1962 Pratt Great Books Club was Serious!

 My encouragement to set a reading goal for yourself for 2022 was pretty simple compared to this serious Pratt group from 1962!  The group began four years earlier, yet as they gathered in the Pratt Library in the Fall of 1962 they were still enthusiastic about their self-education course sponsored by the Great Books Foundation.  The course was free, and the approach was not to discuss the books themselves at their meetings but rather to let a different reader lead the discussions focused on problems raised by the participating members.

The group met twice a month, pursuing a program intended to last 10 years.  Although the Great Books Foundation did train leaders and would supply informational materials, the group itself selected the books they wanted to read.  

As this Pratt group began their fourth year, these are the books they had selected:  "Ancient Medicine," Hippocrates;  "Republic," Plato; "Confessions," St. Augustine; "Novum Organum," Bacon; "Metaphysies," Aristotle; "Philosophical Dictionary," Voltaire; and "The Brothers Karamazo," Dostoyevsky.

Their 10-Year Study of Great Books was obviously serious business!  Interestingly, Isaac Werner, my Prairie Bachelor, had some of those books in his library. 

The newspaper article closes with the explanation that the fifth year class had already completed the above listed books and would be reading their own selections, with the following authors:  Plato; Aristotle; St. Francis; Dante; Tocqueville; and Melville.

Perhaps some of the people in the photograph can be identified, but I am certainly impressed by the aspirations of those Pratt readers of 1962!

   

Nellie Bly's Famous Story

 

Perhaps the most famous female journalist of the late 1800s was Nellie Bly, not because of her successful Trip About the World, described in last week's blog, but rather because of her courage in exposing the disgraceful treatment of women in a "Lunatic Asylum."  After some initial success as a journalist, Nellie wanted to work in the city where a journalist could become famous.  She headed to New York, but she struggled, trying to find a newspaper that would give her a chance. She had an idea, and she took it to perhaps the most powerful newspaper editor in America, Joseph Pulitzer of the "New York World."  Nellie proposed going undercover to be admitted to the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island.  Recognizing what a story that would be, Pulitzer agreed.

First Nellie had to feign insanity in order to be admitted to the Asylum as a patient.  Using a mirror, she practiced deranged expressions.  Once she felt able to play the role, she checked into a working class boarding house, waiting until bedtime to start her act.  Having convinced the other boarders that she was crazy, Nellie faced her next test when they called the police, and her act was again successful.  Her next challenge was convincing a judge, who then ordered her to be examined by several doctors.  Once the doctors had pronounced Nellie insane, she was committed to the Asylum.

Charles Dickens had visited in the 1840s, and he described the conditions.  "...everyone had a lounging, listless, madhouse air, which was very painful.  The moping idiot, cowering down with long disheveled hair; the gibbering maniac, with his hideous laugh and pointed finger; the vacant eye, the fierce wild face, the gloomy picking of the hands and lips, and munching of the nails:  there they were all, without disguise, in naked ugliness and horror."

Yet, when Nellie Bly was admitted, she said, "From the moment I entered the insane ward on the Island, I made no attempt to keep up the assumed role of insanity.  I talked and acted just as I do in ordinary life.  Yet, strange to say, the more sanely I talked and acted, the crazier I was thought to be by all..."  She described rotted food, cruel attendants, and cramped and diseased conditions, and she believed there were patients with whom she talked that were as sane as she was.  Sadly, it was a time when an inconvenient wife or a dependent elderly person that had become a nuisance to the caregiver might be delivered to the Asylum.

Nellie Bly wrote:  "What, excepting torture, would produce insanity quicker than this treatment?"  She described, "...take a perfectly sane and healthy woman, shut her up and make her sit from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on straight-back benches, do not allow her to talk or move during these hours, give her no reading material and let her know nothing of the world or its doings, give her bad food and harsh treatment, and see how long it will take to make her insane."

With the help of Pulitzer, Nellie was released after 10 days, and her newspaper expose, later published as the book, "Ten Days in a Mad-House," led to a grand jury investigation and increased financial budgeting.  While her expose did gain fame for Nellie Bly, it also brought attention and changes to the abuses at the Asylum on Blackwell's Island. 

   

Around the World Many Times

1873 1st Vernes book

 In 1872, French author Jules Verne published "Around the World in Eighty Days," creating the memorable character Fhileas Fogg, an Englishman who makes a wager that he can go around the world in 80 days, with his French valet Passepartout.  The book has inspired many adaptations, among them the 1965 movie starring David Niven as Fogg, the Disney movie with Steve Coogan as Fogg, and the current Masterpiece serial, with David Tennant, among many other versions.

Jules Verne

However, the inspiration for Verne's book may not have come from simply his imagination.  An Italian traveler named Ciovanni Francesco Gemell Careri wrote a book in 1699 titled "Voyage Around the World."   In 1871 the Union Pacific Railroad Company published a description of routes, times, and distances describing a trip around the globe in 77 days and 21 hours.  In 1869 the periodical 'Le Tour du monde' published a short piece titled "Around the World in Eighty Days," but even that referenced the Nouvelles Annales written by Conrad Malte-Brun, who died in 1826, and his son, who died in 1889.

Verne's book has challenged many people to pick up the gauntlet.  In 1928, a 15-year-old boy, sponsored

by a Danish newspaper, made his own race, which was published in a book titled "A Boy Scout Around the World.  A sailing competition now awards the Jules Verne Trophy to the boat that sails around the world without stopping and with no outside assistance in the shortest time.  In 2009, 12 celebrities formed a relay to raise money for the charity, Children in Need.  These are only a few examples of challenges inspired by Verne's book.

