Went to see the new Indiana Jones movie last night, and LOVED it! OK, nothing compares to Raiders of the Lost Arc, and it’s hard to compare Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to Last Crusade, but it was really, really good despite my 2 small problems with it.
That said, what was archaeology like in Victorian times? Much like in the Indiana Jones movies, the emphasis was more on putting pretty things in a museum than preserving them for the local peoples. It’s why the British Museum and Smithsonian have such extensive collections.
During the Victorian Era, archaeology was closely related to history and anthropology. Basically, it was the systematic study of the past through its physical remains.
Two early and important people stand out:
Lieutenant-General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers (1827-1900) was an English army officer who developed an interest in ethnology, and archaeology while in the field. The estates that he inherited in 1880 contained archaeological material from the Romans and Saxons. He excavated these over seventeen years, beginning in the mid-1880s and ending with his death in 1900. His approach was highly methodical by the standards of the time, and he is widely regarded as the first scientific archaeologist to work in Britain.
His most important methodological innovation was his insistence that all artifacts, not just the beautiful or unique ones, be collected and cataloged. This focus on everyday objects as the key to understanding the past broke decisively with current archaeological practice, which often verged on treasure hunting. It is Pitt Rivers' most important, and most lasting scientific legacy. Moreover his work inspired 20th century archaeologist, Mortimer Wheeler, among others to add to the scientific approach of archaeological excavation techniques.
Professor Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, FRS, (1853-1942) was an English Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology. He excavated at many of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt such as Abydos and Amarna. Some consider his most famous discovery to be that of the Merneptah Stele.
He cut out the role of foreman on his excavations, taking complete overall control and removing pressure on the workmen from the foreman to find finds quickly but sloppily. Though regarded as an amateur by more established Egyptologists, that made him popular with his workers, who found several small but significant finds that would have been lost under the old system.
http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/william_flanders_petrie.php
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/rivers_augustus.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology
http://archaeology.about.com/od/historyofarchaeology/a/history_series.htm
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
TIPS FOR STAGECOACH TRAVELERS
The best seat inside a stage is the one next to the driver. Even if you have a tendency to sea-sickness when riding backwards...you’ll get over it and will get less jolts and jostling. Don’t let any “sly elph” trade you his mid-seat.
In cold weather don’t ride with tight-fitting boots, shoes, or gloves. When the driver asks you to get off and walk do so without grumbling, he won’t request it unless absolutely necessary. If the team runs away…sit still and take your chances. If you jump, nine out of ten times you will get hurt. In very cold weather abstain entirely from liquor when on the road, because you will freeze twice as quickly when under its influence.
Don’t growl at the food received at the station…stage companies generally provide the best they can get.
Don’t keep the stage waiting. Don’t smoke a strong pipe inside the coach. Spit on the leeward side. If you have anything to drink in a bottle pass it around. Procure your stimulants before starting, a “ranch” (stage depot) whiskey is not “Nectar.”
Don’t lean or lop over neighbors when sleeping. Take small change to pay expenses. Never shoot on the road, as the noise might frighten the horses. Don’t discuss politics or religion.
Don’t point out where murders have been committed especially if there are women passengers.
Don’t lag at the washbasin. Don’t grease your hair because travel is dusty. Don’t imagine for a moment that you are going on a picnic. Expect annoyances, discomfort, and some hardships.
Omaha Herald, 1877
From the Historical Museum
June, 1988
In cold weather don’t ride with tight-fitting boots, shoes, or gloves. When the driver asks you to get off and walk do so without grumbling, he won’t request it unless absolutely necessary. If the team runs away…sit still and take your chances. If you jump, nine out of ten times you will get hurt. In very cold weather abstain entirely from liquor when on the road, because you will freeze twice as quickly when under its influence.
Don’t growl at the food received at the station…stage companies generally provide the best they can get.
Don’t keep the stage waiting. Don’t smoke a strong pipe inside the coach. Spit on the leeward side. If you have anything to drink in a bottle pass it around. Procure your stimulants before starting, a “ranch” (stage depot) whiskey is not “Nectar.”
Don’t lean or lop over neighbors when sleeping. Take small change to pay expenses. Never shoot on the road, as the noise might frighten the horses. Don’t discuss politics or religion.
Don’t point out where murders have been committed especially if there are women passengers.
Don’t lag at the washbasin. Don’t grease your hair because travel is dusty. Don’t imagine for a moment that you are going on a picnic. Expect annoyances, discomfort, and some hardships.
Omaha Herald, 1877
From the Historical Museum
June, 1988
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday Ten--ten things I don't know.
Generally our blog is about what we know and what we’ve learned about the Victorian Era. Today’s Tuesday Ten is about things I want to learn. Maybe there’s a reader out there who can help me out? Or maybe you’ve got questions too about the era you’d like to add. I’ll try to answer the ones I know—We can use today’s Tuesday Ten as a way to share information.
1.)Train Travel—I have a lot of questions on this. First one is baggage. I know there were baggage compartments. How did people get their baggage in the compartment? How did they get the baggage out of the compartment? And if they were switching trains, did the bagged automatically switch with them, or did they have to move it themselves.
2.) Train maps—These can be difficult to find. I want to know which stations my characters go through, where they grab a train at any given time. I know that pretty much after the first transcontinental railroad was established, a LOT of traffic went through Union Station in Chicago. I know that many people switched trains in Chicago. But what about other places?
3.) Condoms—Okay jumping out of strictly family friendly here for nitpicky questions. We know they had them and that mid-century they were readily available in NYC, and that they were called “French safes” among other things. We know that in 1873 or such they were outlawed with the Comstock Laws. We know people could still get them, however. I know that their manufacture could sometimes be iffy because people could make them in basements and such to sell illegally but that didn’t mean they understood how to work with rubber. Thus breakage with cheaper, lower quality condoms would have been much more likely. But my real question is, what did they look like? How did they come? Did you buy packages, boxes? Right now I’m just making it up as I go along, but I sure would like to know the truth. It’s not an easy thing to learn.
4.) Prisons—I haven’t actually done a lot of research on it, but I’m curious. What were prisons like in the continental U.S.?
5.) Hanging—I’ve read anecdotal information about women being hanged. But I’ve also read that capital punishment for women was pretty much frowned on. So if a woman murdered someone, was she generally hanged, or sent to prison? And, back to question 4, if she went to prison, what was it like?
6.) Electricity—I know it was being used in the late part of the era. But where? How widely available? And just because they had electricity in the city, who actually had it in their living areas? Was it mostly for public buildings and the very rich? Or did it move quickly so that even the middle class had electricity in their homes?
7.) Gas lighting—like electricity, I don’t know when it hit certain cities, although I imagine by around 1860 or so (I’m just throwing a date out there) it was widely available in major cities. But again—who had gas lighting? Did the middle class have it? Or was it really just the upper middle class? And since electric lighting came in late century, if you didn’t have gas lighting, but were “moving up” and upgrading your home, did you go with gas lighting, or electric lighting. Did both exist at the same time?
8.) Hot water—I’ve been able to place running water in Boston in the 1850’s and I’m pretty sure most cities have pipes etc by mid 1860’s. But at what point was it hot and cold running water? Did everyone have it? When was it “standard” in a house in a city? I’ve actually toured a museum in Boston circa 1860. It had a tub, it had hot and cold running water. But I’m not at all certain it was authentic although they said it was. I know the house was built at that point, but it was not turned into a museum until much later, so I’m not sure if it was upgraded later or not.
9.) Pumps—if you lived in the rural areas or even outside of major cities, did you have a pump in your house to pump in water? Or did you go out to a well? Did they have pumps in the lower-class homes of city dwellers?
10.) Dance cards—this one is something I think I can find fairly easily, though. I know they used dance cards at balls. I know that people filled them in. I know that it was frowned on to dance with a person more than twice at a ball and that husbands and wives weren’t supposed to dance together (because they were there to be with other people, not each other). But how did this work? Did a man walk up to a woman at the beginning of the ball and ask to have his name put on her card? Did she fill up all the dances? Did a man write in his card at the same time? Did a man have a card? And did he feel obligated to have a partner for every dance, or did he leave his card empty if he wasn’t in the mood?
Well those are my questions. This was my easiest Tuesday Ten ever. I guess I have a lot more questions than I have knowledge, even after all these years. If anyone has any answers, I’ve LOVE them. Otherwise, as I’ll post answers myself as time goes by.
1.)Train Travel—I have a lot of questions on this. First one is baggage. I know there were baggage compartments. How did people get their baggage in the compartment? How did they get the baggage out of the compartment? And if they were switching trains, did the bagged automatically switch with them, or did they have to move it themselves.
2.) Train maps—These can be difficult to find. I want to know which stations my characters go through, where they grab a train at any given time. I know that pretty much after the first transcontinental railroad was established, a LOT of traffic went through Union Station in Chicago. I know that many people switched trains in Chicago. But what about other places?
3.) Condoms—Okay jumping out of strictly family friendly here for nitpicky questions. We know they had them and that mid-century they were readily available in NYC, and that they were called “French safes” among other things. We know that in 1873 or such they were outlawed with the Comstock Laws. We know people could still get them, however. I know that their manufacture could sometimes be iffy because people could make them in basements and such to sell illegally but that didn’t mean they understood how to work with rubber. Thus breakage with cheaper, lower quality condoms would have been much more likely. But my real question is, what did they look like? How did they come? Did you buy packages, boxes? Right now I’m just making it up as I go along, but I sure would like to know the truth. It’s not an easy thing to learn.
4.) Prisons—I haven’t actually done a lot of research on it, but I’m curious. What were prisons like in the continental U.S.?
5.) Hanging—I’ve read anecdotal information about women being hanged. But I’ve also read that capital punishment for women was pretty much frowned on. So if a woman murdered someone, was she generally hanged, or sent to prison? And, back to question 4, if she went to prison, what was it like?
6.) Electricity—I know it was being used in the late part of the era. But where? How widely available? And just because they had electricity in the city, who actually had it in their living areas? Was it mostly for public buildings and the very rich? Or did it move quickly so that even the middle class had electricity in their homes?
7.) Gas lighting—like electricity, I don’t know when it hit certain cities, although I imagine by around 1860 or so (I’m just throwing a date out there) it was widely available in major cities. But again—who had gas lighting? Did the middle class have it? Or was it really just the upper middle class? And since electric lighting came in late century, if you didn’t have gas lighting, but were “moving up” and upgrading your home, did you go with gas lighting, or electric lighting. Did both exist at the same time?
