USED BOOK SALES

The Friends of MPL's Fall, 2017 used book sale starts tomorrow. The Community Room is full of good books, both fiction and non-fiction, offered for sale to the public. And there's a section of collectible books, as well -- which serves as a reminder of Charlie Bullis and the contribution he made to the Bullis Collection.

The collection contains books acquired by a long line of Bullis family members, and reflects the interests of various family members: engineering, mathematics, law, medicine, religion, and horticulture. Charlie Bullis added valuable volumes to his family's library ... quite often by visiting local barn sales, where he purchased used books.

Which brings us to the present day and the Friends of MPL's current book sale. We can imagine Charlie Bullis being a regular customer of these sales, and carting off boxes of collectible books back to his home on Canandaigua Road.

We are indebted to Charlie Bullis for his love of books and for seeking out the used book sales of his day.  He added some valuable books to the collection.

And we are also indebted to the Friends of the library for their continued support of Macedon Public Library and its programs for the community.

LABOR DAY, 1904

Due to 13-year-old Charlie Bullis's three entries in his diary for September 5, 1904, we know what the Bullis Family was doing on Labor Day 117 years ago:

"Clarence plowed for wheat and papa fixed the roof for sheet iron on the west side of the house. "

"The weather was nice."

"12 skelletins were dug out on emery bealses."

These entries tell us a number of things about the Bullises:

First, they were farmers and no matter what the holiday, they did the chores that needed to be taken care of on the farm.

Second, they maintained the condition of their houses and farm buildings "around the place" with routine upkeep.

Third, they maintained contact with their neighbors, and also appeared to take in stride the discovery of skeletons on the Beals' place.

Last ... Happy Labor Day, 2017!

(Oh -  by the way  -  if any of you have any information you want to share about the Emery Beals family and/or the identity of the skeletons found in 1904, we'd love to hear from you!)

HAPPENINGS ON THE BULLIS PLACE IN SUMMER 1904

Below are excerpts from young Charlie Bullis's diary, which he wrote on lined paper, when he was 13 years old.  His entries paint a picture of a busy household. We hope you enjoy reading them.

"Thursday   JUNE 16, 1904

Clarance cultivated corn and papa

surveyed the mill pond.  we had

letuce and we hoed in the

garden.

   

"Friday   JUNE 17

Clarance cultivated corn.

papa surveyed the mill pond

and went to Palmyra. 

we hoed in the garden  we had Littuce

  

"Saturday  June 18

Clarance cultivated potatoes and

Papa went to a law suit and papa and I

went to the other place and got a role of wire

The weather was fine  we had

some lettuce radish & onions and

we hoed in the garden. 

"Sunday  June 19 1904 

The weather was nice and papa put up

some boxes for books and we watched cows 

"Monday  June 20  1904 

In the forenoon papa clarance

nettie and I put up the wire fence

and took down the wire fence

between the cow pasture and the

oats  in the afternoon the

men fixed fence at the other

place and we had a hard thunger

storm.  we had Lettuce for dinner.

there was a rainbow

"Tuesday  JUNE 21, 1904

Papa went to the kent gravel pit. The

early potatoes blossomed and among them

was wonder queen.   we had the first

mills Earliest Lettuce along with other.

Grandma came up in the afternoon and

Brought 3 qts of straw berries and toward

Night we had the thunder storms.

"Wednesday  July 20 1904

Clarance and I finished drawing hay on this

place and cultivated potatoes in the fore noon

we had a nice mess of peas for dinner and

2 cucumbers.  The lima beans that I got Christmas

began blossoming.  papa and clarance

unloaded the hay and clarance brought

the binder from the other place and

we fixed it some.  Nettie was sick."

111 Years Ago Today

This past week was another busy one in the Bullis Room.   Staff and volunteers covered books,  researched various topics, transcribed documents,  did some shelf reading, and - in honor of Women's History Month - presented a program on Notable Women in the Bullis Collection.   (If you missed this stellar presentation, there will be another program offered the last of this month -- more info to follow.)

And ... while looking through some documents connected to Charlie and Nettie Bullis, we focused on some of Charlie's diaries. Here are the entries that 15-year-old Charlie Bullis wrote the first week of April, 111 years ago.  We found them interesting and informative ... and a bit nostalgic at times.   The  entries also brought a number of questions to mind, including:

1) Did sibling rivalry cause 13-year-old Nettie to plant 51 tomato seeds on April 2, one more than her brother did the day before?    

2)  Has our local weather pattern changed much from 1906, going from fair on April 5 to 2 inches of snow on April 6? 