However, I am going to share the race of a specific woman named Nellie Bly.  Actually, her given name was Elizabeth Jane Cochran, but the first newspaper editor to hire her named her Nellie Bly.  Aspiring to succeed in the big city of New York, Nellie proposed to Joseph Pulitzer in 1887 to replicate Verne's 80-day race around the world.  Her trip of 24,899 miles used steamships, railroads, and the White Star liner, "Oceanic," dressing for her adventure in a single dress, an overcoat, several changes of underwear, carrying a travel bag for toiletries, and with a hidden bag tied around her neck containing bank notes and gold.  She completed the race in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds!

Next week's blog will share an even more dramatic challenge accomplished by the courageous Nellie Bly.        

Most Readers Have Favorite Authors, #4

 

It isn't easy to select a favorite author or a favorite book, but I do have a favorite.  I have written about Harper Lee before.  "To Kill a Mockingbird" is often spoken of as a book for young readers.  Yes, teachers often include it for their junior high students, but more accurately it is a book for all readers, in my opinion.  

The New York Times chose to celebrate its 125th Year of the Times Book Review's existence by asking readers to nominate their favorite book.  "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee was chosen as the Best Book of the Past 125 Years.  I am thrilled.  I have recommended that book to so many people, and I particularly urge anyone considering law school to read it before they begin and read it after they are licensed to practice.  If they still think it is a youth book, they probably should read it a third time.

In an essay, NYT editor Molly Young began with these words, "When you revisit in adulthood a book that you last read in childhood, you will likely experience two broad categories of observation:  'Oh yeah, I remember this part,' and 'Whoa, I never noticed that part.'"  Her wonderful essay continued with sharing the things she missed and why it was worth revisiting.  She describes what impressed her most:  "...which is how keenly Lee recreates the comforts, miseries and banalities of people gathered intimately in one little space."

In the announcement of the selection, the New York Times explained the process for the selection.  More than 1,300 books were nominated.  Of that number, 65% were nominated by only one person.  Of those nominating a book, only 31% of them saw their book included in the list of 25 finalists.

Another interesting discovery is that certain authors were particularly popular.  Three authors had seven of their books nominated.  Those authors are John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner.  Another group of three had five of their books nominated.  Those three authors are James Baldwin, Margaret Atwood, and Virginia Wolf.  They also mentioned Joan Didion, who recently passed away, who had four of her books nominated.  Of course, I would like to have seen Willa Cather among those authors named for having several books nominated.

If some of you are still making your New Year's Resolution reading list, you might consider these authors and the idea of reading several of a single author's books.

Or, you might consider the top five books nominated in the NYT Anniversary vote,  listed from 1-5 are:  Harper Lee, "To Kill a Mockingbird," J.R.R. Tolkien, "Fellowship of the Ring," George Orwell, "1984," Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "One Hundred Years of Solitude," and Toni Morrison, "Beloved."

Some of my favorites included among the other finalists are:  "All the Light We Cannot See," by Anthony Doerr, "Lonesome Dove," by Larry McMurtry, "The Grapes of Rath," by Steinbeck, "Charlotte's Web," by E.B. White, and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by Rowllng.  There are a few more that I liked at the time I read them but can no longer remember why, and one I tried my best to read and finally gave up.

The link to the NYT article, including the essay by Molly Young referenced in this blog, is https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/28/books/best-book-winners.html 

 

So Many Choices, Where Do I Start? New Year's Reading Resolution 3

Photo Credits:  Lyn Fenwick

Like Thomas Jefferson, "I cannot live without my books."  My New Year's Resolution should be--and is to some extent--"I resolve to read books in my library that I have not made time to read."  Some of you know that I collect illustrated children's books, and I have read most of those.  There are still a few classic books in that collection that I have not read.  Reading those classics is at the top of my list.  I love history, and I have particularly collected books by and about American presidents.  For some surprising reason, I am also interested in W.W. I, and there are a few books of that category that I have not read.  My New Year's Resolution is to spend more time reading and less time wasted, and even if I keep that resolution, I am sure I will have unread books as 2022 ends.

When I made my Millenium List, I still believed that if I carefully selected a book as worthy of reading, I should finish it.  I no longer adhere to that creed.  Life is too short to read every great book, and it is not my responsibility to every author to finish their book!  However, it is my responsibility to search out wonderful books and try to read as many of them as I can.

A good place to start is with book lists prepared by serious readers, book sellers, publishers, and friends whose reading acumen you respect.  The internet has many book lists that are easily available.  For example, Amazon has a list titled "100 Books to Read in a Lifetime" complied by their editors.  Of course, they would like for you to buy those books from Amazon, but there is no requirement that you do.  They also have lists for specific types of books, such as Childrens, Mysteries, Biographies & Memoirs, and more.

If you prefer novels, "Time" has a list prepared by Critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo with what they consider the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923.  They list the books alphabetically by title, rather than ranking them from best to "barely made it on the list."  Modern Library has a list titled 100 Best Novels, which is a 'ranking' list.  Good Reads is another source with more current and popular rankings.

Obviously, I lean heavily on the classics that have retained their popularity longer than a few years, but there are wonderful books being published all the time.  I also tend to read all the books written by my favorite authors, once I become a fan.  It is no secret that I have been a Willa Cather fan since I sneaked a book out of a box of books my brother brought home from college when I was eight.  It was "My Antonia," and I also favor "O Pioneers," and "One of Ours," although they are not necessarily the ones critics rank highest.  I also like Barbara Kingsolver, and I have read all of her books. The first months of Covid I decided to read all of the "Harry Potter" books chronologically.  That was great fun.

Whether you join a Book Club, decide to read Children's Classics to your children, select a particular historic period or a favorite author to read everything that author has written, I hope you consider making your New Year's Resolution for 2022 a commitment a read more books.  I'd love to hear from you to learn what you are reading!  I am just finishing "If, The Untold Story of Kipling's American Years," so I think I will take a second look at my beautiful copy of "The Jungle Book," illustrated and signed by Robert Ingpen, and another publication of that book illustrated by Don Daily.