8.) Hot water—I’ve been able to place running water in Boston in the 1850’s and I’m pretty sure most cities have pipes etc by mid 1860’s. But at what point was it hot and cold running water? Did everyone have it? When was it “standard” in a house in a city? I’ve actually toured a museum in Boston circa 1860. It had a tub, it had hot and cold running water. But I’m not at all certain it was authentic although they said it was. I know the house was built at that point, but it was not turned into a museum until much later, so I’m not sure if it was upgraded later or not.
9.) Pumps—if you lived in the rural areas or even outside of major cities, did you have a pump in your house to pump in water? Or did you go out to a well? Did they have pumps in the lower-class homes of city dwellers?
10.) Dance cards—this one is something I think I can find fairly easily, though. I know they used dance cards at balls. I know that people filled them in. I know that it was frowned on to dance with a person more than twice at a ball and that husbands and wives weren’t supposed to dance together (because they were there to be with other people, not each other). But how did this work? Did a man walk up to a woman at the beginning of the ball and ask to have his name put on her card? Did she fill up all the dances? Did a man write in his card at the same time? Did a man have a card? And did he feel obligated to have a partner for every dance, or did he leave his card empty if he wasn’t in the mood?
Well those are my questions. This was my easiest Tuesday Ten ever. I guess I have a lot more questions than I have knowledge, even after all these years. If anyone has any answers, I’ve LOVE them. Otherwise, as I’ll post answers myself as time goes by.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Decoration Day
This will just be a short blog. I'm having major problems with my computer, so I'm forced to share my husband's for the duration. But I wanted to touch on the origins of today's American holiday, Memorial Day.
It was originally called Decoration Day and, although there are many stories of its actual start, the American Civil War seems to have spurred on the tradition of honoring war dead.
During the Victorian era, at least in America, visiting the graves of loved one's was a popular activity and they decorated those graves. Thus the name Decoration Day.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General John Logan on May 5, 1868. Flowers were laid on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
By 1890 all of the northern states recognized Memorial Day, but the South refused to acknowledge it, and honored their war dead on alternate days until after the first World War, when the holiday changed to honoring all war dead, rather than just those who fought in the Civil War.
So, take a few moments today to reflect on all the men and women who've fought for our country and say thanks.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyseneca/memorial.htm
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/memorial.htm
It was originally called Decoration Day and, although there are many stories of its actual start, the American Civil War seems to have spurred on the tradition of honoring war dead.
During the Victorian era, at least in America, visiting the graves of loved one's was a popular activity and they decorated those graves. Thus the name Decoration Day.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General John Logan on May 5, 1868. Flowers were laid on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
By 1890 all of the northern states recognized Memorial Day, but the South refused to acknowledge it, and honored their war dead on alternate days until after the first World War, when the holiday changed to honoring all war dead, rather than just those who fought in the Civil War.
So, take a few moments today to reflect on all the men and women who've fought for our country and say thanks.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyseneca/memorial.htm
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/memorial.htm
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday Ten: Soiled Doves
In recent weeks my Old West research has taken me right where I like to be. In town. And as much as I love the general stores, hotels and saloons, it’s a fact that no old west town was complete without a brothel and the ladies who worked there.
In general there were four classes of houses of ill repute, from the parlor houses with the most beautiful girls, finest foods and liquors and elegant décor. A tryst there might cost up to $100 a visit. Next would be the houses typically run by a madam, where the surroundings were somewhat less lush and the beautiful women weren’t as plentiful. An establishment such as this might charge anywhere from $2 to $100 per visit, depending on the competition. Then there were “cribs”, a one or two room shack where a single prostitute plied her trade for as little as $.50; she sometimes had a male companion who helped find her clients—but she still had the option of refusing a client. At the bottom of the list were the women who worked out of the back rooms of a saloon for $1-$2 a tumble.
Depressing as all that is, the names applied to these women and their occupation were quite colorful. Here for our Tuesday Ten, is a list of some of the them.
- Painted cat
- Girl of the night
- Scarlet ladies
- Fallen angel
- Calico queen
- Fair belles
- Sporting woman
- Painted ladies
- Street nymph
- Soiled dove
Source: Everyday Life in the Old West –Candy Moulton; Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West - Anne Seagraves; Saloons of the Old West, Richard Erdoes
Friday, May 16, 2008
NYC Cholera spidemic 1848-1849
In May 1849 New York City finally established a hospital for cholera victims. Before the epidemic ended, more than 5,000 died. The rapidly growing city was ripe for an epidemic; poor sanitary conditions, eve poor hygiene, in addition to immigrants poorly quarantined all contributed to the outbreak.
On December 1, 1848, the New York arrived in New York from France. Seven passengers had died from cholera on the voyage, and the surviving passengers were quarantined at a Staten Island customs warehouse to contain the outbreak. Within a month, 60 experienced cholera symptoms and 30 died.
The healthy ones, afraid of catching the disease and dying, made a break for it and escaped quarantine. Soon enough isolated outbreaks occurred around New York, often in the city’s dirtiest and poorest areas. Pigs and dogs roamed the streets eating garbage, which also contributed to unsanitary conditions and the spreading of the disease.
Many city residents didn’t want a cholera hospital built near them for fear of catching the disease themselves. Finally, on May 16, the city’s Board of Health started a hospital on the second floor of a building on Orange Street above a tavern. However, the death toll rose and public schools were drafted into use as hospitals.
The disposal of bodies was a serious problem; a mass grave was established on Randall’s Island, in the East River east of Manhattan. Anyone with a horse was expected to assist with the removal of dead bodies.
Because of this epidemic, New York City’s first street-cleaning plan was implemented. An estimated 40 percent of the epidemic’s victims were Irish immigrants. Precise totals are impossible because the wealthy were often able to alter death certificates to avoid the stigma of their loved ones having died of cholera.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=593
On December 1, 1848, the New York arrived in New York from France. Seven passengers had died from cholera on the voyage, and the surviving passengers were quarantined at a Staten Island customs warehouse to contain the outbreak. Within a month, 60 experienced cholera symptoms and 30 died.
The healthy ones, afraid of catching the disease and dying, made a break for it and escaped quarantine. Soon enough isolated outbreaks occurred around New York, often in the city’s dirtiest and poorest areas. Pigs and dogs roamed the streets eating garbage, which also contributed to unsanitary conditions and the spreading of the disease.
Many city residents didn’t want a cholera hospital built near them for fear of catching the disease themselves. Finally, on May 16, the city’s Board of Health started a hospital on the second floor of a building on Orange Street above a tavern. However, the death toll rose and public schools were drafted into use as hospitals.
The disposal of bodies was a serious problem; a mass grave was established on Randall’s Island, in the East River east of Manhattan. Anyone with a horse was expected to assist with the removal of dead bodies.
Because of this epidemic, New York City’s first street-cleaning plan was implemented. An estimated 40 percent of the epidemic’s victims were Irish immigrants. Precise totals are impossible because the wealthy were often able to alter death certificates to avoid the stigma of their loved ones having died of cholera.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=593
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tuesday 10 - Victorian films
I’ve done this before, a list of things I want to read/watch, but since I’m sick and have had no sleep this past weekend, here’s a list of Victorian movies I find interesting. So this 10 isn’t going to be the best I’ve ever done – fast and easy this week!
On a side note, if anyone knows of a book/movie from the early 1850s, can you pass it along?
10 Victorian films (in no particular order) I want to watch …should I ever find the time again.
1. The Inheritance - loosely based upon Louisa May Alcott's novella
2. Berkeley Square – British miniseries where three young nannies find jobs in well-to-do London households and get to know each other
3. The Buccaneers - Based on Edith Wharton's unfinished novel
4. Wives and Daughters – BBC production of Elizabeth Gaskell’s book
5. North & South – not that one, though I’ve seen it and have enjoyed it, but another Elizabeth Gaskell’s book
6. The Barchester Chronicles - Alan Rickman is in it, need I say more? OK, based on the Anthony Trollope book.
7. The Crown Prince - I’ve been meaning to watch this for a while, I love Austrian history. Hopefully soon I’ll get to it.
8. Disraeli - look at the political and personal lives of PM Benjamin Disraeli
9. The Way We Live Now – I don’t mean to be on an Anthony Trollope kick, but he did write a lot of books BBC enjoys making into movies!
10. The Woman in White – based on the Wilkie Collins novel (also wrote The Moonstone)
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Victorians Went A-Calling…And Left A Card
Social life in the 19th Century was inseparable from most areas of a Victorian’s lifestyle. And so the calling card evolved into a key item for visiting.
The compact size of the card was disproportionate with its import. Bigger wasn’t better and a little went a long way in graphics. Armed Services worldwide often still remain rigid with the historically popular sizing of 1 and a half inches and 3 and a quarter inches.
Multi-layered in purpose, calling cards were good for everything ranging from casual visits to formal functions. They were considered as the person having been there in attendance if delivered by another. They were a formalized and efficient means of replying and reserving spots, invited or not. They were the forerunner to modern business cards but with more breadth of meaning.
Calling-cards were typically delivered or left often in haste at residences for open social call timeframes. Many a manor house left open their foyer for an hour or so in the afternoon for a possible stream of visitors or their servants or attendants to deposit a card into their receiving dish. Or if the person themselves wasn’t received for a proper quarter of an hour audience or casual visit, then they would leave their card.
All calling cards demanded a requisite response in kind. If one was visited, then an obligatory return visit was in order, or something in lieu of. In prior generations, they’d held even more nuances of meaning and import but with massive growth and immigrations that lead to a growing middle class and upper class. Formal details of the calling card were often not known. Or were kept proverbially close-to-the-cuff as one means of determining who was within which society.
Some calling cards were regionally specific, with both sides of the cards being printed so that any corner could be turned over dog-eared to have its message read. Not all corners were the same meaning, though, depending upon any number of reasons. Some were not printed at all and so the recipient would already be apprised of the inherent meaning.
Amusements or limericks were occasionally printed or tolerated on calling cards if they were true to the character or persona of the owner. Most calling cards were a fine heavy white stock paper and simply bore a name in fine script with occasionally an additional message in calligraphic style scrawled across it depending upon the occasion. Other traditions again were localized or within specific societies in use.
The compact size of the card was disproportionate with its import. Bigger wasn’t better and a little went a long way in graphics. Armed Services worldwide often still remain rigid with the historically popular sizing of 1 and a half inches and 3 and a quarter inches.
Multi-layered in purpose, calling cards were good for everything ranging from casual visits to formal functions. They were considered as the person having been there in attendance if delivered by another. They were a formalized and efficient means of replying and reserving spots, invited or not. They were the forerunner to modern business cards but with more breadth of meaning.
