A Rainy Day in New York

by Pa Rock

Film Fan

I know that it is politically incorrect to admit to being a fan of the works of Woody Allen, but  damn he's funny, and damn he can write, and damn he makes great movies!

And 2019's "A Rainy Day in New York" is, in my personal opinion, one of Woody Allen's finest films.  Damn, it's good!

The movie stars Timothee Chalamet as Gatsby, a young man whose passions are gambling, playing bluesy piano tunes in bars, and love.  Gatsby, who is a bit on the neurotic side and would have undoubtedly been played by Woody Allen himself a few decades ago, grew up in New York City with socialite parents.  His mother, in particular, is hellbent on him getting a college degree and being successful in life.  

As the tale begins Gatsby has experienced some unspecified difficulties at  his original college and has been shuffled off to to a private school in rural upstate New York for a fresh start.  There he has met and fallen in love with Ashleigh (Elle Fanning), a beauty queen from Tucson who is studying journalism.  Ashleigh has landed an interview with a reclusive director in New York City and Gatsby is anxious to accompany her to the Big Apple for the interview so that he can show Ashleigh his town.

Gatsby, whose pockets are stuffed with winnings from a big poker game, and Ashleigh take the bus to New York City and check into a nice hotel with a view of Central Park.   Early in the day Ashleigh takes off to interview the director, and Gatsby hits the streets to reconnect with a few old friends and his brother, while striving to keep his presence in the city hidden from his mother who is hosting a big social doo that evening.  As the day progresses Ashleigh gets bounced through a series of movie celebrity oddball encounters, and Gatsby inadvertently connects with Chan (Selena Gomez), the now grown little sister of one of his former girlfriends.

And then it begins to rain and complications set in - and before the day ends Gatsby and Ashleigh have each begun moving in different directions.

"A Rainy Day in New York" is a beautiful story about the impact that rain can have life and love.  It is Woody Allen at his absolute writing and directing best, and I liked it - a lot - twice!

Sorry about that.

Damn!

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

 

by Pa Rock

Student of History

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of what has come to be known as "Bloody Sunday, the day British paratroopers opened fire on marchers who were holding a peaceful demonstration in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, to protest what they regarded as the British occupation of their country and the British treatment of Irish prisoners.  The paratrooper unit, which had a history of excessive violence, fired indiscriminately - for the most part - into elements of the crowd, which numbered between 10,000 and 15,000 activist Irish Catholics.  The British bullets struck twenty-six human beings, with thirteen killed outright and one dying of his injuries a few months later.   

Most of the victims ere shot in the back.  All were unarmed.

The dead were primarily young men.  Jackie Duddy, Michael Kelly, Hugh Gilmore,  John Young, , Michael McElhlinney, and Jerry Donaghe were all just seventeen.  William Nash was nineteen, Michael McDald was twenty, Jim Wray was twenty-two, and William McKinney was twenty-six.  A few were older, though not by much.   Patrick Doherty was thirty-one, Gerry McKinney was thirsty-five, Barney McGulgan was forty-one, and John Johnston, the old man among the victims, was fifty nine.  (Johnston was the victim who died a few months after the violence but whose death was attributed to that awful day.

Two formal inquiries were held regarding Bloody Sunday.  The first was a whitewash job that was held soon after the event and largely exonerated the British military, and the second, held more than a quarter-of-a-century later, laid much of the blame on the British military and resulted in an apology from her majesty's government, but with no formal action against any of the shooters.

Today, just as it was fifty years ago, most of Ireland is its own nation, but six counties, commonly known as "Northern Ireland," remain under British control, a stark reminder of Britain's intolerant colonial past.

That was fifty years ago today, and it, too, was a Sunday.

Missouri Cops Kick into Overdrive

 

by Pa Rock

Cautious Driver

If you are a Missouri motorist, this might be a good weekend to stay close to home.  I drove from Kansas City to West Plains, Missouri, earlier today and found the entire length of the trip punctuated with the flashing red lights of police cars, with the Missouri Highway Patrol being the most highly visible.  I guess that as the month of January draws to a close, the police departments many municipalities are finding that they have not met their speeding ticket quotas for the month.

Forewarned is forearmed!

In Texas County, close to Cabool, I came upon two Missouri Highway Patrol vehicles with motorists pulled over - about a mile apart!    The rest of us were moving slowly along that stretch of road - you betcha we were!

(I don't begrudge the Highway Patrol their presence because I believe that by just being on our roadways they decrease the number of accidents and injuries - and their fines and forfeitures go to the local school districts - always a good cause, especially when our legislature is actively trying to destabilize and bankrupt our schools.)

But for today at least, Pa Rock did not make an involuntary donation to Missouri's public schools!

Drive safely.  The life you save might be mine!

Top Prices Paid for Used Cooking Oil

 

by Pa Rock

Road Warrior

There is a standard-sized billboard that sits back off of Highway 60 somewhere near Mountain Grove, Missouri, with this simple message:  "Top Prices Paid for Used Cooking Oil."   It is an older billboard that appears to have been produced on-the-cheap, probably made of three or four sheets of plywood and painted white with simple black lettering.   It has obviously been there for several years because saplings and brush are beginning to crowd in and obstruct the view.

I've noticed the big sign before but never paid it much mind.   Yesterday, however, being alone in the car and with nearly four hours of pondering time in my immediate future, I began trying to think of reasons why people would want to pay "top prices" for used cooking oil.  Could it clean oil stains off of driveways, or road tar from cars?  Would it rid trees of bagworms, or protect people from poison ivy?  Was it the key ingredient for hillbilly sex parties, or another MAGA cure for COVID?   What could there possibly be about used cooking oil that would merit "top prices"?

My enquiring mind wanted to know!

