NESSIE AND CHAMP

Please mark you calendars and plan to be in MPL's Community Room on Wednesday, Marcy 26, 2014, at 6 PM for an interesting, fascinating, and downright fun evening with RICHARD D. HAMELL (MCC Geology Professor Emeritus ) and his presentation on SERPENTS BENEATH THE SURFACE.  

You'll learn about the lore and legends of monsters thought to be descendants of dinosaurs which were also thought to ply the waters of New York State. As if that's not enough to keep you on the edge of your seats, you'll also hear abut the possible connection of these local monster legends to Nessie of Loch Ness and Champ of Lake Champlain.

We have one other suggestion. After you've seen this presentation, you might want to stop by the Bullis Room and take a look at this book:

Our English Lakes, Mountains, and Waterfalls

by William Wordsworth, published by Provost in London, 1870.

Reading Wordsworth before bedtime should allow you to have a more restful sleep -- and quickly dispel visions of monsters rising from the depths of the lakes. And you might want to even memorize a few lines to recall the next time you go for a canoe trip on Lake Champlain.

FLOODING

There's talk of flooding tonight here in the area, as the higher daytime temperatures melt snow and the runoff swells creeks and rivers. However, it is not expected to be the major flooding that occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania way back in 1889. The latter is well documented in this Bullis book:

History of the Johnstown Flood

by Willis Fletcher Johnson, 

published in Philadelphia by Edgewood Publishing Co., 1889

The author skillfully describes the May 31, 1889 event that killed 2,209 people and caused monetary damage equivalent to $425 million in today's dollars.  Flooding followed several days of heavy rain which caused the breaking of the South Fork Dam, situated on the Little Conemaugh River. 

The destruction was unbelievable to those who lived through it as well as relief workers from the American Red Cross. In fact, this was the first major disaster relief effort handled by the new organization. Support for victims also came from all over the United States and 18 foreign counties.

We don't expect to see this magnitude of flooding in this area. However, this account can make us aware of the causes of the Johnstown Flood and perhaps an ounce of prevention will serve us well. We recommend you stop by the Bullis Room and spend some time with Mr. Johnson's book.

THINK WARM

Three of our recent posts were "thinking" - THINK SUMMER, THINK WINTER, THINK LIGHT. Last week we took  time-off from thinking, but now we've determined that we need one more "think" post--in yet another effort to get out of this deep-freeze we're in.

(An aside: We are tempted to chant, "Snow! Cold! Go away! Come again another day!" But then we wonder, "What would Nettie Bullis think of us softies?" So instead, we again look to the Bullis books for one that will remind us of warmer climes. This week we found:

Arizona, the wonderland; 

the history of its ancient cliff and cave dwellings, ruined pueblos, conquest by the Spaniards, Jesuit and Franciscan missions, trail makers and Indians; a survey of its climate, scenic marvels, topography, deserts, mountains, rivers and valleys; a review of its industries; an account of its influence on art, literature and science; and some reference to what it offers of delight to the automobilist, sportsman, pleasure and health seeker.

Yes, that's the whole title! And perhaps a longer title is needed to equal Arizona's size, since it is the 6th  largest state in the Union.

This book was written by George Wharton James and published in Boston by the Page Co. in 1917,  just five years after Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912. (What a great Valentine's Day present for the nation.) Actually, Arizona was the last of the 48 contiguous states to be admitted to the union. Fans of the state might say that we saved the best for the last!

So this is our offering to you this week if you want to get away from the cold weather outside--stop by the Bullis Room and spend some time with Arizona, the Wonderland. And perhaps next winter we might even plan a trip out there, and stay until the Bullis poppies bloom in May. Let's THINK about it!

