Another book/story idea...

I started this post back in June while I was reading that book on Race and The Americanization of Louisiana. I was flabbergasted by the idea of kidnapping one's pesky, embarrassing relatives and shipping them off to The New World. One contributor - forgive my lack of reference - indicated that: "By 1719, deportation to Louisiana was considered a convenient way of getting rid of troublesome neighbors or family members " (p. 62)

I thought one might use that scenario as a basis for a pretty interesting story line.

Which of course makes me think about that recent article about there only being 6 different emotional arcs in story lines:

The six basic emotional arcs are these:

A steady, ongoing rise in emotional valence, as in a rags-to-riches story such as Alice’s Adventures Underground by Lewis Carroll. A steady ongoing fall in emotional valence, as in a tragedy such as Romeo and Juliet. A fall then a rise, such as the man-in-a-hole story, discussed by Vonnegut. A rise then a fall, such as the Greek myth of Icarus. Rise-fall-rise, such as Cinderella. Fall-rise-fall, such as Oedipus.

So, what story would we create? I imagine Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire... Brad Pitt was pesky... and then I imagine a prostitute made good... I imagine these people being second sons of landed gentry... I imagine emptied prisons.... shall we pick a Jean Valjean character and a new story-line? Set with Jazz and oysters? I don't know... a creative individual could come up with something.

Recent Irish Immigrant buys real estate - Thomas L. Wright

Gosh, so pathetic.... I did this research a while ago, but never put anything into context. I remember being delighted while searching through the dusty tomes in the Troy City Hall or Recorder of Deeds or some such place - see, sad, I don't even know where I was. What a terrible researcher I am.

I know from directories of the time that he lived at 301 4th Street. Here is an image from Google maps of the house as it appeared when the Google car went through the neighborhood.



In book 139, page 497 I took the following notes:

Thomas and Jane Wright
sold for $1,700
West side of 4th Street between Adams and Jefferson
certain map of the south part of the city of Troy made by Jared S. Weed for the Warren Farm Company - 11.17.1847
as lot 67
25' wide
120' long



I see that Prospect Park was not given to the city of Troy until 1902, so should we assume that the Warren Farm Company owned that land where the Park currently exists? Was the Warren Farm Company also the Warren Family, as mentioned at the Prospect Park website?

Prospect Park is a city owned park centrally located within the City of Troy. One of three major parks in the City. The park consists of approximately 80 acres of land conveyed by the Warren Family to the City of Troy by deed dated December 23, 1902. Prospect Park opens each season in early April and remains open through early November.

I found an extensive biography of the Warren Family of Troy here. Obviously very well-to-do. They sound a bit like that other Oliver Lee mentioned in a previous post here.

What a time to live, eh? Obviously it was not easy, but don't these stories make it sound like it *was* easy to make a fortune?

More notes, though with less information...

Book 60, Page 129 (so isn't this an earlier purchase of property?)
Thomas Wright with
Francis M. Mann, John P. Cushman Jacob

(What could that mean? I think I may have looked those people up in the Troy directory and I *think* they were lawyers or some such, so maybe Thomas *did* hitch his wagon to other up and coming people in town.)

Book 111, page 165
Thomas L. Wright
West side of 4th street between Adams and Jefferson
Lot 67
boarded by an alley

What was I telling myself? My notes don't seem helpful, do they? Argh!

La Crepe Nanou - A little promotion of an adorable restaurant outside of the Quarter

I started this post ages ago, too. Like after dining there... So much for being on the ball. I bring it to you now.

We were delightfully surprised with the find at 1410 Robert Street in New Orleans. We will go back in a New York minute. I have absolutely no recollection of what I ate, but I was delighted. The atmosphere was charming and the service attentive.

La Crêpe Nanou is a romantic neighborhood
French Bistro and Crêperie established in 1983 and voted best French Bistro by New Orleans Magazine.
Our notable menu items include:
Crêpes (savory and sweet!), PEI Moules Frites,
Escargot and Local Whole Grilled Fish, Grilled Lamb Chops
Brunch Highlights: Crêpe Lorraine,
Omelette au Crabe, Croque Monsieur and Madame.
Additionally, we offer vegetarian, dairy-free and
gluten-free choices; as well as numerous Specials du Jour.

Just putting it out in the Universe about this bistro.

A Little Exploration in to Thomas L. Wright

My knowledge of the Civil War is significantly limited. Only as I research family does small snippets come into focus. I am Googling places and battles and maps as I am reading the discombobulated memoirs of Thomas L. Wright. I hadn't realized, for example, that he signed up almost immediately after the shelling of Fort Sumter. Thomas must have felt very strongly about it. The man was a recent immigrant from Northern Ireland. The man was middle aged! (No disrespect intended.) So what was it that he felt strongly about? Keeping the nation together? Or was he more about Civil Rights and the abolition of slavery? What motivated the man?

His memoirs are very discombobulated, but he writes:

From Washington we march on Monday to Brightwood in Md. There we encamped for three weeks. We received orders about 2 o’clock P.M. to march for Bulls run, when within a short distance of that place we met the retreating forces from that disastrous battle. They informed us that the Union forces had met with a serious defeat.  

I know that Thomas registered (is that the right word?) in April 1861. He was mustered in in June 1, 1861, in Troy, NY. Obviously, he made his way with the 30th NY Infantry to Washington, DC. How long did that take? I don't know where Brightwood, Maryland is... but there is a Brightwood neighborhood in DC. And then it seems to be about 13 hours of continuous marching to get to Bull Run, VA.

So, time in upstate NY with his new regiment. A week? That brings us to June 8th or something. Marching to Washington? Wagons? Trains? Trains, probably. (Maybe there will be a clue if I just keep reading.) So, in Washington by the 15th of June? At which point he marches to Brightwood and trains for 3 weeks... That chronology brings us to the first week in July, which makes sense. I wonder why it was important enough to him to mention that orders came at 2 pm? Does that mean they marched through the night?

I took this blurb from here, the website for the Civil War Trust.

Though the Civil War began when Confederate troops shelled Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the war didn’t begin in earnest until the Battle of Bull Run, fought in Virginia just miles from Washington DC, on July 21, 1861. Popular fervor led President Lincoln to push a cautious Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, commander of the Union army in Northern Virginia, to attack the Confederate forces commanded by Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard, which held a relatively strong position along Bull Run, just northeast of Manassas Junction. The goal was to make quick work of the bulk of the Confederate army, open the way to Richmond, the Confederate capital, and end the war.

The morning of July 21st dawned on two generals planning to outflank their opponent’s left. Hindering the success of the Confederate plan were several communication failures and general lack of coordination between units. McDowell’s forces, on the other had, were hampered by an overly complicated plan that required complex synchronization. Constant and repeated delays on the march and effective scouting by the Confederates gave his movements away, and, worst of all Patterson failed to occupy Johnston’s Confederate forces attention in the west. McDowell’s forces began by shelling the Confederates across Bull Run. Others crossed at Sudley Ford and slowly made their way to attack the Confederate left flank. At the same time as Beauregard sent small detachments to handle what he thought was only a distraction, he also sent a larger contingent to execute flanking a flanking movement of his own on the Union left.

Spectators at Bull RunFighting raged throughout the day as Confederate forces were driven back, despite impressive efforts by Colonel Thomas Jackson to hold important high ground at Henry House Hill, earning him the nom de guerre “Stonewall.” Late in the afternoon, Confederate reinforcements including those arriving by rail from the Shenandoah Valley extended the Confederate line and succeeded in breaking the Union right flank. At the battle’s climax Virginia cavalry under Colonel James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart arrived on the field and charged into a confused mass of New Yorkers, sending them fleetly to the rear. The Federal retreat rapidly deteriorated as narrow bridges, overturned wagons, and heavy artillery fire added to the confusion. The calamitous retreat was further impeded by the hordes of fleeing onlookers who had come down from Washington to enjoy the spectacle. Although victorious, Confederate forces were too disorganized to pursue. By July 22, the shattered Union army reached the safety of Washington. The Battle of Bull Run convinced the Lincoln administration and the North that the Civil War would be a long and costly affair. McDowell was relieved of command of the Union army and replaced by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, who set about reorganizing and training the troops.

