Now that I have your attention...Today I was doing some research for the fire department, when I came across this article that I had saved. It has nothing to do with fires, but it is a good example of how things were reported in the papers in the late 1800's. It is from the Tuesday March 14, 1893 edition of the Streator Daily Monitor, one of three papers in the city at the time. I will put it here exactly how it was printed in the paper.
Murder or Suicide ?
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The Police Department Has A Mystery To Solve.
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Fritz Belocks is an aged German who resides in a little black shanty along side of the Alton track, some two hundred yards south of the depot. Last night he got home from Parker's tile factory about 6:30 and upon entering his home he found that his housekeeper, Mrs. Etta Defoid, aged 58 years, had been shot some time during the day.
The neighbors were alarmed and the police were notified. The woman was taken to St. Mary's Hospital where Dr. W. I. Smithot tended to her injuries. One bullet had entered her head squarely between the eyes, ranging downward. A probe was inserted to the depth of three inches without finding the bullet. The other wound was in the right temple, the revolver having been held so close that the hair was singed.
The woman's stories are somewhat conflicting. To the police she said that a tramp called at the house yesterday morning and that in attempting to drive him out, she got the revolver. The tramp secured the revolver and shot her twice. To one of the neighbor women she said the revolver had been discharged accidently.
She gave a circumstantial and minute description of the tramp, but afterward, said that she would not be able to recognize him if she saw him.
She had been about the house all day with the two bullets in her head and had made no attempt to alarm the neighbors. She had even begun to prepare the evening meal. Pools of blood all over the house indicated that she had moved around freely. There were no signs of any struggle. The neighbors saw no suspicious characters about.
The woman's vitality is remarkable as she still lives with the two great wounds in her head. Belocks was locked up, although it is not thought that he knows anything about it. He says that the woman told him Sunday that she was tired of life. The police are inclined to give creedence to the theory of suicide.
Belocks was discharged from custody this afternoon.
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Interesting story, isn't it ? There were a lot of things discussed in it that you would NEVER see in a newspaper today. But back then, this was the only way that people got their news, and with three newspapers in a small town, the more details in the story, the more papers were sold.This story was published at the top of page 4. Where would it be today? If it even made the paper, that is...
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
It was a warm October night when I heard that whistle blow. I had my window open to enjoy the cool night air, and I was sleeping soundly when I was awoken by the sound of a passing train. I normally sleep soundly through such noise because having lived near the railroad nearly my entire life, I am used to it. But on this dark, moonless night something had shaken me from my usual sound slumber. My father and I share the love of the railroads and we go down to the depot quite often to watch the freight trains pass by. On one of these occasions my dad told me a story that his father had told him when he was a child. It was the story of an engineer named 'Big ' John Johnson. At the time that Big John worked on the Santa Fe, Streator (my hometown) was the end of the SantaFe Railroad. In fact in the early 1900's Streator played host to seven railroads which hauled a lot of coal from the twelve working coal mines and glass from its three glass factories. Because of its importance to the SantaFe, Streator had a roundhouse and turntable, which turned the steam locomotives for the return trip to Chicago. It also featured a repair shop and service facilities for both cars and locomotives. Big John was well known in Streator for his engineering prowess as he had risen through the ranks of the railroad men, starting out as a fireman (shoveling coal) to a yard hostler( driving a switch engine) to eventually becoming a freight and passenger engineer. At that time as an engineer accrued senority, he got to choose and run his own engine. Those engines were driven and taken care of by one engineer/ fireman combination.One way that the engineersseperated themselves from each other was by the sounds of their whistles. Each one had a distinct sound, so everyone knew when a particular engineer was in town.Big John got his knickname because he volunteered to run the newest and biggest engine on the line, a 4-8-4. It was also the fastest engine of the time, and Big John was always on time. Just outside of town the track cruved to the East and then was straight as an arrow for over 60 miles, the longest straight stretch on the railroad at then time
On one moonless, foggy night, the road foreman asked Big John if he would take the extra up to Chicago. The extra was composed of perishable freight which came into Streator on other railroads then taken on the SantaFe up to Chicago. Big John was not scheduled to work until the following night, but he agreed and his engine was readied for the trip. As was his custom, Big John gave three long blasts on his whistle as he started . He told the foreman that he would see him the next day as he climbed up the ladder into the cab. It was 2:30 am on the morning of October 20th, Big John's birthday. He was looking forward to spending the day in Chicago after the trip. After checking his gauges and reading his train orders, he blew his whistle and started off to Chicago. All of the trains on the line between Streator and Chicago had been ordered into sidings to clear the way for Big John and the extra. After taking on water and coal in Streator, the extra didn't need to stop during its trip. As the whistle faded into the night, the extra picked up speed and disappeared into the fog. Around 3 am, the sound of three long blasts of a whistle echoed through the depot. The dispatcher ran out of the depot to see what was wrong. Why was Big John back already? He waited and waited but no train came.Perplexed he returned to his desk just as the telegraph began to tick. Listening closely he deciphered the bad news. The extra had met an untimely end. On a lonely stretch of the line, a freight had stopped on a siding, but the fog was so thick the engineer couldn't see that the caboose and three cars were stillcars were still out on the main track.Thinking the line was clear Big John had his engine going full speed . When the red lanterns on the back of the caboose appeared in the fog, it was too late. The extra hit the stopped freight and derailedthe engine flipped onto its side and skidded down the track. Then it dug into the roadbed and broke the rails.As the following 15 cars, carried by momentum crushed the tender into the cab, one of the broken rails pierced the boiler filling the wreckage with live steam. As the crew of the stopped train approached the wreckage, the whistle began to blow.Three long shrill blasts, then silence. All that could be heard then was the fading roar of escaping steam as the boiler eventually emptied. It was 3am. The following morning they found the bodies of Big John and his fireman in the crushed cab. They had been killed instantly in the wreck. Big John was found with one hand scalded to the throttle and the other to the whistle cord. And so the legend of Big John was born. The dispatcher quit the following year after hearing three long blasts of a very unique whistle at 3am on a crystal clear October night. October20 to be exact. The SantaFe continued to expand westward and eventually Streator became just another stop along the main line of a very large railroad. It now sees around 30 freight trains a day come through town.I live three blocks from the Main Street crossing, so I hear them all, along with the sound of the wheels booming across the diamond where the 2 railroads left in Streator cross. All of the trains blow their whistles for the crossing 3 shorts, 2 longs, and 3 shorts as they pass. But they all sound the same anymore. Except one. The one that woke me up tonight. At 3 am.Three shrill blast of a steam whistle. If you hear it you will know the difference. It is after all, October 20th. Wish Big John a happy birthday.
On one moonless, foggy night, the road foreman asked Big John if he would take the extra up to Chicago. The extra was composed of perishable freight which came into Streator on other railroads then taken on the SantaFe up to Chicago. Big John was not scheduled to work until the following night, but he agreed and his engine was readied for the trip. As was his custom, Big John gave three long blasts on his whistle as he started . He told the foreman that he would see him the next day as he climbed up the ladder into the cab. It was 2:30 am on the morning of October 20th, Big John's birthday. He was looking forward to spending the day in Chicago after the trip. After checking his gauges and reading his train orders, he blew his whistle and started off to Chicago. All of the trains on the line between Streator and Chicago had been ordered into sidings to clear the way for Big John and the extra. After taking on water and coal in Streator, the extra didn't need to stop during its trip. As the whistle faded into the night, the extra picked up speed and disappeared into the fog. Around 3 am, the sound of three long blasts of a whistle echoed through the depot. The dispatcher ran out of the depot to see what was wrong. Why was Big John back already? He waited and waited but no train came.Perplexed he returned to his desk just as the telegraph began to tick. Listening closely he deciphered the bad news. The extra had met an untimely end. On a lonely stretch of the line, a freight had stopped on a siding, but the fog was so thick the engineer couldn't see that the caboose and three cars were stillcars were still out on the main track.Thinking the line was clear Big John had his engine going full speed . When the red lanterns on the back of the caboose appeared in the fog, it was too late. The extra hit the stopped freight and derailedthe engine flipped onto its side and skidded down the track. Then it dug into the roadbed and broke the rails.As the following 15 cars, carried by momentum crushed the tender into the cab, one of the broken rails pierced the boiler filling the wreckage with live steam. As the crew of the stopped train approached the wreckage, the whistle began to blow.Three long shrill blasts, then silence. All that could be heard then was the fading roar of escaping steam as the boiler eventually emptied. It was 3am. The following morning they found the bodies of Big John and his fireman in the crushed cab. They had been killed instantly in the wreck. Big John was found with one hand scalded to the throttle and the other to the whistle cord. And so the legend of Big John was born. The dispatcher quit the following year after hearing three long blasts of a very unique whistle at 3am on a crystal clear October night. October20 to be exact. The SantaFe continued to expand westward and eventually Streator became just another stop along the main line of a very large railroad. It now sees around 30 freight trains a day come through town.I live three blocks from the Main Street crossing, so I hear them all, along with the sound of the wheels booming across the diamond where the 2 railroads left in Streator cross. All of the trains blow their whistles for the crossing 3 shorts, 2 longs, and 3 shorts as they pass. But they all sound the same anymore. Except one. The one that woke me up tonight. At 3 am.Three shrill blast of a steam whistle. If you hear it you will know the difference. It is after all, October 20th. Wish Big John a happy birthday.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Don't Blame Me ! It Was The Cow !
