In this issue:
Today in History - Dec. 1
Re: Gaslight Digest V1 #22
list-receipt problems
Mightily Mulling (White) Maniac
Today in History - Dec. 2
CHAT: NEVERMORE - discussion of works by Edgar Allan Poe
College Park Airport
Today in History - Dec. 3
Re: College Park Airport
Re: Today in History - Dec. 3
Re: Today in History - Dec. 3
Re: Re: Today in History - Dec. 3
Chat: On tv
Etext avail: Reade's "The Knightsbridge mystery"
Popular Fiction - Readers' Advisory Tool Pages - Suggestions?
The Knightsbridge Mystery
Phantom of Opera heist
Re: Phantom of Opera heist
Re: Phantom of Opera heist
Re: Phantom of Opera heist
Orczy's 3 -ages of man
Seeking National Observer (1894)
Etext avail: Wright's _Huts of Ellerslie_, pt. 3
The Knightsbridge Mystery -Reply
The Knightsbridge Mystery -Reply
-----------------------------THE POSTS-----------------------------
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 08:57:27 -0700
From: Jerry Carlson <gmc(at)libra.pvh.org>
Subject: Today in History - Dec. 1
1861
The U.S. gunboat Penguin seizes the Confederate blockade runner
Albion carrying
supplies worth almost $100,000.
1862
President Lincoln gives the State of the Union message to the
37th Congress.
1863
Belle Boyd, a Confederate spy, is released from prison in
Washington.
1864
Franklin-Nashville Campaign begins.
1881
Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan Earp are exonerated in court for their
action in the Gunfight at
the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Ariz.
1900
Kaiser Wilhelm II refuses to meet with Boer leader Paul Kruger
in Berlin.
1905
Twenty officers and 230 guards are arrested in St. Petersburg,
Russia for the revolt at the
Winter Palace.
1908
The Italian Parliament debates the future of the Triple
Alliance and asks for compensation
for Austria's action in Bosnia-Herzegovinia.
1909
President Taft severs official relations with Nicaragua's
Zelaya government, and declares
support for the revolutionaries.
1916
King Constantine Greece refuses to surrender to the Allies.
1918
An American army of occupation enters Germany.
(Personal note: I don't know if my grandfather was in that particular army, but
he did spend some time in Germany after the war. He and his landlady managed
to communicate using the Swedish he had learned from his immigrant parents and
her particular German dialect.)
Born on December 1
1913
Mary Martin, American actress famous for her roles in South
Pacific and The Sound of
Music.
===0===
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 15:19:41 +1100 From: Lucy Sussex <lsussex(at)netspace.net.au> Subject: Re: Gaslight Digest V1 #22 Thanks to the Gaslighters for their comments on `The White Maniac'. I sent a copy to Nina Auerbach, vampire lit. expert, and she was v. enthusiastic about it - also made the connexion re `The Yellow Wallpaper'. I had a lot of fun several years back arguing in a paper that Blanche was suffering from amenorrhoea. This subject would have been unmentionable in a Victorian family publication, but I think W. W. drops some fairly strong hints, particularly with her red and white imagery. One again, thanks. Lucy Sussex
===0===
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 01:21:58 -0800 (PST) From: j(at)alecwest.com Subject: list-receipt problems Hello, I'm more of a lurker than anything else but wanted to address concerns over non-receipt of Gaslight Digest. Of course, if I didn't receive a given digest myself, this won't help much ... but ... I've been archiving Gaslight Digest since February this year as well as archiving other e-lists and e-newsletters I receive (all, in some way relating to the mystery genre). I keep these archives online at this URL: http://alecwest.com/mysvault.htm This may or may not provide an answer to those who've not received digests, but, it is another option to try. I archive digests within 24 hours of receipt using the mail-date (ie., 981201.txt) as filename in the archive directory. If I receive 2 or more digests with the same mail-date, they're combined into one file ... digests back-to-back in chronological order (though this doesn't happen often). J. Alec West j(at)alecwest.com http://alecwest.com
===0===
