Duchess of Weaselskin

Bayfield, Colorado - This last week when the cold front came through the southwest Colorado area and dumped snow above 10,000 feet, not much Fall golden aspen leaves were left on the trees afterwards. I took the photo image on the left a few days before the storm hit through here.

We heard that Amarillo, Texas had 4 inches of snow from that storm before it headed towards the Northeastern parts of the United States.

What about that early Octboer Nor'easter that blew through New England this weekend? We hear that least three deaths had been blamed on the unseasonably early October snowstorm that hit the northeastern U.S. Saturday. The freak storm broke records: New York City was slammed with up to two inches per hour, and Vermont was expected to get 15 inches. But the system was forecast to move out by Sunday afternoon. More than two million customers were without power early Sunday morning, and air travelers remain stranded.

How was it in your neck of the woods?

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This Day In History (October 31)

America - On this day, October 31, 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated near her residence by two Sikh security guards. Go to article

On Oct. 31, 1887, Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese general and president whose regime collapsed to the Communists in 1949, was born. Following his death on April 5, 1975, his obituary appeared in The Times. Go to obituary

On This Date, October 31:

• 1795 - Poet John Keats was born in London.
• 1864 - Nevada became the 36th state.
• 1926 - Magician Harry Houdini died of complications from a ruptured appendix.
• 1938 - The day after his "War of the Worlds" broadcast had panicked radio listeners, Orson Welles expressed "deep regret" but also bewilderment that anyone had thought the show was real.
• 1968 - President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. bombing of North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace negotiations.

NW Okie's Corner

Bayfield, Colorado - Happy Halloween or All Hallow's Eve! Have you ever wondered when halloween began . . . and Why?

The History channel states that halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and war costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.

In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs. All Saints' Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows' Eve and later Halloween. It initially evolved into a secular, community event characterized by child friendly activities such as trick or treating.

Part of the history of Halloween is Halloween costumes. The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays goes back to the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling," when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy.

In Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts, the night designated for Trick-or-treating is often referred to as Beggars Night.

In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people will continue to usher int he winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats . . . don't you think?

What is you most memorable memory of your childhood and halloween? Was it a Trick or Treat? Did it get you into trouble?

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Coyote and the Origin of Death

America - Have you heard of this Native American Legend from the Caddo Indians, concerning the coyote and the origin of death? Did the coyote get a bad wrap?

The Caddo Legend goes something like this, "In the beginning of this world, there was no such thing as death. Everybody continued to live until there were so many people that the Earth had no room for any more.

"The chiefs held a council to determine what to do. One man rose and said he thought it would be a good plan to have the people die and be gone for a little while, and then return.

"As soon as he sat down, Coyote jumped up and said he thought people ought to die forever. He pointed out that this little world is not large enough to hold all of the people, and that if the people who died came back to life, there would not be food enough for all. "All the other men objected. They said that they did not want their friends and relatives to die and be gone forever, for then they would grieve and worry and there would be no happiness in the world.

"Everyone except Coyote decided to have people die and be gone for a little while, and then come back to life again. The medicine men built a large grass house facing the East. When they had completed it, they called the men of the tribe together and told them that people who died would be restored to life in the medicine house. The chief medicine man explained that they would sing a song calling the spirit of the dead to the grass house. When the spirit came, they would restore it to life.

"All the people were glad, because they were anxious for the dead to come and live with them again. When the first man died, the medicine men assembled in the grass house and sang.

"In about ten days a whirlwind blew from the West and circled about the grass house. Coyote saw it, and as the whirlwind was about to enter the house, he closed the door. The spirit of the whirlwind, finding the door closed, whirled on by.

"In this way Coyote made death eternal, and from that time on, people grieved over their dead and were unhappy.

"Now whenever anyone meets a whirlwind or hears the wind whistle, he says: "Someone is wandering about." Ever since Coyote closed the door, the spirits of the dead have wandered over the Earth trying to find some place to go, until at last they discovered the road to the spirit land.

"Coyote ran away and never came back, for when he saw what he had done, he was afraid. Ever after that, he has run from one place to another, always looking back first over one shoulder and then over the other to see if anyone is pursuing him. And ever since then he has been starving, for no one will give him anything to eat." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

The Caddo Indians

America - It is believed that the region inhabited by the Caddo Inidans when they were first met by the whites, soon became the disputed territory between France and Spain, and later between Spain and the United States.

The Caddoes were border Indians and their relations with the Europeans and later Americans were somewhat different from that of the tribes inhabiting undisputed territory. The Caddo Indians were the principal southern representatives of the great Caddoan linguistic family, which include the Wichita, Kichai, Pawnee, and Arikara. They consisted of several tribes or divisions, claiming as their original territory the whole of lower Red River and adjacent country in Louisiana, eastern Texas and Southern Arkansas.

Caddo was a popular name contracted from "Kadohadcho," the name of the Caddo proper was used by themselves.It is extended by the whites to include the Confederacy.

To identify some of the tribes that belonged to the Caddo Confederacy and the best known tribe that inhabited the Louisiana territory were the Natchitoches that lived on Red River, near the present city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.

