The "My Favorite Collectibles: Part I - 1/18" Model Cars" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Going through some of the cardboard cartons in the basement and came across a box of metal 1/18 inch scale metal Corvette models.   Some were made in Thailand by the Maisto Company, some were made in Spain by the Mira Company, some were made in China and sold by the Eril Company in Dyersville, Iowa while some were made by UT Models with no country listed.  

Standing next to my 1987 Corvette.

It was in the late 1990s that my wife suggested we buy a bright red Corvette we had seen a few months prior since at the time I was having a few medical problems.  Within a week the bright red 1987 Vette was sitting in front of our house on Janet Ave. in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Before long My youngest son and I had begun entering the car in shows.  Took quite a bit of time preparing the car for the judging, but I had an entire shelf of trophies in no time.  

Magazine article in Vette Magazine.

Also submitted a story about the car to Vette Magazine and they published the story in the "Me & My VETTE" column.  As the months and years passed by I began to collect 1/18 inch metal model Corvette cars.  Had close to two dozen that I had purchased or others had purchased for me for gifts.  As time progressed,  the money we were spending for extra insurance, maintenance and entry fees for shows and contests for the Corvette was needed for other family projects as well as college expenses...so I did the unthinkable and sold my '87 Vette.  Sold it to my next door neighbor who allowed me to drive it whenever I wanted to so it eased the pain of selling it somewhat.  Well, the many models I had collected after getting rid of the Vette was what I found in the cardboard boxes in my basement.  

Carol and I with our '87 Vette on the Ocean City boardwalk.

Brought back the memories from the past as well as a few stories my wife and I shared from our years we drove the Vette on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland to making yearly visits to the Carlisle, PA Corvette Show each summer.  Rather than put the models back in the boxes right away, I thought I would take photographs of a few of my favorites to share with you.  So, the following photographs are some of the model cars I had collected in the past.  Still hate to give them up...so they will go back in the boxes and head back to the basement.  That is except for a half dozen that will fill my office shelves as a reminder of past memories.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

1954 - the second year that Chevrolet made the Corvette.

1957 - Neat car prepared for racing.  Notice the large tires on the rear.

1957 - This one is more a stock model than the one above it.

1963 Split-window, one of the most iconic Vettes every made.

1978 Official Indianapolis Speedway Pace Car.

1995 Official Indianapolis Speedway Pace Car.

1996 - Reminded me of my car with a few changes.

1996 C4 Grand Sport with White Stripe and Red fender accent stripes.

1998 Official Indianapolis Speedway Pace Car

The "Sundown Towns: Are They A Thing Of The Past?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Back in mid-June of this year I wrote a few stories titled "Black Lives Matter" with one of them talking about the small town to the North-West of Lancaster, Pennsylvania by the name of Elizabethtown.  E-town, as it is known, is about 20 miles from Lancaster.  It is a community of about 11,000 residents that is situated in scenic northwestern Lancaster County and is about 10 miles south of Hershey and 20 miles from Harrisburg and York as well as Lancaster.  The Borough of Elizabethtown provides a variety of municipal services and activities that contribute to the exceptional quality of life in Elizabethtown.  And, it also was the topic of a story written on August 9th by Lancaster Newspaper's "The Scribbler", aka Jack Brubaker.  The title of his column that particular Sunday was "Was Elizabethtown a segregated 'sundown town'?   For those readers who may never have ever heard of a "Sundown Town," also know as a "Sunset Town"  or "Gray Town", it is a locale were everyone living in the neighborhood is white in color.  

The term came from signs posted that said "colored people" had to leave the town by sundown.  The practice was usually part of southern state towns, but certainly was not restricted to just the south.  These towns had a practice of excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminatory local laws, intimidation, and violence.  Northern states could be just as inhospitable to black travelers as states from the South.  Since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and especially since the Fair Housing Act of 1968, prohibition of racial discrimination in the sale and rental and financing of housing, the number of sundown towns has decreased.  "The Scribbler" had a question sent to him asking if he knew if the town of Elizabethtown was at one time one of these such towns.  Elizabethtown's borough manager, Rebecca Denlinger, told Jack that she knows nothing about a sundown ordinance that prohibited dark-skinned people from living in Elizabethtown.  But, that wasn't the same answer given to Jack by some of the "old-timers" of the town.  One fellow reported that Elizabethtown was lily white from the 1930's until the 1950s.  Another gentleman told about E-town being a sundown town.  Mr. Gordon Berrier, who had lived in E-town for the majority of his 89 years, reported that some people who worked in some of the houses couldn't stay in the town overnight.  He said that in the early 1950s there were no Blacks going to school at Elizabethtown High School.  He also said that his Civics teacher said that in the 1930's an older black man wanted to stay at the town jailhouse overnight, but was told that Mount Joy was 5 miles down the road and he would have to travel there to stay overnight.  Mount Joy was not a sundown town, but Elizabethtown was.  Mr. Berrier also told Jack that if you hired a Black person in Elizabethtown, that person was required to leave town before the sun went down.  Gordon Berrier's younger brother Jerry reported that one of his best friends was a Black student in the nearby Mount Joy School System.  His name was Gerald Wilson and was a star basketball player for Mt. Joy in the early 1950s.  Gerald Wilson's son, Gerald, Jr., who lived in Manheim Township were I reside, said that every time his father played basketball in Elizabethtown, the police had to escort him on and off the court and when he ran back and forth on the court the E-town cheerleaders tried to trip him.  Sociologist James Loewen wrote "Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism" and his website updates the book by adding that Elizabethtown was most certainly a sundown town.  Actually, if you search the database for Pennsylvania and sundown towns, you will find not only Elizabethtown, but Manheim, New Holland and Conestoga.  And, there may also be some areas of the city of Lancaster that also had restrictions prohibiting selling houses to people of color.  Some practices are hard to get rid of, but it will eventually happen.  But, why does it have to take so long?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A New Twist To Get You To Attend Church!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Saturday and I'm on my way to the grocery store with my wife.  As we headed north on the Fruitville Pike we can upon a small church that sits on the right of the two-lane road that had a large sign along the side of the road that read:  PARKING LOT COMMUNION, SUNDAY 1 PM, FM 89.9, BRING YOUR OWN BREAD & JUICE!  Certainly drew my attention as we drove past the church.  As we talked about the sign we both agreed that it certainly was unique.  Many churches in Lancaster County, as well as many over the entire United States, have changed their schedules to include online or TV/Radio services so as to avoid any chance of spreading the COVID-19 throughout the community.  But...this was certainly a new idea!  The church that we are members of, St. James Episcopal in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania, publishes an online newsletter during the middle of the week that is filled with many stories and events that we can participate in during the week as well as on Sunday.  