The month of September 1871, was a warm and dry one in Chicago Illinois. The city had not seen a drop of rain in weeks, and by the time October rolled around, the area was ripe for a disaster.Most of the city's buildings and homes were made of wood, the most widely used and cheapest construction material of the times. The city was also full of factories of all types and houses bunched together in crowded neighborhoods.
In those days the Chicago Fire Department consisted on just over 200 full time firefighters who manned 17 steam driven engines, and hose carts along with 4 hook and ladder wagons, all driven by horses. These engines were scattered throughout the city and were dispatched by alarm bells from the city courthouse. A watchman on the roof approximated the position of the fire and sent the appropriate engines to the scene or box number. The men often lived at the firehouse, getting few days off to return to their homes. On the night of October 7, a fire broke out in a planing mill and spread quickly, eventually destroying 4 square blocks of the city. The fire quickly rose to three alarms bring all available men and equipment to the scene. The men fought desperately to contain the blaze which eventually brought under control around 3:30 am. The entire depaertment was exhausted and battered by the huge blaze. Firefighting at the time was basically hand-to-hand combat for the men who had to get in close proximity to the fires in order to get water on them. They were often burned and exhausted by the time big blazes were extinguished.
The very next night, October 8, disaster visited Chicago. A fire started in the barn behind the O'Leary residence on De Koven Street. A man sitting across the street noticed flames coming fron the O'Leary's barn and went across to try and save the animals inside. The man, Daniel Sullivan, had a wooden leg and fell several times in the barn in his attempts to save the animals. Finally he escapeds the fire and woke up the O'Leary's who were asleep in bed.By then the fiure had spread to buildings on either side, and across the narrow alley and was spreading quickly, urged on by a stiffining wind. By the time the first steamer arriveds at the scene,5 or 6 houses and barns were already burning. Box alarms, were starting to pour into the courthouse, most of them wrong. But companies in the area had noticed the fire on their own and were heading for it. Soon there were 5 steamers, 3 hose carts and a hook and ladder company in a thin perimeter around the blazing block of homes. But the hose carts had little or no pressure, and steamers soon began having problems, one ran out of coal, and another was plagued by burst hoses and a third just quit, until the engineer hit it with a hammer, and it started again and served without problems afterward. But the fire soon jumped to the next block and the firemen had to retreat to try and get ahead of it to make a stand. The fire was now large enough to make its own wind, drawing oxygen into itself and creating a fire tornado.The dry wooden buildings were no match for the inferno and embers and flaming debris were carried for blocks on the wind which started numerous small fires which were sucked back into the main fire. In less than three hours 8 to 10 square blocks were burning and the rout was on. Several engine companies tried desperately to stop the advance but were swept aside as the fire pounded them with intense heat and smoke then jumped over their heads. One company fought in a field between two blocks one man ran the hose while two others held up doors ripped from houses up in front of him to block the heat. One door burst into flames and its man ran back to the engine. The second door held, for a little but it too burst into flames and both of the men then retreated and dragged the engine away just before the entire field ignited. The fire was now driving everything towards the Chicago River. The firemen retreated across the river, but were met by even more fire.The fire jumped the river right into heart of the business district. Block by block the city was systematically destroyed. Most of the fleeing citizens went to the lake and stood in the water. The following day just before the blaze had reached the outskirts of the city and the new watertower, it began to rain.
The fire started around 9pm on Sunday night and lasted until the rain started on Tuesday morning. The official death toll was estimated to be around 300 people, but some were never found so that number was probably higher. Over 18,000 buildings were destroyed leaving over 100,000 people homeless. The damage was estimated to be $200,000,000 at the time.
The O'Leary's house, although it caught fire several times survived the fire, but 4 square miles of the city had burned to the ground beyond it's small back yard. The site of the house is now occupied by the Chicage Fire Department Training Academy. Even though it was proven shortly after the fire by eyewitness testimony, Mrs. O'Leary was still blamed for the ignition of the fire. The official cause was 'undetermined' except for the fact that it did start in the O'Leary's barn.
In those days the Chicago Fire Department consisted on just over 200 full time firefighters who manned 17 steam driven engines, and hose carts along with 4 hook and ladder wagons, all driven by horses. These engines were scattered throughout the city and were dispatched by alarm bells from the city courthouse. A watchman on the roof approximated the position of the fire and sent the appropriate engines to the scene or box number. The men often lived at the firehouse, getting few days off to return to their homes. On the night of October 7, a fire broke out in a planing mill and spread quickly, eventually destroying 4 square blocks of the city. The fire quickly rose to three alarms bring all available men and equipment to the scene. The men fought desperately to contain the blaze which eventually brought under control around 3:30 am. The entire depaertment was exhausted and battered by the huge blaze. Firefighting at the time was basically hand-to-hand combat for the men who had to get in close proximity to the fires in order to get water on them. They were often burned and exhausted by the time big blazes were extinguished.
The very next night, October 8, disaster visited Chicago. A fire started in the barn behind the O'Leary residence on De Koven Street. A man sitting across the street noticed flames coming fron the O'Leary's barn and went across to try and save the animals inside. The man, Daniel Sullivan, had a wooden leg and fell several times in the barn in his attempts to save the animals. Finally he escapeds the fire and woke up the O'Leary's who were asleep in bed.By then the fiure had spread to buildings on either side, and across the narrow alley and was spreading quickly, urged on by a stiffining wind. By the time the first steamer arriveds at the scene,5 or 6 houses and barns were already burning. Box alarms, were starting to pour into the courthouse, most of them wrong. But companies in the area had noticed the fire on their own and were heading for it. Soon there were 5 steamers, 3 hose carts and a hook and ladder company in a thin perimeter around the blazing block of homes. But the hose carts had little or no pressure, and steamers soon began having problems, one ran out of coal, and another was plagued by burst hoses and a third just quit, until the engineer hit it with a hammer, and it started again and served without problems afterward. But the fire soon jumped to the next block and the firemen had to retreat to try and get ahead of it to make a stand. The fire was now large enough to make its own wind, drawing oxygen into itself and creating a fire tornado.The dry wooden buildings were no match for the inferno and embers and flaming debris were carried for blocks on the wind which started numerous small fires which were sucked back into the main fire. In less than three hours 8 to 10 square blocks were burning and the rout was on. Several engine companies tried desperately to stop the advance but were swept aside as the fire pounded them with intense heat and smoke then jumped over their heads. One company fought in a field between two blocks one man ran the hose while two others held up doors ripped from houses up in front of him to block the heat. One door burst into flames and its man ran back to the engine. The second door held, for a little but it too burst into flames and both of the men then retreated and dragged the engine away just before the entire field ignited. The fire was now driving everything towards the Chicago River. The firemen retreated across the river, but were met by even more fire.The fire jumped the river right into heart of the business district. Block by block the city was systematically destroyed. Most of the fleeing citizens went to the lake and stood in the water. The following day just before the blaze had reached the outskirts of the city and the new watertower, it began to rain.
The fire started around 9pm on Sunday night and lasted until the rain started on Tuesday morning. The official death toll was estimated to be around 300 people, but some were never found so that number was probably higher. Over 18,000 buildings were destroyed leaving over 100,000 people homeless. The damage was estimated to be $200,000,000 at the time.
