the runner, was mounted on a separate spindle driven by the main shaft and called the runner.  Grinding the grain between the two wheels made flour and moving the wheels closer together produced finer flour.  The runner stone had grooves in it that channelled the flour into sacks.  I realize this is a very simple explanation, but one that I thought would be easy to understand.  Well, I got my photographs of both of the mills as well as the wall of millstones and headed home.  I will make another trip to the same area soon to gather information about Postlethwaite's Tavern.  But, that's another story.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy.

The "LDub's 15 Travel Suggestions For A Great Vacation!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with a friend who will be traveling to a Caribbean location in the near future.  Was asking about one thing after another in order to make their visit easier and more fun.  I questioned him why he would call me and he said, "Because you have taken so many trips to the Caribbean that you probably know everything there is to know."  Wow!  Carol and I have been traveling since 1999 when I retired from teaching and have traveled to most of the Caribbean islands as well as a few other countries.  Didn't really think about it, but I guess I could be of help to someone who has done very little traveling in their life.  So, to help them, I made a list of things they may want to do or consider before they travel.  Check out my suggestions and see if they may be of help to you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1. If you do not have a passport and are traveling outside the United States or its territories, get one in plenty of time before you plan to travel.  It may take a few weeks before you get the passport, so don't wait until the last minute.  If you have a passport and haven't traveled for some time, check out the expiration date.  The US State Department recommends that your passport has at least 6 months of validity beyond your travel date to avoid expensive and lengthy travel disruptions.  You may be refused boarding of your plane or even refusal to allow you to enter the country upon arrival if you don't have 6 months of validity left on your passport.  Don't learn the hard way.  It is recommended that you renew your passport 9 months before you travel. 
2. If you have medical problems or are on special medications, make sure you visit your doctor and find out if travel will harm you.  Also, make sure you have enough of any medicine needed to last you during your vacation or if you may have to remain an extended period due to an unwanted occasion.  I always make sure I have the medicine in the bottle it came in with the label in place.  If it is a prescription medicine, make sure you have it in the prescription bottle or package it came in.  
3. If you have an early flight and have to travel for an hour or more to get to the airport, you may want to make arrangements to stay overnight the night before your flight.  Makes it easier in the morning and you don't have to worry about traveling in bad weather the morning of the flight.  Plus, if you make arrangements for Park & Fly, you stay at the hotel the night before you leave and can leave your car at the hotel for up to two weeks at most locations.  Parking on the day of flight can be costly in some locations.  
4. If you enjoy to take photographs with a camera, make sure it is in good condition and you pack all the necessary lenses and filters a week or so ahead of time.  Make sure all batteries are charged and you have an extra SD card or two to take with you.  
5. If you wear hearing aides, such as I do, make sure you have extra batteries and any other parts that are removable and changeable on the hearing aide.  I also take a small plastic container that I can keep the hearing aides in while swimming or in case you visit a place that is rather noisy.  
6. If you have pets, don't wait until the last minute to make arrangements to board them.  Also, relatives and friends may not like to keep the pets for you, but don't know how to get out of it.  Don't put them on the spot; find a boarding location.  We have someone come in the morning and feed our cats and usually a second person come in the evening to do the same.  And...we pay them for doing it.  Make sure you have plenty of food for the pets available for those who will be feeding them.  Make these arrangements about a month or more ahead of time if possible.
7. Make sure all the batteries needed for your iPhone, computer, laptop, etc. are charged and make sure you take the charger with you.  Some countries have 220v instead of 110v so you may have to take an adapter with you.  Check that out a month ahead of time so you have time to buy one if necessary.  I have found that many items now allow both 110 and 220, but make sure you read the info on them just to be sure.  Make sure you have copies of anything important on your phone or computer just in case you have trouble with the device or may have it stolen.  You can usually buy a new one, but all your old info, such as photos from an event a month or two before your trip, may be lost.
8. Carol and I love to go over our itinerary many times before we travel so we can decide what places we want to visit on any particular island or if there are any special restaurants we want to eat in during our trip.  Might you need a reservation that is hard to get?  Do it before you leave if possible so you know you will not miss it. 
9. How about a rental car to be able to travel at your convenience.  Check out prices, but also check out how reliable the place or person you rent from may be.  Make sure you have INSURANCE!  Both on the car and on the other person you may run into by mistake.  You may want to have an extra driver put on the policy in case you become ill and can't drive.
10. Do you have enough cash for vacation?  Some countries don't use the same type of money that you may use.  When we travel to St. Martin we can pay in US dollars, but find it may be better to pay in Euros.  If we charge something in St. Martin, I always charge it in Euros since the rate will be better and my credit card company doesn't charge a fee to do so.  If you plan to use a credit card to charge items, make sure of the expiration date on it before you leave.
11. Do you have something special that you want to pack to take with you?  Maybe something to give to your hosts at another location.  We at times take an item that can be found only in Lancaster that we want to give to our hosts.  Don't wait until the last minute to get that.  And, when we travel we sometimes pack a noodle to use in the water or our snorkel gear.  If you have to buy that when you get to your location, you may have to pay more for it and when you go home you will then have two of them.
12. Most airlines allow 50 pounds in your check-in suitcase.  Make sure you weigh it and then put the scale in that check-in suitcase to be used again on your return trip.  One time I put it in my carry-on and it was questioned at the airport since it had a large metal hook on it.  Do you take way too may items with you that you will never wear?  I know people like that!  How many things can you wear on a week vacation, especially if you are on a beach vacation.  Eliminate some items so you have less to carry.  If you are traveling with someone, maybe you can put everything in one suitcase instead of two.  You will save you $50.  And, don't wait until an hour ahead of time to pack your bags.  Do it a few days ahead of time.  You know you will forget something if you do it last minute!
13. Most people have come to rely on their phone for directions when they get to the location where they are going.  I'm not one of them!  If I know I will need directions or a map, I take them with me when I go.  We have been to St. Martin close to 15 times and I have the best map that tells me the names of streets on the island.  Really neat to be able to lay it out the night before we plan to go to a location to check out directions.
14. Finally, get a good night's sleep before you head to the airport.  That is unless you arrived at the airport the night before and are staying at a location near the airport.  That to me is the best way to do it unless my flight is at noon or afternoon.  
15. Enjoy your vacation.   I assume you deserve it!

