Erie Canal Is a Great Example of American Ingenuity and Boldness October 26, 2010

Without a Mule or a Horse, You Went Nowhere on the Erie Canal

The Erie Canal Stretches 363 miles across Upstate New York; Quite an accomplishment in the early 19th Century

On This Date in History:  In 1817, DeWitt Clinton became governor of New York following a victory we only see today in totalitarian countries.  DeWitt received almost 97% of the vote as he gained 43, 310 votes with those opposed only registering 1,479 votes.  That kind of victory would give anyone the notion that perhaps he had a mandate.  Only trouble was that he had promised something that had never been done and many suggested could not be done.  You see, the United States was still a small, largely coastal nation but expansion contintually pushed the nation westward through the continent and away from the coast.  Trade was a great necessity for the fiscal stability of the nation and for the needs of settlers in the nation’s interior.  Roads were unreliable and rivers didn’t flow toward the East Coast so a great need developed for a quick, reliable way to connect the interior parts of the nation to the seaports on the East Coast.  An impediment was the Appalachian Mountains and, not only did the mountains impede economic concerns but they also were a potential limitation to national security.  If the young nation could not find a way over or around the Appalachians, then it could lose its frontier to Britain or France. 

Erie Canal Today Near Albany, NY

So, Clinton had seized upon and idea that had first surfaced in 1784 which was to link the Great Lakes with the Hudson River with a canal.  Initially, it was called the Great Western Canal but later took on the Erie Canal moniker.  Now, that was a great task as the rise in elevation from Albany to Buffalo is about 675 feet so it was not a matter of simply digging a ditch.  There were huge engineering obstacles to overcome.  Clinton had served on a commission to study the issue in 1810 and that New York State Commission concluded that the project went beyond the state’s means and that federal funding would be necessary.  Federal funds had never been used in such a manner in the past and, at the time, the states looked at themselves as independent entities loosely held together in a confederation rather than a unified nation.  The changeover from a “union” to a “nation” would not come about until after the Civil War.  So, other states objected to New York getting federal monies as they reasoned the Empire State would get all of the benefit.  Thomas Jefferson said building the canal was “a little short of madness.”

Towns Like Baldwin Built Feeder Canals to the Erie Canal To Connect The Township to the rest of the world

Undeterred, Clinton went on a crusade to build the canal.  Using the power of his vote total, he proposed and the legislature passed a funding bill but the legislative approval was not the final tally.  New York had a Council of Revision which was made up of 5 men and they had to approve the measure.  Two were in favor of the canal project and two were firmly opposed.  That left it up to one man to decide.  That one man was New York Supreme Court Chief Justice James Kent and he was all set to vote “no” when he got a surprise knock at his door.  US Vice-President and former New York Governor Daniel Tompkins made a call and he told Kent that another war with Great Britain was imminent.  The Vice-President cautioned that New York should not waste its time and money on such a foolish project.  Most of the time, presidents tend to want vice-presidents to be seen and not heard.  If Tompkins’ feeling mirrored those of the adminstration,  then President James Monroe would have done better to send his VP to a funeral than to pay a call on the Council of Revision.  Kent was so peeved at the intrusion and saber-rattling attempt at coercion that he said, “If we must have a war, or have a canal, I am in favor of the canal!”  An odd twist to this part of the story is that Tompkins had been plagued by charges of misusing federal funds while serving as governor of New York.

Locks Were Needed to Overcome the 675 ft change in elevation over the distance of the canal

So, the project was approved but it started off quite curiously as there were no American engineers who any expertise in building canals, let alone one of such a scale.  For some reason that gave the state the great idea to hire two lawyers to lead the project. At least one newspaper of the time took note of the rather unorthodox appointment of Benjamin Wright and James Geddes to face the challenges posed by the canal when it described them as ”a brace of country lawyers with a compass and a spirit level.”   However, the state wasn’t totally out of its mind because it was not unusual for men to have more than one profession and both Wright and Geddes are remembered today as engineers more than their jurisprudence with Wright earning a popular distinction as “the father of Civil Engineering.” 

Boats Had to Bring Their Own Mules; They Rotated Them Over the Course of the Journey

I’m not sure if it was considered a “shovel-ready” job, but the shovels must have been ready because work began on the job in July 4, 1817 and it was initiated in an easy spot.  The land west of Frankfort in Oneida County was soft and level.  By today’s standards, or even those of the late 19th century, the canal was quite small.  The specifications called for the canal to just be four feet deep and only 40 feet wide.  Bret Favre could possibly have thrown a football across the canal without throwing an interception.  But, one must remember that flatboats were relatively small at that time and the boats that used the canal had to be pulled along by animal power.  Teams of mules or horses walked along the banks of the canal with the boat in tow.  Before the canal could be dug, trees had to be cut, stumps removed and underbrush cleared.  Parts of New York State were still quite an untamed wilderness so such an undertaking was no easy task.  The clearing work was done in sections as small as just a quarter mile long.  Local contractors and farmers  contributed animal and human muscle to the endeavor, though some work-related contraptions were invented to help with the work.