The O'Leary's house, although it caught fire several times survived the fire, but 4 square miles of the city had burned to the ground beyond it's small back yard. The site of the house is now occupied by the Chicage Fire Department Training Academy. Even though it was proven shortly after the fire by eyewitness testimony, Mrs. O'Leary was still blamed for the ignition of the fire. The official cause was 'undetermined' except for the fact that it did start in the O'Leary's barn.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
FOOTBALL FOLLIES
In the early 90's , I was a fill-in reporter for the local newspaper's sports dept. Usually my job consisted of answering the phones on Friday nights and or covering games that needed to be covered, that no one else could handle. Coming down towards Christmas, The Bears had a home game that none of the regular reporters could attend, so I got to go. It just so happened that they were playing the Denver Broncos that day. My favorite team at the time with John Elway at QB. So I got to Soldier Field and went up into the main press box. It was very nice with big cushy seats and the whole bit..but unfortunitely I was supposed to be in the auxillary pressbox down in the corner of the stadium, so a nice security guard pointed the way down there for me. As I was walking down the narrow hallway behind the radio booths on the way out, a door flew open and a giant guy came barrelling out and plowed into me, almost knocking me down. "Oh, Sorry buddy ! Are you allright ? " he said as he grabbed me I looked up and it was one of my heroes, Dick Butkus ! I said sure.. and said great ! and he took off down the hall. Well I made it over to the other pressbox,watched the game and ate and generally had a good time. After the game I collected my stats and stuff and went downstairs to the field. With a working press pass I could go everywhere except out on the field and onto the bench area. So I walked around and saw what there was to see, and after the players went in they allowed us into the tunnel to the locker rooms. The players get 15-20 minutes after the games to get their stuff off and shower..etc and at this time Mike Ditka had his press conference to keep the press busy. Then he took a golf cart to the locker room. This was before he had his hips worked on so he had trouble getting around. He went right into his office at the back and never came back out. So while I was waiting I decided to go over to Denver's locker room to see if Elway had come in yet. He was just walking up surrounded by guards. As he was going in I stuck my hand out and said "Hey Elway, nice game !" He grinned ansd shook my hand on the way by and said, "hey ! Thanks buddy !" Needless to say I was impressed ! LOL So my thrill for the day overwith I went over to stand in the crowd of TV reporters waiting to get at the Bears after another loss. All of the Chicago broadcasters were there and I found myself shoulder to shoulder with Chet Coppock on one side and Tim Weigel from channel on the other. Chet Coppock bumped into me and says Oh hey, sorry buddy! This place is like a zoo! and did that laugh of his. Well eventually we got in to the lockerroom . It was pretty basic just lockers, benches and a shower room and a training room in the back. Several players were giving interviews, so I walked up behind Mike Singletary who was sitting on a bench talking to about a dozen reporters. He was so soft-spoken, I could barely hear him and I was kinda bending over his shoulder with my notebook. As I was listening I didnt see the guy sitting on the bench directly behind me about 3 feet away. All of a sudden I hear this giant roar "F---------------------------------CK THIS!!!!!" He yelled and threw his shoulderpads against the wall, naturally they bounced off and drilled me in the back. I flinched and almost fell .. It was Steve "Mongo" Mcmichael. Evidently he didnt want to answer any questions so he was acting like a nut so people would stay away. When the pads hit me he grabbed me and said "Are you ok, Buddy ?" For just a split second he looked worried but I squeaked yea, I'm fine. Ok,good ! he said and winked at me. Everyone else including Singletary stopped for a second, saw who it was kinda smirked and kept right on talking. Mcmichael loudly said "let that be a lesson to you !" He glanced up and winked again. His strategy worked , because while I was there noone else went near him So my first Bears game as a fill-in was a pretty eventful one. One of my heroes, Dick Butkus, almost knocked me down, I shook hands with John Elway, Chet Coppock called me buddy, and Steve Mcmichael almost brained me with his shoulder pads. All-in-all it was an interesting day to say the least !
Saturday, September 10, 2011
An Encounter
I awoke suddenly one late October night to a darkened room illuminated by the light of the light of the full moon. What had awakened me I didn't really know. I was wrapped in my blanket and very reluctant to expose anything that didnt need to be exposed to te crisp night air streaming in through my slightly open window. So I peeked out and glanced around the room, just to satisly my curiosity. Nothing was amiss so I dismissed my waking up to a sound from outside. I glanced out of the window next to the bed, seeing nothing in the bright moonlight I again settled in ander the covers. Suddenly there ws a soft creak from the far side of the room. My closet door had opened up a little, I knew I had shut it before, but I was in no mood for any open doors at 3am. So I got up shuffled over and shut thedoor, making sure that it had fully shut. Yawning, I returned to bed. Dozing off, I again hear the closet door open. This time the door was wide open. Staring into the open closet I saw a pair of glowing red eyes. ZBlinking, I grabbed my glasses, and the eyes were indeed there ! Theey seemed to blink several times as I watched in a growing terror. Dismissing the entire incident as a twisted dream. After awhile I fell asleep. Severalminutes later I was awake again. Looking at the closet the eyes were gone. Settling back in. I heard a soft scratching noise on the carpet under the bed. Looking over the side, I peeked under the bed. The eyes were there glowing brightly. I hurriedly pulled my self under the covers. Again the shuffling sounds. I kept my eyes tightly closed terrifiedMinutes passed and I peeked from the bed into the dloset, the eyes had returned. As I watched, the closet door slowly closed. Blaming the entire incident on spicy foods I fell fast asleep. I awoke in the morning the sun was shining brightly on October 31st. As I shuffled over to the closet to get my clothes, I reached for the doorknob to open the door. Just before I grabbed the knob it began to rattle as if something ws trying to open it. I didn't open it.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Who Is It ?
One October day I was walking and what did I see?
A little man in black sitting high in a tree.
Who is it ?
Would he jump, or would he fall ?
Who is it ?
I found I did not care at all.
Who is it ?
He stared at me with glowing eyes of red.
Who is it ?
It was an image that stuck in my head.
Who is it ?
As I walked in the fading light,
Who is it ?
To walk and not run took all of my might.
Who is it ?
I made it home and went to bed
Who is it ?
With those burning red eyes still lingering in my head.
Who is it ?
3am.. a knock at my door
Who is it ?
I really couldn't take much more.
Who is it ?
For in bed I had tossed and turned
Who is it?
Those glowing red eyes in my head still burned.
Who is it?
I went out on the porch and what did I see
Who is it?
Two burning red eyes far up in my tree !
Who is it ?
Who are you and why are you here ?
Who is it ?
But those eyes only stared, leaving me shaking with fear.
Who is it ?
With a flap of leathery wings, the eyes were gone
Who is it ?
As a shadow drifted across my lawn.
Who was it ?
By Bear (9/7/2011) 3:30 am
A little man in black sitting high in a tree.
Who is it ?
Would he jump, or would he fall ?
Who is it ?
I found I did not care at all.
Who is it ?
He stared at me with glowing eyes of red.
Who is it ?
It was an image that stuck in my head.
Who is it ?
As I walked in the fading light,
Who is it ?
To walk and not run took all of my might.
Who is it ?
I made it home and went to bed
Who is it ?
With those burning red eyes still lingering in my head.
Who is it ?
3am.. a knock at my door
Who is it ?
I really couldn't take much more.
Who is it ?
For in bed I had tossed and turned
Who is it?
Those glowing red eyes in my head still burned.
Who is it?
I went out on the porch and what did I see
Who is it?
Two burning red eyes far up in my tree !
Who is it ?
Who are you and why are you here ?
Who is it ?
But those eyes only stared, leaving me shaking with fear.
Who is it ?
With a flap of leathery wings, the eyes were gone
Who is it ?
As a shadow drifted across my lawn.
Who was it ?
By Bear (9/7/2011) 3:30 am
First Watch
FIRST WATCH
I'm no probie now
Today I turned fourth grade
Tonight I stand my first
Full watch alone, the three to six
It's a lonely lonesome watch
And sometimes very quiet
Except for those funny noises
Coming from the rig.
The lieutenant said it's just
That the rig is settling
Nothing else !
Big Pat McDonough has
Another story. says he
It's the ghosts of firemen
Who've stood their last late
Watch long long ago
And come back and visit
In the wee hours of the morn
And cllimb up on the truck.
Bill Hyland, Fireman Fourth Grade
Ladder Company 10, FDNY, 3/1/1938
I'm no probie now
Today I turned fourth grade
Tonight I stand my first
Full watch alone, the three to six
It's a lonely lonesome watch
And sometimes very quiet
Except for those funny noises
Coming from the rig.
The lieutenant said it's just
That the rig is settling
Nothing else !
Big Pat McDonough has
Another story. says he
It's the ghosts of firemen
Who've stood their last late
Watch long long ago
And come back and visit
In the wee hours of the morn
And cllimb up on the truck.
Bill Hyland, Fireman Fourth Grade
Ladder Company 10, FDNY, 3/1/1938
Friday, September 2, 2011
History, Gotta Love It !