3) Did the Bullis hens stop laying eggs halfway through the week? Or did Charlie neglect gathering and/or recording the results?   

Anyway ... we hope you enjoy reading these diary entries as much as we did.

SUNDAY APRIL 1 1906

                                                            Eggs  12

Dryer & Kemp were here              

I planted 50 tomato seeds

The weather is pleasant

warm and sunshiny

there is only a little snow

left in drifts

MONDAY APRIL 2 1906

                                                            Eggs  5

The weather was pleasant                     

warm & sunshiny

papa had business to the village

nettie planted 51 tomato seeds

TUESDAY APRIL 3 1906

                                                            Eggs  8

Papa went to mill                                  

The weather was pleasant

warm and sunshiny

John Myers came and

promised to go to work

tommorrow.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 4 1906

                                                            Eggs  12 

It rained hard in the                              

afternoon  It was cloudy

and the wind blew most

all day  papa drew 3 loads

of manure then went to

rochester  John did not

show up till night

Thursday APRIL 5, 1906

                                                           

We killed & sold 6 roosters

papa & John drew manure

It rained this evening

the weather was fair but

cloudy all day

Friday APRIL 6, 1906

It snowed last night

and this morning so that

the ground was covered

2 inches thick but the sun

came out and melted it

all  John drew manure

Saturday April 7 1906

John and papa drew manure Mama went

to aunt genies on the 4.23

it was cloudy all day  and it

sprinkled some about three
and hailed a little snow

ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY

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

CHARLIE BULLIS'S POPPIES

(Photo taken May, 2010)

LOOKING BACK 100 YEARS

Looking at the Bullis books that were published in 1915 gives us an idea of what the family was "into" way back then. In scanning the list, we found two books that would have been of particular interest to Charlie Bullis:

Field Book of American Trees and Shrubs

Author: F. Mathews

Published: New York, 1915

and

Bulbs

Author: C. L. Allen

Published: New York, 1915

In 1915 Charlie Bullis would have been 24 years old, serving his country in World War I.  After the war,  he returned home and devoted himself to projects conducted on the family's Canandaigua Road property.  Horticulture was one of his areas of expertise, and there is a significant number of books on this subject in the collection. 

If you, too, have a green thumb (or aspire to that status), we suggest you stop by the Bullis Room and look at some of the horticulture books in the collection. The two we've listed above would be a good place to start.

Hope to see you soon. 

Postscript: If you'd like to read more about Charlie Bullis, here's a link to our April 2, 2009 post: http://bullisbookchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/04/charles-rogers-bullis.html

CHARLIE'S BOOKS

Recently we picked up a book in the collection, opened it, saw some notes about date and place of purchase, and immediately thought, "This must be one of Charlie's books."

Nettie Bullis's brother Charlie (Charles Rogers Bullis, 1891 - 1974) must have loved old books. People who remember him talk about seeing him at area barn and garage sales, looking through boxes of second-hand books and usually choosing several to take home to add to the many, many stacks and boxes already in the house on Canandaigua Road.

Charlie Bullis's love of books undoubtedly came from his father and grandfather, who added a significant number of engineering and medical books to their library. The horticulture volumes were probably Charlie's "doing" as growing flowers was one of his interests as well. And of course, all of the  Bullises made their contributions over the years, as well.

So we say a belated "thank you" to those who assembled this collection over the years, with special gratitude for Charlie Bullis who kept up the tradition and Nettie Bullis who insured that the collection would remain intact and maintained for us to enjoy.

Hope you're getting your Macedon photos ready for our November 10 photo scan. We're looking forward to seeing you in the Bullis Room that day, as well.

DISCUSSIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Inside and outside of the Bullis Room, there's talk going on about our mild winter. (We can imagine Charlie Bullis wondering if his poppies and day lillies will bloom early this year.)

In recent years when the topic of global warming and climate change became a topic of general discussion, some of us were not aware that there is a book in the Bullis Room that addresses that exact subject...and it was written 126 years ago.

The next time you stop by, ask to see the collection's copy of Discussions on Climate and Cosmology, written in 1886 by James Croll.  He developed a theory that there is a relationship between climate change and the earth's orbit.  Then, as now, the idea of climate change in general had its share of supporters and naysayers.  However, Croll's book holds some intriguing information that deserves a second look.

(And by the way - Happy First Day of Astronomical Spring.)

THE BREESE FAMILY IN MACEDON

The Bullis family was  connected to Macedon’s Breese family through Nettie and Charlie’s mother, Josephine Breese Bullis, who was born in 1861.

