Hot.. sunny.. pretty day.. nice and windy.
"Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother 40 whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father 41!" Anonymous
Today was a very interesting day.
01. First .. The Genealogy Gang Meeting
We discussed incarceration and Bill Amos gave us a lot of tips, in case we were at a dead-end in trying to get information about a relative.. that relative may have been in jail.
I have a relative that I found in one of the census' records: He was in a group of a few hundred other people, all with different names. I finally found out that he was either in an asylum or was in jail, I'm not sure which yet. The Institution listed all of their inmates together after people who lived in regular homes.
While I was thinking about incarceration records, I visited Facebook, where someone had published a view of the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford, Massachusetts, my home town. I lived down that street from the jail and its massive walls, but my friend Casey lived right across the street. He said that from his attic, he could see over the prison walls and watch the inmates playing baseball. I, of course, did not believe him.. but I wasn't able to look out of his attic window, because I was a guest in his house and we were told not to. Besides, I knew that people in prison do not play ball and have fun.. they were in prison after all. However, the Facebook picture did indeed show what looked like two ball diamonds within the walls.
The picture triggered some interesting memories (true or false)..
a. Lizzie Borden was kept in the jail while she was being tried for murder in New Bedford. I believe that the ghosts of her victims still haunt the institution.
b. Under where the "hanging scaffold" was located, there was a trap door which was "sprung" after a person was hung.. and the rope was cut and the corpse fell down and through the hole into the basement, where my great Grandfather Weston Vaughan's Undertaking employees would pick up the body and take it to the funeral parlor.
c. New Bedford was, and probably still is, the major fishing port on the East Coast, and lots of fishing boats leave the port to spend from three to ten days at sea filling their holds with fish. In order to do so, the captains need crew. Unfortunately, most crews, when they arrive back in port from a fishing trip, get paid a percentage of the "take" in cash. With that money in hand, and avoiding their wives and children looking for them, they go on drinking "binges" that last for days at a time. This means that the Captains' crews are not able to report for the next fishing trip. So, what's a poor captain to do?
Aha.. there is the Ash Street jail just chock full of law-breakers and troublemakers who have gotten into brawls after spending all their pay on booze and "shady ladies." So, inmates are asked if they want to go on "probation" instead of completing their sentences. The smart ones say "No", because they don't really want to spend almost two seasick weeks on ice-covered boats filling up with stinky fish. However, there always are some who say "Yes", because freedom is something they desire.
While I was going to College, I drove a taxi in New Bedford, and I remember taking some of these guys to the docks for their adventure. Trips with former prisoners were called "Crook Trips", I think.. I forget the name exactly, but the individuals were called "Broken Ass Bums", or words to that effect. Unfortunately for the captains of such ships, most of these guys were lousy fishermen. But, "what the hell, you takes what you can get."
d. Many of the fishermen, who were good at their jobs were immigrants from Norway or Portugal. They were the guys who gave their wives some of their wages when they "hit port."
The Norwegians were funny sometimes.. they liked to watch American movies, especially ones that featured fellow Norwegian Annie Takeback. Translated into English: Anita Ekberg.
e. The fishermen attempting to get rid of all their just-earned wages would take lots of cab rides, even if it was just from one bar to another one block away. Sometimes they would throw up in the cab or urinate.. or just plain stink it up from the smell of fish. (See my story of the famous New Bedford Lumper, Fish Mary, elsewhere in these blogs.) Usually, however, they were good passengers, except for one night when I got a call out to the edge of town to pick up a fisherman. I went into the bar and said that I was there for him.. but he was a little drunk and told me that he had changed his mind... usually, in cases like that, the caller would give the driver a big tip for going out of his way when he could be taking people places closer in to town.
Instead of tipping me, he cursed me.. and I decided to slug him because I had had it and I wasn't feeling good.. however, before I could do anything, he "sucker punched" me in the side of my waist. This took me by surprise and I just gave up and left. The hurt from that punch stayed with me for almost 20 years.. so you see, driving a cab can be hazardous to your health.
02. Transport .. Rendition
Also discussed at the Genealogy meeting: Over the years, Great Britain would get rid of their troublemakers (usually prisoners, but not always) by transporting them to the colonies... America or Australia. My TRIAD contacts tell me it still goes on.
I'm told that the Gang members who took over the Baltimore City Jail, have now been transported to prisons in California. (Unfortunately, California wardens insisted that Baltimore take some of their troublesome inmates in exchange. You just can't win.)
03. Next Stop.. the Farmers' Market
After Genealogy, Elaine and I hurried to the farmers' market in the Hospital parking garage. We purchased some nice looking zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Also, a big acorn squash. You don't get anything as tasty as farm-grown produce.
04. Next Stop.. the Annual Steam Show at the Farm Museum
We first spent some time looking at the large old-fashioned doll house on display. A local farmer made it for his granddaughter and it is amazing in its detail. Right up Elaine's alley. She had a large doll house that she and her daughter played with and which is now in the hands of Lily, her 7-year old granddaughter.
We talked for a long time with the lady who used to be event-coordinator for the Museum. She works there part-time and is a very interesting person. The museum is a great place to take kids, to show them what an old-fashioned farm looks like.. it also has a large play area for kids.
This was an 88 degree day in the sun. However, standing under one of the big trees along the pathway, the temperature was probably 20 degrees cooler. These giant old trees are great air conditioners.
Now, finally, it was time to get what we came for.. bar-b-que sandwiches! .. Not so fast.. they were not selling them today... instead, we had to settle for hamburgers, sweet tea and sweet potato fries. But it tasted good and we were hungry.. now we will have to go back tomorrow, because we are not going to go without our good old fashioned Carroll County bar-b-que!
You may wonder why we just went to the Steam Show for food instead of checking out all of the hundreds of steam-powered machines. Well.. we've seen these machines for years now, and to push Elaine through grass and gravel for miles and miles was not my "cup of sweet tea."
05. Next Stop.. Ice Cream at Hoffman's
We could have had our dessert at the Steam Show.. lots of home-made pies and ice cream.. but instead, we went to nearby Hoffman's Ice Cream store for home-made chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. The Counter Girls made a big fuss over my "Baby Blue" shirt, so I had to give them a big tip.
06. Next Stop.. Target
Elaine has been wanting to have an easy way to see the photos she takes and the photos of her grandkids that her daughter posts to Facebook, so we went to Target to buy her an IPAD for her November birthday.. however, the IPADS were downplayed by the clerks in favor of PC laptops. So, we decided on a nice one with all kinds of built-in features. And, best of all... we were able to find a PINK mouse for her to use. We also bought a 3-year Target warranty, in case a certain person backs over the laptop.. as has occurred in the past.
07. Next Stop.. Home and Nap for Elaine
This day may not sound like much for normal folks, but Elaine and I are not normal folks... so I decided to bore you with our day.. that way you can shake your head and say "Man.. is that what I'm going to be doing when I retire? Boring." But.. that's our life and we kind of like it.
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