The "Friends For Life" Story

The Gray Lady and Snickerdoodle relaxing in their box lids.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching our cats, The Gray Lady and Snicker- doodle, racing around the house, chasing each other.  It was after Christmas of 2018 that we brought these two little strays into our house one freezing week.  One was a male and the other a female.  

The Gray Lady rests along Carol's legs.

Not sure if they were from the same litter, but that didn't matter. They have become best friends and give Carol and me hours of entertain- ment and companion- ship.  The female we had spayed and during the procedure the vet found she had a few kittens in her which were lost since they were too young to survive.  Due to that, she hasn't grown to be the same size as her companion, Snickerdoodle.  He too was neutered with no problems.  

Snickerdoodle enjoying his monkey.

Animals such as cats and dogs were domesti- cated somewhere between 13,000 and 30,000 years ago.  Humans became accustomed and attached to dogs first, but it didn't take long before the cat was also accepted.  This past year scientists discovered an ancient cemetery near Siberia's Lake Baikal where thousands of dogs had been buried right alongside their human companions.  

Watching a video of birds and mice.

Valuable items were found in the graves leading to the thought that they were meant to be used in the afterlife.  It is also known that in ancient Egyptian times, household pets were laid to rest in elaborate tombs decorated with inscriptions, furnished with treasure and scented by incense.  Cats were first domesticated by the Natufians who lived in the Levant about 10,000 years ago.

The Gray Lady taking a "selfie".

