My first year of doing this blog...I started on March 3, 2006...It has been an interesting year.

I started this blog on March 3 2006...
Now well over 230 plus posts later I am pretty happy as to how it has turned out. I have tried to be fair in my historical writings. I have tried to be open. I know I have annoyed some people with what I have written or what I have not.

But this is a learning experience. What has been a great joy to me is the many Emails I have received saying how much they like the blog and the varied contents.

I am also happy to see a number of students use it for their studies and reports and tell me about it.
I have also had such warm Emails from strangers who just poured their hearts out over an issue or story.
In a few how we have crossed paths in the past..

But many are saying thank you for sharing a story or a personal reflection of someone who I met, or just saying how informative it was for them.

I have also received some not too supportive Emails as well.....

Some are funny, and some are down right mean..... But I have always thought that the person doing it must be sad and not have much of a life.... So I pity them.... I also receive corrections to something I wrote...Thank you for that..

Sometimes the person telling me I was wrong or they do not agree are not saying it in the nicest of terms...But that human nature....I enjoy reading the emails and comments what ever they may be. I also learn from them as well...

For me this has been one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done in my life. I enjoy writing about history, odd items, some of the stuff I have done and the people I have been most fortunate to meet. I would hope that many enjoyed these stories as well.

Sometimes I get mad and upset and I write...That is not always a smart thing to do...I have often regretted it.

I offered advice on this blog on dealing with that...It comes from Abraham Lincoln and his anger management...He said he would write a nasty letter to someone or vent his anger in a letter...Then throw it away.....He would say ...I said what I had too already and then I would write a second letter and not make a fool of myself.

That is very smart...I have not always taken that advice and I do feel foolish for writing some dumb stuff now and then...But I am learning. I have friends who tell me after I write something it is not a good idea. I thank them too.

So I just wanted to say thank you for the many who have looked and look at this blog all over the world. I hope you have enjoyed it and I hope it has brought some new ideas and information to you.

I have a lot more I want to write. Lastly, once again I thank you for your comments and Emails.

Best wishes..... Jack

WHAT'S MY LINE ...One of the great game shows during the golden age of television..It had as it's host John Daly...Eloquence was the order of the day

Today we have Jeopardy, Wheel of fortune, Family feud, and a few others that I cannot even think of..
But what ever happened to the classy great gameshows of the 1950's and 60's. Where intellectual banter was part of the joy of the program.
I cannot think of a game that had a better grouping of guests and witty conversation than "What's my line". There was a great deal of dialog between the host, guests, and panelists. Much of it was fun and entertaining.
They would always have a mystery guest in which the panel would wear blindfolds and have to guess by questions only who the mystery guest was.

There were a few others that were very good as well. Much of them dealing with spelling, geography, common sense, music, and fun.

What I found was the wonderful way in which they would explain a subject and talk about it..The hosts in these programs would go out of their way it seems to do so.
Today the hosts are so penurious with the English language.

It seems to be set at a 4th grade reading and speaking level. I enjoy programs where they speak and you have to go to the dictionary to look it up...
That is a great entertainment..where you enjoy and learn. When was the last time you had to go to the dictionary to learn a word on family Feud??? For another matter who really wants to watch it?
Today the game show Jeopardy is the best dealing with intellect...But the host Alex Trebek has to follow a script/with time constraints and rarely do you get spontaneous intellectual statements that teach you...and leave you spellbound.

I have been watching "Youtube" and I have to admit I have rediscovered this show and many shows of that era. They have parts of the shows available and it is an absolute delight to see.
The programs were fun and also very educational...But What's my line is my favorite.

Just listening to the wonderful voice of the host is great. The eloquence in the speaking style of Daly was such that you could enjoy him reading the phone book. The witty banter and intellectual stimulation is very evident with the guests as well.


On Public Radio and Television I still can hear this kind of speaking and a great deal of intellectual prowess. But I have a sad feeling it is heading the way of the Dodo as it doesn't sell anymore.
Most advertisers on TV are not trying to attract intellectual buyers, but the great herds of the ones who wish NOT to think...It works great for McDonald's and other companies like that...
They are not sponsoring special programs that cater to intellectual pursuits...They know their audience... That is what most of TV caters to anymore...Sad to say.

People seem today to be enthralled with basic language ....They care not a tinkers damn about eloquence or style....What a great loss to us all that we do not see programs like this anymore. Or even hear speakers or hosts who could leave you spellbound, by just their command of the spoken word.