Quite a View From Lockport

Within the challenge of overcoming the elevation change was problem of how to construct the Erie Canal locks.    Canvass White was considered by many to be the most gifted engineer on the entire project.  He had been recruited for the project by Governor Clinton who suggested the young engineer go to England to study that country’s canals.  He did so on his own dime and studied the methods used, including the use of hydraulic cement to seal the mortar used to connect the stones.  But, importing hydraulic cement from Europe was costly so they tried to simply coat the mortar with a thin layer of hydrolic cement.  It was no solution because it would take no time at all to crumble.    As it turns out, while digging the canal, limestone was discovered that doubled as a natural cement rock.  White, who was working on the middle section, calcinated the local rock, turned to to powder and mixed it with water and sand.  The new substance was found to harden with time under water and form an underwater cement that was far better than anything used before.   White patented his new discovery and the new material caught on rapidly.  Trouble was for Canvass, no one paid much attention to the patent and he received next to nothing for his effort.  When he died, his wife was left with an estate that included little more than the house furniture which she subsequently was forced to sell. 

Governor Clinton boarded the first boat to traverse the Erie Canal on October 26, 1825

Another challenge was the number of streams and rivers that had to be crossed and to overcome those hurdles, a page was taken out of the Roman playbook.  Much as White had observed on his tour of England’s canals, aqueducts were built over rivers and pipelines were used to divert streams.  In Western New York, the marshes were a prime breeding ground for malaria carrying mosquitos so workers wore necklaces that served as mini-smudge pots that kept mosquitos away; they must have smelled lovely at the end of the day.  Beyond all of those challenges, the issue of the elevation change remained but that was overcome with a series of 83 locks along the 363 mile canal.  Not all of the land was made up of soft earth as New York is famous for its granite subsurface.  Five of the locks had to be blasted from solid rock near the future site of Lockport.  This series of locks lifted boats 76 feet over the Niagara Escarpment. On this date in 1825, the Erie Canal was completed and, a few weeks later, the canal boat Seneca Chief brought a keg of water from Lake Erie to New York Harbor for a “Wedding of the Waters.” 

Passengers as well as cargo used the Erie Canal

In the end, the Erie Canal not only proved that great engineering obstacles could be overcome, even with lawyers in charge.  It also showed that government could effectively build a public works project as the total cost came in at $7 million and it was paid off in tolls after just 12 years.  Between 1836 and 1862, the canal was enlarged to a depth of 7 feet with a width of 70 feet to accomodate the larger boats and needs of the expanding nation.  The number of locks was reduced by 9.   By 1900, boats had outgrown the canal and once again expansion was needed.  An enlargement project was proposed in 1903 and completed in 1918 that increased the depth to 12  to 14 feet, broadened the width to 120 to 200 feet and reduced the number of locks to 57 that could handle barges carrying up to 3000 tons of goods.  Today, the Erie Canal is used largely by boating enthusiasts and not be commercial traffic but, in its day, it was a true marvel.

High Risk for Severe Weather is a Bit Unusual

15% Chance for Tornadoes in Ohio Valley

Weather Bottom Line:

  After a very long, boring stretch, it would appear we have some action afoot.   The boys at the Storm Prediction Center have us in the High Risk for Severe Weather for Tuesday.  A warm front of sorts came through and opened the door for warm, moist air from the South.  First time we’ve had the Gulf open up for some time.  There is a strong upper level jet which is not unusual for this time of year and is indicative of a changing season.  See, the time of most severe activity will be in seasonal transition.  The primary time is the spring with the secondary prime time being the fall when we still have some times of warm moist air coming from the Gulf but we have the introduction of winter-like systems from the North with accompanying strong upper level energy.  It’s going to be windy all day with something like 20-30 mph winds with gusts to 40.  We should see a line of thunderstorms, most likely racing through the area between noon and 3 pm.  The potential for high winds will be the biggest threat though tornadic activity can’t be ruled out, especially along any bowing segments of the line.  There is such a strong level of dynamics that the SPC has issued a Tornado Watch for the area until 4 PM EDT on Tuesday

Wind Biggest Threat For Damaging Conditions

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This situation is not very unusual to have such a storm this time of year.  In fact, this situation is really a bit similar to that of the in 1975 when the Edmund Fitzgerald sunk.  In that situation, there was an extremely deep low pressure area making its way across the Great Lakes that produced very strong winds and the result was huge waves on Lake Superior and Michigan.  The common nature of the scenario is why Gordon Lightfoot referred to the storm as the Gales of November.  Mariners know that there are some tough weather conditions found in November in that area and Lightfoot had the famous line “When the Gales of November come early”.  Well, this is a little before November so I’d say that the Gales of November will be coming early to the Great Lakes as this storm will have a central pressure of about 959 mb which is would support a category two hurricane.  Like the storm with the Fitz, this storm will have a very long cold front extending south that will sweep through the area.  It will be racing through so the action will be quick and possibly rather ferocious.

