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Salute in protest… The Traveler…
October 15, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
I journeyed today to Parsons, Kansas, via The Parsons Sun of October 17, 1968. I found the Olympics were being held in Mexico City and that the United States sprinter Tommie Smith had broken the World’s Record. But that is not completely what claimed the headline, it reads “Set World Mark – Sprinters In Protest”. “Black, not gold, became the dominant color of these troubled 19th Olympic Games today… the dark cloud of racial unrest overshadowed the record-breaking performances of the U.S. athletes. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised high the block-gloved fist of racial protest Wednesday while still on the podium after receiving their medals for the a 1-3 finish in the 200-meter dash… ‘White America would not understand’ the gesture, Carlos… ‘They recognize me only when I do something bad and they call em ‘Negro…'”
Due to their actions, the Olympic Committee’s response was to suspend the two athletes from the US team and ban them from the Olympic Village. The US Olympic Committee refused, but then they were threatened with banning the entire US track team. This threat lead to the expulsion of the two athletes from the Games.
~The Traveler
The beginning of a great career… The Traveler…
October 1, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
A few days ago I journeyed to New York City by the way of The New York Times dated September 29, 1918 where I noticed the small report: “Notre Dame Beats Case,” which included in part, “…Notre Dame to a standstill in the two opening periods, the Case eleven and Notre Dame won 26 to 6… Coach Rockne immediately pulled out two members of his backfield and sent in Bahan and Gipps… with Gipps in the stellar role ripped through the Case defense for two more touchdowns. Another tally came in the final period.”
This was Knute Rockne’s first game as head coach at Notre Dame. The report was probably not significant as Notre Dame was not yet the powerhouse team as they are today.
~The Traveler
A tad bit premature… The Traveler…
September 20, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
A few days ago my journey took me to New York City by the way of the New York Spectator dated September 15, 1818. It is there I found the announcement “Death of Col. Daniel Boon (Boone),” which included in part: “As he lived so he died, with his gun in his hand… rode to a deer-lick, seated himself within a blind raised to conceal him.. while setting thus concealed… without pain, he breathed out his last so gently, that when he found next day by this friends… he looked as if alive…”
Hmmm, maybe he truly was still alive as he did not die until two years later on September 26, 1820!
~The Traveler
World Series bound… Before the “Curse of the Bambino”… The Traveler…
September 3, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I journeyed to New York City by way of The New York Times dated September 1, 1918, where I found that the Boston Red Sox had won the American League Pennant. “The Two Rival Managers & Their Shock Troops Primed for the World’ Series Clash This Week.” “Boston clinched the American League pennant by winning the first game of today’s double header from Philadelphia, 6 to 1, with Ruth holding the visitors to three hits… (Babe) Ruth’s all around play, including his terrific double to deep centre field, which just missed entering the bleachers, was the feature of the first game.”
Babe Ruth would end up being traded to the New York Yankees in December, 1919, in a very controversial trade. This would also be the last World’s Series that the Red Sox would win until 2004, sometimes dubbed “The Curse of the Bambino.”
~The Traveler
The Traveler… time to build…
August 6, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
I journeyed today to London, England, by the way of The London Gazette of August 6, 1668. I found an article “Yesterday arrived the Concord of this place in 6 weeks from Barbado’s [sic], from whence the came in company of about 20 sail of Merchant Ships under the Convoy of the Dover and Assurance Fregates. They tell us that the Inhabitants of Bridgetown are busily employing themselves for materials for the rebuilding of that place, and have emploied many ships for the transpiration of timer from New England.”