Watch most of TV today and then watch some of the shows on Youtube.. Bring tissues...You will need them.......

The three White Star sisters.....The shipping dream of J. Bruce Ismay..That showed such promise..and left disaster in it's wake.

RMS Titanic






RMS Olympic


RMS Britannic ...As she was to look. Note the massive lifeboat davits

Hospital ship Britannic










The ship we usually hear of so often is the Titanic. In the movie Titanic it was made to look like she was the only thing like her. That is not at all true. The Titanic was the second of a trio of Ocean going greyhounds that were designed to corner the market on luxury, comfort, and safety. Amazingly of the three ships only one ever made it to New York Harbor.

They were basically all pretty much identical. There were a few differences, but not major ones. The ship that was the most different of the three was the Britannic. Her looks were altered due to design changes resulting from the Titanic disaster. But she was quite similar to her older and slightly smaller sisters.

The idea of this trio was to have a ship always available in New York, England, and at sea..Establishing a weekly express train like service that would compete with the Cunard sisters Mauritania and Lusitania.

It was the dream of J. Bruce Ismay. Head of the White Star Line...

It sadly became a nightmare. The Olympic made it to New York in 1911...She stole the show....She was known as the "Ship beautiful"....Everyone was talking about the Olympic.

J. Bruce Ismay was on board for her "maiden voyage"...He wrote that the Olympic was dream..He also added ideas on improving the next ship, Titanic. The Titanic was to be the "perfected Olympic".

The next year the Titanic sailed...No one really cared too much...The Titanic was just another Olympic...The press coverage is sparse...The Titanic sank...Now everyone talked about her.

Also they talked about J. Bruce Ismay...Who was saved when so many died. He became a hated symbol of the whole disaster. People referred to him as J. Brute Ismay...

He was planning to retire from his position at the White Star Line...After the disaster it seems the company tries to keep a good distance from Ismay. He retires into seclusion.....

The Olympic was rebuilt and lifeboats were added. In fact it seems that many of the lifeboats added were from the Titanic.

In 1915 the redesigned and rebuilt Britannic was ready to set sail...Her name had been changed. It was to be called Gigantic. But after the Titanic disaster it did not seem to be a good idea. So a much more mainstream name was used.

All of these ships were the largest in the world when they were built. All of their names expressed their great size..Olympic, Titanic and Gigantic. Sadly the legacy of these ships is not one of safety and luxury...It was one of disaster, horror, arrogance.

The Britannic was fitting out when World War One started...She was never finished on the inside with all the luxury that the previous two ships had been. For the Britannic was slated to serve as a hospital ship for the Allies. She sailed for a year and then struck a mine and sank.

By the end of 1918, the White Star Line has only one of the 3 sisters. By this time the Olympic was a dirty, messy vessel. Having served as troop ship for 2 plus years.
She had to be totally renovated. During this time she was refitted to use oil as a fuel, rather than the dirty coal used before.

By 1921 the Olympic was a new ship practically. But was already 10 years old. She had no suitable running mates as both her sisters were rusting under the water...

She survived till 1935...Somewhat of a mismatch for all the other ships of her line. She was finally scraped by 1937....Just as J. Bruce Ismay, devastated, destroyed and dishonored died.....

One of the forgotten cartoons of Walt Disney and RKO...... "Willie, the Operatic Whale"

As a boy I remember watching this on TV..Willie, the Operatic Whale...I agree that it may not have what many cartoons today have. But for me as a kid..I enjoyed it.



This was the voice, or should I say voices of Willie. Nelson Eddy..(1901-1967)










All Willie wanted was to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. He was a most talented whale. I must confess I am going on 40 year old memories here so there may be some discrepancies as to the story line. But what I recall was that it was Willie's wish to sing there. Now Willie also had an amazing talent..That he had many vocal chords..Therefore he was a whole sextet in himself. One whale of an entertainer..........


Nelson Eddy who was a famous singer from the 1930's and 40's was the voice of Willie. Eddy was famous for his many movies and recordings with Jennette MacDonald...Such as "Indian love call"...If that does not ring a bell..The lyric should "And I'm calling you-o-o-o-o-o-ooooo".."You will answer to-o-o-o-o-ooooooo" etc...
Dreary stuff but very popular at the time!