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 08:17:16 -0500 From: "Richard L. King" <rking(at)INDIAN.VINU.EDU> Subject: Mightily Mulling (White) Maniac I enjoyed "The White Maniac," too (guess I'm a little late discussing it, eh?). I have the feeling that this is actually written by Dr. Watson himself concerning a Weird case early in his career. It somehow came to light from that carefully sealed and hidden packet that contains "The Giant Rat of Sumatra," and other tantalizing stories. And what a strange one! Lucy mentioned the term amenorrhoea. Well, I had to look that one up in a medical dictionary. In case others are wondering, it means "Absence or abnormal cessation of the menses." Whew! That gives an explanation, perhaps, to the reason the poor woman behaves as she does, which was my main complaint with the story (the Why of it all). I was thinking the author was attempting to show his protagonist's Fear of Women (the woman containing both beautiful and horrible attributes, which actually is the way the protagonist views women, mayhaps). At any event, she is certainly a date from hell. "The White Maniac" is certainly an interesting take on the vampire story, isn't it? Richard King rking(at)indian.vinu.edu Lucy Sussex wrote: > Thanks to the Gaslighters for their comments on `The White Maniac'. I > sent a copy to Nina Auerbach, vampire lit. expert, and she was v. > enthusiastic about it - also made the connexion re `The Yellow > Wallpaper'. > > I had a lot of fun several years back arguing in a paper that Blanche > was suffering from amenorrhoea. This subject would have been > unmentionable in a Victorian family publication, but I think W. W. drops > some fairly strong hints, particularly with her red and white imagery. > > One again, thanks. > > Lucy Sussex
===0===
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 12:38:41 -0700
From: Jerry Carlson <gmc(at)libra.pvh.org>
Subject: Today in History - Dec. 2
1805
Napoleon Bonaparte celebrates the first anniversary of his
coronation with a victory at
Austerlitz over a Russian and Austrian army.
1823
President Monroe, replying to the 1816 pronouncements of the
Holy Alliance, proclaimed
the principles known as the Monroe Doctrine, "that the American
continents, by the free
and independent condition which they have assumed and
maintained, are henceforth not to
be considered as subjects for future colonization by European
powers."
1863
General Braxton Bragg turns over command of the Army of
Tennessee to General William
Hardee at Dalton, Ga.
1864
Major General Grenville M. Dodge is named to replace General
Rosecrans as Commander
of the Department of Missouri.
1907
Spain and France agree to enforce Moroccan measures adopted in
1906.
1909
J.P. Morgan acquires majority holdings in Equitable Life Co.
This is the largest
concentration of bank power to date.
1914
Austrian troops occupy Belgrade, Serbia.
1918
Armenia proclaims independence from Turkey.
Born on December 2
1859
George Seurat, artist (Side note: They didn't mention whether
this was in a park on a Sunday &8-{) )
1896
Georgi Zukov, Soviet general during World War II who captured
Berlin.
1912
Henry Armstrong, the only boxer to hold three titles
simultaneously.
===0===
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 12:48:43 -0700 From: sdavies(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA Subject: CHAT: NEVERMORE - discussion of works by Edgar Allan Poe The New-List digest carries this announcement: 17. CHANGE: NEVERMORE - discussion of works by Edgar Allan Poe - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 11:26:56 -0600 From: Shanna <altaira(at)WATERVALLEY.NET> Subject: CHANGE: NEVERMORE - discussion of works by Edgar Allan Poe Subscription requests can now be received by email. NEVERMORE was created to enable people interested in the works of Poe to discuss their insights and ideas with others who share the same interest. We do weekly short readings of Poe's works (stories, poems, reviews, etc.), and the works to be discussed are chosen by the subscribers through a lottery. The only rule is that the weekly work must be read before one goes to sleep at night! To subscribe to NEVERMORE, just visit the following website: http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Nevermore Or send a blank email to Nevermore-subscribe(at)onelist.com - ------------------------------ ***The NEW-LIST mailing list is a service of the Internet Scout Project < http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/>*** ***Archives for NEW-LIST can be found at < http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/new-list/index.html>*** - ------------------------------ End of NEW-LIST Digest - 29 Nov 1998 to 2 Dec 1998 - Special issue (#1998-52) *************************************************************************** **
===0===
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 18:18:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Robert Champ <rchamp(at)polaris.umuc.edu>
Subject: College Park Airport
The University of Maryland, in the backyard of which I live, is located in
the town of College Park. College Park is also home to an airport of
no small significance in aviation history. There is now a museum at the
airport commemorating some of the accomplishments that saw first light
there. I thought Gaslighters would be interested in reading the
information sheet that comes with a visit to the museum, and which
briefly recounts some of the history associated with the airport. Here
'tis...