Next week I will share a memory of my favorite author.   

Why Should I Read? New Year's Resolution Part 2

 

Remember when reading was fun!  Your New Year's Resolution should be about rediscovering the fun of reading.  And, there is no reason why your reading resolution could not be a family project.  Reading with children reinforces the idea that reading is fun and important.

33% of H.S. Graduates never read another book the rest of their lives.

However, assuming your resolution to read more books is going to be solitary reading, there are many good reasons for you to make a New Year's reading pledge.  I will share just a few of those reasons.

42% of college grads never read another book after college.

Last week's blog described two friends who read to relax at bedtime in one case and to just pass the time without any particular reason in another case.  There is nothing wrong with reading to reduce stress.  Personally, even if I am reading to relax, I still prefer to read something of value to me, so  I keep a book of poetry beside my bed which serves that purpose well.  The rhythm of poetry and the shorter length, which makes it easier to find a stopping place, are both reasons why poetry is especially restful and relaxing.  Often the substance of the poems offer content for reflection as I fall asleep.  In a similar category, reading can be inspiring, whether read at bedtime or any other time.  Reading about the achievements or courage or good deeds of others can be an inspirational reason for reading.

The more a child reads, the better they are able to understand the emotions of others.

Photo Credit:  Lyn Fenwick

Three hundred years ago, Joseph Addison described another important reason for reading:  "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."  Studies have shown that reading really does increase the blood flow and improves connectivity in the brain.  It is not just what you learn by reading but also an actual physical impact.

80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.

Obviously, reading can provide information that can alter your thinking.  Right now, with health issues limiting travel, we can still learn about other people and other places through books.  Books can even take us back in history.  Mark Twain wrote that history may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.  Instead of every generation needing to learn hard lessons for themselves, reading can spare the mistakes and build on the achievements.

70% of U.S. families have not been inside a bookstore in the past 5 years.

Children are not alone in benefitting from reading books that challenge their imaginations.  Fiction authors of the 1800s are believed to have inspired and challenged inventors and scientists who read their books and made fantasy into reality.  How many young boys credit reading a book about an athlete as what made them believe they too could run faster, jump higher, or enter a sport that they believed had been closed to them because of a disability or their color or financial limits.  How many people have built something or written something or baked something or explored something because they were inspired by a book they read, and age need not be a barrier to readers inspired by a book. 

I do not know the source of the statistics I quoted.  Frankly, I hope they are wrong, because I cannot imagine not wanting to continue reading for a lifetime.  But, I do know that other sources support the severe reduction in reading, and I know too many bookstores closed because people stopped buying books.

Whether you read to relax, to be inspired, to be educated, to learn, to improve something about yourself, to gain confidence--and I am not referring to "self-help" books but rather well written books that appeal to you for many reasons, I hope you believe that reading is worth making time to read.

Thank you to Kansas for recognizing Kansas authors & books about Kansas.

And thank you to Libraries and librarians for all they do to encourage reading!

Not Too Late for a Resolution

New Year's is past, but it is not too late for a resolution.  It probably will not surprise you that I am about to suggest that you resolve to set a reading goal.  In the past I have written about my Millennium Reading List.  I chose 100 great books published between 1900 and 1999 to read.  Have I read all of the books on my list?  No.  Is that a bad thing?  No, because the list became the source for discovering more and more books I wanted to read.  

The original list was intended to be fiction, but often fiction made me curious about the time period in which the novel was set, and I discovered history books I would not have otherwise read.  Then the history books led me to biographies.  I also discovered authors I admired, and in addition to reading a single book by that author, I sought other books that particular author had written.

The point is that by making a list of books to read it is likely that you will discover more and more books to enjoy reading.  At least, that is my experience.  

I have also written about the decline in reading.  From my perspective, that is a serious matter.  I know that many people now "read" audio books, especially if they have long commutes to work, or their jobs involve repetitive labor that allows listening to a book without hindering their work.  Audio books have their place, but the reader's interpretation inevitably alters the content with every decision about where to place emphasis, the tone of voice to be used to describe characters, or the character's voice used in dialogue.  All of those things and more can alter a listener's response to the book.  Listening to a book is not the same as reading a book, but it is better than not reading at all.

I am a slow reader.  A friend told me that she set her goal for the number of books she wants to read in a year at 50 books.  I could never accomplish that!  If you make a Resolution, do not set yourself up for failure by demanding more of yourself than is reasonable.

First, consider the kind of books you want to read.  For me, fiction is much quicker to read than nonfiction.  A friend of mine loved reading Romance Novels.  I asked her why she enjoyed them, and she said because they are all alike.  For her, they were just a way to relax and escape into an imaginary world.  Those are not really the kind of books for which you need a New Year's Resolution or a book list.  Another friend told me she reads to relax at bedtime.  She might not select books that stimulated her mind with new ideas for her bedtime reading.

If you decide you want to make a reading list of books, here is my advice:  Don't set yourself up for failure by making an impossibly long list or selecting especially long books.  To start, set a reasonable goal, maybe one book a month, or ten books for 2022.  If there is a particular book you know you want to read, start reading it now.  

If you don't have a particular book in mind, visit your local library and ask the librarian for a suggestion.  Before you go, decide the type of book you want to read--fiction or nonfiction, history or biography, a classic you remember from high school or college that you want to read again with a more mature perspective, a book by a particular author you have liked in the past or that you have heard about.  If you have a particular type of book in mind, the librarian will be better able to direct you to something you will enjoy, or at least to direct you to the shelf when those books are housed. If you are fortunate enough to live in a town with a bookstore, ask a knowledgeable clerk for suggestions, but be prepared with the same thought about the type of book you are interested in reading in order to give the clerk some guidance.