Why Would Have Anyone Wished To Harm Gerald R. Ford, All-American? September 5, 2010

 

 

A Fine Way to Protest Charles Manson's Arrest and Trial

Ford Cosmo Cover Boy 1942

On This Date in History: Gerald R. Ford was a long standing and well respected Congressman from Michigan’s 5th Congressional District for nearly 25 years.  For eight years, he served as the Republican House Minority Leader and was well thought of by both sides of the aisle.  In 1973, he was appointed to be the 40th Vice President of the United States following the resignation of Spiro T. Agnew.  When President Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, Gerald R. Ford became the 38th President of the United States and the first to hold the highest office in the land without ever being elected as either President  or Vice-President.  Ford is generally regarded as a good man who did the best that he could holding the country together following the end of the Vietnam War and also following the fisaco that was Watergate.  He was an Eagle Scout, an All-American football player at Michigan, graduated from Yale Law School.  Gerald R. Ford was even was a magazine model. He also served his country in the United States Navy in World War II and was appointed by President Johnson to be a part of the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy.  In spite of this good-guy image, not one,  but two people tried to assassinate President Ford in 1975.  I mean, what did he do to get shot?

Fromme Arrested at the Scene in Sacarmento

Nothing I suppose except perhaps, for some, his pardon of Richard Nixon just a month following Nixon’s resignation may have been an issue.  But, by 1975, the  ink on that pardon had long since dried.  Where Ford may have gone wrong was  to get that attention of Charles Manson’s followers. On this date in 1975, the woman shown above, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme raised a loaded .45 Colt automatic pistol toward Ford.  Secret Service agents intervened before any shots were fired.  But, she plead not guilty, saying that since the gun wasn’t cocked…well that proved he had no intent to shoot the President. No one bought that story and off to a life sentence she went…until she escaped in 1987. She was quickly recaptured and, get this, our criminal justice system added five years to her life sentence. I guess her corpse will remain behind bars for 5 years, unless its released for good behaviour.

A Picture Of a Would Be Assassin

Lynette Fromme was from California and began drinking and drugging while she was still in high school.  She managed to graduate in 1966, tried college but dropped out after a few months.  She then came upon Charles Manson and became one of his followers.  She took up with Manson and a bunch of other hippies at the Spahn Ranch in Death Valley.  She got the name “Squeaky” because she would squeak whenever the proprietor of the ranch, George Spahn  tried to grope her, which supposedly was often.  She was never implicated in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969 that sent Manson to prison for good, but she did do some time for trying to prevent Manson’s followers from testifying at his trial as well as for her own refusal to testify.

She didn't really want to shoot Ford. The gun wasn't cocked!

She moved to Stockton, California and ended up in another murder mystery.  The couple with whom she was living wound up dead.  She was taken into custody but escaped the justice system for a lack of evidence.  Now, supposedly she had a history of mental illness so perhaps she was looking to get caught or something because she certainly made sure there was no lack of evidence with her next brush with the law.  When Ford was scheduled to visit Sacramento, California, she decided to go see the president to plead with him about the plight of California’s Redwoods.  What better way to plead with the president and get his attention than by showing up in the crowd in a nun’s outfit packing a forty five?  Not only were there a bunch of witnesses, but she also managed to get herself on TV and even say a few words into the cameras as she was hauled away in handcuffs.

Fromme and Part of the "Manson Family"

Preparing for her trial was a nightmare for her attorney as she refused to cooperate in her own defense.  Thus, she ended up with the old “the gun wasn’t cocked” defense.  During her trial, when the prosector was explaining why he urged the court to sentence Fromme to the maximum sentence, she threw an apple at the prosecutor, who was hit in the face by the flying forbidden fruit.   A few years after being sent up for life, she was transferred out of the women’s unit in Dublin, California after she attacked another inmate with the claw end of a hammer.  For some reason, in 1987, she found herself not in a tough prison, but instead to the same minimum security, Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia that later housed none other than Martha Stewart.   It was from that facility that she fled thinking that she would be able to see Charles Manson, whom she heard was suffering from testicular cancer.  It only took two days to recapture her and she was later transferred to a Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas.  Each time she came up for parole, she waived her rights.  

Squeaky Made the Papers

To sum it all up, Lynette Fromme had a history of drug abuse, alchohol abuse, violence and mental illness and had been associated with events that surrounded two murder cases.  So, she was released from prison from her “life sentence” (plus 5 years) in August 2009. 