A Brief History of College Park Airport
College Park Airport is the "World's Oldest Continuously Operating
Airport." It is without doubt one of the most significant sites in
aviation history. While Kitty Hawk is known to many as the birthplace
of aviation, College Park Airport has frequently been referred to as
the "Cradle of Aviation" because it exemplifies more than any other
site the growing years of aviation.
After the Wright Brothers' first flights at Kitty Hawk, it took them
several years to get anyone interested in the purchase of their machine.
In 1908 they finally were able to convince the U.S. government to test
a much improved airplane. Several other countries then followed suit.
In 1909 the machine was "officially" accepted and all that was left
of the Wrights' government contract was to teach two Army officers
to fly the plane. It was then that a field was selected in the small
town of College Park to carry out this instruction and the College
Park airfield was established.
It was Wilbur Wright who captured the attention of a country that
still did not realize that man had conquered the air. His flights
at College Park with this students were front page headlines, and an
enthusiastic nation could not get enough of the activities that were
occurring just outside the nation's capital. With constant crowds,
government officials and ever present press, Wilbur completed the
instruction of Lieutenants Humphries and Lahm and later also gave
instruction to Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois.
The College Park airfield had established itself as the first
military training field and other "firsts" followed. They included
the first military officer to fly solo (Humphries), the first U.S.
woman to fly as a passenger in an airplane (Wilbur and Mrs. Van
Deman), and the first Naval Officer, Lt. George Sweet, to fly in
a plane.
When the military left the field, several civilian aviation companies
arrived. Among them were Rex Smith, National Aviation and Washington
Airplane Companies who either produced their own successful aircraft
or gave instruction in Wright, Curtiss, and Bleriot planes. Tony
Jannus who worked for Rex Smith and learned to fly here later became
famous as the pilot for the world's first airline (1914).
When the government finally appropriated money for aviation in 1911
they decided to set up the first Army Aviation School, again
locating at the College Park Airfield. Four hangers were built
and five airplanes were ordered. As soon as the aviator instructors
arrived, they began to make aviation history. During the two
years that the school operated at the field the lists of firsts and
significant events included:
- --the first cross country airplane flight (1911).
- --the first testing of a bomb-dropping device from an airplane.
- --possibly the first use of lights for night landings.
- --the introduction of the "Millitary Aviator" rating for pilots (1912).
- --first group cross-country flight.
- --the first mile high flight (Lt. Hap Arnold).
- --first testing of a machine gun from a plane.
- --first enlisted man to die in an aviation accident.
- --the first competition for the MacKay Trophy which was won by
the school's Lt. Hap Arnold.
A 1913 bill was introduced to acquire the field as the "National
Aviation Field" but this failed and the school left for warmer
climes. The civilian aviation companies remained at the field
until 1918 when the Post Office Department set up operations
there. After a three month trial airmail service operated by
the Army from Potomac Field in Washington D.C., the postal
service selected College Park as the site of the first service
airmail. The first flight took off on August 12th and continued
until 1921. In 1919 an airmail hanger and directional "compass
rose" were built on the field--both are still in existence today.
Also during this time, actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. came to the
Airport to be flown as an airmail package as part of a drive
for war bonds. Paul Garber, namesake of the Smithsonian Garber
Restoration Facility, worked at the field as an airmail courier
and later learned to fly there.
In 1920, Henry and Emile Berliner brought their experiments with
vertical flight to the field. After several years of minor
successes, they achieved the first controlled heliocopter flight.
The Navy Department then lured them to another site. The
heliocopter is now in storage at the Garber Restoration Facility.
Following the Berliners' success, the Bureau of Standards came
to the filed to develop and test the first radio navigational
aids for use in "Blind" or bad weather flying. They were here
from 1927 to 1933. In 1931, the first all blind instrument
landing took place and later in 1933 the first completely blind
flight during which radio was the sole means used for directional
guidance and landing took off from the field. The instruments
developed and tested here were the basis for the current instrument
landing system (ILS) used by pilots today.
George Brinckerhoff took over the management of the field in
1927 and operating the Brinckerhoff Flying Service there until
1959. While there he taught hundreds to fly, made many attention
getting flights, and attracted thousands of spectators to his
popular air shows.
During the 60's a movement to "Save the Airport" gathered steam
with the help of many of the famous aviators were flew here. In
1973, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
(M-NCPPC) purchased the field to utilize it as both an operating
airport and historic site. The airport was entered into the
National Register of Historic Places in 1977 in recognition of its
significant role in aviation history.