The newsletter is titled HEADLINES & Happenings and always begins with a greeting from Father David Peck.  His face greets you as soon as you open your emails.  This past week there was also an introduction of Professor Randall C. Zachman who will preach at this weekend's services online.  

Father David  Peck

Another article tells of the Summer Forum Series that will continue with Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter.  That series can be viewed on Sundays at 9:30 AM via Zoom.  The Men's Spirituality Group meets on Saturday from 8-10 AM via Zoom.  This week's Woman's Gathering was on Tuesday via Zoom and talked about being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life.  The "Urban Well", a source of contemplative practices, which is a year-long program in Personal Deepening, is also online via Zoom.  There is also a Children, Youth & Families program called "Godly Play Camp" which was also digital this summer.  

A special program "In the Community" tells of St. James being selected for Creation Care Clean Water Walking Tour which tells of St. James being selected to take part as one of the seven inspiring storm-water projects for a walking tour on congregational grounds in historic downtown Lancaster.  It is a self-guided tour and culminates in a Zoom discussion.  Seems that many churches have gone the way of digital services via Zoom to keep their parishioners active during the pandemic.  But, the sign along the road that we saw yesterday is one of the most creative and perhaps entertaining that I have witnessed so far.  I only wonder what type of "Juice" those that attend will bring to church with them!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Find Of A Lifetime!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my lounge chair watching the Phillies on television.  All of a sudden I felt a sneeze coming on.  Grabbed the box of Kleenex that I keep next to my chair and prepared for the eventual result.  Carol and I have lived in our "Beach House" for close to 25 years now and I usually have a box of tissues next to me...just in case.  Now, before I continue with this story, I guess I should once again tell you why we call our home the "Beach House" just in case you never heard it before.  A few years before I retired from teaching, my wife and I thought it would be nice to have a home along one of the rivers that lead into the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.  

Our "Beach House" in Lancaster

We had vacationed for years along the rivers that feed into the Bay with our family and just loved it.  So we searched for a home.  

Our family and friend along the Elk River.

We wanted it to be along the water and the least expensive home we found, that didn't take tons of work to make in livable, was a house along the Elk River that was for sale for $1.1 Million.  Hey, I was a school teacher!  So, when the house we now live in came up for sale in Lancaster, we decided to buy it.  For those who know where we live, I believe you would agree with Carol and I that it

Our water garden behind our house.

reminds you of a home along the water.  Well, we added a big pond with waterfall in the rear of the home to give us the water sound we wanted.  Now, back to my story of the day.  As I sneezed, my Kleenex tissue more than held my sneeze.  That wasn't the case for years and years.  

The new, larger size Kleenex.

I usually had to grab two tissues and place them together so I wouldn't blow a hole in the tissue with my sneeze.  And, I tried just about every tissue on the market to see which would work the best.  Well, a few weeks ago I discovered that Kleenex has come out with a new and improved tissue that is called their Multicare tissue.  It is a much larger tissue or as it says on the box, "grands mouchoirs".  The box says that it is 75% larger and 50% stronger.  And...I totally agree.  It took me 75 years to finally find a tissue that can hold my sneeze and not blow apart unless I grab two and place them together.  

Rear of the box showing you the uses.

