THE CHRISTMAS THINGS YOU DO ALL YEAR

If you read our post "Christmas With Aunt Jo," you know that the Bullis family's Christmas celebrations were not as elaborate as those of most of their neighbors.  However, they were a kind and basically generous family.

Nettie Bullis exemplified these traits with the $12.3 million bequest she left to her community.  As a result, many individuals and organizations in Wayne County have benefitted  from that generosity (and continue to do so). This reminds us of two lines in the song, "The Secret of Christmas," which read:

"It's not the things you do, at Christmas time

But the Christmas things you do all year through"

Just as important as her monetary gifts to others - and maybe more so - Nettie Bullis consistently showed kindness to all of those she met during her lifetime. Her colleagues at Gleason Works noted that she mentored younger workers at that institution, where she served as Private Secretary and Private Assistant to President James Gleason.  Among neighbors and others who met her, Miss Bullis had a reputation for being very non-threatening, approachable and  kind. If someone needed help, she would be there, doing those Christmas things, all the year through. 

Our community is a better place because of Nettie Bullis and her "Christmas things." And for that, we once again say a sincere, "Thank you."

HOW-TO BOOKS

How-to (aka self-help) books continue to be a perennial Christmas gift choice.  Did you know there are several of books in this category in the Bullis collection? Here's a partial list:

How To Write Letters. 

(Formerly The Book of Letters)

A complete guide to correct business and personal correspondence

Author: Mary Owens Crowder

Publisher: Garden City Publishing Company, Inc., Garden City, NY, 1922

How To Read Character;

A new illustrated hand-book of phrenology and physiognomy, 

for students and examiners: with a descriptive chart.

Author: Samuel R. Wells

Publisher: Fowler & Wells Co., New York, c 1808

Flying Machines:

Construction and operation; a practical book which shows,

in illustrations, working plans and text, 

how to build and navigate the modern airship.

Author: William James Jackman

Publisher: The Charles C. Thompson Co., Chicago, 1910

So ... if you're looking for an almost-last-minute gift for that special someone (who may have an interest in how to write correct business and personal correspondence, how to read character, or how to construct and operate a flying machine), here's what we suggest. Stop by MPL and ask someone to help you access these books. Take your time looking over each one, and if you decide on one or more of them as a gift, you can purchase them online.  

There are also Kindle editions available. Two of the books have customer review ratings of 4-out-of-5 stars, indicating that books can continue to inform and entertain for more than 200 Christmases. Now, that's a gift that lasts.

CHRISTMAS WITH AUNT JO

Where did November go? We're not sure, but it went fast for us Bullis Room volunteers.  Now it's December and time for holiday celebrations.  This brings up the question (once again) of how the Bullis family observed Christmas. Here's an excerpt from a July, 2009 interview with an extended-family member who is connected with the Bullises through her grandmother.

Question: "Did you ever spend any holidays with them (Bullis family)?"

Answer: "Yes, Christmas with Aunt Jo. But Charlie and Nettie weren't there. I don't know if they celebrated Christmas or not. Auto Jo always celebrated. We always got books or we got money. We always got gifts from her and I still have all of the books. They were nice books. They were Richard Halliburton books, The Occident and The Orient, they were travel books (The Book of Marvels: The Occident; The Second Book of Marvels: The Orient). I had one about the Erie Canal. We had some of those Thornton Burgess books - children's books about animals and the seashore. I liked the books. I'm not a Bullis, but I like books."

The time frame for the Christmases referred to in the interview was the 1930s and early 1940s. Charlie and Nettie Bullis were adults  by then, which may be why they were not present at those holiday celebrations.  However, another source quotes Nettie Bullis as saying that when she and Charlie received gifts from their parents, they were books or practical toys.  This fits in with the Bullis frugality recorded in many other accounts.

Another question in that July, 2009 interview solicited Christmas memories as well:

Question: "Any Bullis family recipe?"