Finally, read the first two pages before you buy or check the book out.  Don't force yourself to start off your New Year's Resolution with a book that feels like an assignment.  If you want to be generous to the author, read five pages before you decide, but don't begin your Resolution with a book you are not enjoying.  Maybe later you will want to give a challenging book another chance, but at least start off the year's reading with a book that interests you from the early pages!

Good Luck!  I'll see you next week with some fresh ideas for why we should Resolve to Read!! 
     

She Didn't Marry a Farmer

Continuing last week's blog that shared 3 generations of women who married a famer and concluded with a husband who married a farmer's daughter, I will remind all of us that while it may be true that young women today may be choosing farming for themselves, they are far from the first Female Farmers!

The Homestead Act of 1862 identified "heads of households" as the family member allowed to stake a homestead claim.  Since husbands were always the ones considered as the head of the family, married women could not stake a claim unless they could prove that their husband did not provide support for them in any way.  That was often difficult, since even the worst of husbands usually managed to bring home some bit of revenue occasionally.  

The picture above right compares the roots of prairie grass that the homesteaders had to break through to plow their fields for crops to the shallow roots of cultivated grass.  Breaking the native prairie sod was no easy task for male or female farmers!

Single persons, male or female, could stake a claim to prove up, as could widows and divorced women.  Adjacent to Isaac Werner's timber claim were two such women.  Persis Vosburg lived across the road to the west of Isaac's timber claim.  She had never married, but she had her own home and staked the quarter section on which it set.  Her widowed brother's claim was just to the north of hers.  She helped take care of his motherless children and he helped with some of her farm work in exchange.  A neighbor, coveting her land, raised a complaint that she was not complying with the requirements of a homesteader.  Isaac spoke up for her, saying that if two brothers had claims side-by-side and shared work, no one would object.  The fact that the work she did for her brother involved childcare should be treated no differently than the case of two brothers sharing work.  Persis was allowed to prove up her claim.

Just to the east of Isaac's timber claim was a divorced woman with children who had staked a claim.  No one seemed to object to Isabel Ross staking her claim, since it was obvious that she was supporting herself and her children.  Isaac often did simple kindnesses for her, including hiring Isabel and her children occasionally to help with his potato crops. 

Homesteading Chrisman Sisters

Perhaps the most famous female homesteaders are the four Chrisman sisters, Hattie, Lizzie, Lutie, and Ruth, who all staked claims in Custer County, Nebraska in1886.  They were not alone.  Historians today have estimated that about 20% of the homesteaders in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North & South Dakota, Utah, and Idaho were single women.  Not every person staking a claim managed to endure the hardships of survival or the loneliness and hard work, and many claims were abandoned.  However, the success rate for proving up their claim was higher among women than men.

These brave, resourceful, stubborn women homesteaders were generations ahead of the Pioneer ad that inspired last week's blog, which is continued this week.  In the book "Letters of a Woman Homesteader," a widow with a young daughter decided to stake a claim.  Her Pastor advised her to "get a position as a housekeeper for some rancher who would advise [her] about land and water rights."  As you might guess, the widow and the rancher didn't quite stay single for five years, but she maintained her own land and he continued paying his bride the housekeeper wages he had paid before their marriage, so that she had her own money for maintaining her claim.  The government accepted the arrangement and awarded her the land at the end of the required 5 years.  Isaac Werner's neighbor ladies Persis and Isabel had no such romantic entanglements and proved up their claims 'by the book.'  Perhaps for some of these ladies, a man may have come along after her hard work of proving up a claim and asked for the lady's hand in marriage.  I'm not sure whether these ladies would have accepted a marriage proposal after proving they could manage on their own, especially since the laws of their time would have taken away some of their rights if they married!

But, like the woman in the Pioneer ad that inspired the two blogs starting last week and concluding this week, perhaps some of those homesteading women could eventually say "Her husband married a farmer." 

Married to a Farmer

 

In gratitude to the many people who follow this blog, I have shared history and other topics weekly for nearly 550 blogs.  It will probably not surprise you that I am constantly on the lookout for interesting subjects, but so is my husband.  Recently he handed me a page torn from a magazine, with an ad from Pioneer.  The text read:  Her great grandmother married a farmer,  Her grandmother married a farmer;  Her mother married a farmer,   Her Husband Married A Farmer.  Beneath that was this sentence:  "We're proud to work with generations of American farmers in the most complex and rewarding industry on earth."

"Do you think you can make a blog out of that?" my husband asked.  "Probably," I replied.  Actually, it was easy!  Thank you to Pioneer for the idea.  They inspired me with the quote from the upper corner of the ad pictured at the top of this blog, which reads:  "We're proud to work with generations of American farmers in the most complex and rewarding industry on earth." 

My Great Grandmother

Living in the farmhouse of a 4th generation family farm, all I needed to do was consider my own ancestry.  My great grandmother, Susan Beck, was a pretty young teacher when an older fellow, who had put marriage aside to help support his parents before serving 3 years in the Union army and working for a while after returning from the war, spotted the young teacher and asked her to marry him.  By the time he went to Kansas to stake both a homestead and a timber claim, they had two young children, which Susan brought with her by train to join her husband.  When a stroke disabled her husband, Susan stepped forward, taught school, helped neighbor ladies with medical needs, and bought a quarter-section of land with her son.  Her role in their marriage went beyond being "a farmer's wife."

My grandmother raised a family of seven.  The house we now live in had no electricity nor running water inside the house, but the pump on the enclosed corner of the porch provided the water she needed to fill the tank in the iron stove every morning to keep warm water available through the day--once she got a fire going in the stove first thing in the morning!  I don't know how much was delegated to her children and a full time hired man, but although she never managed to learn how to drive a car, she was said to be able to harness a horse to a wagon as fast as any man.