Ford Hustled Away in San Francisco Following Moore's Attempt

The second assassination attempt on President Ford came 17 days after Fromme’s botched attempt by another woman, Sara Jane Moore. This time the alleged Manson follower assailent squeezed a shot off but missed because a former Marine was nearby who grabbed her arm. I’m not sure if the bullet hit anything but I know she went to jail too for life to the same prison as Fromme.  It has been argued that Moore was, in fact, not a member of the Manson Family.  However, Moore and Manson actually grew up in the same town in West Virginia.  That doesn’t make her a Manson follower but it would be a strange coincidence.  Further, a former inmate at a prison that held Moore refers to her, Sandra Good and “other Manson girls”  as she recounts conversations the inmate had with Sara Jane Moore.   In any event, in 1989,  Moore also escaped and was later captured.  Like Fromme, the then 77-year-old Moore was released from prison in 2008. 

For some reason, I don’t believe that Moore got an extra five years for her escape attempt.  I think they need a new prison and maybe they shouldn’t refer to sentences as life since its obvious that all will be forgiven 30 years after one tries to kill the president.

Transatlantic Cable Led To Bargain AKA The Alaska Purchase March 30, 2010

How Did the Transatlantic Cable Lead to the Purchase of Alaska?

Great Eastern Steamship Dwarfed All Other Ships of the Day

On This Date in History:  In Antebellum America of  the mid 19th Century, a message could be sent from New Orleans to Maine in a matter of minutes.  But,  that same message might take two weeks to get to London as it was unthinkable to be able to lay a cable all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.  Unthinkable to everyone but Cyrus Field.  Field was a paper merchant who had been so successful in business that he was able to retire by age 34 when he came up with a plan to lay a transatlantic cable.   He thought that it wasn’t quite a difficult as it sounded because he figured that the cable could rest on an underwater plateau between Newfoundland and Ireland.  He was so certain of success, that in 1856 he formed the Atlantic Telegraph Company after meeting a Canadian from Newfoundland looking for investors for his nearly bankrupt telegraph concern.  Even though he had his own ideas, well-meaning citizens offered their own suggestions.  One suggested have floating call boxes so that passing ships could stop and send a message.  Another suggested suspending a cable by underwater balloons. 

Some Russians Were Rather Fond of Alaska

Aside from the hair-brained ideas, even the more rational ones faced some issues.  The cable weighed one ton per mile yet snapped quite easily in the rolling seas.  The North Atlantic is not exactly the calmest weather in the world so there were constant delays.  To help battle the elements and also haul the giant and heavy cable, Fields called on the service of the world’s biggest ship.  The Great Eastern steamship, at 32,000 tons was five times bigger than the next biggest ship.   After two years, a cable was finally laid and the continents were connected.  The great success didn’t last though because after an inaugural message from Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan, the line went dead.  Perry McDonough Collins saw Fields misfortune as an opportunity.  See, Collins had another idea.  He went to Western Union with the proposal to run a cable under the Bering Strait and then across Siberia to Europe.  Work was begun in Alaska but Fields had not given up on the oceanic route.  It took 12 years of effort and failure but on July 27, 1866 the Transatlantic Cable finally reached Newfoundland and this time it worked.  Well, that was the end of the Siberian route but the poor guys working on it didn’t learn they were out of job for a year due to….slow communications.

Collins' Men Didn't Know the Job Was Terminated For a Whole Year

Again, misfortune became a catalyst for unforseen success.  In order to work on his project, Collins had secure diplomatic connections fromboth Russia and the United States.  The efforts involved Secretary of State William H. Seward who, while helping Abraham Lincoln manage the Civil War, had also been involved in Collins Siberian scheme as well as the plans of Field.  While the  Bering Strait cable did not come about, conversations between the US and Russia continued.  Russia had established a presence in Alaska in the early 18th century but had been trying to unload it on the United States since around the time that Field had started his Transatlantic Cable project.  But, President Buchanan had his hands  full with a country heading to Civil War, though I’m not exactly sure what Buchanan was doing because he certainly had not done much to head off that great conflict. 

Cartoon Depicting "Andy" Johnson and "Billy" Seward Trying to Sell Alaska Ice Block to Congress

Seward really liked the idea of grabbing Alaska but the many other Americans weren’t too keen on the idea.  The nation was in debt and trying to rebuild the South after the war.  Alaska was wilderness and in a very inhospitable environment.  Many people thought that the idea was so idiotic that the plan was called “Icebergia,” “Walrussia,”  ”Seward’s Ice Box” and, most famously, ”Seward’s Folly.”  Nevertheless, on this date in 1867, William H. Seward turned his folly into reality when Russia agreed to sell Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million.  That is less than half of what was paid for Louisiana 64 years earlier.  It came out to about 2 cents per acre.   Seward had no way of knowing it, but the folly turned into literally a gold mine in just 20 years.  Gold was discovered in the 1890′s and the nations wealth increased.  Now, Alaska has oil.  The US has reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from oil produced on federal land and offshore waters of Alaska.  Then there is also the rich fishing industry in the dangerous but fruitful Alaskan waters. 

