Of Dogs and Foxes in DeKalb County in 1919

From the March 27, 2019, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1919. 100 Years Ago.

**  "Two families are mourning the deaths of pet dogs, and a third home on Third Street, another dog has been poisoned. :  Residents are nor certain whether the poison was set for the dogs or  whether it was put out to catch pests."

****************************************

**  "A resident of Kingston township brought to the office of the county clerk a pelt of an animal shot by him, and supposed to be a wolf, claiming the $100 bounty.

"The fur was a rich red color and there were earmarks of a fox.  After several of the county seat experts had examined it, it was adjudged a fox pelt and bounty refused."

--CootPelt

A Fox Bounty in DeKalb County in 1944

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Enos A. Baie of Hinckley this week was awarded county bounty on several foxes, which, according to E.W. Joiner, county clerk,  is the largest bounty paid to one individual so far this season."

How Much Is That Fox Pelt in the Window?  --CootFox

A New Filing Cabinet Patent in DeKalb in 1944

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"A patent has been granted to J.A. Miller of North Ninth street according to word received from Washington, D,C.,  for an improved filing cabinet.

"Mr. Miller, superintendent at the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, has had several  patents granted in the past few years and his friends will be interested  to learn of the latest one."

A drawing of the new patent accompanies the article.  I was unable to find out anything else about Mr. Miller.

--CootPat

A Snow Ball Problem in 1919

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Recklessness of boys throwing snow balls is causing complaints of pedestrians.  Yesterday a lad threw a snow ball which struck a little baby girl square in the face.

"Today her face is bruised in three places.  Carelessness in throwing snow balls has resulted seriously many times and it seems that boys might be more careful."

No Throwing Snowballs, Lads.  --CootSnow

Quiz: How Well Do You Know Movie "Christmas Vacation"?-- Part 4: What Hockey Team's Jersey Did Clark Wear?

16.  Who accidentally trapped Clark in the attic?  (I missed this one.)

17.  When Clark was on the runaway sled, he ended up in what store's parking lot.

18.  What corrected Eddie's daughter's crossed eyes?

19.  What song does the family sing when the Santa Claus decoration is streaming across the sky?

20.  What is the movie's last line?  (I missed this one also.)

answers below.

********************************************


16.  Ellen's mother Frances.  I knew it was Ellen's mother, but didn't know her name.)


17.  Wal-Mart


18.  She got kicked by a mule.


19.  "The Star-Spangled Banner"


20.  "I did it."

Blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, (expletive)less, heartless.  (These words were spoken by Clark during his meltdown about whom?

His Boss.  --Coot(Worm-headed sack of monkey (expletive).

Chicago Blackhawks

Quiz: How Well Do You Know Movie "Christmas Vacation"? --Part 3: Who Destroyed the First Griswold Christmas Tree?

11.  What does Clark wear on his head when using the chain saw for the first time?

12.  What year was "Christmas Vacation" released in?   I missed it by one year short.

13.  What type of animal was in the second Christmas tree Clark brought in?

14.  What were the first names of Clark's long-suffering neighbors played by Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus?  I missed this one.

15.  What is the name of Cousin Eddie's dog?

Answers below.

********************************************


11.  A hockey mask.


12.  1989


13.  A squirrel


14.  Todd and Margo


15.  Snots


How Well Are You Doing?

Dirt-Eating, Inbred, Overstuffed, Ignorant.   --CootSnots

Quiz: Just How Well Do You Know Movie "Christmas Vacation"-- Part 2: Aunt Bethany

Answers below.

6.  What does Aunt Bethany recite when others ask her to say grace before the Christmas meal?

7.  How many lights does Clark use on his house?

8.  What kind of vehicle does Cousin Eddie drive?

9.  What classic holiday movie is Clark's son Rusty watching on TV when the in-laws arrive?

10.  What does Clark do to amuse himself while he is stuck in the attic?

Answers below.

****************************************************

6.  The Pledge of Allegiance


7.  25,000   I missed this one.


8.  RV


9.  "It's a Wonderful Life"


10.  Watches home movies.


"Four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking."

We're Gonna Do This Big.  --CootEddie

Quiz: Just How Well Do You Know 'Christmas Vacation'?-- Part 1: What Team's Hat Did Clark Wear?

From the Dec. 15, 2019, Chicago Tribune from the Austin American-Statesman.

This is my second all-time favorite Christmas movie which I have seen twice so far this season.

Let's see how well you do.  I didn't get them all correct, however.  (But, I did get most of them, though.)   Answers are below.  I will also indicate the ones that I missed.

1.  What Christmas carol are Clark and Ellen singing at the beginning of the movie as they head out into the woods to cut down the Griswold family Christmas tree?

2.  Which sports team hat does Clark wear at various times in the film?

3.  What item does Clark forget to bring on the tree-hunting expedition?

4.  What does Clark plan to do with his Christmas bonus?

5.  What does Clark receive instead of his bonus?

Answers below.

*******************************************************

1.  "Deck the Halls"


2.  Chicago Bears


3.  axe or saw


4.  Buy a family swimming pool.


5.  Yearlong subscription to Jelly of the Month Club.   I missed this one.  Thought it was wine of the month..

"Cheap, Lying, No-Good, Rotten."   --CootWold

DID YOU KNOW:   There is a seven letter word in the English language that contains  ten words without rearranging any of its letters.  That word is "therein."  See if you can list the words.

Flu's Back in Elva, Illinois in 1919

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Flu has broken out in Elva for the second time.  The illnesses do not seem to be very serious, but the cases are frequent."

Just when you thought it was over.

Was the Spanish Flu Coming Back For Another Time?  --Cooter

Elks Club Gets New Bubbler in 1919

From the March 13, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"The water cooler that has been in use at the Elks club for some time past will soon be a thing of the past.   Today A.W. Marvin and William Bagg have been busy installing  one of the latest  models of sanitary drinking fountains, not ice water but ice cooled, and when completed, the club will be well equipped along this line.

"The bubbler is built on the order of a thermos bottle, and although the water does not come into contact with the ice at any time, it is iced water."

Bubblers, of course, was the name used for drinking fountains back then.

But, You Knew That.  --GreGen

John Willrett Close to Ancestral Home in 1919

From the March 13, 2019, DeKalb County, Illinois MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"John Willrett, son of Gotlieb Willrett is now within 100 miles of his grandfather's home in Germany.

"Only an uncle and an aunt reside there now.  Willrett  who has been in service a year last September is with the 33rd Division, in the headquarters corps."

I'm guessing his ancestral home is somewhere in Germany.

--Cooter

Warning to You Speeders: VASCAR's Here in 1969

From the February 20, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1969, 50 Years Ago.

"State trooper Bernhardy demonstrated a new speed detection device at the DeKalb County Courtgouse.

"The device, called Vascar, is an electronic computer  that measures distance and time and computes the resultant speed and is designed to replace the patrol car speedometer  as a speed measuring tool."

Get Your Tickets Here.  --GreGen

Eight-Year-Old Criminals in 1944?

From the February 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Two eight-year-old youngsters and their parents were at the city hall yesterday afternoon where a hearing was held to see what should be done with the two boys who had admitted  they broke into two places in this city, a barber shop and a bakery.

"Attending the hearing besides the boys and their parents were George Spitz, assistant state's attorney, Chief of Police Ben Peck and Frank Phillips, superintendent of schools.  It was decided that one of the youngsters would make his home in the future  with a relative on a farm and the other youngster  will report each day to Mr. Phillips."

I Wonder What Happened To Theses Lads.  Eight Is Kinda Young For This.  --Cooter

Who Was J.R. Arnold of Panama City Beach?

From the February 12, 2018, Panama City (Fla.) News Herald.  "Canadian Queries."

A vacationing Canadian wanted to know why there was a J.R. Arnold High School and street in Panama City Beach.

The correspondent found that Mr. Arnold was one of the people behind making Panama City Beach the vacation area it is today.  It was his vision and financial backing that led to all of this.  He saw the area as one for tourism and business.

He built the first motel in Bay County, the Palmetto Court Motel in 1948 and loaned money to other new beach businesses when banks wouldn't help them.  President and chair of the Beach State Bank, started the Small Business Assistance Corporation, president of the Beach's Chamber of Commerce and involved in many other pro PCB organizations.

Death came to him on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1995.

Quite A Man.  --CootPCB

Cleaning That "Bubbler" in 1919

From the January 30, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"A peculiar incident was noted recently when an elderly woman stepped up to a bubbling fountain, which was a clean as possible to keep it,  and after spending two or three minutes washing the small bowl, quenched her thirst.

"Evidently the woman thought it was necessary to do this before water could be clean, and forgot that bubblers were made for people to use in the most sanitary way, bite the bubble."

You Can't Be Too Careful.  Germs, You Know.   --Cooter

Lauren Bruner Will Be the 44th and Final Crew Member Interred on the USS Arizona

From the December 6, 2019, Concord Monitor "California man will be then 44th and final crew member interred on the USS Arizona" by Audrey McAvoy, AP.

On December 7, 1941, the then 21-year-old Lauren Bruner was the second-to-last man to leave his stricken ship, the USS Arizona.  He lived to be 98, married twice and outlived both wives.

This weekend, divers will place Bruner's ashes inside the wreckage of the USS Arizona.  He will be the 44th and last Arizona crew man to be placed on the ship as the other three Arizona survivors still alive have opted to be buried with their families.

Bruner said he wants to be buried at the Arizona as few people go to cemeteries and millions visit the Memorial.  Plus, he wants to be with old friends who never made it off the ship.

The Navy began interring survivors on their old ships in 1982, but there are only two ships from Pearl harbor still there, the Arizona and USS Utah.  The other ships there that day were repaired and put back into service except for the USS Oklahoma.

Remembering Pearl Harbor on 78th Anniversary of the Attack

These are some headlines in newspapers around the country.

**  Pearl Harbor veteran is now the last survivor living in Butte County.

**  Pearl Harbor anniversary to be marked with events in Tucson and Hawaii.

**  Editorial:  How could Pearl Harbor be forgotten.

**  California man will be the 44th and final crew member interred in the USS Arizona.

**  78 years later, efforts continue to ID Pearl Harbor service members.

**  Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day:  Three local sailors were stationed on Battleship Row.

**  World War II veteran recalls Pearl Harbor attack.

Proper Etiquette in 1918: Gentlemen, Remove Your Hat When You Eat

From the October 17, 2018, MidWeek  "Looking Bacl."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"The old-fashioned man who is used to running into the house at meal time, sitting down to the table without removing his hat, consuming the meal before him and again rushing out, only to spend the time doing nothing.  In a local restaurant an elderly man accompanied by a woman stopped for dinner, and the man calmly sat at the table, did not remove his hat and hurriedly ate his food.

