Prairie Bluestem

Too Wet for Planting

2013-05-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

Rainy, cool spring in Christian County, KY

We've had a difficult spring in Christian County, Kentucky. We hate to complain about rain, knowing how badly they need it in other areas, but it's so wet here that our farmers can't get the crops planted. The water puddles in this field near my home are typical for the area. Small lakes have formed in some fields that have pronounced low spots. The farmers who have managed to get their machinery in the fields and their seed in the ground are reporting mixed results. Some seed has failed to sprout, and some seedlings have been stunted or killed in water puddles.

Mogul This and Mogul That

2013-05-09T02:35:00.001-05:00

Powerful "Moguls" of days gone by

Vintage image of a Mogul tractor from dok1

In 2013, the word "mogul" has a vaguely negative feel to it. We might speak of "shipping moguls" or "manufacturing moguls", meaning the powerful people who control those industries. But a hundred years ago, "mogul" was a positive word, often used as a brand name for powerful machines and equipment.

Mogul Motor Trucks were manufactured in St. Louis and in Chicago. The Mogul Street Sprinkling Truck was probably made by that company. And certain large locomotives were called moguls.

Mogul 1629 locomotive. Image by tkksummers. Gene
Autry purchased this Mogul 1629 after it was retired
from a long life of of service on the rails. It was used
in several Western movies and shows. You may
remember seeing it on "Gunsmoke" or "Wyatt Earp."

Mogul tractors with kerosene engines were manufactured by the International Harvester Company of Chicago, Illinois, through 1924. (If you enjoy mechanical curiosities, watch this YouTube video: Harry Henderson starting his old Mogul tractor.)

I've written several times on this blog about the hard-working Mogul Wagons that were manufactured in Hopkinsville, KY from the 1870s through 1925. Production was halted by a fire that destroyed the factory, but the Forbes Brothers sold their remaining inventory of Mogul wagons, wheels, axels, and other parts for another 25 years.

Moguls didn't always live up to the promise of their name. The Mogul Steamship Company is mainly remembered for a court case in England that concerned it. The Mogul Mining Company was declared a poor investment by a financial adviser of 1920.

How to look and feel like a Mogul yourself? Just light up a Mogul cigarette! (Ugh. I have a feeling they were terribly strong.)

The following definitions are from a dictionary of the period, The Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary of 1913

Mogul \Mo*gul"\, n. [From the Mongolian.]
1. A person of the Mongolian race.
2. (Railroad) A heavy locomotive for freight traffic, having three
pairs of connected driving wheels and a two-wheeled truck.

Mogul \Mo*gul"\, n.
A great personage; magnate; autocrat.

I Say "Ky-oht" and You Say "Ky-oh-tee"

2013-04-18T03:57:00.000-05:00

Coyotes, wolves, and coy-dogs

After hearing the coyotes howl for the last few nights, I read a little about the animal. One bit of trivia I picked up is that the word "coyote" comes from the Aztec word "coyotl", which is often translated as "trickster."

I came across some interesting spellings of the animal's name in old books: "cayute," "cayota," "cayeute," and so on. Today we have standardized the spelling, but pronunciations still vary. According to Merriam Webster's entry for the word, the primary pronunciation is \kī-ˈō-tē\ but in the West, it's sometimes pronounced \ˈkī-ˌōt\.

Coyote in Yosemite National Park
Photo source: Wikipedia

Well, I grew up using the Western pronunciation \ˈkī-ˌōt\ . To me, "coyote" rhymed with "my oat." And I was equally comfortable with \ˈkī-ˌyüt\ (rhymes with "my boot".) These were the pronunciations of northern Nebraska.

On the rare occasion that I heard someone say \kī-ˈō-tē\ , it was obvious to me that they knew coyotes only from watching "Wile E. Coyote" on TV. To me, the three-syllable pronunciation was an overly-fancy version that only a dude would say.

Over the years, I've amended that preconceived notion because I've learned that many rural folks in other parts do say \kī-ˈō-tē\. However, I haven't changed my own way of saying the word. The three-syllable pronunciation will never feel right in my mouth.

I've also heard lots of people call them "wolves." But in my internal dictionary, the word "wolf" is used only for the larger wild dogs. To me, calling them "wolves" would feel just as silly as calling them \kī-ˈō-tēs\.

I base my mental image of a coyote on the animal I knew during my Nebraska childhood. The average male coyote there weighed maybe 30 lbs. But in the eastern U.S., the native coyote is a bigger animal -- at least a third bigger on average (10 to 15 lbs. heavier) -- than the Nebraska coyote. DNA testing has revealed that some eastern coyotes carry wolf genes as a result of coyotes and wolves mating with each other.

So my notion that no coyote should be called a wolf is probably wrong, too. I read that these crossbreed coyotes are called "coy-wolves." Now I wonder how they pronounce that first syllable, "coy." Is it \ˈkī\ or is it \ˈkȯi\?