Congress Finally Forked Over the Money in August 1868

In the end what originally was a failed venture to connect North America to Europe resulted in the United States acquiring territory that initially increased it’s size by 20%.  The nation not only gained access to the obvious timber natural resources and fishing rights, but unwittingly also gained enormous access to gold.  Then when huge oil fields were discovered and the ability to bring it to market was developed, the benefit of Seward’s Folly became astronomical.  It’s hard to say which was the better deal: The Louisiana Purchase or the Alaskan Purchase.  But, one thing’s for certain, we could probably use another folly today that would bring such a huge return on investment.  But, it almost didnt’ happen.  See…Congress was leary.  The Senate has the power to approve treaties and it voted to ratify the treaty by a 37 to 2 majority.  But, the House of Representatives controls the purse strings and opponents of Seward’s Ice Box threatened to not provide the funds for the purchase.  It took a year but the Alaska Purchase Treaty was ultimately funded a year after the treaty was signed with a 113 to 48 vote.

Great Weather Ahead

Weather Bottom Line:  Enjoy the rest of the week as we move to 80 or so by Thursday and Friday.  It will be interesting to see how a weekend frontal system unfolds.  The SPC has a storm risk in Texas but I’m a bit curious about Saturday evening here.  Might be interesting but the dynamics might not come together.  Forget about it for now. Just enjoy the week.

President for a Day: What Would You Do? March 4, 2010

Is it Good To Be The King?David Rice Atchison

President Atchison?

On this Date in History:

From 1843 to 1855, David Rice Atchison served as a United States Senator from Missouri. He was cut from the Jeffersonian mold in that he was for states rights and also supported the expansion westward of the United States. This type of description leads one to believe the he was probably a slavery advocate as well.  One might wonder how such a man would behave if he were president.  While you won’t see his name on any presidential lists, he did get his chance and it was interesting how he took advantage of his opportunity to be chief executive and Commander in Chief.

Atchison's Reign Wasn't Long

Now, the only role of the Vice-President of the United States as spelled out in the Constitution is to serve as the President of the Senate. In his absence, the Senate is tasked with voting for a President Pro-Tem, which means “for the time being.” In 1792, Congress passed an act that called for the President Pro-Tem of the Senate to become acting President of the United States if both the President and Vice-President are unable to carry out the duties of their office. Now, during Atchison’s two terms as Senator, he was elected as President Pro-Tem of the Senate 16 times. One of those 16 times fell on March 2, 1849 just prior to the swearing in of Zachary Taylor as the twelth President of the United States.

Well, at that time, Inauguration Day was March 4 and in 1849 March 4 was on a Sunday. So, Taylor decided it would be the right thing to do to postpone his inauguration until Monday March 5. Well, the Constitution called for the end of President James K. Polk’s term to end at noon on March 4 and Taylor and Vice-President Elect Millard Fillmore would not be sworn in until noon on March 5. That means, on this date in 1849, that President Pro-Tem David Rice Atchison was acting President of the United States for 24 hours.

Atchison Acted Presidential For A Day

So what would you do if you were President for a Day? Atchison chose to stay in the rack. He had worked pretty hard the previous week an he was tired so he slept through much of his day as the nation’s chief executive. Some say we’ve had several presidents who slept through their entire term in office so perhaps Atchison was well qualified for the position. Though his tenure is President of the United States is rather obscure and largely forgotten, he showed the people of the Show-Me State and so Missouri honored by naming Atchison County for him. Kansas City is half in Kansas and half in Missouri so I suppose those in the Sunflower State didn’t want to be shown up by the Show-Me State and so Kansas honored the one day president with Atchison, Kansas. If he’d stayed president for a week, who knows  to what his name might have been attached.

Weather Bottom Line:  Pretty simple.  Long wave pattern is changing and should generally remain out of this eastern trof pattern we’ve had almost all winter for the foreseeable future.  We go to the 50′s for the next several days.  Really a pretty good weekend.  Still looks to me like a severe risk in Arklatex early in the week and then Tue or Wednesday along the Gulf Coast…not too concerned about here but rain chance will rise at the same time in the Ohio Valley.

Republic of Texas’ President, Governor, Senator, Raven and Big Drunk March 2, 2010

Sam Houston's name First word spoken from the Moon

Rather Aristocratic Looking Sam Houston

On This Date in History:  There is only one man in United States history to have been elected and held the office of Governor in two different states.  He was also a member of the House of Representatives, a United States Senator and the President of a Nation.  He also spent a time as a member of the Cherokee Nation.  The Indian name he was given was said to have translated to “Big Drunk.”  He was a military hero, a general and a revolutionary.  His name is attached to the 4th largest city in America and it was the first word spoken by men from the surface of the moon.  On this date in 1793 he was born near Lexington, Virginia but the name Sam Houston is synonymous with Texas.