In reading about Bridgetown on Wikipedia, I found that Bridgetown is the only place outside the present United States that George Washington visited (he did so in 1751). He was 19 at the time and his half-brother Lawrence Washington went along with him. The George Washington House still stands and is on their historic registry.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… it’s outta here!…
July 30, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Earlier this month I journeyed to New York City by the way of The New York Times of July 15, 1968. There I found “Aaron Clouts No. 500 as Braves Top Giants, 4-2”. “Hank Aaron became the eighth player in major leagues to hit 500 home runs as his three-run wallop in the third inning sparked the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 victory today over the San Francisco Giants… In the exclusive 500 group are Babe Ruth, who holds the record of 714; Willie Mays, 577; Jimmie Foxx; 534; Mickey Mantle, 529; Ted Williams, 521; Eddie Mathews, 512, and Mel Ott, 511… Aaron, however, still expects to have two or three good years, and most baseball experts predict that he will go over the 600-homer mark…”
On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron would break Babe Ruth’s record when he hit home-run number 715 and hit his final home-run, number 755, on July 20, 1976.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… the Ku Klux Klan… Their first “recorded” assassination…
July 26, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
A little over a month ago I journeyed to Wilmington, North Carolina, by the way of the Daily Journal dated June 17, 1868. There I found the headline “The Georgia Military Outrage.” “On the night of the 30th of March, G. W. Ashburn was killed in a negro house of ill-fame, in the city of Columbus, Georgia… One Bennett, who had been an active Radical partisan, a prominent member of the ‘loyal league,’ was in the house at the time of the killing… Sometime after the killing, and after the military Governor of Georgia had offered an unusually large reward for the apprehension of the murderers, several of the most prominent and respectable young gentlemen of Columbus were arrested by military authority, together with two negroes… When the matter of the arrests was brought to the attention of Congress and the country by Hon. Mr. Beck… now confined in the military barracks at Atlanta, awaiting trial… “
Considered a scalawag by his white Columbus neighbors, he worked with the Freedmens Bureau and alongside African American leaders such as Henry McNeal Turner. His actions quickly created several enemies across the South. Ashburn lived amongst the African American population and garnered attention from the Ku Klux Klan, which established their Columbus chapter on March 21, 1868 after a visit from Nathan Bedford Forrest. Henry Benning testified that Mr. Ashburn had “quit his wife and took up with a negro woman in Columbus.” The trial, beginning on June 29, gained national attention as over twenty persons were arrested and held at Fort McPherson. The prisoners consisted mostly of prominent white residents of Columbus. General Henry L. Benning and former Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens agreed to represent the accused. The Federal government was pushing for Georgia to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, while the Georgia legislature was resisting it. The defenders of the KKK saw here an opportunity for a bargain. On July 21, as the trial progressed, Georgia agreed to ratify the 14th Amendment in exchange for General Meade’s termination of the prosecution of the murder. All prisoners made bail and returned to Columbus. No one was ever prosecuted. [source: Wikipedia]
~The Traveler
The Traveler… early Sodoku?…
July 2, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today’s journey took me to London, England, by the means of The Gentleman’s Magazine of July, 1768. I found an interesting plate entitled “A Magic Square of Squares” with an accompanying article “Surprising Properties of Numbers placed in Dr. Franklin’s Magic Square of Squares”. This is an interesting puzzle by Benjamin Franklin. “The great square is divided into 256 small squares, in which all the numbers from 1 to 256 are placed in 16 columns, which may be taken either horizontally or vertically. The properties are as follows: 1. The sum of the 16 numbers in each column vertical or horizontal, is 2056. 2. Every half column, vertical and horizontal, makes 1028, or half 2056. 3 Half a diagonal ascending, added to half a diagonal descending, makes 2056; taking these half diagonals from the ends of any side of the square to the middle thereof, and so reckoning them either upward or downward; or sidewise from left to right hand, or from right to left…”
The information continues with this sounding like a very early Sodoku puzzle!
~The Traveler
John Hancock appointed… The Traveler…
June 4, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
I traveled today to Boston, Massachusetts, by the way of the The Boston Chronicle dated June 6, 1768 where I found an announcement had been made “His Excellency the Governor have appointed John Hancock, Esq; to be first Major of the independent company of Cadets, and William Coffin, jun. Esq; to be second Major of the said company.”
~The Traveler
The Traveler… great disaster in Oakdale…
May 21, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
A few days ago I journeyed to New York City by way of The New York Times of May 19, 1918 where I found that first reporting of the terrible disaster in Oakdale, Pennsylvania. “Probably 200 men were killed today when an explosion of TNT demolished the plant of the Aetna Chemical Company, at Oakdale, on the Panhandle Division of The Pennsylvania Railroad… The 500 workmen in the plant were startled at noon by a report not much louder than the crack of a pistol. It came from the soda house. The men knew its deadly import, and as one they rushed for the nearest exit. Before they could gain the open the very air seemed to burst into flames, the earth heaved and rocked, and, with a roar that was heard for miles, the long factory buildings were hurled high into the air, carrying with them ponderous equipment and scores of men…”
More explosions followed with many lives lost, some men were never found or identified.
~The Traveler