My mother was the 3rd generation, and while her role was more domestic, no one should minimize the importance of her summers of canning what was raised in the garden, providing shelves in the basement filled with enough canned tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers, as well as jars and jars of sand hill plumb jelly to last until the next summer's garden.    

And finally, the 4th generation comes down to me.  I have done some gardening since we moved to the farm, but not every year.  I do make enough sand hill plum jelly to last through the year, if late frosts don't ruin the harvest.  I can't really claim to be a farmer, but I certainly can claim to be a Farmer's Daughter.

More history about female farmers next week!

 

Keeping Holiday Traditions During Covid

The day after Thanksgiving I began packing away the turkeys and the pilgrims for another year and bringing out Santa and the Angels.  Covid cases had been lessening, and I hoped maybe we could share the holidays with friends in our home this year.  Unfortunately, between the new varient, more people traveling at Thanksgiving, cold weather bringing people together inside, and other reasons, we will probably not be inviting guests again this year.

Nevertheless, the calendar says it is Christmas, and even though Mother Nature delivered the worst wind we have ever seen at the farm instead of snow, we are doing our best to maintain the Christmas spirit with decorations in every room.

It took us a while for just the two of us to finish off the Thanksgiving turkey, so we aren't doing turkey again for Christmas, although that was the family tradition in this house when I was a child because our crowded holiday tables contained so many guests that there were few leftovers.  We finally have managed to collect all of the ingredients we need for our recipes, although the now familiar challenge of not always finding ingredients on the shelves meant it required shopping early and visiting more than one store.  

I confess, over the years I acquired far too many Christmas decorations.  When we lived in cities, I did my holiday decoration buying the day after Christmas, when prices were drastically reduced and beautiful marked down treasures were far too tempting to resist.  That is why we always have at least two trees.

This year that required some negotiating with our cat Emerson.  We try to keep him off the furniture, without complete success I must admit, although we have negotiated a few rules.  This summer we brought in a wicker porch chair during a rainstorm, and Emerson laid claim to it for himself.  When we were putting the lawn furniture away for winter, it occurred to us that we might just leave the wicker chair in the house for him.  We even put it at a window so he could see out to the south.  That worked well to keep him off the other furniture at south windows.

The problem is that the south window where the second Christmas tree is usually placed is where Emerson's chair sits.  The negotiations were challenging, and the results are not entirely satisfactory for either us or Emerson, but he does have his chair and we do have a tree in the south window.  And best of all, it still keeps him off the other furniture.

Happy Holidays to everyone!  Stay safe and healthy, and perhaps our visits for the holidays in 2022 will not have to be virtual.

 

Old Enough for Remakes

 Isaac Werner had a wonderful way with words, and among his clever expressions is one that I particularly like.  Isaac had made the effort to go to St. John to hear Mary Elizabeth Lease speak on a nasty winter night that necessitated his wearing layers of clothing and a veil over his face to avoid frost bite.  He found her program "splendid from beginning to end," but he was unwilling to face the freezing temperatures to travel to his farm when her program ended.  Instead, he chose to spend the night with a former country neighbor who had moved into town.  I describe that evening in Prairie Bachelor.  

From Prairie Bachelor:  "Unwilling to face the cold in darkness, he spent the night with W.C. Betzer, a former country neighbor who had moved into St. John when he reached his sixties.  His wife Julia left the two men talking politics until after one o'clock.  Despite Isaac's eagerness to start home early the next morning, his host was still talking." From Isaac's Journal: "Finally got away from old Betzer,' Isaac wrote in his journal. '...his only fault, he needs a Westinghouse Air Brake to stop him from talking when he gets started.'"

I love Isaac's description of needing "a Westinghouse Air Brake."  Most of us have been trapped in a conversation when we were in a hurry but couldn't seem to get away from our friend in the middle of a story.  We might even have been able to identify with Betzer's wife Julia, who slipped away and left Isaac alone to listen to her longwinded husband.  

Unknown May-Dec. Couple

Those of you who follow this blog, or who have read Prairie Bachelor already know that I researched Isaac's neighbors and acquaintances as part of authenticating the story of 'Isaac Werner and the Populist Movement.'  That included William and Julia Betzer.  I found them in the 1880 Census as husband and wife, living in Clear Creek Township, William age 53 and Julia age 30.  Also in the household was William's son Frank, aged 20.  In short, husband and wife were 23 years apart in age, and Julia was closer in age to her stepson than to her husband.  In the 1885 Kansas census they had a 6-year-old son, Franklin, who must have been born soon after the 1880 Census, and Frank was still living with them.  By 1900 Julia was widowed.  Isaac's overnight stay with them was in 1889, so although there was no 1890 census to consult, we know that in February of 1889 William was still living.

It was not unusual for older men to marry much younger women.  Joseph A. Cooper, a highly respected member of the community who had served in both the Mexican American War and had advanced to the rank of a Union breveted Major General at the close of the Civil War, had married his wife Mary Jane when he was 52 and she was 22.  My own Great-grandfather Beck, who also fought for the Union in the Civil War was 19 years older than my Great-grandmother.  Even Isaac made a tentative attempt at courtship of the younger Prohibition speaker, Blanche Hazelett. 

Sometimes these younger brides were widows, although I don't have reason to know that about the three women mentioned in this blog.  In other cases, these older men have achieved some financial stability that younger suitors might not have had.  Because of the Civil War, many of these men were older when they married because their lives had been interrupted by service to their country.  Whatever the reason, it was not unusual for these May-December Weddings to happen, or as my title for this blog reads, parties to the marriage were often 'Old Enough for Remakes.'