Just a brief bit of research revealed that there is a burgeoning market for used cooking oil, especially if that oil is plant-based:  soy, canola, sunflower, etc.  It is commonly referred to in the literature as "UCO" (used cooking oil), and its uses are many and varied.  The biggie is that UCO is used in biofuels, and biodiesel in particular.  But the slick stuff is also used as a household lubricant, furniture polish and conditioner (and is especially good on rattan and wicker furniture), and it makes a good preservative for leather furniture.

Other household uses for UCO include as a non-stick coating for pots and pans, as well as for garden implements like shovels and rakes.  UCO is also useful in removing tough road stains of various origins from vehicles.

UCO can be used to make soap and other products for personal grooming such as hair moisturizer and skin conditioner.   It is also apparently useful in removing paint from skin, with the advice being to rub UCO into hands or other areas with paint stains, let it set for five minutes, and then wash with soap and water for easy removal.  (My guess is that would probably work just as well with unused cooking oil!)

One article that I read suggested drizzling it over pet food to make it more tasty and ultimately improve the sheen on pet fur, and also mixing it with bird seed in the feeders as a nutrition supplement.

UCO is apparently also good - in small amounts - for compost piles.   It helps to attract worms to work the compost.

So while the small amounts of UCO that most households generate probably would not be enough to warrant a special collection tub for resale, having a modest supply on hand could serve many day-to-day purposes.  

And if a backlog develops, there is always the option of having one of those hillbilly sex parties!

Waste not, want not!

Greetings from Somewhere West of 12th Street and Vine

 

by Pa Rock

Road Warrior

I am in the Kansas City area for a couple of days visiting with two of my six grandchildren and their parents.  This is my first trip up this way since just before Thanksgiving.  Rosie stayed at home and was not happy about being left behind!  

The trip north and west - 287 miles - was fairly uneventful, and all of the Roeland Park Macy's seem to be doing fine.  Olive and Sully are both in school and involved in various activities, and their parents are working and staying phenomenally busy - and Pa Rock works at staying engaged with the activity without getting in the way!

Last night we went out to a favorite place for pizza, and when we got home Erin and the kids made cookies.  This afternoon we will be going to Costco so Pa Rock can fill his larder, and I'm sure we will find something fun to do after that.  Tomorrow I will head home - where I will try to make peace with Rosie!

Banned Book Clubs for Students

 

by Pa Rock

Education Advocate

With local and state governments sticking their noses further and further into public school classrooms  - and school boards banning books faster than librarians can pull them off of the shelves - books by authors ranging from Maya Angelou to Kurt Vonnegut to Mark Twain - one can't help but feel alarmed for the general state of education in America.     As right-wing politicians rush to destabilize public education, the odds of today's students being able to graduate with critical thinking skills and the social and psychological development necessary to do anything in life beyond flipping burgers, washing cars, or cleaning cages in puppy mills seem to be steadily decreasing.

But just when things appear to be hopeless, a light flickers in the darkness.

Word has begun to spread across social media platforms about "banned book" clubs which are being established and run by students.  Like regular book clubs, students who join these groups select a book, read it, and then meet to discuss what they have read.  The only difference between these groups and ones that their grandparents might join is that the list of titles that the young people choose from are of books which have been banned by adults in their school districts, adults who want to place limits on the educational experiences offered to their children as well as to the children of others in their community - some of whom would like for their children to be educated beyond the bare minimum of being able to manufacture meth in a rusted-out mobile home.

Wow!   Talk about a fight to preserve freedom!

I have written previously about banned books several times in this space, and I have read and enjoyed many of those "forbidden" literary works myself.   (Multiple lists are widely available on the internet.)  This year I vow to give each of my grandchildren an appropriate age-level banned book on his or her birthday - and if they fail to be inspired by the taboo text, maybe they will at least develop an appreciation for their grandfather's rebellious nature and his personal war on ignorance!

Read on, young Americans, read on!  You make us old folks proud!

One Smith Family (Part 8)

 

by Rocky Macy

(More profiles of the SMITH family descendants who were defendants in the 1920 lawsuit over the estate of William C. SMITH of Newton County, MIssouri.)


13.  T.D. ROUSE has yet to be identified.  The forty-seven defendants in the legal notices all appear to have been grouped by the SMITH sibling from whom they descended, and that pattern would indicate that T.D. ROUSE descended from William SMITH’s younger sister, Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD.   Of David Wilson and Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD”s seven children, only the fate of the second child, Martha BOYD (born around 1860), remains unknown, making her the most likely parent or grandparent of T.D.ROUSE. Also, it seems probable that T.D. ROUSE was a male because all of the other eight defendants and one plaintiff who were identified by their first two initials were males - a manner of identification which seemed prevalent for the times.

The surname ROUSE as well as several variant spellings were explored through multiple sources with no positive results.

14.  Samuel H. RAINWATER was born Samuel Henry RAINWATER to William Finas and Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER in the state of Missouri on June 19, 1887.   His mother, Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER, was the daughter of William C. SMITH’s younger sister, Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD, which made Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER William’s niece, and her son, Samuel Henry RAINWATER, William’s grandnephew.

Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER (born August 13, 1858 in Missouri) passed away in Carthage, Jasper County, Missouri on August 5, 1891, nearly thirty years before her Uncle William died, thus eventually making her two surviving children, Samuel and Emily, heirs to the estate of William C. SMITH.

Samuel H. RAINWATER made his first appearance in the US census record of 1900 when he was living in Marion Township (now defunct) of Jasper County, Missouri, near, or possibly in, the town of Carthage.  Samuel (age 11) was the youngest family member in the household of his father, William RAINWATER (43) and his step-mother, Ella RAINWATER (25).  Also in the household were other children:  a son, James H. RAINWATER (19) and a daughter, Wellie H. RAINWATER (16).  The census taker recorded the family surname for each individual as “RIMWATER.”

The 1910 census found the RAINWATER family living in Ward 1 of Carthage, Jasper County, Missouri, with Samuel H. RAINWATER (24) as the only offspring of William RAINWATER who was still living at home.  The census stated that Samuel was working as a salesman.  Also in the household were Samuel’s father, Wm. F. RAINWATER (56), described as a “saloonkeeper,” Samuel’s step-mother, Ella M. RAINWATER (32), and William’s younger, single brother, James D. RAINWATER (54), who was also described as a “saloonkeeper.” 