"There were others in the dining room at the time but the man cared not,  for he did not remove his hat all the time he was in the place.   It is not often that such people are seen nowadays, as nearly everyone knows that when he sits at a table in a restaurant he is expected to have respect enough for other women, if not for the one he is with, to remove his hat."

If you ate your food in front of my mom and left your baseball cap on, you'd sure hear about it.

And, We Are Not Talking About Baseball Caps.  --Coothat

The Drunken Tots in 1919: "Let 'Em Sleep It Off"

From the January 23, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"A local physician had an interesting  telephone call last night from the country, when he was informed that two little children, one of two years, the other not yet four had put away a pint of whiskey, which had been doctored with herbs to make it bitter.

"The little tots after drinking the whiskey became intoxicated and laid about the house on the floor in a stupor.    Finally, when it was found what caused the kids apparent sickness, the parents thought they would be  along all right if they slept it off."

--CootDrunk

Women's Voting Tips in 1919: Beware Hair Parts, Mandates and Hecklers

From the January 9, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Now that  women have power to vote, their men folk on the strength of hundreds of years start in the study of politics, are giving them lots of advise.   Among their valuable hints are the following:

"Never vote for a candidate who parts his hair in the middle.  He is obviously unable to take one side or the other.

"If your candidate asks you to give him a mandate, ask him:  "What about a womandate?"

"If you attend a political meeting as a heckler, heckle the speaker the same way as you would your husband.  That will get him all tied up."

Ha Ha.  --CootMam

Ice Cutting in 1919

From the January 23, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"While most people are feeling grateful for the mild weather of the last few days, Frank Carter is bewailing the fact that the mercury did not remain closer to the bottom of the tube, until he gets his ice harvested.

"However, on Carter lake on the south Malta road, the ice is better than ten inches thick and today, Mr. Carter is getting his tools hauled to the spot ready for cutting which will start tomorrow."

--CootIce

Thank Your Happy Meal for This Guy

From the May 22,2019, Chicago  Tribune, "Marketing company founder helped develop Happy Meal" obituary for Bernard "Bud" Frankel.

He helped other companies sell their products for 40 years as a co-founder of marketing services business Frankel and Company. Their biggest hit was McDonald's Happy Meal.

BERNARD "BUD" FRANKEL, 89

Died May 14, 2019

In 1973, his company began it relationship with McDonald's, who already had a company for advertising, but felt they needed help in promotion.

In 1976, they put together a promotion tied to the Summer Olympics in Montreal.  Customers received scratch-off game pieces for events and, if the U.S. wins, you win."  If you had one in that event, you'd get a Big Mac for Gold, fries for Silver or Coke for Bronze.

The Happy Meal promotion began in 1979.

No More Pullman Company in 1969

From the January 2, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1969, 50 Years Ago.

"Railroad sleeping cars, operated 110 years by the Pullman Co., are now in the hands of the 34 railroads which still pull them.

"On New Year's Day, Pullman ceased providing conductors, porters, linens and maintenance service for the cars."

That's How the Pullman Goes.  --Cooter

The Spanish Flu Seems To Be In Hand Now In 1919

From the January 2, 2019, MidWeek   "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Once more it looks as though you can sneeze without having people look askance or run away from you.  The health officer today reported only three cases of flu.

"The situation here the last few days seems much relieved.  Weather seems to make no difference.  It may be hot, it may be cold, but fly comes just the same.  However, physicians believe now that they have the matter in hand."

--Cooter

Waukegan Movie Theaters and Actors and Movies

During Waukegan's history, there have been a total of 43 movie theaters at 23 locations in the city.  Sadly, today there is not a single Waukegan theater showing first-run films, the nearest place to see one of those is nearby Gurnee.

Three famous ones were the Elite Theater, originally a vaudeville stage, the Academy and the Genessee which was built in 1927 and still stands.

One famous Waukegan person in the movie business was Jack Benny who appeared in the movie "Man About Town" which had its world premier in Waukegan in 1939 at the Genessee Theater.

Dorothy LaMour, George Chandler and Ray Bradbury also were from Waukegan.

"The Navy Way" movie was filmed a lot at Great Lakes Naval base near Waukegan in North Chicago, and had its world premier at the Genessee.

--Cooter

George Kirke Spoor and the Early Waukegan Film Industry-- Part 1

GEORGE KIRKE SPOOR

Born Dec. 18, 1871   Died Nov. 24, 1854

Early film pioneer.  Founded Essanay Studios in Chicago with Gilbert M. "Bronco Billy" Anderson in 1907.  Essanay lasted until 1917 and made 2,000 films of which, 215 survive to this day.

He also played a part in the career of Charlie Chaplin and some of the filming was done in Waukegan.

Spoor and Anderson also were instrumental in discovering other early movie stars like Wallace F. Beery, Francis X. Bushman and Gloria Swanson.In 1894, while Spoor was the manager of the Phoenix Opera House in Waukegan, he teamed up with inventor Edward Amet to build and exhibit the "Magniscope," the first practical 35 mm movie  projector ever designed and used for large audience display.

--Cooter

Edward Amet in the IMDb

The International Movie Database has this to say about Edward Amer:

KNOWN FOR:

Freedom of Cuba  (1898)

Bombardment of Mantanzas (1898)

Dynamite Cruiser "Vesuvius"  (1898)

**************************

He was the first American filmmaker to use miniatures.

Invented the first practical 35-millimeter motion picture projector.

And you never heard of him before?  Neither had I.

--CootHuh?

Waukegan (Illinois) in Early Film Industry-- Part 4: What Else?

So, Edward Amet gets firsts for:

**  First use of props

**  First newsreel

**  First "Fake" newsreel

Edward Amet ceased producing his magniscope in 1900 after the release of the polyscope by the Selig Polyscope Company.  He sold his  share of their company to George Spoor.Afterwards, Amet went on to try to find a cure for cancer.

He also  returned to his film career in 1911 when he designed the Auto-Moto-Photo, a combination phonograph and film projector.    The phonograph recorder was hooked up directly to the  camera, allowing the first synchronized  sound.  However, the contraption evidently id not accomplish its objective as it never made an impact.

Amet died on August 16, 1948, in Redondo Beach, California.

--Cooter

Waukegan in the Early Movie Industry-- Part 3: "Fake News" Back Then?

Edward Ahmet also filmed the William McKinley presidential inauguration and he wanted to film some of the Spanish-American War but could not get permission so he created his own Spanish-American War using model ships in his backyard in Waukegan.  (The first special effects?)

In these days of "Fake News," you might say Amet had the first one.

The Bess Dunn Museum, which is the Lake County History Museum, has one of the model ships, which were quite realistic-looking and even had puffs of smoke in the movie.

The magniscope was a success and was sold to several high profile theaters, however, Amet concentrated on inventing and never got a patent for his invention.  Thomas Edison even went so far as to sue Amet but when Amer didn't contest it, Edison dropped the suit.

Amet went on to shoot more films with George Kirke Spoor and made a series of war films, shooting footage from staged military camps and using miniatures in the bathtub for staged naval battles.

--Cooter

Waukegan In the Early Movie Industry-- Part 2: Of Phonographs and Early Films

This is from the November 16, 2019, presentation for the Fox Lake/Grant Township Historical Society at the museum on Washington Street in Ingleside, Illinois.

This is taken from my notes and Wikipedia.  When they turned off the lights in the hall, boy was it ever dark, plus, I was holding the notepad (no desk) plus my handwriting is not the best in the world.  So there were more than a few things I couldn't read.

Two men, Edward H. Amet and George Kirke Spoor had a lot to do with the movie industry in Waukegan.

Edward Hill Amet (Nov.10, 1860 to August 16, 1948), an electric engineer and inventor, was born in Philadelphia, and worked for a time with Thomas Edison.  In 1891, he developed the first spring motor for phonographs and his Echophone was the first cylinder phonograph to have a distinct tone arm.

In 1894, he was living in Waukegan, Illinois, where he teamed up with George Kirke Spoor, a theater manager, and they financed and developed a new projector they called a magniscope.  Their first film was of two young women boxing each other for ten minutes, calling it "Young Ladies in a Boxing Exhibition."

--CootBoxer

Waukegan and the Motion Picture Industry-- Part 1: Edison, Dickson and the Beginning of the Motion Picture Industry

The Fox Lake / Grant Township Historical Society then had our presentation, which today was on Waukegan and its role in the early motion picture industry.    Our presenter was Ty Rohrer of the Waukegan History Museum.

Had things worked out differently, who knows, maybe Lake County and Waukegan might have become "Hollywood" instead of out in California.

When people think of Waukegan and movies, they think of Jack Benny and the Famous Genesee Theater.  But, there is a whole lot more to the story.

Thomas Edison is given credit for the invention of the movie camera, but it was actually William Kennedy Dickson, in Edison's employ, who was the major force in its development.  He invented the kinetoscope.  Part of the reason for this was to see if all four of a horses' hooves came off the ground at the same time while in a gallop.

The kinetoscope was essentially a peep machine in which one person at a time could view it. But, that made it hard to make money with just at a time viewing it. It had to become larger.

--Cooter

Fox Lake/Grant Township Historical Society Meeting Nov. 16, 2019: The "Haunted?" Puppets

We elected four people to the Board of Directors.  Treasury reports receiving $120 from the sale of three Grant Township High School yearbooks.  We sell year extras for $40 apiece.  Buy a part of your history.

Local Stanton School will be bringing fifth graders over this upcoming week to tour the museum and will work in five-person groups at the end of the tour to answer questions.  Winning group gets ice cream.

There will also be a presentation at Leisure Village this week.

The Shadow Hunters who are a group of ghost hunters from Lake Villa, Illinois, will be coming to take a "look" around the museum.  They have previously been here twice.  They were especially interested in taking another go at the "puppets."  Those puppets are three that used to be at the popular Fox Lake tavern called Eagle Point Park, but more commonly known as the Puppet Bar.

I used to deejay there a lot during the 1980s and knew those puppets well.

Sadly, those puppets are no longer in the museum. They were loaned by the owners and now in California.