That brings me to my own surprising recognition that I am 'old enough for remakes!'  Granted, I was young when "West Side Story" was released in 1961, but I certainly saw it at the time of its release, staring Natalie Wood as Maria, Richard Beymer as Tony, Russ Tamblyn as Riff, and Rita Moreno as Anita.  I also remember the handsome George Chakiris as Bernardo, the leader of the "Sharks."  A bit of trivia for those of us who saw the original movie: among those considered for the role of Tony were   Warren Beatty, Burt Reynolds, Richard Chamberlain, and Robert Redford.  Even Elvis Presley was considered, but his manager Colonel Tom Parker turned it down.

I confess, when I learned that "West Side Story," directed by Steven Spielberg, was being remade, it came as a shock to see that I am old enough for remakes of one of my favorite films!  I grew up in an era of blond female movie stars, so brunette Natalie Wood was my favorite movie star.  Everyone behind the scenes in the making of that movie was a giant of my youth--Leonard Bernstein's music, Stephen Sondheim's lyrics, Jerome Robbins choreography--these were the giants of my time.  Yet, so is Steven Spielberg.

The pre-release reviews were great.  I was pleased that the casting now includes more accurate ethnic casting and less tan grease paint.  Spielberg has expressed his respect for the original film, and Rita Moreno is the executive producer on the new movie and a major character, switching from the young girlfriend of Bernardo to the role of Valentina, a gender and ethnic change to play the soda shop owner   in the new film.  Given all of those things, I could hardly wait to see Spielberg's "West Side Story."  

I must admit, like those Civil War Soldiers who accepted the fact that although they had postponed marriage to serve their country, they were not too old to make a delayed life with a young wife and children born when they were in their senior years--Old Enough for Remakes--I too have accepted the fact that I am old enough for remakes, and Larry and I went to see Spielberg's West Side Story.  It was fabulous!!!

As the last credits rolled, my husband leaned over and whispered, "What did you think?"  I replied, "I never thought I would say this, but it's better than the original!"

Go see it--whether you are young or old enough for remakes.  The overhead view of the demolition of old New York to make way for Lincoln Center will pull you into the movie and never let go.  For a moment you may not like Ansel Elgort who plays Tony, but only for a moment.  He is fabulous.  He owns the movie.  Adding Rita Moreno as Doc's widow running the soda-shop is brilliant.  The dancing is better integrated to fit the plot.  For those of you old enough for remakes like me, take Kleenex!  I'm not sure if Spielberg made me cry, or if some of those tears were for the real people who made the original movie, but I certainly shed enough tears at the end of the movie for both. 

      

Kansas Political Roots

 

My Great-grandfather was a Union Soldier, and he served for 3 years.  For the rest of his life, he voted republican, as many Union Soldiers did, for the republican party was the Party of Lincoln, and having served him for those three years as a soldier, it was because of Lincoln that he continued to serve his party.

He passed that tradition down to his son, my Grand-father, who did not serve in the army but who did serve in the Kansas House of Representatives as a republican.

Continuing the family political tradition, my father was also a republican, serving as a County Republican Chairman, and like his ancestors, voting republican.  Although my mother's family voted democrat, Mother accepted the Beck tradition of voting republication when she married my father.

Kansas was populated after the Civil War by many men who had served the Union during the war, taking advantage of a year's credit for each year of service for the Union toward the 5 years required to mature a homestead claim.  Like my Great-grandfather, many, if not most, of those men voted for the rest of their lives for the party of Lincoln, as did their descendants, down to the present time.

I do not know the ancestry of Bob Dole or whether he had ancestors that served in the Civil War.  What I do know is he bravely served his country in W. W. II and that he carried the physical consequences of that service for the rest of his life without bitterness, and with the desire of continuing service for his country.  That service was done as a Republican--in the House, in the Senate, as a Vice-presidential nominee, and as the Republican candidate for President.  His sense of duty to American Soldiers never waned, nor did his loyalty to Lincoln's Party.  In fact, many of his sayings share a strong resemblance to Lincoln's quotes.

Me with Elizabeth & Senator Dole; photo credit: Larry Fenwick

In honor of the passing of Senator Dole, I would like to share some of those similar quotes.

Dole:  "You don't go out and hurt somebody's feelings, we have opponents and not enemies in this business."

Lincoln:  "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

Dole:  "Those who cultivate moral confusion for profit should understand this:  we will name their names and shame them as they deserve to be shamed."

Lincoln:  "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."

Dole:  "I think voters believe that when you become president of the United States, you have a higher obligation and a higher standard than anybody in the world, ...and if you violate that standard, they're going to remember it on election day."

Lincoln:  "Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow.  The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing."

Dole:  "Something is wrong with America.  I wonder sometimes what people are thinking about or if they are thinking at all."

Lincoln:  "America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Although Senator Dole's sharp tongue and absolute commitment to the Republican Party sometimes led to criticism, this quote from Dole at the 1996 Republican Convention left no question about the Party in which he believed.

"The Republican Party is broad and inclusive.  It represents many streams of opinion and many points of view.  But if there's anyone who has mistakenly attached themselves to our party in the belief that we are not open to citizens of every race and religion, then let me remind you, tonight this hall belongs to the Party of Lincoln.  And the exits, which are clearly marked, are for you to walk out of as I stand this ground without compromise."

Memories from 1976

By now, those of you who follow my blog know that I love history. It is not just the history of a Kansas homesteader named Isaac Beckley Werner nor the Populist Movement of which he was a part.  It is also the history that I was present to experience. Some of the readers of this blog may not have been born in time to celebrate the Bicentennial of 1976, but many of us were.

If you were a young man in 1976, you may have had the poster of the beautiful Farrah Fawcett on your wall.  When my cousin, who went to school in Corpus Christi, Texas, told me that Farrah had attended her high school, I was very impressed.

If you watched the 1976 Olympics, you were probably among the countless Americans who cheered for Bruce Jenner as he crossed the finish line to win the gold for the USA.