Answer: "Always had goose for Christmas. Nettie and Charlie didn't have much in the way of recipes (or food!) I don't mean to disparage them in any way at all. They were very good people. Aunt Jo used to have a big wooden bowl and her chopper and she would always chop a cabbage salad. That was one of the things that was always a part of Christmas dinner - cabbage salad."

So, in a nutshell (chestnut?):  The Bullises observed Christmas by giving books to the children and eating goose and cabbage salad for dinner.

From the Bullis Room: Happy Holidays to you.

NATIVE AMERICAN BOOKS

Have you seen the display of Native American books, in the case outside the Bullis Room? If not, please make a point to stop by this week.

You'll see books on Native American traditions, crafts, and their history in general.

And if you'd like to take a closer look at any of those books on display, they'll be available in the Bullis Room next week. Just stop by and ask for a volunteer to assist you.

VETERANS DAY, 2015

This coming Wednesday, we have another opportunity to honor those who served in our military.  In order to get more familiar with this observance,  we suggest you revisit two Bullis Book Chronicles from previous years.

"HONORING VETERANS" (November 5, 2011)

http://bullisbookchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/11/honoring-veterans.html

This post relates some of the history of this observance,  originally designated as "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace ...."


And,

"FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY," November 11, 2014

http://bullisbookchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/11/for-love-of-country.html

The title of this post refers to a contemporary book, For Love of Country: What Our Veterans Can teach Us About Citizenship, Heroism and Sacrifice, by Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran.

How does this book connect to the Bullises?  The Bullis family  has a long and distinguished history of serving their country's military. Beginning with Philip Bullis, who served in Major Savage's Company during King Philip's War in 1675-1676; continuing with Charles Bullis who served in the Revolutionary War in the Vermont Militia; John Lapham Bullis, whose lengthy military career spanned the Civil War, Indian Wars, and Spanish-American War; and Charlie Bullis, who served in World War I. 

And now, a question for you: How can we show our appreciation to our Veterans? Here're a few suggestions:  Attend a Veterans Day event, fly a flag, write a card or email to some veterans thanking them for their service, or sit down with a veteran and listen to that person tell about his/her experiences.

FALL BACK

This is the fourth day follow, even though our bodies may still be "running" on Daylight Savings. (That's another subject.)

Anyway ... being that "time" is on our minds, we searched for Bullis books about clocks. Only one on antiques popped up, one that we posted a couple years ago, titled:

The Lure of the Antique

by Walter A. Dyer (1878-1943)

Published in New York by The Century Company, 1921

FYI, here's the link to that post:
http://bullisbookchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-lure-of-antique.html

If you're interested in antique clocks, this book has several pages of information on grandfather clocks and shelf clocks, as well as nine illustrations.

So if you have time on your hands (as well as your mind), you're invited to stop by the Bullis Room and spend some of it with this book.

PS: This book also contains "a handy guide for the determination of age, style, maker, genuineness, and value" of a wide variety of antiques.

THE BRIDGE, PART II

A local news item this morning informed us that the removal of the Canandaigua Road bridge will be finalized today.  Sections of the bridge will be placed on a barge and floated away on the Erie Canal.

Nettie Bullis was 21 when this bridge was opened to horse-drawn and pedestrian traffic, and her brother Charlie was 23.  We can imagine both of them watching the construction and  marveling at the completed structure. If she were present at today's final removal, we imagine that Nettie might discreetly wipe a tear or two from her eyes and then look forward to the construction of the new, safer bridge.

Here's the rest of Longfellow's poem. Enjoy!

The Bridge

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

How often, O, how often

In the days that had gone by

I had stood on the bridge at midnight

And gaped on that wave and sky.

How often,  O, how often

I had wished that the ebbing tide

Would bear me away on its bosom

O’er the ocean wild and wide.

For my heart was hot and restless,

And my life was full of care,

And the burden laid upon me

Seemed greater than I could bear.

But now it has fallen from me

It is buried in the sea.