And, by the time I have done that, I have already sneezed all over myself.  And, that's not a pleasant sight.  And, what's really neat is if you turn the box over it tells you you can use the tissue to clean your hands and wipe your pet's face as well as use for sneezing and blowing your nose.  So, even though my story today isn't what you usually expect to read on this blog site, I believe you will love the new tissues I have discovered.  Give them a try.  And, I really don't own any part of Kleenex if you were wondering.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Women And The Circus" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Over 100 years ago in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and the circus had come to town.  It more than likely took up residence at the old Fair Grounds along the Harrisburg Pike near Longs Park.  Everyone in town was excited since for many it was the only form of entertainment they might have until the circus arrives again next year.  There was no television and heavens...no Twitter.  Everyone in town was ready to head to the circus to see the exotic animals, the clowns, the acrobats and of course the Circus girls.  It was at the turn of the century that the circus spotlight began to shine on women, highlighting their athletic talents as well as their beauty. Back in the early 1900s woman's roles were still considered to be homemakers and child bearers.  And the few women that traveled and performed with the circus were a rarity.  Seems the circus offered a home for some female outsiders and castaways and provided the independence that was abnormal for most woman.  The women of the American Circus worked tirelessly to try and perfect their acts, attempting to steal the limelight and perform stunts not thought possible for their male counterparts.  

Lillian Leitzel

One such women was Lillian Leitzel who was a famous aerialist whose story was one told in the Saturday Evening Post in 1920.  She once said, "They seem to assume that circus people have not got beyond the primitive stage of the cave man and are an aggregation of unlettered louts wholly devoid of the commonest sense of social amenities."  What made Lillian different than most women of the day was...she was wealthy!   In 1917 she was making up to $200 a week with Ringling Brothers.  Today that $200 would be about $4,000.  Actually, many female circus stars raked in more than their male counterparts.  

Advertisement poster showing Lillian

Lillian had her own train car that contained a piano, and at each stop would dress in her own private tent.  By the 1920s she was making close to $500 per week and was a brassy prima donna.  She was the daughter of Czech circus performers and began in the gymnasium at the age of 3.  She was best known for climbing up a rope and placing her hand in a loop while she threw her body around and around; dislocating her shoulder over and over again as she performed her "one-arm planges".  Phalanges are the bones that make up the fingers and toes.  She was a daredevil who suffered many injuries during her acrobatic career.  She was also known for giving parties for all of the circus children and giving them expensive gifts.  She encouraged women to exercise to stay healthy and suggested swimming daily.  Lillian married the Mexican trapeze artist Alfedo Codona, but the marriage was filled with jealousy and resentment.  In Copenhagen, Leitzel was performing when the brass ring she was holding snapped and she fell 20 feet onto her head.  She died the next morning from a concussion.  

Mabel Stark

Another famous woman performer was Mabel Stark who was working as a nurse when she made a visit to the circus in Venice, California.  She became obsessed with the Bengal tigers and eventually joined the Al G. Barnes Circus in 1911.  She was the first American woman to take up the dangerous profession of big cat trainer.  In 1920 she joined the Ringling Brothers after they told her how much they loved her wrestling matches with the big cats.  She often said that the tone of her voice had much to do with her success.  

A poster showing Miss Mabel Stark

She was mauled one time in the ring and required 378 stitches and another bout with one of her cats gave her a limp arm.  She retired from the circus in the 1930s and began work at an amusement park called Jungleland.  She committed suicide in her late 70s after one of her tigers escaped and was shot.  

Miss May Wirth leaping from one horse to the other.

One final woman who requires mention is May Wirth who was known as "The World's Greatest Rider."  At the age of 17 she made her first appearance in the Ringling Brothers' show at Madison Square Garden.  During her performance the five-year-old  leapt from horse to horse while doing flips and twists, all with a giant hair bow.  Will Rogers witnessed the young Australian and predicted "the day would come when there would be but two types of bareback riders in the world, May Wirth and all the others."  Mr. Ringley was skeptical that she could perform her legendary somersault and wanted to see it.  

Poster showing May Wirth

She missed it the first time, but aced it the second time.  That earned her a contract with the Ringley Brothers' Circus.  In 1913, an unfortunate slip caused her to be dragged around the track by her feet.  Nine years later she rode a 3 year old, 2,400 pound bull while standing on her hands upon his back.  She was inducted into the Ringling Museum and Circus Hall of Fame in 1964.  These three women are alleged to have been the three most dominant females in the field of circus performers.  I would have loved seeing them perform, but never had the chance.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Does Your School Have A School Nurse?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a few of my favorite sites online when I came across a story that seemed as if it might have been written yesterday.  But, the article was dated 1918...more than 100 years ago.  Story about schools employing school nurses and how school funding cuts have threatened school nurses, while a deadly pandemic proves they could be among the most important figures in education.  Seems that the current push for schools across the country to return to in-person learning isn't something new.  It also happened over 100 years ago.  In part, it read..."When I look at opening schools, and I've been very entrenched in it both at the state level and at the local level, it feels to me like we're doing the biggest social experiment ever without an institutional review board.  We are going to have kids and staff that are sick and, God forbid, die."  And, another post I recently read told about the pandemic of 1918.  It read:  In 1918, the flu would kill more than twice that number — and perhaps five times as many — in just 15 months. Though mostly forgotten, it has been called “the greatest medical holocaust in history.” Experts believe between 50 and 100 million people were killed. More than two-thirds of them died in a single 10-week period in the autumn of 1918. Sound familiar?  A woman by the name of Robin Cogan, a nationally certified school nurse from New Jersey, writes a blog known as "Relentless School Nurse" where she's been sharing useful information as well as stories from school  nurses around the country.  Her recent posts to her blog have been centered around a central theme: It has taken a Pandemic to Understand the Importance of School Nurses.  One such post from 1918, that appeared in The Charlotte News read, "There can be little doubt, that as the work of the nurse becomes better understood, there will be a greater demand all over the world for her services in the school, for wherever she has made her entry, her value has been recognized."  