I guess we know that the 30th NY Regiment was not the New Yorkers mentioned above.... And the safety of Washington, is that Arlington Heghts, mentioned by Thomas?

President Wilson appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

I took this summary of a bit of history from the History Channel.

On August 19, 1919, in a break with conventional practice, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson appears personally before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to argue in favor of its ratification of the Versailles Treaty, the peace settlement that ended the First World War.

The previous July 8, Wilson had returned from Paris, France, where the treaty’s terms had been worked out over a contentious six months. Two days later, he went before the U.S. Senate to present the Treaty of Versailles, including the covenant of the League of Nations, the international peace-keeping organization that Wilson had envisioned in his famous “Fourteen Points” speech of 1917 and had worked for so adamantly in Paris. “Dare we reject it?” he asked the senators, “and break the heart of the world?”

The 96 members of the Senate, for their part, were divided. The central concern with the treaty involved the League of Nations. A crucial article of the league covenant, around which much debate would center in the weeks to come, required all member states “to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all Members of the League.” This principle of collective security was thought by many to be an obstruction to America’s much vaunted independence. At least six Republican senators, dubbed the “Irreconcilables,” were irrevocably opposed to the treaty, while nine more were “Mild Reservationists” whose most important concern about the treaty, and specifically the League of Nations, was that American sovereignty be protected. Some three dozen Republicans were uncommitted as of yet. While most Democrats publicly went along with Wilson, many privately thought more along the lines of the Mild Reservationists.

So things stood on July 31, when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, headed by the Republican Senator (and Wilson’s nemesis) Henry Cabot Lodge, began six weeks of hearings on the Versailles Treaty. Lodge’s Republicans had a majority of only two in the Senate, and Wilson could conceivably have won over the moderates among them—the Mild Reservationists and those undecided—to his side, thus building a coalition in favor of ratification, by accepting some reservations. Wilson was absolutely unwilling, however, to accept any degree of change or compromise to the treaty or to his precious League of Nations. His mental and physical health already deteriorating over that summer, Wilson broke tradition to make a personal appearance before the committee on August 19, making it clear that he continued to stand firm on all points.

Four days later, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on the first of many amendments to the treaty—the reversal of the award to Japan of the Shantung Peninsula, and its return to Chinese control. Furious, Wilson decided to take his case directly to the American people. On September 2, 1919, he began a whistle-stop tour across the country, sometimes making as many as three speeches in one day. The strain of the trip destroyed his health; suffering from exhaustion, he returned to Washington in late September, and the rest of the tour was canceled. On October 2, back at the White House, Wilson suffered a massive stroke that left him partially paralyzed; he would never effectively function as president again.

He continued to influence the proceedings on the treaty, however, all the way from his sickbed. The treaty made its way through the Senate all through October and part of November, as a total of 12 amendments were defeated by Democrats and moderate Republicans. Lodge marshaled most of the Republicans together, and their votes were enough to attach a number of reservations before assembling a vote on ratification—the most crucial was attached to Article X, saying the U.S. would not act to protect the territorial integrity of any League member unless Congress gave its approval. Wilson, on his sickbed, remained determined; when told of the reservation, he said “That cuts the very heart out of the treaty.” After Wilson expressed his vehement opposition to ratification on these terms, the Senate took a vote on Lodge’s motion. It was defeated by a combination of the majority of the Democrats, loyal to Wilson, and the Republican Irreconcilables, who opposed ratification in any form. A last-ditch effort by moderates to find a compromise came close to succeeding—against Wilson’s best efforts to block it—and when the Senate voted on March 19, 1920, on a new ratification resolution, 23 Democrats voted in favor, and the resolution passed. It failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority, however, and the Senate consequently refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles.

Though Wilson, the newly anointed winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, bemoaned the rejection of the treaty, he never admitted any doubts about his resolute unwillingness to compromise. Though the United States later signed separate treaties with Germany, Austria and Hungary, it never joined the League of Nations, a circumstance that almost certainly contributed to that organization’s inefficacy in the decades to follow, up until the outbreak of the Second World War.

Credit Cards and Oliver Lee

I wanted to pull out another section of the previous blog post - another same shit, different day issue... This article was written in 1884. The author is talking about buying things on credit. Our modern day credit cards which allow a consumer to spread their liability around, rather than in this circumstance when one knew the proprietor of the general store.

About that time there was a large amount of lumber from the south east towns of this county and from portions of Cattaraugus County being hauled here for a market. There were several parties here paying cash for lumber most of which went to New England. Many of the parties who came here with lumber left half or three-forths [sic] of their receipts for it with the merchants for goods. At that time we had no rail road connection with Buffalo so that every woman that was in need of a calico dress or two or three spools of thread and a paper of pins could not very conveniently go to Buffalo to shop. Then four or five general stores were better supported and had a larger trade than one or two now have. Hence the system of doing business at that period was quite different from the present. Then every farmer and every man of any business who was regarded as any responsible was allowed to run a bill at the stores. It is a well known fact that many people are prone to purchase articles they do not require or could get along without when they can be bought on time. They do not appear to appreciate that a pay day is coming at some future period and may come when they are least prepared for it.

[Emphasis mine.]

This Oliver Lee was a shrewd businessman, wasn't he? As I was reading this account all I cold think of was the HBO show "Deadwood" and the guy who owns the tavern/bordello, Al Swearengen. From the television show's website, they describe him thusly:

The proprietor of The Gem Saloon was six months ahead of everyone else in Deadwood, and he runs the town like a corrupt riverboat captain. He knows every move that every person in town makes, anticipates problems and eliminates them. His girls aren't exactly the class of the town, but he controls the most successful bar and whorehouse in all of Deadwood—bringing in $5,000 a day in 1876—and anybody that threatens his sources of income may well end up fed to Mr. Wu's pigs.

How would we view Oliver Lee? I mean one hopes he was a kind and generous man who helped everyone, but what if he were more like Al Swearengen? History is written by the victors... could this article, being written 50 years after the circumstances, be written by a beneficiary of Oliver Lee's legacy? Man, do I have a pernicious mind? To think ill of people... maybe I should imagine that everyone is sweetness and light... A cheery attitude makes for a much rosier picture.

I mean, at what interest rate? Did Mr. Lee have thugs to break the legs of those people who couldn't pay when the bill came due? (Ok, I have to confess, I am writing this blog as I read the article. I see that perhaps I hit the nail on the head... wouldn't you say that there is a bit of a defense going on in this next paragraph? This just makes me laugh out loud!)

Mr. Lee was always liberal in giving credit to his customers. He generally gave them to understand that at the end of six months or at least once a year that their account must be settled up, and then if they were unable to pay and the party was responsible, a note on interest was taken. When customers paid no attention to the notice that their accounts must be settled, the accounts were generally placed in the hands of a collector. From this fact some of this class endeavored to create the impression that Mr. Lee was severe on those who were not in condition to pay, when in fact all he required was for them to live up to their agreement or the conditions under which they obtained credit. It is a fact that cannot be denied that it would be far better for all parties if the system of credit was entirely wiped out and all parties were compelled to pay for what they purchase on the receipt of the goods.

Hahahaha! Collector - that's a polite term, right? Severe? Hahahaha, he was probably a cruel brute! Live up to their agreement! Yes, the law is on his side. I reemphasize: Same shit, different day!