The Fox Lake mayor was there and said the historical association was getting a plaque for the great work we're doing pushing the history and heritage of Fox Lake.

Too Bad.  --Cooter

Honor Flight Chicago-- Part 4: One Vietnam War Veteran's Experience

Bob Misevich, the Vietnam War medic. saw some of the worst of the war. and his memories of e war are vivid.  Being a part of Honor Flight Chicago this past July touched him deeply.  (See Honor Flight Chicago--Part 2 from November 13, 2019.)

 Nothing more than being greeted by five hundred people greeting them on their return from D.C. and there were even children in the crowd and many waving U.S. flags.  On their arrival, they were also greeted by representatives of the armed forces and National Guard and veterans.  Former Senator Bob Dole  is often in Washington, D.C. to greet vets when his health is alright.

All this "changed my life.  It changed the whole process of how you thought about the war," he says.

Going to the Vietnam Wall Memorial also meant a lot to him.  He carried a list of six names from his squad over there.  He didn't know what had happened to them.  Sadly, he found three of their names on the wall.

That wall is indeed a sombering experience, as are the traveling Vietnam Walls.

He is also impressed with the program and its volunteers and encourages all veterans to take part.  "Upon arrival at Midway they immediately put us in wheelchairs and we had a mentor every step of the way.

Honor Flight Chicago-- Part 3: How It Started

Co-founder of the Honor Flight Chicago hub is Mary Pettinatto, who took her step-father to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. shortly after it opened and encountered  one of te very first Honor Flights.

She was so moved that when she returned to Chicago, she co-founded the Chicago hub with the help of three other women in 2007.   The first flight took off in 2008 and now they have gone to D.C. 95 times.

With the aging of the orld War II veterans, they opened the flight to Korean War veterans in 2016 and this year to Vietnam War veterans.

"For our Vietnam  veterans, who returned home to open animosity and hostility, the day has proven to be one of healing and closure -- a true 'Welcome Home' that is 50 years overdue," says Doug Meffley, co-director of Honor Flight Chicago.

--Cooter

The National Honor Flight Origin

The whole Honor Flight idea originated with Earl Morris, a physician assistant with the Veterans Administration in Springfield, Ohio,  and Jeff Miller from Henderson, North Carolina, the son of a World War II veteran.  They did this in 2004, soon after the World War II Memorial was opened in Washington, D.C..

The first Honor Flight took place in May 2005 and took off from Springfield, Ohio, and flew World War II veterans to the memorial that was built in their honor.

The idea soon spread and hubs were added.  Honor Flight Chicago has become one of the largest hubs.

--Cooter

Honor Flight Chicago-- Part 2: So Far, 8,730 Chicago Area War Heroes Honored

"Since our founding in 2008 we have honored 8,730 Chicago Area war heroes," said Doug Meffley, co-director of Honor Flight Chicago.

Bob Misevich, an Army combat medic in the Vietnam War, grew up in Chicago in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.  He volunteered to serve in Vietnam at age 21.  he is now retired after working for Sears for 40 years and lives in Naperville.

"After 52 years, (the experience of serving in that war) never left me," he says.

When he first arrived in country, he remembers getting off a helicopter and seeing some body bags loaded on the same helicopter.  he later found out that one of the body bags contained the body of the medic he was replacing

Misevich participated in an Honor Flight this past July.

Honor Flight Chicago Opens Up to Vietnam Veterans-- Part 1

From the Nov. 8, 2019, Chicago Tribune "Next generation of warriors."

"They may not have felt like warriors in the years Vietnam veterans fought a thankless fought a world away.  But thanks to organizations such as Honor Flight Chicago, that has changed.

"Honor Flight Chicago, a not-for-profit, has for the past 11 years flown World War II and Korean War veterans to Washington, D.C., free-of-charge to visit the national war memorials built in their honor.  In 2019, the organization  began including Vietnam-era veterans in this Day of Honor."

A well-deserved honor.  I just can't believe how so many were treated when they came home during and after the war.  It kind of reminds me of the way Confederate veterans are being treated these days.

Chicago's Veterans Day Ceremony To Be Held in Soldier Field Today

Mayor Lightfoot will be at Chicago's Veterans Day ceremony at Chicago's monument to our veterans, Soldier Field by the lakefront, weather permitting as we are having snow and blustery winds.

***********************

About Chicago's Soldier Field

From Wikipedia.

On Chicago's Near South Side.  Capacity for football 61,500, the third smallest in the NFL.  Home field of the Chicago Bears, who moved there in 1971  from Wrigley Field.    It is now the second-oldest stadium in the NFL since the Los Angeles Rams moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum which was built a year before Soldier Field.

Designed in 1919 and opened in 1924.  Originally called Municipal Grant Park Stadium.  The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11, 1925, as a memorial to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat.

Its formal dedication as Soldier Field was held on November 27, 1926, for the 29th playing of the annual Army-Navy game.

A Well-Deserved Honor for Out Veterans.

Happy 244th USMC!!!

Today marks the 244th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.  I am sure it will be celebrated all over the world, wherever they're stationed, also all retired Marines.

Once a Marine, always a Marine.

The United States Marine Corps traces its origins to the Continental Marines of the American Revolution.  They were formed by Captain Samuel Nicholas, by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress on 10 November 1775, to raise two battalions of Marines.

That date is regarded and celebrated as the date of the Marine Corps' birthday.

I can remember that MASH episode of the Marines celebrating their birthday during the Korean War and Norm getting the pool ball stuck in his mouth.

Happy Birthday, Jarheads!!  --CootRine

Top Chicago Bear Announcers-- Part 2: Former Bears Fencik, Hampton and Butkus

10.  HUB ARKUSH  (1988-2002)

His exit marked the end of trying to use there announcers.  Sometimes had a hard time being heard over the other two.

9.  GARY FENCIK  (1990-1993)

If three announcers are too much, then four are way too many.  He became the fourth when Butkus returned.

8.  BRAD PALMER  (1977-1984)

Brought a reporter's eye to the booth.   Dubbed "The Professor."

7.  DAN HAMPTON  (1995-1996)

Pretty good at predicting opponent plays.  One of those '85 Bears.

6.  DICK BUTKUS   (1985-1987)  (1992-1994)

One of The Greatest Bears.  But, too much of a fan.

--Cooter

Top Chicago Bears Radio Announcers-- Part 1: Kupcinet, Bender and Hart

From the Nov. 3, 2019, Chicago Tribune by Phil Rosenthal.

I don't know about you, but given a choice between listening to TV and radio commentators, I'll take radio anytime.  TV commentators are more general and non-fan than their counterparts.  Ideal football watching to me involves watching the game on TV, but listening to the radio announcers.  Sadly, TV stations have figured that out and delay what their feeds so that the play and words about it don't go in sync.

And, my all-time favorite Bears announcer was the voice of those great Bears teams of the 1980s, but is now with the Packers.  But, we live on the Wisconsin-Illinois border and get him doing the Packer games  Wonder who he is and where Phil will rank him?

Anyway, Phil Rosenthal takes his shot at listing the 13 Bears announcers who have done Bear play-by-play in the last 66 years and even took a stab at ranking them.

#13  IRV KUPCINET  (1953-1976)

  Long-time Chicago Sun-Times columnist and one-time NFL qb and referee.    "Dat's right, Jack."

#12  GARY BENDER   (1999-2000)

Two forgettable seasons of play-by-play and for sad Bears teams with combined records of 11-21.

#11  JIM HART  (1985-1989)

Long-time Cardinals qb, but overshadowed by Dick Butkus and Wayne Larrivee.

Top Ten Next.  --CootBall

These Five Weapons Made WW I an Absolute Bloodbath-- Part 2: Triplanes, U-boats and Monster Guns

FOKKER TRIPLANE

Baron von Richtofen flew it and Snoopy battled it, but the Fokker Dr 1 Triplane had the maneuverability and rapid climb rate, it terrorized the skies over the Western Front in 1917 and 1918.

TYPE 93 U-BOAT

They weren't fast, especially under water and had limited endurance and couldn't stay underwater for too long.  But armed with 88 or 101 millimeter deck guns and six torpedo tubes with 16 reloads.

The 24 Type 93s sank 411,000 tons of Allied shipping.

BIG BERTHA AND THE PARIS GUN

BIG BERTHA was a giant German howitzer  with 16.5inch caliber and could hurl a nearly one ton shell eight miles.  In 1914, it leveled Belgian forts and almost allowed German armies to capture Paris.

The PARIS GUN made history by hurling shells into the stratosphere.  It could hurl a 200-pound shell 81 miles which allowed Germans to bombard Paris.  But, it was expensive and fragile (the barrel had to be replaced after firing 20 shots).

But, being able to bombard targets that far away gave it notoriety.

--Cooter

These Five Weapons Made World War I an Absolute Bloodbath-- Part 1: Machine Guns and Tanks

From the November 4, 2019, National Interest by Michael Peck.

"Today we take for granted that warfare is mechanized, electronicized, a form of human activity where humans are the least important component

"But it didn't seem that way in 1914.  Europeans sleep walked into war dreaming of cavalry charges and massed infantry charges with fixed bayonets.

"They awoke to confront the machine gun and  the U-boat, the tank and the airplane."

There were many new weapons in WW I that turned it into a bloodbath of epic proportions.  here are five of them:

MAXIM MG 08 MACHINE GUN

German.  Very heavy, but could fire 500 rounds a minute, and cut through Allied attacks like a scythe.

MARK V TANK

British.  The machine gun's nemesis.  Could survive machine gun fire, knock down barbed wire.  Half-inch armor deflected bullets and 57-millileter cannon or .303 -caliber machine guns knock out machine gun nests.

--Cooter

Virginia Commemorating 400th Anniversary of Arrival of African Slaves-- Part 3

Though little noted at the time, the arrival of the enslaved Africans in England's first successful colony in the New World is now considered a pivotal moment in American history.

Englishman John Rolfe documented the landing of the first slave ship, the White Lion, at what was then called Point Comfort (where Fortress Monroe is located).  He wrote that the colonists traded supplies and provisions for the slaves.

From the White Lion, and a second ship, the English colonists took more than 30 Africans to properties along the James River, including Jamestown.

By that time, more than 500,000 enslaved Africans had already crossed the Atlantic to European colonies, but the Africans in Virginia are widely considered the first in English-controlled North America.

They came 12 years after the founding of Jamestown, England's first permanent colony, and weeks after the first English-style legislature was (the House of Burgesses) was convened there.