 As cats began to congregate around settle- ments, they became more social, developing communi- cation skills needed to deal with humans.  Eventually someone did studies and found that pet ownership was good for human's physical and mental health.  When Carol heard about that, we were never without a pet.  For the two of us, the warm feeling we get when we look into the eyes of our cats is real.  Today about 68% of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet or two.  That's up 56% from the same study done in 1988.  Hey, we're holding up our part of the study.  Do you have a pet...and if not, why not.  There are many strays in most neighborhoods who would love to be your friend and companion.  They will teach you forgiveness, love and companionship as good as any human could do.  Trust me...I know!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The handsome Snickerdoodle!

The sweet and devilish Gray Lady.

The "Horsepower May Soon Mean More Than Having A Car" Story

Scenes from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an editorial in our local paper titled "Buggies in Suburbia".  Seems that over the years the farmland in Lancaster County has decreased and the Amish Community is becoming larger.  In return, many of the Amish are leaving the farm behind and taking up different non-agricultural professions that don't require a large amount of acreage.  They are moving into suburban neighborhoods with English (non-Amish) neighbors.  These properties may have an acre or two of land or even just a 1/2 ace of land.  But, when they move they bring along with them their means of transportation, their buggy and......horse!  Their new neighbors may have a one or two car garage, but The Amish have no need for a car garage.  

Small stables like this are being found in suburban neighborhoods.

They need a stable for a small horse or perhaps two horses.  And, this has created a problem for their new neighbors.  Some neighbors have complained about the stink and flies that come with quartering horses on their neighbor's property.  But, if the English have the right to have a garage for their car as a means of transportation, why can't The Amish, or Plain sect, have a place for a stable which is what is needed to keep a horse.  As of now there are laws in place that say home owners, be they English or Amish,  must have their stable at least 100 feet from their property line and create no odor offensive to their neighbors.  Get real!  And, 2 grazing acres are needed for the first horse and 1.5 acres for each after that.  Actually, one acre of land, exclusive of buildings and impervious surfaces, must be provided for the first two animal units which are housed or pastured on the lot.  There might be some options from township to township, but what I have written is a general rule for all townships.  There is a zoning enforcement officer that does check on infractions if they are reported.  Many people may believe different things about Amish families, but one that they may not know is that Amish families in Lancaster County now accept state-or-the-art indoor plumbing that is found in most suburban houses.  

Amish need a horse to pull their buggy for transportation.

But, they are not about to give up on their means of transpor- tation.  And, we English should not expect them to.  But, if I had a new neighbor who was Amish and they brought with them a horse or two and put up a shed close to the property line, I would be upset.  If they follow all guidelines, no one should complain.  But, how can you eliminate the smell of farm animals?  YOU CAN"T.  Allowing Amish to move into suburban neighborhoods and building a shed for the horses that will bring with them the odors is legal, but certainly wouldn't make them liked in the neighborhood.  Can you imagine what this can do to property values?  Recently I wrote a story about local supermarket owners wanting to build a 76-acre village with mixed use development in the north-east end of Lancaster County.  They want to build 554 housing units, restaurants, stores and a 120-room hotel.  Much of the land in question borders farm land occupied by Amish at present.  And, The Amish rely on their horse and buggy to transport them around the narrow county roads.  Well, the project has been approved and the Amish say they may consider moving if the roads become too congested after the development is completed.  Hey, this is Lancaster County, "The Garden Spot of America"!  We don't want to lose our farmers and especially our Amish neighbors.  Keeping them on the farm with profitable jobs will only happen if the lawsuits, that have been filed to reverse the decision of the new construction, can reverse the decision of those that voted to destroy the farmland.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Will You Be The Solution Or The Problem?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the waiting room at Dermatology Associates anticipating what Dr. Lucking may find during my six month visit.  I was one of only four patients waiting in the multi-doctor practice and had no idea how long it would take before I would be summoned to disrobe for my examination.  So...I grabbed the nearest magazine and began to leaf through it.  The August 5, 2019 edition of Time Magazine had a multitude of fairly short stories about just about anything and everything, but the one that caught my eye was a story titled "Is this summer's intense head caused by climate change?"  Now, if you have been following the national news you probably know that according to the President of the United States, global warning is just a hoax and has no scientific facts to back it up.  I'm sure that many feel the same way, but for me.....well, there just has to be some reason why climatologists describe what they call new norms in global temperatures.  When thinking about climate change you must broaden your thinking and don't think just about your local community or even state.  You have to see what is happening all over the globe.  As I looked at the story I read that one climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that "We now have a new normal, we are in a new warmer climate.  Just in the 21st century, we've set a new global world temperature record five times."  Pretty shocking to me!  We are only 1/5 of the way through the century and a new record for warmth has been broken five times.  