Calling-cards were typically delivered or left often in haste at residences for open social call timeframes. Many a manor house left open their foyer for an hour or so in the afternoon for a possible stream of visitors or their servants or attendants to deposit a card into their receiving dish. Or if the person themselves wasn’t received for a proper quarter of an hour audience or casual visit, then they would leave their card.
All calling cards demanded a requisite response in kind. If one was visited, then an obligatory return visit was in order, or something in lieu of. In prior generations, they’d held even more nuances of meaning and import but with massive growth and immigrations that lead to a growing middle class and upper class. Formal details of the calling card were often not known. Or were kept proverbially close-to-the-cuff as one means of determining who was within which society.
Some calling cards were regionally specific, with both sides of the cards being printed so that any corner could be turned over dog-eared to have its message read. Not all corners were the same meaning, though, depending upon any number of reasons. Some were not printed at all and so the recipient would already be apprised of the inherent meaning.
Amusements or limericks were occasionally printed or tolerated on calling cards if they were true to the character or persona of the owner. Most calling cards were a fine heavy white stock paper and simply bore a name in fine script with occasionally an additional message in calligraphic style scrawled across it depending upon the occasion. Other traditions again were localized or within specific societies in use.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Tuesday Ten, Firearms and Weapons
the interest of blogging about research I'm doing--one of the main reasons we all started this blog--I decided to do my Tuesday Ten on 19th century firearms. I realized the other day that my hero in Chasing Star (formerly Stalking Star) is a gun collector. That being the case, it will be pretty useful for me to have a modicum of information on guns. So here goes!
1.) Winchester--My hero is a Colorado rancher, so we'll start with one of the most common weapons of that time, the Winchester 1866, with that cool lever that we are all so familiar with.
It was made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New Haven Connecticut, which was originally the New Haven Arms Company, which was, before Oliver F. Winchester took over, the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company.
Bullets were inserted into the side of the rifle. It could take as many as 17 rounds at a time but was rarely loaded that much to prevent strain on the magazine. It took a .44 caliber bullet and weighed about 9 lbs. It was a Magazine Arm, according to my book A History of Arms by William Reid, but what that means I don't know. I think this book was written for people who understand guns a LOT.
http://casguns.homestead.com/Winchester1866.html
2.) Winchester, 1873--the new and improved Winchester! This was the rifle that won the West, apparently. It was strengthened according to this book, so that it could take a .44 caliber center-fire cartridge. According to this website:
http://aaa-webs.com/aaa/webs/homestead/courses/1873/history-1873.htm
It could take a more powerful .44-40 caliber cartridge. What this means, and if they mean the same thing is beyond me. But it sure made a difference to the purchases, who could purchase the rifle in different styles with different barell lengths. Apparently people really cared a lot--720,610 of these guns were sold. Certainly we saw them enough on the old Westerns!
It sold, in 1899 for about 20 bucks and was still selling even after the newly re-designed 1892 Winchester came out.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_1_51/ai_n7581227
The Winchester 1892, by the way, was the rifle used in the television series The Rifleman, which I did not know. I always sort of thought that series was placed in an earlier time than the late 19th century when I thought the West was pretty much tamed. Shows you what I know!
http://www.riflemansrifle.com/the_riflemans_rifle.htm
3.) Springfield Rifle Musket--Civil War era. Susan may have already talked about
weapons of the Civil War elsewhere, but I need 10 weapons for my Tuesday Ten, so I'm mentioning it again.
The Springfield Rifle Musket, 1861, was the most popular rifle of the war. It used a paper cartridge containing gunpowder and a bullet (am I getting this right, Susan?) and was developed in Springfield MA. ( Hey, that's not far from where I live!--I wonder if there's a museum?). According to my Arms book, 850,549 were made between 1858 and 1865, which sort of blows away the 1861 date I have from this other site. It had a 58 caliber cartridge, and was a one shot deal, unlike the previous Winchesters. You can see, then, why they were so loved. It had a range as far as 500 yards.
http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/58musket.htm
4.) Remington Flintlock Musket: Before all that came the Remington Musket, which might have been used by soldi
ers at the beginning of the war, before the Springfield Rifle Musket became more available. I can't seem to find a whole lot about this gun. I know it was produced in the Northeast (this seems to be a running theme, probably because the Northeast is where manufacturing in the U.S. was for many years). It was first produced in 1816, and then was redesigned in 1840 to become a percussion musket?? Remington, however was better know for it's revolvers.
http://members.tripod.com/~vet5/musket.html
5.) Gatling gun--Before we go onto revolvers we really have to talk about this, because it fascinates me. It was the first machine gun every made, 186
0-1861. It was a hand cranked gun, i f you could call it a gun, had 6 barrels and could fire 600 58 caliber rounds a minute. DEADLY. Fortunately (since 600,000 men already died in the Civil War) it was not used much during the war. It was new, and had quite a few problems.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm
6.) Bowie Knife--Attributed to, if not originally designed by James Bowie. Also known as
the Arkansas Toothpick. He was killed with it at the Alamo in 1836, so it's almost Victorian. It does appear to be, for what I've read, a pretty endemic knife throughout the frontier, namely the Old West. It was certainly used in the Civil War.
http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_bowie.html
http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/bowie.html
7.) Remington Rifle Cane--Oh! I just saw this in my book, and it is the coolest thing! Apparently cane guns were popular in the 1850's, among city folk, I suspect (I can't imagine a cow
boy with a cane). The ad I'm looking at from the Ohio State Gazetter 1860, says it weighed 160z, was "protection against dogs and highwaymen" and cost about $19. Wow, now if I'd known this when I wrote Wicked Woman my hero would have had one for sure! Now I am absolutely going to have to write another 1850's era book just so I can use the 
gun!
I'm looking at pictures, but I can't quite see how you would load the thing. But I want one! Hmmm, my Colorado rancher goes back East in Chasing Star. He's certainly not going to walk around Newport RI with his six-shooters strapped on. Maybe he will have a cane gun! Oh I do love research!
9.)
Remington 1858 Army revolver. This was the name for the New Model Army .44 revolver in 1863, which was improved over the 1860, '61 and '62. It was an improved version of the earlier Remington-Beals and Remington Army revolvers of 1860, 1861 and 1862. It was called the 1858 revolver because that was when the patten was issue.
Although during the war the Colt was more common, it was said to have been preferred over the colt.
1.) Winchester--My hero is a Colorado rancher, so we'll start with one of the most common weapons of that time, the Winchester 1866, with that cool lever that we are all so familiar with.
It was made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New Haven Connecticut, which was originally the New Haven Arms Company, which was, before Oliver F. Winchester took over, the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company. 
Bullets were inserted into the side of the rifle. It could take as many as 17 rounds at a time but was rarely loaded that much to prevent strain on the magazine. It took a .44 caliber bullet and weighed about 9 lbs. It was a Magazine Arm, according to my book A History of Arms by William Reid, but what that means I don't know. I think this book was written for people who understand guns a LOT. http://casguns.homestead.com/Winchester1866.html
2.) Winchester, 1873--the new and improved Winchester! This was the rifle that won the West, apparently. It was strengthened according to this book, so that it could take a .44 caliber center-fire cartridge. According to this website:
http://aaa-webs.com/aaa/webs/homestead/courses/1873/history-1873.htm
It could take a more powerful .44-40 caliber cartridge. What this means, and if they mean the same thing is beyond me. But it sure made a difference to the purchases, who could purchase the rifle in different styles with different barell lengths. Apparently people really cared a lot--720,610 of these guns were sold. Certainly we saw them enough on the old Westerns!
It sold, in 1899 for about 20 bucks and was still selling even after the newly re-designed 1892 Winchester came out.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_1_51/ai_n7581227
The Winchester 1892, by the way, was the rifle used in the television series The Rifleman, which I did not know. I always sort of thought that series was placed in an earlier time than the late 19th century when I thought the West was pretty much tamed. Shows you what I know!
http://www.riflemansrifle.com/the_riflemans_rifle.htm
3.) Springfield Rifle Musket--Civil War era. Susan may have already talked about
weapons of the Civil War elsewhere, but I need 10 weapons for my Tuesday Ten, so I'm mentioning it again.The Springfield Rifle Musket, 1861, was the most popular rifle of the war. It used a paper cartridge containing gunpowder and a bullet (am I getting this right, Susan?) and was developed in Springfield MA. ( Hey, that's not far from where I live!--I wonder if there's a museum?). According to my Arms book, 850,549 were made between 1858 and 1865, which sort of blows away the 1861 date I have from this other site. It had a 58 caliber cartridge, and was a one shot deal, unlike the previous Winchesters. You can see, then, why they were so loved. It had a range as far as 500 yards.
http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/58musket.htm
4.) Remington Flintlock Musket: Before all that came the Remington Musket, which might have been used by soldi
ers at the beginning of the war, before the Springfield Rifle Musket became more available. I can't seem to find a whole lot about this gun. I know it was produced in the Northeast (this seems to be a running theme, probably because the Northeast is where manufacturing in the U.S. was for many years). It was first produced in 1816, and then was redesigned in 1840 to become a percussion musket?? Remington, however was better know for it's revolvers.http://members.tripod.com/~vet5/musket.html
5.) Gatling gun--Before we go onto revolvers we really have to talk about this, because it fascinates me. It was the first machine gun every made, 186
0-1861. It was a hand cranked gun, i f you could call it a gun, had 6 barrels and could fire 600 58 caliber rounds a minute. DEADLY. Fortunately (since 600,000 men already died in the Civil War) it was not used much during the war. It was new, and had quite a few problems. http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm
6.) Bowie Knife--Attributed to, if not originally designed by James Bowie. Also known as
the Arkansas Toothpick. He was killed with it at the Alamo in 1836, so it's almost Victorian. It does appear to be, for what I've read, a pretty endemic knife throughout the frontier, namely the Old West. It was certainly used in the Civil War. http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_bowie.html
http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/bowie.html
7.) Remington Rifle Cane--Oh! I just saw this in my book, and it is the coolest thing! Apparently cane guns were popular in the 1850's, among city folk, I suspect (I can't imagine a cow
boy with a cane). The ad I'm looking at from the Ohio State Gazetter 1860, says it weighed 160z, was "protection against dogs and highwaymen" and cost about $19. Wow, now if I'd known this when I wrote Wicked Woman my hero would have had one for sure! Now I am absolutely going to have to write another 1850's era book just so I can use the 
gun!I'm looking at pictures, but I can't quite see how you would load the thing. But I want one! Hmmm, my Colorado rancher goes back East in Chasing Star. He's certainly not going to walk around Newport RI with his six-shooters strapped on. Maybe he will have a cane gun! Oh I do love research!
http://www.aaawt.com/html/firearms/f186.htmlwt.com/html/firearms/f186.html
http://www.remingtonsociety.com/questions/Canes.htm
http://www.remingtonsociety.com/questions/Canes.htm
8) The Derringer-
-I'm moving into pistols now. The derringer is my favorite of all weapons, although I'm far from a gun aficionado (just in case you hadn't noticed). They are so darned cute, that is if a gun that killed a president can be cute(Booth killed Lincoln with a derringer). Created by Henry Derringer (1786-1868) in Philadelphia. Obviously it could fit into a pocket, very useful for women (like a heroine in one of my books) or gamblers. It was first produced in 1825, and manufactured by both Colt and Remington (see, told you they were good with hand guns!).