The School Nurse showing a student how to brush his teeth.

But, in recent decades, school nurses have been eliminated from many schools across the country.  Less than 40% of public schools now employ school nurses.  In the western part of our country, that number has dropped to under 10%.  So, when you read about schools starting soon, it's difficult to imagine a responsible plan for returning to school without  an on-site medical professional.  But, for many of America's strapped school systems, that's what's probably going to happen.  And...how is that going to work out?  School nursing began as sort of an experiment when cities were becoming crowded with unsanitary slums and public school that were faced with influenza, tuberculosis and skin conditions like eczema and scabies.  Do you remember back to your youth and attending school?  Was there a school nurse you could be sent to if you became ill in the classroom.  I was very luck evidently, since in the school district where I went to school, as well as returned to and taught for 33 years, there was a school nurse, and still is, in every school in the district.  In the upper grades there were usually two or more school nurses.  Back in 1902, The Henry Street Settlement, which was founded and led by nurse Lillian Wald, who pioneered a program to place one school nurse in four city schools, with at least 10,000 students, for a month.  That nurse was Lina Rogers, and her undertaking was a significant one.  She was to perform her duties at each school in a makeshift nurses' office, sometimes being the janitorial closet.  

The school nurse is needed in all schools.  Click to enlarge.

Eventually students realized she was available at certain times and used her as there "go-to" medical care, being treated as if she were the family doctor.  At the end of the experiment, Rogers was appointed to lead a team of school nurses in the city.  When her program began once again, the district found that the 10,000 absences a month they had experienced the year before dropped to about 1,000 a month.  Rogers became an advocate for school nursing and cities across the United States realized the success of the Henry Street Settlement's success.  Roger's ended up writing a textbook detailing her work and giving guidance to the nation's women who were setting out to become school nurses.  She then began to visit student's homes and found that things other than illness was keeping them from school. Things such as lack of babysitters, housework, street crime and neglect were keeping them from going to school.  Social problems were facing absenteeism as much as health problems.  Throughout the postwar years and the Great Society programs of the 1960's, school health programs expanded to address drug abuse, students with disabilities and mental health.  Seems that school nurses became iconic fixtures in the public school, but after the recession of 2008, school funding took a big hit once again.  School funding was reduced in most states and with that was the loss of many school nurses.  The School Nurse still finds themselves advocating for public health reforms, but it is a never-ending battle.  Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses could be once again the most important figure in the school.  When schools don't have public health professionals in their schools, they face infection control expertise and mismanaging of proper procedures needed to help stop the spread of the virus.  The Federal Government has been asked to supply 208 billion dollars to help support school nursing.  How's that going to work out?  Your guess is as good as mine, but without the school nurse in each and every school in the country, this pandemic is going to spread like wildfire in the schools.   We need those school nurses to help keep our children safe the best they can.  Let's hope it can be done.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Justice Was Swift In Colonial Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a Facebook page about the city of Lancaster when I came across a story written in "Uncharted Lancaster".  Story told of crime and punishment in Colonial America, specifically Lancaster County.  Found the article interesting and decided to do a bit more research so I dug out my two favorite history books on Lancaster County, Old Lancaster by Frederic Schriver Klein (Artwork by Charles X. Carlson) and The Heritage Of Lancaster by John Ward Willson Loose.  

Old Lancaster and The Heritage of Lancaster books.

Began my search and in no time found much of what I had read on the Facebook page as well as a bit more telling the history of crime and punishment in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Law and order in Lancaster were the duty of the high constable and his assistants.  It was said that justice was swift and sure.  Didn't have to wait months behind bars waiting for a trial, just a trip to the stocks and a pillory which were kept in the north-west corner of Centre Square near the Courthouse which at the time was in the center of Downtown Lancaster near the Courthouse.  Lawbreakers were put on display in agonizing positions with bare backs displayed with dried blood and purple welts; both men and women.  One story that was told was of a woman named Anne Toews who happened to add an extra zero to a one-shilling note, therefore making it ten shillings.  She was quickly found guilty and was given a public whipping of twenty-one lashes on her bare back.  In the pillory, wrong-doers were fastened by the neck and wrists and ridiculed and at times abused by fellow townsmen or mischievous pranksters.  Seems that horse stealing was a frequent crime, much like car stealing today, which was punishable by a public whipping at the pillory.  