Follow Up to Mr Lee's story

I pulled these paragraphs from the article from August 15th. Man, same shit, different day... They were not Syrian or Iraqi in 1835, but groups of migrants moving from one location/country to another for a better life... getting charged all sorts of fees so they can get on transport.

There are but a few people of today who realize [sic] the great revolution railroads have created in travel and traffic, but even fifty years ago travel by lake steamers, especially in the spring, was immense. At that period there was no railroad running west of Utica in this state. The canal was the great artery through which the travel passed up through the state to Buffalo. There it was changed to lake steamers. Whenever steamers were prevented by ice from leaving Buffalo until after the opening of the canal, that city soon became full to overflowing with strangers, all anxiously waiting to proceed on their journey westward.

There were three or four spring seasons between 1835 and 1840 when Buffalo bay became packed with ice so that it completely blockaded that harbor until long after the opening of the canal. At each of these periods boats from western ports came as far as this place where they remained, two or three days or long enough to pick up a number of passengers for their trip west. As soon as it was known in Buffalo that there were boats here waiting for passengers the crowd would start. Animals that could hardly travel and vehicles of every description were brought into requisition for the purpose of conveying passengers and baggage from Buffalo here.

All prices were charged, from three dollars to ten dollars a person, in accordance with style of conveyance and the person’s amount of ready cash. Some individuals who had remained in Buffalo until their funds were nearly exhausted were compelled to make the distance on foot and often those who had paid a high price for conveyance were compelled to walk a large portion of the way or be left alongside the road. They were compelled to be content with having their baggage brought through safely. As soon as one crowd got away from Buffalo their places were usually taken by newcomers. This tide of excitement and travel was kept up for two or three weeks. During the time it made business lively here at this end of the route.

All italics and bold lettering are mine. It just seems to parallel some experiences going on in the world today - though on a much smaller scale. I should imagine the anxiety and frustration and fear are all the same.

Oliver Lee - but not our Oliver Lee

There is no reason to believe this Oliver is my Oliver or even an ancestor of my Oliver, but what a wonderful story about another man with the same name. I was searching the Albany Evening Journal when I came across information about an Oliver Lee & Co. in 1852. Well, that piqued my interest... another Oliver Lee? 1852 is waaaay too early for my branch of the Lee family in Upstate New York. Though I have spent a fair amount of time researching another Lee family in the Penn Yan area of Upstate, NY, because Oliver and his father James were in Upstate New York for a while working as laborers and there was another Lee family there and I wondered if they were cousins of some nature. I mean, why would they have gone to that area? I don't believe there is any connection, but again, I have no idea why James and Oliver went to take area to work in the 1880s.



Note Lee Place by the outcropping....



I copied this story from The Chautauqua County, NY web site.

Oliver Lee in Silver Creek
By Grove L. Heaton, 1884
Transcribed by Douglas H. Shepard, 2014

The Fredonia Censor 30 July 1884, Early History of Hanover, And Biographical Sketches Of Early Settlers -- Resumed.

Oliver Lee was born in or near the city of New London, Conn., in 1792. When not over 19 or 20 years of age he became impressed with the idea of obtaining a home where land was less expensive than about his native town. At that period the mail stage was the only mode of public conveyance and for those who were on long journeys was quite expensive. Young Mr. Lee had decided on having a look at the western part of this state, also of the country through which he passed. With this in view and his wearing apparel in a pack upon his back, he started on foot and walked the entire distance from his native place up through the state of Connecticut. Crossing the Hudson river at Albany, he then walked through this state to the town of Orange, Genesee Co., where he purchased a farm or tract of wild land and at once set out with energy and determination to clear himself a homestead and build a comfortable habitation.

While engaged at this the order came for all able bodied men of specified ages to immediately report in person to the General commanding the United States forces at Black Rock for the defense of the frontier. Oliver Lee was one of the first in the vicinity where he resided to respond to this call. He with three or four others started the same evening after receiving the notice and at the close of the second day reported at headquarters at Black Rock. He was at once placed on guard duty, in which service he continued for some weeks. About this time the expedition against Fort Erie, across Niagara river, was being planned, but it was well known to all the officers of the army that they could not compel the militia which had been called out to the defense of the frontier to go into the enemy’s country, but they thought the men had sufficient pride and patriotism so that when called upon they would not hesitate.

When the night came for this expedition to the move the militia were formed in line and told what was expected of them and from their patriotism it was hoped they would all volunteer to join the expedition. When the order was given for volunteers to step two paces to the front Oliver Lee was one of the first and most prompt to move. The way this heroic band crossed the Niagara river and assaulted the stronghold of the British in Fort Erie has many years since passed into history and is well known to every schoolboy. Oliver Lee went with them and was in the midst of the hottest part of the contest but was fortunate in not receiving any serious injury and in returning to this side of the lines.

After this he remained at Black Rock on duty for some time until the militia were discharged, when he returned to his home in Genesee county; where he resumed the clearing of his land. As soon as he had fifteen or twenty acres cleared suitable for raising grain he gave his attention to building a small, comfortable house. When this was completed he returned to New London and shortly afterward was married to Miss Eliza Downer, a native of the same county. Not long after their marriage this young couple started with all their worldly effects in an ordinary farm wagon, hauled by an ox team, for their new home in the far off western part of the state of New York.

Very soon after settling on his farm Mr. Lee commenced to take rank with the first men in the county. By hard work, industry and economy, he commenced to accumulate property. He was soon appointed deputy sheriff, which position he filled with honor and credit. He was also a hotel keeper in Warsaw, Wyoming county, for a short time. About 1822 he commenced the mercantile business in the town of Sheldon in the same county. Two years after he moved his family and stock of goods to Westfield, this county, where he continued the business.

In the fall of 1827 he sent a stock of goods to Silver Creek. At that time there was no regular store here, it being very soon after the failure of Ezra Convis’ Farmer’s Store. He employed John M. Cummings to take charge and occupied the same building that had a short time previous been occupied by Rogers & Cummings. Early in the spring of 1828 Mr. Lee had purchased the property of John E. Howard, which consisted of over 350 acres. In June of the same year he moved his family here, occupying the house which Howard had kept as a tavern so long.

Mr. Lee had not been here over a week before he commenced arrangements for putting up a brick building for a store. A place was selected for making the brick, and work commenced at once. Everything progressed as rapidly as could be expected, so that in less than three months from the time the first brick was moulded [sic] the walls for a building large enough for two stores were up nearly ready for the roof, when a heavy wind storm from the west came up during the night time and laid the front wall level with the ground. Mr. Lee was in New York at the time for goods to replenish his stock and fill up his new building. He had employed Mr. Jacob Burns of Westfield to take charge and superintend the construction of this new building. With his energy and perseverance it was not long before Mr. B. had the walls up again and roof on so that before cold weather set in they had the store fully completed and stocked with the largest and best assortment of goods that up to that time had ever been brought to the town of Hanover.

The same fall Mr. Lee arranged with Maj. C. C. Swift of Batavia to come here and take an equal interest in the mercantile business with him. The arrangement was for Maj. Swift to have a general supervision of the store while Mr. Lee devoted his attention to outside interests. Major Swift was a young man in the prime of early manhood. He had been fully educated to the mercantile business and understood it in all its various branches, so that the senior member of the firm had full confidence in entrusting that portion of his interest to him.

Although the name of the post-office here had been changed to Silver Creek in 1825, the village had continued to go by the name of Fayette; but soon after Mr. Lee settled here he consulted with some of the leading citizens and it was decided that the village should be called Silver Creek as well as the postoffice. Also the present Main street as it now runs had not been opened. At the point where Mr. Augustus Day now resides the street turned towards the lake and ran through where Mrs. Young now resides, thence through the present park into what is now Howard street. Mr. Lee had been here but a few weeks before he arranged to have Main street opened from the point where it diverged down past where the Silver Creek House is now located and past the works lately erected by McNeil & Spaulding.