Relatively Young Sam Houston

In 1807, after the death of his father, the family moved to Maryville, Tennessee but when he was 16, he ran away and lived with the Cherokee Nation who subsequently adopted him under the name Colonneh, which translates to “the Raven.”  19-year-0ld Sam returned to Maryville in 1812 and supposedly opened a one room school house, the first  built in Tennessee.  That is questionable to me and the City of Maryville says the first schoolhouse there opened in 1797.  Anyway, a few years later,  young Samuel Houston served under the command of Andrew Jackson in the Creek Indian wars of the War of 1812.   He had showed great courage and bravado and his willingness to fight despite being wounded several times caught the attention of Old Hickory.  He and Jackson became friends. Jackson helped Houston gain a position as an Indian Agent to the Cherokee.    He resigned his commission, studied the law and was soon elected Attorney General of Nashville.  In 1823, he was elected to Congress from Tennessee.  After serving two terms in Congress, Houston was elected as the 7th Governor of the State of Tennessee at the age of 34. 

Artist Quite Flattering to Tiana

The next stage of his life is sketchy.  He planned to run for re-election in 1828 but he married 18-year-old Eliza Allen.  It is suggested that the marriage was forced by Miss Allen’s father.  Almost as soon as it began, rumors swirled of infidelity and drunkeness.  Houston resigned as Governor and went to the Cherokee lands in Arkansas.  There, he married a widowed Cherokee woman, Tiana Rogers Gentry.  He set up a trading post but apparently drank half the profits because he got a new Cherokee name: Big Drunk.  In 1830, he went to Washington, DC to be an advocate on behalf of the Indians.  He encountered a man from Ohio who opposed then President Andrew Jackson.  

Key Defended Houston After Penning Star Spangled Banner

Ohio Congressman William Stanbery took to the House floor and spoke indirectly against Jackson, by speaking ill of Houston by making accusations that Sam used his influence with Jackson to gain a contract  providing rations to Indians being removed to the Indian Territory on the Trail of Tears.  So, Houston met up with Stanbery on Pennsylvania Avenue and beat him with a cane.  Houston was arrested and pleaded self defense since Stanbery had pulled his pistol.  Now, Stanbery only pulled the weapon after Houston had attacked and, when he fired it into Houston’s chest, the gun misfired and spared Houston’s life.  Sounds like Bill Stanbery was the one doing the self-defending.    Sam hired Francis Scott Key, of Star Spangled Banner fame, as his lawyer but he was found guilty.  Nevertheless, intervention by influential men like future President James K. Polk resulted in just a light reprimand.  Stanbery then took him to civil court where a judge found Sam liable and ordered Houston to pay $500.  Instead of ponying up the money,  Houston fled the country.

General Sam Houston Took Charge

Houston decided to go to Texas, which was then controlled by Mexico.  His wife didn’t want to go but he left anyway.  Later, she married a guy named Sam McGrady.  Tiana died in 1838 of pneumonia.  By that time, Sam had set himself up pretty nicely in Texas and got involved in the independence movement of ex-patrioted Americans.  In 1835, he was made Major General in the Texas Army and a year later, named Commander in Chief.  The defenders of the Alamo gained hero status in the annals of Texas as they held out for 13 days in the small mission at San Antonio de Bexar against a far superior force under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.  While Crockett, Travis and Bowie and their men were going out in a blaze of glory,  Houston was building and organizing his army.  In April of that year, Houston surprised the Mexican Army which was camped near present day Houston.  It had been less than 8 weeks since the Alamo and so, with the attackers screaming “Remember the Alamo,” the Battle of San Jacinto lasted just 18 minutes.   Houston forced Santa Anna to surrender and give Texas it’s independence.  The battleground is marked today by the tallest free standing column in the world. It was patterned after the Washington Memorial but a giant granite Texas star was put on the top to make it 15 feet taller. 

Just like America chose General Washington as it’s first president, General Sam Houston became the first President of the Republic of Texas.  Mirabeau Lamar followed him as the chief executive but Houston returned to office in 1841.  Houston engineered the recognition of Texas by the United States and also brought order to the economic and political condition of the fledgling country.  In 1846, Texas was annexed by the United States as the 28th state and Houston was elected to the United States Senate where he represented Texas until 1860.  Houston was a staunch unionist and could not stand having the Lone Star State vote for secession.  Though Houston was a slaveholder, he said that secession was illegal.  Nevertheless, the Texas Legislature voted for secession on February 1, 1861 and Houston was thrown out of office on March 16, 1861 after he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.  General Sam went home to Huntsville, Texas north of the small town of Allen’s Landing…the very town that would later bear his name. 