"The Pillory" by Charles X. Carlson

At the time, Lancaster County consisted of almost 5,000 square miles and trials were held in Lancaster's Courthouse.  In 1821 Mr. John Lechler was convicted of murder and was marched through the streets of Lancaster, escorted by militia, two cavalry troops and the City Band.  At the Lancaster gallows fifteen thousand people of all ages came to witness the hanging and made a public holiday of the event.  The story went that Mr. Lechler was so fond of marching military units that he led the parade to his own scaffold.  Not only was hanging just for murderers, but was the punishment for burglary as well.  Women most often were given prison terms instead of hanging.  Public punishment was established to provide a warning to everyone what could happen to you if you break the law.  One crime that carried a sentence of whipping was counterfeiting.  Thieves were publicly whipped with twenty lashes and had both their ears cut off!  They also had to wear a large letter "T" on their coat for six months.  Those who were accused of shouting or scolding were usually gagged and made to stand in the pillory.  Most of the laws I have listed were slowly removed in the early nineteenth century.  I wonder what might have happened had the punishments been continued into today's society.  Would certainly be tough to wear hearing aides if needed!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Women Voting Rights Are A Century Old!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution which was ratified on August 18, 1920.  The 19th Amendment gave women in the United States the right to vote.  That is...it gave White women the right to vote!  Many feared that if voting rights would be asked for all races, it would be more difficult to get the amendment passed.  Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton occasionally delved into "ugly racist rhetoric" that prioritized "educated, virtuous White women over Black women.  Activist Sojourner Truth, a former slave, broke with Stanton to include women of every color.  But, even after the Amendment was ratified, poll taxes and other obstacles made it almost impossible for 
African American women to vote, especially in the South.  It wasn't until the passage of the 24th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that millions of African Americans were able to vote.  Here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Marianna Gibbons Brubaker, the second wife of Lancaster Newspaper columnist Jack Brubaker's great-grandfather, Oram David Brubaker, opposed the right of women to vote.  A bit of background about Marianna would tell you that she was a member of the family that operated the Underground Railroad station in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.  The family helped to transport over 1,000 runaway slaves north to freedom.  Marianna was a graduate of Millersville Normal School and became a teacher.  She was a founding member of Lancaster's NAACP and a leader of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.  She was a Quaker who believed in equality for all women, but wasn't an advocate of woman's suffrage.  Jack Brubaker thought she just had to be for equality of women in all things, but not so.  He did check the archives of the local newspaper and found that she did vote in the November 2, 1920 election when woman could finally vote!  Marianna was always opposed to women voting, but voted since Mrs. Leah Cobb Marion, our W.C.T.U. State Treasurer was running for U.S. Senator, and she decided to vote for her, only.  It was always a mystery to Jack why his relative was against women voting when she was always for women equality.  Another related story about the woman's suffrage movement was from October 30, 1756 when a widow named Lydia Taft used her husband Josiah's proxy vote to help decide whether the town of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, would increase its contributions to the French and Indian War.  Seems that Lydia was a the first woman in colonial America to cast a vote.  The Suffrage movement began in full force following the first Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.  It was at this event that a public call was made by Frederick Douglass to allow women to vote.  During the next decade conventions would begin to pick up steam for the movement until the Civil War began.  After the war some women weren't confident that the advancement of both African Americans as well as women to gain voting rights could be pursued.  Then in 1869 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton created the national Woman Suffrage Association based on the idea that the 15th Amendment be opposed until it included woman's right to vote.  Anthony was arrested in 1872 for voting in the presidential election and fined $100.  Then in 1910 in the state of Washington, women slowly began making inroads toward meaningful change nationwide.  WWI helped create change as women filled roles of men who had gone to fight in the war.  In 1918 President Woodrow Wilson praised the suffrage movement which helped push the 19th Amendment toward the finish line.  

At the time, 36 states had to ratify an amendment before it passed, and on August 18, 1920, Tennessee voted 49 to 47 to accept and fully allow women to legally vote.  The following day in Lancaster "The Daily New Era," headline read "Tennessee Ratifies Suffrage Amendment By Vote of 49 To 47 And Women Have Right To Vote In Every State At All Elections."  It's been over 100 years now since the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.  An important piece of legislation in the history of the United States.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Living Through Two Pandemics In One Lifetime" Story

Lancaster newspaper article about Emma Green

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a woman by the name of Emma Green who lived through not one, but two pandemics.  Emma was born a month before the influenza pandemic in 1918 and is now living through the global COVID-19 pandemic.  And, you thought you had it rough.  102 year old Emma lives in nearby Columbia, Pennsylvania where she has spent all her life, short of a stint working in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  Her husband, Walter Green, died in 1979 and Emma has lived alone since that time.  She enjoys visits from friends and family as well as word puzzles and cooking pumpkin bread.  

Emma as a young girl in Columbia, PA

She is a woman who has lived through World War 1 which ran from 1914 through 1918, the Great Depression which began in 1929 and ran through the late 1930s, World War II which ran from 1939 thru 1945, the advent of color TV in the late 1960's to early 1970's, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the death of Elvis Presley and the breakup of the Beatles, the landing of the first man on the moon in 1959, the advent of the internet, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 as well as the pandemics of 1918 and 2020.  Emma graduated from Columbia High School in 1936 as one of two Black students in her class.  She attended Millersville Normal School and became a teacher's aide.  She loves children and adopted two of her own; Marvin Henson who lives in nearby Harrisburg and Dorcas Green who remained in Columbia.  She has seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.  

Emma as a young woman.

One of her granddaughters, Alysa Poindexter, is the Vice President of the Lancaster Chapter of the NAACP who tells all that her grandma is "kindness personified."  During her 100 plus years she has lived a very special life guided by her unwavering faith in God.  She has had to endure racism most of her life and has had the heartache of outliving most of her friends and a few of her family.  This very humble lady is loved by all and is known as the "precious gem of Columbia."  The story that was featured in the newspaper recently talked of her life during the past century while living in Columbia.  She has seen much change, but also talks about the many things that haven't changed much during her life.  She tells about the influenza pandemic and going with her grandmother to the corner where she lived in Columbia to see all the boxes with bodies along the street.  They had no place to put them inside.  