Range map of the coyote
Image from Wikimedia

Crime in 1921, Laramie, Wyoming

2013-04-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

Keeping the peace on the High Plains

Laramie's downtown historic district in 2004

On January 3, 1922, City Marshall J. W. Sigman reported to the city council of Laramie, Wyoming, about police activity during 1921. During the year, he stated, seventeen officers made a total of 321 arrests for offenses that included the following:

Drunks, 84
Breaches of the peace, 42
Prostitution, 25
Gambling, 35
Burglary, 2
Robbery, 3
Forgery, 4
Larceny, 2
Rape, 2
Assault and battery, 3
Speeding, 62
Bright lights, 2
Wrongful turning of corners, 3
Wrongful parking, 3
Running with mufflers open, 2
Lights out, 5
Reckless driving, 1
Riding on sidewalks, 4
Running on lawns, 1
Vagrancy, 6
Boys frequenting pool halls, 1
Making whisky, 4
Trespassing, 1
Refusing to pay occupation tax, 2
Blocking crossing, 1
Beating board bill, 2
Concerning rubbish, l
Interfering with officer, 1
Destruction of property, 1
Permitting unlawful cesspool, 1
Allowing dogs to run at large, 10
Using water unlawfully, 6
Keeping pool hall open, 1
Others, 2

(Source: Laramie Republican [Daily Edition] no. 123 January 04, 1922, page 5)

In 1921, traffic in Laramie would have been a mixture of horseback riders, horse-drawn vehicles, motor vehicles, and possibly bicycles. I'm guessing that the speeding violations primarily involved automobiles, but most of the riding-on-sidewalk violations involved horses.

William Conners, husband of Philena Baily (my first cousin 2x removed), was one of the policemen who kept the peace in Laramie in 1921. With 83 arrests, he was the most active officer of the Laramie law enforcement team for the year. I was a little surprised to find him on the police force, because he had been working for the Union Pacific railroad as a fireman. But maybe his wife wanted him to be at home, or maybe he was laid off as Union Pacific downsized after World War I.

Copyright 2013 by Genevieve Hill Netz. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for attaching this article to family trees, but this notice must remain with the article. Any other use requires written permission; please contact gnetz51@gmail.com. This article was published originally at http://prairiebluestem.blogspot.com/2013/04/crime-in-1921-laramie-wyoming.html.

400 Mile Sale 2013

2013-04-02T14:27:00.003-05:00

Be there or be square.

The 400 Mile Yard Sale will be June 6-9 along Highway 80 in Kentucky. See http://www.400mile.com/ for the details. Last year, a reader suggested that I should post the dates of this epic event in advance, instead of just posting photos of it afterwards. So, take heed if you're the garage-sale sort! The big one is only two months away!

Blast from the past:
A Yard Sale Extravaganza
400 Mile Sale This Weekend
400 Mile Yard Sale 2012
400 Mile Sale is Underway

EFG's One More Again Thrift Store

2013-04-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

New thrift shop in Hopkinsville, KY

Keely and I enjoy second-hand stores, so we were excited when we saw a sign on a Virginia Street corner for a new thrift in downtown Hopkinsville. We checked it out as soon as we had a chance.

The EFG One More Again store is located on the corner of 6th Street and Virginia, with an entrance on 6th Street (next to Young's Hardware.) This business place (actually two side-by-side buildings) was formerly a furniture store. I don't know the rest of the history of the structures, but to me, they appear to be at least a century old.

"EFG" stands for Evangelical Free Gospel, the church group that runs this thrift shop. They meet at the store for worship. I think the lady tending the store told me that they meet on Saturday nights. She said that the group had previously met in a different location, but they lost their pastor and had to take a new direction. So, they rented this business place and opened the thrift shop.

The inside of the store is spacious so I didn't get that "too-close" feeling that some over-crowded, high-piled junk stores give me. These photos were both taken downstairs. A wide doorway connects the two buildings. As you can see, EFG offers the typical thrift shop selection of merchandise -- totally random!

We climbed an extremely worn stairway in the corner building to the second floor of the shop. (The other building of the shop has stairs to the second floor that are wider and in much better repair.)

The upstairs is divided into a number of rooms. Keely and I spent most of our time in the book room, where we found some good, ex-library children's books. We both left with our arms loaded. I was relieved to discover that we wouldn't have to go back down the same stairs we came up, as my bifocals sometimes bother me on stairways. Keely speculated that there might be a freight elevator somewhere in the building that they used to bring the books and other merchandise upstairs.

The second-floor windows of the corner building have interesting embellishments. The photo above was taken from the sidewalk. I used a graphics procedure on that photo to make the image below. It shows the details at the top of the building better, although I think the windows are longer than the altered perspective suggests.

I picked up a business card at the check-out counter, and here is some of the information from it:

One More Again Thrift Store
118 E. 6th St.
Hopkinsville, KY
Operated by members of EFG Church to give back to the local community.

The card also notes that they will pick up garage sale leftovers.

Churches in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, 1874

2013-03-17T01:55:00.001-05:00

Services and schedules

First Presbyterian Church, Hopkinsville, KY
Built in 1848. Wikimedia image.