He also arranged with the town authorities for building a bridge across Silver creek at the east end of Main street and a road was cut through the steep bank of the east side of the creek. This bridge was kept up by the town for many years and all travel crossed the creek there. At that time there was not a single building with the exception of the John E. Howard house standing east of the Day property. As we have stated in a previous article, what little business there was transacted here was done in the vicinity of the crossing of Walnut creek. The locality each side of the creek was regarded as the business center but after Oliver Lee commenced in the summer and autumn of 1828 it became evident that he was about to make an effort to bring the business to his locality.

He had Dunkirk street surveyed out and opened to the west line of his property, which was some distance beyond the crossing of the Lake Shore railroad. He also had Jackson street opened to the lake. The flats through which both these streets pass were covered with immense large black walnut and oak trees, and to show how little value was placed upon black walnut lumber at that time we have only to state that these trees were cut down and burned up to get them out of the way.

Mr. Lee was a sagacious and far-seeing person as regarding business operations. He at once saw the great advantage a harbor or pier where boats could stop, discharge and take on freight and passengers, would be to the village that was just then starting. Nature had done considerable to assist in this project by forming quite a bay with a high bluff extending some distance into the lake on the west side. An examination was made but it was ascertained that piles could not be driven on account of the smooth rock bottom of the lake. It was determined to build a pier by forming cribs of timber and filling them with stone and sinking them. Contracts were immediately let for the delivery of a large amount of square hewn timber and for quarrying an almost unlimited amount of stone from the high bank or bluff on the west side of the bay. Men were also set at work preparing the timber and getting the cribs ready to put together. Nearly everything seemed to favor the project.

Soon after the 1st of December there came good sleighing, which was of great advantage in hauling the timber. Also ice formed in the lake quite early, and long before Christmas it had become of sufficient strength so that men and teams could work upon it with perfect safety. A point was selected, about 350 feet from the shore, where the water was of sufficient depth to float the largest sail vessels or steamboats of the day. Some twelve or fifteen teams were employed in hauling stone on the ice and fifty or more men were kept constantly employed in framing and putting the cribs into position and sinking them. This work was continued until after the middle of March next spring, before the workmen were compelled to stop by the breaking up of the ice in the lake. They succeeded in sinking cribs for about 150 feet of pier running toward the shore, with an L portion of about 75 feet on the outer end running down the lake. This was all planked over and notwithstanding communication with the shore had to be made with a small boat, business very soon commenced.

The steamboat Pioneer, which was then running regularly between Barcelona and Buffalo, commenced to stop here for freight and passengers. The next winter work on the pier was resumed and continued until communication was made with the land so that teams loaded with wood, lumber and farm products, could be driven to the outer end. Also at the land end a large building was put up for storing goods and products received or for shipment. The locality fast assumed a business appearance. Several buildings were erected for family uses and th[r]ee or four years after the pier was started, a hotel was erected for the accommodation of those coming here or going from here by boat.

The village also became quite a point for the purchase of lumber brought from the south-east towns of this county and from portions of Cattaraugus county. This lumber was nearly all bought for an eastern market and most of it went to New England states, consequently was shipped from here by water. It was no unusual affair for two or three of the largest size of sailing vessels to be lying at our pier at the same time, taking in cargoes of lumber or discharging cargoes of grain, which at that time frequently came here by the vessel load.

The business increased so rapidly and became so great that Mr. Lee was compelled to put an addition to the pier. This was done by extending the principal part 75 or 100 feet farther into the lake, then adding on another L portion, which formed a slip where vessels could lie and discharge or receive freight in all weather. Through the influence of Mr. Lee about the year 1833 or 1834 government made an appropriation for the erection of a building for a beacon light at the outer end of the pier, and the year following an appropriation was made for the erection of a lighthouse on the outer end of the point. Both these lights were sustained by the government for quite a number of years, and we believe the one on the point was not abandoned until after the Lake Shore railroad commenced running through to Erie.

There are but a few people of today who realize [sic] the great revolution railroads have created in travel and traffic, but even fifty years ago travel by lake steamers, especially in the spring, was immense. At that period there was no railroad running west of Utica in this state. The canal was the great artery through which the travel passed up through the state to Buffalo. There it was changed to lake steamers. Whenever steamers were prevented by ice from leaving Buffalo until after the opening of the canal, that city soon became full to overflowing with strangers, all anxiously waiting to proceed on their journey westward.

There were three or four spring seasons between 1835 and 1840 when Buffalo bay became packed with ice so that it completely blockaded that harbor until long after the opening of the canal. At each of these periods boats from western ports came as far as this place where they remained, two or three days or long enough to pick up a number of passengers for their trip west. As soon as it was known in Buffalo that there were boats here waiting for passengers the crowd would start. Animals that could hardly travel and vehicles of every description were brought into requisition for the purpose of conveying passengers and baggage from Buffalo here.

All prices were charged, from three dollars to ten dollars a person, in accordance with style of conveyance and the person’s amount of ready cash. Some individuals who had remained in Buffalo until their funds were nearly exhausted were compelled to make the distance on foot and often those who had paid a high price for conveyance were compelled to walk a large portion of the way or be left alongside the road. They were compelled to be content with having their baggage brought through safely. As soon as one crowd got away from Buffalo their places were usually taken by newcomers. This tide of excitement and travel was kept up for two or three weeks. During the time it made business lively here at this end of the route.

Since the completion of the railroad through to the west there has been no such delay to travel. Now it does not require many more hours than it did at that time days to go from Albany to Chicago. Mr. Lee engaged in several enterprises outside of the mercantile line, all of which were an advantage to the village as well as to the surrounding farmers. One business which has now become entirely obsolete in this section of the country was the purchase of the wood ashes coming from the clearing up of the land and made by families, and converting them into pot or pearl ashes, which were shipped to New York and were regarded as near a cash article as any product of the country. At this age it might appear that the ashes resulting from burning the timber from 15 or 20 acres of land would be a small matter but half a century ago it was quite an item to the young farmer who had just commenced to clear up a new farm. They often made their ashes pay for the sugar, tea and many other necessaries their families required during during [sic] the year.

To show that there were frauds and deceits practiced at that time as well as now, though perhaps on a much smaller scale, we must relate a trifling fraud perpetrated upon Mr. Lee’s ashery. At that time there was an old log house in quite a dilapidated condition standing some distance back from the road a short distance below where Mrs. Dr. Ward now resides. This house was occupied by an elderly widow woman and her son, a lad of 14 or 15 years of age. This house had what was known to the early settlers as a Dutch chimney or fire-place, which was nothing more than a hole in the roof for the smoke to pass out and some stone piled up at one end where a fire could be built of logs and wood from ten to twelve feet long. A short distance from this building there had been an ashery some ten or twelve years previous and near by there lay large piles of ashes that were leached and thrown out years before and were perfectly worthless for using again.

Not long after Mr. Lee had his ashery going, this old woman’s son appeared at the store with a ticket from the superintendent for a couple of bushels of ashes he had delivered at the ashery. This ticket was good for 38 cents in goods at the store. This was taken in snuff and tea. In a day or two the young man appeared at the ashery again with two or three bushels more of ashes. This was also traded out at the store and before the end of the week he came again with a still larger amount. It soon became evident that there was something wrong. The young man had already delivered more ashes than twenty cords of wood would make and it was a pretty sure thing that they had not burned one-tenth part of that amount.