A discussion I was in on Facebook today reminded me of when I was in graduate school attempting to earn a second degree, this one in history. I had finished all of te classes when all I needed to do was write a paper on a topic provided to me, and defend it before a panel of professors. (kinda like a doctorate but not quite that amount of work ) anyway I got sick, lost my first leg and never went back. Anyway we took a trip to the University of Illinois-Chicago Library for a tour. The class was taken into a temp. controlled room and you couldn't take anything with you. They had pencils and paper in the room to take notes if you wanted, but mostly we were there to SEE a small part of their collection. The only thing you couldnt actually pick up and look at was a book from te 1300's. It was called a book of hours. It was something a woman had carried to say her prayers. It was hand written and the pictures were painted with real gems and gold. Oh and the only other untouchable was one of Galileo's books which had his handwritten notes in the margins. Other that that you could pick stuff up and look at it. There were letters written by Albert Einstein talking about the atomic bomb and various presidents and historical figures and old books and relics. One I found particularly interesting was a hand written letter from Abe Lincoln to Sen. Douglas spelling out some rules about the first debate which took place in Ottawa, where I lived at the time. It was just so neat to be able to hold something written by Lincoln or Einstein. They have books on their shelves from the 1400's and 1500's that students can check out for research. And if they have someting you need (documents, etc.) you can request to see them and they let you examine them in one of the controlled rooms. I would love to go to the National Archives and look at stuff, or the Library of Congress. Maybe I'm just a nerd, but this stuff facinates me. I have spent months at the Streatorland Historical Society looking at old photos and things researching my book. They have file cabinets full of old photos that I have looked through. I have also read every page of every Streator newspaper from 1910-1949, looking for articles about the fire dept. They were often scattered throughout the paper, and stuck in where there was room, so I have to pay attention while I'm reading. At one time Streator had three daily newspapers, so thats a lot of reading. But over time I have developed a system of reading to save time, for example I dont read the classifieds, or I know to pay attention more on certain page numbers because the papers have a pattern on where things are printed, but not always, so I have to pay attention. When I find something I write down the page and column number for my index, author of the story if any and a brief synopsis of the story. I am also putting together a run log for the fire dept, but not every run made the paper, so I only write down what I see. It does give them a general idea of what the dept did back in those days, but not EVERY run is in there so they get what I get. My book will have stories from 1868-1964 in it. I basically tell stories of what things were like or how things happened. I guess you could qualify it as historical, but obviously I wasnt around in 1874 to see half of Main Street burn down, so I have to rely on the newspapers to find out what went on. I may add details like "the men fought desperately to save the Oriental Building" now do I know they were desperate ? Well if half the town is burning and you have very little hose and no ladders,would you be desperate ? LOL So thats why I state right in the title thaat these are STORIES from the history of the Streator Fire Dept. I guess technically it is historical fiction. It is all researched and indexed and the stories are all true, they did happen in the way that I have written, its just that I didnt witness the events myself,so I am retelling the stories as they happened. I know that may be nitpicky, but that's the way I have been taught, and that's the way it will be. I'm sure someone will end up bitching about something, but that's the way it goes, I guess. I would just like people to read and enjoy the stories and maybe learn a little about Streator's past. If you don't like it, don't read it, just like anything else.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Death In The Line Of Duty
Every year on August 28, an anniversary passes without much, if any fanfare. It is the day , 82 years ago , on which two Streator firemen lost their lives at a fire at the Kennedy Truck Body Plant. They were buried by a collapsing wall in a narrow alley while manning a hose. They were stationed between the burning factory and the house next door trying to keep the fire from consuming the dwelling. There were 3 men taking turns at the nozzle because of the intense heat, which could be felt over a block away, according to newspaper accounts. Battleing low water pressure as well as the flames, the men were inching out into the alley from a small yard next to the house. Fire Chief Frank Owen warned the men several times to back up because the wall had a slight lean because of weakened mortal due to the intense heat. Adding to the danger, the roof had collapsed and part of the wreckage was being supported by the wall, adding more pressure on it to fail. The three men running the hose were Charles Marx, city fireman, and John Norris and Fred Thomas both volunteers.
At the time of the collapse, Marx had taken over the nozzle with Norris and Thomas holding the hose behind him. Thomas saw the wall fall and tried to pull the others back through the gate of the fence. 50 feet of the two-story wall had given way and fell outward into the alley. Falling backwards, Thomas grabbed Norris and pulled him back, but couldn't reach Marx. As the wall collapsed the scene fell into chaos as bricks, flaming debris, dust and smoke blanketed the alley. With a new rush of oxygen and a small breeze the fire leapt at the pile of bricks that had buried the two men. Another hose team managed to beat back the flames, as a dozen volunteers and firemen attacked the pile to uncover the trapped men. Mr Norris was found first because his head and one shoulder were sticking out of the debris. Badly burned and suffering several broken bones, Norris lived for severl minutes, but died at the scene. Marx had taken the full force of the collapse and had died instantly. It took several minutes of digging through the red-hot bricks and debris to uncover his body. Most of the rescuers were working without gloves and sustained burned hands while moving the debris. Fred Thomas suffered from a broken arm and cuts and bruises from the flying bricks. The fire was eventually brought under control and finally extinguished the next morning. The destroyed factory was eventually rebuilt,except for the part which had contained the collapsed wall. The factory was eventually torn down in the early 2000's. The site is now a vacant lot at the corner of Monroe and Broadway Streets. The house and the small yard survived the fire and remain standing. The fire department recently erected a memorial in front of the station dedicated to the rememberance of the two men and all of the Streator Firefighters who have passed away. Marx and Norris are the only two Streator Firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
At the time of the collapse, Marx had taken over the nozzle with Norris and Thomas holding the hose behind him. Thomas saw the wall fall and tried to pull the others back through the gate of the fence. 50 feet of the two-story wall had given way and fell outward into the alley. Falling backwards, Thomas grabbed Norris and pulled him back, but couldn't reach Marx. As the wall collapsed the scene fell into chaos as bricks, flaming debris, dust and smoke blanketed the alley. With a new rush of oxygen and a small breeze the fire leapt at the pile of bricks that had buried the two men. Another hose team managed to beat back the flames, as a dozen volunteers and firemen attacked the pile to uncover the trapped men. Mr Norris was found first because his head and one shoulder were sticking out of the debris. Badly burned and suffering several broken bones, Norris lived for severl minutes, but died at the scene. Marx had taken the full force of the collapse and had died instantly. It took several minutes of digging through the red-hot bricks and debris to uncover his body. Most of the rescuers were working without gloves and sustained burned hands while moving the debris. Fred Thomas suffered from a broken arm and cuts and bruises from the flying bricks. The fire was eventually brought under control and finally extinguished the next morning. The destroyed factory was eventually rebuilt,except for the part which had contained the collapsed wall. The factory was eventually torn down in the early 2000's. The site is now a vacant lot at the corner of Monroe and Broadway Streets. The house and the small yard survived the fire and remain standing. The fire department recently erected a memorial in front of the station dedicated to the rememberance of the two men and all of the Streator Firefighters who have passed away. Marx and Norris are the only two Streator Firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Yesterday, Let it be
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it seems as though they're here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
Suddenly I'm not half the man I used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
---------------------------------------------
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There us still a light that shines on me
Shine on till tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Now it seems as though they're here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
Suddenly I'm not half the man I used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
---------------------------------------------
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There us still a light that shines on me
Shine on till tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Hugs
Hugs, I've always liked them and always will. They say a lot to me , even cyber-hugs. It just means that someone cares enough to take the time to encourage you to like you or even love you even from far away. This reminds me of when I was in a wrestling tournament during junior year at SHS. We went to Minooka for a one day meet. And as a heavyweight I went last. Well that day I was lucky enough to make it to the finals but lost and went for 3rd place. At the end, they had 2 mats side by side, 1st place match on one, 3rd on the other. When they were done you lined up by place on the podium and a bunch of cheerleaders would give you your medal and a hug. Well we had been watching this all night. As heavyweights you know, we were the fat guys who didnt even have to worry about cutting weight, or anything like that, so there really wasn't much of an uproar when we wrestled, unless the meet was on the line, then everybody cared ! LOL Well I was lucky enough that day to get 3rd place and a medal. We took our spots, and here came the cheerleaders. WhooHooo! Until they walked up with disgusted looks on their faces. They announced the kid in 4th, nobody clapped, and he kinda bent over so she could put his medal on and she just handed it to him and walked away. They did the same to me and even to the 2nd place guy and the champion. They just handed him the trophy and the poster with the brackets written on it and walked away. Maybe they were tired after being there all day, or maybe we were just the FAT guys at the end, who knows. But after watching them hugs everbody else in the finals, we were disgusted. When I got home I showed the medal to my parents, but later, I took it and threw it out. Why ? Because it reminded me of my place in the world, and that it would probably never get better, and it hasn't sadly. That cheerleader tought me a very important lesson, one that I have never forgotten even now 30 years later.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
A Penny For Your Thoughts
My name is Bear. I am a coin collector. I might as well put a sign on my back that says I'm a nerd. It can go right next to the one that says kick me. I like to get change to look through it to see if I get anything good. Every once in awhile I get lucky and get one that I need. If I see one on the ground I'll pick it up. I've found them everywhere, on sidewalks, in the street on the beach, in the ocean, in my garden, in the yard, everywhere. I have a metal detector that works pretty well. I would love to live by the ocean so I could walk every morning and look for shells and treasure. I usually get a sackful at the bank for $50. I find all kinds of stuff in those things. Dimes, nickles, foreign coins, etc. I sort through them, keep the ones I want and turns the rest back in to the bank. It is pretty much a self sustaining hobby. Every once in awhile I'll order unsorted rolls on the internet to get indian head pennies (pre 1909 ) 1909-1958 are wheat pennies (they have the wheat stalks on the back) 1959-2009 have the lincoln memorial on the back. In 2010 they have designs from lincoln's life and in 2011 they switched to a shield design. The memorial design is not going to be used again, so collectors are snatching them up along with the new designs. The quarters have switched from the states on the back to national parks, starting in 2010. Nickles have also had different designs during the past few years. Did you know that any silver coins before 1964 are mostly silver ? The older they are the more silver they have in them. After 1964 they are silver clad copper or zinc. So if you have some change lying around, send it my way, I'll trade you dollars for it any time !
