Baseball Quiz: 1) Who holds the AL record for most times
hitting 3 home runs in a game, career? [Hint: Played post-1960.]
2) Who was the last NL player to lead the league in RBI three
consecutive seasons? Answers below.
Johnny Appleseed
This is the last in our “Earth Day” series and I have to tell you, I
forgot the real story behind this guy. But I can”t imagine I”m
alone in this regard.
On September 26, 1774, in the town of Leominster, MA, John
Chapman was born. His first 23 years were unremarkable. Then
in the spring of 1798, Chapman developed his first apple nursery
in northwestern Pennsylvania. He would stake land claims, plant
apple seeds to create tree stock and then sell his produce to the
next wave of settlers.
By 1800, Chapman moved to what would become the state of
Ohio. Vanishing into the wilderness, one filled with bears,
wolves, and Indians, he was not seen for five years. Then he
reappeared along the rivers, always traveling alone, clearing
glades, planting seeds and protecting them from giant rodents
(deer) by weaving brush barricades.
Folks began to call him Johnny Appleseed. It seems that he
spent his whole life planting seeds in advance of the moving
frontier. While his main base was Mansfield, Ohio, he moved
about, ahead of the settlers, so that the fruit would greet them.
Johnny earned enough on his travels and did take title to some
1,000 acres. But he lived primitively, bartering his seedlings for
food or castoff clothes. He also became very religious and was
later regarded as “a lay saint, a St. Francis of the frontier.”
Indians admired his stoicism and never harmed him. But when
they went on the warpath, the MacIntosh Man would ride out to
warn settlers of any impending doom.
In the spring of 1845, Johnny fell victim to pneumonia while
tending an orchard in northern Indiana. The Fort Wayne Sentinel
reported: “Died in the neighborhood of this city, Mr. John
Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed.”
When word of his death reached the U.S. Senate, Sam Houston
said, “Farewell, dear old eccentric heart. Your labor has been a
labor of love, and generations yet unborn will rise up and call
you blessed.”
Robert Price eulogized Johnny, thusly. “He had walked more
miles than any other recorded borderer (sic) of his generation –
now he belonged to the American trails and rivers forever.”
And writer Charles Allen Smart declared on the eve of World
War II that he embodies “the America that nurtured life instead
of destroying it, and that has been sensitive to the beauty of this
continent, and done something to create here a civilization.
Johnny Appleseed stands for ourselves at our best.”
[Source: “Forgotten Heroes,” edited by Susan Ware. Story by
William Leuchtenburg.]
Civilian Conservation Corps
At the 1932 Democratic National Convention, FDR announced
“a wide plan of converting many millions of acres of marginal
and unused land into timberland through reforestation.” After
his election, the result was the Civilian Conservation Corps,
which some would say was the most effective of the New Deal
programs. The CCC gave dollars to destitute families and
allowed men to develop valuable skills. The land-renewal work
was extensive and some 2 billion trees were planted. Plus, they
built everything from washrooms to grand lodges.
*The editor is morphing into a big-spending Democratic.
Environmental Reading List
–“Silent Spring,” Rachel Carson
–“The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral
Ideal in America,” Leo Marx
–“The Economics of Spaceship Earth,” Kenneth Boulding
–“The Population Bomb,” Paul Ehrlich
–“The Invisible Pyramid,” Loren Eiseley
–“The Closing Circle,” Barry Commoner
–“This Endangered Planet,” Richard Falk
[Source: American Heritage]
That”s it, folks. I have now fulfilled all requirements of the
American Web Site Association for a balanced curriculum. We
now go back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Prairie Dogs Go Ballistic!
I live about ten minutes from what could be a problem of
catastrophic proportions. Last October, a new prairie dog exhibit
was installed at the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ. But
this month the animals have bitten four people (including an
adult) who have tried to reach over the 3.5-foot barrier. None of
the injuries were deemed to be life threatening (I”m exaggerating
slightly for dramatic effect) and the animals supposedly do not
pose a health threat.
Now there are signs posted that warn visitors to follow “prairie
dog etiquette” and that “prairie dogs may jump up and grab your
hand and possibly cause (death).” [The editor just substituted
death for injury, because you never know.]
Here is an actual account of one attack, as reported by the Star-
Ledger”s Jonathan Schuppe.
“The Spences paused at the prairie dog exhibit…minutes later,
15-year-old Ashley was shrieking in terror: One of the fat, foot-
long rodents had jumped up against a Plexiglas barrier and sunk
its teeth into the girl”s left wrist. Panic-stricken, Ashley and her
mother shook the animal loose and ran for help.”
[Schuppe should not have used the term “fat.” Prairie dogs are
voracious readers, you know.]
At the hospital, the Spences met a woman who had herself been
attacked just a half-hour earlier.
But more importantly, you”ll recall our discussion on 4/20
concerning Earth Day founder David Brower, who believed that
different animal species could exchange messages. We have
been warned. Add the prairie dogs to the elephants, bears,
cougars, and land sharks…it”s getting very scary. Very scary.
Top 3 songs for the week of 4/28/62: #1 “Good Luck Charm”
(Elvis Presley) #2 “Johnny Angel” (Shelley Fabares) #3
“Mashed Potato Time” (Dee Dee Sharp).
Baseball Quiz Answers: 1) 3 HR games, career: Joe Carter
accomplished the feat 5 times [”86, ”87, ”89 (2).Cleveland, ”93
Toronto.] 2) NL RBIs: George Foster is the last to lead the
league 3 straight seasons – ”76 (121), ”77 (149), ”78 (120).
Next Bar Chat, Friday. I will attempt to do one from Europe. If
the Internet is balky, however, it may be later.