During its time, this small airport has played host to the Wright
Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, Benny Foulois, Tommy Millling, "Hap"
Arnold, Lincoln Beachy, Tony Jannus, Frank Lahm, Charles Chandler,
and others. Probably no other field in aviation can boast of
such a significant clintele nor such an amazing list of achievements.
College Park Airport is truly one of early aviation's most important
historic sites.
<<
Hope you enjoyed finding out about the airport!
Bob C.
_________________________________________________
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Robert L. Champ
rchamp(at)polaris.umuc.edu
Editor, teacher, anglophile, human curiosity
Those who are alive receive a mandate from those
who are silent forever. They can fulfill their
duties only by trying to reconstruct precisely
things as they were and by wresting the past
from fictions and legends.
--Czeslaw Milosz
rchamp7927(at)aol.com robertchamp(at)netscape.net
_________________________________________________
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
===0===
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 12:24:01 -0700
From: Jerry Carlson <gmc(at)libra.pvh.org>
Subject: Today in History - Dec. 3
1800
Austrians are defeated by the French at the Battle of
Hohenlinden, near Munich.
1818
Illinois admitted as the 21st state.
1847
Frederick Douglass and Martin R. Delaney establish the North
Star, and anti-slavery
paper.
1862
Rebels attack a Federal forage train on the Hardin Pike near
Nashville, Tenn.
1863
General Longstreet moves his army east and north toward
Greeneville. This withdrawal
marks the end of the Fall Campaign in Tennessee.
1864
Major General William Tecumseh Sherman meets up with some
resistance from
Confederate troops at Thomas Station on his march to the sea.
1906
U.S. Supreme Court orders Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
leaders extradited to
Idaho for trial in the Steunenberg murder case.
1915
The U.S. expels German attaches on spy charges.
1916
French commander Joffre is dismissed after his failure at the
Somme. Nivelle is the new
French commander-in-chief.
1918
The Allied Conference ends in London; Germany must pay to full
limits.
Born on December 3
1826
George B. McClellen, Union general who defeated Robert E. Lee
at Antietam and ran
against Abraham Lincoln for president.
1857
Joseph Conrad, Polish born novelist best known for Heart of
Darkness.
===0===
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 16:37:17 -0500 (EST) From: SERofPA(at)aol.com Subject: Re: College Park Airport I grew up in Hyattsville and now live outside of Philadelphia. It was great to read a little about my home are Stephanie Roach
===0===
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 18:11:47 -0500 (EST) From: Zozie(at)aol.com Subject: Re: Today in History - Dec. 3 stretches our time-frame just a teeny bit, but -- for anyone who has come within earshot of the glory -- born today, in 1923, Maria Callas. Think I'll let *Norma* into my room tonight and be transported. best phoebe
===0===
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 18:39:50 -0500 From: Linda Anderson <lpa1(at)ptdprolog.net> Subject: Re: Today in History - Dec. 3 sorry- my fav is still Theresa Stratas. With Placido Flamingo (ala Sesame Street). Better actress. as good a singer at least. At 06:11 PM 12/3/1998 -0500, you wrote: >stretches our time-frame just a teeny bit, but -- for anyone who has come >within earshot of the glory -- born today, in 1923, Maria Callas. > >Think I'll let *Norma* into my room tonight and be transported. > >best >phoebe > >
===0===
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 19:06:10 -0500 (EST) From: Zozie(at)aol.com Subject: Re: Re: Today in History - Dec. 3 In a message dated 12/3/98 11:40:15 PM, you wrote: <<sorry- my fav is still Theresa Stratas. With Placido Flamingo (ala Sesame Street). Better actress. as good a singer at least. >> each to her own, I always say. On this list, I think we ALL always say. smiling, phoebe
===0===
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 09:45:25 -0700 From: Deborah McMillion Nering <deborah(at)gloaming.com> Subject: Chat: On tv Does anyone know of a production of Alice in Wonderland (new) that NBC is doing for tv? Just saw the previews of The Tempest set in the South last night. Hmmm. Deborah Deborah McMillion deborah(at)gloaming.com http://www.gloaming.com/deborah.html
===0===
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 16:27:58 -0700
From: sdavies(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA
Subject: Etext avail: Reade's "The Knightsbridge mystery"
(knightbr.htm) (Fiction, Chronos, Scheds)
"The Knightsbridge mystery" (1884, 1896 ed.) by Charles Reade
knightbr.sht
In Charles Reade's "The Knightsbridge mystery" the author takes
his readers back in time to a quieter age when murderers often
went undetected.