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE

Getting the Most Out of Life is the title of a 1946 Reader's Digest issue that's a part of the Bullis Collection.  Next time you're in the Bullis Room, you'll want to look through this issue and pick out one or two of the essays to read. In spite of being almost 70 hears old, much of the wisdom holds true today.  Here're some of the individual titles:

"The Turning Point Of My Career,"  A. J. Cronin

"How to Win Friends and Influence People," Dale Carnegie

"Three Days To See," Helen Keller

"Education Begins At Home," Charles F. Kettering

"How I Found Freedom From Fear," Margaret Lee Runbeck

"Making Habits Work For You," William James

It's More Fun To Be Fit," Gene Tunney

"The Quest of Our Lives," I. A.  R. Wylie

"Peace of Mind," Joshua Loth Liebman

"Turn Your Sickness Into An Asset," Louis E. Bisch

We can imagine Nettie Bullis, on a cold winter's night, carefully reading through these articles, nodding in agreement much of the time but perhaps also responding with an occasional "hmm" or "?hmm?."  And then, when she was finished, she may have just sat down at her typewriter and written her own essay on a chosen topic. We like to think that, anyway, because Nettie Bullis was certainly one for "getting the most out of life," right up to the end of her days.

THINK LIGHT

Those of us who spend the winters "up north" not only freeze and shovel snow--we also deal with long nights and reduced daylight hours. So we are especially grateful to Thomas Alva Edison for his invention of the incandescent light bulb, for which Edison was granted a patent on this day way back in 1880.

The incandescent light bulb and Edison's other inventions are documented in a Bullis book titled:

Inventors

written by Philip Gengembre Hubert,

published in New York by C. Scribner's sons, 1893.

Mr. Hubert states, "It is certain that a before Edison we had no electric lights; now we have them in every important building in the country, and ere long shall have them everywhere."

Unfortunately, Mr. Edison's incandescent light bulb has been phased out over the last few years, and as of the beginning of this year is no longer sold in this country. 

So on this anniversary of Edison's invention of the light bulb, we say a belated  "thank you" to Edison and a fond but sad farewell his invention that has made our northern winters tolerable.  (These "newfangled" bulbs simply aren't the same.)

As always, we welcome you to stop by the Bullis Room and take a look at Hubert's book to find out more about Edison and other inventors of his generation.  Your visit just may make your day a bit brighter.

THINK WINTER

These lines from Nettie Bullis's poem "A Profesy" (see December 31 post) come to mind as we gaze out the Bullis Room's south-facing window: "It comes light as a feather, Or as heavy as lead." In spite of our efforts to "think summer," that white stuff is out there and there's more to come. So we might as well face reality, which is what we did when we looked through the collection to select a book for this week's post. Rather than delving into books with warm-weather themes, we searched for the opposite. And here's what we found:

The Falls of Niagara, 

with supplementary chapters

on the other famous cataracts of the world.

By George W. Holley, 

published in 1883 in New York

by A. C. Armstrong & Son.

Actually this book covers all the seasons as well as the history of Niagara, starting with the French expeditions by Jacques Cartier,  Champlain and LaSalle.  And it contains 30 fabulous drawings of the famous falls at various times of year in a number of locations.

Now here's the "think winter" connection:  Four of these illustrations show the falls at this time of year:

"Luna Fall and Island in Winter" (page 11)

"Great Icicles under the American Fall (60)

"Winter Foliage" (page 66)

"Ice Bridge and frost Freaks" (page 69)

This book reminds its readers of the beauty of this cold, harsh weather. Perhaps it will even warm them up a bit--at least on the inside. You're welcome to stop by and experience George W. Holley's account of The Falls of Niagara.

THINK SUMMER

So far here in Macedon, the new year has been COLD. Some of us have been complaining when we have to put on countless layers and various items of clothing in order to safely stick our noses out the front door.  And when we return from the cold outside into our warm homes and offices, it seems like it takes forever to get thawed out. However, relief is available--right here in the Bullis Room, between the covers of books on gardening and travel. One book on the latter subject that we highly recommend is:

Our summer retreats: 

a handbook to all the chief waterfalls, 

springs, mountain and sea side resorts

and other places of interest in the United States

 (with views taken from sketches by Washington Friend, Esq., and from photographs)

This book was published in 1859 by T. Nelson & Sons in New York. It's full of colored illustrations and plates that will fill your head full of warmer times to come, when the "livin'" will be easier.  And when you're out in the harsh winter weather, perhaps a few of those images will also serve to keep you a bit warmer. We invite you to stop by the Bullis Room and "think summer."