And only the sorrow of others

Throws its shadow over me.

Yet whenever I cross the river

On its bridge with wooden piers,

Like the odor of brine from the ocean

Comes the thoughts of other years.

And I think how many thousands

Of care-encumbered men

Each bearing his burden of sorrow

Have crossed the bridge since then.

I see the long procession

Still passing to and fro,

The young heart hot and restless

And the old subdued and slow.

And forever and forever,

As long as the river flows

As long as the heart has passion

As long as life has woes;

The moon and its broken reflection

And its shadows shall appear

As the symbols of love in heaven

And its wavering images here.

THE BRIDGE

The bridge over the Erie Canal on Canandaigua Road (built in 1912) is being removed this week.  After a century of connecting local drivers with Route 31 and  Macedon Center Road, it's time for a new bridge to be in place to transport us safely over the canal waters.

Is it coincidence that just a week or so ago we found a poem among some Bullis documents that had recently been forwarded to the Bullis Room? And that it's a copy of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Bridge?  The cursive looks similar to Nettie Bullis's handwriting, so we're also wondering if she's the scribe. If she was the copyist, was she thinking of the bridge within sight of her family home on Canandaigua Road? (We like to "suppose" so.)

Anyway, here's the first half of the poem. We'll post the remainder next week.

The Bridge

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I stood on the bridge at midnight,

As the clocks were striking the hour,

And the moon rose o'er the city, 

Behind the dark church-tower.

I saw her bright reflection,

In the waters under me,

Like a golden goblet falling,

And sinking into the sea.

And far in the hazy distance

Of that lonely night in June,

The blaze of the flaming furnace

Gleamed redder than the moon.

Among the long black rafters

The wavering shadows lay,

And the current that came from the ocean

Seemed to lift and bear them away.

As, sweeping and eddying through them,

Rose the belated tide,

And streaming into the moonlight,

The seaweed floated wide.

And like these waters rushing

Among the wooden piers,

A flood of thoughts came o'er me

And filled my eyes with tears.

HISTORY OF THE POPES

There is so much interest in Pope Francis's visit that we looked through the Bullis stacks for books about previous popes. And we found these two:

The History of the Popes During the Last Four Centuries

by Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)

Published by G.Bell & Sons Ltd., London, 1906

and

The Pope and the Council

by Johann Joseph Ignaz von Dollinger (1799-1890)

Published by Roberts Brothers, Boston, 1870

These books cover a variety of topics such as:

Theory of Ecclesiastical Policy

Conflicts of Opinions

Latter Times of Sixtus V

Election and Character of Clement VIII

Jesuit Programme for the Council

Modern Civilisation and Constitutionalism Condemned 

Personal Attitude of the Popes

The "Curia"

Trials for Witchcraft

... and lots more!

Stop by and spend some time with these more-than-a-century old books. It'll be worth your while.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Subtitle: Some answers to the posts "LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!" and "WHAT'S IN A NAME?"

A member of the Bullis Committee did some more "digging" and found information that points to the identity of the baby girl whose birth announcement is shown in our August 26 post.

From the information we now have, it seems that Dorothy Josephine Knapp's family was living on Main Street in Macedon at the time of her birth, and her Grandmother Knapp lived close by on Bickford Street.

And ... here's the really big scoop: There is a family connection with the Nettie and Charlie Bullis.

That's all for now. We'll let you know more later ... honestly, we will!

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

The birth announcement shown in our last post has generated several questions. Among them is the significance of the baby's given names--Dorothy and Josephine--and the year of birth.

Nettie and Charlie's mother was named Josephine, so it's possible that is the source of the baby girl's middle name. But what about that first name?  We have not found any Dorothy's in the immediate Bullis family tree.

Could the Knapps have been influenced by L. Frank Baum's book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?  It was published in 1900, and the movie version premiered in 1939. According to the official website of the Social Security Administration, Dorothy was the second most popular baby girl's name in 1920 and the third most popular in 1930.