And, although by 1976 Elvis Presley may have had a somewhat older crowd cheering for him, and there may have been a bit more of Elvis to love, he was still filling arenas.  

You may have enjoyed these memories, but you may be wondering why I am sharing these stars from 1976 with you.  To explain, a friend, who knows my interest in history, discovered a Wichita Eagle & Beacon newspaper following his father's death, kept for all these years.  After looking through the old newspaper, he passed it along to my husband and me.  I used the three personalities from the 1976 era to help transport you back in time before quoting a segment from the front page of the newspaper our friend shared. 

The Wichita Eagle and Beacon, Sunday, July 4, 1976, a Commentary by Davis Merritt Jr., Executive Editor:

"We have been working at it for 200 years now, this nation, and after another 200 it still won't be perfect. We've been through war (and victory), depression (and recovery), despair (and vaulting optimism).  We'll do it all over again as many times as it takes.

And it will take forever, if we are successful.  For self-government is not an arriving at a constant.  ...  

For 200 years now, we have managed to keep our national course running between the unchanging and deadly rock cliffs of oppression and the open, uncontrolled sea of anarchy.  We have done it arguing all the while over just where we were in that perilous strait.  Our national mood at this moment of 200th anniversary, for instance, is clearly not one of confidence that we are in command.  ..."

Near the conclusion of his Commentary, Mr. Merritt reminded his readers to consider the achievements of America. "And look where we have come since then, arguing all the while.  ..." 

I began the blog with personalities that may have recalled happy memories, but 1976 was not all pretty pin ups, gold medals, nor love songs.  Editor Merritt pointed out that never in our national history have we managed to reach perfection.  Are you curious about what was happening the year of 1976 when we celebrated our Bicentennial?

There was a gale that caused 82 deaths and cost the U.S. $1.3 billion in damages.  A Swine Flu outbreak began at Fort Dix, New Jersey.  The Teton Dam in Idaho collapsed.  The "Son of Sam" began his murderous rampage.  The yearly inflation rate was 5.75%.  And in Viet Nam, where so many American soldiers had given their lives and bodies, South Vietnam fell and North Vietnam declared their union to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In contrast, Apple Inc. was formed by Steve Jobs, Concord service began between London and Washington, D.C., and America's 'Viking 2' spacecraft landed on Mars, as America celebrated its 200th Birthday year.

Today, nearly 45 years since David Merritt Jr. wrote his newspaper Commentary, we continue to keep our nation "between the unchanging and deadly rock cliffs of oppression and the open, uncontrolled sea of anarchy" he described, but it isn't always easy.  As he warned, the genius of the American system depends on each of us to "have the patience and courage to steer that difficult course, rather than surrender to the rocks or the open sea."  As Thanksgiving of 2021 passed, perhaps some of us reflected on the troubled times of Covid, school shootings, and political strife and found thankfulness difficult.  Perhaps it will help us keep some perspective to reflect on what America faced in the year of our Bicentennial Yet, as Mr. Meritt reminded us, no one guaranteed that preserving a democracy is easy.  The challenges of freedom may be the very thing for which we should be thankful.   

 

Reasons to be Thankful

 

Photo credit:  Lyn Fenwick

So many reasons to be thankful.  Wishing all of you an abundance of reasons for thankfulness as well.

Great Bend in Isaac's Time

 

           Larned and Great Bend

It has been such a privilege for me to be able to share the story of our ancestors with the help of so many local people.  Already, I have spoken in connection with four libraries, a history museum, an art museum, a trail center museum, at Rotary Club, at a book club gathering, on a virtual book launch, and on public radio.  None of that would have been possible without the efforts of many other people.  Those efforts continue, with several programs already scheduled for 2022.  I have tried to reach out and thank everyone for their support, not only those who helped plan the programs but also those who attended.  At a library program in June, I recognized two people who were attending their third program!  I know of others who have attended at least 2 programs.

Each program I prepare is different, with emphasis shown to the various topics included in Prairie Bachelor, The Story of a Kansas Homesteader.  One of those attending her third program said, "I learn something new at each one."  On November 18th I am giving another program with a new power point and fresh topics.  The image at the top of this blog is included in the Great Bend Library program to be held at 6 p.m. November 18th.  

The image at left was taken at the Great Bend Library, with Prairie Bachelor eagerly awaiting the next reader to check it out.  Thank you to the library for featuring the book.

Speaking in Great Bend gives me the opportunity to share from the book a story about Isaac's trip with a neighbor.  The young man going to Great Bend to catch the train was entrusting Isaac with getting his team of 3 horses and his wagon back to the young man's homestead claim in Stafford County.

I am looking forward to a whole new program to share, with a new power point to accompany the information.  I am grateful for the generosity of so many people who have helped me share the story of Kansas in the late 1800s, and our state's importance to the most successful 3rd party movement in our nation's history.  It makes the decade I spent researching and writing Prairie Bachelor worth it.  My belief in the importance of sharing this story has been rewarded by comments from so many readers, both those who checked out Prairie Bachelor at a local library and those who bought the book.

Many have shared stories about their own ancestors who participated in the Populist Movement, or at least lived in that era.  Some have shared images that appear in the book.  One was pleased to discover the quote from Walt Whitman, her favorite poet, whose poem I used to introduce the story of a forgotten man.  

A Kansas City reporter in the 1920s wrote:  "Even historians don't understand Kansas.  I wonder sometimes if anybody except God understands Kansas and sometimes I think Kansas has even him fooled."  Quote from Craig Miner's Kansas.  That is why I wrote Prairie Bachelor for general readers rather than writing an academic text.  Kansas has an amazing history, and I wanted to share one important era that has become nearly forgotten except by academics.  It is my great pleasure to hear from those who fell in love with Isaac, or who learned more about the lives their ancestors lived, or who discover our State's significant past. I look forward to sharing with those at the Library, Isaac's trip to Great Bend almost a decade and a half ago, and I also look forward to the continued sharing of Kansas history with those who read the book and those who attend the programs!