This story will be up for discussion starting Tuesday, 98-dec-08.
To retrieve the plain ASCII files send to: ftpmail(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA
with no subject heading and completely in lowercase:
open aftp.mtroyal.ab.ca
cd /gaslight
get knightbr.sht
or visit the Gaslight website at:
http://www.mtroyal.ab.ca/gaslight/knightbr.htm
Stephen D
mailto:SDavies(at)mtroyal.ab.ca
===0===
Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 15:21:32 -0600
From: John Albee <albee(at)revealed.net>
Subject: Popular Fiction - Readers' Advisory Tool Pages - Suggestions?
Hi gaslight folks,
I'm polishing my 23 new Popular Fiction - Readers' Advisory Tool
Pages at http://home.revealed.net/albee/pages/PopularFiction.html . I'd
appreciate suggestions on your favorite sites which I may have missed.
Thanks! Bye. John
John Albee mailto:albee(at)revealed.net
Teacher, Davenport Community Schools
Website: Needle in a CyberStack - the InfoFinder
http://home.revealed.net/albee/
address: 736 Westerfield Road
Davenport, Iowa 52806 phone: 319-386-2171
We are all Works In Progress...
===0===
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 09:01:32 -0500 From: "Richard L. King" <rking(at)INDIAN.VINU.EDU> Subject: The Knightsbridge Mystery I read "The Knightsbridge Mystery" (which I believe we are to discuss starting today) last night and was very taken with it (a detective story!), even though it is a sad, sordid little tale of greed and treachery. I won't mention anything that might spoil it for anyone, but I will note that this story contains a good example of a dogged detective who admirably succeeds through determination and the use of good police methods: interviewing witnesses, putting together facts, making intelligent deductions, and undertaking a tenacious stakeout and includes undercover work. We don't see much of the personality of the detective, Bradbury, who is a professional and behaves professionally in his handling of the case (whose original solution just didn't smell right to him). We get a much more human look, though, at boardinghouse life (or how Victorian Charles Reade viewed it anyway) during the reign of George I. Reade unfolds society's daily drama as it impacts people in their different stations of life as they scrabble and scrap their way. Perhaps a deeper meaning here is how one's position in life acts as a trap, as definining walls one cannot break out of. For instance, even the police detective finds it extremely difficult to get an audience over a life-and-death matter with the minister who has the power to stop an execution. Cold, hard cash is all important, and while some people will do anything to obtain it or keep it, others, like the housekeeper, don't seem to desire it much (maybe she realizes she has no hope of ever obtaining any money and is willing to live her life simply as a boardinghouse servant). Despite a tendency to gossip for entertainment during this television-deficient time, people generally behave well toward one another (except for those willing to murder, of course), and the boardinghouse is a refuge in a town surrounded by dangerous "footpads" who will rob and kill. When murder takes place in their midst (almost twice), it is a most horrible violation, since there are employees (plus a formidable landlady) and locks and keys to keep people feeling safe from the highwaymen. As for the dynamics of the main story concerning the Captain, his son, and the impact of money upon them, well, it might be a good idea to let other Gaslight readers catch up on their reading before mentioning this. I will say that I was expecting to learn more about the son and his possible involvement with the crimes, and I can't quite figure out the significance of the captain impersonating the parson in another town. Also remarkable was the extent to which the legal bureaucrats were willing to help falsify appearances so everything would look well on the surface. A good story, even though a sad one in many ways. Richard King rking(at)indian.vinu.edu
===0===
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 18:11:14 -0500 (EST)
From: Robert Champ <rchamp(at)polaris.umuc.edu>
Subject: Phantom of Opera heist
Last week thieves in Hartford, Connecticut walked off with some of
the scenery from the musical _Phantom of the Opera_. Part of
the take involved a replica of the proscenium arch at the Paris
Opera House. The replica weighs two tons, leaving police baffled
as to how it was taken and what the thieves plan to do with it.
Bob C.
_________________________________________________
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Robert L. Champ
rchamp(at)polaris.umuc.edu
Editor, teacher, anglophile, human curiosity
Those who are alive receive a mandate from those
who are silent forever. They can fulfill their
duties only by trying to reconstruct precisely
things as they were and by wresting the past
from fictions and legends.