Sometime between the 1910 census and when he registered for the World War I draft on June 5, 1917, Samuel H. RAINWATER married Ella Faye BRUCE (born December 5, 1901), the daughter of George A. and Emma C. (DANIELSON) BRUCE.  Samuel’s draft registration contained other interesting information aside from the fact that he was married.   The document revealed that he had been working as a bartender at “Rainwater Bros” in Carthage. Samuel also stated on his draft registration that he had one year of previous military service with the “Missouri Military Academy” where his rank was “Chief Trumpeter.”

Samuel H. RAINWATER served on active duty with the US Army during the First World War  as a Private with the “Evacuation Hospital #26, of the Med Dept of Camp Jackson, South Carolina.   He enlisted on April 14, 1918, and was discharged on April 1, 1919. Samuel and his unit sailed from New York to France on October 17, 1918, and returned to the United States - at Newport News, Virginia - four months later on February 18, 1918.

S.H. RAINWATER (40), his wife, Ella (28) and their son, James (6) were living in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, when the 1930 census was taken.  There they owned their own home, valued at $5,000, and Samuel worked as a sewing machine salesman.  According to information on that census form, the family owned a radio. The 1930 census also revealed that Samuel had first been married at age nineteen - which meant that he would have had a wife before Ella.  Also in the household in Pasadena was Paul PHIPPS (18), a lodger.

California voter registration listed Samuel H. RAINWATER, a Democrat, as living in Los Angeles in 1934.  His voter registration placed him in Los Angeles again, though at a different street address, in 1936.    Samuel declined to state his party affiliation on the 1936 voter registration form.  Voter registration again placed Samuel H. RAINWATER, at yet another street address in Los Angeles in 1940, and indicated that he was a Democrat who was working as a salesman.

Samuel H. RAINWATER married Ruth Ethel McINTOSH in either Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, on July 22, 1940 (according to his obituary) or in Harris County, Texas, on July 24, 1940, according to theirTexas marriage registration.

The 1940 census for Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, notes three members of the RAINWATER family:  Samuel H.  (52), Ruth “F.” (45), and James ”C.” (Samuel’s son, age 16).

Samuel remained married to Ruth Ethel for the remainder of his life, but he oddly listed his sister, Mrs. George PARK, as his next of kin when he registered for the World War II draft, and he listed his sister’s home address as his place of residence.

Sometime toward the end of his life, Samuel and Ruth Ethel (McINTOSH) RAINWATER moved to Windsor, Missouri,  They were living in Windsor in early 1966 when Samuel was admitted to the VA Hospital at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.  He passed away there on January 27, 1966.

The following obituary is from “The Windsor Review” (Windsor, Missouri), February 3, 1966 - page seven:

“S.H. Rainwater Dies in Veterans Hospital”

“Funeral services for Samuel H. Rainwater, 79, 211 East Beaton street, were held Saturday afternoon at the Gouge Funeral Home, conducted by Rev. E. L. DeVore, pastor of the Methodist church.  Burial was in Laurel Oak Cemetery.

“Mr. Rainwater died Jan. 27 at the Veterans Hospital, Leavenworth, Kan.

“Rev. Lonnie Hulsey, pastor of Harmony Baptist church sang “The Lord’s Prayer,” accompanied by Mrs. Belford Jackson, organist.

“Pallbearers were Urvin Whitton, Elijah Whitton, Harry Ordway, Lloyd Merryfield, P.J. Kirby, and Taylor Silver. 

“Mr. Rainwater was born in Carthage, June 18, 1886 (sic), son of the late William F. and Mary (sic) Catherine Rainwater.  On July 22, 1940, in Galveston, Tex., he was married to Ruth Ethel McIntosh.  He was a veteran of World War I, enlisting in 1918 and serving overseas for a year.

“Surviving are the wife of the home;  one son James A. of Sacramento, Calif.,  one daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Dillender, Dallas, Texas;  one sister, Mrs. George Park, Los Angeles, Calif; five grandsons and one granddaughter.”

(Note:  the daughter, Dorothy, does not appear in any other records.  She may have been a step-daughter by Ruth Ethel.)

15.  Emily NICHOLSON was born Emily RAINWATER to William Finas and Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER in the state of Missouri around 1879.  Her mother, Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER, was the daughter of William C. SMITH’s younger sister, Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD, which made Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER William’s niece, and her daughter, Emily RAINWATER, William’s grandniece.

Sarah Catherine (BOYD) RAINWATER (born August 13, 1858 in Missouri) passed away in Carthage, Jasper County, Missouri, on August 5, 1891, nearly thirty years before her Uncle William died, thus eventually making her two surviving children, Samuel and Emily, heirs to the estate of William C. SMITH.

The historical record on Emily (RAINWATER) NICHOLSON is relatively thin.  At the age of one she was included in the 1880 US census for Newtonia, Newton County, Missouri, living in the home of her parents who were listed as Wm. ‘KARNWATER” (25) and Sarah “KARNWATER” (21).  There was a 4-year-old daughter in the household who was noted as M.J. “KARNWATER,” and Emily’s name was given as E.M. “KARNWATER.”

In 1905 while she was living on her own and still single, Emily RAINWATER was noted in the city directory for Carthage, Jasper, Missouri, as living at 203 Clinton.  Seven years later, in 1912, the Carthage city directory had her name as “Emily NICHOLSON” and she was residing at 812 Clinton.

Mr. NICHOLSON has yet to be identified, and, at this time, nothing further is known of Emily other than she was named as an inheritor in the estate of her granduncle,  William C. SMITH of Newton County, Missouri, in 1920.