By the time he made the recordings for Willie his career had pretty much been reduced to nightclub acts around the country. But the cartoon was somewhat ground breaking.......From its original work to its final release in the 1950's


Make Mine Music, 1946, was a Walt Disney animated feature compilation. Eddy provided all the singing and speaking voices for the touching final segment, The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met. It was later released as a short, Willie, the Operatic Whale, by RKO in 1954.

Using a technique based on his technical experiments with his home recording equipment, Eddy was able to sing sextets with himself on the soundtrack, providing all the voices from bass to soprano.

That was quite a performance as I recall....I guess I need to listen to that cartoon again...But as this blog is about history you don't usually hear too much about...I thought it was a odd and most unique point and part of animated cartoon history. I would also state one of the most forgotten of all cartoons.

A souvenir of the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904....One of the funniest souvenirs of any world's fair..

This is one really cute piece of 1904 World's Fair memorabilia




This is such a cute little piece from the World's Fair of 1904. Of course I could not imagine such a piece for sale today..Some would perhaps see it as off color, or in poor taste. But this was a common type of humor a century ago.

As you can see in the picture the little boy is peeing on the ground ...and spelling out the phrase "Good Luck"...As his dog looks on intently.
Also on the side of the drawing it says.."Not bad for a stub pen"...To translate not bad for such a little pen...

Today I guess many would be upset at such a drawing or sales item. But I see it as pure fun. How many of us as kids try to spell out our names by peeing on the ground...I tried...My handwriting was terrible!!!

William Shakespeare...Was he really Edward de Vere??? Many believe that the 17th earl of Oxford was really Shakespeare

Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford 1550-1604. This could very well be the real Shakespeare. Sadly it will never be known as the information is scant.





















The engraving on the title page of Shakespere's first folio by Marcus Droeshout. Ben Jonson who had a poem on the facing page of this engraving advises "look not on his picture,but his book." The picture seems somewhat generic...The author was barely a teenager when Shakespeare had died...So it is a frosty memory of what he may have thought he should look like.


























The earliest illustration of the Shakespeare monument in Trinity Church, Statford-on-Avon in 1656..Has a man with a bag of wheat, wool or grain...No pen, no paper..It looks like a monument to a farmer.


















A 20th century photo of the same monument has a very different scene. Pen and paper in hand and he looks very different from the earlier drawing. This is the Shakespeare we think we know...But is it?







His children did not know how to read. His information is very scant. He is at best a shadowy figure. Who was William Shakespeare?

He is involved in a few legal disputes, but none of them dealing with literary complaints...Hoarding grain during a famine and as a tax evader...

If the great author was so well know it does not seem to be much problem to find him and collect the taxes. But in the local records it states that he could not be located??
He was buried under an unmarked slab. His will is hardly literary...Was he a front? A cover for someone who could not allow himself to be known??

Many people are of the belief that Shakespare as it was spelled on some of his papers was a farmer and sometimes a local actor.

There were no eulogies when he dies in 1616 ..Nothing!!!!

Ben Jonson calls Shakespeare the "Soul of the age" a full seven years after his death..Nothing written by his family as they were not able too. This is extremely odd. Would not the greatest master of the English tongue teach his children the art of reading and writing?????

The 17th earl of Oxford was born into the court of Queen Elizabeth..He was a major figure of that court. He was very aware of the history and operations of the royal inner circle.
Oxford studied the classics at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Oxford studied law and sat several times as a judge. What is most important is that Edward de Vere was a great writer.
He was born in 1550, and died in 1604. Most of the plays of Shakespeare deal with the Royals and there are many cute references to legal issues.

Shakespeare may just have been the pseudonym selected by the earl. As a Royal involved in theater was not well looked at..

Lastly what is most interesting is the plays of Shakespeare fit perfectly in the years of de Vere...and have caused some problems with the man known as Shakespeare who died in 1616.

The rule of thumb has been that Shakespeare wrote great plays and sonnets when young and then went more or less dormant..for the last years of his life.

The folks who think that de Vere is the true author bring this to the table...and the supporters of Shakespeare say he was a genius when he was younger...

I am of the belief that no one will ever know truly who Shakespeare was..Some have even said it might be Bacon. But I doubt that. One thing is that the de Vere case has a ring to it, that may be more truth than fiction. But we can never know for sure.

A number of years after Shakespeare's death a memorial was built in Trinity Church in Stratford-on-Avon..It was of a man with a drooping mustache with a bag of wool, wheat or cotton....
Many years later the whole monument has changed to a man with a pen and paper....History can be confusing...In this case it will always remain a mystery.