The man who had charge of Mr. Lee’s ashery set to work to investigate and found the lad was digging down into the piles of old ashes and getting those that showed least the effects of the winds and storms and placing them in their old Dutch fire-place with a large fire burning over them for ten or twelve hours and during the time stirring them thoroughly, they had all the appearance of fresh burned ashes. As soon as this discovery was made, the goose that laid the golden egg for this old woman and her son was strangled. This was a small fraud but was a complete one.

Mr. Lee also established a distillery, which business was carried on at that period in all sections of our country. The product of this institution was what was known as high wines and was shipped to New York for a market, where it stood next to pot or pearl ashes as a cash product. This distillery made a market for all the surplus product of grain grown by the farmers of this section. In fact, this section did not furnish one-half the grain consumed by the distillery, when it was running at its full capacity, and Mr. Lee had several cargoes brought here from the west by sail vessel during a season of navigation. The distillery also made a market for a large number of hogs and cattle. These were bought of the farmers and fed upon the slops from the distillery until suitable for pork or beef, when they were driven east to market. Mr. Lee also engaged quite extensively in the commerce of the lakes and in vessel building, some account of which we will give in our next article.

The Fredonia Censor 13 August 1884, Early History of Hanover, And Biographical Sketches Of Early Settlers -- Resumed.

As stated in our preceding chapter Oliver Lee was engaged quite extensively in the commerce of the Lakes and in ship building, which industry was carried on quite largely for several years. Between the years of 1828 and 1844, there were some fourteen or fifteen different sail and steam craft built and put afloat at this [p]ort]. As stated in a previous chapter Holom and John Vail were the pioneers in vessel building here and the schooner Victory was the first sail craft that floated from our Creek. From the best information we are able to obtain, we are quite sure that Mr. Lee was a part owner of the schooner Liberty as early as 1826 or 1827 which was previous to his coming to Silver Creek. The Liberty was a schooner of about 125 tons burden and was at the time mentioned commanded by Captain Jack Spears a sharp, enterprising social, wholesouled, first-class seaman. The Liberty was engaged in the coasting trade between Buffalo and Ashtabula, Ohio.

At that time these coasting schooners were the principal medium by which all merchants near the lake shore obtained their goods from the canal which ended at Buffalo. Captain Spears being well known to all the principal merchants along the lakes and being very popular with them, his vessel was very successful in getting both up and down freights where other equally as good vessels had to remain for days and weeks waiting for a cargo. For this reason the Liberty was making money for her owners while other vessels were running their [sic] in debt. Mr. Lee was a stock holder or part owner of several different vessels that was [sic] built here, he furnishing a large amount of the capital to build them.

Within a short time after Mr. Lee erected his store building the principal business centered in that locality. Dwelling houses and buildings for business purposes were erected and all things indicated that that point was to be the leading part of the town. A hotel was very much needed to accommodate not only the traveling public but all who came here to transact business with the Lee interest. In the summer of 1830 Mr. Lee arranged for building the Silver Creek House which was very soon afterwards commenced and was completed and occupied by Mr. Yale in the spring of 1832, who kept the house two or three years when it was purchased by Jonathan Keith who was its proprietor for many years and during a large part of the time it was what was known in those days as a Stage House and was one of the leading hotels between Buffalo and Erie.

In October 1832 Mr. Lee disposed of his interest in the mercantile business of Lee & Swift to Col. John Barbour and the business was continued under the firm name of Swift & Barbour. Mr. Lee was then enabled to devote his entire attention to his other interests which had become quite large and extensive. In the Autumn of 1833 he decided to engage in trade again. He was owner of an unoccupied store building adjoining the one occupied by Swift and Barbour. He also arranged with Mr. William Van Duzer who had been doing business at what was known at that time as Dibble’s Bay, some ten or twelve miles east on the Lake Shore; to come here and take charge of his new enterprise. Mr. Van Duzer had formerly been a merchant and was a person of considerable business experience and regarded by all who knew him as being a very upright and reliable business man. About the first of November 1833 the new store was opened and ready for business. It became evident in the start that this venture would prove a success.

About that time there was a large amount of lumber from the south east towns of this county and from portions of Cattaraugus County being hauled here for a market. There were several parties here paying cash for lumber most of which went to New England. Many of the parties who came here with lumber left half or three-forths [sic] of their receipts for it with the merchants for goods. At that time we had no rail road connection with Buffalo so that every woman that was in need of a calico dress or two or three spools of thread and a paper of pins could not very conveniently go to Buffalo to shop. Then four or five general stores were better supported and had a larger trade than one or two now have. Hence the system of doing business at that period was quite different from the present. Then every farmer and every man of any business who was regarded as any responsible was allowed to run a bill at the stores. It is a well known fact that many people are prone to purchase articles they do not require or could get along without when they can be bought on time. They do not appear to appreciate that a pay day is coming at some future period and may come when they are least prepared for it.

Mr. Lee was always liberal in giving credit to his customers. He generally gave them to understand that at the end of six months or at least once a year that their account must be settled up, and then if they were unable to pay and the party was responsible, a note on interest was taken. When customers paid no attention to the notice that their accounts must be settled, the accounts were generally placed in the hands of a collector. From this fact some of this class endeavored to create the impression that Mr. Lee was severe on those who were not in condition to pay, when in fact all he required was for them to live up to their agreement or the conditions under which they obtained credit. It is a fact that cannot be denied that it would be far better for all parties if the system of credit was entirely wiped out and all parties were compelled to pay for what they purchase on the receipt of the goods.

During the years 1838 and 1839 the question of banking facilities was discussed here to considerable extent. At that time there was but one bank in the county, which was the Chautauqua County Bank located at Jamestown. The Legislature of this state had a year or two previous enacted a new law in regard to banking on a different system from the former Safety Fund system. Mr. Lee decided that it would not only be advantageous to himself but to other business men in the village to have a bank of issue here. In the summer of 1839 he arranged for establishing the bank of Silver Creek with a nominal capital of $100,000 with Oliver Lee as President and Chancy Smith as Cashier. Very soon after the organization the bank commenced to do business and had an exceeding successful career from its birth until its affairs were wound up about 1876.

This pace was altogether too limited for Mr. Lee’s business abilities; about the year 1841 or 1842 he opened a Banking Office in the city of Buffalo where he continued to do a successful Banking business. In 1844 he with a few other parties established Oliver Lee & Co.’s Bank of Buffalo with Oliver Lee as President. About this time he resigned as president of the Bank of Silver Creek and George W. Tew Esq., who had been Cashier for the Bank for several years, was appointed in his place. Major C. C. Swift was at the same time elected Cashier to fill the vacancy made by the promotion of Mr. Tew. Mr. Lee continued the mercantile business here with Mr. Van Duzer as general Superintendent and manager until the summer of 1840 when his oldest son Charles H. Lee became of age; he then made him an equal partner and the business was continued under the firm name of Oliver Lee & Son, Mr. Van Duzer continuing in the employ of the new firm.

Our friend Charlie, as he was familiarly known by all, he having been raised here from boyhood, at once took his place behind the counter and gave the business that his father had so successfully established his personal and entire attention. He demonstrated at once that he was going to follow in the footsteps of his successful progenitor as far as accumulating property. His pleasant face and genial nature as well as the popularity of his assistant Mr. Van Duzer, which had long be established, brought the new firm many new customers.

We must here relate an incident that occurred late in the fall of 1841, in which our friend Charlie was one of the principal actors, that at the time created considerable amusement among those who were cognizant of the fact. Among their customers was a person whom we will call a Mr. Blank that resided some four or five miles from this village, near where the village of Farnham in Erie Co. now is. This person had been in the habit of visiting the store quite often and at times remaining quite late in the evening. He had often asked for credit for a short time for small amounts but each every time had been refused, for Mr. Van Duzer had known him formerly and had no confidence in his honesty or ability to pay.