16.  Lillie Sherer was born Lillian May BURKHART to John E. and Mary F. (BOYD) BURKHART in Newton County, Missouri, on February 12, 1889.  Her mother, Mary F. (BOYD) BURKHART, was the daughter of William C. SMITH’s younger sister, Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD, which made Mary F. (BOYD) BURKHART William’s niece, and her daughter, Lillian May BURKHART, William’s grandniece.

Lillian made her first appearance in the public record in the 1900 US census for Seneca, Newton County, Missouri, where she was recorded as 10-year-old “Lilie” BURKHART in the home of her parents, John E. BURKHART (49) and Mary F. BURKHART (37).   “Lilie” also had six siblings (all BURKHARTs) living in the household:  Arly (24), John W. (14), Lusinda (12), Mont R. (6), Lola (3), and Ernest L (1).

(There is some evidence in the public record that Lillian might have been born in 1890 or 1891, but the preponderance of documentation points to 1889 as the correct year.)

“Lilian” May BURKHART married J. D. (Joseph Duncan) SHERER in Neosho, Newton County, Missouri on July 12, 1905, when she was just sixteen-years-old.  It was noted on the marriage license that the bride’s father, J.E. BURKHART, gave his consent in writing for his daughter to get married.

  
By the time of the 1910 census, Joseph D. SHERER (29) and his wife, “Lilian” M. SHERER (21) had established their household on Virta Bonet Street in Glendora, Los Angeles County, California.  They had two daughters, both SHERERs:  Ercell N. (3) and Verna J. (0).

Mrs. Lillie May SHERER registered to vote as a Republican in Los Angeles, California, in 1916.  She was living on North Minnesota Avenue.  She gave her occupation as housewife.

Four years later when the 1920 census was taken, Joseph D. SHERER (39) and his wife, “Lilian” M. SHERER (28) were back in Glendora, Los Angeles County, California, this time living on North Wabash.   There were still two daughters, both SHERERs, in the household:  "Percell" N. (13) and Josephine V. (10).

Mrs. Lillian M. SHERER again registered to vote as a Republican in 1924 while still at the address on Wabash Avenue, and she listed her occupation as housewife.  Two years later in 1926 she registered to vote (address illegible) in Los Angeles, again as a Republican and a housewife.

The 1930 census found Joseph D. SHERER (50) and Lillian M. SHERER (39) living in an apartment complex on West 41st Street in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.   Their youngest daughter, Josephine V. SHERER (20), was still residing in the household.

In June of 1939 a woman by the name of Lillian May WELCH, who was born February 12, 1891, in Newton County, Missouri, and whose father’s name was John E. BURKHART and whose mother’s name was Mary F. BOYD, registered for Social Security.  Lillian and Joseph had apparently divorced and she had remarried - and may have subtracted a couple of years from her age.

(Joseph Duncan SHERER registered for the World War II draft as a 61-year-old male who had been born in Seneca, Missouri, on November 2 1880, and who was residing in Yuma, Arizona.  No spouse was listed on that registration.  Joseph Duncan SHERER passed away  in Los Angeles, California on January 31, 1960, and again no spouse was listed on his entry on the internet Find-a-Grave site.  That site also listed his date of birth as November 2, 1880 and his date of death as January 31, 1960.)

By the mid-1950’s Lillian was back to using her former married name.  She registered to vote in 1954, as Mrs. Lillian May SHERER, a Republican who was living on W. Alosta Avenue in Los Angeles, in 1956 as Mrs Lillian May SHERER, a Republican who was living on Atlantic Avenue in Los Angeles, and in 1958 as Mrs. Lillian May SHEARER, a Republican still at the same address on Atlantic Avenue in Los Angeles.

Lillian married Earl T. RICHARDSON of Durate, California, on May 9, 1959, in Glendora, California.   An article on page 2 of the Monrovia, California, “Daily News-Post” had this to say about their marriage ceremony:

“Duarteans Are Wed At Quiet Rites”

“At a quiet evening ceremony earlier this month, Earl T. Richardson, longtime Duarte resident, and Mrs. Lillian May Sherer, of Long Beach and Duarte were united in marriage.  The ceremony was performed at the Lorraine Avenue Baptist Church in Glendora with the Rev. Alton B. Cross officiating.

“Attending their parents at the small wedding were members of the family:  Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Smith (Dorothy Richardson) of Glendora, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hey (Jospehine Sherer) of Los Angeles.

“For her wedding Mrs Sherer wore a suit of pale gray with blue accessories.  Her flowers were a corsage of carnations.  

“Following the ceremony the wedding party was served refreshments at the home of the Reginald Smith's, where a large wedding cake was the table centerpiece.

“The Richardson’s plan to make their home at 1220 Mountain Ave., Duarte, where Mr. Richardson has lived since 1911.   A well known Duarte citizen, he has been active in civic affairs and served on the school board at an earlier date.

“His son, Stanley, and Mrs. Sherer’s daughter, Ercell Nichols, were unable to attend the wedding.”

According to California state death records, Lillian M. RICHARDSON passed away in Los Angeles, California, on October 18, 1967.  

(Note:  Lillain was an inheritor in the estate of her granduncle, William C. SMITH, of Seneca, Missouri.  Interestingly, three of her siblings - Margaret Lusinda SPARLIN, Leo BURKHART, and John W. BURKHART - made up half of the plaintiff’s who went to court to try and partition the other forty-seven inheritors, including Lillian, out of the estate.)

(Four more members of the BURKHART family will be profiled in Part 9 of this series.)

Cruises Become More Exciting

 

by Pa Rock

Land Lubber

Anyone foolish enough to try and go on a cruise during a pandemic probably should not be too surprised if their plans go awry.  Sea-going misadventures, in fact, seem to be the new normal for the cruise line industry.  

A couple of weeks ago the Norwegian Gem, a cruise ship owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines, loaded up with passengers in New York and headed down to the Caribbean for a ten-day cruise.  On day four, however,  a COVID outbreak on the ship forced the company to make an expensive decision to cancel the cruise and head home.   While Norwegian did promise to pay full refunds to all of the passengers on board the Gem, many were less than pleased that their vacations had turned into little more than one long boat ride. 