   

Sights to See Nearby

 In 1991 the Architectural Record published a list of the one hundred most important buildings of the twentieth century.  Twelve of those buildings were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  There is little dispute about the exceptional quality of Wright's work.  Feelings about his character vary.

Photo Credit:  Larry Fenwick

This past weekend we spent an afternoon at the Allen House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wichita built for newspaper publisher Henry Allen and his wife Elsie. Wright was commissioned by the Allens to construct their home in 1916, but it was not completed until 1918.

We are extremely fortunate to have this house in Wichita, refurbished to look much as it would have when the Allens lived there, with furniture also designed by Wright that has been acquired to provide the appearance of how the home would have been decorated originally.

We happened to be there on a beautiful autumn afternoon, and the leaves made a perfect background for the house and the grounds.  The picture taken of me, with my reflection in the Wright designed pond, offers a glimpse of the property.

According to literature provided on the website, "Architectural writers who have visited the house believe its living room is one of the great rooms of the 20th century."  The house contains more that 30 pieces of Wright-designed furniture, all of its original art glass, and several examples of innovations made by Wright.

This image from their brochure shows the exterior of the house from a different angle, and the abundance of windows.  Wright placed great significance in the harmony between the house and its surroundings, as the garden in this picture illustrates.  Wright utilizes nature in his designs.

I became interested in Wright because of a book titled "Loving Frank."  It is a novel based on a love affair Wright had.  I'm not sure how I heard about the book, but I bought it and promptly packed it in a box during a move.  Only a few weeks ago did I finally open the right box from that move to at last be able to read the book I had started long ago.  I was so intrigued that I immediately ordered another book titled "Plagued By Fire," which is more authentic.  Even that author, however, admits that getting the story of Wright's life entirely accurate is nearly impossible.  The imagination that made him a famous and respected architect was frequently put to work by Wright to elaborate reality.

The author of "Plagued By Fire," Paul Hendrickson, introduces Wright in the first chapter with these words:  "Mother-fueled, father-ghosted, here he comes now, nineteen years old, almost twenty, out of the long grasses of the Wisconsin prairie, a kid, a rube, a bumpkin by every estimation except his own..."  That tease by the author offers some clues to the charm, the brilliance, the selfishness, the neglectfulness, the generosity, the story spinning...the mythology and gifts of this man.  But what is certain is that he influenced and changed American Architecture.

What is particularly wonderful for us is that many of his homes have survived, and in our area we are fortunate to have one of his best examples.  USA Today has called the Allen House one f the "10 great Frank Lloyd Wright home tours" in the nation, and many of those who read my blog can travel to tour the house within an easy drive.  The guides are knowledgeable and friendly, and you cannot help but enjoy the tours, whether or not you are a fan of architecture.

If you go to their website at https://flwrighwichita.org you can find the schedule of tours planned for the Holidays.   

Monarch Butterflies & Marigolds

 

Photo credit:  Lyn Fenwick

Several days ago, I spotted Monarch butterflies feeding on the marigolds outside the library in Macksville, and although I feared it would be nearly impossible to slip up for a photograph before I startled the Monarchs away, I decided it was worth the try.  In fact, the Monarchs must have been a little drunk from sipping, for I managed to get several pictures

Every year as autumn arrives I watch for the migration of the Monarch butterflies heading south to their winter homes in Mexico.  Although I was working in the yard this year a few days during that time, I only saw 3 butterflies.  After growing concern about the rapidly reducing numbers of Monarchs, in 2020 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service finally acknowledged the peril, but they only declared the Monarch "a candidate" for endangered status, acknowledging that the Monarch meets the listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act, but that they needed to "focus resources on our higher priority listing actions."

Like our honey bees, these essential insects pose a dilemma for farmers.  Pollinators account for billions of dollars in crop production values, but some of the plants necessary to the insects are weeds farmers want to get rid of.  Since the mid-1990s Eastern monarchs native to Kansas had declined in 25 years by about 80%.  For the Western Monarch it was worse, at 99% in 40 years.  No wonder I am not seeing the same numbers of Monarch butterflies I once saw.  My photograph of Monarchs on marigolds takes on a new meaning.  I associated it with Dia de Los Muertos--the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead.

Although the name might not seem appropriate for a day of celebration, it is in fact a happy celebration to honor loved ones who have died.  Rather than mourning their deaths, alters, called "ofrendas" are constructed and offerings are made to those loved ones.  Photographs, candles, food, and other objects with special meaning to the deceased are placed on the alters.  Family and friends may visit, and parades and parties may be part of the celebration.  The Ofrendas are decorated on October 31 and on November 2 public celebrations are held, which may include elaborate costumes.  The migration of the Monarchs that occurs at this time is often associated with the Dia de Los Muertos celebrations.

In addition, so are Marigolds!  The Aztec believed that flowers help guide lost souls, and the alters or ofrendas are often decorated with flowers to help guide the souls of their loved ones to see what they have done for them.  Marigolds, with their bright colors and pungent odor, as well as their continued abundance in early fall are often used.

The Day of the Dead for 2021 was celebrated this past weekend, and perhaps the Monarchs I photographed in Macksville several days ago made it to Mexico for the celebrations.  Our own Memorial Day remembrances in my community are different, but they are also alike in many ways.  That weekend we also decorate the graves of loved ones with flowers, and many families use the occasion to tell their children about their relatives.  In some towns, bands march and flags are flown.  Some families still gather for lunches, and conversations turn to updates of family weddings and births and memories of loved ones.  It is also a time for fun.  Swimming pools open and families go to the lake or the beach.  Our traditions may seem different in the details, but upon reflection they share many similarities--particularly in remembering those we have loved and lost.