The Lamplighter

It was on this day in 1807 that London streets were first illuminated with gas lights.  My great-great-grandfather, William Powell, held the job of lamplighter (he moonlighted as a journeyman and house decorator) in the latter half of the 1800's.  Lamplighters were generally trustworthy fellows who were warmly greeted by their neighbours as they made their way down the street, a ladder under their arm, and stopped at each lamp post, leaned the ladder against it, climbed up, and lit the lantern.  Acting as unofficial watchmen, they made the streets safer in London (and other Victorian cities) for young and old.  Here is a poem I discovered written by Robert Louis Stevenson about a young child's reaction to the nightly visit from the lamplighter.

 

The Lamplighter

by Robert Louis Stevenson My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky. It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by; For every night at teatime and before you take your seat, With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street. Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea, And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be; But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do, O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you! For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door, And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more; And oh! before you hurry by with ladder and with light; O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him to-night! Photo courtesy http://lhe.googleusercontent.com.

National Geographic

Decades worth of National Geographic magazines line our bookshelves, some of them dog-eared from Rob and his sister Ingrid reading and re-reading them as children, some of them in good condition as they were perused by my father-in-law, helping him to master English as a German immigrant.  One thing they all have in common is their well-written articles and beautiful photographs.  It was on January 27, 1888 that the National Geographic Society was formed and has had many prestigious members; Alexander Graham Bell was one of its early Presidents. 

I knew the magazine had a long history but what I didn't know was that the Society had doled out 1400 grants for various ventures over the last century or more.  Here are some of the important ventures that the National Geographic Society has sponsored:

1.  Robert Peary's trip to the North Pole (1909).
2.  The Lost Incan City Excavation by Hiram Bingham (1912-1915).
3.  Richard Byrd's flight over the South Pole (1928-1929).
4.  Jacques Cousteau's diving expeditions (1952-1956).
5.  Architectual digs to prove the existence of early humans in Africa (1960).
6.  Jane Goodall's work with chimpanzees in the jungle (1961).
7.  The Mapping of the Ocean Floor (1970).
8.  A Study of the Wintering Grounds of the North American Monarch Butterfly (1975-1976).
9.  Exploration of the Galapagos Rift (1977).
10. Excavation of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum (1981) and making of the documentary "In the Shadow of Vesuvius" (1987).
11.  Fish Fossil Excavation (2004).
12.  A Poland Investigation to see if "La Bella Principessa" ("Lady with a Secret") is an authentic Leonardo da Vinci portrait (2010).

I think I will head over to my bookshelf and look for these articles.  Fascinating!



Photo of Robert Peary courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org.

Duty, Honor, Country

"Duty, honor, country.  Those three hallowed words dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be." 

These are the opening words of General MacArthur as he addressed the graduating class at West Point Military Academy on May 12, 1962.  These are words that he lived by as he fought in three wars:  World War I, World War II and the Korean War.  Alexander Haig said that he was one of a dying breed of heroes:  a leader that could make his own decisions, unhampered by our instant communication society and our media.  He was a real leader who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, wasn't afraid to jump in with both feet. 

Born on this day in 1880, MacArthur was raised on the American Frontier, claiming that:  "I knew how to ride and shoot before I knew how to read or write."  Graduating first in his class at West Point, he put his skills into practice during the First World War.  On the Western Front, one soldier reported that he jumped over the trenches, ran across no man's land and captured a German Colonel, all with only a riding crop in his hand.  Brigadier General MacArthur returned to the United States highly decorated, wearing a Medal of Honor, two Croix de Guerre, two Distinguished Service Crosses and seven Silver Stars. 

Although MacArthur retired from the United States Army in 1937, he was recalled to active duty upon America's entry into the Second World War, serving as Chief of Staff in the Pacific Theatre.  Forced to retreat via PT boats from the island of Bataan, the General and his troops sought refuge in Australia.  On October 20, 1944, MacArthur and his men were photographed triumphantly wading throught he waters surrounding the island of Leyte, a stepping stone to recapturing the Philippines.  The general practised servant leadership asking himself the question:  "Do I delegate tasks that should be mine?"  Great at building the morale of his men, he once encouraged a subordinate to capture the enemy position, saying that if he did so, he would earn the Silver Star.  Then, going one step further, he pinned the silver star to the soldier's uniform right there and then. 

Accepting Japan's surrender in August of 1945, General MacArthur oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1950.  Then President Truman offered him command the United Nations forces in Korea.  Once again, MacArthur took on the role of leader.  Pressing northward with the motto "In war, there is no substitute for victory" the general was ready to take on the Chinese Communists but was forced to stop at the 38th Parallel after orders from the president.  MacArthur publically criticized Truman for his policy in Korea and was therefore relieved of command.  Although he lived out his remaining years as a civilian, he would always be remembered as the four-star general with the corn-cob pipe.


Photo of American troops landing on Leyte island courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org.

As I Stand on the Old Train Bridge

O'er the Thames River the red sun disappears
As I stand on the old train bridge looking down.
I can almost hear the trains of yesteryear
Winding their weary way through the old stone town.

The river carves a path throught the fertile groud.
Next to the running water lies a lush plain.
The grass is so green and the trees do abound
Where Jersey cows once grazed beneath passing trains.

Two ducks take a long drink after the soft rain
As they hide behind a swaying poplar tree.
In the distance grows a field of golden grain
As far away as the naked eye can see.

As I stand on the old train bridge, silence speaks;
And a hush falls o'er the meandering creek.

(Linda Jonasson, St. Mary's, Ontario, July 20, 2006.)