Virginia Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of Arrival of African Slaves-- Part 2: "What Became a Nation"

Virginia's two senators and governor will make remarks at a Saturday ceremony.  And, a family that traces its bloodlines to those first Africans will hold a reflection at its cemetery on Friday.

"This moment means everything to folks like myself who are African American and to folks on the continent as well, " said Mary Elliott, curator of American Slavery at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

"But it should mean something to everybody, regardless of race,"  she added,"because it is a moment that define a nation -- what became a nation."

Virginia Commemorating 400th Anniversary of Arrival of African Slaves-- Part 1

From the August 23, 2019, Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald by Bill Finley A.P.

Officials will mark the pivotal moment in American history when enslaved Africans arrived by holding a 'Healing Day.'

Norfolk, Va.  --  Four hundred years after American slavery and democratic self-rule came to what became the state of Virginia, ceremonies will mark the arrival of enslaved Africans and seek healing from the legacy of bondage that still haunts the nation.

Yet, the weekend ceremonies will take place against the backdrop of white supremacism across the country, racist tweets by President Trump and a lingering scandal surrounding Virginia;s governor and a blackface photo.

The commemoration will include Sunday's "Healing Day" on the Chesapeake Bay where two ships traded men and women from what is today Angola for food and supplies from English colonists in August 1619.

A bell will ring for four minutes, while churches across the country are expected to join in.

A Very Unfortunate Event in History.

Returning Soldier Starts a Shoe Repair Business

From the March 6, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Joe Cohn, a returned soldier lad, who was in the service for seven months at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, (my grandfather's base) has recently been mustered out, and has started a shoe repair shop in the little building next to the Nehring Electrical Works on East Lincoln Highway in DeKalb.

"Cohn was a cobbler by trade when he entered the service, and was in business in Earlville, and when mustered out, thought DeKalb looked good to him and is getting his share of the business at this time."

--Cooter

McCabe Tavern Robbed in 1944

From the March 6, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Sometime during the early morning hours, a burglary was staged at McCabe Tavern, 157 East Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, and about $90 was taken.

"As far as could be determined after a close check had been made, no liquor or any other  valuables were secured by the thieves.  Apparently, the burglars were only interested in cash and were not looking for anything else as nothing in the tavern gad been disturbed except the cash registers."

We Used To Hang Out A Lot Next Door to McCabe's At A Place Called Andy's.  --CootBeer

A Short History of Hearses-- Part 2: Riding Out in Style

The most enduring hearse company has been the S & S Coach Company of Lima, Ohio, which was founded in 1876 to make horse-drawn hearse carriages.  Initially named Sayers & Scovill, they still make about 500 hearses a year in Lima with a staff of 75.

They buy cars from dealers, split them, "decontent" them, allowing only the portions they require,  stretch the lengths, weld them back together and install casket floors.  The rear doors (through which the casket is slid) is made from scratch.

Because they've added so much weight (hearses can weigh up to 7,000 pounds) they also have to have stronger brakes.

A standard hearse  sells for at least $110,000

Back in the 1970s, there were 20 hearse makers,but now the number is down to five.

Something I didn't know.  One of Neil Young's earliest bands toured in a 1948 Buick Roadmaster hearse nicknamed "Mort";  his 1976 song "Long May You Run", written with Stephen Stills, was a tribute to that car.

Then, Of Course, The" Ghostbusters" Hearse.  Who You Gonna Call?  --Cooter

Just In Time for Halloween: A Short History of Hearses and Those Who Collect Them-- Part 1

From the Oct. 30, 2019, Chicago Tribune "Honk, but only if you're macabre" by Christopher Borrelli.

This is an article about people in the Chicago area who collect hearses.There are even clubs devoted to collecting hearses named Hardcore Hearse Club, Grim Rides Chicago and the Las Ryd's Hearse Club.

I've seen the occasional hearse as car shows.

SOME HISTORY OF HEARSES

The hearse, or "funeral coach" as the industry prefers, is actually a custom car  When a fleet of hearses are ordered it is not likely that any two will be 100% identical.  The traditional hearse is essentially a single luxury vehicle that has been split in two, outfitted with a long chassis to extend the length and then sculpted back into shape.

Hearses were initially pulled by horses, but the first one to use a standard combustion engine appeared in 1909, a year after the Model T was introduced.  The hearse industry, like the larger car industry, began in the Midwest, except the car-makers did not have hearse divisions.

The first motorized hearses were made by Crane & Breed of Cincinnati and advertised being able to travel at "fifteen miles-per-hour faster than any hearse should have to go."  About a decade later, the president of the company, Austin Breed, poisoned himself to death and they switched to caskets.

--Riding Out With Style.  --Cooter

What Makes A Movie Scary?-- Part 4: "Here's Johnny!! Open the Door Or I'll Axe You In"

**  I've seen it.

**  THE SHINING (1980)--    Stanley Kubrick's scary movie about a man going insane.  No one  can play someone a bit off kilter better than Jack Nicholson.

**  THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  (1991)--  The only horror film to ever win an Oscar for Best Picture.   All that cool and class and appetite.

**  THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE  (1974)--  It wa slow budget, but big scary.  Still afraid to cut my trees with a chainsaw.

**  THE THING  (1982)--  John Carpenter's remake of the 1951 classic about that cold weather creature.  All the gore and gook you could want.

BVooDoo.  --CootScare

What Makes A Movie Scary?-- Part 3: Freddie and That Giant Skull

**  Means I've seen it.

**  A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET  (1984)--  The movie that gave us blade-fingered Freddie Kreuger.  Don't go to sleep or he'll get you.  Freddie's kind of a funny guy at times.

**  THE OMEN  (1976)--  Hey, Damien is the demon child.

**  POLTERGEIST  (1982)--  That spooky old tree scared me, but not as bad as that huge skull coming out of the closet.  I almost had to leave the theater when that happened.  Man, that was scary.

**  PSYCHO  (1960)--  Alfred Hitchcock's mama's boy goes awry.  You can check in, but I don't know about checking out.

**  ROSEMARY'S BABY  (1968)--  It's a slow-builder, but creepier the whole time.

Scared Yet?  --DaCootBoo

What Makes A Movie Scary?-- Part 2: Maniac Killers and That Big Ol' Shark

**  Ones I've seen:

**  GET OUT--  (2017)--  A young black man meets his white girlfriend's family.  Guess who's not coming to dinner.

HEREDITARY--  (2018)--  They say this may be too intense for some.  You've been warned.

**  HALLOWEEN  (1978)--  John Carpenter terrorized middle America with this one.  It's all in the family.

**  JAWS  (1975)--  Steven Spielberg's masterpiece about a big ol' shark.  But you never had to worry about it until you heard that music.  That meant Sharkey was nearby.

**  NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD   (1968)--  George Romero's original.  All zombie shows owe this for their existence.

Like, BOO!!!  --CootScared

What Makes a Movie Scary?-- Part 1: A to E

From the October 24, 2019, Chicago Tribune by Rafer Guzman.

What makes a horror movie scary?  Some say its the jump-scare, that "Boo" moment that jolts you.  (That gets me every time.)  Others say its a particularly horrible looking monster, otehrs a preponderance of blood, guts and gore.

Here is a list of pretty good horror movies in alphabetical order (and just in time for Halloween):

**  ALIEN (1979)    Basically "Jaws in Space" according to director Ridley Scott.  Where, oh where, is that monster and it is pretty dark.

AUDITION (1999)  I didn't see this one.    But they say the second half "must be seen to be believed."

**  THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)  "Found film footage."  Pretty creepy.  I wouldn't go into the woods.

**  THE EVIL DEAD  (1981)  Don't play that videotape, folks.

**   THE EXORCIST  (1973)  They said it was so scary, people fainted.  I didn't see anybody faint, but pretty creepy anyway.  And, those scary bells.

**  Means I've seen it.

--CootScared

Spring Grove Fish Hatchery-- Part 2: Winter Time Ice Skating and a Real Nice Park

Winter time was a favorite of the children of Spring Grove as they would bundle up and go out to the fish hatchery ponds for a day of ice skating.  Thomas McCaferty  was known to leave the door to the hatchery building open so the children could come inside and warm up, something much appreciated on those chill days.

While the fish hatchery was an important part of the growth of Spring Grove for nearly a century, it closed in 2005.  (We moved to Spring Grove in 1992.)

The property was acquired by the Village of Spring Grove in 2007 (I understand for the princely sum of $1) with the goal of turning  the old hatchery into a community park with a historical display to commemorate and explain what it was and how the hatchery did it.

With a number of volunteers, some money, the area was transferred into a beautiful park.  The ponds needed reconstruction and walking paths were built around the pools along with fishing piers.

Fishing is allowed, but no live bait and it is catch and release.

The park was completed and opened to the public in 2012.  There is a small charge if you are not a resident of the village.

Every year in the spring they have a major fundraiser at Spring Grove's Horse Fair Park with a Door County-style fish boil put on by Fitzgerald's in nearby Genoa City.

It is one really pretty place.

--CootFish

A Short History of Spring Grove, Illinois-- Part 3: Growth, Then Decline Caused By the Automobile

Walter Carey introduced electricity to the village in 1918, using a waterfall n the Fox River to generate the power.

The business community continued to grow until the 1920s, when the use of automobiles owned by residents made travel to other communities easier.  Many of the businesses in Spring Grove closed.

Completion of US-Highway 12, which goes right through the village, a few blocks south of the old downtown, increased traffic, many on their way to Lake Geneva, about twenty miles away in Wisconsin.

One business that has been a bar/restaurant is located in the old downtown and has been there since the 1890s is now called The Grove and a popular spot for food, watching sports and entertainment.

Of course, we knew we had made it as a village when we got a Jewel grocery store, Walgreens and a McDonald's several years ago.  Plus, there is a growing strip of businesses along US-12.

--Cooter

Spring Grove Fish Hatchery-- Part 1: A Perfect Location

From the March 21, 2018, Hi-Liter "Former Fish Hatchery" reborn" by Sandra Landen Machaj.

Spring Grove was the home of the very first State of Illinois Fish hatchery in 1914.  A group of 16 men and Thomas McCaferty built eight concrete ponds in the swampy land near Nippersink Creek to be used as a fish hatchery.

This was a perfect site because of the great source of water from a spring located there (which I believe to be the spring that gives Spring Grove its name).