--Czeslaw Milosz
rchamp7927(at)aol.com robertchamp(at)netscape.net
_________________________________________________
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
===0===
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 16:34:33 -0700 From: Deborah McMillion Nering <deborah(at)gloaming.com> Subject: Re: Phantom of Opera heist >The replica weighs two tons, leaving police baffled >as to how it was taken and what the thieves plan to do with it. One would hope that they have something concrete to do with it, like maybe, pylons? Deborah Deborah McMillion deborah(at)gloaming.com http://www.gloaming.com/deborah.html
===0===
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 17:59:11 -0700 (MST) From: "p.h.wood" <woodph(at)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca> Subject: Re: Phantom of Opera heist On Tue, 8 Dec 1998, Deborah McMillion Nering wrote, apropos the theft of a replica proscenium arch, of which Bob Champ remarked: >>The replica weighs two tons, leaving police baffled >>as to how it was taken and what the thieves plan to do with it. > One would hope that they have something concrete to do with it, like maybe, > pylons? > Deborah Perhaps it will reappear as the Gateway to the New Millennium in a computer software commercial? Peter Wood
===0===
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 08:37:34 -0500 From: "Richard L. King" <rking(at)INDIAN.VINU.EDU> Subject: Re: Phantom of Opera heist Robert Champ wrote: > Last week thieves in Hartford, Connecticut walked off with some of > the scenery from the musical _Phantom of the Opera_. Part of > the take involved a replica of the proscenium arch at the Paris Maybe...they are going to make a movie and needed some props! Richard
===0===
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 08:58:57 -0700 From: sdavies(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA Subject: Orczy's 3 -ages of man The Baroness presents us with the three -ages of man in her story "The Duffield peerage case": Peerage, Steerage and Cleavage. I'm guessing that Skin o' my Tooth is always helping the underdog, particularly the disreputable underdog, escape the machinations of the law. Skin o' my Tooth (SomT.) judged the titled parties in question as being too dim to execute the crime for which they had been blamed by the public and investigated by the police. Is our baroness author casting doubt on the quality of the inheritors of titles? or is she suggesting that the Viscount's father is just stupid enough to have been wangled by the fascinating, but definitely lower class woman in India. So much of this story revolves around chance. When the woman's first husband was thought to be alive, the soldiering second husband was justified in leaving her and their offspring to fend for themselves. But when it looks like the first husband is going to be proven to have died days before the nuptuals, all is peachy with the marriage and the worst that could be said of the bride is that she didn't wear any black. As if the rightful heirs to the title weren't weak enough, the potential usurper would surely have been worse. This has the stamp of _Puddin'head Wilson_ all over it, in that the potential is here for the uncouth castoff to claim an estate and the educated, privileged offspring is about to be impoverished. I think Orczy's stories of titled characters, especially seedy stories, appealed to the reading public, and she walked a fine line until she created Sir Percy Blakeney and was finally one of the romanticists who glorified titles and birthrights. I can't think of an Old Man in the Corner story which dealed with titles but Lady Molly often did. A late change of pace came with _The man in grey_ (1919), when Orczy portrayed Royalists as greedy and nefarious during Napoleon's empire, but more about that in January. Stephen D mailto:Sdavies(at)mtroyal.ab.ca
===0===
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 09:00:25 -0700 From: sdavies(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA Subject: Seeking National Observer (1894) I plan on preparing a few versions of H.G. Wells' _Time Machine_, and already have two versions from 1895. I can produce an etext of the 1894 version, as it appeared in a sporadic series in the _National Observer_, but I don't have first-hand access to the paper. Could anyone verify the etexts of this series for me, by comparing my set with their original appearance? Stephen mailto:SDavies(at)mtroyal.ab.ca
===0===
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 09:34:27 -0700
From: sdavies(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA
Subject: Etext avail: Wright's _Huts of Ellerslie_, pt. 3
(HUTSMENU.HTM) (Fiction, Chronos)
James J. Wright's _The huts of Ellerslie_, Pt. 3 (1898)
hutselx3.srl
The trek across the Australian desert continues with the
search for Leichardt.
Thanks to Toni Johnson-Woods for continuing this serial.
It is now available on the website and as an ASCII etext
thru FTPmail.