How Shakespearian!

Just for fun...If imagination could allow me to have a dinner with all of the Presidents which would I have join me???

If fancy would allow me to do so, who of the Presidents would I have join me for a dinner. What roles would they play, and what roles would they excel.

Art director ... Chester A. Arthur


For the pre dinner I would have Franklin D. Roosevelt make the cocktails..He prided himself on making the perfect martini.....

Mixed nuts would be provided by Jimmy Carter

Van Buren would be in charge of setting up the dinner table....

Herbert Hoover would be in charge of ordering the food.

Eisenhower and LBJ would be in charge of the Kitchen..

Music would be played by Nixon (violin), Warren G. Harding (tuba), Bill Clinton (saxophone), Harry S Truman (piano).

The entertainment would be under control of Ronald Reagan and James Buchanan

Security would be by Rutheford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William H. Harrison, and Andrew Jackson.

The head of dinner staff would be William McKinley, aided by George W. Bush.

Artwork provided by U.S. Grant

Tobacco and alcohol would be provided by George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, and James K. Polk.


Well for dinner I would have 9 Presidents join me...

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, William H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Gerald R. Ford, and John F. Kennedy.


For dinner service...Franklin Pierce, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore.

Desert by Grover Cleveland, and George Bush Sr.

For clean up Calvin Coolige, Benj, Harrison, and Andrew Johnson

Oh...How I miss Jack Benny...I forgot how funny comedy once was..Hurrah for "youtube" I have cried myself silly with laughter...

Today I watch comedy and they try to be funny...But it just pales in comparison with some one like Jack Benny....Who I would say was perhaps the funniest comedian of the 20th century...I can think of no rival...

I feel sorry for kids today who are stuck with pretty lame comedians and think they are funny, or to be funny you have to have a mouth like a sewer.....

Jack Benny would sing, dance, be amazingly funny with out saying a word, play violin something awful (except when he had to play well and then he amazed us all)....He was comedic renaissance man...

I grew up loving Jack Benny..I followed every show he did...I watched him every time on Johnny Carson and every show and special he did..I listened carefully when it was announced that he was dying...I remember the day..I wrote it in my journal ...

December 26, 1974...."Jack Benny died today...the world is a little sadder...We will laugh again...but never as warmly or with as much love..."

Through the wonder of "youtube",I have been re introduced to Jack Benny..and have cried and laughed as I watched the old films.....Thank you Jack Benny for making my younger years so wonderful...I wish there was someone today half as funny as you were.

I do not know if younger people would see the humor in Mr. Benny.....I hope they might...It is sad that comedy has been made so pale and boring that Benny's style of humor is not followed or understood anymore...Perhaps it is to labor intensive (ie...Requires a bit of thought)...

I care not if they think it may be a tad old fashioned...I do not cry from laughter with new comedy...I cringe and feel the loss to us all. He was truly one of the greats when it came to comedy. Thank you ...

A rare book find on the streets in New York

The cover of this most amazing children's book from over a century ago..It is in very good condition....Very good for being nearly 104 years of age.



There are many illustrations by the artist Karl Moseley...Like this one which says "Grandfather's reminiscences of the Mexican war"









The first edition of this book was marked September, 1903


















While walking on the street in New York..I happened on to this book. It is from 1903 and written by Joel Chandler Harris 1845-1908...It is full of many illustrations. It talks of flying through time and space to another world.

It is most interesting that the book deals with flying and the first flight by the Wright Brothers was only 2 months later. What the author writes of is something we still only dream of space and time travel...

This book is in wonderful condition and a wonderful relic of another age.


There is something wonderful about children's books from the 19th and early 20th century....

I did research on this book and was surprised to see how much money people were paying for it in auctions. So my $10.00 investment with a street vendor was quite well worth it...These things do not happen often..I can get another copy if I wish to impart with $150.00..

Thomas Edison...After 125 years of commercial illumination..California does not like your light bulb.

The first bulb to have the name Edison etched on it 1881..In many ways not to much different from the lightbulbs we have today..



Here's the guy that is making some people in California upset.....
















I have seen some stories about this lighting proposal and thought it humorous..

But not till an Associated Press news team came to see me today, did I think much of it.


I gave my thoughts on the matter which will be in the papers on Friday( I guess) when they release the story..