To date, we have found only scant information about this family. Again, we consulted the Pioneers of Macedon, and on page 34 found a reference to an Anthony Breese who purchased property and later built a brick house on that site. From the text preceding this information, we infer that this was in the early 1800s. Then on page 49 of this same book, it states that an Arthur Breese was an early purchaser of land in Macedon in the time frame of the late 1700s to very early 1800s. One more Breese reference appears on page 173 of the Pioneers of Macedon, noting that Henry J. Breese served as Macedon supervisor from 1888-89.  Therefore, it appears to us that this family was established and respected in the community. 

We would greatly appreciate any information you could share with us about the Breese family and how Josephine Breese and Abraham Bullis  met and joined these two families.

CHARLIE'S MEDIEVAL CASTLE

This week we reviewed some notes of an interview we did a year and a half ago with a second cousin of Nettie and Charlie Bullis. We happened upon this quote tucked in some remembrances of the Bullises: "Charlie once made a Medieval castle out of matchsticks glued together. It was big! Probably enough to cover a card table."

How did he do that?  Why did he do it?  What happened to it?

To answer the first question, we have no idea how he accomplished this feat. Building a castle out of matchsticks requires great creativity and skill (which Charlie had in abundance) and lots of "stick-with-it-ness" (which Charlie apparently did not have, judging by records of his countless unfinished projects).

Why did he build the castle?  Again, we do not know, but in that pre-Guinness-book time, setting a world record could not have been a motivation.  Perhaps he came across a reference to the project in his reading and became fascinated with the idea. Or, maybe he somehow came into possession of a humungous amount of matchsticks and decided to use them creatively.

What happened to this work of art? Here, our imaginations run wild. (Being made of matchsticks...hmmm...no, let's not go there.) But if you know, please let us hear from you.

A LETTER FROM THE PAST

Last week we posted one of Charlie Bullis's school writing exercises. This week we came across a letter written to Mr. Bullis by one of his associates eighty-two years ago. We found this bit of bargaining and assessor talk quite interesting, and hope you do as well.

"Mr. Charles Bullis, Macedon NY
Farmington NY November 16' 1928

Dear Mr. Bullis,

If after you have your inventory you will sell me back that Compass I will give you the same as Abram gave me for it. I find that we assessors have got to get the boundrys and acreage for a number of strips over in the big Swamp here so the county Treasurer can sell them by next spring for taxes, there dont seem to be any owner for a number of them. This Swamp extends across the town east and west and about a half mile wide, and quite soft, I find I cant do anything with a pocket Compass and I dont like to borrow; one can be ever so careful accidents sometimes happen, I have 217 acres of my own in a number of parcels and it would be qite useful to me; if this meets your favor please send me a card,

very truly yours
E.J. Gardner, Macedon NY"

Do you know the location of the "big Swamp" referred to in this note? If so, please let us know.

OUR BIG BONFIRE

In autumn, we think about carving pumpkins, raking leaves, and building bonfires. Charlie Bullis obviously appreciated a good bonfire, judging from this account of one he and his dad built one springtime.

OUR BIG BONFIRE

Last spring on a beautiful afternoon my father and I went out into one of the back meadows to burn a long row of brush that had been cut down two years before from a hedge that extended the whole length of a large field. There were six or eight large heaps of brush connected by weeds and small brush. We ignited the brushrow on the north end and as the wind blew from the north it burned along very well shooting up tongues of flame and clouds of curling smoke as the flames leaped from twig to twig consuming the works of nature of several summers and roaring as it gave off its rays of stored up heat.

We wonder what father and son may have talked about that day as they watched the fire "consuming the works of nature" to make way for new life. Perhaps they didn't talk...but simply stood side by side and marveled at the efficiency and beauty of the process.

Charlie Bullis's teacher wrote "Good" on the back of the paper. We agree with her. Good description. Good experience. Good memory.

NETTIE BULLIS

If Nettie Bullis could speak to us from her grave in the Village of Palmyra Cemetery, what would be her message?  Here is our version of what she might say to the people on this year's cemetery walk:

"I am new to the walk this year because some of my friends thought I should be included. I feel somewhat uncomfortable with all of this attention. I've always shied away from that sort of thing.

"However, since you’ve all come here this evening and paid your entrance fee, it is appropriate that I offer you some information about myself and my family so that you will get your money’s worth.  My family always lived by the principle of getting your money’s worth and never wasting anything.  When my great-grandfather Charles H. Bullis and his family moved from Vermont to Macedon in 1837, they brought with them the New England frugality that they had always lived by, and that way of living was handed down from generation to generation.