Emma later in life.

As for the pandemic we are now facing, she believes all should wear a mask and stay separated.  She hasn't ventured out much except for a visit to her doctor.  She says that so many people don't obey the rules which are made for the safety of everyone.  She does miss not being able to go to St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Columbia.  She enjoys her church as she has all her life.  She says we should not overindulge in anything; don't drink or smoke.  She remembers washing floors as a child for 50 cents each.  While in high school she worked after school every day and all day Saturday for $3 a week.  She was required to give $1 to her family and could spend the rest on herself.  Back then an ice cream cone was 5 cents.  She tried to work at an aluminum factory in Lancaster, but wasn't even considered since she was Black.  She later worked at Armstrong Cork Company during WWII.  She then went to Millersville Normal School and got 18 credits that allowed her to become a teacher's aide.  At the age of 60 she went to work at Lancaster General Hospital in the daycare center.

Emma Green

 She ended her work career working at the local YWCA until she retired for good at the age of 72.  When asked about the use of modern technology, she says she is afraid that she will do something wrong so she doesn't use it often.  She does now have a tablet and is going to learn how to use it so she can do word puzzles on it.  During her interview for the Lancaster Newspaper she talked about life during the Depression.  She lived in a section of town that had nice houses, but yet she lived in a shack like all the Black people.  She lived in a nice area where all were treated with manners and respect.  She also spend some time in Philadelphia, since there were no dentists who would work on Black people in Columbia.  She talked about the Black Lives Matter protests and said she didn't believe in the violence, but yet did believe the demonstrations were fine.  She thought that President Obama did a good job, but didn't think he got the credit he should have received.  She was so glad that she did get to see a Black President.  This lovely lady lived a long and eventful life...one of very few who had the chance to live through to different pandemics.  What a beautiful soul!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Historic Camelback Locomotive" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my LNP newspaper and as I turned to pages 2-3 I saw it  right away.  There on the top of page three read..."NEXT STOP, OHIO!"  Story told about a circa-1903 Camelback locomotive that has been part of the local Strasburg Railroad Museum fleet since 1962 and operated along the railroad's line until 1967.  It was recently sold to the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugar Creek, Ohio.  Had to give my friend Jere a call and ask him about it since he worked part-time at the Strasburg Railroad for quite a few years.  He remembered it and  said it wasn't used that much since it was a different type of engine than Strasburg used to transport passengers on their scenic tours of Amish Country.  Since the article said that the engine arrived in 1962 at the railroad, I pulled up the newspaper's archives and checked to see if I could find anything about its arrival in 1962.  

Photo of the 1903 Camelback Locomotive
as seen in the 1962 Lancaster Newspaper.

Sure enough, an article dated Friday November 9, 1962 told of its arrival in Strasburg.  A part of the story read...The Camel-Back Locomotive was the last of its kind and came into the local railroad yard with it wildly sounding a shrill "toot-toot" and black smoke pouring in a graceful flame from its 59-year-old stack.  The first camelback was a 4-6-0 and built in early 1877.  It proved a success since the rule cost savings were about $2,000 a year back then.  More were built in the following years, but today there are only three that remain.  From its entrance into Lancaster it traveled to Strasburg where it will be put into service pulling ancient cars filled with tourists on the Strasburg Railroad.  The locomotive was built in 1903 in the shops of the Burnham-Williams Corp. and is called a "camel back" because the cab is directly built over the boiler with the engineer sitting on the right, and the fireman located to the rear proving that "cab over engine" is not a new concept in vehicles.  The "Old 1189" first went to work for the Reading Railroad until it was sold in 1940 to the E. Brooks Iron Works at Birdsboro, PA.  The locomotive weighed 50 tons, ate coal like a demon from its tender which carries a capacity load of six tons, and develops a 200-pound thrust pressure in its 3,500-gallon boiler.  Officials of the Strasburg Railroad said that some reconditioning work would be done on the engine to bring it up to Interstate Commerce Commission safety standards and that it would probably go into service on the Strasburg line in the spring.  

Preparing to move it from Strasburg's Railroad Museum of
Pennsylvania to it's new home in Sugar Creek, Ohio.

Today's newspaper article said that the Camelback locomotive was transported to Sugar Creek, Ohio in three sections, with the cab trucked out a few days ago and the tender loaded on a separate trailer yesterday.  The Ohio museum bought the locomotive in a sealed-bid auction this past July.  The price was not disclosed, but it is one of three that remain today.  It is named Camelback due to the hump created by having the engineer's cab on top of the boiler.  Jere remembered it well, but told me it wasn't the type of locomotive the Strasburg Railroad used much since it was designed to be a switch locomotive in a freight yard.  While at Strasburg, it was on display at the adjacent Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.  Since it was still in working condition, the Strasburg Railroad though it best to sell it.  I remember seeing it at the museum a few months ago when I went to visit with a former high school student of mine who volunteers at the museum.  I'm sure the Ohio Railroad Museum will be happy to add the unusual locomotive to their collection.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another view of a 1903 Camelback locomotive.  I'm not sure if this is the same
engine that was just sold by the Strasburg Railroad, but it is one of three that still exist.