So, if the Knapps followed the "naming trend" of their time, was Dorothy Josephine born between 1900 and 1930? Perhaps ... but honestly, we can't say for sure.

And then there's that movie star, Dorothy Lamour, who was popular in the late 1930s through the 1950s. Hmmm - oh well.

It's fun to think about and to do some "what ifs,"  but when all's said and done, we have to return to our original premise: we do not know. However, this is the kind of thing that keeps us volunteers fascinated with the history of the Bullis family. So we'll keep on with our speculating and let you know when we come up with some answers.

LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!

Volunteers continue to sort through a group of documents, letters, and cards that found their way to the Bullis Room recently. And this week they found a birth announcement.  There is no year indicated, so we can't determine when this blessed event occurred. However, the parents were obviously very proud of the new addition to their family.

Inside, the card reads:

"My name is Dorothy Josephine

I'm the new Boss at

The Knapps

Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Knapp

are my new parents

I arrived on July 16th

My weight is 9 pounds

Come and See Me!"

(And you can "Come and See" the original card in the Bullis Room. Please stop by sometime.)

POSTCARDS

If you're  one of those people who remember when you could mail a postcard for one penny, then you'll need to take a look at the display case outside the Bullis Room.

(And even if you can't remember back that far, we think you'll enjoy spending a few minutes at the same place.)

The postcards displayed there were ones sent to Nettie Bullis from friends who were vacationing in: New York state; New York City; Boston, Massachusetts; and Canada. Most of them have very short messages, the "wish you were here" kind. All of them have beautiful photography on sturdy matte paper that seems to be just a cut above most contemporary postcards.

So please add "stop by MPL and look at Bullis postcard display" on your to-do list.  They are a reminder of what we miss out on today, with text messages and selfies.

GLACIERS

If you've been reading the almost-daily news headlines reminding us of the melting glaciers on our planet, you'll be interested in these two Bullis books by John Tyndall:

Forms of Water in Clouds and Rivers, Ice and Glaciers

by John Tyndall  (1820-1893)

Published in New York, D. Appleton, 1874, c 1872

and

Hours of Exercise in the Alps

by John Tyndall (1820-1893)

Published in New York, D. Appleton, 1875

Tyndall was a 19th century physicist and professor of physics at the distinguished Royal Institute of Great Britain.  In addition to teaching, he did research and authored 18 books, 10 of which are in the Bullis Collection.

We urge you to stop by the Bullis Room and spend some time with these books. Both of them have numerous illustrations, and Hours of Exercise in the Alps has some very informative information on:

"Structure and Properties of Ice"

"Structure of Glaciers"

"Helmholtz on Ice and Glaciers"

"Observations of the Mer de Glace"

We'll have more on John Tyndall's books in our post next week.

REACHING OUT -- AGAIN

At our Bullis Room Committee meeting last week, we again talked about how to reach out to more members of the Bullis family. One suggestion was a Facebook page in honor and memory of John Lapham Bullis.  The group liked the idea - and we are currently working on it. (More details will be coming in the next few weeks.)

Our first step toward establishing a Facebook page was to search for current Facebook accounts with the Bullis name.  The results was an impressive list that included "Bullis School."  In reading the history of that educational institution located in Potomac, Maryland, we zoomed in on the name "Captain William F. Bullis." Captain Bullis and his wife founded this school in 1930 to "prepare young men for service academy entrance exams." (www.bulls.org/page/cfm?p=538)
The school continues to thrive today.

However, this new knowledge produced several questions that are now swirling through our heads, two of which are:
1. Is Captain William F. Bullis in any way related to the Macedon Bullises?
2. If so, does Captain Bullis have living descendants?

And a third question we're asking:
3. If you are a descendant of Captain William F. Bullis (or have knowledge of any of his descendants). would you please contact us?

We will greatly appreciate any information about the Bullis family that you can share with us.

REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS

This post 's heading is the title of a book in the Bullis collection. Actually, the full title is:

Report of the Commissioner of Patents for the Year 1851.

Part II.  Agriculture

Published in Washington, Robert Armstrong, Printer, 1852

There are three other Report of the Commissioner of Patents in the Bullis collection. HOWEVER, this book has a local connection. It contains a letter from a Macedon, Wayne County, New York resident, J. J. Thomas, dated January 10, 1852. He begins with:

"Sir: I send a few brief replies to some of the questions in the Agriculture Circular of the Patent Office, regretting that I have been prevented from furnishing them sooner by unavoidable causes."

His first response was titled "Wheat Culture," and he noted that "a great loss is sustained by most of the farmers in the northern portion of western New York through shallow cultivation."  He then recommended trench ploughing in order to mix the richer subsoil with the top, He also noted that  the field of one farmer using this method went from 5 bushels per acre to 20. (He also noted that 40 bushels per acre was a very common product when the land was first cleared of the forests.)

His next topic was "Sowing Grass Seed" and he suggested methods that had the potential of bringing 3 1/2 tons per acre, perhaps even up to 5 tons per acre.  Again, he supported his suggestions with specific ways to accomplish them.

Last, he responded to a question about "Breaking Steers," and gave step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish this feat. He noted that, "Very objectionable is the frequent practice of educating oxen to the sound of a loud voice, or a scream, in commanding them, and the free use of the lash in enforcing orders." The following description could today be described as "Methods of an Oxen Whisperer." 

With the third response completed, he signed is letter "Very respectfully, J. J. Thomas."

We would love to find out more about J. J. Thomas. If any of you have information about this early Macedon resident, please let us know. (We looked in Pioneers of Macedon and found only one Thomas listed--Evan Thomas, "an eminent minister of the Society of Friends ...", page 78.) We're looking forward to hearing from you!

ANOTHER 4TH

Surrounded by celebrations, get-togethers, and fireworks, we are wondering how the Bullis family members observed this day. Did they watch the local parade and listen to the concert in the park? Participate in watermelon-eating contests? Run a 3-legged race? Watch fireworks at night? Perhaps.

Or, perhaps they spent the day with one or both of these books that were a part of their family library and are now a part of the Bullis Collection.

A Popular School History of the United States:

in which are inserted as part of the narrative selections from the writings of 

eminent American historians, and other American writers of note: 

to which are added the Declaration of Independence, and the

Constitution of the United States, with copious notes:

fully illustrated with maps, portraits and views

By John Jacob Anderson

Published in New York by Clark & Maynard, 1883, c. 1879

And

The Elector's Guide:

Comprising the Declaration of Independence, 

the Constitution of the United States, 

the constitution of the state of New York, and

Washington's Farewell Address.

To which is added an essay on government.

Published in Batavia by A. W. Young, 1835

You too have the opportunity to look through these books and read again these documents that are the basis of our country's foundation.  Just stop by the Bullis Room, next time you're at MPL.

REMEMBERING THE CIVIL WAR

A new exhibit at the Rochester Museum  and Science Center - titled "The American Civil War: the Impact of the Industrial Revolution" - recently opened and will run through January, 2016. It commemorates the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.  Many items are on display from the museum's collection, including: Civil War swords, rifles, tents, flags, diaries and photographs.

After you've experienced this interesting exhibit,  we invite you to take a look at this Bullis book:

Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States

By Frederick Phisterer, Late Captain U. S. Army

Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, 1883

The comprehensive data in this book was "compiled from Army orders, registers of regulars and volunteers, reports of the Provost-Marshall, and the Adjutant-General U.S. Army, Medical History of the Rebellion, and other sources."

In Part I, the "Calls for Troops" on April 15, 1861 on page 3 shows data for 26 states, both their quota and men actually furnished.  Later  calls for troops are enumerated on several more pages, with a summary for the war on page 10. Military divisions, strength of the Army at various dates, as well as national cemeteries, are covered in the following pages.