-I'm moving into pistols now. The derringer is my favorite of all weapons, although I'm far from a gun aficionado (just in case you hadn't noticed). They are so darned cute, that is if a gun that killed a president can be cute(Booth killed Lincoln with a derringer). Created by Henry Derringer (1786-1868) in Philadelphia. Obviously it could fit into a pocket, very useful for women (like a heroine in one of my books) or gamblers. It was first produced in 1825, and manufactured by both Colt and Remington (see, told you they were good with hand guns!).9.)
Remington 1858 Army revolver. This was the name for the New Model Army .44 revolver in 1863, which was improved over the 1860, '61 and '62. It was an improved version of the earlier Remington-Beals and Remington Army revolvers of 1860, 1861 and 1862. It was called the 1858 revolver because that was when the patten was issue.Although during the war the Colt was more common, it was said to have been preferred over the colt.
10.) Colt 45--the Peacemaker. Army revolver which was used by many lawmen in the old West--Wild Bill Hickcock, Bat Masterson and the like. Many different kinds produced from 1872 on, probably the gun that brought the phrase, God made men, Sam Colt made them all equal.
http://www.swordsofhonor.com/co45pe.html
http://www.swordsofhonor.com/co45pe.html
Okay, this has taken me most of the day, and blogger as always has driven me nuts. Putting pictures on a post with blogger can give you a migraine! Wish I had more, but I do have to attend things like writing and Tylenol. In fact, I'm so aggravated, I'm not checking the spelling until tomorrow!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Mary Ann Webber Interview
Why do you write historical?
For me, a story is not escapism - it’s not even romance – unless it’s historical!
Why not escape high gas prices, faltering economy, war, and political races by entering a beautiful period in our past. Give me long skirts, fine manners, and the clip-clop of carriage horses on cobblestone streets.
Actually, I’ve always loved any period of history. I’ve even played around with stories set in the age of stone circles and dolmens. (Yes, there are dolmens in New England.)
What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?
My favorite era in history is the thirty-five year period between the end of the American Civil War and 1900. It’s often called the Gilded Age, and what sounds more romantic than that?
The Americas are my setting. There are thousands of untold events in American history which make wonderful settings for romances. I don’t understand why writers in this country look so often to Europe.
What is it about the era that most intrigues you?
After the Civil War, Americans changed the world forever by believing in the legend of the self-made man. Young entrepreneurs like Astor, Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller saw no boundaries. While they became the first millionaires, and eventually billionaires, they carried the American people along on a great adventure. They “Won the West” from their New York offices and made the United States a world powerhouse. What they started lasted throughout the twentieth century.
Where do you get your information?
Books about history are my greatest source. I have a collection of non-fiction books that zero in on specific events, people and groups. I use the internet to browse by topics – and find a lot of good information – but I usually end up ordering these reference books online – used, if possible.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a science fiction romance set in Texas in 1897. There are no cowboys in it. It concerns townspeople in a small community north of Fort Worth who try to cope with extraordinary events. The heroine is a school teacher who struggles to deny her love for the handsome son of the town’s banking family.
How many books have you written?
I’ve written two books. The first was a paranormal historical, A SPANIARD DEPARTS. Set in 1542, it follows the afterlife of Captain Rodrigo Romo, one of explorer Hernando De Soto’s minor officers. The book rambles all over the place and was well over 100,000 words in length when I stopped working on it. (I can’t truthfully call it finished.) I loved writing it - but I don’t see it ever being published. Actually, it would make a great video game!
My second book, A MAN AT THE DOOR, is a Victorian romance set in the mid 1880’s. The hero is a Manhattan stoneworker of Irish descent who improbably falls in love with a wealthy, shy spinster. This also grew into a whopping tome of over 100,000 words. I’m presently working to trim the fat and a few characters, and make it publishable. There’s enough left over for at least one sequel.
Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?
Yes. I hope to write a romance set in Jamestown in the 1680’s, and my short stories are, oddly enough, mostly contemporary.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
Like all writers, life itself is my biggest challenge. I wanted to have it all – home, children, grandchildren, teaching career – and this left little time for writing before I retired. I’m a late starter – but I’ve amassed many life experiences which, I hope, give depth to my characters.
What is your writing schedule like?
Hmmm. Hap-hazard is the word that comes to mind. My ideal schedule would be to write all night and sleep all day. Of course that doesn’t work in the real world.
Every now and then I make a reasonable and ambitious writing schedule. I work hard to follow it. Then I’m bumped out of bed by my undisciplined muse who whispers in my ear, “You won’t remember this great idea in the morning. Get up right now and write!”
The next thing I know, the morning paper is being tossed against my front door – and I’m needing sleep. How can I get a better muse?
For me, a story is not escapism - it’s not even romance – unless it’s historical!
Why not escape high gas prices, faltering economy, war, and political races by entering a beautiful period in our past. Give me long skirts, fine manners, and the clip-clop of carriage horses on cobblestone streets.
Actually, I’ve always loved any period of history. I’ve even played around with stories set in the age of stone circles and dolmens. (Yes, there are dolmens in New England.)
What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?
My favorite era in history is the thirty-five year period between the end of the American Civil War and 1900. It’s often called the Gilded Age, and what sounds more romantic than that?
The Americas are my setting. There are thousands of untold events in American history which make wonderful settings for romances. I don’t understand why writers in this country look so often to Europe.
What is it about the era that most intrigues you?
After the Civil War, Americans changed the world forever by believing in the legend of the self-made man. Young entrepreneurs like Astor, Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller saw no boundaries. While they became the first millionaires, and eventually billionaires, they carried the American people along on a great adventure. They “Won the West” from their New York offices and made the United States a world powerhouse. What they started lasted throughout the twentieth century.
Where do you get your information?
Books about history are my greatest source. I have a collection of non-fiction books that zero in on specific events, people and groups. I use the internet to browse by topics – and find a lot of good information – but I usually end up ordering these reference books online – used, if possible.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a science fiction romance set in Texas in 1897. There are no cowboys in it. It concerns townspeople in a small community north of Fort Worth who try to cope with extraordinary events. The heroine is a school teacher who struggles to deny her love for the handsome son of the town’s banking family.
How many books have you written?
I’ve written two books. The first was a paranormal historical, A SPANIARD DEPARTS. Set in 1542, it follows the afterlife of Captain Rodrigo Romo, one of explorer Hernando De Soto’s minor officers. The book rambles all over the place and was well over 100,000 words in length when I stopped working on it. (I can’t truthfully call it finished.) I loved writing it - but I don’t see it ever being published. Actually, it would make a great video game!
My second book, A MAN AT THE DOOR, is a Victorian romance set in the mid 1880’s. The hero is a Manhattan stoneworker of Irish descent who improbably falls in love with a wealthy, shy spinster. This also grew into a whopping tome of over 100,000 words. I’m presently working to trim the fat and a few characters, and make it publishable. There’s enough left over for at least one sequel.
Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?
Yes. I hope to write a romance set in Jamestown in the 1680’s, and my short stories are, oddly enough, mostly contemporary.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
Like all writers, life itself is my biggest challenge. I wanted to have it all – home, children, grandchildren, teaching career – and this left little time for writing before I retired. I’m a late starter – but I’ve amassed many life experiences which, I hope, give depth to my characters.
What is your writing schedule like?
Hmmm. Hap-hazard is the word that comes to mind. My ideal schedule would be to write all night and sleep all day. Of course that doesn’t work in the real world.
Every now and then I make a reasonable and ambitious writing schedule. I work hard to follow it. Then I’m bumped out of bed by my undisciplined muse who whispers in my ear, “You won’t remember this great idea in the morning. Get up right now and write!”
The next thing I know, the morning paper is being tossed against my front door – and I’m needing sleep. How can I get a better muse?
I’ve enjoyed answering your questions. They’ve been thought-provoking and have made me reassess my work. Thank you.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
My Civil War Weekend
I spent last weekend in the 1860s in a Civil War camp. In reality, it was the 28th Pennsylvania's annual Civil War reenactment at Neshaminy State Park just north of Philadelphia, PA.
The biggest challenge after not doing any reenactments for nearly a year was finding all my reenacting stuff. But being the super organized person that I am, I was able to locate all my dresses, underthings, shawls, wool cape, bonnets, hairnets and other essential things in a hurry. Meanwhile, my husband was going around the house saying, "Have you seen my brogans?"
Not only did I have all my stuff ready and packed by Thur day night, but I even baked a batch of muffins to take with.
We got to the campsite late Friday morning to set up our camp. The worst part was loading and unloading the truck. We have a large A-tent, a tarp we use as a canopy, and long wooden poles for both. Also wooden tables and chairs, a cast iron grill we set up for cooking over the firepit, buckets, a wooden box full of dishes, cast iron pans, utensils and other camp stuff, and two cots.
We also have to bring modern things that we hide in the tent, like a large plastic container to keep food in and the all essential cooler, as well as a modern sleeping bag for me. My husband, trooper that he is, just rolls up in a bunch of wool blankets.
Once our camp was set up, we went home so my husband could attend his bowling tournament. Modern life always seems to intervene. We went back early Saturday morning, changed into our reenactor clothes and started living life in a Civil War camp.
Our youngest son came out for the day to play soldier, as well as my husband's brother and nephew. I wore my hoop dress and best bonnet to go watch the battle and support all my men.
When I came back I wanted to change into another shorter day dress, so I could take off the hoop, and to my horror realized I'd forgotten to wear my under petticoat for modesty. So, every time I shifted my hoop, everyone got a view of my ankles, calves and the hem of my drawers. Oh my!
Once the sun went down it got downright chilly. But there was plenty of wood, so my husband built a bonfire to warm us up and hung two candle lanterns in the tent to take the chill off. I brought a warm, cuddly pair of jammies. I kept my cotton chemise on, though, a trick I learned from another reenactor. When you get up in the morning in a very cold tent, you not only have a head start on getting dressed, but you have a nice, warm chemise against your skin. My husband also made sure I had a winter weight sleeping bag to curl into. I snuggled inside and threw it over my head and stayed nice and warm despite the cold temps outside.