The "The Start Of The Railroad Through Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The woodcut titled "Railroading In Old Lancaster" on page 12 of the Lancaster New Era from Monday, July 19, 1920 showed Downtown Lancaster with a railroad car from the Lancaster & Columbia Railroad coming across the bottom of the sketch.  The article was part of the "Travels In Old Lancaster" column which is a series of  historic facts and illustrated with reproductions of rare photographs, drawings and woodcuts.  Pretty neat to look South on North Queen Street toward center city and the Courthouse which at one time stood in the center of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

A woodcut showing North Queen Street, looking South, after
the completion of the Lancaster & Columbia railroad. Click to enlarge.

The story that went with the sketch talked of the large eight-wheel train car that passengers can now take via the Lancaster & Columbia Railroad.  The fast and comfortable rail car is not excelled by any other in the United States.  It now takes only two days to make the journey from Lancaster to Pittsburgh, PA.  But, after reading the next sentence of the story, I realized it wasn't meant to be for 1920.  The story about the new train was from an advertisement in the Lancaster Examiner of eighty years before that, in 1840.  "Back in those days Lancaster was the most important inland city in the Union and had a population of 8,000.  The rail line was said to be the most costly and valuable public line ever made in the United States.  The city of Lancaster paid for most of the construction of the part that ran from the bridge on the Big Conestoga through the city along the right of way now used by the Pennsylvania Railroad (as of 1840).  In the woodcut that was featured in the article, the station would have been found in the North American Hotel, where the Brunswick now stands (in reference to 1920).  Close by the locomotive in the woodcut stood the "Pioneer Hotel" and directly south where the drug store looms up, once the Museum, was the car office.  It was in 1831 that the railroad was brought to Lancaster after several meetings yielded a petition to the Pennsylvania Legislature for and on behalf of the citizens of Lancaster, to alter the present route of the railroad so as to make the City of Lancaster a point according to the directions of he act of General Assembly.  It was in 1934 that the fight was won and at a council meeting on October 3, 1834, 'it was resolved by both councils that a committee be appointed to wait on the governor at Columbia and invite him to the hotpitalities of the city.'  According to the files of the Lancaster Examiner the Governor was 'waited on' and the whole party took a trip to Philadelphia on a car drawn by one of the old engines, 'John Bull.' It was during the World's Fair in 1893 that the 'John Bull' passed through Lancaster once again under its own power to Chicago where it made one of the most interesting of the exhibits."  In the same newspaper of July 19, 1920 was an article by "The Scribbler."  Many of my stories in the past have referenced Jack Brubaker who is today's "The Scribbler" in the Lancaster Newspaper.  The 1920 Scribbler wrote of "Getting Up" in the morning and how aggravating it can be.  "But, it's nicer to lie in bed" he tells his readers.  He then goes on to tell of Samuel Clemens and how he wrote of rising early to see the sun rise.  He also said that if Samuel Clemens would have had the chance to rise early in Lancaster County, he would have made the Garden Spot his permanent residence.  "He would have enjoyed the rattle of wagon taking the milk to the creamery, the crowing of the roosters, the lowing of the cows, the barking of the dogs, the crying of the baby in the next house, the scream of the whistle of a distant locomotive, the jolting racket of the heavy team taking the grain to the mill for chopping, the morning songs of the birds and the laughter and chatter of the children would have banished sleep from the city dweller no matter how drowsy.  And, once awake the sting in the nostrils from the smoke of the fresh-made fire in the kitchen and the appetizing odor of the morning meal would have spurred even the lazy Mark Twain into dressing.  Samuel Clemens would have loved the Red Rose county had he been able to visit our town."  "The Scribbler" has been a part of our newspaper since the early 1900s and the stories of today are just as intresting as they were back then.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "An Old Favorite Gum!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shopping at our local Stauffer's of Kissel Hill grocery store near the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  Carol and I used to laugh at my parents when they would tell us they were at Stauffers one day, Weis Supermarket another day and then Oregon Dairy another day.  They had specific items they bought at each supermarket and therefore had to make visits to each location each and every week.  Well, that day has arrived for Carol and I!  Yesterday we made our weekly visit to our Giant Supermarket for the majority of our groceries and today we visited Stauffer's where I love their small brown ceramic dishes of Creme Brûlée.  Stuff is addictive and the little ceramic dishes make great dishes for our cats.  They also make great apple dumplings, baked oatmeal as well as containers of tapioca pudding.  As the years go by I feel more like my mom and dad all the time.  Well, today while we were standing in line using social distancing, I noticed some of my all-time favorite chewing gums on the racks next to the check-out counters.  

Gums such Chiclets, Juicy Fruit and even Black Jack filled the small boxes on the shelves by the cash registers.  Was tempted to buy a pack of Black Jack, but some of my 70 year old fillings might complain a bit if I did so.  For those of you who might have never heard of Black Jack, it is an aniseed-flavored chewing gum that is currently manufactured by the Geritt J. Verburg Co.  America's chewing gum industry began in the 1850s when Thomas Adams was secretary to General López de Santa Anna so was living in New York and plotting a return to power in Mexico.  Santa Anna had arrived in New York with a boatload of chicle, a latex substance from the sapodilla tree, and the idea of selling it as an inexpensive alternative to rubber.  Never materialized, but Adams realized chicle could be made into chewing gum.  So, Adams bought the load of chicle from Santa Anna and began adding flavorings.  Wasn't long before he was selling "Adams New York Chewing Gum" in drug stores.  In 1884 he introduced his first big seller, licorice-flavored "Black Jack" chewing gum.  