Sunday, August 7, 2011
This Is a Joke
What did one eye say to the other ... Between you and me something smells ! Thank you and good night ! Its 6:15 am, what more do you want ?! I'll expostulate tonight, you my loyal readers ! Have a nice day ! No my account wasn't hacked, I actually wrote this ! LOL
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wolves
Lord please shine a light of hope
On those of us who fall behind
And when we stumble in the snow
Could you help us up , while there's still time
Well I don't mean to be complainin' Lord
You've always seen me through
And I know You've got your reasons
For each and every thing You do
But tonight outside my window
There's a lonesome, mournful sound
And I just can't keep from thinkin'
' Bout the one the wolves pull down
Oh Lord, keep me from bein'
The one the wolves pull down
Once again, an old Garth Brooks song that speaks volumes to me. This isn't the whole song. The entire thing is good, but I only put the end here. Why ? probably because I didn't feel like typing it all in. Besides, this is the part that really speaks to me for fairly obvious reasons. Did you know that a company of firemen going floor to floor in one of the World Trade Center towers came upon a large room full of handicapped people on crutches and wheelchairs etc.. Who had been told to wait there, out of the way, for help to come . Each of these people had someone with them,who had helped them down, to this area where they were, and wouldn't leave,despite being ordered to leave. Every one of them stayed with their disabled person. The firemen called for help and they got everyone down and out of the building Most of these people were carried down the steps by firemen, who kept going back up until everyone and their helpers were out. Minutes later, the building collapsed. Now what does any of this have to do with anything? You see I think about these things all of the time. I am not very fast anymore and stairs are not my strongpoint, so if there's a major problem I probably wouldn't make it out. That's not being negative, thats just facing a brutal reality, like those people in the WTC.They had no idea what was goingon because basically they were left to fend for themselves . I hope that I never have to face that reality because I know what would happen. I've seen it already, and I know what would happen. It's only human nature.
On those of us who fall behind
And when we stumble in the snow
Could you help us up , while there's still time
Well I don't mean to be complainin' Lord
You've always seen me through
And I know You've got your reasons
For each and every thing You do
But tonight outside my window
There's a lonesome, mournful sound
And I just can't keep from thinkin'
' Bout the one the wolves pull down
Oh Lord, keep me from bein'
The one the wolves pull down
Once again, an old Garth Brooks song that speaks volumes to me. This isn't the whole song. The entire thing is good, but I only put the end here. Why ? probably because I didn't feel like typing it all in. Besides, this is the part that really speaks to me for fairly obvious reasons. Did you know that a company of firemen going floor to floor in one of the World Trade Center towers came upon a large room full of handicapped people on crutches and wheelchairs etc.. Who had been told to wait there, out of the way, for help to come . Each of these people had someone with them,who had helped them down, to this area where they were, and wouldn't leave,despite being ordered to leave. Every one of them stayed with their disabled person. The firemen called for help and they got everyone down and out of the building Most of these people were carried down the steps by firemen, who kept going back up until everyone and their helpers were out. Minutes later, the building collapsed. Now what does any of this have to do with anything? You see I think about these things all of the time. I am not very fast anymore and stairs are not my strongpoint, so if there's a major problem I probably wouldn't make it out. That's not being negative, thats just facing a brutal reality, like those people in the WTC.They had no idea what was goingon because basically they were left to fend for themselves . I hope that I never have to face that reality because I know what would happen. I've seen it already, and I know what would happen. It's only human nature.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Encounters of The Uncertain Kind
It's past 3am, and the witching hour is upon us ! According to all the ghost hunting shows that I watch (faithfully, I may add) this is the time of night when the action happens. This is the time when you wake up for no reason, to flip over to the cool side of the pillow. But is that the true reason you woke up or was it something else ? Do I believe in ghosts ? Sure. I used to cut the grass in an old cemetary, I've seen things during the daytime there. I wouldn't get caught in there at night by anyone or anything ! Maybe its the heat and riding a lawn mower for 3 straight hours that plays tricks on you. I wear headphones to block the noise, and I am always looking down, because the rows of headstones are not straight, and if you hit one it knocks your teeth out. Now I have seen things out of the corner of my eye. I have heard my name called out as clear as day, I've glanced up to see people standing in front of me, and seen people walking on the far side of the place, all when there's no one there but me. ONE time I drove around the entire cemetary looking for someone that wasn't there. I finished up and left, but I was chilly the rest of the day, even in the middle of summer ! Now,am I afraid to go back there ? In the daytime, not really. But you couldn't drag me in there after sunset. Maybe in the more fitting part of the year I'll let you have a peek at some details. Oh, I remember them all. Its hard not to.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Reading and Writing
I do a lot of reading and a lot of writing. You may know that I am finishing a book of stories from the history of the Streator, Il fire department. It is called Dancing With The Devil. I got the title from the original Batman movie. It's a line the Joker uses a lot in the film : "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight ?" In order to learn more about fires, and firefighters and their equipment I will generally read anything that has to do with the subject. Most of the 35 books that I had found through the years, I gave to the SFD for their library at the station. Some of them I read a lot, some were only once. The story of the Ringling Bros Circus big top fire in 1944, in which over 160 people died, was a one timer. So was the book about the school fire in Chicago that killed 95 people in 1958. Another was the book about the theater fire in Chicago that killed over 600 people. Now, why do I search for these books for a long time, then read them only once ? Frankly, they scared the shit out of me. They are all brilliantly written, graphically detailed stories about events that took a lot of lives and taught a lot of hard lessons. Most of which were learned, some of which were not. For a small town, Streator has seen its fair share of tragic fires. The worst was the Williams Hardware Store explosion and fire in 1958 that took 6 lives, and a fire on Nov. 2, 1932 which killed 4 children on N. Vermillion St. Another fire, on August 29, 1929 took the lives of 2 Streator firemen when a wall collapsed and buried them in an alley. They are the only 2 men to die in the line of duty of the SFD. I tell their stories so that people will remember them. Even if its only for a little while. I believe that everybody should be remembered, even for a little while. Now these stories scared me because I have a tendency to put myself in the story. I am a huge fan of Stephen King. He likes to do that, get his readers involved in the story then scare the hell out of them,playing on their emotions todraw them in. But if you write about history, most of the time your supposed to leave your emotions at the door. If you get emotional, even little towards one side or the other, you wont tell the whole story, and to understand most events you have totell the whole tale, no matter what. Otherwise you become biased to one side and the whole thing becomes slanted, and the truth gets lost. If you want people to remember, tell them the truth, and prove it with as many facts as you can get. People may not like it, but they will remember. Telling the stories that I tell is a nasty business sometimes. But that's what history is about for me.Looking under the bed to see what people dont normally see, or want you to see, and presenting things so people might actually learn about something they didn't know before. If I can get one person to say "Huh, well I've never heard about that before." Then I've done a good job.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
What She's Doing Now
What She's Doing Now
Last time I saw her, it was turnin' colder
But that was years ago
Last I'd heard she had moved to Boulder
But where she's now, I don't know
But there's somethin' 'bout this time of year
That spins my head around
Takes me back, makes me wonder
What's she doin' now
"cause what she's doin now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptyin' my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows..what she's doin' now
Just for laughs I dialed her old number
But no one knew her name
Hung up the phone, sat there and wondered
If she'd ever done the same
I took a walk in the evenin' wind
To clear my head somehow
But tonight I lie here thinkin'
What's she doin' now
'Cause what she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
'Fillin up my mind and emptying my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows...what's she's doin' now
'Cause what she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptying my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows...what she's doin' now
I love this old Garth Brooks song. It brings back lots of memories for me..some good, some not so good. But such is life. Do we all actually find our one 'true love' ? If we do, do we know it ? Or do we screw it up and spend the rest of our lives waiting for it to appear again.Or do we 'settle' on someone, while we wait ? Is that really fair to you or to the other person ?What happens if 'the one' thinks you're an idiot, or you simply don't try to tell them. Or you're best friends who see each other through the heartaches and disappiontments of life. Comfortable enough to know practically everything about each other,even perhaps dependent on each other, but never taking that final step. Why ? Because you're scared to lose them, that's why. They are your security blanket, your secret teddy bear or stuffed animal you sleep with at night. Everybody has one, admit it. I have my pillow its 46 years old, there's not much left of the insides, but its mine.It has gone everywhere with me. Vacations, cruises, football games,you name it. It even goes to the hospital with me.Even when I slept for a long time after my surgeries, in ICU, everywhere.I guess the ICU nurse tried to get it way from me when I was out of it, and I wouldnt give it up no matter what.When I finally realized what was going on a day and a 1/2 later, I had it tucked under my arm. LOL But I digress.