It rained overnight, but stopped just about the time we had to get up. When I stuck my nose out of the sleeping bag, I couldn't believe how cold it was in that tent. I pulled on my scruffy camp dress and apron to start the day. Because of the rain, morning camp events were cancelled, so we had a nice leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked over an open campfire. Yum!
I decided to change back into my 21st century clothing before the afternoon battle, so we could get packed up and home quicker. Of course, when I got undressed, I realized I'd forgotten to wear that petticoat again. Must be a mental block. I also didn't wear my corset, but that was on purpose. I'd had enough of that on Saturday.
I packed up all my clothing and gear except for what we needed for lunch. After the men formed up, I went with my husband's sister-in-law and his two nieces and a few of their friends to watch our men fight it out again.
We had a lot of fun and caught up with reenactor friends we hadn't seen in a long while. But, as always, it felt good to get home and into the shower. Although a weekend in Civil War camp is great, I wouldn't want to live there.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
THE HANGMAN'S TREE
Sitting on a bar stool on the very spot over 1,000 hangings took place in the 1800’s might spook the average person, but for the hearty customers of the Hangman’s Tree Lounge, it’s a reminder of the gold rush era when the town overflowed with prospectors and unfortunates. Not all those hung were guilty of a crime; some were put to death just in case.
In 1849 Placerville, California, was called Hangtown and was considered one of the major camps in the gold country. Originally known as Old Dry Diggin’s, the town’s notorious and frequent hangings accounted for the name change. It still hovers today in the form of disembodied spirits that haunt the town, the cemeteries, the old buildings and surrounding mountains and hills. Miners, weary of the crowds in Coloma, came looking for fertile ground in which to pan and placer mine. Old Dry Diggin’s proved to be a rich find.
Unfortunately as news spread, Hangtown became overrun with prospectors, the ever hopefuls, and as always, the element of greed and deceit. Claim jumping, murders and lawlessness became commonplace. The question was no longer who to hang, but how many at a time.
Justice was quick. A trial and hanging often happened on the same day – sometimes for trivial offenses as patience was no sanctity in those days. Kicking a man’s dog could cost you your neck and touching his gold could cost you 39 lashes before the hanging.
In 1849 three desperados were hung at the same time. Rumor has it they were given 39 lashes and were close to death from the beatings. Townsfolk hung them anyway. History has conflicting stories as to what their crime was. Some accounts say robbery, others say cheating at cards and a nasty fight afterwards that ended in a murder. Their remains were apparently not worth the trek to boot hill because they were buried behind the tree, now a parking lot beside Highway 50. A memorial is now in place. It reads:
“Somewhere here lies the remains of the three unfortunates hanged in late 1849 from the oak tree in the feed corral. After a fair trial by the vigilantes, this incident changed the name of Dry Diggin’s to Hangtown. Let us not judge too harshly, for those were rough days of the Great Gold Rush. “
The Hangman’s Tree Lounge sits directly over the spot of the official hangman’s tree. Folks at the lounge see a ghost downstairs and sometimes floating above, which would be at the height of the scaffolds. In front of the lounge is a yellow Historical Marker, No. 141. Everyone knows once you enter this old building, you’ll feel the ominous, the aura of another time.
A patron mentioned that she had come in for a beer. When she went to the restroom, she saw a man coming out of the ladies room and thought it was odd, but assumed the men’s room was out of order. He was dressed in black with a top hat so she assumed he was dressed in costume. A few years ago a workman was startled to see a tall man in black walk through the wall from the Hangman’s Tree part of the building, stand in front of him and silently disappear. He quickly left the building and didn’t return until the next day when there was sunlight.
Staff members say the most startling thing is the shot glasses. They put them on the shelf and then find them in with the ice. If they had fallen, they would have landed on the counter. To get into the ice they would have had to fly.
Hanging from his neck from the second story of the building is “George,” a mannequin dressed in 1800 attire, his hands tied behind his back. He adds to the mystique of Placerville and the aura of the area. He’s been hanging there for about 55 years now.
I worked in an art gallery just down the street and always waved to George on the way to work in the morning. One day he was gone. My heart caught in my throat. How could he not be there for me to greet? Later I found out it’s customary to take George down every so often and give him a new set of clothes and clean him up. Much to my relief, in a few days he was back.
This information was taken from The Incredible World of GOLD RUSH GHOSTS, Written by Nancy Bradley and Robert Reppert. Photo by Marlene Urso.
In 1849 Placerville, California, was called Hangtown and was considered one of the major camps in the gold country. Originally known as Old Dry Diggin’s, the town’s notorious and frequent hangings accounted for the name change. It still hovers today in the form of disembodied spirits that haunt the town, the cemeteries, the old buildings and surrounding mountains and hills. Miners, weary of the crowds in Coloma, came looking for fertile ground in which to pan and placer mine. Old Dry Diggin’s proved to be a rich find.
Unfortunately as news spread, Hangtown became overrun with prospectors, the ever hopefuls, and as always, the element of greed and deceit. Claim jumping, murders and lawlessness became commonplace. The question was no longer who to hang, but how many at a time.
Justice was quick. A trial and hanging often happened on the same day – sometimes for trivial offenses as patience was no sanctity in those days. Kicking a man’s dog could cost you your neck and touching his gold could cost you 39 lashes before the hanging.
In 1849 three desperados were hung at the same time. Rumor has it they were given 39 lashes and were close to death from the beatings. Townsfolk hung them anyway. History has conflicting stories as to what their crime was. Some accounts say robbery, others say cheating at cards and a nasty fight afterwards that ended in a murder. Their remains were apparently not worth the trek to boot hill because they were buried behind the tree, now a parking lot beside Highway 50. A memorial is now in place. It reads:
“Somewhere here lies the remains of the three unfortunates hanged in late 1849 from the oak tree in the feed corral. After a fair trial by the vigilantes, this incident changed the name of Dry Diggin’s to Hangtown. Let us not judge too harshly, for those were rough days of the Great Gold Rush. “
The Hangman’s Tree Lounge sits directly over the spot of the official hangman’s tree. Folks at the lounge see a ghost downstairs and sometimes floating above, which would be at the height of the scaffolds. In front of the lounge is a yellow Historical Marker, No. 141. Everyone knows once you enter this old building, you’ll feel the ominous, the aura of another time.
A patron mentioned that she had come in for a beer. When she went to the restroom, she saw a man coming out of the ladies room and thought it was odd, but assumed the men’s room was out of order. He was dressed in black with a top hat so she assumed he was dressed in costume. A few years ago a workman was startled to see a tall man in black walk through the wall from the Hangman’s Tree part of the building, stand in front of him and silently disappear. He quickly left the building and didn’t return until the next day when there was sunlight.
Staff members say the most startling thing is the shot glasses. They put them on the shelf and then find them in with the ice. If they had fallen, they would have landed on the counter. To get into the ice they would have had to fly.
Hanging from his neck from the second story of the building is “George,” a mannequin dressed in 1800 attire, his hands tied behind his back. He adds to the mystique of Placerville and the aura of the area. He’s been hanging there for about 55 years now.
I worked in an art gallery just down the street and always waved to George on the way to work in the morning. One day he was gone. My heart caught in my throat. How could he not be there for me to greet? Later I found out it’s customary to take George down every so often and give him a new set of clothes and clean him up. Much to my relief, in a few days he was back.
This information was taken from The Incredible World of GOLD RUSH GHOSTS, Written by Nancy Bradley and Robert Reppert. Photo by Marlene Urso.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday Ten: Civil War Trivia
I thought I’d go for a total change of pace this time around and post a Tuesday Ten about my second favorite subject… the Civil War. I know this is usually Susan’s territory, but my husband just brought home the greatest book the other day, and I’ve had my nose stuck in it every chance I get. It has lots of short, interesting facts about things to do with the Civil War—the kind of facts that writers like us just love because you never know what will spark an idea for a story.
Anyway, here I thought I’d share some of the more interesting ones I’ve come across for our Tuesday Ten.
- The two warring capitals,
- Jesse Grant, father of General Ulysses S. Grant at one time worked for Owen Brown—father of the notorious abolitionist John Brown.
- While not an excellent student –he was 21 in his class of 39 at West Point- Grant was one of the academy’s most skilled riders ever.
- Union General Winfield Scott served under every president from Jefferson to
- Southerners called the Reconstruction period in the south “Yankee Rule.”
- The surrender terms at
- According to some analysts, the most significant single federal operation of the war was the blockade of Southern ports.
- Among the many names for the Civil War: The War Between the States; Mr. Lincoln’s War; The War Against Northern Aggression; The Second American Revolution; The Lost Cause; The War of the Rebellion; the Brothers’ War; the Late Unpleasantness; The Uncivil War, the War of the Southrons; the Great Rebellion; the War for Southern Independence; the Second War for Independence (hey, I could have done my whole Tuesday Ten on just those!)
- General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was featured on the highest denomination bill issued by the
- During the war James Butler Hickcock, a.k.a. “Wild Bill” was a Union spy in
Source: Civil War: Untold Tales of the Blue and Gray by Westside Publishing.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Today's the Day!
Release day! The day I've long been waiting for ... The Wild Rose Press released my short vampire romance story, Eternity Waits.
Here's an excerpt that I hope whets your appetite.
Alexandra Ivanov gazed with longing at the tall, manly soldier before her. His musky, masculine scent caused her to shiver with desire. Sandy-colored hair fell in waves on both sides of his tanned face. Alexandra had spied him on her forays through the outskirts of the army camp. Each time she'd seen him, he'd been alone, but she'd waited until tonight to approach him.
Since the war began, she'd not lacked for fresh blood. These lonely, young soldiers, so far from home, were all too willing to allow a strange, loose woman to wrap her arms around them. The army blamed the deaths on a vicious, nocturnal animal roaming the woods at night.
But this man carried the essence of her long lost love. Alexandra felt drawn to him, like to no other. Centuries ago, she'd lost the one and only man she'd ever truly loved.
She moved closer to the soldier, his long, lean-muscled form not unlike Dimitri's. He gulped, but lowered his rifle and didn't back away.
"Why are you here?" He clawed absently at his collar while his gaze locked on hers.
Heat swept through her at the sight of his throbbing pulse. Although hungry, she wouldn't take too much from him. She didn't want to kill him. Yet.