And then last week 300 vacationers aboard the Crystal Symphony cruise ship got more cruise than they had paid for.  The ship was headed toward its homeport of Miami after a two-week cruise when Peninsula Petroleum Company went to court and sued Crystal Cruises, the company that owns Crystal Symphony - for over $4 million in unpaid fuel bills.  ($1.2 million of that amount was for fuel actually used by the Crystal Symphony.)  The judge hearing the case ordered the Crystal Symphony "arrested" or seized when it reached Miami.

But the cruise ship company, Crystal Cruises, upon hearing of the judge's order, had their ship change course and dock in the Bahamas on the little island of Bimini - beyond the judge's legal reach.  The 300 passengers were then herded onto a ferry and transported,  in inclement weather, to Port Everglades, Florida.

Thus far there have been no reports of Captain Jack Sparrow boarding and seizing any cruise ships in the Caribbean, but from the way things seem to be going, Captain Morgan is undoubtedly all over the place!

Yo, ho, ho!

Monday's Poetry: "All the World's a Stage"

by Pa Rock

Poetry Appreciator

I came across the following excerpt from William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" at the internet site, Writer's Almanac," a few days ago.  In it the famed playwright and poet opined on the seven stages, or ages, of man - and while he scribbled these thoughts more than five centuries ago, I felt like they still align, perhaps a bit roughly, with the life stages of modern man.  

(I find myself in well into the sixth stage, though sadly my shank has not shrunk - and I am not looking forward to the seventh, though mercifully I may not recognize it when I get there!)

Here is a look at the aging process from the quill of the Bard of Avon, as expressed in his classic play, "As You Like It."

by William Shakespeare

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His act being seven ages.  At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel,

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school.  And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woful ballad

Made to his mistress' eyebrow.  Then a soldier, 

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honor, sudden nd quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth.  And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,

With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part.  The six age shifts

Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, 

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,

His youthful hose well sav'd, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank;  and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound.  Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

Mark Cuban, Discount Drug Entrepreneur

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

American billionaire Mark Cuban appears to be one of the good guys - a filthy rich individual who has a genuine interest in helping those less fortunate than himself.

Cuban announced earlier this week that he has gone into the discount prescription drug business.  Apparently it is a venture that he began funding in 2018 as a response to some of the pharmaceutical outrages that were then making news.  Cuban and a physician partner began communicating with drug manufacturers to see what types of deals they could negotiate in order to buy large quantities of drugs at the most reasonable prices.  Their intent was to then pass most of those savings on to consumers while still managing to make a profit.

Federal law, which has been shaped by lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry, does not allow the US government to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers in order to obtain favorable pricing for Medicare beneficiaries and people enrolled in private plans - while other countries, such as Canada, can negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of their citizenry.

And now private players, like Mark Cuban, are also wheeling and dealing with the drug manufacturers, and Cuban is using his economic muscle to help ordinary people who are struggling to stay or get healthy while being financially disadvantaged.

The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company operates as an on-line pharmacy.  It does not currently accept insurance, but, even so, its prices are often lower than what many people with insurance pay.  The available drugs and current pricing are all listed on-line, and people may access the service by having their doctor send a prescription directly to the company where it is then filled and shipped directly to the consumer.   The price includes a 15% mark-up on the cost that the company has paid to the manufacturer, a three-dollar pharmacist fee, and five dollars shipping.

Mark Cuban is a businessman and he is still making a profit on this venture - but he is not making an obscene profit like Joe Manchin's daughter who price-gouged epi-pens, or pharma bro Martin Shkreli who price-gouged the life-saving drug Daraprim, or the Sackler family whose wealth increased by obscene amounts as a result of the opioid epidemic.  

Mark Cuban is a businessman with a conscience, and perhaps even a soul.  He may yet reach an age when he wants to use his money to fly off into the stars, but for now Cuban is grounded here on Earth and he is flexing some of his economic muscle to benefit others.  

One suspects that somewhere a camel may be preparing to pass through the eye of a needle!

Meatloaf in the Morning

 

by Pa Rock

Music Lover

Alexa and I had Meatloaf for breakfast yesterday, and she served it right on through lunch.  And no, that Meatloaf wasn't some blue-plate special from the local diner, it was the Bat-Out-of -Hell variety.  When Alexa told me before daylight yesterday that Meatloaf, the singer and actor, had died, I knew what our morning soundtrack was going to be.

I am a member of the generation that matured with the rock opera, "Bat Our of Hell," playing in the background, telling the emotional turmoil that we had gone through in becoming adults.  It was great music, a one-of-a-kind road trip through a misspent youth.  Every song was - and is - memorable.  There were several follow-up albums which were good as well, but nothing came close to the originality and excitement of "Bat Out of Hell."

Meatloaf was also an actor, and while I have seen several of his film offerings, there was only one performance that leaped to mind - that of Eddie in he "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in which he sang and roared around the set on a motorcycle.  But Meatloaf was also in many other films - supposedly sixty-five or so.  National Public Radio (NPR) played a clip yesterday in which Meatloaf described  himself as an actor who acted like he could sing.

Whatever else Meatloaf may have been, he was a truly original performer - and one who will be truly missed by many!  Rock on, Eddie!

Mitch Blows his Racist Dog Whistle

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, stirred a bit of a firestorm on Wednesday when he compared the voting habits of "African Americans" with "Americans."

A reporter asked Mitch about concerns from voters of color that they could be barred from voting in this year's midterms if the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act failed to pass, and the crusty old McConnell waived aside that worry by saying, "The concern is misplaced because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting just as high a percentage as Americans."

Black Americans were quickly and righteously offended, as were many others, particularly those who have an understanding of the true impact of long-term racism in America.    Some rushed to minimize the impact of what Kentucky's senior senator had told the press.  His friends said it was obviously a careless mistake in word choices made by a very busy man, while others who are not so enamored of the old politician felt that he had inadvertently said what he really believed, a Freudian slip.