A Diet of Rats, River Eels and Poisonous Toads

According to most people, World War II ended in 1945.  But for Japanese soldier, Schoichi Yokoi, the war did not end until January 24, 1972, exactly 40 years ago today.  Private Yokoi was drafted into the Japanese Imperial Army in 1941, the same year that Japan won the battle of Guam against the United States.  He worked his way up the ranks and eventually became a Sergeant.  He was transported to the island of Guam for battle in 1944 when the United States retook the island and he and his fellow soldiers retreated, many being captured by the enemy.  However, Sergeant Yokoi and ten other members of the Japanese Army, refused to be captured, found a cave on the island, and went into hiding.  At first the soldiers would hunt local cattle to survive.  Soon, seven of the ten soldiers moved to another part of the island while three remained.  Two of the three remaining soldiers separated from Sergeant Yokoi, although they would visit back and forth periodically.  Alone, the Japanese soldier had to carve primitive survival tools for himself; he would hunt at night, trapping poisonous toads, river eels and rats.  In 1952, he found pamphlets stating that World War II was over, but he believed them to be propaganda.  In 1964, he discovered his two fellow soldiers had succumbed to the elements, but he persevered.  Finally, in 1972, two natives to the island were trapping shrimp and discovered Sergeant Yokoi, who tried to attack them, thinking they were the enemy; however, the trappers managed to subdue him and brought him back to civilization.  Hailed a hero in his native Japan, Shoichi Yokoi's homecoming involved crowds of his countrymen excitedly waving flags as he passed by.  He was interviewed by television and radio broadcasters and attended many speaking engagements.  Several months after his return, the 56 year old Mr. Yokoi got married.  Guess where he took his bride for their honeymoon?  Back to the lovely island of Guam.

Note:  Read the book Private Yokoi's War and Life on Guam by Omi Hatashin & Shoichi Yokoi.



Photos courtesy http://news.bbcimg.co.uk.

Le Chat au Chapeau

"Cat, hat.  In French:  chat, chapeau.  In Spanish:  el gato in a sombrero...In German I'm a Katze in a Hut, and don't you know, I'm a guanka in a bunkaquank in Eskimo." *



Only Dr. Seuss could hold a language class right in the middle of an animated television show.  Based on the Cat in the Hat book, the TV special "The Cat in the Hat" is full of songs like:

Nothing to be Done
The Gradunza
Calculatus Eliminatus
I'm a Punk
Beautiful Kittenfish
Anything Undwer the Sun
Cat, Hat
Sweep up the Memories

"Cat, Hat" is sprinkled with just enough foreign words to make it interesting without confusing the listener.  Dr. Seuss repeats the words enough that by the end of the song, they're stuck in every child's head.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 dress up in appropriate costumes such as sombreros when they sing in Spanish and berets when they sing in French. 

Dr. Seuss' rhythm is so natural and his words are "a propos".  If he can't think of the right word to fit, he makes one up, which makes the story all the more interesting.  Although he has early readers like Dr. Seuss's ABC, one of the first books that my son Thomas mastered reading, he has also written books for more advanced readers like The Lorax, my husband's favourite book to borrow from the school library.  My favourite to read as a child was Green Eggs and Ham.  If readers are looking for tongue twisters, they should read Fox in Sox.  One of Jacqueline's favourites to borrow from the library was Daisy-Head Mayzie about a little girl who has a daisy growing out of her head.  As a Political Scientist, Rob would enjoy The Butter Battle Book about the war between the Zooks, who eat their bread butter side down, and the Yooks, who eat their bread butter side up.  One that I appreciate as a parent is Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?.  And no Christmas is complete without The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

The next time you go to the library, pick up a Dr. Seuss book.  Or watch the old TV specials on video or DVD.  You'll be entertained and before you know it, you'll be multilingual!


*(Lyrics from the song "Cat, Hat", "The Cat in the Hat" TV Special, 1971)


Photo courtesy http://upload.wikimedia.org.

Casa Loma

It cost $3.5 million to finance and took 3 years and 300 workers to build.  Financier Sir Henry Pellatt's house, at 98 rooms, was not only Toronto's, but also Canada's largest personal residence.  Built from 1911 to 1914, it boasted an elevator, an oven big enough to cook an ox, a central vacuum system, a wine cellar, two secret passageways, a hunting club and five acres of gardens.  The original plans called for three bowling alleys, a swimming pool and a gymnasium as well, but World War I interrupted the construction of the castle and they were never completed.  Sir Henry Pellatt only lived in the residence until 1923.

In the late 1920's, the castle served as a nightspot as two bands played there, the Orange Blossoms and the Casa Loma Orchestra.  By the time of the Great Depression, the city of Toronto raised Casa Loma's taxes from $600 per year to $1000 per month and Sir Henry Pellatt was forced to auction off $1.5 million worth of artwork and furniture.  By 1933, after the city seized the castle for back taxes owing, there was talk that they might demolish the landmark.  However, the Kiwanis Club intervened and leased the building in 1937, the same year that it became a tourist attraction.  During World War II, the castle was the site of sonar research and sonar equipment construction.  For decades now, Casa Loma has served as a museum, taken over by the city from the Kiwanis Club. 

In 1995, children's author Sheldon Oberman wrote a fascinating tale about the castle called The White Stone in the Castle Wall.  It is about a young boy from Cabbagetown who lugged a huge white stone up the hill to Casa Loma to be used in the construction of a wall to surround the castle.  However, once he reached there, he was turned away by the foreman saying that they were looking for dark stones, not white ones.  Discouraged, the boy was about to return to Cabbagetown with empty pockets when he saw a man in the garden who asked him what was wrong.  The boy explained his problem and the man said that, yes, he would take the stone afterall.  That man was Sir Henry Pellatt and he paid the boy handsomely for the stone.  Legend has it that if you look closely, you can see the white stone in the castle wall.