The time in question was on a Saturday afternoon about the middle of November. Mr. Blank came to the village and lounged around in and out of the store all the afternoon but finally late in the evening he came into the store and seated himself alongside of the stove. This was situated some thirty or forty feet back from the front door, near the middle of the store, with but little space or room each side of the stove between that and the counters for people to pass back and forth. On the west side of the counter was a row of kegs of nails on top of which was a box cover. These were used for seats by parties who wished to sit and chat and warm themselves but when occupied there was no room for another person to pass between those seated and the stove. The night was quite cold for the time of the year and the evening had slipped away. Their cash had been balanced, the books up to that evening had been all posted up, and Mr. Van Duzer had retired to the society of his family, still Mr. Blank lingered seated there on one of the nail kegs along side of a good warm stove. Finally Charlie observed that it was getting late and he must see if the back doors were all secure &c.

At the back end of the building was a room where all rough articles were kept and it was into this room where Charlie had to go to ascertain if the outside door was locked. It was quite dark in the back room but the light burning in the store proper, gave him a view through the doorway of all that was going on there. As he returned from locking the outside door he saw Mr. Blank step to the back end of the counter on the side of the room where he was seated where there was a large wooden bowl filled with rolls of butter, and deliberately take off his hat which was a fur one of the large bell crown Uncle Sam pattern that were sometimes worn by antiquated people of that age, and put a roll of butter into it, then place it on his head again. Then Mr. Blank very silently and quietly resumed his seat again along side of the stove.

Our friend Charlie immediately determined upon his plan of action. He carelessly walked back into the store as though he had not seen anything wrong and going to the front of the stove on the opposite side from where Blank was seated observed that it was going to be a very cold night, opened the stove door and filled it with dry wood, then seated himself alongside of Blank between him and the front door of the building so that he knew his customer could not get past him to get out unless he went around on the opposite side of the stove.

As Charlie seated himself he slapped Blank quite familiarly on the knee and said, “I must tell you the scrape I got into when I lived in Westfield.” Then he commenced to relate an imaginary [sic] story which he knew would detain Blank until the atmosphere in his immediate vicinity would be somewhat heated. In a short time Charlie again observed that it was going to be a cold night and he was afraid the potatoes in the back end of the store would freeze and got up and filled the stove a second time with dry wood, this time using several box covers that were handy. As he was about to reseat himself Blank rose up and said that it was getting late and he must be going, but Charlie was quick enough to step into the passage way and stopped him saying, “no, I cannot let you go until you hear the remainder of my story, and crowded him back into his seat.

In a short time it began to get quite warm and Blank endeavored to get away but there was no seat futher [sic] from the stove that he could get. Soon the perspiration started and he out with his red bandanna and mopped the sides of his face at the same time observing, “you keep it awful hot here.” Charlie replied by saying he was afraid their potatoes would freeze before Monday morning and again replenished the stove with dry wood.

Soon a greasy substance began to trickle down the sides of the face of Mr. B. -- then out came the red bandana again and the face took another good mopping. Still it grew warmer and warmer and the greasy perspiration ran almost in streams down the man’s face and trickled in large drops all over his coat collar from the ends of his long, unkempt hair. His bandana had been used until it had become perfectly saturated with melted butter and greasy perspiration.

As our friend was about to replenish the stove the fourth time Mr. Blank made a break. As he went out the front door his persecutor said to him, “Look here Mr. Blank, the next time you attempt to steal butter try and procure something better than your hat to carry it home in.” In his long walk home over the rough roads that cold November night Mr. Blank had an opportunity for reflection and undoubtedly became a wiser if not a better man. He was never seen at the store of Olive Lee & Son again, and within six or eight weeks afterwards left the town of Brant with his family for some point in the far west, no doubt hoping to find some place where he could steal butter under more favorable circumstances.

The firm of Oliver Lee & Son was continued until the spring of 1844 when Oliver Lee transferred all of his interest in the business to his second son, James H. Lee. From that time the business was conducted under the firm name of C.H. & J.H. Lee until in the spring or summer of 1845 they associated with themselves Noah D. Snow, Esq, who had been a partner of their father in the distilling business for some years previous.

Colonel Snow continued an active partner in this firm until the fall of 1849 when he was elected sheriff of this county. From this event it became necessary to make a dissolution. However C.H & J.H. Lee continued the business until the spring of 1856 when they disposed of their entire stock of good[s] to Ephraim R. Ballard of this village who continued the business as their successor. About this time Charles H. Lee was elected one of the directors of the Buffalo and State Line Railroad. He was afterwards elected vice-president of the road and on the death of Mr. Richmond, the president, was some time acting president of the same. At the next election of directors the position of president was tendered him but on account of ill health he felt it his duty to himself to decline the honor which if accepted would necessarily impose upon him much mental labor and confinement. He has always continued to make this village his home and is now a resident—a retired capitalist.

After the establishing of Oliver Lee & Co.’s Bank in Buffalo and his assuming the presidency of it this with other large interests he had through the state took him away from home so much that it could hardly be claimed that he was resident of Silver Creek, although his family continued to reside here until the summer of 1844, when Mr. Lee, deciding that it would be more conducive to his comfort and beneficial to his younger children, transferred them to that city.

His interest in that part of the state took him to Albany quite frequently, the modes of travel at that time being very different from the present day. Then they had no luxurious parlor or sleeping cars, in fact there was no continuous line of railroad like the Great Central of to-day, consequently a continuous journey through to Albany was tiresome and quite fatiguing.

In the early part of the summer of 1846 soon after reaching Albany Mr. Lee was taken seriously ill but with the attention of a good physician he was soon about again and in a few days was able to return to his home in Buffalo but was stricken down again a few days afterwards and died very suddenly on the 28th of July 1846. His remains were brought to this village an interred here. Very soon afterwards the family returned to their homestead here which continued to be the home of Mrs. Lee the remainder of her life, her demise taking place in the summer of 1882.

Mrs. Lee was one of the noble women of the country. Although an invalid and a great sufferer for a number of years during the latter part of her life, she was ever ready to assist in acts of charity and help the needy. The Presbyterian church of this village received much assistance and many noble gifts from her.

From 1830 to the time of his death Oliver Lee was one of the most prominent and leading business men in the state. From his first start to the close of his business career he was successful in all his principal undertakings. He was honorable in his deal and ever ready to pay the full amount of his indebtedness. It is believed that there was never a time during his long business experience that he was not ready to pay one hundred cents on the dollar of any indebtedness due against him. This village was greatly indebted to him for its start and growth from 1828 to 1844 or from the time he came here until he left.

It is not at all probable that there would ever have been a harbor or a pier built here had not Mr. Lee settled here. Without a pier there never would have been any lake commerce which gave the place the start it received about 1835 and 1836. And had that growth not occurred at that time it is not probable that the manufacturing interest would have settled here that did some years later, which makes it to-day one of the most enterprising, lively and smartest villages in Western New York.—In our opinion Oliver Lee should have great credit for it.

Getting closer to answers (of as yet unasked questions)

Another estate spoken of in the newspapers.... This time for Berdella Doring, the widow of Joseph C. Doring, a jeweler of Troy, NY.

I have several photographs and mentions of a Berdella in all my family stuff. I have photographs of the Lees in Mr. Doring's garden, for example. I wish I had them neatly labeled on my computer to share within this post. Not to mention to look at, just in case more clues can be had.

Take a look to this post which has a photograph of Berdella with Margaret and Olive. Herb mentions giving her one of his photographs here. And I suspect Berdella Ewig of York, PA is also in that photograph shown in the above post. I guess that is Berdella's daughter, Berdella.  What an unusual name. I guess now I can do some research on that family! I don't think I knew Berdella and Mr. Doring were together. Yay!

For a better look at the article, check here.