Part II lists the chronological record of engagements,  battles etc. from 1861 to 1865, and general officers of the Armies during the "War of the Rebellion" are covered in Part III.

So there you have it - an exhibit and a book to enhance your knowledge and appreciation of the events of the Civil War. (And there are more books on the Civil War in the Bullis collection. We're always glad to help you access them.)

RAILROADING

Last week's post referred to information gleaned from the Bullis Room collection, to wit: "Much of the necessary documentation for the historic marker was provided by materials in the Bullis Room...."

Because so many of you indicated interest in the June 9th topic,  this week we are including a few of the railroading books in the Bullis Room that are available for your research and enjoyment. We say "a few" because there are lots of them. We'll give you a partial list and let you stop by and discover the rest.

Before embarking on any new project, we normally ask, "But what is this going to cost me?"  Therefore, we thought you'd want to take a look at:

The Economic Theory of the Location of Railways;

An Analysis of the Conditions Controlling the Laying Out of Railways ... 

By A. M. (Arthur Mellen) Wellington

Published in New York by J. Wiley & Sons, 1887

Then if we ask, "Is there a less expensive alternative to railroads?" we can find an answer (based on the year 1911 conditions) in this American Railroad's publication:

The Cost of Transportation on the Erie Canal and By Rail

By Association of American Railroads, 

Published in Washington D.C. by Bureau of Railway Economics, 1911

And there's also a book for those of us who want to find out more about how railroads are surveyed and constructed:

The Railroad Engineer's Practice:

Being a Short but Complete Description of the Duties of the

Young Engineer in Preliminary and Location Surveys and in Construction

by Thomas M. Cleeman

Published in New York by Engineering News Publ. Co., 1883

So there you have it -- three out of more than a dozen books on the topic of railroads. If you spend some time with them, you won't be disappointed.

Research enables grant for historic marker

Did you know that the Bullis Collection holds many  publications of our state and local governments? On May 31 we attended the unveiling of this historic marker made possible in part by researching the Bullis Collection.  The photo on the left is retired railroad engineer, H.P. Zerbe, who actually operated the train on this route between Stanley and Sodus Point.  Much of the necessary documentation for the historic marker was provided by materials in the Bullis Room for Tim Wilbur, President of Ontario Pathways, who applied for the grant.  A fellow railroad lover, Dr. Robert Ward had previously done research in the Bullis Room and shared with Mr. Wilbur about the rich railroad resources there. The William G. Pomeroy Foundation provided the grant for the marker.  It is the Foundation's belief "that historic markers play an important role in local historic preservation by serving a dual purpose. They educate the public and foster historic tourism, which in turn can provide economic benefits to the town and villages where the markers are placed." - from Mr. Wilbur's Press Release for marker unveiling.  The Ontario Pathways trailhead is located on Rt.96 between State Route 488 and Rt.8.  This is a repurposing of the railroad track bed into a trail pathway -creating a multi-use rails-to-trails pathway.  Ontario Pathways, Inc. is a non profit organization that owns and maintains 23 miles of rail-trail in Ontario County NY.  Their mission is to create and maintain a network of walking trails that residents and visitors can enjoy year-round. Volunteers work hard to maintain trails, repair bridges and trim brush to keep trails open for visitors. Part of the Rails to Trails Conservancy, Ontario Pathways gives the public free access to beautiful nature trails that stretch from Canandaigua to Phelps. You will find contact and events information on Facebook.

OUR OCEANS

For those of us who have plans this summer to sail around the world (or at least a small portion of it), these Bullis books give an historical perspective of  one of our greatest natural resources--our oceans.