Sam Stands 67 Feet Tall on 10 Foot Base

Back in 1837, he finally got around to officially divorcing his first wife and in 1840 married Margaret Moffette Lea.  I suppose one could say that he still had an eye for the young girls; he was 47 and she 21.  He was still pretty prolific though because the couple had 8 children.  She brought him to Christianity and he became Baptist.  Supposedly, she got him to temper his drinking ways but it is said he still consumed spirits in the name of medicinal purposes.  He developed pneumonia and died on July 26, 1863. His dying words were said to be “Texas! Texas! Margaret!”  That quote is on his tombstone in Huntsville Texas.  Sam Houston has many monuments to him including a memorial museum, a U.S. Army base, a national forest, a historical park, a university, and the largest free-standing statue of an American figure.  The State of Texas has included his statue in Statutory Hall in the the US Capital and Neil Armstrong put the name Houston in the history books forever when he said “Houston, Tranquility Base Here. The Eagle Has Landed.” 

Sam in Statutory Hall

Just think what might have happened if he had not survived his wounds in the battles with the Creek Indians or if Congressman Stanbery’s pistol had not misfired.  Not sure if it would have changed the fact that Texas gained independence and later become part of the United States, but I do know it would have been different and certainly Texas would have been lacking perhaps the most colorful and decorated man in its long history.  Beside that, Houston sounds much better than Allen’s Landing.  Armstrong might have said, “Allen’s Landing…Tranquility Base Here..The Eagle has landed.”  Just doesnt have the same ring to it.

Weather Bottom Line:  It’s lame.  Upper 30′s, low 40′s Wednesday but we get better as the week ends with sunshine showing up and temperatures moving through the 40′s to upper 40′s by Friday afternoon. Then Saturday its low to mid 50′s.   Maybe some rain Sunday but…it’s a longshot…but I wonder about the potential for t’storms on Tuesday…maybe some tough weather someplace…not a forecast..but something that raises an eyebrow.  Hey..the season is near.

Presidential Election Leads to Fallen Candidate’s Death in “Insanity” November 29, 2009

Tragic Rapid Demise of Presidential Candidate

 

Greeley portrayed reaching across graves of Andersonville

On This Date in History:  In the presidential election of 1872,  New York Tribune founder and editor Horace Greeley faced off against incumbent, Ulysses S. Grant.  Greeley never saw a social reform that he didn’t like and he actually was nominated by a group known as the Liberal Republicans who split from the main party that nominated President Grant.  In somewhat of a surprise, the Democrats nominated Greeley, who once said that “All Democrats may not be rascals, but all rascals are Democrats.”  But Greeley was in favor of amnesty for all ex-Confederates and for withdrawl of all federal troops from the southern states.  And at that point, the Democrats were in a favor of anyone who held such views. 

Greeley Kneeling to the Democrat Devil

But, Greeley was hammered as a candidate.  Editors and cartoonists lampooned his rumpled clothes, chin whiskers and baby face.  They piled on him for his support of prohibition, vegetarianism and visions of communes.  Greeley openly wondered if he was running for the penitentiary or the presidency.  On top of his sensitivity to savage public criticism and ridicule, he was dealing with an ailing wife.  In September 1872 he remained in New York at his wife bedside and slept little until her death on October 30, 1872 which was the week before the election.

Greeley and his running mate depicted as Doomed

Grant won 30 out of 36 states.  Grant received 286 electoral votes and Greeley just 66.  Officially though, Greeley only received 3 electoral votes.  That is because on this date in 1872, Horace Greeley died which was prior to the official voting by the electoral college.  Following Greeley’s death, 63 of the electors scattered their votes among four other candidates.  Perhaps this is symbolic of the tragic end to Horace Greeley. Following the devastating loss of his wife, the public flogging by his detractors during the campaign and his overwhelming defeat at the polls, Greeley was a broken man; and things got worse.  He tried to resume control of the Tribune but was pushed aside by acting editor Whitelaw Reid.  Instead of welcoming Greeley back, Reid put a box on the front page of the paper that mocked Republican office seekers who had sought Greeley’s assistance.  When Greeley offered a response, Reid refused to publish it in the paper.  And get this…Whitelaw Reid not only had been invited to join the Tribune by Greeley, but he also had been Greeley’s campaign manager!   Just three weeks after the election that may have elevated him to the top office in the land, Horace Greeley died; his mind so broken that his condition was described as “insane.”

Today, we say that politics is “rough and tumble” but I don’t think we’ve seen anything like the 1872 election which one might say, cost Horace Greeley his life.

Sunday Evening

Weather Bottom Line:   Well, phooey on me.  Not only did we warm up after a chilly start on Saturday, we got to the low 60′s which I had said would be tough to do.  Oh well, better to miss when its a few degrees warmer than the opposite. Otherwise, everything else is on track and its not all that good.  I was correct in saying that Saturday would be the warmest we would see for many days.  Sunday with clouds increasing and thickening, we will not be as warm as Saturday but I do think we stay dry during the day.  Sunday night, a cold front comes through and we get rain and showers will carry over into Monday.   Look for sharply colder condition on Monday with highs only in the low 40′s…maybe mid 40′s for southern parts of the viewing area. 