To retrieve the plain ASCII file with admittedly skewed centering,
send to: ftpmail(at)MtRoyal.AB.CA
with no subject heading and completely in lowercase:
open aftp.mtroyal.ab.ca
cd /gaslight
get hutselX3.srl
or visit the Gaslight website at:
http://www.mtroyal.ab.ca/gaslight/hutsmenu.htm
===0===
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 13:55:13 -0500 From: Sam Karnick <SAMK(at)hudson.org> Subject: The Knightsbridge Mystery -Reply Richard's comments on "The Knightsbridge Mystery" are very astute. I would add that I thought the perpetrator's reaction upon hearing of the robbery and murder -- to express moderate but not overstated concern, and to assist in the defense of the suspect -- was very wise. "Cox! No doubt he is a knave," says the murderer; "but murder!--I should never have suspected him of that." Just the right reaction, I think. (One thing that often bothers me in COLUMBO is that the suspects typically try too hard to deflect suspicion from themselves. One would like to see a suspect just play it truly cool and not try to ply the detective with alternative explanations to the sutbly-damning statements Columbo typically makes to them, which is when they slip up worst. Far better it would be to say, "That's a tough one, Lieutenant. I'm sure glad I don't have your job.") The perpetrator of this crime plays it just right but is caught anyway. A nice moment: early on, an unidentified man says, "I like not--a man--who wears--a mask," a statement that proves wise in both its literal and figurative applications. I found it striking at the time, and enjoyed the way the author elaborated on its implications later without restating it explicitly. Yes, the Captain does seem to have spoiled Jack a bit -- if Gardiner's assessment in Chapter 1 is correct. But note that once Jack gets away from his father, he turns out to be quite praiseworthy: his college tutor almost immediately commends "his ability, good conduct, devotion to study." Later, "his tutors also spoke very highly of him." Jack's one fault appears to be a certain laxity regarding money, but whereas he is ignorant of his father's financial troubles -- which only the father's pride keeps him from knowing -- he can certainly be forgiven for asking his father for money. I found most interesting the illustration of a criminal's typical response to being caught: he wasn't doing wrong, really, because it was for the right reasons; he had been robbed himself and only wanted the money to help someone else. Reade sees through that pretense, noting that the thief had stolen a horse at Ipswich many years before, and had escaped prison by use of a file brought him by a female admirer. That is to say, his end was evident in his beginning. Best w's, S.T. Karnick >>> "Richard L. King" <rking(at)INDIAN.VINU.EDU> 12/08/98 09:01am >>> I read "The Knightsbridge Mystery" (which I believe we are to discuss starting today) last night and was very taken with it (a detective story!), even though it is a sad, sordid little tale of greed and treachery. I won't mention anything that might spoil it for anyone, but I will note that this story contains a good example of a dogged detective who admirably succeeds through determination and the use of good police methods: interviewing witnesses, putting together facts, making intelligent deductions, and undertaking a tenacious stakeout and includes undercover work. We don't see much of the personality of the detective, Bradbury, who is a professional and behaves professionally in his handling of the case (whose original solution just didn't smell right to him). We get a much more human look, though, at boardinghouse life (or how Victorian Charles Reade viewed it anyway) during the reign of George I. Reade unfolds society's daily drama as it impacts people in their different stations of life as they scrabble and scrap their way. Perhaps a deeper meaning here is how one's position in life acts as a trap, as definining walls one cannot break out of. For instance, even the police detective finds it extremely difficult to get an audience over a life-and-death matter with the minister who has the power to stop an execution. Cold, hard cash is all important, and while some people will do anything to obtain it or keep it, others, like the housekeeper, don't seem to desire it much (maybe she realizes she has no hope of ever obtaining any money and is willing to live her life simply as a boardinghouse servant). Despite a tendency to gossip for entertainment during this television-deficient time, people generally behave well toward one another (except for those willing to murder, of course), and the boardinghouse is a refuge in a town surrounded by dangerous "footpads" who will rob and kill. When murder takes place in their midst (almost twice), it is a most horrible violation, since there are employees (plus a formidable landlady) and locks and keys to keep people feeling safe from the highwaymen. As for the dynamics of the main story concerning the Captain, his son, and the impact of money upon them, well, it might be a good idea to let other Gaslight readers catch up on their reading before mentioning this. I will say that I was expecting to learn more about the son and his possible involvement with the crimes, and I can't quite figure out the significance of the captain impersonating the parson in another town. Also remarkable was the extent to which the legal bureaucrats were willing to help falsify appearances so everything would look well on the surface. A good story, even though a sad one in many ways. Richard King rking(at)indian.vinu.edu