For more info on Eternity Waits click here.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tuesday 10 - Russia
10 Key Russian Events 1839-1901
The Victorian Era was a time of expansion. With expansion inevitably comes war. Russia was no exception. Her history of expansion was ancient, and by 1839, her boarders reached to the Pacific, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Arctic . She tried reform – failed – tried again – endured revolution, revolution, revolution, and held tightly to her land. Everything that happened here directly resulted in both WWI and in the 1917 Revolution. 50 years of policies, rebellions, reforms, setbacks, and power plays reshaped the world as they knew it into what we do today.
1. Crimean War 1853-1586 between Imperial Russia (and the Bulgarian volunteers) and the United Kingdom, Ottoman Empire, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Really, it was all France’s fault…in 1851, a coup d'état put Napoleon III in power who then instructed his ambassador to the Ottoman Empire to force the Ottomans to recognize France as the "sovereign authority" in the Holy Land.
The Russians didn't like this, made counterclaims, and reminded the Ottomans of two treaties, 1757 and 1774. The Ottomans then reversed their earlier decision, renounced the French treaty, and insisted Russia was the protector of the Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon III responded with a show of force. England joined. France bribed Sultan Abdülmecid I. Russia eventually lost. It was a crushing blow to their moral, country spirit, and people.
2. The Treaty of Aigun 1858. Established the modern borders of the Russian Far East. Its provisions were confirmed by the Beijing Treaty of 1860. Significantly, the Treaty was never approved by the Xianfeng Emperor.
3. Emancipation reform of 1861. "It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.” Though he carefully guarded his autocratic rights and privileges, Alexander II reformed. This particular one amounted to ending the serf dependence previously suffered by Russian peasants. The legal basis of the reform was the Tsar's Emancipation Manifesto of March 3, 1861 (February 19, 1861 (O.S.)). The Manifesto granted full rights of free citizens to serfs and prescribed that peasants would be able to buy land from the landlords. It didn't totally work.
4. Judicial reform of Alexander II 1864. Generally considered one of the most successful and the most consistent (along with the military reform), it created a completely new order of legal proceedings. The main results were the introduction of a unified court system instead of the cumbersome set of Estate-of-the-realm courts, and fundamental changes in criminal trials. The latter included establishment of the principle of equality of the parties involved, introduction of public hearings, jury trial and the institution of a professional advocate.
5. Alaska purchase 1867. Russia was in financial straits and feared losing their Alaskan territory without compensation in some future conflict, especially to their rivals, Britain. Therefore, Alexander II decided to sell the territory to the US. The purchase price was $7.2 million (about 1.9¢ per acre). American public opinion was generally positive, but some newspaper writers and editors had negative feelings about. Don’t they always? Can’t please everyone…but Washington approved it. After all, Russia had been a valuable ally of the Union during the Civil War, while Britain had been a nearly open enemy. It seemed wise to help Russia while sticking it to the British.
6. April Uprising 1876. Insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, the indirect result of which was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878. What did this have to do with Russia? On July 8, 1876, a secret treaty prepared for the division of the Balkans between Russia and Austria-Hungary, depending on the outcome of local revolutionary movements. Almost makes you think of WWI, doesn't it.
7. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. With a rise in nationalism in Balkans, the Russians used that unrest to see its goal of reversing territorial losses suffered during the Crimean War and reestablishing itself in the Black Sea. Russia annexed Southern Bessarabia and the Kars region.
8. Alexander II assassinated 1881. Ignacy Hryniewiecki of the Narodnaya Volya, or the People's Will was responsible. Though he hesitated between strengthening the hands of executive power and making concessions to the widespread political aspirations of the educated classes, he tried, which was more than any tsar or tsarina had since Catherine the Great. (And she needed the support of the nobility, so her reforms were minor.)
9. Alexander III became tsar. Finally a man of self-control. Unfortunately, he had no intention of limiting or weakening the autocratic power he inherited. He knew what changes he wanted to implement before he became tsar, and let it be known. He wanted national principles in all spheres of official activity; a homogeneous Russia—homogeneous in language, administration and religion. He died in 1884…his son, Nicholas II became tsar, and we all know how that ended up.
10. Russification of Finland 1889-1905. Aimed at the termination of Finland’s autonomy. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification pursued by late 19th-early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. Finland and Russia had several skirmishes throughout the beginning of the 20th century, even while both fought the Nazi’s in WWII.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1113655.stm
www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline-index.html
www.infoplease.com/spot/russiatime1.html
The Victorian Era was a time of expansion. With expansion inevitably comes war. Russia was no exception. Her history of expansion was ancient, and by 1839, her boarders reached to the Pacific, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Arctic . She tried reform – failed – tried again – endured revolution, revolution, revolution, and held tightly to her land. Everything that happened here directly resulted in both WWI and in the 1917 Revolution. 50 years of policies, rebellions, reforms, setbacks, and power plays reshaped the world as they knew it into what we do today.
1. Crimean War 1853-1586 between Imperial Russia (and the Bulgarian volunteers) and the United Kingdom, Ottoman Empire, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Really, it was all France’s fault…in 1851, a coup d'état put Napoleon III in power who then instructed his ambassador to the Ottoman Empire to force the Ottomans to recognize France as the "sovereign authority" in the Holy Land.
The Russians didn't like this, made counterclaims, and reminded the Ottomans of two treaties, 1757 and 1774. The Ottomans then reversed their earlier decision, renounced the French treaty, and insisted Russia was the protector of the Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon III responded with a show of force. England joined. France bribed Sultan Abdülmecid I. Russia eventually lost. It was a crushing blow to their moral, country spirit, and people.
2. The Treaty of Aigun 1858. Established the modern borders of the Russian Far East. Its provisions were confirmed by the Beijing Treaty of 1860. Significantly, the Treaty was never approved by the Xianfeng Emperor.
3. Emancipation reform of 1861. "It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.” Though he carefully guarded his autocratic rights and privileges, Alexander II reformed. This particular one amounted to ending the serf dependence previously suffered by Russian peasants. The legal basis of the reform was the Tsar's Emancipation Manifesto of March 3, 1861 (February 19, 1861 (O.S.)). The Manifesto granted full rights of free citizens to serfs and prescribed that peasants would be able to buy land from the landlords. It didn't totally work.
4. Judicial reform of Alexander II 1864. Generally considered one of the most successful and the most consistent (along with the military reform), it created a completely new order of legal proceedings. The main results were the introduction of a unified court system instead of the cumbersome set of Estate-of-the-realm courts, and fundamental changes in criminal trials. The latter included establishment of the principle of equality of the parties involved, introduction of public hearings, jury trial and the institution of a professional advocate.
5. Alaska purchase 1867. Russia was in financial straits and feared losing their Alaskan territory without compensation in some future conflict, especially to their rivals, Britain. Therefore, Alexander II decided to sell the territory to the US. The purchase price was $7.2 million (about 1.9¢ per acre). American public opinion was generally positive, but some newspaper writers and editors had negative feelings about. Don’t they always? Can’t please everyone…but Washington approved it. After all, Russia had been a valuable ally of the Union during the Civil War, while Britain had been a nearly open enemy. It seemed wise to help Russia while sticking it to the British.
6. April Uprising 1876. Insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, the indirect result of which was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878. What did this have to do with Russia? On July 8, 1876, a secret treaty prepared for the division of the Balkans between Russia and Austria-Hungary, depending on the outcome of local revolutionary movements. Almost makes you think of WWI, doesn't it.
7. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. With a rise in nationalism in Balkans, the Russians used that unrest to see its goal of reversing territorial losses suffered during the Crimean War and reestablishing itself in the Black Sea. Russia annexed Southern Bessarabia and the Kars region.
8. Alexander II assassinated 1881. Ignacy Hryniewiecki of the Narodnaya Volya, or the People's Will was responsible. Though he hesitated between strengthening the hands of executive power and making concessions to the widespread political aspirations of the educated classes, he tried, which was more than any tsar or tsarina had since Catherine the Great. (And she needed the support of the nobility, so her reforms were minor.)
9. Alexander III became tsar. Finally a man of self-control. Unfortunately, he had no intention of limiting or weakening the autocratic power he inherited. He knew what changes he wanted to implement before he became tsar, and let it be known. He wanted national principles in all spheres of official activity; a homogeneous Russia—homogeneous in language, administration and religion. He died in 1884…his son, Nicholas II became tsar, and we all know how that ended up.
10. Russification of Finland 1889-1905. Aimed at the termination of Finland’s autonomy. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification pursued by late 19th-early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. Finland and Russia had several skirmishes throughout the beginning of the 20th century, even while both fought the Nazi’s in WWII.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1113655.stm
www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline-index.html
www.infoplease.com/spot/russiatime1.html
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tuesday Ten--Food
Shoot! It’s my turn for Tuesday Ten. I totally forgot until this morning. So I’m pulling stuff out of my bag and came up with food. Food is always fun. So lets explore what our Victorian ancestors liked to eat, particularly Americans. I’m going through books and menus to come up with this list.
1.) Champagne. Lots of it for the aristocrats anyway and I suspect for some of the upper middle class as well. I’m not sure why it was so prevalent, (mostly in the latter part of the century) but it was so much that I believe Ned Greenway, who was to San Franciscan society what Ward McAllister was to New York Society, was originally a champagne importer. At the very least he was much admired for the amount of champagne he could drink.
There was, interestingly, a nasty disease that killed many European grapes and thus destroyed whole vineyards during the Victorian era. Whether or not this had something to do with the love of champagne, though, I don’t know. That's something that will require some more in-depth research.
2.)Duck. This is on pretty much every menu I’ve come across.
3.) Tarrapin—turtle. Lots and lots of turtle eaten at this period of time. The big kinds, not the little snapping turtle that we most of us are familiar with. It was a delicacy, don’t ask me why. As I recall they found the turtles off the North Carolina coast. I suspect this is when people started creating Mock Turtle soup.
4.)Ices—Again, on every menu. Often served at balls too. You couldn’t go anywhere social without coming across ices. I assume the term “ices” referred to fruit ice, but you find a lot of ice cream as well.
5.) Oysters—I’ve talked about oysters in other blogs. They were everywhere, probably because they were cheap and filling. There were oyster houses all over New York.
6.) French—not a food I know, but I thought I’d point out that a LOT of the menus I see from the era are in French. And these are from several different books. What I have found to be especially annoying is that when I try to translate them using an internet translator, they don’t translate. I honestly don’t know how any of these people figured out what they were eating. Which of course, comes across in my books. . .
7.)Celery—yeah that veggie that you eat when you’re dieting. My husband’s grandmother called it rabbit food. It was a delicacy to Victorians, given prominence on the table. It even had its own holders. No, I totally do not understand it. You can find a Victorian celery holder for the bargain price of $995 here:
http://pages.showcaseantiquecenter.com/11540/PictPage/1922920121.html
8.) Beer—It didn’t come into prominence really until after 1850 or so with the influx of German immigrants according to Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts. But according to this site there were a few breweries before mid-century:
http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/chronology.shtml.