But there was a third theory as to why Mitch McConnell made that highly insensitive and offensive statement, and it was far more sinister.  Some felt that Mitch had said not only what he believed, but that he had also said it intentionally, an affirmation of his bigotry uttered to appease or appeal to others who share his white mindset.  

State Representative Malcom Kenyatta of Pennsylvania gave voice to that interpretation of Mitch's statement.  Kenyatta told that Guardian newspaper:

"It wasn't a Freudian slip.  It was a dog whistle, the same one one he has blown for years."

And Malcom Kenyatta is probably correct.  Mitch McConnell has been slithering around Washington, DC, for decades, and he is not known for making mistakes or misspeaking.   He may not always be truthful, but when Mitch says something, he has a reason for saying it.

Okay, Mitch, we get it.  Protecting the voting rights of racial and ethnic minority groups is not a matter of concern for you and your party.  You are focused on getting real Americans to the polls and keeping others away.  Message received.

One Smith Family: (Part 7)

 

by Rocky Macy

(Note:  The following are more profiles of the SMITH family descendants who were defendants in the 1920 lawsuit over the estate of William C. SMITH on Newton County, Missouri.)

10.  Newton SMITH was born Newton Theodore SMITH to Andrew Jackson and Clarinda (CARR) SMITH in Chismville, Logan County, Arkansas, on January 25, 1888.  His father, Andrew Jackson SMITH, was William C. SMITH’s older brother, and Newton was William’s nephew.

Newton SMITH, who was called “Newt” much of his life, entered the public record with the US census of 1900 at which time he was a twelve-year-old living in the house of his parents in Washburn, Logan County, Arkansas.   There he was listed as Theodore N. SMITH, which may have been the original order of his first two names, but young Newt reversed that order in subsequent years.  All official documents from that point forward list Newton as the first name, and Theodore as  the middle name.  Newt filed a “delayed birth certificate” on himself with the state of Arkansas on February 15, 1951, in which he declared his name to be “Newton Theodore SMITH,” and thus it was legally established.  His older brother, James W. SMITH, signed the document acknowledging that Newton Theodore SMITH’s information was correct.

The SMITH household in 1900 consisted of the following four individuals:  Andrew J. (63), Clarinda (53), Thomas W. (16) and Theodore N. (12).

Newt SMITH married Oda Mary Frances St. CLAIR in the state of Arkansas on March 20, 1910.  Oda (often referred to as “Odie”) was born in the state of Arkansas in March of 1888 and was approximately two months younger than her husband.  The Arkansas County Marriages Index, (1837-1957), mistakenly listed his name as “W. T. SMITH.”

The newlyweds had established their own household in Washburn, Logan County, Arkansas, by the time the 1910 census was taken.  That document recorded them as Newton T. SMITH (22) and “Olie” F. SMITH (21), and reported that they were renting a farm.

Newt Theoodore  SMITH registered for the World War I draft on June 5, 1917.  At that time he and Odie were living in Franklin County, Arkansas.  Three years later when the 1920 census was taken, they were in the community of “Six Mile” in Franklin County.  By that time they had two sons.  The household included:  Newt SMITH (30, Odie SMITH (26), “Boyd” (Voyd Ray, age 7), and Floyd SMITH (2).  That census record indicated that they were still renting a farm.

By 1930 Newt and Odie had their family back in Logan County.  That year's census found them in the community of Booneville and still renting a farm.  The family members in 1930 were Newt SMITH (43), Odie SMITH (40), Voyd SMITH (19), Chloe SMITH (Voyd’s wife, age 20), and Billie SMITH (son, age 12).  Billie and Floyd (from the 1920 census) would appear to be the same individual.  Floyd and/or Billie was out of the home by the 1940 census, and he has not subsequently been located on any public record under either name.

The family was back at Six Mile in Franklin County, Arkansas when the census taker arrived in 1940.  They were living on a rented farm, and the census reported that they had been in the same location in 1935.  The census reported that Newt had attended school through grade seven.  The three residents in the household at that time were Newton SMITH (52), “Ada” SMITH (51), and George St. CLAIR (Odie’s father, age 83).
Newton Theodore SMITH registered for the World War II draft in Franklin County, Arkansas, while still living at Six Mile, on April 27, 1942.

Oda Mary Frances SMITH passed away in Poteau, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, in 1959.  Newt died at the same location thirteen years later in February of 1972 at the age of eighty-four.  (His entry on the “Find-a-Grave” internet index incorrectly lists his name as Newton “Thomas” SMITH.)   Newt and Odie are buried at Oakland Cemetery in Poteau, Oklahoma.

11.  Nannie RAMSEY  was born Nancy Catherine SMITH to Andrew Jackson and Clarinda (CARR) SMITH in Polk County, Arkansas, on July 28, 1870.  Her father, Andrew Jackson SMITH was William C. SMITH’s older brother, and Nancy was William’s niece.

Nancy first appeared in the public record on the 1880 census for Prairie, Franklin County Arkansas, where she was listed as Nancy C. SMITH (age 9), the oldest child in the household of Andrew and Clarinda SMITH.  Two younger children were also members of the household on that census:  Mary F. (8) and James W. (5).

N.C. SMITH (the bride) married J.D. (James David) RAMSEY (the groom) in Logan County, Arkansas, on October 7, 1888.  They were both residents of Leon, Franklin County, Arkansas, at the time of their marriage.  James had been born in 1868 and his age was listed at twenty-one on the marriage license, and hers was noted as eighteen.