Thomas Adams ad for Black Jack Gum

Five years later he introduced Chiclets as well as the vending machine from which he dispensed his gum on New York subway platforms.  He eventually added flavors like Clove and Pepsin, but the company closed in the 1970s due to poor sales.  The company was eventually purchased by British confectionary company Cadbury and is again manufacturing gum once again.  And, one of these days I will have to buy a pack of Black Jack just to bring back the memories from my youth. Now, tomorrow we have decided to head to S.  Clyde Weaver's for a few of their great sand tart cookies and some of their sliced ham loaf for sandwiches.  Mom and Dad would be proud!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Parent's: Do Your Duty And Have Your Children Immunized!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about getting our flu shots for the upcoming influenza season.  We have been traveling to our local CVS Drugstore for the past dozen or more years to get our "old peoples" double dose that they offer to us free of charge.  We usually get our shot before our fall trip to the Caribbean, but being that we are not going anywhere, anytime soon due to COVID-19, we thought we still should visit the drugstore and get our shots.  And, for those of you who have children who may be getting ready to head back to school soon, you must also ensure that your children have been immunized and are up to date with their childhood shots.  Vaccinations are needed to protect infants, children and teens from serious childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and chickenpox.  Staying up to date with immunizations provides the best protection agains disease and is essential to individual health.  Everyone is so concerned about contracting COVID-19 for the past few months, but that is no excuse for forgetting to have children immunized against childhood diseases.  In my morning newspaper on the "Opinion" page was a half page article with the headline of "Vaccinate your kids, please."  The article was geared toward parents telling them that they know they have a lot on their plates right now with the COVID-19, deciding if they should send them back to school and how to do so.  But, they must also have their yearly immunizations and this is traditionally the time of year to do so.  Even if you plan to keep your child at home for virtual classes, your children still need to be immunized.  The last thing you want is for them to become infected with a preventable disease as you try to keep them safe from an unpreventable, as of now, disease.  Wouldn't it be awful for your child to have measles and also come into contact with someone who has the virus and catch that also?  According to a news release from my state of Pennsylvania, a temporary suspension of children's immunizations was enacted.  But, what would happen if your child gets measles during that grace period?  You would never forgive yourself if that child happens to have life-long problems due to the measles.  The newspaper also states that it would be nice to have a county public health department that would encourage vaccination as a public health imperative.  But, we don't have that here in Lancaster County.  Maybe the Lancaster Newspaper can influence such an imperative!  In the meantime, the CDC urges all of us, just not children, to get this year's flu vaccination.  The shot can ve vital in ensuring that there are hospital beds available and other health care resources available for COVID-19 patients.  We haven't lost control of our lives as many may think, but if you don't get your flu shot and get your children immunized, you may find it so much harder to gain control of your life once again.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Many Colors And Moods Of The Sun" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Hot and humid!  In my part of the world it is the end of summer with temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  We do have storms from time to time which help to keep the grass green and the water in our backyard pond at the top.  Some days white puffy clouds fill the sky while other days the sky is a beautiful blue with not a cloud in the sky.  The bright yellow sun tends to warm our blacktop driveway and make walking on it with bare feet impossible.  As I look up at the sun in the sky I often wonder why it's yellow in color instead of green or even cobalt blue.  

The sun appears white in this photograph

But, you know that if you observe the sun at sunrise or sunset, you'll witness it undergo a variety of color changes from orange to sometimes purple.  That's because the sun has no color and emits a clear, white light that can be changed by the atmosphere of Earth.  The sun emits light at different wavelengths that are scattered by the atmosphere and the wavelengths that remain happen to combine to make the yellow we believe is the color of the sun.  

Here the sun appears yellow.

And, when your location on Earth is closest to the sun, usually in the summer, the hotter it feels.  But, is that really true?  Do you realize that when the Northern Hemisphere experiences summer, it is actually at its farthest point away from the sun.  Shouldn't it be the opposite?  It's that way because Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical and during the summer months the Earth is tilted slightly towards the sun which increases the amount of time it sees sunlight, thus makes for a warmer temperature.   Some people believe that the sun does not rotate, but sits still at the center of the solar system.  

The sun appears red in this photo.

But, the sun does in fact rotate around an invisible axis.  This fact was one of Galileo's most important discoveries.  It was also discovered that the myth that sunspots are colder isn't true.  The average surface of the Sun is 5,500 degrees Celsius and even the cold spots we say we see could still melt most solid objects.  The sun is always emitting energy into space and it is this energy that makes life possible.  At times it emits a more powerful burst of energy in the form of solar wind and coronal mass ejections.  These events can cause havoc on electronic items, but the actual pressure never reaches Earth.  Our sun is an amazing object be it white or yellow or any other color you might imagine it to be.  The next time you look at the sun, be it sunrise or sunset or when it is behind the white puffy clouds in the sky, remember all the things that it really is as well as what it isn't.  Facts are always better than fiction in science.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.