According to a directory published in the August 7, 1874, Kentucky New Era, these churches were meeting in post-Civil-War Hopkinsville.

Christian Church
Nashville Street
Eld. T. A. Crenshaw, Pastor.
Regular service every Sabbath morning, at which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is uniformly administered, and at night, 7-1/2 o'clock.
Sunday School every Sabbath morning.
Prayer-meeting Wednesday evening.

M. E. Church [Methodist Episcopal], South
Nashville Street
Rev. Thos. Bottomly, Pastor.
Service every Sabbath morning and evening.
Sunday School every Sabbath morning.
Prayer-meeting every Wednesday evening.

Old School Presbyterian Church Southern Assembly
Nashville Street
Rev. J. Tate, Pastor.
Services 3d and 4th Sabbaths in each month.
Sunday school every Sabbath morning.
Prayer meeting every Thursday evening.

Old School Presbyterian Church
Nashville Street
Rev. A. W. Colver
Services 1st and 2nd Sabbaths in every month.
Sunday School every Sabbath morning.
Prayer meeting every Thursday evening.

Grace Church
Virginia Street
Rev. R. M. Baker, Pastor
Service every Sunday morning at the usual hour, and in the evening at 3 o'clock. Sunday School every Sabbath morning

Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Russellville Street
Rev. R. J. Beard, Pastor.
Service every Sabbath morning and evening.
Sunday School every Sabbath afternoon.
Prayer meeting every Tuesday evening.

Colored Baptist Church
Virginia Street
Rev. S. Watt, Pastor.
Service every Sabbath afternoon at 2-1/2 o'clock and evening at 8 o'clock.
Sunday School every Sabbath morning.
Prayer meeting every Thursday evening.

Source: Kentucky New Era, August 7, 1874

Angry Bird

2013-03-16T23:13:00.000-05:00

A candidate for the flock

Do you ever play that silly little game, "Angry Birds?" Some people have it on their phones or tablets, and some people play it on Facebook. If you're familiar with the game, maybe you'll agree with me that this little fellow is a great candidate for the Angry Birds flock. His colors are pastel, but don't ignore that mean look in his eye.

Angry bird, seen at the Peddler's Mall in Hopkinsville

15 Animal and Bird Songs

2013-03-15T21:23:00.000-05:00

Ah, do you remember these?

Here's a Fun Friday Fifteen, since I missed the Thursday Thirteen. (Yes, I did just invent the Fun Friday Fifteen!)

Old Blue (Bet you five dollars he's a good dog too.)
The Old Gray Mare (She ain't what she used to be.)
Sweetly Sings the Donkey (At the break of day.)
Git Along Little Dogies (It's your misfortune and none of my own.)
Mary Had a Little Lamb (Its fleece was white as snow.)
Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat (Where have you been?)
Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? (Where, oh where can he be?)
Pop! Goes the Weasel (Round and round the cobbler's bench...)
Froggie Went a Courtin' (And he did ride, a-hum, a-hum.)
Go Tell Aunt Rhody (The old gray goose is dead.)
Be Kind to your Webfooted Friends (For a duck may be somebody's mother.)
Three Blind Mice (Did ever you see such a sight in your life?)
Teensy Weensy Spider (Climbed up the spout again.)
Rabbit Ain't Got No Tail At All (Same song, second verse, a little bit louder, and a little bit worse.)
The Bear Went Over the Mountain (To see what he could see.)

Now which one of these is stuck in your head? For me, it's "Froggie Went a Courtin'." A-hum.

Mohair Memories

2013-03-01T23:41:00.000-06:00

Romance in the fifties

Photo by knittiemarie on Flikr

When I was about seven or eight years old (in the late 1950s,) I began to notice that some guys and girls in high school were "going steady." As a symbol of their affection, they had exchanged class rings.

I don't remember what the guy did with the girl's ring. Maybe he put it on a chain and wore it around his neck, or maybe he wore it on his pinky. But I haven't forgotten what the girls did with the guys rings.

Guys' rings were almost always a few sizes too big, so the girls wrapped them in yarn to make them small enough to wear. In a pinch, any yarn would do (so long as it was color-coordinated to the girl's outfit.) But given a choice, the girls preferred mohair yarn.

After the ring was wrapped in the fuzzy mohair, the girls brushed up the yarn fibers with a toothbrush, encircling the ring with a cloud of fuzz as large as a ping-pong ball. Anyone who glanced at the girl's hand knew immediately that she was going steady.

When the girl had a few spare moments, she might get her toothbrush out of her purse and freshen up the yarn on her ring, just to keep it looking nice.

Pastel mohair cardigans were popular then, too, and I thought the girls looked beautiful wearing their soft, fuzzy sweaters with their boyfriends' rings wrapped in matching swirls of mohair. And of course, the guys were handsome too, with their crew-cuts combed straight up in front.

In fact, during a church service (my primary opportunity to observe teenage couples), I could get so busy looking at those guys and girls that I didn't pay any attention at all to the sermon.