Freezing line at all levels at Gulf Coast by Friday morning

Tuesday we get a reprieve though temperatures will be seasonally cool.  A cut off low has been lurking in the Southwest US and a strong front with a deep trof will pick that up and on Wednesday, it moves across Texas, picks up Gulf moisture and moves quickly into the Southeast US.  Our rain chances will consequently go up with cloudy conditions and the front that picks up that cut off low will be making its way through the area.  Look for your local forecast to once again mention snow.  While this time around it may be a bit more possible than last week, it is still largely irrelevant.  Temperatures will be cold but above freezing. Ground temperatures certainly won’t be cold enough for any accumulation.  In my mind, its simply a conversation piece at best.  But, the latter part of the week probably won’t see temperatures much above 40 with some maybe not getting above 40 until Saturday and even then it won’t be much above 40.

Nasty Politics and Nice Weather October 10, 2008

TR Heads to Vacation During Crisis

Tis the Fall Season: A year ago we were experiencing record heat in the 90′s. It’s not going to be that hot but its also not much of a fall so far. We’ve had a couple of cool days but generally we’ve had cool nights and warm afternoons in the 80′s and that trend will continue through the weekend. It will be fabulous.

Tis the Political Season: So much for George H. W. Bush’s attempt in 1992 to become “kinder and gentler.” Our political discourse on the surface seems to have gone down the tubes.

There is the story of the Sheriff in Florida who got on stage and referred to Senator Obama by his legal full name. That sheriff is now under Federal Investigation for violation of the Hatch Act which prohibits public officials from using their position to influence an election. Seems the Feds are reacting to a bunch of negative phone calls. He could lose his job and the county could lose up to $300,000 in funding.

Here’s the story of the Federal Investigation with video

There is the story that Governor Palin accusing her of using racist verbiage in her stump speeches.

Palin’s Words Carry Racial Tinge-AP

Then there is the story of children allegedly being “indoctrinated” into the Obama camp by a teacher who had the kids line up in t’shirts and camouflaged pants while chanting words that allegedly sing the praises of Senator Obama. The teacher has been suspended.

Teacher Suspended Over Video of Students’ Obama Chants-with video

Jefferson Constitution Destroyer?

All of this might make one think that this is unprecedented. Well, it’s not. In the cartoon to the left, Thomas Jefferson is portrayed as attempting to burn the Constitution in fire fed “by the flames of radical writings” before the altar of Gallic despotism. The American eagle and God are attempting to prevent him from doing so. Abraham Lincoln was often referred to as a “Baboon” as he was seen by his rivals as a simpleton and also they made reference to his long and lanky physical appearance. In an event that may bring to mind current circumstance, President Tyler vetoed a measure to re-establish the Bank of the United States and on August 16, 1841, President Tyler was burned in effigy outside the White House….and it was mostly members of his own party who did the burning! Of course, who can forget my old buddy Grover Cleveland? As part of the campaign against him, the charge was that he fathered an illegitimate child and that too made it into the cartoon pages. A topic of lampooning is always the subject of presidential vacations. Teddy Roosevelt (at top) was mocked for going on vacaton to Pine Knot, Virginia during a big coal strike. The list goes on all the way through President Clinton to President GW Bush. The point here is that this type of harsh political discourse is not new. It’s just that now, instead of pamphlets and drawings or actual effigy burnings, we have the internet and video to do the job.

Daddy Grover?

We also hear about lack of voter turn out. Well, in the 1824 election, only 16% of eligible voters turned out to vote for President. Election participation increased though after that. However, curiously, the 1860 presidential election only turned out 72% of the vote, which seems odd since it was an election that would determine secession. It was during Reconstruction that voter turn out topped the 80% mark and then declined thereafter to the 50% to 65% range In the 20th Century, it appears that several states did not have such a high turnout. Alabama, for instance, did not have a 50% turn out in the 1900′s until the 1980′s. Prior that it was often the case that turnout was way less. From 1904 to 1960, average turnout in Alabama averaged about 25% with a lowpoint in 1924 of 13.3%. There are other examples from other states that were similar. Here is a list of tables regarding voter turnout.

In this time of economic unrest and political electioneering turmoil, don’t fall into despair. It can be considered the American way. I told you before about a financial situation in 1907 that had some similarities to today. The market fell 40% over that year of turmoil and from the Dow Peak of Oct 9, 2007 to Oct 9, 2008 the Dow has fallen about 35%. We got the ship righted then and probably will again. There will be change. Back then the 1907 “bailout” led to the creation of the Federal Reserve. Who knows what will happen this time? But in all probability, we will emerge stronger. Politically, we are not hanging Presidents in effigy and the discourse is tough, but not really much different than the past. Hang in there, we will press on.