Can your children, grand-children and great grand-
children continue to survive in a world like this?

My grandkids may have to live in an environ- ment where most summer days may reach 100 degrees or even worse, more of the polar ice cap may melt which in turn will not be able to reflect the sun off the earth's surfaces and thus make our world's oceans warmer which will in turn kill more marine life and....well the chain goes on and on and on.  But yet, some people think this is all a hoax!  It is a fact that in Antarctica, sea-ice coverage in June of this year was 8.5% below the 1981-2010 average, and in the Artic it was 10.5% below.  Why would anyone make up this stuff?  But, our President keeps telling us all these studies and reports are fake.  A report in the Environmental Research Communications predicts that states along the Gulf Coast will see more than 120 days a year that feel like 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century.  That's almost a third of the year!  Can you imagine how many more dermatologists will be needed to handle all the cases of skin cancer caused by weather like this.  And, 2019's above average rainfall in parts of the United States has been attributed to human emissions of greenhouse gases and that will continue until we humans get our heads out of our butts and find a way to change our behavior and stop modifying the atmosphere.  

The ice caps are melting!!

You do realize we can do that, but only if our government takes the initiative and sets standards that can stop modifying the atmosphere.  The rest of the world is working on it, but not with enough urgency.  Right now there are more than 180 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.  The USA isn't one of those at present.  The USA is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse-gas - after China!  We were part of the agreement until 2017 when our President withdrew the USA from the agreement.  Many foreign scientists believe the world can meet the challenge, but our country must be part of the solution instead of the problem as we now are.  Ask yourself how you can be part of a solution to make the world a safer place for your future generations instead of a problem.  I know what I plan to do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A Tattoo Showing Life's Struggles" Story

My daughter, Brynn, with her XXIII tattoo on her wrist.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a photograph of my grand- daughter's wrist on which she just received a tattoo.  It was this past July 7th that I posted a story about my daughter, Brynn, receiving a tattoo on her left wrist which pictured the Roman numeral for the number 23 (XXIII).  Seems that number had a very special meaning to her in that both her daughters were born on the 23rd day of the  month and daughter Courtney was diagnosed with Type I diabetes on the 23rd. 

Granddaughter Courtney

Well, my granddaughter, Courtney, decided she too would love to have a tattoo on her wrist that had a special meaning.  But, she had to have the permission of her parents to do so.  Courtney was diagnosed with diabetes when she was eight years old and has had to endure all the ups and downs that come from this disease.  She has battled on a daily basis the disease that at present has no cure.  She talked to her mom and dad about having a tattoo and they agreed, by way of a written contract, if she could keep her diabetes under strict control for three months, she could get her tattoo. Well, the contract was signed and after three months Courtney won the battle, thus gaining the OK to have her tattoo.  

"I am Greater than my Highs and my Lows."

Her design was to be placed on her right wrist and show the mathematical symbols for: I am greater than my highs and lows, with reference to her blood sugar readings she has to check many times a day.  She emailed me a photo of the tattoo after she had it placed on her wrist, telling that it hurt more than she thought it would, but realizing she couldn't stop with the design part way through.  I hope and pray that someday our medical scientists will discover or create a cure for diabetes and Courtney will be able to live a normal life like the rest of her family.  What she has had to endure for the past nine years shouldn't be part of anyone's life, let alone a young girl's life.  But, perhaps now, when she has a bad day, she can look at her wrist and realize that she will get past her highs or lows and be a stronger person for it.  It was another extaordinary day in the life of a ordinary guy.