A Voyage in the "Sunbeam";  Our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months

(First published in 1878  under the title Around the World in the Yacht "Sunbeam")

by Annie Allnutt Brassey, Baroness

Published in New York by John Turtler Lovell, 1881

An Historical Account of the Circumnavigation of the Globe,

and of the progress of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, from the

voyage of Magellan to the death of Cook

Published in New York by Harper Brothers, 1839

A Voyage Round the World in the Years 

1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804;

in which the author visited the principal islands in the

Pacific Ocean and the English settlements of 

Port Jackson and Norfolk Island

by John Turnbull

Published in Philadelphia by Benjamin and Thomas Kite, 1810

So before you leave for the shore this summer, you're invited to stop by the Bullis Room and look through these books (and others like them).  We think you'll appreciate your time at the ocean more, as a result.

FYI: Tomorrow is World Oceans Day. There are lots of suggestions online for observing this special day. Perhaps you'd like to choose one or two to focus on for the rest of this year. (One that we think Nettie Bullis would have liked is reusing plastic shopping bags.  How simple is that?)

LEAVES OF GRASS

The great American poet, essayist and journalist - Walt Whitman  - was born 196 years ago today.
And one of his books is on the shelves in the Bullis Room:

Leaves of Grass

By Walt Whitman

Published: Boston, James R. Osgood and Co.,  1881-82

It appears that this Bullis copy is the next-to-last edition, based on information we found at  The Walt Whitman Archive (http://www.whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/).  This site lists the six American editions of Leaves of Grass that were published in Whitman's lifetime. These editions covered a period of time from 1855 to 1891-92. You can find details about each one of these editions, at the link above.

If you're interested in finding out more about Walt Whitman, the man, you can find a good introduction to that on today's edition of The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keilor (http://writersalmanac.org/). This site also includes an interesting paragraph, which we quote:

Whitman spent the last 20 years of his life revising and expanding Leaves of Grass, 

issuing the eighth and final edition in 1891, saying it was

 "at last complete — after 33 y'rs of hackling at it, all times & moods of my life, 

fair weather & foul, all parts of the land, and peace & war, young & old."

(From: The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keiler, May 31, 2015)

Since the poet spent so much of his life "hackling" at this work in all kinds of weather, moods, places, ages, it seems only fair that we should make an effort to appreciate the results. So we invite you to stop by the Bullis Room and take a look at this 134 year old book with us. (If you'll put on our white gloves, we'll even let you hold it! Honest!)

ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY

WE HONOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE DIED WHILE SERVING OUR NATION.

CHARLIE BULLIS'S POPPIES

(Photo taken May, 2010)

BULLIS BOOKS ABOUT HORSES

Somewhere in the Bullis family history, there must be several horses - here and there. One reason we make this assumption is that the Bullis collection has several books on the subject.

So for all you horse-lovers out there, we invite you to stop in and take a look at one or more in this group of fiction and non-fiction books about your favorite animal:

Morgan Horses: 

A premium essay on the origin, history, and 

characteristics of this remarkable American breed of horses;

tracing the pedigree from the original Justin Morgan, through

the most noted of his progeny, down to the present time.

By D. C. Linsley

Published in New York by C. M. Saxton and Company, 1857

(Note: This book has numerous portraits, to which are added

information about general use and management of horses.)

Black Beauty

by Anna Sewell

Published in New York by Dodd, Mead, 1941

(Note: You read this as a child - is it time for you to enjoy it again?)

Special Report on Diseases of the Horse

By L. Pearson and others

Published in Washington D.C., G.P.O., 1923

Examination of a sick horse, fundamental principles of disease of the

eye, nervous system, heart, wounds and their treatment; 

also how to shoe a horse

Wild Animal Ways

By Ernest Thompson Seton

Published in Garden City, New York, Doubleday, Page & Company, 1916

(Note: This collection of short stories contains one titled"Coaly-Bay, The Outlaw Horse." 

The first sentence explains: "Coaly-bay sounds like Kolibey, which is an Arab title of nobility, and those who saw the handsome colt, and did not know how he came by the name, 

thought he must be of Arab blood." 

So the next time you're in MPL, you can look at these books - or any other in the collection - by inquiring at the front desk and making arrangements. It's as simple as that.