"A second principle my family lived by was life-long education.  When my brother Charlie and I were growing up, my father insisted that our toys were things we could learn something from.  He got this idea from his father who was a local doctor and who greatly valued education. After my father graduated from Cornell in the early 1880s with degrees in mathematics and civil engineering, he continued his education by collecting and reading science, math, engineering, and medical books.

"In fact, you can see many of these books today at Macedon Public Library. They have a special room there—they even named it for my family—and it houses the remaining books from our collection.  My father and grandfather would be very pleased about that. And of course there is a significant number of books on horticulture that belonged to my brother Charlie. But that’s another subject.

"Honest, hard work was a third principle of the Bullises. The first Bullises in Macedon built the cobblestone house that served as a home to three generations of the family. It is where my brother Charlie and I grew up, and it still stands today on Canandaigua Road. By the way, every year in May Charlie’s poppies bloom in the front yard and make a wonderful display for several weeks.

"Hard work was never a stranger to me. In my earlier years, I did chores around our place, and when I was older I accompanied my father on many of his surveying jobs, taking notes that he used in his engineering drawings.  After high school graduation in 1911, I attended Cornell University for a while and then taught school in Marion. Following that, I took a position as bookkeeper at Gleason Works in Rochester. While at Gleasons, I was fortunate to have several opportunities for advancement and was serving as Assistant Secretary of Gleason Works when I retired.

"It was not my intention to be a wealthy woman, but I did accumulate a tidy sum through careful planning, saving, wise investments, and my New England frugality. When I wrote my will, I was pleased to be able to benefit a number of individuals and organizations here in Wayne County.

"As you can see from my headstone I lived for 86 years, from March 23, 1893 to October 1, 1979. Most of my life was spent in Macedon, but upon my death I took up residence here in Palmyra in my family's plot. It's a quiet, peaceful place to spend eternity, and I greatly enjoy the company.

"Well, I feel I've taken enough of your time this evening. Thank you for stopping by and giving me your kind attention. I must say that I've enjoyed our time together. So much, in fact, that I hope I'm invited to do this again next year."

ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY

WE HONOR ALL THOSE WHO DIED WHILE SERVING OUR NATION.

(CHARLIE BULLIS'S POPPIES)

EARTH DAY

CHARLES ROGERS BULLIS

(1891 - 1974)

In this garden

Each day of his life was Earth Day to Mr. Bullis.

May the rest of us follow his example.

ANOTHER LITTLE BLUE BOOK

We found another little blue book this week here in the Bullis Room. This one caught our eye, not only because of the blue marble cover, but also because of its title: A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases: with a copious index of principal words. Between the covers are 127 pages of thought-provoking quotes and references.

The intro says that "the late Earl Russell very aptly describes a proverb as the wisdom of many and the wit of one." If you're a fan of wit and wisdom, you may want to add this book to your reading list.

There is no editor or year of publication listed, but a handwritten note on the flyleaf reads: "July 23, 1938 Powers Auction," which reminds us that Charlie Bullis's frugality included buying books at auctions and garage sales. This notation also brings to mind the Bullis family's adage: "Use it up; wear it out; make do; or do without." A good proverb for back then and certainly a good one for now.

IN MEMORY OF...

...THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US.

In Flanders Fields
by Lt. Col. John McCrae (1872-1918)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)



Local folks often recall the lush poppies Charlie Bullis grew in his garden. As he planted and tended these red symbols of sacrifice, could he have been remembering his comrades who died in World War I? We'll never know Charlie's reason for his choice of flowers, but it seems appropriate to us today.

When we make our traditional poppy purchases this weekend, let's remember Charlie Bullis, his WWI comrades and all those before and after who made that supreme sacrifice.

THE ROBIN

Today is sandwiched in between yesterday's Earth Day and tomorrow's Arbor Day. We celebrate these two occasions by sharing with you Charlie Bullis's poem "written and read Arbor Day, May 4, 1906," when he was 14 years old.

THE ROBIN, by C. R. Bullis

In the bright days of early spring
A robin from the south took wing
Thrilled by memories of the past
He flew to the north straight and fast
Through the pale ethereal blue
Unto his native land he flew
Through the bright day and starlit night
He proceeded in his long flight.
At last all wearied from his flight
As the first rays of the sun's light
Appeared over the eastern hill
At home on a pine he sat still.
For a few weeks he flew about
In every tree and bush and out
And in the balmy evening air
His song resounded clear and fair
And floated up to the pale moon
And died away very much to soon.
His singing soon brought him a mate
And they sang together in state
On a swaying evergreen bough
Never chriping his song enow
Until warmer the day did grow
Melting away the lingering snow
And birds became more numerous
The robins grew less humorous
They worked two or three bright days
And constructed a little maze
Of dry grass interlocked and round
With fine feathers all lined and downed
They constructed their little nest
On a brace high above their pest
The cat that goes prowling around
And catches young birds near the ground
Soon two little blue eggs were laid
In the warm nest all in the shade
In due time the blue eggs were hatched
The robins taking turns to scratch
And sit and search for grubs and slugs
And juicy angle worms and bugs
It was a busy time indeed
With two small gaping mouths to feed
But the robins tended them well
And their forms began to swell
When the sweet hay was being mown
I looked and the young birds had flown.