The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire, and the next available US census, that of 1900, found James RAMSEY (33) and “Nannie” RAMSEY (28) residing with their family in Washburn, Logan County, Arkansas.  That census listed her birth month as July of 1871 instead of July 1870 as inscribed on her tombstone.   That census also stated that Nancy had given birth to six children, but only five survived.  However, there are only four children whose last name was RAMSEY listed on that census form:  Baity W. (William Bate, age 10), Clarinda (8), David A. (7), and “Maimie” C.  (Mamie Cleo, age 4).  There were also two other children in the household: Etherage CAREY (age, 4 who was listed as a son), and Willie M. CAREY (age 5 months, who was listed as a daughter).  The two CAREY children were not in the household in any of the subsequent censuses.

The RAMSEY family was still living in Washburn, Logan County, Arkansas, when the 1910 census was taken.  The household contained James D. (42), Nancy C. (39), and the following children, all RAMSEYs:  Clarinda (19), David A. (17), Mamie C. (15), Zebbie M. (a son, 11), Luther V. (9), Eva M (2), and Evie R. (2).

The 1920 census found the RAMSEYs still at home in Washburn, Logan County, Arkansas.  Present in the home were James D. (53), “Cathrine N. (49) and the following offspring, all RAMSEYs:  “Manie” (25), Vernon (18), Eva (12), Edie (12), “Zoala” A. (Zula A., a daughter, age 9), Zebb (20), and Leala RAMSEY (a daughter, 2).

The final census located on the David and Nancy (SMITH) RAMSEY family so far is that of 1930, at which time they were still residing in Washburn, Logan County, Arkansas.  Tthe family members were:  James D. (63), Nancy C. (59), “Mayme” (Mamie Cleo RAMSEY, 34), Eva M. (22) Evie R. (22), Zula A. (19), and “Loal” St. CLAIR (listed as a grandson, 12). 

There was no longer a daughter named “Leala” RAMSEY who should have been twelve, but now there was a twelve-year-old grandson with a name that also began with the letter “L.”  That child, in both cases, was likely to have been Lowell David St. CLAIR, the son of Mamie Cleo RAMSEY and Fred St. CLAIR whom she married on September 3, 1917, in Franklin County, Arkansas, three-and-a-half months before giving birth to Lowell David on December 17, 1917, in Charleston, Franklin County, Arkansas.  Mamie was listed on both the 1920 and 1930 censuses as “RAMSEY,” so the marriage to Fred St. CLAIR was likely short-term.

James David and Nancy Catherine (SMITH) RAMSEY appear to have had at least eight children who survived to adulthood.  They were:  William Bate (or Batie) (1889-1976, married Liza Lee St. CLAIR);  David Andrew (1893-1984, spouse unknown);  Mamie Cleo (1896-?, married 1. Fred St. CLAIR, 2. Mr. PIPPIN, and 3. Mr. LONG);  Zebb Marine (1899-1947, married May ROBISON);  Vernon Luther (1902-1982, married Cora B. RAGDALE);  Edie R. (ca.1908-?, spouse unknown);  Eva M. (ca. 1908-?, spouse unknown);  and, Zula Avis (1910-1999, married Thurman Ramon KNIGHT).

(Note:  Zebb Marine RAMSEY seems to have not liked his middle name.  “Marine” is noted as his legal middle name on several documents, but on his draft registration for World War II  on February 10, 1942, in Baldwin Park, Los Angeles, California, he told the clerk that he had no middle name.)

James David RAMSEY, who had been born in Arkansas on May 3, 1868, passed away in the state of Arkansas on November 27, 1944, at the age of seventy-six.   Nancy Catherine (SMITH) RAMSEY died almost nineteen years later on October 7, 1963, in Charleston, Franklin County, Arkansas, at the age of ninety-three or ninety-four.   They are buried next to each other at the Potts Cemetery in Charleston, Franklin County, Arkansas.

12.  J.W. BOYD  was born James William BOYD to David Wilson and Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD in Newton County, Missouri, near the community of Granby on June 26, 1870.  His mother, Elizabeth M. (SMITH) BOYD, was William C. SMITH’s younger sister, and James was William’s nephew.

James’ first appearance in the public record was in the 1870 census of Granby, Newton County, Missouri, where he was enumerated as “James BOYD” a 2-month-old in the household of Wilson BOYD (27) and Elizabeth BOYD (26). The family also had four daughters, all BOYDs:  Sarah (12), Martha (10), Mary (8), and “Margret” (2).  Also in the household were two 20-year-old male farm laborers, Wm. HANKINS (Elizabeth’s nephew, the son of her oldest sibling, Sarah “Sallie” (SMITH) HANKINS) and James SMITH (possibly Elizabeth’s younger brother).

Somehow the family managed to get divided in the 1880 census for Erie Township McDonald County, Missouri, with what looked like three minor children in their own household (“Maggie” BOYD (13), “William” (James William) BOYD (10), and Johnnie (8).  The parents, in a separate entry, were:  David W. BOYD (41) and Elizabeth M. BOYD (38).

James W. BOYD married Sarah Amanda COLLINS on October 5, 1893, in Lawrence County, Missouri, and by the time of the 1900 census they had their own household with two children in Anderson, McDonald County, Missouri.  That BOYD family included James W. (29), Sarah A. (29), a daughter, Letta A. BOYD (5), and a son,  David W. L.B. BOYD (3).  That census stated that both parents could read and write, that the family was living in a rented home, and that James was employed as an “engineer” at a flour mill.

When the 1910 census rolled around the parents had begun using their middle names, and the family had expanded to include five children.  They were still living in a rented house in Anderson, McDonald County, Missouri, and the father still listed his occupation as “engineer,” although by this time it was with a “Stationary” industry.  The household members, all BOYDs, were listed as:  William J. (40), Amanda (38), Lethea A. (16), Roy W. (13), Marie B. (7), Pearl L. (5), and Augustin (2).

By 1920 the BOYD family was residing on a rented farm in Anderson, McDonald County, Missouri, and the father / head-of-household, Wm. J. BOYD (49), gave his occupation as a farmer.  Others in the household, all BOYDs, included:  Mandy (48), Roy L. (22), Marie (18), Pearl (15), and Clifford (12).