The ponds and associated buildings constructed there became known as the Spring Grove Fish Hatchery and eggs were incubated in the building.  Once hatched, they were moved to one of the ponds to continue growing until they were big enough to survive in the open waterways.

Each fall, the little fish, known as fingerlings, were released into Illinois waterways including rivers, lakes and even Lake Michigan.  By 1967, more than 500,000 fish were produced annually, making it the largest fish hatchery in Illinois.

--Cooter

A Short History of Spring Grove, Illinois-- Part 2: Growth of the Village 1840 to 1900

The presence of Nippersink Creek, which zig-zags its way through the community made it a perfect place for a mill, so important to early settlers.  By 1841, Spring Grove had two mills:  a grist mill owned by Joseph Bliven and a sawmill owned by Lewis Hatch.  The area became known as Blivin's Mill.

Lewis Hatch became a big landowner and farmer as well and is the father of Fred Hatch (inventor of the silo).

In 1847, the Blivin's Mills Post Office was established and the first store was built.

In 1883,the name became Spring Grove because of the large spring and the beautiful grove of trees around it.   This would be where the Spring Grove Fish Hatchery is located.

In the next years, Spring Grove became both an agricultural and business center.

Improvements came along as well, including telephone service in 1897 when Walter Carey ran a phone line from his store in Wilmot (Wisconsin, just over the state line) to his farm in English Prairie.

By the early 1900s, concrete sidewalks replaced wooden walkways in the downtown area (which is not very big even to today).

--CooterBlivinHatch

A Short History of the Village of Spring Grove, Illinois-- Part 1: Early English Settlers, Fish and Fred

From the March 21, 2018, Hi-Liter newspaper by Sandra Landen Machaq.   She has written a lot of articles about local history for the paper, as well as has a book out about our neighboring village of Johnsburg.

Illinois was celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state in 2018, and our little village of Spring Grove has made its contributions to the state's growth, most notably with this fish hatchery and the first silo in the country, developed by local farmer Fred Hatch.

Spring Grove was not incorporated until 1902, some 84 years after Illinois became a state.  But the village's beginnings can be traced back 60 years before that.

Jonathan Imeson became the first settler here in 1830, when he made his home in a shanty for a year before he was joined by other English families with names like Wrays, Lawsons, Richardsons, Hoffmans, Fowles, Manns, Rices and Blivens.  Many of their descendants still live in the area.

The 1830s was when the last Indians were removed from the area.

They were soon followed by John Sanborn and Alfred and Merrells Stevens.  Alfred Stevens was the father of Burton Stevens, for whom Burton Township, where we live, is named.

We still have a road in the village named English Prairie after these early residents.  Spring Grove was also called  Bliven's Mill at first and we still have a Blivens Road.  The Richardsons are a huge agribusiness with what is reputed to be the biggest corn maze in the country and quite a fall celebration.

--CooterLocal

Spring Grove Fish Hatchery: So That's Where the Springs Are

I have often wondered whatever happened to the spring from whence the name of our village, Spring Grove, comes from.  I've even asked several people in the village where the springs were and they didn't know.  One of them was friend Ed whose family has owned the old Hatch farm since in early 1900s.  And, even he didn't know.

Then, I came across an article about the Spring Grove Fish Hatchery that I had put aside back in 2018 and went on this blog and looked up Spring Grove Fish Hatchery just to be sure I hadn't already written the article in this blog, and I hadn't.

But, I did read that the reason the fish hatchery was located where it is was because of the hard-flowing spring there.  The fish hatchery is located very near what there is of a "downtown" in the old part of the village.

So, this must be where the springs that lent their name to our village are located.

You Can Fool Some of the Folks Some of the Time, But This Blogger Most of the Time.  --Cootfish

In Search of New Role for Yerkes Observatory: Is It In Danger?

From the July 5, 2018, Chicago Tribune "In search of new role for astronomy icon" by Ted Gregory.

Yerkes Observatory is located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin (near the Illinois state line), and on beautiful Geneva Lake.  A move is now on to save the world-renowned observatory as the University of Chicago plans to close it.  Back in 2006, it was almost sold to a resort developer.

The 121-year-old observatory and around 77 acres surrounding it are in danger.

Sadly, the observatory is no longer considered to be cutting edge as a research center.

The Yerkes grounds were designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead and includes some highly desirable lakefront footage.  Distinctive and ornate, the building's main feature is what is touted as the world's largest refractor telescope with a 40-inch lens, 63-foot tube and total weight of 20 tons.

Carl Sagan and Edwin Hubble studied here, as did Nobel laureates Gerhard Herzberg and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.  Albert Einstein visited it as well.

Here's Hoping They Find A Use.   --CootSee

That's Not the Statue of Liberty's Original Torch Up There

From the November 16, 2018, Northwest Herald  "Statue of Liberty's original torch moved  to a museum site."

The Statue of Liberty's original torch has been housed in the base of the statue (whose pedestal, by the way, is an old fort) since a replica replaced the original in the 1980s. was moved on Thursday to its new home in a museum that will open in 2019.  The museum is 100 yards from the statue on Liberty Island.

The base and detached flame of the 3,600 pound torch was moved very carefully.  It had been removed in 1984 because it had been too damaged by the elements and pollution to restore.

The torch left France for the United States in 1876 where it was exhibited at the Centennial Celebration of the U.S. in Philadelphia and then was taken to New York City and then to Madison Square Park where it was used to raise funds to pay for the statue's pedestal.  These were the first of many moves the torch has made.

It went back to Paris in 1882 and then returned to New York City along with other crated pieces of the statue in 1885.

The torch was held high by Lady Liberty from 1886 to 1984, but modifications to the flame changed its original design over the years.

--CooterStatue

"Seinfeld's" 30th Anniversary: Some of Our Favorite Nothings-- Part 2: The Festivus for the Rest of Us

JUNIOR MINT--  "Delicious" packaged snack that sparks a medical mintcident.  I don't remember this one.

LITTLE KICKS--  The key component to Elaine's signature dance moves.

RE-GIGTER--  A person who receives a gift and then gifts it too someone else.

MUFFIN TOP--  The top of the muffin where the muffin breaks free of the pan and sort of does its own thing.

MAN FUR--   A winter coat made out of fur and worn by a man.

FESTIVUS--  A secular and non-commercial holiday celebrated on December 23.  Have you gotten your Festivus tree yet with all this Christmas Creep?

PEZ--  Jerry's Tweety Bird Pez dispenser creates a major-key scene during a piano recital.

DOUBLE DIPPER--  A person who inserts a chip into a dip, takes a bite and unhygienically re-dips the chip.

When will NBC get some funny sitcoms?

Shrinkage, George, Shrinkage.  --Cootivus

"Seinfeld's 30th Anniversary: Some of Our Favorite Seinfeldisms-- Part 1: Yada Yada Yada

From the June 30, Parade magazine "Happy Birthday Seinfeld."

The show about "nothing" ran for nine seasons 1989-1998.  The groundbreaking NBC prime-time series (back when NBC actually had funny sitcoms) made a lot of hilarious somethings out of nothing.

Here are some of the favorites

THE BRO--  (also called the Manssiere)  A support undergarment designed especially for men.

SOUP NAZI--    The super-strict soup kitchen owner.  We still use this term for anyone who is especially good at making soup.

CLOSE TALKER--  A person who violates personal space during conversation.  In other words, back off.

YADA YADA YADA--  Phrase used as a substitute for actual words to gloss over information.

No SOUP For You!!!.  --CootYada

Man Shoots Self While Hunting Pigeons in 1919

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back,"

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Jack Cook of Rollo had the misfortune to suffer a painful accident of last week.  He was using a rifle to shoot pigeons and as one dropped, he dashed to get it, forgetting to put the safety release on the rifle, the shot going through his leg.

"Treatment was given at Mendota Hospital and he was returned to his home."

I Can Almost Hear the Pigeons Laughing.  --Cooter

Buying Lower California and Mexican Claims in 1919

From the January 2, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"President Wilson is requested to begin negotiations for the purchase from Mexico of the Peninsula of Lower California in a resolution introduced today by Senator Ashurst of Arizona.

"Ashurst also introduced a resolution directing the war department to investigate claims by American citizens growing out of damage to American property by Mexican bandits since December 1, 1912."

Nothing, Obviously, Ever Came of It.  --Cooter

A 'Likely' Story About No School in 1919

From the March 27, 2019, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"One of the little fellows attending school here sprung one on Captain Rowe of the police force this morning, and although a triffle slangy, is too good to keep.

"Just imagine a little fellow about seven years old, and the policeman in a conversation and the latter putting the query as to the reason the little was not in school.  Here is the little fellow's reply:  'Huh, thank the Lord there is scarlet fever at the school, and we don't have no school until Monday.' "

Yeah, Right Kid.  Is That Your Best Excuse?  --Cooter

After World War I, 1919: 100 Years Ago

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

**  "Prof. John Adee, who is well known here as a Sycamore boy, and as a former and popular superintendent of  the Sycamore schools, is one of 30 superintendents of schools selected by  the government to go to France to teach the American soldiers."

**  "Names of several returning heroines and heroes known in DeKalb were included in the lists today in the papers.  Miss Celeste Firkins of Shabbona Grove and Miss Nellie R. Satter of Leland, who were with the Red Cross nurses of the Presbyterian  unit, arrived on the Mauretania."

--Cooter

World War I Trench Design To Be Used In Some Schools Against Mass Shooters

From the August 30, 2019, Chicago Tribune  "Michigan school designed to hinder a mass shooter" by Alex Horton, Washington Post.

Now, this is a real sad story to read.

Engineers in World War I dug through the earth to build serpentine trenches borne from horrifically clear logic.

If enemy soldiers ever breached the trenches, the zigzagging pattern would prevent them from shooting in a straight line down the the length of the trench --  leaving only a relative few exposed to gunfire or shrapnel.

That concept has come back a century later in a western Michigan high school as protection against mass shooters.  It is a $48 million project at Fruitport High School which will add curved hall ways, jutting barriers and spaced classrooms that can be locked on demand

This Is Just So Sad.  --Cooter

USS Fulton (SP-247)-- Part 2: A Minesweeper

This USS Fulton was built as a steel-hulled tug in 1909 by the Staten Island Shipbuilding Company at Port Richmond on Staten Island for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Co. to tow barges carrying rail cars.  It was named after inventor Robert Fulton who was being honored in New York City's Hudson-Fulton Celebration on the centennial of the development of practical steamship technology.