===0===
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 13:55:13 -0500 From: Sam Karnick <SAMK(at)hudson.org> Subject: The Knightsbridge Mystery -Reply Richard's comments on "The Knightsbridge Mystery" are very astute. I would add that I thought the perpetrator's reaction upon hearing of the robbery and murder -- to express moderate but not overstated concern, and to assist in the defense of the suspect -- was very wise. "Cox! No doubt he is a knave," says the murderer; "but murder!--I should never have suspected him of that." Just the right reaction, I think. (One thing that often bothers me in COLUMBO is that the suspects typically try too hard to deflect suspicion from themselves. One would like to see a suspect just play it truly cool and not try to ply the detective with alternative explanations to the sutbly-damning statements Columbo typically makes to them, which is when they slip up worst. Far better it would be to say, "That's a tough one, Lieutenant. I'm sure glad I don't have your job.") The perpetrator of this crime plays it just right but is caught anyway. A nice moment: early on, an unidentified man says, "I like not--a man--who wears--a mask," a statement that proves wise in both its literal and figurative applications. I found it striking at the time, and enjoyed the way the author elaborated on its implications later without restating it explicitly. Yes, the Captain does seem to have spoiled Jack a bit -- if Gardiner's assessment in Chapter 1 is correct. But note that once Jack gets away from his father, he turns out to be quite praiseworthy: his college tutor almost immediately commends "his ability, good conduct, devotion to study." Later, "his tutors also spoke very highly of him." Jack's one fault appears to be a certain laxity regarding money, but whereas he is ignorant of his father's financial troubles -- which only the father's pride keeps him from knowing -- he can certainly be forgiven for asking his father for money. I found most interesting the illustration of a criminal's typical response to being caught: he wasn't doing wrong, really, because it was for the right reasons; he had been robbed himself and only wanted the money to help someone else. Reade sees through that pretense, noting that the thief had stolen a horse at Ipswich many years before, and had escaped prison by use of a file brought him by a female admirer. That is to say, his end was evident in his beginning. Best w's, S.T. Karnick >>> "Richard L. King" <rking(at)INDIAN.VINU.EDU> 12/08/98 09:01am >>> I read "The Knightsbridge Mystery" (which I believe we are to discuss starting today) last night and was very taken with it (a detective story!), even though it is a sad, sordid little tale of greed and treachery. I won't mention anything that might spoil it for anyone, but I will note that this story contains a good example of a dogged detective who admirably succeeds through determination and the use of good police methods: interviewing witnesses, putting together facts, making intelligent deductions, and undertaking a tenacious stakeout and includes undercover work. We don't see much of the personality of the detective, Bradbury, who is a professional and behaves professionally in his handling of the case (whose original solution just didn't smell right to him). We get a much more human look, though, at boardinghouse life (or how Victorian Charles Reade viewed it anyway) during the reign of George I. Reade unfolds society's daily drama as it impacts people in their different stations of life as they scrabble and scrap their way. Perhaps a deeper meaning here is how one's position in life acts as a trap, as definining walls one cannot break out of. For instance, even the police detective finds it extremely difficult to get an audience over a life-and-death matter with the minister who has the power to stop an execution. Cold, hard cash is all important, and while some people will do anything to obtain it or keep it, others, like the housekeeper, don't seem to desire it much (maybe she realizes she has no hope of ever obtaining any money and is willing to live her life simply as a boardinghouse servant). Despite a tendency to gossip for entertainment during this television-deficient time, people generally behave well toward one another (except for those willing to murder, of course), and the boardinghouse is a refuge in a town surrounded by dangerous "footpads" who will rob and kill. When murder takes place in their midst (almost twice), it is a most horrible violation, since there are employees (plus a formidable landlady) and locks and keys to keep people feeling safe from the highwaymen. As for the dynamics of the main story concerning the Captain, his son, and the impact of money upon them, well, it might be a good idea to let other Gaslight readers catch up on their reading before mentioning this. I will say that I was expecting to learn more about the son and his possible involvement with the crimes, and I can't quite figure out the significance of the captain impersonating the parson in another town. Also remarkable was the extent to which the legal bureaucrats were willing to help falsify appearances so everything would look well on the surface. A good story, even though a sad one in many ways. Richard King rking(at)indian.vinu.edu ------------------------------ End of Gaslight Digest V1 #24 *****************************