In 1930 the BOYD family was still living on a rented farm - on an “improved highway" - in Anderson, McDonald County, Missouri, and the father, who was listed on the census as James W. BOYD (59), stated that his occupation was that of a farmer.   Also in the household were the farmer’s wife, Amanda S. BOYD (56), and a 22-year-old son named Augustine L BOYD.

So far none of the members of James William BOYD’s family have been located on the 1940 census.

It is unclear as to exactly how many children James William BOYD and his wife had - primarily because there seemed to be a tendency in the family to change given names.   Mr. BOYD was, in various documents, known as James William, James W., William, and William J.  Mrs BOYD was at times referred to officially as Sarah, Sarah A., Amanda, Amanda S., and Mandy.

But tracking and identifying the parents was not nearly as tricky as trying to identify the children.  There seemed to have been at least five:  a girl born around 1895, a boy about 1897, a girl around 1903, another girl about 1905, and a boy around 1908.

The oldest daughter was listed as “Letta A.” on the 1900 census where her age was given as five.  She was still with the family on the census of 1910 where her name was recorded as “Lethea A.” and she was noted as being 16-years-old.  She was no longer residing with the family when the 1920 census was taken, and efforts to locate a marriage or death record for her have not met with success.

The next oldest child, a son, was named as “David W.L.B.” on the 1900 census and listed as being 3-years-old.  There was no one by that name on the 1910 census, but there was a 13-year-old boy listed by the name of “Roy W.,” who was the right age and gender to have been the same individual as “David W.L.B.”

The next oldest child, a girl, first appeared on the 1910 census with the family as “Marie B.”, age seven.  She is on the 1920 census as “Marie,” age 18, and disappears from the record after that entry.  Again, efforts to locate a marriage or death document on Marie have not yet met with success.

The next oldest child, a girl, first appeared on the 1910 census with the family as “Pearl L.,” age five.  She was still with the family in 1920 when she was listed on the census as “Pearl,” age fifteen.  Pearl BOYD of Anderson, Missouri, which was likely her, married Floyd SMITH of Quapaw, Ottawa County, Oklahoma, in Neosho, Newton County, Missouri, on August 20, 1921.  The marriage license stated that she was over eighteen, though she would have been closer to sixteen, and it further stated that the groom was over the age of twenty-one.   (Eighteen and twenty–one were likely the ages that young people could officially marry without parental consent at that time.)

There is also a “Pearl BOYD” buried at the Anderson Cemetery in Anderson, McDonald County, Missouri, that has been recorded in the internet “Find-a-Grave” index.  That Pearl had a date of birth of December 31, 1905 and died on June 30, 1923.  There was no mention of a husband in that entry.  Pearl is the only person with the surname of “BOYD” known to be buried at the Anderson Cemetery.

The final child, a boy, appeared on the 1910 census with the family as “Augustin D.,” age two.  A twelve-year-old boy appears with the family on the 1920 census, but he is listed as “Clifford.”  By the time of the 1930 census when the father and mother are both in their fifties, there was only one of their children still residing at home:  22-year-old “Augustine L.” BOYD.  Nothing further has been found regarding Augustin D., Clifford, or Augustine L. beyond the 1930 census.

James William BOYD died in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, on September 29, 1945 at the age of seventy-five.   His wife, who signed her name “Mrs. Amanda BOYD,” was the informant on his death certificate.  That document stated that he had been born in McDonald County, Missouri, and that his parents were “Wilse” BOYD and “Bess” SMITH.  The death certificate further stated that he had lived in Joplin for four years immediately prior to his death, and that he was to be buried in the Anderson Cemetery in Anderson, Missouri.  (He does not currently have a marked stone at that cemetery.)

It is currently unknown where or when Sarah Amanda (COLLINS) BOYD passed away or where she is buried.

(More profiles of SMITH family descendants who were defendants in the 1920 lawsuit over the estate of William C. SMITH will follow.)

America Will Always Love Dolly!

 

by Pa Rock

Fan Boy

Alexa informed be early this morning that today is Dolly Parton's birthday - and then we welcomed the dawn with a rousing chorus of "Nine to Five!"

I have written about Dolly in the space previously, probably on multiple occasions.  I know that I have mentioned that I saw her once, along with her musical partner at the time, Porter Wagoner, at the Shrine Mosque in Springfield, Missouri.  I was in my early twenties at the time - and so was she.  I was a dumbass college kid, and she was already several rungs up the ladder of show business success.  Today, I am a worn out retiree who hasn't been gainfully employed in more than seven years, and Dolly Parton is still an active entertainer bringing joy to millions.

Dolly Parton, who grew up poor in the hills of eastern Tennessee, has led a golden life, one filled with many successes, and she has always opened her heart and shared those successes with others.

A long time ago, not too many years after I had seen Dolly and Porter in Springfield, she and her audaciously sequined fellow country singer ended their partnership of seven years - and apparently there had been some tension between the two as Dolly began pulling away and trying to start her own career.  At one point she went home, feeling frustrated with his attempts to keep her on his show, and she sat down and wrote a song about her feelings toward Porter Wagoner.  The number was called, "I Will Always Love You," and it went on to become a monster hit for Whitney Houston and was was recorded by many other artists as well.

Dolly took her ten million dollar bonanza in royalties from the recording by Whitney Houston and used that money to revitalize a black neighborhood in Nashville.   Not long after that she started a literacy program which sought to develop an interest in reading among young children by providing them with free books.  Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has donated over 100 million books to children during the past quarter of a century.

Several years ago when wildfires destroyed the homes of hundreds of people in East Tennessee, the area that had produced Dolly Parton, she directed her Dollyywood Foundation to donate $1,000 a month to families that had lost their homes.  Those payments continued over a long-term basis.

Dolly also made a personal donation of one million dollars to Vanderbilt University in Nashville for coronavirus research - work that led to the development of the Moderna vaccine.

All of that, and she still warbles like a songbird!

Happy birthday, Dolly.  America will always love you!