But here is what I know of it...From what I read...There are good points and bad on the whole thing. I think that some things can be changed and improved. But in some places an incandescent lightbulb is just better than anything else...

When the art of lighting improves more we will be ready to drop the incandescent. I have met one of the inventors of the fluorescent spiral light. I have spoken on their behalf.

They are a wonderful invention, but in some cases a incandescent light bulb is just better. Yes, they use more energy...

But I have to be frank here...Some of these lawmakers use more energy than anyone flying their private jets around and telling us to CONSERVE...Somewhat hypocritical would you not say? Al Gore is one of the worst offenders.


But inventions and innovation are what makes us all tick...So I know that the Light bulb is someday soon to become a museum exhibit...

But not quite yet.




Here is the story as for now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

California may ban conventional lightbulbs by 2012 By Bernie Woodall




LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent lightbulbs as part of California's groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

The "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act" would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

"Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications," California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said on Tuesday.

"Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light."

Levine is expected to introduce the legislation this week, his office said.

If passed, it would be another pioneering environmental effort in California, the most populous U.S. state. It became the first state to mandate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use about 25 percent of the energy of conventional lightbulbs.

Many CFLs have a spiral shape, which was introduced in 1980. By 2005, about 100 million CFLs were sold in the United States, or about 5 percent of the 2-billion-lightbulb market, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

That number could more than double this year. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. alone wants to sell 100 million CFLs at its stores by the end of 2007, the world's biggest retailer said in November.

While it will not give opinion on the possible California law, the EPA recommends CFLs.

"They save money and energy," EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. "They are more convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture."

Also, CFLs generate 70 percent less heat than incandescent lights, Jones said.

About a fifth of the average U.S. home's electricity costs pays for lighting, which means even if CFLs initially cost more than conventional lightbulbs, consumers will save, Jones said.

A 20-watt CFL gives as much light as a 75-watt conventional bulb, and lasts 13 times longer, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit group studying energy issues.

Southern California Edison, an Edison International subsidiary and one of the state's biggest utilities, runs a program that cuts the cost of a CFL by $1 to $2.50. In the past year, SCE has helped consumers buy 6 million CFLs, it said.

California Energy Commission member Arthur Rosenfeld said an average home in California will save $40 to $50 per year if CFLs replace all incandescent bulbs.

While not commenting specifically on Levine's likely legislation, Rosenfeld, winner of the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award in 2006, said the switch from incandescent bulbs became feasible about five years ago when CFL performance improved.

"This is clearly an idea whose time has come," he said.

Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys in Los Angeles, last year introduced a bill that will become law in July that requires most grocery stores to have plastic bag recycling.

In fairness to Thomas Turner ...Captain of the Lusitania on her final voyage....He was no lightweight...But people love to believe that

Captain Turner on the bridge of the Lusitania










Turner taking the King for a tour of the Cunard Liner Mauritania





The ill fated Lusitania...As much of victim of the admiralty as was Turner, the crew, and passengers





Turner historically has been given a bad rap...He was in command of the Lusitania when she was torpedoed....I know how much people love to make conspiracies of everything.
I know that what is often incorrectly said is that Turner was not one of the better captains of the Cunard Line....WRONG...He was one of the best.

He had taken the Lusitania over as captain in 1908..He was the Captain for the Mauritania, the Lusitania's sister ship...

He was selected in 1914 to take the great Aquatania on her maiden voyage. He was no light weight..He was one of the best.

Just before he left for the final voyage of the Lusitania he was a court witness for ship travel and operations concerning the Titanic disaster...He was considered a good person to ask...He was not a lightweight.

I have grown tired of Captain Thomas Turner getting the historical shaft. He was not informed well by the admiralty...That is what went wrong...But Turner was an easy scape goat...He still is...Look at it all again and study him..you may be surprised..That this was not the simpleton that many would like to have you believe.

American Bankers Association traveler cheques ...1911-12.... To show how safe they were, they put a very safe ship on their ad!

Yes those Traveler Cheques were as safe as the Titanic!..... Whoops!



This ad which hangs in my library is one of those rare and odd ads that just came out at the wrong time.......You can bet it was not around anytime after the safest ship in the world sank on its very first voyage....Fate is a cruel thing.

As you can guess this is a rather rare advertisement......I found it years ago...and was so shocked as to what it was showing I did not believe it at first...But who knew in 1911...what 1912 was to bring.

The month of April, 1912...I am sure was not a good one for this ad agency.