It does seem, though, breweries did start popping up all over the mid-west in mid-century. As we moved west, breweries started popping up out there too—San Francisco in 1849, Colorado in 1859. Still, beer came in kegs and barrels. It was later in the century before you could get a bottle of beer.
9.)Beef/pork. From what I’ve read, Americans ate quite a bit of pork at the beginning of the century. It was pretty much a staple. But by mid-century we start seeing more and more beef, and much, more more after the Civil War. I suspect this is due to the combination of canning, refridgeration (as in rail road cars and ice boxes) and of course the Texas long horn, all of which gave us the cowboy era too. After the Civil War, the East could not get enough.
10.)Chocolate—all right this isn’t really a “Victorian food” per se. But romance writers are often addicted to chocolate—it’s the serotonin thing, I think. So when I started writing this, I believed that chocolate during most of the Victorian era was a flavoring, and for cocoa. But as I research I see that “modern” chocolate came into play in England in 1840ish. The 1851 Expostion in London exhibited bon bons and chocolate creams! Yay, I could have survived as a Victorian after all. I also find this very comforting as I have a Civil War era heroine addicted to chocolate. Now I see this is possible (it would have to be imported but she’s rich) so it works. Yay!
http://www.chocolatemonthclub.com/chocolatehistory.htm
Ghiradelli, by the way, started making chocolate in San Fransisco around 1865 or so. Those lucky Califorians!
http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/history.aspx
So that's my 10. A lot of this, by the way, is off the top of my head from having done this research for so many years. If I get a chance, I'll add some more sources later. Along with the blog on TB I was going to do, and the one on the Sultana too. . .
1.) Champagne. Lots of it for the aristocrats anyway and I suspect for some of the upper middle class as well. I’m not sure why it was so prevalent, (mostly in the latter part of the century) but it was so much that I believe Ned Greenway, who was to San Franciscan society what Ward McAllister was to New York Society, was originally a champagne importer. At the very least he was much admired for the amount of champagne he could drink.
There was, interestingly, a nasty disease that killed many European grapes and thus destroyed whole vineyards during the Victorian era. Whether or not this had something to do with the love of champagne, though, I don’t know. That's something that will require some more in-depth research.
2.)Duck. This is on pretty much every menu I’ve come across.
3.) Tarrapin—turtle. Lots and lots of turtle eaten at this period of time. The big kinds, not the little snapping turtle that we most of us are familiar with. It was a delicacy, don’t ask me why. As I recall they found the turtles off the North Carolina coast. I suspect this is when people started creating Mock Turtle soup.
4.)Ices—Again, on every menu. Often served at balls too. You couldn’t go anywhere social without coming across ices. I assume the term “ices” referred to fruit ice, but you find a lot of ice cream as well.
5.) Oysters—I’ve talked about oysters in other blogs. They were everywhere, probably because they were cheap and filling. There were oyster houses all over New York.
6.) French—not a food I know, but I thought I’d point out that a LOT of the menus I see from the era are in French. And these are from several different books. What I have found to be especially annoying is that when I try to translate them using an internet translator, they don’t translate. I honestly don’t know how any of these people figured out what they were eating. Which of course, comes across in my books. . .
7.)Celery—yeah that veggie that you eat when you’re dieting. My husband’s grandmother called it rabbit food. It was a delicacy to Victorians, given prominence on the table. It even had its own holders. No, I totally do not understand it. You can find a Victorian celery holder for the bargain price of $995 here:
http://pages.showcaseantiquecenter.com/11540/PictPage/1922920121.html
8.) Beer—It didn’t come into prominence really until after 1850 or so with the influx of German immigrants according to Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts. But according to this site there were a few breweries before mid-century:
http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/chronology.shtml.
It does seem, though, breweries did start popping up all over the mid-west in mid-century. As we moved west, breweries started popping up out there too—San Francisco in 1849, Colorado in 1859. Still, beer came in kegs and barrels. It was later in the century before you could get a bottle of beer.
9.)Beef/pork. From what I’ve read, Americans ate quite a bit of pork at the beginning of the century. It was pretty much a staple. But by mid-century we start seeing more and more beef, and much, more more after the Civil War. I suspect this is due to the combination of canning, refridgeration (as in rail road cars and ice boxes) and of course the Texas long horn, all of which gave us the cowboy era too. After the Civil War, the East could not get enough.
10.)Chocolate—all right this isn’t really a “Victorian food” per se. But romance writers are often addicted to chocolate—it’s the serotonin thing, I think. So when I started writing this, I believed that chocolate during most of the Victorian era was a flavoring, and for cocoa. But as I research I see that “modern” chocolate came into play in England in 1840ish. The 1851 Expostion in London exhibited bon bons and chocolate creams! Yay, I could have survived as a Victorian after all. I also find this very comforting as I have a Civil War era heroine addicted to chocolate. Now I see this is possible (it would have to be imported but she’s rich) so it works. Yay!
http://www.chocolatemonthclub.com/chocolatehistory.htm
Ghiradelli, by the way, started making chocolate in San Fransisco around 1865 or so. Those lucky Califorians!
http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/history.aspx
So that's my 10. A lot of this, by the way, is off the top of my head from having done this research for so many years. If I get a chance, I'll add some more sources later. Along with the blog on TB I was going to do, and the one on the Sultana too. . .
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Oscar the Ghost
During the Gold Rush days the American River Inn, built in 1853, was known as the American Hotel. This historical landmark, located in Georgetown, California, is known for its hospitality and loneliness...and its ghost. A gruff old miner haunts Room 5. He abruptly makes his presence known on a whim, but despite his disheveled appearance, he rarely frightens the guests. A man of tender nature, he loves three things – honeymooners or happy lovers, Room 5 of the Inn, and his long-dead girlfriend for whom he’s still pining. Rumor is that he last saw her in Room 5.The American Hotel was constructed over a productive lode known as the Woodside Mine. It’s been told at one point as much as $90,000 worth of gold was pulled from the earth within a two-week period. Then, as if in retribution the mine claimed the lives of many of the hardworking men by trapping them within its confines. The ground slowly sucked the air out of the trapped miners, but did not spit them out. A basement wall hides their grim story.
Oscar, the ghost, survived the disaster. He was a hearty soul of the 1800’s. He must have made an impact on the townsfolk as his name is synonymous with Georgetown even to this day. He is remembered by stories passed down through generations as a gruff old poke, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, ambitious and anxious to find his fortune. If there was a gold strike, he was the first to pick up a shovel. He was fearless in the rickety mine shafts and tapped off river channels.
Oscar had a romantic heart and foolishly lost it to a nameless “woman of the evening.” Many years her senior, he was smitten enough to dream of making her his wife. They had long talks before and after lovemaking. She told of missing her family in the east and of making enough money to return there.
Just above the Woodside Mine that he’d once worked, his death came quickly. When he wasn’t searching for gold, he worked as a carpenter on the hotel property to be near his love. History shows he was quite jealous of her. A heckler, who was a former client of his girlfriend, insisted on belittling her name. After words were spoken between the two men, a scuffle prevailed and in the heated moments that followed, the aggressor shot Oscar dead on the steps of the American Hotel. His body died, but his spirit remained.
The ghostly activity seems to center around the top of the stairs and in Room 5. When new owners started renovating Room 5,
they felt very uncomfortable in the room. On a hot day they felt chilled when something would brush past them. They could physically feel it, but no one was there. What’s interesting to note is that none of the guests have been terrified of Oscar. Even though he is gruff looking, he’s a friendly ghost and smiles at the lovers as he walks through the rooms as if he belongs there. He especially takes pride in appearing to honeymooners as if he wants to be a part of their happiness.
A statesman and his wife checked into Room 5. At 3:00 a.m. a man dressed in old, tattered clothes walked through the closed door. (Oscar always enters through the door that opens onto the balcony and leaves through the door at the top of the stairs. It makes no difference if the door is open or shut, he doesn’t take time to fiddle with it.) Their light switched on for no reason and the ghost smiled as he continued walking through the closed door to the hall. They both heard Oscar’s footsteps seemingly go down the stairs to the main part of the house, but admitted neither of them got out of bed to check. Their light then went off. When the statesman turned the light knob, it went back on because the lamp had been turned off the entire time. Electricians were brought to check out the problem, but found no possible electrical reason for the annoying fiasco.
Because a woman’s voice is sometimes heard from the depths of the unknown inside the Inn, it’s interesting to learn that soon after Oscar’s death a beautiful woman of the evening attired herself in her finest negligee and, with liquor in hand, leaped to her death from the balcony of the American Hotel. The doctor noted that her neck was broken instantly. Could it have been preceded by a broken heart?
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Tuesday Ten: Victorians & Vampires
I'm completing research on a new short vampire story set during the Civil War and bought a book on the origins of vampire lore.
Although I knew Dracula was published during the Victorian era, I hadn't realized how many novels and stories during the period revolved around vampires. Aside from Dracula, though, these vampires weren't your classic blood-suckers. There were a lot of variations as there is in vampire legends and folklore around the world.
1) Edgar Allen Poe's story "Ligeia" (1838) is the tale of a dead woman who brings back the corpse of her husband's second wife.
2) Smyth Upton's novel, The Last of the Vampires (1845) held that vampirism was a special form of magic.
3) G. M. W. Reynold's Faust (1847) reflected the same theme where vampires used sacrifice to obtain life, pleasure and power.
4)W. Harrison Ainworth's Auriol (1850) is a tale of immortality gained through human sacrifice.
5) In 1853, the first English language novel, Spiritual Vampirism was a story about energy draining vampires who could be men or women.
6) Two more novels in 1890 and two in 1897 also featured energy draining vampires.
7) Vampires by Julian Gordon (1891) used vampirism as a metaphor for the destructive relationship between the characters.
8) In 1892, in The Lost Stradavarius, a sorcerer drains energy from musicians who play a certain violin.
9) In a story by W. L. Alden in 1894, a teacher's talents are absorbed by one of her students.
10) And of course, the king of all vampire novels, Dracula, by Bram Stoker came out in 1897.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley: Checkmark Books, 2005.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Scandalous Victorian, Caroline Clemmons
It's interview day! I keep forgetting! Here she is, Caroline Clemmons.
Why do you write historical?