Sisters Ada and Nellie Jane Kirkpatrick were kindly left a little something from Berdella Doring. How thoughtful of her. (I am currently wearing a beautiful, but worthless, topaz ring that was Nellie Jane's... I wonder if this was purchased at Mr. Doring's store. Seems likely, perhaps, if Oliver bought it for Nellie Jane.)

Nellie Jane and the Red Cross

Seems that Nellie Jane did her part to help the War effort. I wish I knew what it was that they were sewing. I wonder what she might have done to help during The World War, other than worry about Herb. (I hope I didn't transcribe some hint in Herb's letters but not remember it right now.)



I wonder if Nellie Jane was a good sewer, or if, like me, no matter how hard she tried, her stitches (were necessary for the cause), but crooked and uneven. Was she ever found weeding a Victory Garden? Did she cultivate worms? Did she worry about germs? Would she think her grandchildren are spoiled and obnoxious? Or would she be fiercely proud of her grandson who accelerated his time in high school so that he might serve in the Navy? Was she thankful that he was still a little young to be in the throes of the fighting?

How elephants defy cancer

What about Asian elephants? How genetically similar are Asian and African elephants? If we share like 99% of our genetic code with mice, then they have to be very similar, don't they?

What does he mean that it's up to us because evolution had 55 million years to figure it out? Elephants got the gene, we didn't... maybe elephants are more important than we are... like Star Trek's whales.

Back to the discussion of evolution....

Photo and article taken from The Week Magazine - October 30, 2015

As the world’s largest land mammals, elephants should suffer one of the highest cancer rates—they simply have far more cells that could potentially mutate and become malignant. But new research reveals that elephants rarely get cancer—and the reason why may help in the search for human treatments, New Scientist reports. Only about 4.8 percent of elephants die from cancer, compared with up to 25 percent of humans. The key to the discrepancy, scientists say, is found in the genome of the African elephant. Elephants have 20 pairs of a gene called TP53, which produces a tumor-suppressing protein that prevents cells from dividing in an uncontrolled way. Humans, by contrast, have just one pair of this critical gene. Rather than repairing damage at a faster rate, elephants’ cells self-destruct to avoid passing along potentially harmful mutations. The researchers say their findings could lead to new developments in human cancer treatments. “Evolution has had 55 million years to figure out how to avoid cancer,” says the study’s leader, Joshua Schiffman. “Now I think it’s up to us to take a page out of nature’s playbook and learn how to take this information and apply it to those who need it most.”

Wine may help control diabetes

Too bad I took so long to bring this little tidbit to my readers.... from the October 30, 2015 edition of The Week Magazine. I am sifting through the papers on my desk... Finally getting rid of some of the piles.

People with Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes are often advised that a moderate amount of alcohol won’t exacerbate their condition, but a new study suggests indulging in a nightly glass of wine might actually help. Researchers instructed 224 adults with the disease to drink 5 ounces of mineral water, white wine, or red wine with dinner for two years, TechTimes.com reports. The participants, who were previously teetotalers, also followed a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet rich in plant-based foods, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats. People with Type 2 diabetes are at greater risk for heart disease, but those who drank red wine increased their HDL, or “good,” cholesterol levels by about 10 percent and experienced fewer metabolic conditions, such as high blood pressure. Meanwhile, the red or white wine drinkers who were genetically identified as “slow alcohol metabolizers” saw improvements in their blood sugar control. Although red wine proved most effective against diabetes, the study’s senior author, professor Iris Shai, recommends that people “enjoy both wines in moderation, and as part of a healthy diet.”

Furniture left to the Lees in Kate Clexton's Will

What hints can we take from this article? First off, weird that this is published in the Troy Record newspaper. I guess the value of estates is public information, but still... now we know that the Lees have some furniture that someone thought was significant enough (significant, but not necessarily valuable... admired?) to bequeath. I wish I knew what/which pieces they were, as then maybe I could ween some of "the Tyranny of the Heirloom" pieces I am now contemplating reupholstering! But, if they have lasted this long, I should save them - better than the crap made in China we buy nowadays, right?

We know this is Nellie Jane because her daughter is mentioned directly after her. Too bad I have not written anything about Margaret - though she is mentioned in Herb's letters.



But who is Kate M. Clexton? Merely a family friend? A neighbor? Could she have been a relative?

Doing a search on Ancestry.com she pops up in a tree created by Garth Burger, though I can't see anything. His information suggests she neither married nor had children. In 1865, at the same age as her cousin, 11, she was living with her aunt and uncle in Albany, NY. She was either born in Missouri or Indiana. By 1910 she is living alone - or at least as the head of household - and working in the Collar business. Of course this was a huge business in Troy and Olive worked for Cluett-Peabody her entire life. We find Kate again, as a collar worker and living as the head of household, in Troy in 1925.

In the 1940 census, she still lives as the head of household, though she no longer claims a profession. She does have a little more education than others on the same page - she claims 2 years of High School education.

So, was she gay? Was she fiercely independent or was she always sad she never had kids? Did she fight for women's suffrage as a young person? Was she so beautiful that she had so many suitors that she couldn't decide? Was she living in sin with the a man she met at work?

After contemplating my questions, I suspect she was a family friend. I can't find her in the Findagrave database, unfortunately. I just sent a message to Garth. Hopefully he will respond and have lots of information about his relative Kate Clexton.

Obesity hard to overcome

I seem to be finding tons of blog entries that I wrote, but never published.

We talked about diets tailored to individuals here. I wish people would get over the calories in and out idea and just 'Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants' as wisely said by Michael Pollan. I think that nutritionist JJ Virgin has a great starting point with eliminating sugar, corn, peanuts, eggs, dairy, gluten, and soy for 21 days and seeing how you feel. You might surprise yourself. That is rather the base line theory of Mark Sisson's Primal, too, which has made some people very happy with the results. (Read the success stories on his Friday Mark's Daily Apple blog.)

On the popular reality TV series The Biggest Loser, obese people quickly shed 100 or more pounds through grueling workouts and drastic diets. New research reveals, however, that the show’s approach does not keep the pounds off long-term, because obese people’s bodies fight to regain the lost weight. A study involving 14 former contestants found that only one managed to stay slim after six years; the rest regained most or all of the lost weight. After conducting a series of tests, researchers from the National Institutes of Health found the contestants faced a losing battle because of a phenomenon called “metabolic adaptation,” Vox​.com reports. A person’s basal metabolic rate—the rate at which energy is used when the body is at rest—slows with weight loss or increased physical activity, as the body fights to maintain a stable weight. That problem was particularly acute for the show’s obese contestants, whose bodies burned 500 fewer calories a day than expected, making it nearly impossible for them to keep the weight off. The contestants also had low levels of leptin—a hormone that signals fullness after eating—so they were constantly hungry. “Clearly, The Biggest Loser dooms contestants to either a lifetime of superhuman weight-loss efforts, or weight regain,” says obesity specialist Yoni Freedhoff. He and other experts suggest that bariatric surgery or gradual weight loss are more likely to achieve long-lasting results.

The May 20th edition of the Week Magazine.

Researching Oliver Lee in the Troy, NY Newspapers

Clearly being a letter carrier was a huge part of Oliver Lee's identity - in stark contrast with the Millenial archetype who lives for balance and recreation. Of the lucky times we find Oliver in newspapers, they are all about his profession. A couple articles have his image, which is always a tremendous find.

I have the fifty-year gold card mentioned in this article. Can I express in no uncertain terms how grateful I am for my great aunts that they saved these things? The card is about the size of a modern day business card. It is not made of gold... gold tone, shall we say?

I need to learn what is available at the National Archives for information on postal carriers. Someday maybe I will follow that lead...