The Navy acquired her under charter on 30 April 1917 during World War I.  She was to be a minesweeper.  After arming with a single  1-pounder gun, she was commissioned  on 22 September 1917 with her two officers and 16 men assigned to the Third  Naval District.  On 11 April 1918 her official name was reduced to SP-247.

The Navy returned her to its previous owner, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad on 12 August 1919.

Don't Need It Anymore.  --Cooter

And Another USS Fulton (SP-247)-- Part 1

Still researching ships by the name of the USS Fulton and Wikipedia has two more ships by that name.  Thus USS Fulton served at the same time as the Fulton that started off as the U.S. Navy's first submarine tender.

From Wikipedia.

The fourth USS Fulton(SP-247) later USS SP-247 was a commercial tug built in 1909.  She was commissioned by the Navy as a minesweeper in 1917 and served in the Third Naval District and returned to her previous owners two years later.  She was used until the 1960s, often under the name of Catherine Carroll.

It was 93.5 feet long, 25.2 foot beam, crew of ten as a minesweeper and armed with one 1-pdr. gun.

--Cooter

USS Fulton (AS-1)-- Part 4: Panama Canal Zone, Asiatic Fleet and a Disastrous Fire

The Fulton was recommissioned  on 2 December 1930 as a gunboat and had duty as a survey ship in the Panama Canal Zone.  It was reclassified as the USS Fulton (PG-49).  It conducted surveys  in the area until 1932 when it went to San Diego and made preparations to join the U.S. Asiatic Fleet.

Her assigned station was Hong Kong where the ship arrived in November and then made voyages to Cavite  Navy Yard in the Philippines and cruised along the Chinese coast from Hong Kong to Canton until March 1934.

On this day a fire broke out amidships.  As the ship appeared to be sinking, the crew was taken off by the British destroyer HMS Wishart and merchant ship SS Tinian.  Three of the crew suffered injuries.    The crew was taken to  the Royal Navy Dockyard at Hong Kong.  The British destroyer HMS Whitshed stood by the burning Fulton until the fire was put out.  An American tug arrived  to tow the Fulton to Hong Kong where emergency repairs were made and she was towed to Cavite.

The United States Department of the Navy  later passed thanks along to British authorities for their service.

Damage to the Fulton was considered too great and she was decommissioned  on 12 May 1934 and scrapped later that year.

The Story of a Ship.  --Cooter

USS Fulton (AS-1)-- Part 3: Service By the Panama Canal

I have been writing about the USS Fultons that have been in the U.S. Navy over the years, starting with the first one at the end of the War of 1812 in my Not So Forgotten blog, the second one which was in the Civil War in my Running the Blockade blog and the third one here in this blog.

There was also a 4th Fulton that served in WW I  and the fifth and last one served in World War II and during the nuclear submarine age.  I'll be writing about the fourth one in this blog and the last one in my WW II blog.

The USS Fulton (AS-1) was the first navy ship specifically built to take care of submarines in 1914 as that branch was growing.

During this time, the Fulton took part in maneuvers and war games  and served as station ship in New London.  In 1923, she was reassigned as a tender to the submarine fleet at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. During he next years, the Fulton took part in exercises off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the canal.  It returned to Philadelphia in 1925, was decommissioned and placed in reserve.

--Cooter

USS Fulton (AS-1)-- Part 2: Sponsored By the Granddaughter of Robert Fulton

Laid Down 2 October 1913, launched 6 June 1914,  commissioned 7 December 1914, decommissioned  5 October 1925, recommissioned 2 September 1930, reclassified as a gunboat (PG-49) and decommissioned  12 May 1934.  Scrapped 1934.

226.6 feet long, 35 foot beam,   complement 6 officers and 129 enlisted.  Armament two 3-inch and one 1-pdr. antiaircraft gun.

Originally to be named the USS Niagara, but renamed  Fulton 10 Feb. 1913.  Launched  6 June 1914 at New London Ship and Engine  Company, Groton, Connecticut.  The ship was sponsored by Mrs. A.T. Sutcliffe, granddaughter of Robert Fulton, for whom the ship was named.

During her first six months, the Fulton tended submarines in Norfolk,  Charleston, New York and  Newport, then, after overhaul, arrived in New London on 2 November 1915 and became  the base ship for the newly-formed Submarine School in 1918.  Through 1922, this was her main base of operations with submarines along the U.S. east coast.

--Cooter

USS Fulton (AS-1)-- Part 1: The Third USS Fulton 1914-1934

From Wikipedia.

I have been writing about the first USS Fulton in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog.  It was originally named USS Demologos and was designed by Robert Fulton.  When he died, the name was changed in his honor.  It did not see much service.

The second USS Fulton was launched in 1837 and was destroyed during the Civil War and I am writing about that in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Naval Blog.

Well, this i the third USS Fulton, so I figured to go ahead and write about it in my Cooter's History Thing blog, so here goes.

The USS Fulton (AS-1) was a submarine tender launched in 1914 in the early years of the submarine service.  It was reclassified as a gunboat (PG-49) in 1930 and decommissioned in 1934.  It was teh first U.S. Navy ship designed specifically for tending to submarines.

--Cooter

An Interesting Tidbit on Cubs Attendance in 1965

From Baseball Refernce.com.

In these days of the Cubs selling out Wrigley Field most games, here is something interesting about attendance back in 1965.

The Cubs opened the season at home against the rival St. Louis Cardinals.  You'd have to figure a sellout.

Game 1 vs. Cardinals:  Attendance;  19,751  This game ended in a 10-10 tie
Game 2   9,358  Won 3-1
Game 3   3,569   Won 7-3

Game 8 vs. Cincinnati Reds  6.752   Lost 9-2
Game 9   3.813   Won    3-2
Game 10  vs. Milwaukee Braves   4,281   Won  3-1

Where'd All These Current Cub Fans Come From?  --Cooter

Then, There Was Roberto Pena of the Chicago Cubs

Mr. Hazle certainly made an impression with the Milwaukee Braves when he first came to the major leagues, but I remember a player named Roberto Pena from the Dominican Republic who made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs and made quite the impression in 1965.  I watched it all on the Cubs TV station, WGN, which has it last games being televised this season.

At the time I was just getting interested in baseball.  Had Roberto Pena continued his career hitting like that I might well have become a Cubs fan instead of White Sox.

In his first game with the Cubs, the season opener, Mr. Pena hit a home run off Bob Gibson and went 3 for 6 scoring two runs and three RBI.  In his second game, he hit 1 for 3 with another home run off Curt Simmons, scored two runs and one RBI and went 1 for 4 in the third with one RBI..

And that was his season highlight for the Cubs  as in 51 games and 170 at bats, he got 37 hits, batted .218 and hit no more home runs.  He was sent to the minors part way through the season.  In 1966, he played just six games for the Cubs and after that played one year each in Philadelphia, San Diego and Oakland and two years with Milwaukee.

His career stats:  587 games, 1907 At Bats, 174 hits, Batting Average .239 AL and .248 in NL, and 13 Home Runs.

Another Fast Start That Fizzled.  --Cooter

Baseball's Bob "Hurricane" Hazle-- Part 3: Batted .556 in First Dozen Games

The first-place Milwaukee Braves swept the second-place St. Louis Cardinals on August 9-11, which went a long way towards sealing the National League pennant for the Braves.  The first two games of the series were blowouts, and Hazle had seven hits and five RBI.  He batted a torrid .556 in his first dozen games.

For the season, Hazle  batted .403 in 41 games, with seven home runs and 27 RBI.  On the next-to-the-last game of the season, he broke  a no-hit bid by Cincinnati's Johnny Klippstein with a two-out eighth inning single.

Then, he appeared in four of the seven World Series games that year, hitting just two hits for an ineffective .154 batting average.  However both of his Series hits came in the seventh and deciding game,  Hazle scored the first run in the 5-0 victory.

Despite having just 154 at bats, he finished  fourth in the 1957 Rookie of the Year voting.

After a bad start in 1958, he was traded to Detroit  After a stint in the minors, he retired in 1960.  he died in Columbia, South Carolina in 1992 at the age of 61.

Well, That Was Quite the Year for Mr. Hazle.  --CootCane

Baseball's Bob "Hurricane" Hazle-- Part 2: Quite the Call Up!

BOB HAZLE  (1930 to 1992)

Played three years in the majors with the Reds, Braves and Tigers. He was a member of the 1957 World Series Champion Milwaukee Braves.  Played 101 games in his major league career, batting .310 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.  Most all of that coming in his late season call up from the minors for the Braves in 1957.  He was a big reason they got to the World Series.

In music he would be called a One Hit Wonder.

Born in Laurens, S.C.

Hazle is best-known for his meteoric play for the Braves in 1957 when he was called up late in the season to replace injured outfielder Bill Bruton, but didn't play until the Braves' 100th game.  In less than three weeks, from August 9 through August 25, he batted .473 with 5 home runs and  and 19 RBI in just 14 games.

This unexpected burst of offense earned him the nickname of "Hurricane" after Hurricane Hazel which had struck his home state of S.C. in 1954.

That Was Some Start to His Career.  --CootHazel

Cost of Cigarettes Up to 20 Cents in 1919

From the March 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"The high cost of smokes, as well as matches has been thrust upon users of the weed, and it is rumored about town that a lot of fellows are going to swear off.  Cigarettes that used to cost 10 and 15 cents are now selling for 20 cents in many stores, while in some places the proprietor has added just the war tax.

Matches formerly selling for a cent a box are now selling two boxes for five cents, and in addition, they are marked on the box as 'war quality' that means about every other one usable."

These costs were for a pack of cigarettes.  Of course, now with the cost of a pack of cigarettes at $6 to $8, that sure doesn't seem so bad.

--CootSmoke

Baseball's Bob "Hurricane" Hazle-- Part 1: 1957 Milwaukee Braves

While going over a post on my August 21, 2007, Down Da Road I Go blog, I came across a mention of this baseball player who had an interesting nickname and had one unbelievable major league baseball career after being called up from the minors by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and helping them get to the World Series.

I was talking with another Milwaukee Brewer fan at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmont, Wisconsin.  I back the Brewers if they are not playing my 2nd favorite MLB team, the Chicago Cubs, or favorite one, the Chicago White Sox.  I didn't get interested in baseball until around 1964 and so didn't know anything about the Milwaukee Braves (before they moved to Atlanta and after they moved from Boston), other than some of their key players like Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews and Hank Aaron.