The "Freedom To Secure The Blessings Of Liberty: Part III" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Finishing my story I started two days ago that tells of the display at Lancaster Historical Society titled "Not Too Rash, Yet Not Fearful: 225 Years of Journalism in Lancaster County."  On display at LancasterHistory.org's Stoudt Gallery are the front pages of some of the most memorable events that have happened since the newspaper was first printed on Wednesday, July 15, 1795.  A few are related to events in our locale while others are national events that drew the attention of most everyone living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as well as the entire United States.  Follow along as I present the final few front pages.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

On July 21, 1969, less than a day after two Americans landed a lunar module on the  moon for the first time, Lancaster County residents knew they had witnessed history. Some stayed up all night watching TV while others were greeted with the headline above on the front page of the paper.  Those who saw it live witnessed asrtronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take their first steps onto the moon's surface at 10:56 p.m., July 20.  From 4 p.m. Sunday evening until 4 a.m. Monday police reported no arrests since everyone was inside watching their TV.  City and state employees were given the day off on Monday to celebrate the fantastic accomplishment of the United States.

On March 28, 1979, Three Mile Island on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County became a flashpoint in the battle over nuclear power, and the world would remember that island's name forever.  The Intelligencer Journal described the event as an accident with the cooling system which was discovered to be a partial core meltdown.  The top headline read, "Worst Leak on Record; Public Not in Danger," but the public read the story with mixed reactions.  Today the accident is still the worst accident in the history of nuclear power in the United States.  Thousands fled the area in a voluntary evacuation.  To this day, the question of whether anyone was harmed remains up for debate.  About the only good thing that came form the incident was a rise in the sale of t-shirts that read "I survived TMI."

On January 28, 1986 across the top of the morning Intelligencer Journal read 6 Astronauts, Teacher Perish in Fiery Explosion of Shuttle.  I'm sure it wasn't the only newspaper in the country that read something similar, but it was still explosive news!  Astronaut John Glenn said, "We come to a time where something happens, and we have a tragedy that goes along with our triumphs.  I guess that's the story of mankind."  The rocket's failure was said to be mostly avoidable.  The outside temperature and the use of O-rings were said to be the problems.  Engineers wanted to delay the launch, but didn't get their wish.  The cabin of the spaceship hit the surface of the Atlantic Ocean at more than 200 miles per hour.  Were the astronauts still alive at that point?  No one will ever know.  Three years later Discovery made a successful lift off to bring renewed confidence in the future of space travel.

Princess Diana of Wales was one of the most notable public figures in the world when her car crashed  at the entrance to the  Pont de 'Alma tunnel and smashed into a wall and a pillar.  Close behind the car were photographers on motorcycles, some of whom helped with the wreckage, while others continued taking photographs.  Much of the blame was placed on the paparazzi, but a drug test showed that Henri Paul, driver and head of security, who lost control of the vehicle, had drugs in his system.  The Sunday News showed a photo of the Princess as well as photographs of the automobile in which she died.    More than three million people gathered to see Diana's funeral at Westminster Abby while another 2.5 billion watched on TV.

On a sunny, fall Tuesday, September 11th the United States was brought to a standstill.  All eyes were glued to the TV after four airplanes were commandeered by 19 hijackers from the terrorist group al-Qaeda.  Three of the planes hit their targets of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  Almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day as reported in the Lancaster New Era which detailed the tragedy and turmoil.  Flags were flown at half-mast to honor the dead.  Local reactions to the event ranged from sorrowful to angry, confused to hopeless.  Dozen of area churches opened their doors to grievers.  Even the sports section of the newspaper added: "Attacks bring sports world to standstill"  

Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal found its way into national news stories in 2014.  The Evangelical Christian owner of crafts store Hobby Lobby took issue with the Affordable Care Act's mandate that businesses must provide certain forms of contraception for female employees.  The Supreme Court sided with Hobby Lobby and against the Department of Health and Human Services.  The 5-4 ruling argued that providing contraception to employees could be against the religious ideals of business owners.  In Lancaster many were happy while others vowed to never set foot in the store again.  