I love history. When I was a child, my favorite time was when my dad would tell stories about his family coming to Texas and the adventures they encountered in daily life. It seemed exciting to me, plus that time with my dad was special. That probably made history special. As a small child, I had loved Roy Rogers, so learning one of our ancestors was a Texas Ranger for a short time and another a sheriff impressed me. The first novels I read were historicals--Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain. Then I spent a time reading all the Nancy Drew mysteries with an occasional historical thrown in, but history remained important to me. After I had my fill of Nancy Drew, I always chose historicals over contemporary stories. Now, I read all over the industry, but I prefer writing historicals.
What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?
I love the entire nineteenth century and read voraciously from Regencies to Victorians. I especially love writing post- Reconstruction Texas, though, particularly the 1880's.
What is it about the era that most intrigues you?
It's less controversial to deal with because there was no slavery and the Civil War was over. At the same time, it was before telephones and autos so people on ranches and in small towns were still somewhat isolated. The stiff rules of city life back East didn't apply as stringently. People were judged more by their character than their lineage. Families often had no one but themselves on whom they could rely. It was a difficult time, but one with considerable opportunity for those willing to work. It bred strong personalities and close-knit families.
Where do you get your information?
I've done extensive research, and have my favorite books to consult. I especially like a Texas book titled LONE STAR. It's not as dry as many research books. Ha. In our area of Texas, I was fortunate enough to visit a ranch which has been in the same family since 1859 and have the book written by the current owner, THE PAINTED POST. This is about that ranch in North Central Texas, and the ranch house includes the original cabin structure which now is used as the home's bathroom. There's another family, the Kemp family, in our area who have an open house each spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom. They have the cabin built by the Shaw ancestor, and have moved in other homes representing each era up to a Craftsman type brick on the hill above the little village they've arranged. It's like a little tour through the area's history. The owner has furnished them with appropriate antiques for each home. I take every tour of antique homes in our area, visit ranches, do whatever I can to immerse myself in the history of Texas. Whenever I've travelled around the state, I've visited sites I've considered for a book. My family history has also helped me. When I've visited other areas in which my family lived, I've toured early structures, touched the hand-hewn planks, listened to the stories told by the surviving family members. History inspires me.
What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on a book about an unusual heroine [aren't we all?] who believes herself to be a klutz with no skills, but who learns she is an amazing woman who can adapt and defend herself. While her stepfather was alive, he protected her from his two sons, but now he's died. Her two worthless stepbrothers have used her as collateral in a high stakes poker game and lost her to an evil man, and she's on the run. She encounters the hero, obviously, or there'd be no romance. His past and hers are intertwined to add lots of complications.
How many books have you written?
Written or sold? LOL Different numbers.
I've sold three historical romances and one novella. I have another book on an editor's desk awaiting her decision. I have several "under the bed" which will never see the light of day and several others I hope will sell eventually.
Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?
Yes, I've written the first of a series of contemporary cozy mysteries about a woman who manages her family's garden center and landscape center, and have completed the first three chapters of the second book in that series. I also have the first of a second series about an eccentric mystery writer [pf course there's no connection to me] who sees crimes everywhere and hope that will also be a series. I am plotting my marketing strategy now for those.
.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
The most damaging thing for my career was a really bad agent who almost killed my career. She talked a good story to me, but was not doing what she promised. She's no longer approved by RWA, by the way.
I've also had periods of poor health, like the four month bout with pneumonia and bronchitis I went through this winter. For years, my mom depended on me for transportation and assistance and that required a lot of my time, but--sadly--she died last year.
One of the greatest challenges currently is the difficulty of breaking back in to publishing. There are so many good writers now, that it's really tough for anyone who's not sold recently and didn't have a best seller or huge fan base to make a sale. I'm not giving up, though.
Conversely, my husband is very supportive, so he doesn't mind when I desert housekeeping for the computer, and he's a great help.
What is you writing schedule like?
It varies. Some days I can write ten pages, some days none. The most I've written is thirty, but it's rare to have the stamina and uninterrupted time to get that many pages done. I like Merline Lovelace's plan to do five pages a day. That's doable.
Why do you write historical?
I love history. When I was a child, my favorite time was when my dad would tell stories about his family coming to Texas and the adventures they encountered in daily life. It seemed exciting to me, plus that time with my dad was special. That probably made history special. As a small child, I had loved Roy Rogers, so learning one of our ancestors was a Texas Ranger for a short time and another a sheriff impressed me. The first novels I read were historicals--Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain. Then I spent a time reading all the Nancy Drew mysteries with an occasional historical thrown in, but history remained important to me. After I had my fill of Nancy Drew, I always chose historicals over contemporary stories. Now, I read all over the industry, but I prefer writing historicals.
What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?
I love the entire nineteenth century and read voraciously from Regencies to Victorians. I especially love writing post- Reconstruction Texas, though, particularly the 1880's.
What is it about the era that most intrigues you?
It's less controversial to deal with because there was no slavery and the Civil War was over. At the same time, it was before telephones and autos so people on ranches and in small towns were still somewhat isolated. The stiff rules of city life back East didn't apply as stringently. People were judged more by their character than their lineage. Families often had no one but themselves on whom they could rely. It was a difficult time, but one with considerable opportunity for those willing to work. It bred strong personalities and close-knit families.
Where do you get your information?
I've done extensive research, and have my favorite books to consult. I especially like a Texas book titled LONE STAR. It's not as dry as many research books. Ha. In our area of Texas, I was fortunate enough to visit a ranch which has been in the same family since 1859 and have the book written by the current owner, THE PAINTED POST. This is about that ranch in North Central Texas, and the ranch house includes the original cabin structure which now is used as the home's bathroom. There's another family, the Kemp family, in our area who have an open house each spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom. They have the cabin built by the Shaw ancestor, and have moved in other homes representing each era up to a Craftsman type brick on the hill above the little village they've arranged. It's like a little tour through the area's history. The owner has furnished them with appropriate antiques for each home. I take every tour of antique homes in our area, visit ranches, do whatever I can to immerse myself in the history of Texas. Whenever I've travelled around the state, I've visited sites I've considered for a book. My family history has also helped me. When I've visited other areas in which my family lived, I've toured early structures, touched the hand-hewn planks, listened to the stories told by the surviving family members. History inspires me.
What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on a book about an unusual heroine [aren't we all?] who believes herself to be a klutz with no skills, but who learns she is an amazing woman who can adapt and defend herself. While her stepfather was alive, he protected her from his two sons, but now he's died. Her two worthless stepbrothers have used her as collateral in a high stakes poker game and lost her to an evil man, and she's on the run. She encounters the hero, obviously, or there'd be no romance. His past and hers are intertwined to add lots of complications.
How many books have you written?
Written or sold? LOL Different numbers.
I've sold three historical romances and one novella. I have another book on an editor's desk awaiting her decision. I have several "under the bed" which will never see the light of day and several others I hope will sell eventually.
Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?
Yes, I've written the first of a series of contemporary cozy mysteries about a woman who manages her family's garden center and landscape center, and have completed the first three chapters of the second book in that series. I also have the first of a second series about an eccentric mystery writer [pf course there's no connection to me] who sees crimes everywhere and hope that will also be a series. I am plotting my marketing strategy now for those.
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What challenges have you faced in your career?
The most damaging thing for my career was a really bad agent who almost killed my career. She talked a good story to me, but was not doing what she promised. She's no longer approved by RWA, by the way.
I've also had periods of poor health, like the four month bout with pneumonia and bronchitis I went through this winter. For years, my mom depended on me for transportation and assistance and that required a lot of my time, but--sadly--she died last year.
One of the greatest challenges currently is the difficulty of breaking back in to publishing. There are so many good writers now, that it's really tough for anyone who's not sold recently and didn't have a best seller or huge fan base to make a sale. I'm not giving up, though.
Conversely, my husband is very supportive, so he doesn't mind when I desert housekeeping for the computer, and he's a great help.
What is you writing schedule like?
It varies. Some days I can write ten pages, some days none. The most I've written is thirty, but it's rare to have the stamina and uninterrupted time to get that many pages done. I like Merline Lovelace's plan to do five pages a day. That's doable.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Tuesday Ten: Luck of the Draw
With The Model Man released and my work load gradually easing up, I’m finally able to get back to the historical research I’ve started—and abandoned—and started again—so many times.
My hero is a sometime-snake-oil salesman, not above taking money from innocent farmers who are convinced he can make it rain or selling the odd elixir guaranteed to cure all ills. But more often than not he makes his living as a gambler (just so long as he’s not making an honest living, this guy is happy. Some hero, huh?). And like most gamblers from the old west, he’s not above using gadgets and gizmos to eliminate chance and tilt the scales in his favor.
Here are some of the things I’ve come across in my research that he –and other cardsharps like him--might have used to ply his trade.
Blue tinted spectacles. This one threw me. I never dreamed they had anything this advanced in the Old West. These enable the wearer to detect the phosphorescent ink on marked cards—which is invisible to the naked eye.
Card Trimmer. This could be used to mend the frayed edges of an old deck—or to shave a tiny portion from certain cards to make them easy to find in the deck.
Corner rounder. The companion to the card trimmer. Used to cut new corners on an entire deck, or to mark particular cards by slightly altering the corners.
Marked Cards. The most popular and the thing that first came to my mind. Special markings on the cards reveal their value to the dealer, usually by a symbol innocently hidden in the design on the back of the deck. This symbol would rotate clockwise depending on the face value of the card. (Suits were less important than number cards in many games, so they were often left unmarked.)
Holdouts were ingenious devices designed to let the gambler "hold out" certain cards and play them when the time was right and the pot was full:
Sleeve holdout. This device featured an extra wide cuff that buckled around the wearer’s upper arm and extended a playing card into his palm when he bent his elbow.
Breastplate hold out. This was sewn inside the gambler’s coat and attached by a long cord to his boot. He could conceal or produce an entire hand of cards simply by stretching or bending his leg.
Hold out vest. This vest had a single strip of elastic sewn into it to hold a card or two—and included an additional loop for a small pencil used to mark cards.
Fanny pack hold out? LOL. Not sure what this one was called. But a pouch that looks amazingly like a fanny pack was strapped about the waist under the gambler’s vest. It contained a spring-loaded frame that would hold several cards or an entire deck in reserve for just the right moment. Like the breastplate holdout, it was manipulated by the wearer’s leg.
The Kepplinger holdout. The finest of its class and undoubtedly the most famous of the holdout devices. This harness of pulleys, cords and telescoping silver-plated tubes reached from a man’s forearms down to his knees. The gambler would activate this device by simply spreading his knees ever so slightly and the claw like “sneak” hidden beneath two layers of a special double shirt sleeve moved the cards into his hand. For a description and a drawing http://cardshark.us/holdouts_frs.shtml
Source: The Old West Time Life Series: The Gamblers.
And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holdout
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