Now, those of you who know me know that I am going through a divorce right now. She left me for another man (men)last Sept. But she had actually been doing this behind my back for years, according to her facebook page.But she's not the one this song is about for me. This song reminds me of someone whom I fell in love with at first sight. This happened a looooong time ago. I think about her and smile everyday. But she will probably never know..and that's ok. She has a great life now, and I have the flaming wreckage of mine. If I close my eyes, I can remember when we met, her voice and her beauty. I think she actually liked me, but I was too stupid and dumbfounded to figure it out. So dear, no matter what song I liked, I whistled, the poems that I wrote, all that stuff didn't pertain to you anyway. You can screw as many men as you want to, including the two you are stringing along now. Oh, and I heard that I interrupted something when I called you in mexico.Did you stop long enough to answer the phone and hang up on me, or did we keep right on going ? I hope youre proud of yourself . Maybe it wont get you as excited if you're not married anymore,is that why you're dragging you feet ? Or is it the extra weight frombeing mounted all the time ? Have a nice life. By the way drop my name, you don't deserve it. How do you like them apples. (all kinds of ways from what I hear)
Last time I saw her, it was turnin' colder
But that was years ago
Last I'd heard she had moved to Boulder
But where she's now, I don't know
But there's somethin' 'bout this time of year
That spins my head around
Takes me back, makes me wonder
What's she doin' now
"cause what she's doin now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptyin' my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows..what she's doin' now
Just for laughs I dialed her old number
But no one knew her name
Hung up the phone, sat there and wondered
If she'd ever done the same
I took a walk in the evenin' wind
To clear my head somehow
But tonight I lie here thinkin'
What's she doin' now
'Cause what she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
'Fillin up my mind and emptying my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows...what's she's doin' now
'Cause what she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptying my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows...what she's doin' now
I love this old Garth Brooks song. It brings back lots of memories for me..some good, some not so good. But such is life. Do we all actually find our one 'true love' ? If we do, do we know it ? Or do we screw it up and spend the rest of our lives waiting for it to appear again.Or do we 'settle' on someone, while we wait ? Is that really fair to you or to the other person ?What happens if 'the one' thinks you're an idiot, or you simply don't try to tell them. Or you're best friends who see each other through the heartaches and disappiontments of life. Comfortable enough to know practically everything about each other,even perhaps dependent on each other, but never taking that final step. Why ? Because you're scared to lose them, that's why. They are your security blanket, your secret teddy bear or stuffed animal you sleep with at night. Everybody has one, admit it. I have my pillow its 46 years old, there's not much left of the insides, but its mine.It has gone everywhere with me. Vacations, cruises, football games,you name it. It even goes to the hospital with me.Even when I slept for a long time after my surgeries, in ICU, everywhere.I guess the ICU nurse tried to get it way from me when I was out of it, and I wouldnt give it up no matter what.When I finally realized what was going on a day and a 1/2 later, I had it tucked under my arm. LOL But I digress.
Now, those of you who know me know that I am going through a divorce right now. She left me for another man (men)last Sept. But she had actually been doing this behind my back for years, according to her facebook page.But she's not the one this song is about for me. This song reminds me of someone whom I fell in love with at first sight. This happened a looooong time ago. I think about her and smile everyday. But she will probably never know..and that's ok. She has a great life now, and I have the flaming wreckage of mine. If I close my eyes, I can remember when we met, her voice and her beauty. I think she actually liked me, but I was too stupid and dumbfounded to figure it out. So dear, no matter what song I liked, I whistled, the poems that I wrote, all that stuff didn't pertain to you anyway. You can screw as many men as you want to, including the two you are stringing along now. Oh, and I heard that I interrupted something when I called you in mexico.Did you stop long enough to answer the phone and hang up on me, or did we keep right on going ? I hope youre proud of yourself . Maybe it wont get you as excited if you're not married anymore,is that why you're dragging you feet ? Or is it the extra weight frombeing mounted all the time ? Have a nice life. By the way drop my name, you don't deserve it. How do you like them apples. (all kinds of ways from what I hear)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
To Whom It May Concern
Not Ready To Make Nice
Forgive ? Sounds good
Forget ? I don't think I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting
I'm through with doubt
There's nothing left for me to figure out
I've paid a price
And I'm still paying
I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
"Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do the things you think I should
I know you said
Can't you just get over it ?
It turned my whole world around
And I kinda like it
I'm not ready to make nice
Im not ready to back down
'Cause I'm mad as hell, and I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
"cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what you think I should
Forgive ? sounds good
Forget ? I don't think I could
They say time heals everything.....
I'm still waiting
Forgive ? Sounds good
Forget ? I don't think I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting
I'm through with doubt
There's nothing left for me to figure out
I've paid a price
And I'm still paying
I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
"Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do the things you think I should
I know you said
Can't you just get over it ?
It turned my whole world around
And I kinda like it
I'm not ready to make nice
Im not ready to back down
'Cause I'm mad as hell, and I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
"cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what you think I should
Forgive ? sounds good
Forget ? I don't think I could
They say time heals everything.....
I'm still waiting
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
It's Hot and I'm Ornery
This post may offend you. To be honest, it offends me. I have an incurable, fatal disease. It is called diabetes. No I don't have cancer. I know that cancerhas affected lots of people that I know. They have lost loved ones. Sisters, brothers, friends. I have felt their grief. But my disease is just as deadly, just as painful, just as slow. My body is being shut down, piece by piece, organ by organ, limb by limb. Yet I have heard my disease called the "fat people's" disease. That offends me. I became diabetic during the first week of April of 1986. I dislocated my left knee in spring football practice. My life changed when I hit the ground. It hasn't been the same since that moment. I have been slowly dying. I went 1 year before being diagnosed. They found out after I went blind. Since that time I have had 12 surgeries, spent months in the hospital at different times and have lost both legs. But I am not looking for sympathy or pity. I would just like people to take diabetes seriously. It is one of the top killers of people every year, yet it is not the current 'cause" disease. Diabetes has many causes, and some times it is inherited. Mine was. I have relatives on both sides of my family who were diabetic. It skips generations. My grandkids will have to be checked, but hopefully, by then they will be close to or have a cure for it., but for now there isn't any. I fight it every day. I am lucky enough to have an insulin pump whick gives me insulin every hour/24 hours a day. When I eat I enter the amount of carbs that I eat, and it gives me a boost to cover it. I love it, because it means no shots. Usually I had to take 3 shots/day.Blood sugars are taken before every meal and at bedtime. The meter tells my pump the result and it adjusts accordingly. All of that side of it is going well, but my kidneys are running at 50%, and I will never get my legs back. So the next time you hear someone make a snide comment about diabetes, set them straight. Just look around and see how many people have been affected by cancer, then think about the even larger amount that are affected by diabetes. Then get yourself checked. Do it for me, better yet, do it for yourself.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Is It Me ?
Is it me , or am I the only who couldn't care less what happens to Casey Anthony. She was tried and acquitted, and no matter how hard it is, its time to get over it. The hourly updates from Nancy Grace are getting old. The media is obsessed with this case, it will not be happy until something happens to Anthony, and they can broadcast the entire thing live. It's just pathetic.I dont wish her dead, I don't want to kill her, I just want her to go away. Nancy grace can go live with her and obsess on her every move. I could care less. I see there wasn't much of fuss made of the alleged murder/suicide in Grand Ridge, the other day. Didn't those two boys deserve the same outcry, and wailing as the other case generated and is STILL generating. Or is it that Nancy Grace isn't featuring this case. Or the dozens of kids who are murdered every day? Those two boys are just as dead, and their deaths were just as gruesome, yet no news cameras ? I think that every kid who is killed deserves justice. Unfortunately the mother in Grand Ridge let the fire do that. But according to the prelim. reports, the fire didnt kill them, they were dead before it got to them.Does that mean that because the mother killed herself before the flames got to her, that those kids did not get 'justice' for her alleged actions ? It just seems to me that people are seemimgly more bloodthirsty now than ever. And the media is more than happy to give them what they want,
Thursday, July 14, 2011
My Facebook Page : Love It or Leave It !