Too bad there is no more information about Oliver in this article... now we move on to planning the dinner dance. I wonder if his daughters were in attendance along with wife Nellie Jane? Did he invite his sons to come? I believe he was living in Yonkers with his daughter Olive when this celebration took place. How dressed up did he get? Did the family agonize over what they would wear? Was this a big deal because they were humble people? Did he buy his wife a corsage so she would look pretty and feel special as he got his recognition? Did he have trouble walking? Was he called to a stage or merely to stand at his place? Did he end up drunk at the end of the meal? (Man, I am cruel, aren't I? But I am just imagining the possibilities.)

Add caption

This next photograph appeared in the paper 6 years after Oliver's death. I guess it was in the paper because it was 50 years after the photograph was taken. I wish I knew how to highlight Oliver in the photographs for you, my readers.

Who submitted this photograph to the newspaper? Is there a letter carrier archive in Troy? Is there one proud letter carrier who has saved all this stuff? Man, I really need to spend more time on this.



And there is absolutely no way to see him in this group, but he is called out by name, so someone liked him enough to do so.

Why bacteria are becoming drug-resistant

And here we go again... in the news, again. We are destined to kill ourselves with the superbugs.



Drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria

People suffering from bronchitis, flu, and other ailments often leave their doctor’s office with a prescription for ­antibiotics—even though in many cases it will do nothing to help them. Nearly one-third of the antibiotics taken in this country are unnecessary, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), despite decades of warnings that overprescribing is helping fuel the alarming surge in drug-resistant superbugs. All told, the study found, some 47 million unwarranted antibiotic prescriptions are being written out each year. Many of them are for viral illnesses the drugs can’t treat, such as colds and sore throats, or for sinus infections, typically caused by fungi that aren’t affected by antibiotics. The researchers say it’s likely they’ve even underestimated the problem, because they didn’t consider antibiotics doled out over the phone and in urgent-care centers, or cases in which doctors prescribed the wrong antibiotic to treat a genuine bacterial infection. The danger of overprescribing is that once bacteria are exposed to an antibiotic, they start learning how to outsmart it, rendering that drug less effective or even useless. More than 2 million people a year are infected by drug-resistant germs, and some 23,000 die of their infections. If inappropriate antibiotic use continues, CDC Director Tom Frieden tells NBCNews.com, “we’ll lose the most powerful tool we have to fight life-threatening infections.”
THE WEEK
May 20, 2016

The new war on cancer

Amazing to think that this could cure cancer. Both Herbert (see his story beginning here) and his son, my dad, died of lung cancer; and lung seems to be one of the cancers this might cure. This treatment is pretty astonishing, really.

With all my discussion about evolving critters, here is one which we acknowledges changes quickly to outwit all our attempts to eliminate it.

Forty-five years after Richard Nixon declared “war” on the disease, cancer remains the No. 2 killer in the U.S., after heart disease. This year alone, an estimated 600,000 Americans will die of cancer. Attempts to find a “magic pill”—a global cancer treatment for hundreds of types of cancer—have failed. But more sophisticated forms of treatment targeted to specific kinds of cancer cells have resulted in much better survival rates for some common cancers, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer and some forms of leukemia. And recently, researchers have had very encouraging results with a new approach called immunotherapy. Some patients in advanced stages of the disease, who previously would have been deemed terminal, have undergone rapid and complete recoveries. Hoping to build on that progress, President Obama in January announced a $1 billion “moonshot” to cure cancer, putting Vice President Joe Biden—whose son Beau died of brain cancer last year—in charge of “mission control.” Biden believes a major breakthrough is possible. “We’re not looking at incremental change,” the vice president said. “What we’re trying to do is end up with a quantum leap on the path to a cure.”

How does immunotherapy work?
Unlike traditional cancer treatment methods that attack the cancer itself—surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation—immunotherapy works by encouraging the patient’s own immune system to fight the disease. The immune system often fails to mount a successful attack on cancer because tumors that develop from the body’s own healthy cells aren’t recognized as invaders. Some tumors even have ways of tricking the immune system into ignoring them. One type of immunotherapy transfers genetically engineered killer T cells back into a patient’s body; these superaggressive antibodies target and destroy the tumor. In another type, drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors block the cancer cells from turning off the usual T-cell defenses, enabling the body to fight the disease. “Patients respond to these drugs because their immune system is ready to go, but the tumor is protecting itself,” said Dr. Antoni Ribas, professor of medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. “For these patients, we just need to unleash the immune system.”

What success has it had?
In one trial, 93 percent of patients suffering from certain types of B-cell leukemias and lymphomas saw their cancer disappear. California businessman Johnny Crowell took part in another immunotherapy trial of just 10 patients after developing a rare Merkel cell cancer. Doctors had already told him that the cancer “would end up in my lungs, brain, back,” Crowell told The Atlantic. He was given two years to live. After Crowell took G100, a drug that increases the body’s immune response, doctors found no signs of cancer in any of the tissue they extracted from his body.

Are there any downsides?
Plenty, unfortunately. Immunotherapy drugs can cost up to $150,000 per year, and most people can get access to them only if they’re accepted into very small clinical trials. Moreover, it’s not clear whether immunotherapy will work with all cancers. The treatment seems to work best against cancer cells with high levels of genetic mutation, making the tumors more easily identifiable—as in lung cancer, where carcinogens in tobacco smoke trigger mutations. In diseases with fewer mutations, such as pancreatic cancer, immunotherapy seems to be far less effective. Since Nixon launched his campaign to cure cancer back in the 1970s, researchers have repeatedly run into the same obstacle: Cancer is really not one disease, but at least 300, involving different types of cells with abnormal genetic machinery that makes them grow out of control. “This is the emperor of all maladies,” says Professor Charles Swanton, from University College London’s Cancer Institute. “We’re dealing with an entity that’s constantly evolving, constantly adapting, and constantly changing its genome.”

What about other treatments?
Another promising new frontier is genetic analysis, which splits each type of cancer into dozens of subtypes, so that specific chemotherapy drugs can be tailored to each cancer. Experts also now hope they can use the breakthrough gene-editing technique called CRISPR to correct mutations in cancer cells, or perhaps “edit” out mutation-prone genes that people inherit.

Will the ‘moonshot’ really help?
Biden’s task as mission commander is to marshal all of these varied efforts into one coordinated response—bringing together researchers, philanthropists, Big Pharma, and insurers. Biden’s biggest challenge is to try to tackle what he calls the cancer politics: the infighting and jealousy that occur between cancer researchers, who often refuse to share their data with one another. The federal effort will also fund research into how different immunotherapy treatments work in combination with one another, as well as efforts to improve prevention and early detection. Just don’t expect a single, magical breakthrough. “The war on cancer will not be won in one dramatic battle,” says MIT cancer researcher Robert Weinberg. “It will be a series of skirmishes.”

Jimmy Carter’s miraculous recovery
In August 2015, former President Jimmy Carter announced he had been diagnosed with advanced melanoma, a type of skin cancer that had spread to his liver and brain. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” said Carter, then 90. Four months later, Carter announced he was cancer-free. Along with radiation, Carter had been put on pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda), a checkpoint inhibitor that stops cancer cells from blocking the immune system’s response. Soon after, Carter’s scans showed no evidence of the original cancer lesions on his brain, or any new lesions. Given that cancer can often reappear years down the line, oncologists prefer to talk in terms of “years of remission” rather than “cure”—but like Carter, some cancer patients on Keytruda have seen their disease disappear completely. Not surprisingly, says melanoma specialist Dr. Patrick Ott, Carter’s miraculous recovery has prompted patients across the country to demand, “I want what Jimmy Carter had.” Doctors caution that in clinical trials, Keytruda shrank the tumors in only 24 percent of patients, and that it only works on certain types of cancer.
THE WEEK
May 20, 2016