The "Freedom To Secure The Blessings Of Liberty: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in LancasterHistory.org's Stoudt Gallery taking photographs of some of the 26 front pages of Lancaster's Newspaper that are on display in the gallery.  The exhibit is titled "Not Too Rash, Yet Not Fearful: 225 Years of Journalism in Lancaster County" and has displayed the front page of some of the most memorable newspapers ever printed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Some of the pages carry different mastheads, but all were printed in Lancaster by the same company.  Mastheads such as "Intelligencer Journal", "New Era", "The Lancaster Intelligencer", "Lancaster Journal" or "Sunday News" all brought news of the city, state and world to the residents of Lancaster County and surrounding area.  The earliest front page is from Wednesday, July 15, 1795 while the latest front page is dated Tuesday, July 1, 2014.  I have posted half of my favorite choices today and will post the remainder tomorrow.  I realize it may be hard to read some of the copies since they were rather hard to read the original, but the main idea of the story and the accompaning photographs may help you understand why I have chosen that particular front page.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The first issue of the Lancaster Journal was published June 18, 1794.  The Lancaster Journal was founded by William Hamilton and Henry Willcocks during George Washington's second term as President.  One thing that jumps out at you is the use of the "medial s" which can be seen in the TREATY story.  It appears to look like an "f".  I'm sorry for the quality of the photo, buy it was much the same way before I took the photograph.  The newspaper was published once a week and was four pages in length.  Mr Hamilton began as an apprentice in the Philadelphia print shop of Benjamin Franklin's grandson before journeying to Lancaster in 1794.  Click on image to enlarge. 

This issue of the paper included a lottery which was used to raise money for a variety of  items without needing governmental intervention.  On this page can be found an advertisement for the "Grand State Lottery for Promoting Internal Navigation."  Prizes were drawn over a series of days, ranging from $500 to $40,000 or in today's dollars, $5,925 to $474,072.  The lower right section of the paper is dedicated to what appears to be multiple "miracle cures" from a local doctor named T.W. Dyott.  Dr. Dyott is selling "Anti-Bilious Pills."  It was said that President Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, died from a strong case of bilious fever.

The Hager Building is one of the first instances of an illustration or photo on an Intelligencer front page.  It stood at the corner of King and Market streets and was constructed throughout 1910 and 1911.  It was designed by C. Emlen Urban who was responsible for numerous pieces of historical architecture in Lancaster.  The original Hager Store opened in 1821 and was further west on King Street.  The store continued to exist as seen in the newspaper until 1968 when it was purchased by rival business Watt & Shand before closing in 1977.  

Among the most famous transportation disasters of the 20th century was the crash of the LZ 129 Hindenburg on May 6th, 1937.  The airship lasted only 14 months.  Of the 97 people aboard the evening flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Lakehurst, New Jersey, 13 passengers and 22 crew died when it went up in flames upon arrival.  Led Zeppelin used the famous photo as the cover of the band's first album.

The front page of the New Era on August 15, 1945 told of the end of WWII.  The night before President Harry Truman had declared that Japan had surrendered, just a week after the United States deployed two nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  It was four years earlier that Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  Hundreds of thousands of soldiers returned home and unemployment grew. Lancaster's Armstrong Cork Company's military contract was terminated and 1,800 people lost their jobs.  

Martin Luther King Jr. stepped out of this room at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee and was met with an assassin's bullet.  The date was April 4, 1968.  It was the day before that he delivered his "I've been to the Mountaintop" speech.  It took more than an hour for the ambulance to transport King to a nearby hospital where he died at the age of 39. In Washington D.C. nearly 20,000 rioters took to the streets for days in what would be called the biggest occupation of an American City since the Civil War.  President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a short speech to the nation calling King the "Apostle of Nonviolence" and saying that "the spirit of America weeps for a tragedy that denies the very meaning of our land".  On April 9 a service was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta followed by a procession of 100,000 that culminated at King's alma mater, Morehouse College. 