I have been having a little debate with myself about what to write about. Politics ? Nah, Maybe later.Books ? Music ? Maybe. I finally decided on something, that I thought would be entertaining, or at least mildly interesting for my peeps who check on the page pretty much every day. My visit count is closing in on 100 ! I would like to thank each and every one of you! Even if its only 1 person who looked 92 times ! Thank you too ! LOL! As I was saying today's topic was kinda dumped in my lap. Those of you who know me know me know that my personal life has pretty much collapsed into a heap during the last year or so. I have a lot of friends who have helped me navigate through this mess and I thank you for it. I use my facebook page to kinda vent my feelings through music and movie clips, whatever.. There has been some grumbling about the amount of stuff that I post, especially songs. I know that sometimes theres a lot of stuff posted at one time, depending on how I feel. Just listen to the music and you can tell. Listen to THE WORDS, usually the lyrics they usually have meaning to me so I post them. Sometimes I have them there so I can listen to them without digging them up all of the time. LOL. But I apparently made the mistake of posting the Dixie Chicks once too often. I'm not ready to make nice fits me, as well as Cold day in July. THEY FIT ! Now tonight I got a private message from someone haraunging (sp) me about posting too much "shit" with all of the shit music and shit cartoons and whatnot on my page. It also went on to say that I was a loser and should quit posting all of the shit and shut up. Now when I stopped laughing, I began to think about what was written. The more I read the more pissed off I became. Now, I really dont care what people think about what I post, Don't look at it dont listen, dont read, dont breathe,dont anything Just stay away from my page, its mine, not yours! Thank you for your comments! I hope you got off on writing them! Personally I would think that you could find something better to look at that my page when you play with yourself, but to each his own I guess ! But you wont be seeing me because you got deleted after a few choice words from me. You started it, I ended it. All done. Bye Bye ! LOL. If you want drama, welcome to my world ! I'm in it up to my eyes ! If you want to walk a mile in my shoes, go ahead, They're over in the corner on my legs, but take care of them I only have one pair. Legs and shoes, if you need clarification ! If you dont know what that means look it up. I already spelled it for you. Asswipe ! To my facebook friends, it wasn't one of you, so dont worry about it. Enjoy the music and the whatnot on my page I will try not to clutter up your pages with a lot of "shit". As the saying goes, if you cant stand the shit, stay out of the sewer plant ! Just think I did all that ranting without one mention of the "F" word ! Maybe next time.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Old Hank
Hank Williams Sr. died when he was 29 years old. He died in the backseat of his car on the way to a concert on New Years Eve.He died of alcohol poisoning. He was a young man who was miserable over a woman. He and the love of his life were in constant turmoil and the pressure eventually caught up with him. Now there were probably other reasons that added to the problems that he had, but she was the main one, he admitted it himself. If you listen to his music, you can hear the pain in his voice. It's just sad. Now you may be saying to yourself, I really could care less about Hank Williams. That's fine, you can do what you want, thats ok with me. Now those of you who know me may or may not know that the last year or so of my life has been a complete train wreck. I spent most of last year in and out of the hospital, I had 3 operations, the last one was the amputation of my lower left leg, my house went into foreclosure, my wife left me and took up with a guy(or 2),and my daughter totalled my truck on News Years Day (1 month after I paid it off). I think old Hank would've had a field day with all that.Now I am beginning to understand the pressures that made him do what he did. But fortunately I have a lot of friends who care about me to counteract the problems. Although it (The pressure) is always there.Always waiting to jump out of the dark and take a swipe at me when I'm feeling better about everything. My next divorce court is July 20. I aim to end it that day, win or lose, whatever.On July 21 I will come on here and make my final statement about that. It will be no holds barred, so mark your calender. I have taken the high road in all this mess. But when it ends, I will start telling the truth. Theres nothing like a Bear with a sore ass, its not good. Oh well, there's always tomorrow to write about flowers and rainbows and such...but that wouldn't be as much fun, now would it.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Space - The final frontier
I watched the space shuttle launch this morning, did you ? It is still amazing to watch as it goes into space live as it happens from cameras on the shuttle. In 2 minutes they wre doing over 4000 mph ! To think that things like this are commonplace in our world is also amazing. To think that kids growing up now will always have computers and cell phones. is crazy. Yes I am OLD enough to remember dial telephones and black and white tvs that were always blowing tubes, Hense the tv repairman ! LOL To top it off, you had to get up to change the channel ! (the nerve !) Take your pick, channels 2,5,7,9,11 and 13.....if the wind was right ! We take things for granted now that were science fiction when our parents were in school. I did my term paper in high school on a manual typewriter, What a pain in the ass ! No spell check, no delete button. If you made aa mistakeat the bottom of the page, you retyped the whole thing. Teachers would measure te margins aanwith rulers and dock you points for not having them right ! We won't even get started about grade school at St Stephen's ! Maybe later I'll curl your hair with some stories of growing up there ! lol Well, time for bed ! But first maybe I'll tune my digital scanner and see if I can hear the space shuttle. No ? Then I'll turn on the NASA chaannel on the dish and see what they're doing live and listen in t their radio traffic as well. Ho hum......
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Whatnot
There are lots of things to discuss today. But alas I have a splitting headache so I better not say nasty things like I want to... But To start this off...the kid on the front page of the paper who tried to kill himself with fireworks, sorry I have no sympathy Thats mean, I know but there is a parential issue with this. who bought the kid the big mortar tube fireworks ? 2. How and why did he get them to his buddies house and get away with being unsupervised when it happened ? He is 13 ! What exactly did they think was going to happen ? Then to top it off have a big story on the front page of the paper with your names and his picture splashed all over it. Makes you look like a couple of geniuses. I dont know you, you might be great parents, BUT now the whole world thinks you are idiots for letting the kid have them in the first place. Now I know that teengers arent easy to deal with. I've been through it myself, no matter what you say or try to get through their thick heads they do exactly the opposite, just to piss you off. They know everything and will tell you just how stupid you are. Then something happens and its YOUR fault not theirs. Well my favorite 'lesson' saying was If you give them enough rope, sooner or later they will hang themselves even if they don't know how to tie a knot. One time my daughter got into trouble and I launched into my speech about responsibility. My daughter said yeah I know, I hung myself ! and I said why yes you did, way to go. Then she said But YOU gave me the rope ! LOL You just cant win with kids. I do hope that kid fully recovers from his injuries, no one should go through that. Now what else do I have to complain about ? Oh theres lots but I need to get to sleep, otherwise I'll be cranky tomm. Cranky bears aren't easy to deal with and I could really get rolling after that ! By the way I see that my page visits are going up ! Thank you for visiting, I appreciate it ! Leave a comment if you like, if not come back soon !
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Anger Management
Growing up I was the short fat kid who didnt say much. I was always picked last, you know that kid. I played 1 year of little league. I played in the late innings because the coach HAD to play me. I got 1 hit, a blooper to right field ( I still have the little article from the paper to prove it. I was hit 8 times by pitches. I got it in the ribs, ass, shoulder , arms, etc. The last time I caught one in the side of the head, It knocked me down and my helmet went flying. I never batted again. The pitcher was grinning and people were laughing as I got up. I never forgot that. But I discovered that football was my sport, and that was that. I started every game from 5th grade until my last game of senior year of high school. Well I met up with that pitcher one day my junior year.. We were practicing punt returns he was covering them and I was on the return team. We would peel off to one sideline or the other and form a line 10 yds apart. The back would catch the ball and run between us and the sideline. As he came by we would turn upfield and look to seal off the gaps in the line. Well as I turned around and started upfield,here came that guy. He was watching the back all the way,and not me. His mistake. He got into the gap and thought he was going to make a great play. He never saw me. I got a 10 yard head start and hit him right below his pads . It drove them right into his chin and he landed on his shoulder blades. He got up eventually and started bitching. I said that's for hitting me in the head in little league. He just laughed and said, ok we're even. And that was that. I played angry and apparently I yelled and talked alot. I really dont remember that, but my teammates do. lol. Hence the nickname Bear. My freshman year the coach was yelling at me for some reason and said "Christ,Elko, you're like a bear with a sore ass !" Everyonr laughed and the name stuck. I have very slow fuse, but there are some things that get me pissed immediately. One is guys abusing their girlfriends and people who abuse animals. I have zero tolerence for that shit. Once upon time fter a softbll game we all went up to Risleys to havea few beers. There was a bunch of us still in our uniforms and bsome ladies standin around basically having a good time. Well this short comes over and starts argueing with one of the ladies. Naturally I couldnt keep my mouth shut so I went over and told him to beat it. He glared at me then walked away then he comes back and grabs her by the elbow and shoves her into the wall. all I heard
was fuckin bitch and I heard her yelp when she hit the wall. I grabbed him and it was on. I vwanted to get him down and stomp him with my baseball spikes, but people seperated us and he wanted to go outside. So there we were out on the sidewalk. He was barking at me but wasnt trying anything. I dont think he realized how big I was until we got out there. He was about three inch shorter than me. I thought it was funny I was still mad, but I knew he was all mouth. So after a couple minutes of his barking, I called him a fuckin midget and he charged me. The first time, I kinda swatted him, but he came back at me. So I grabbed him by the throat and picked him off the ground with my right hand. I brought him in face to facen and said I am not her you fuckin midget !I'm gonn kill you~ He was starting to turn purple and I was shakingnlike like a rag doll, he kept hitting my arm but I wouldnt nlet go. I was going to stuff him through the front window of the bar I cocked my arm back to throw him and a bunch of people grabbed me and got my hand away from his throat. Pretty soon they were trying to get me back in the bar It took 5 people to get me calmed down. So this idiot starts yelling more shit. I wheeled around and they dragged me in the bar and locked me in the bathroom until I calmed down. The guy came in again and someone said you better get the fuck out of here or I'll let him out! He left and that was the end of my one and only bar fight.