NEW ENGLAND FRUGALITY

"USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITHOUT.

Western New Yorkers who witnessed the Bullis Family's frugality assumed that it came from their Vermont roots. Whatever the primary source may have been, Nettie and Charlie learned this lifestyle at their father's knee because Abraham Bullis spent his money only on the very necessities of living.

Abraham's children received new clothing only when their old clothes were worn out. Toys were a rarity in the Bullis home, and Abraham never allowed his children to play games unless the games taught them something. He wanted them to think for themselves and be creative. Obviously, he accomplished his child-rearing goals because Nettie and Charlie were known for their independent, creative thinking. And they both followed their father's conservative lifestyle.

Nettie and Charlie both maintained simple diets during their lives. Charlie's favorite food was dry cereal and peanut butter/brown-sugar sandwiches while Nettie, it is recorded, routinely stopped by a grocery store on her evening trip home from work to buy two slices of bologna, sometimes bread, and a pint bottle of milk for her supper. Charlie also made the rounds of Rochester bakeries for stale breads, which he soaked in warm water to make edible.

Both dressed quite simply, making-do with the same clothing year after year. Nettie's style of dress was businesslike and always neat, but with few changes over the years.

Charlie was into recycling long before anyone else knew the word. He used dry cereal boxes to make filing cases for his business papers and made-do with only one light for his illumination in the nighttime hours. To conserve heat, he sat directly over the heat register in a chair fashioned out of a large cardboard box, with a light bulb for additional heat.

We may smile and roll our eyes at the idea of some of these frugal behaviors. However, today as we raise concerns about our carbon footprints and worsening global economy, perhaps we would be wise to take another look at some of Charlie's and Nettie's frugal ways.

BULLIS FAMILY HISTORY, Part I

JOHN LAPHAM BULLIS:

Student, farm hand, sheep herder, trapper, business man, soldier, war hero--all of these terms describe Nettie and Charlie's Uncle John. Born in Macedon on April 17, 1841 to Dr. Abram R. and Lydia P.(Lapham) Bullis, he was the eldest of seven children.

Only limited information is available about his early years. We know he received the standard Quaker education at academies in Macedon and Lima. Notes taken during a conversation with Charlie Bullis about his Uncle John tell us:

"In his teens John Bullis went trapping in Canada to earn money.
Before going to Civil War had a horse and a flock of sheep. Always
trying to earn money and get ahead - plowing for his uncle, Stephen
Lapham, when he went to war (either at the first call or on 21st
birthday).

Went to school at Lima Seminary, at Lima, New York. At end of Civil
War, he was in civil life about a year and in business on the
Mississippi River where he bought timber and hired men to cut it up
and sold it for fuel in steamboats of Mississippi River...."

John Bullis's long and successful military career is well documented and tells of his loyal service that included many acts of bravery. He began as a corporal in the 126th New York Volunteer infantry on August 8, 1862. During the Civil War, at Harper's Ferry in September, 1862, he was wounded and captured, surrendered to Stonewall Jackson, then exchanged. At Gettysburg, on July 1-3, 1863, he was again wounded and captured at Pickett's Charge. This time he spent two or three months in Richmond, Virginia's Libby prison before again being exchanged. He was discharged from the service August 17, 1864, to accept an appointment as Captain in the 118th United States Infantry, Colored Troops, dating from August 18, 1864.

Captain Bullis and his regiment participated in a number of major combats with small forces of Confederates while being recruited near Owensboro, Kentucky as well as several combats near Fort Harrison, Virginia in the winter of 1864 and 1865. At Dutch Gap canal, in the spring of 1865, they were under fire almost continuously for about three months.

CONTINUED NEXT WEEK: More of John Lapham Bullis's military service and civil life.

NOTE: Information contained in this article is from the STATEMENT AS TO THE MILITARY RECORD IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY OF BREVET MAJOR JOHN L. BULLIS, 24TH INFANTRY, U.S. ARMY and other family papers.