I was looking at the 1957 Milwaukee Braves team roster on Wikipedia, and there were actually quite a few players I had heard of before.  Here are the players I had heard of before:

Del Crandall
Red Schoendienst
Del Rice
Joe Adcock
Bob Buhl
Frank Torre (Well, older brother of Joe Torre.)
Lew Burdette  (Buhl and Burdette from their time with the Cubs.)
Juan Pizarro  (From his time with the White Sox.)
Wes Covington
Andy Pafko

Lots of History Here.  --Cooter

Deaths of 9-11 Responders Continue to Rise

From the September 12, 2019, Chicago Tribune  "Deaths of 9/11 first responders from related illnesses on rise" by Cindy Dampier.

New York City detective Tom Frey talks about the most devastating assignment of his career.  "We were going down there, just trying to find anyone who was alive," he says of the hours and days after the attacks.  "We were digging in, moving concrete with our hands, basically just trying to find anyone who was alive.  I was never lucky enough to find a survivor, but we did all we could."

Instead, he found himself tending to the dead, sifting through the debris brought to a Staten Island landfill looking for any trace of evidence that could shed light on the horrific attack.  He searched for plane parts and human remains, all parts of a landscape rendered unrecognizable by pulverizing destruction and a pervasive layer of gray dust.

"On the job, I've seen plane crashes, people jumping out of windows, hanging themselves, subways derailed -- all sorts of things.  But you're never prepared for something like this."

America never would be the same.  Neither would Tom Frey.

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)-- Part 3

Continued from my Tattooed On Your Soul: World War II and Not So Forgotten: War of 1912 blogs.

Alan Jackson

*******************

Did You Look Up to Heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself  and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real politician man

I watch CNN

But I'm not sure  I can tell you

The difference between Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus

And I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith, hope and love are some  things He gave us

And the greatest is love.

****************

That song got me then and gets me now.

Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park At the Movies-- Part 1: "Blues Brothers" and "A League of Their Own"

From the May 5, 2019, Chicago Tribune Sports Section  "Ballpark Stars:  Movies, TV shows have often shot scenes at Wrigley or Comsikey: by Phil Rosenthal and Tim Bannon.

The new Netflix movie "The Last Summer," is set in Chicago, but mostly filmed in Cleveland, except for the scenes inside Wrigley Field.

Here are nine memorable movie and TV scenes at the two ballparks over the last 40 years:

1.  "THE BLUES BROTHERS"  (1980)

A great cameo for Wrigley.  When the American Nazis were looking for Jake and Elwood Blues, they got their address as 1060 West Addison, only to find Wrigley Field at that address.

2.  A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN" (1992)

The tryout for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League took place at Wrigley.

--CootWrig

The Ten Best-Ever Chicago Bears-- Part 11: From Danimal to Nagurski to Sweetnness

Okay,  Time for the Ten Best-Ever Bears.

*  Means I've Hear of Them  **  Means on the '85 Bears.  DaBears!!

10.  Brian Urlacher*

9.  Dan Hampton**  "Danimal"

8.  Doug Atkins*

7.  Bulldog Turner*

6.  Bill George*

5.  Sid Luckman*

4.  Gale Sayers*

3.  Bronko Nagurski*  Now, how's this name for a football player?

2.  Dick Butkus*

1.  Walter Payton**  "Sweetness"

To see the entire list, click on the 100 Greatest Bears label.

It Just Had to be Sweetness.  --CootBear

A Real Tootful in 1918

From the December 19, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"A Chicago man accompanied by 'a friend'  came out here last evening, and having been employed by the government 'hadn't touched a drop' for some time, and when released from work immediately began to tank up.

"When the couple arrived here both were well soused and the young man, rather talkative, started something in Bell's restaurant and the proprietor and police had to finish."

Making Up For Lost Time I Reckon.  --Cooter

Ranking the 100 Best Bears-- Part 10: McMichael, Dent and Singletary

*  I've heard of him.  **  On the '85 Bears.


20..  Red Grange*

19.  Devin Hester*

18.  Steve McMichael**

17.  Stan Jones

16.  George Connor*

15.  Joe Stydahar

14.  Richard Dent**

13.  Danny Fortmann

12.  Mike Singletary**

11.  Mike Ditka**

So surprising that there would be so many of these 100 Best Bears who were on the 1985 Bears, Super Bowl XX Champions.

Sure enjoyed seeing the members of the 1985 squad out on the field before the Packer-Bear game last night.

'85 Bears.  Best Ever.  --CootBear

And the All-Time Best Bears Player? You Probably Knew All Along

Today, the Chicago Tribune arrived at its choice for all-time best Bears player.  You knew it and I knew it.  Walter Payton.  I just started really liking the Bears in 1974 so got to see the entire Payton saga.  When he had the ball, excitement was about to happen.

Opponent defensive players hated to see Payton running at them, with or without the ball, as they knew they were going to get a mighty hit.

Anyway, I will continue with the other Bears in the Top 100  as I am now up to #20.  I hope the Tribune puts this out in a magazine or book.  I'd sure buy one.  I've especially been enjoying reading about the old-timers.  That George Trafton was something else.

--DaBearDog

Ranking the 100 Best Bears Ever-- Part 9: Papa Bear

*  I've heard of them   **  On the '85 DaBears

30.  Ed Healey

29.  Lance Briggs*

28.  George Trafton*  He's the one I wrote about in the Decatur Staleys-Rock Island Independents rivalry.

27.  Joe Fortunato

26.  Olin Kreutz**

25.  George Halas**  Papa Bear

24.  Bill Hewitt

23.  Jay Hilgenberg**

22.  George McAfee*

21.  Jimbo Covert**

Ranking the 100 Best Bears Ever-- Part 8: Fencik and "Peanut"

*  Means I've heard of him  **  One of the '85 Bears, Super Bowl XX Champions.

40.  Luke Johnsos

39.  Gary Fencik **

38.  Charles Tillman*  "Peanut"  He could sure make you fumble.

37.  Ken Kavanaugh

36.  Rick Casares*

35.  Harlon Hill

34.  Paddy O'Driscoll*

33.  Ed Sprinkle

32.  George Musso*

31.  Link Lyman

--CootBear

Ranking the 100 Best Bears-- Part 7: " Double D" and Buffone

I am hoping that the Tribune will put these stories out in a magazine or book.

*  I've heard of the player   **  On the '85 Bears team.

50.  Larry Morris

49.  Dave Duerson **   The Double D.

48.  Doug Buffone*

47.  Matt Forte*

46.  Fred Williams

45.  Joe Kopcha

44.  Johnny Morris*

43.  Rosey Taylor

42.  Ray Bray

41.  Richie Pettibone*

Da Bears.  --DaCooter

Ranking the 100 Best Bears-- Part 6: Wondering Who the #1 Bear Is Going To Be?

From the August 9, 2019, Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune is now down to the Top Ten players.  

Just wondering who the #1 is going to be?

My money is on Walter Payton. Of course, on those 1985 Bears who won Super Bowl XX.

We should know by Wednesday or Thursday.

"Sweetness"   --DaCoot

Talking Football Rivalry-- Part 4: "Trafton Would Be Running For His Life"

While all this was going on, George Halas slipped an envelope containing the Staleys' share of the gate receipts into George Trafton's trousers.

Fans blocked Trafton's path to the taxicabs waiting outside the stadium, so he took off on foot, sprinting down the road toward the bridge over the Mississippi River to Iowa, with the angry mob at his heels.  He was saved when a curious motorist slowed down to ask what was going on.  Trafton said he was late to catch a train and the motorist let him in and sped off to the Davenport train depot.

When Trafton caught up with his teammates there, Halas asked for his envelope, which reports said held between $3,000 and $7,000.  Trafton asked his coach why in the world his coach had entrusted him with the money.

Halas said in his 1979 biography "Halas By Halas", "I knew that if trouble came, I'd be running only for the money.  Trafton would be running for his life."

Now, That Is Some Rivalry.  --Cooter

Talking Football Rivalry-- Part 3: Meet "Mr. Chicken"

As we get ready for that Bears-Packers rivalry coming up Thursday.  Now, that is a rivalry, but the Staleys-Independents one was as well.

"Mr. Chicken" turned out not to be Fred Chicken, but 6-foot-two, 200-pound lineman Harry Gunderson, who, like the 6-2, 230-pound George Trafton, played both offensive and defensive tackle.  This meant they would be lined up opposite each other for every play in the game.

And, they went at each other with much gusto.

Finally, bear the end of the first quarter, Gunderson was able to get past Trafton and tackled a Staleys running back behind  the line of scrimmage.  Trafton reacted by falling knees-first with all his weight on Gunderson's head.

Gunderson was knocked out and suffered a six-inch gash that would require about ninety stitches.

The rest of the game more resembled a mob scene with fans throwing rocks and bottles at Trafton.  It ended in a 0-0 tie.  Bears trainer  Andy Lotshaw put a gray sweatshirt over Trafton's jersey to hide his number and told him to run as fast as he could out of the stadium.

Did He Get Away?  --Cooter

Talking Football Rivalry, George Trafton Takes On "Mr. Chicken-- Part 2:

The Decatur Staleys (future Chicago Bears) and the Rock Island (Illinois) Independents clashed in two of the roughest games of 1920.  In the first one, Trafton sent four Independents off the field with injuries as the Quad City crowd booed.  The worst fate befell halfback Fred Chicken, who broke his leg when Trafton tackled him into a fence post near the field.

Three weeks later, the same two teams met again in Rock Island.  Gamblers -- who had started to turn their attention toward pro football after the baseball Black Sox scandal in the previous year got involved.

Bears owner, coach and right end George Halas sequestered his team across the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, hoping to keep his players away from the gamblers.  But word got around that the smart betting money was on the Independents winning and Trafton being knocked out in the first quarter.

The only information they could get on the player who was to take George out was that he went by the name "Mr. Chicken,"

Most of the Bears honored Halas' directive and didn't bet.  But not George Trafton.  He took all his money and bet on his team and himself.

Was This "Mr. Chicken" Fred Chicken?  --DaCoot

Talking Football Rivalry: George Trafton, Chicago Bears-- Part 1

From the August 9, 2019, Chicago Tribune  "Ranking the Best Bears Players Ever:  #28 George Trafton"  by Will Larkin.

George Trafton (1896-1971)

I have been enjoying following this series.  Most of the names are familiar, but the really old ones are not.  I didn't really start liking pro football until 1975.  I had never heard of Mr. Trafton.