was fuckin bitch and I heard her yelp when she hit the wall. I grabbed him and it was on. I vwanted to get him down and stomp him with my baseball spikes, but people seperated us and he wanted to go outside. So there we were out on the sidewalk. He was barking at me but wasnt trying anything. I dont think he realized how big I was until we got out there. He was about three inch shorter than me. I thought it was funny I was still mad, but I knew he was all mouth. So after a couple minutes of his barking, I called him a fuckin midget and he charged me. The first time, I kinda swatted him, but he came back at me. So I grabbed him by the throat and picked him off the ground with my right hand. I brought him in face to facen and said I am not her you fuckin midget !I'm gonn kill you~ He was starting to turn purple and I was shakingnlike like a rag doll, he kept hitting my arm but I wouldnt nlet go. I was going to stuff him through the front window of the bar I cocked my arm back to throw him and a bunch of people grabbed me and got my hand away from his throat. Pretty soon they were trying to get me back in the bar It took 5 people to get me calmed down. So this idiot starts yelling more shit. I wheeled around and they dragged me in the bar and locked me in the bathroom until I calmed down. The guy came in again and someone said you better get the fuck out of here or I'll let him out! He left and that was the end of my one and only bar fight.
Trials,Verdicts and comments, oh my !
>Now that THE trial is over, let the circus begin ! The unexpected verdict has everyone in an uproar. I don't blame you because I'm kinda disgusted about it myself. The images of the defense team jumping and high fiving at their "private" party is only throwing more gas on the growing fire. The fingerpointing of the talking heads and their experts has begun.The whole thing stinks if you ask me. There is still lots of money and fame to be mined out of this deal. Everybody will get their share, except the little girl. She won't get her life back. That's something that was taken from her by some stupid dumbass who got away with it. But they will pay eventually. Somewhere, somehow it will catch up with them and they will pay for what they did. What goes around comes around. That's all I have to say about that .
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Things I Have Learned
1. Ozzie Guillen cannot hear me no matter how loud I yell at the tv.
2. Reality shows aren't actually real.
3. Never burn a bridge while you're standing in the middle of it.
4. The Titanic will always sink, no matter how many times you watch the movie.
5.Some people just don't get it.
6.When you go to the store, you will buy a bunch of stuff you dont need, and forget the thing you went there to buy in the first place.
7.Your dog is your best friend.
8.Jimmy cracked corn, and he didn't care.
9.Nothing is as easy as it looks/sounds.
10. Hard lessons are the easiest to learn.
i ye
2. Reality shows aren't actually real.
3. Never burn a bridge while you're standing in the middle of it.
4. The Titanic will always sink, no matter how many times you watch the movie.
5.Some people just don't get it.
6.When you go to the store, you will buy a bunch of stuff you dont need, and forget the thing you went there to buy in the first place.
7.Your dog is your best friend.
8.Jimmy cracked corn, and he didn't care.
9.Nothing is as easy as it looks/sounds.
10. Hard lessons are the easiest to learn.
i ye
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Independence Day !
During your celebrating today, remember those who are working to keep you safe and happy today. Law enforcement , the fire dept, the ambulance personnel and everyone else who is working today. Also remember the servicemen and women who are spread out all over the world defending our nation. and those who fought and died to give you the privledge of living in a free nation. They died defending you, remember that ! Have a happy and safe 4th !
Reasons for writing
Many people have asked me why I am writing a book about fires. Well its history that I am interested in. Some of the things I have written about have largely been forgotten. I want people to remember that 2 Streator firefighters were killed by a collapsing wall in 1929. I would like people to remember that a fireman named Lawrence McGurk saved one person, and was blown off of a ladder trying to get another, he fell 15 feet. That happened July 14, 1958 at the Williams Hardware fire, where 6 people died in an explosion and fire on S. Vermillion Street. There is a drive in bank there now. I do need to say that I do not like fire. In fact I have alwaysa fear of getting burned. Why ? I dont really know. I really dont have a good reason for it. I did go to a a lady on a dare once who did readings of your past life and that sort of thing. Now I had never seen her before, she knew nothing about me. I wore plain clothes so I wouldnt give her any way to guess her way around me. She started out with some basic stuff, some of which was close, but pretty generic. Then she got really quiet and just stared at me. I was getting pretty creeped out. Then she said "everytime you go by a fire station you look in dont you. Again pretty genericstuff could've been a good guess. So I played along said yes, just to see what was going to happen. Then she says, Do you like Colorado ? I'm thinking ohoh, left field. Then she says do you like fire ? No, not really I said. She says Do you want to know why? Now I'm really getting wierded out. Sure, I guess. I replied Then she says are you sure? Sure i said. Ok she says. I see you in an open window, in a small town out west. Colorado perhaps, Old West. Wooden building, you re on the second floor in a window. Surrounded by smoke. Thick black smoke. Do you like to wear hats ? More from left field. Yes I said, now I'm really interested, but trying not to show it. You are wearing a helmet, black, leather, with a big point on the front top also with the number 3 on it. You have a dark blue shirt with two rows of gold buttons. I cant see you very well because of the smoke. You are handing a woman out of the window to another fireman near the window on a ladder. You are gulping air but have disappeared again there are flames licking the top of the window, you appear again this time with a baby. You are handing it to another man on the ladder. Your shirt is starting to smolder, and the man on the ladder is trying to grab you but you fall back into the room. There is an explosion and the fire fills the window, you died. You burned to death. I see your helmet on the ground, next to the building it is smoking. I hear yelling, the water from the hose cant reach the window, but it doesnt matter anyway. By now I was staring at her with my mouth open. I really didnt expect such a long story, especially one where I died ! Several years later the movie Backdraft came out and the opening scene where the kid goes to the fire with his dad and the dad is killed in an explosion, his helmet lands on the ground and is smoking, freaked me out ! So maybe that's why I dont like fire, and am always scared of getting burned. I've even been told numerous times that my lucky number is three several times ! Maybe its a coincidence, maybe not, who really knows except maybe me and that old lady.
Huh ?
Why is it that people are always in a hurry ? Maybe I notice it more because I'm slow. Especially in Walmart and Krogers. Yeah I'm slow, so what ! Maybe if you really looked at me before you ram me with your cart, you'd see that I dont have any legs, not that you really care, because you're in a hurry .Where exactly are you going anyway? The store is open 24 hours a day, go later then you can run all you want and not hit anybody. But thats not easy when you got to bed after Wheel Of Fortune every night ! Oh and you 400 pounders that feel you have a right to use the electric carts, get off your ass and walk ! Thats why I grin at you when I walk by! Oh I know that's not nice but so what. I am diabetic, my disease is not contageous,so dont cringe an pull your kids closer to you when i walk by. And teach them not to point and stare, thats pretty rude if you ask me. Yes I can see them I'm not blind, just slow.
Opening Shots
Welcome to my little corner of the internet ! If you are easily offended, well don't say I haven't warned you. Feel free to post or say whatever you want, but just remember it is MY corner so what you see is what you get ! Sometimes I cuss when I get ornery, so you can too ! You can vent about whatever you want, just remember what goes around comes around, so if you scorch someone's ass, don't be suprised if you get it back ! Like I said, we're all adults here, so at least pretend to act like it !
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