The Edison C-250 Chippendale Diamond Disc Phonograph...The phonograph with a soul..1915-1927

This is my Edison Chippendale. It is from early 1917 and is quite beautiful. This model was known as the "Official Laboratory Model"




A close up view of the inside of the machine. This machine when new was $250.00. That was an amazing amount of money in those days. And yes the parts are Gold Plated (Gold Washed) as they called it in those days.





Perhaps one of the most amazing acoustic phonographs ever developed was the Edison C-250. It reigned as the companies leading model for 12 years. Many were sold, most were in mahogany....Not too many were in oak, as oak at the time was considered a wood for less expensive homes and machines. The quality of the Edison recording system was nothing short of amazing. Even with today's ears the machine will surprise you with its clarity and quality of tone. In those days they referred to the machine as the phonograph with a soul as it presented the performer in a most realistic light. Comparison with the living artist reveals no difference the ads of the time went. Well the machine was good but not really as good as that ad says.


This machine shown was acquired by me in 1988. It was found in a barn, and after a lot of cleaning was brought back to the machine you see here. A lot of the help to do this was from my late friend Ted Spangenberg. I restored this machine in his shop. Went over the whole motor and cleaned the case. I did not want to take away the original finish as the case and finish were so lovely....It is a treasured part of my collection of items.

The Hamilton Burr duel....Let's look at what is was.

It has been over 200 years since these two men faced each other in New Jersey and make outlandish fools of each other.
Hamilton, let us not mince words ...was a nasty rotten bastard to put it mildly. Aaron Burr was a nasty bastard as well. Of the two I like Burr better, but not by much.

So these two idiots had a duel...Burr should never have given that turkey Hamilton immortality. Burr for the rest of his life suffered for it, although many people where privately happy Hamilton was gone.
Few people liked either of them. I have often wished Hamilton had killed Burr...But such is life and death.

Hamilton did his best to destroy many peoples lives...There were few as really rotten and awful as he. Burr was almost as bad as Hamilton..But he did not try to wreck as many lives. Hamilton was truly one of the greatest snakes in the grass.

Both men were brilliant, both men were great patriots, both men were great ego maniacs. Burr's actions in the American revolution were amazing...Hamilton's creation of the American money system was wonderful. But both men were truly nasty people. But as I said before Hamilton was by far the most nasty. What he did to John Adams was worthy of a firing squad...As fortune would have it he got one.

I will leave this saying Hamilton hated Burr and did his best to destroy him as he had so many other people...
Sadly he was successful..But at least Burr had some satisfaction too..Burr was the last person Hamilton could hurt...He did it posthumously.

Gerald Ford..He really was one of the best of our recent Presidents, by being the quiet, wise, and prudent one.

He will in time be so very highly regarded, as one of the more important Presidents. Today we can see that slightly, But soon in the next 30 some odd years you will see his star rise. I think that he will be one of the most respected presidents. Also I think he will be one of the most respected of our former Presidents.

He taught most of our former Presidents how to be former Presidents. By keeping his mouth shut and not making a fool of himself. We have and have had many former Presidents who cannot/or could not keep their mouths shut and have made great fools of themselves. Or by speaking their mind have embarrassed themselves.


But when I think of the great former Presidents who where smart enough to be quiet.. I think of Adams, Madison, Monroe, Buchanan, Hayes, Cleveland, Harrison, Taft, Hoover, Truman, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan. There were a number of others who did not keep quiet, and in some cases were very foolish in their lack of silence.

But Ford very much like Truman (who I consider one of the greats) was out of the practice of talking about another President who was in office. Of course in both cases they wrote a great deal on what they thought of their successors. In trumans case he waited to make his comments after the party he was commenting on was dead. In Ford's case he waited till he himself was dead..which was the best.

Ford was out of office one month shy of 30 years. There was only one other who had a longer retirement, and that was Herbert Hoover...He was also very quiet in his feelings about his enemies...He told Richard Nixon once...The best thing to do with your enemies is to outlive them!


Ford now has joined the majority of our former Presidents. He is of the ages. His legacy will be a great one I believe. But, it will not be seen very well for quite a while.
I know many will disagree now but wait. It will be after we are dust, that this man will be regarded as one of most respected of our Presidents in the later 20th century. What for you may ask?..For pardoning Nixon and saving/restoring the Presidency after the horrors of Watergate.

He gave the office class again. I guess in a way he did a "My Fair Lady" to the office of the President.