He played for the Chicago Bears at their beginning, when they were the Decatur Staleys and was with them for 12 seasons 1920-21, 1923-1932.  During this time Da Bears were 99-38-26.  He was signed out of Notre Dame where he played just one year and was on the famed Knute Rockne's 1919 team which went 9-0 and outscore opponents  229-47.

There was an interesting story in the article about him.

He ranks, according to the series, #28.  In the first year of the National Football League, then known as the American Professional Football Association, George Trafton set a standard for performance in a rivalry game that has yet to be matched 99 years later.

Who Was Mr. Chicken?  (Find Out Next Post.)  --Cooter

Deaths: Gene Wolf: Mr. Pringles and Science Fiction

GENE WOLFE (1931-2019)

From the May 2, , 2019, Chicago Tribune "Science-fiction writer with a literary touch" by  Harrison Smith, Washington Post.

"Gene Wolfe was an industrial engineer who helped devise the cooking  process  for Pringles, the stackable chip, then turned to fantasy and science-fiction writing to craft intricate, philosophically rich novels that explored faith, war and distant planets, died April 14 in Peoria, Illinois.  He was 87."

I never read any of his writings but am sure a fan of his Pringles.

He served as a combat engineer in the Korean War, an experience that left him shaken and startled by loud noises upon his return.

While working as an industrial engineer for Procter & Gamble, he developed the frying process for potato shingles that are used to make those delicious Pringles chips.  In time he came to resemble the cartoon figure on the cans, the broad-faced man with the bushy handlebar mustache.

Farmers Not Backing the New Time in 1919 (Daylight Savings)

From the April 24, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"It is very evident that the new time arrangement, whereby an hour of  daylight is saved each day by the clocks being moved ahead one hour, is not approved by farmers,  and many of them are working with the sun,  instead of with the clock.

"Milk trains in some vicinities are leaving at the same old time, that is with the sun,  although an hour later by the clock, the farmers claiming that work cannot be accomplished an hour earlier in the morning.. The rural fol have other complaints to offer,  too, on the new arrangement, and it is probable that the majority of them will work on the old time."

Where's My Milk?  --CootDay

That's One Big Steam Locomotive-- Part 2

Not only are the locomotives big, but also they are very complex which makes restoring one extremely difficult.  They were the "pinnacle of steam locomotive design."

Union Pacific hasn't said how much the restoration cost, but estimates range around $4 million.

The last steam locomotive delivered to Union Pacific, the "Living Legend" Northern No. 844, has remained in service since 1944.  Big Boy No. 4014 will join No. 844 in publicity work as a railroad version of the Goodyear Blimp.

The two locomotives will tour the Union Pacific system throughout 2019 in honor of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

Few engineers these days know  what it's like to drive a steam locomotive.  The cab has no air conditioning and is right behind the big coal-fired boiler so it is hot and dirty.  Going through tunnels makes it especially bad.

However, Big Boy No. 4014 has been converted to burn fuel oil instead of coal so it won't be as bad.

Sure Like to See Big Boy.  --CootBoy

That's One Big Steam Locomotive-- Part 1

From the May 12, 2019, Chicago Tribune  "Steam locomotive makes big debut for transcontinental party" by Mead Gruver.

It's longer than two city buses, weighs more than a Boeing 747 fully loaded with passengers and can pull 18 Statues of Liberty over a mountain.

The Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive rolled out of a Union Pacific restoration shop in Cheyenne this month after five years of work.  It will then set out on a yearlong tour to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Big Boys hauled freight between Wyoming and Utah in the 1940s and 1950s.  Of the 25 built by the American Locomotive Co. in Schenecady, New York from 1941 to 1944, eight remain, but only No. 4014 is still fully operational.

They were engineered for steep mountain grades and each Big Boy had two huge engines beneath a 250-ton boiler able to hold enough water to cover an area the size of a basketball court to the depth of a high-top shoe.

That's One Big Boy!!  --CootLoc

A New Biggest Tree in Illinois

From the April 29, 2018, Chicago Tribune  "New preserve lays claim to biggest tree in Illinois" by Ted Gregory.

It's in Mt. Morris, about 100 miles west of Chicago.  And, it is 122 feet tall and nearly 29 feet in circumference eastern cottonwood and lives in Bald Hill Prairie Preserve.  The former biggest one is a cypress tree in the Cache River Natural Area near the southern tip of the state.

Bald Hill Prairie Preserve is a new 160 acre acquired by the Byron Forest Preserve District.

Between the wind, ice storms and soil conditions in Illinois, very few trees grown taller than 120 feet.  Eastern cottonwoods are particularly vulnerable as their wood is very weak and typically only live to be 70 to 100 years.  They estimate this one to be about 200 years old, the same time Illinois became a state.  So, it could be our Bicentennial Tree.

I remember my first encounter with a cottonwood in Round Lake Beach, when ones in the neighborhood let loose their seed parachutes which resembled dandelion fluff.  I had just had sod put down and said, "Oh no you don't.  I'll have no dandelions growing in my sod so ran out and started clearing them away until I realized it was a futile effort."

Well, I was the guy looking around Woodstock, Illinois, for the Woodstock Arts Festival in 1969.

Our friends Kevin and Kelly have a big old cottonwood in their yard on the Chain of Lakes.

Not the Sharpest Pencil in the Box.  --CootStupid

The Bum Gave All in 1919

From the February 6, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"A big strapping fellow put in an appearance at the police station last night, and asked for a night's lodging.  When asked if he had any money, said he was broke, and that he had given $100,000 to the Red Cross, and had helped every other war cause with his money.

"The man gave his name as Fred Sturgeon of U.S.A. and after a night's sleep at the city hall, he was accompanied to the western city limits and given  the usual orders for such characters."

Hit the road Jack and don't you come back.

In Other Words, Vamoose!!  --Cooter

Ranking the 100 Best Chicago Bears-- Part 5: Jim McMahon, Punky QB

Here's hoping the Chicago Tribune will put this out in book form.

*  means I have heard of them

60.  Willie Gallimore*

59.  Jim Osborne

58.  Mike Brown

57.  Neal Anderson*

56.  Jim McMahon** The Punky QB.  My favorite Bears quarterback.

55.  Dick Gordon*

54.  Wilber Marshall**

53.  Otis Wilson**

52.  Wally Chambers*

51.  Dick Barwegan

Have You Seen Any of Your Favorite Bears Yet?  --BearCoot

Ranking the 100 Best Chicago Bears-- Part 4: Keith Van Horne and Mike Hartenstine

* means I know who they are.

70.  George Wilson

69.  Tommie Harris*

68.  Keith Van Horne**

67.  Mike Hartenstine**

66.  Mike Pyle*

65.  Ed O'Bradovich*

64.  J.C. Caroline*

63.  Julius Pepper*

62.  Mark Bortz**

61.  Mark Carrier*

--DaBearCoot

Ranking the 100 Best Chicago Bears-- Part 3: From Gould to "Big Cat"

*  I've heard of them.

80.  Khalil Mack*  That first game as a Bear.  Wow!!

79.  Jim McMillan

78.  Jay Cutler*  I sure had high hopes for him.

77.  Bill Osmanski*

76.  Johnny Lujack*

75.  Bennie McRae

74.  Robbie Gould*  Kicking just hasn't been the same since he left.

73.  Jim Dooley*

72.  James Williams*  "The Big Cat"

71.  Jack Manders

Dose Bears!!  --DaRoadDog

Ranking the 100 Best-Ever Chicago Bears-- Part 2: The "Butt Head" and the Plank

* means I have heard of him.  Again, these also include recent and current Bears.  **  On the '85 Bears.

90.  Kevin Butler*  The "Butt Head"  All those field goals and a Univ. of Georgia grad as well.

89.  Beattie Feathers

88.  Alshon Jeffery*

87.  Lee Artoe

86.  Brandon Marshall*

85.  Kyle Long*

84.  Bill Wade*

83.  Zuck Carlson

82.  Doug Plank*  The 46 Defense

81.  Eddie Jackson*

Da Bears.  --DaBearsDog

Ranking the Best-Ever Chicago Bears-- Part 1: The "Refrigerator"

The Chicago Tribune has been running this series all summer long, one player a day with a half page on each with information and a picture.

I am taking this list from the August 9, 2019, edition "#28 George Trafton."

He is one of the first Bears from 1920-1921 and quite an interesting character whom I will write about in the future because of the real early NFL.

Anyway, here is the list of Bear players.  *  means I have heard of them.  These include present-day players as well.  **  On that great '85 Super Bowl XX team

100.  Patrick Mannelly

99.  William Perry** The "Refrigerator" and one of my all-time favorites.  I mean, you just had to love the "Fridge."

98.  Tom Thayer**

97.  Hugh Gallarneau

96.  Joey Sternamam

95.  Akiem Hicks*

94.  Gary Famiglietti

93.  Ed Brown

92.  Matt Suhey*

91.  Bill Karr

Da Bears.  --CootBear

World War I: The Almost Blog

I seriously considered starting an eighth blog back in 1917, to mark the centennial of World War I.  But, with the blogs I already had, I decided that would be way too much so it never came to be.

I wrote a lot about the war, however, in this blog.  Up to this post, I have written about World War I a total of 577 times.

And since George Halas had a World War I connection, I will write about him next.

Seven blogs are too much as it is.

Sure Glad I Didn't Start An Eighth Blog.  --DaCoot

Missing the Boat May Have Saved George Halas' Life-- Part 4: From U of I, to Decautur to Da Bears

Why was George Halas late?  One report later speculated that  he had overslept.  Patrick McCaskey, his grandson, said it was because Halas was obsessed with gaining enough weight to play football at Illinois, so his brother took extra time to weigh him that morning.

"My grandfather went back to the University of Illinois with a renewed sense of purpose, " McCaskey said.  "He felt very fortunate from that day forward."

Five years later --  after Halas graduated from Illinois, served in the Navy during World War I and played briefly for the New York Yankees --  he moved to Decatur, Illinois, for a job with the A.E. Staley Comapny, for whom he was a player-coach of the company football team.

In 1921, Halas took control of the team, moved it to Chicago and renamed it the Bears.

"If he had been one of the fatalities,"  McCaskey said, "I don'tnavy know that the National Football League or the Chicago Bears would have been in existence."

That's Why We Call Him "Papa Bear."  --Cooter