The "Freedom To Secure The Blessings Of Liberty: Part I" Story

My first photograph at LancasterHistory.Org.

It was an ordinary day.  Snapping a photograph of a Monarch butterfly that was enjoying the flowering bushes outside the entrance to LancasterHistory.Org.  The photograph was the first of many I snapped during the next hour or so at the Historical Society in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

LancasterHistory.org

Decided it was a good day for a visit to see what new items might be on display at the beautiful building at the corner of President Ave. and Rt. 23 in the city of Lancaster.  A few years ago my wife bought me a membership to the Historical Society and ever since I have been a frequent visitor to see the ever-changing displays at the historical society.  I showed the attendant my membership card and headed to one of the display rooms.  

1875 Washington printing press.

The current featured exhibit is titled "Not Too Rash, Yet Not Fearful: 225 Years of Journalism in Lancaster County."  Perfect for me, since I enjoy reading the local newspaper as well as having taught printing in high school for almost 35 years.  So, with camera in hand and my membership card in its plastic sheath around my neck, I entered Ryder Hall & Stoudt Gallery.  The next hour was spent reading all the wall posters and examining the large 1875 Washington printing press.  A few years ago I visited the newspaper office in downtown Lancaster and had a private tour of their small window museum and posted a story about my adventure.  Some of the same items are part of this display, but the main part of the display in front of me today is the first page copy of some of the most memorable dates in the history of Lancaster.  There are 26 front pages which can be viewed with a paragraph or two explaining the lead story on the front page.  It is as if I were back in high school learning about the events that formed our nation and were important to the local residents of Lancaster County.  Follow along for the next three days as I take you through history as seen by a resident of Lancaster.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
PS - Tomorrow will show several front pages from the newspaper along with an explanation of what was on the cover.

Sculpture of Johannes Guttenberg who was a German blacksmith,
inventor, printer and publisher who started the Printing Revolution
 with his invention of movable type in Europe in 1439. His system
allowed for the mass production of printed books, including the Bible,
 radically changing the way people received and shared information.
The access to written information permanently altered the structure
of society.

The top photograph shows a type drawer of wooden capital letters to be used in typesetting.
The bottom drawer has wooden letters of varied sizes used for headlines.

Eventually metal type replaced wooden type and then the Linotype came into
existence.  The Linotype machine looked like a traditional typewriter and
yielded a metal line of type which could be used to set a paragraph for a story.
In 1942 lines of type could be produced using this teletypesetter.  Its keyboard
operated much faster than a Linotype keyboard. 

The metal lines of type were locked in a metal frame known as a chase such as seen in
this photo.  On top of this frame was placed a heavy mat that was pressed onto
the type.  It hardened and was peeled from the type.  Then semi-circular
lead plates were made that could be fastened on the printing press. (See below)

This is a composition material that is pressed on a layer of type
and would form a mold of the page.  

The above mold would be placed in a circular form and this lead
mold would be made.  This would be fitted onto the press.
It was still known as letterpress since this plate would be inked
and pressed onto paper.  Next came offset printing.

This is an aluminum plate that was made by exposing its surface
behind a negative.  Light went through the negative onto the metal
surface and the light would harden the surface of the plate.   After
the plate was developed it yielded what you see above.  This
would be attached to the press and ink and water would run over it before
it hit the paper.  Known as offset printing.

The top photo shows a newsroom reporter's ID card.  John was a reporter for the
Lancaster New Era and this ID identified him as a legitimate member of the press
and authorized him to report on issues related to American combat forces during WWII.
The middle photograph shows Lancaster's Penn Square welcoming home the
troops after we won the war in 1945.  The bottom photograph shows the Victory
Slavage Float in the Lancaster Flag Day Parade on June 14, 1945.  The wagon
was used to collect salvage for the war effort.