GOING (OR GONE) SOUTH

From our observation post by the window in the Bullis Room, we watch the trees swaying in response to the strong push of the gusty winds outside. This scene is a reminder that some among us will soon be climbing in their RVs (if they haven't already done so) and heading south, not to return  until the geese come back.

For the "Snowbirds" who haven't made that journey yet, we suggest you stop by the Bullis Room before you leave and take a look at some of these books in the collection:

For those of you staying within the U.S.:

To Florida; the Sunshine State:

The Rich Man's Playground and the Poor Man's Paradise

by Tavares & Gulf R.R. published 1915?

If you're thinking of venturing beyond these borders:

Seeing South America

by William Backus Guitteau,

 published in Evanston, Ill, Row, Peterson and Company, c 1929

and

Mexico and Her People of Today; 

an account of the customs, 
characteristics, amusements, history,

and advancement of the Mexicans, and the

development and resources of their country

published by L.C. Page, Boston, 1907

Last, for those of you who want to get really far, far away:

My Winter on the Nile

published by Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1891-1876

Florida, the Nile, Mexico, South America - wherever you go, have a good journey and return to us safe and sound. In the meantime, we'll do our best to carry on without you.

FINDING OUR PATRIOTS

This week we came upon a Bullis Collection book which could be useful for those of you who are researching ancestors who may have served our country more than a century ago. If this is your "thing," we think you will be interested in taking a look at:

Directory, Grand Army of the Republic,

Monroe County Patriots: G.A.R. Posts,

U.V.U Commands, Women's Relief corps,

Sons of Veterans, Ladies' Aids.

Thomas H. Lake is listed as the author of this book, and it was published in Rochester, NY by the Democrat & Chronicle (1899?). 

The book is well-organized and easy to use. In between the data are photos of local military leaders as well as unique advertisements for local products of that day. So even if you aren't searching for a specific patriot, we think you'll still enjoy spending some time with this book. (You're invited to do so.)

THE LURE OF THE ANTIQUE

Yesterday, the Friends of MPL sponsored an Antiques Appraisal Day at the library. Two appraisers skillfully valued a variety of items brought in by more than 30 people. The scene in the Community Room was similar to one on a popular TV show, and the individual outcomes were the same -- some people pleased and surprised by the results of the appraisals while others were a bit disappointed that their keepsake didn't have the monetary value they'd anticipated. Still, it was fun for everyone -  both participants and observers.

As we watched this process, one question came to mind: Why is there so much interest in antiques? This book in the Bullis Collection,

The Lure of the Antique, by Walter A. Dyer

Published in New York by The Century Company, 1921

offers one answer to that question.  In Chapter I, Dyer states: 

...I have yet to find the American, however practical-minded, 

who can hold in his hand his great-great-grandmother's Betty lamp, 

or sit in his great-grandfather's Windsor chair, 

without some slight sentiment.

Is that the simple answer? That we love antiques because they are our connection with our ancestors? Whether they belong to our great-great-grandmother or to someone else's? Perhaps so.

By the way, this little book has lots of cool illustrations, showing tea sets, pitchers, clocks, copper jugs, brass kettles, stoves, and antique furniture. If you're into antiques, give us a call and arrange to have a look at it.

IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY - UNITED STATES TREATY

Treaty Belt on Display

Currently on display in the Bullis Room at the Macedon Public Library is a reproduction of the Canandaigua Treaty Wampum Belt of 1794.  The original wampum belt was commissioned to symbolize the treaty between the United States and the Iroquois Confederacy.  This treaty is still commemorated today.   Treaty Day is on November 11 and officials from both governments will be on hand in Canandaigua for the commemoration.  The belt will be on display at the library until November 15.  Please stop by the library at 30 Main Street during normal hours to see the Treaty Belt. 

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

Current news on health care reminds us of Abraham R. Bullis, Jeanette A. and Charles R. 's grandfather, who was a physician in Macedon and Farmington in the mid-1800s.  Life was much simper then and so was health care. It was also much more affordable. And people back then did not have the option of health insurance.

From what we can find in various informational sources, health care insurance was first available around 1910 and HMOs grew in popularity in the 1970s. So how did people in the 1800s afford health care? Some folks were able to pay their doctor a standard fee upfront, of course. Others paid what they could, when they could. Still others used the barter system, giving doctors farm goods or services of one type or another.

You can get an idea of the 1800s health-care expense by looking at Dr. Bullis's account books that are in this collection. They contain amounts received but do not indicate any amounts that may have been owed. We're confident, however, that no one was refused medical care by Dr. Bullis or any of his colleagues due to their inability to pay. But then, as we said, those were simpler times.

WORLD POST DAY

Did you know that today, October 9, is officiallyWorld Post Day?  (We didn't!  Until a few minutes ago.)

Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established way back in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland, at the start of the global communications revolution.  In 1969 at the UPU Congress in Tokyo, October 9th was declared World Post Day, and it's been recognized internationally ever since.

Here in the Bullis Room today, we silently paid homage to World Post Day as we looked over the statistics for this blog. We are privileged to have visitors from Lithuania, Germany, Ukraine, Canada, China, United Kingdom, Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland ... and so many other countries as well as countless villages, towns, cities and states within our own borders.

So to all of our readers, near and far, we say "thank you" for visiting us here on this blog. And let's all be grateful for the global communications revolution back in 1874 as well as all the advancements in this field over the past 139 years.

WALKING TO SCHOOL

Today is International Walk to School Day -  and we've been musing about the change in that behavior that has occurred over the last century. What would Nettie and Charlie Bulls (and their ancestors) think about the fact that a special day had to be set aside for that purpose?

We have no indication how far any of the Bullises had to walk to school and how many hills they walked up and storms they braved in the process. We can only consider what other people of that era have recorded and assume that the Bullises seldom if ever were given a ride to their local elementary via horse and buggy.

Why the change? Well, there's the improvement in transportation for one thing. And another thing occurred to us in our rambling thoughts - it was a lot safer "way back then" to walk to school. There was much less traffic so walking along side the roadway was usually safe. And then there were the shortcuts through the open fields that often made the walk much shorter.

So International Walk to School Day is just another reminder of us here in the Bulls Room that these books that surround us came from a much simpler, safer world than the one in which we live. And although we value the advancements of the age in which we live, it's refreshing to occasionally take a mental trip back to those simpler days. Stop by the Bullis Room and take the journey with us.