There is the Yatasi tribe that lived on the Red River in 1690, northwest of Natchitoches. Some of them located near Natchitoches, in order that they might be protected from the attacks of the Chickasaw who were then waging war along the Red River. A part of the tribe migrated up the river to the Kadohadacho and to the Nanatsoho and the Nasoni. At a later date the yatasi must have returned to their old village site, because there were reports that they lived on Bayou River (Stony Creek), which falls into the Red River, Western division, about 50 miles above Natchitoches. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Historic American Newspapers

America - There is a FREE website to read pre-1923 Anadarko (and other town) newspapers over at Library of Congress - Chronicling America. Under the heading All Digitized Newspapers 1836-1922, select "Oklahoma" or whatever state you are searching, then Browse the icon to the right of the title and select the calendar date you wish to view. Papers may also be downloaded at no cost in a variety of formats. The databases are word searchable which will save a lot of needless looking.

While I was over there I click on the 100 years ago today: October 31, 1911 to see what I could find. There was news from The Bourbon News, Paris, KY; New-York Tribune and other named newspapers.

You can zoom in with your mouse to read certain articles and switch pages and even download or clip an image. It sounds great for those searching old newspapers for their ancestry. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Baseball 1904 - Guthrie, Oklahoma

Guthrie, Oklahoma - In The Guthrie Daily Leader, June 21, 1904, page three, there is an article about "Baseball" that starts out with the subheading, "Grandpa Bennett Won the Game." It was June 21, 1904, Enid Oklahoma when The Blues took the first of the local series in a game that had ginger in it.

The Blues, as I take it, was a baseball team that held the locals down despite the heavy sticking, and in the last inning won the game by a sensational catch by Bennett. The score was six to five in Guthrie's favor, two men down, a man on third, Cooley hit what looked like a safe one but "Grandpa" Bennett stuck his thumb in it and pulled it down. Hoffmeister was hit for two home runs, two two-baggers and five singles, but ginger won out.

Were The Blues a Guthrie baseball team in 1904? AND . . . Who was "Grandpa" Bennett? View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

When the Fans Hibernate

Beaver, Oklahoma - The Beaver Herald, November 4, 1909, had the following article about baseball, written by James Bristol Green, with the heading, "When the Fans Hibernate." It was the ending of the season as the died in the wool baseball fans must content themselves with recalling the exciting games of the past season until the rich of the gong next spring starts the race for the season of 1910.

Names of two players stood out the season of 1909. Those names mentioned in the article were john Henry Wagner, better known as "Hans" Wagner, and Tyrus Raymond Cobb, the bright and leading stars of the National American leagues respectively.

The article stated back then that Wagner was the highest priced player in the game, but before that Hans Wagner signed his first contract for $35 a month when he won his nickname of "Big Dutchman" after he had been restrained by violent laying on the hands from wearing his uniform to breakfast.

Hans Wagner had no thought of becoming anything but pitcher until 1895 when he became a member of the Steubenville club in the old Central association. That was a time when Al Wagner, Claude Hitchey and Frank Boweman were on the team. During a slump the manager sent out a call for a pitcher and Al asked that his brother Hans be given a chance.

When Barney Dreyfuss, president of the Pittsburg club, sends out his contracts to his ball players every year he mails one to Hans Wagner that leaves the amount to the "Big Dutchman."

Tyrus "Ty" Raymond Cobb was another bright star of the American league. He stole 39 bases in 1908, but in 1909 season he made a new record, doubling his former mark. Cobb's purpose was to outguess the other fellow. He slid where they were not expecting him to slide. He had nine different methods of reaching a bag and he employed all of them. Cobb could slide head first or feet first. He could dive or he could go into the bag from any direction.

Cobb reached a bag many times in 1909 where he was not credited with a stolen base. Cobb may have been touched out, but the hand that held the ball will be unsteady, and should the ball linger on any part of the Georgian's body the ball stands little chance of remaining in the hand.

When Cobb played baseball he called forth everything he possessed -- strength, energy, speed and mind. He worked them all to the limit. During the 1909 season the prime of Cobb's life still remained to be reached. Cobb sprinted against the fastest throwers in the American league and he had beaten them. In 1907 Johnny Kling's arm stopped Cobb, but last year Cobb stole bases on Kling. Cobb could be half way to a base before most runners get a start and the pitcher unwinds himself, and he is into a bag before the throw from an average catcher reaches the baseman's hands. Ty Cobb was known as baseball's marvel. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Jack-O-Lantern Lore

Have you heard of this jack-o-lantern tale? They say the folklore is an old Irish folk tale that tells of Jack, a lazy yet shrewd farmer who uses a cross to trap the Devil. One story says that Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree, and once he was up there Jack quickly placed crosses around the trunk or carved a cross into the bark, so that the Devil couldn't get down. Another myth says that Jack put a key in the Devil's pocket while he was suspended upside-down.

Another version of the myth says that Jack was getting chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen, when he met the Devil, who claimed it was time for him to die. However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him.

Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods (the Devil could take on any shape he wanted). Later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack's wallet, only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack had closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers. So the devil was trapped.

In both myths, Jack only lets the Devil go when he agrees never to take his soul. After a while the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaven. However, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so he was barred from Hell as well. Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember that would never burn out from the flames of hell. Jack carved out one of his turnips, which was his favorite food, put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as Jack of the Lantern, or Jack-o'-Lantern. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe