Author: L.M. Hosler

Uncategorized

Remembering the Boston Molasses Flood: Tragedy of 1915

L.M. Hosler

An Ordinary Day In Boston Turns Deadly

January 15, 1915, started off as a warmer than usual day. People were out on Commercial Street, Boston. They were moving about and enjoying the slightly warm January day. Children were playing outside on the streets and workers were stepping away from their jobs for a brief lunch break.

They did not realize the danger they would soon be facing. Tons of molasses would pour through the streets of Boston around noon. None of them knew that in just a few minutes some of them would be dead. Others would struggle to survive in a city covered in waist-high molasses. It would change quickly from being just an ordinary day to become the most deadly horrifying day in Boston’s history.

This is the news headline the day after the flood. 11 are announced dead in the headline, but 10 more bodies would be found later.

First World War Ends, Prohibition Set to Begin

Molasses became an important ingredient in creating ethanol during the First World War. This ethanol was used to create ammunition and explosives. The war ended. The American Congress then sought to make any form of liquor or alcohol illegal. They did this with an act of Congress called Prohibition.

Purity Distilling, therefore, was holding tons of molasses in a large storage tank in Boston. The company sought to make as much liquor as possible before Prohibition took effect. Shifts at Purity Distilling operated around the clock. They produced as much high-grade rum as possible.

Giant Tank Holding Millions of Gallons of Molasses

The molasses storage tank had been built a short time earlier just as the First World War was ending. It was a huge tank measuring fifteen feet high and one hundred sixty feet wide. When filled to the limit it held 2.3 million gallons of molasses.

The tank had been built near the harbor. Ships could dock there to unload the molasses. Railroads were close by to ship the molasses to where it would be made into alcohol. On Jan 15, 1915, it was filled almost to its limit. It was straining to hold the massive amount of molasses.

Tank Explodes, Molasses Flows

Close to noon people began to hear louder than usual noises coming from the tank. Survivors would later report that they heard loud rumbling noises. These were followed by loud pops which sounded like machine guns being fired. The metal steel rivets caused these noises. They held the sides of the tank together and popped out in rapid succession. Molasses began flowing from the tank at 25 to 35 miles an hour. Anyone in its path had no chance to escape.

Chaos and Destruction and Death Follows

The flood of molasses swept through the streets with such force. It literally slammed buildings off their foundations. It knocked over horses, cars, wagons, people, and anything else that got in its way. Horses and people were caught in the sticky goo. The molasses quickly hardened once it was out in the cooler air. This made it impossible for anyone trapped in it to move.

The molasses (which was a high wave) at that time knocked people and children to the ground where some suffocated to death. Twenty-one people died in the molasses while another one hundred and fifty were Injured. Property damages were enormous and if this had happened in modern times the price tag would be near $100,000,000.

Rescuers, including the police, local volunteers, and the Red Cross, all responded quickly to the disaster. They found it hard to walk through the molasses, which was up to their waists in some places. The molasses would cling to their boots and clothing making it hard to walk as they searched for survivors.

What Caused the Tank to Explode

  • No permit was required to build the tank.
  • It was poorly designed.
  • Poor construction and materials.
  • Leaks were not repaired, and molasses dripped.
  • The tank was painted brown to hide the leaks and drips.
  • Molasses would ferment causing pressure to the inside of the tank. This would be like putting too much air or gas in a balloon, which would cause the balloon to pop.
  • It was built very cheaply and quickly built with no safety inspections.
  • Was never properly tested by using water to find and repair leaks.

Lawsuits Become the First Class-Action Lawsuits

Victims of the molasses flood and the families who were victims of the flood soon filed lawsuits against Purity Distilling. These lawsuits soon combined to make one massive lawsuit, becoming the first-class action lawsuit for the state of Massachusetts. Finally, in 1926 the victims were awarded $300,000. This resulted in new laws enforcing higher regulations and inspections for new construction.

The tank that held those deadly gallons of molasses would never be rebuilt. Today, a recreational complex has been built in its place. More than a hundred years have passed since the molasses flood. People who live near the site still claim that the smell of molasses lingers on really hot days.

References for Flood of Molasses

Lyons, Chuck. (2009). “A Sticky Tragedy: The Boston Molasses Disaster.” History Today

Bellows, Alan. (2005). “The Monumental Molasses Morass of 1919.” Damn Interesting

Owen, Ryan W. (n.d.) “The Great Boston Molasses Flood, Prohibition and Anarchists.” Forgotten New England

Powell, J. Mark. (2019). “The Sticky Truth: 100 Years Ago, a Molasses Tsunami Caused a Deadly Boston Disaster.” Washington Examiner

Copyright L.M. Hosler 2019

history, History, Uncategorized

The Tragic Johnstown Flood of 1889: A Historical Overview

L.M. Hosler

Johnstown, PA

Johnstown, PA, is a small town in Cambria County in the southwestern area of the state. Pittsburgh is about seventy miles to the east of Johnstown, which lies in a small valley of the Laurel Mountains. Pittsburgh and nearby Johnstown were once booming steel towns.

A Day Starts Like Any Other Day In Johnstown, Pa

On May 31, 1889, heavy rains had been falling, and as the people of Johnstown rose and went about their daily lives, they had no idea that by that afternoon, their small town would be hit with twenty million tons of water, which reached nearly thirty-seven feet high.

As many as twenty-two thousand would lose their lives and properties. The flood that was about to hit them would devastate their small town and their families and leave behind millions of dollars of damage.

A Dam Built for Canals

It all started in 1852, when the state of Pennsylvania built a huge water reservoir about eight miles east of Johnstown. The dam was built in connection with the Pennsylvania canal system, but within a few years, railroads became the more modern way of shipping, and the canal system became obsolete. In 1863, the canal which had connected Johnstown and Blairsville was shut down, eliminating any further use of the water reservoir.

The dam sat there with very little maintenance, and one portion began to erode in 1862, just ten years after the dam had been built. What repairs were done were done using inferior materials to fix holes and leaks. The workmanship was also done in a sloppy manner.

Rich Business Men Buy The Dam

The dam was first sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad as trains at that time ran on steam, so this was a good place for a water stop. In 1875, a one-term Pennsylvania congressman named John Reilly bought the dam and surrounding areas for $2500.

In 1879, Reilly resold the dam to a real estate salesman named Benjamin Ruff, who intended to turn the reservoir into a lake and a resort for the wealthy. He became the first president of an exclusive club known as the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. This club’s members would include wealthy doctors, dentists, lawyers and rich businessmen such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Frick.

After a busy week in nearby Pittsburg, these gentlemen and their families could take the train and enjoy a weekend of relaxing at a private resort area. Some cottages and cabins were built, as well as a gentlemen’s clubhouse.

Lack of Oversight and Management

When Benjamin Ruff and the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club took over the dam, they did attempt to do much-needed repairs on the dam. However, the repairs needed were probably much more extensive than Mr. Ruff and the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club had anticipated, and I would guess that some of those repairs were put on hold.

The club also installed fish screens which, due to the heavy rains, ended up catching debris and forcing the water over the top of the dam. So basically, the heavy rains on May 31, 1889, combined with the lack of proper repairs and maintenance, were the culprits of the Johnstown Flood in 1889.

The Monster Flood Roars Toward Johnstown, PA

The heavy rains on May 31, 1899, put too much strain on the dam, and that afternoon workers at the dam saw that it was not going to hold the water back. Telegrams were sent to the small communities and to Johnstown. Most people paid little attention to the flood warnings, while others did move their belongings to second stories. None had any idea of the monster that was about to hit their small town and take their homes and lives.

At sometime around three o’clock in the afternoon, the dam gave way and the water came roaring furiously down into Johnstown. It was a roaring wall of water that took everything in its path. Houses, animals, cars, railroad cars and humans, the water showed no mercy. Thousands were trapped with no way out. Some were swept away, while others were caught in the tangled mess of houses, trees, and debris that backed up at the Stone Bridge.

For some reason, this debris at the bridge ignited and killed the people who had been clinging to wood boards or whatever they could manage to hang on to.

Relief Efforts

Just like today, when disasters of this nature strikes, Americans rally for each other and the flood of 1889 was no exception. Donations, volunteers and help came pouring in from all over the United States. Donations came from major cities in the United States such as Boston, Cincinnati and donations came from overseas as well. Money came from other countries such as London, Ireland and from Australia and there were numerous donations from many other places. Various businesses donated materials to help rebuild homes and shelters for those who had lost their homes.

Clara Barton arrived within days of the flood, and along with her American Red Cross organization set up headquarters in one of the few buildings that had survived the flood. Here the Red Cross sat up regular food areas to feed the homeless. Clothing areas were set up to distribute needed shoes, clothing, blankets and personal care items. This was one of the first biggest disasters to hit in America with such force that it proved to be training for disasters that would occur in the future. Lessons learned during the Johnstown flood of 1889, have carried over to modern day disasters.

Clara Barton set up headquarters in Johnstown, PA, after the historic flood of 1889.

Andrew Carnegie Library

Andrew Carnegie was one of the richest members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club although it is thought that he spent very little time there. Carnegie was also well known as a kind and generous man.

Shortly after the flood he visited Johnstown and donated $10,000 toward building a library there. More money was later needed to finish building the library and Carnegie donated an additional $45,000 toward its completion.

The Cambria Public Library built in Johnstown with donations from Andrew Carnegie

A Flood for the History Books

The Johnstown Flood was an historical event that people still talk about today. Stories and pictures of the flood have been preserved and handed down to new generations. There are still different theories of just who or what was responsible for such a horrific event that caused so much damage and took so many lives, many of them children. Johnstown has an interesting museum dedicated to the flood where the history of the Johnstown Flood is kept alive. The museum features a short film about the flood. After the flood, there were very tiny homes brought into Johnstown, much like FEMA trailers today, for families who had lost their homes. One of these tiny homes is also part of the museum.

The South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club and some of its members were sued in court but were never held responsible. Today life goes on in Johnstown, PA, and the town has been rebuilt but the memories and stories live on.

Johnstown has come back from the famous flood of 1889. This is a photo of Johnstown in November of 2020. Photo Credit L.M. Hosler

Copyright L.M. Hosler 2019

Uncategorized

Achievements of Dorothy Day: A Legacy of Service

L.M. Hosler
Dorothy Day as a young woman

Dorothy’s Early Years

Dorothy Day was born as one of five children to John and Grace Day in Brooklyn, New York on November 8,1897. Her father was a sports writer and later became a sports editor. A few years after Dorothy’s birth he moved the family to San Francisco, California to take a better job. The Days family lived in California until the Great Earthquake in 1906 which destroyed her father’s place of employment. Before they left California Dorothy and her mother tried to help those who had been left homeless from the earthquake. This probably influenced Dorothy in such a way that years later it became her life’s work to help others in need.

The Day family then moved to Chicago, Illinois and lived in one of the poorer sections of Chicago until her Father found work that allowed him to move his family to a better neighborhood. Dorothy never seemed to forget what it was like to be poor and perhaps that is what led her to make the choice of helping the poor and less fortunate.

College Years

While still living in Chicago Dorothy won a scholarship which allowed her to go to The University of Illinois and she attended there for two years from 1914 until 1916. Dorothy loved reading and learning and she especially enjoyed reading the works of Dickens and Poe as well as others. It was at the university that her journalistic career began when she went to work for a small local paper. The friends she chose while in college were generally socialists who influenced her to join the Socialist Party. With her friends she became involved with radical causes concerning poor working people.

Life as a New York Reporter

Two years later, she gave up her studies at the university and moved to New York. She was just eighteen years old at the time. Here she found her first real job as a reporter working for the New York Call where she worked for a few months before leaving The Call to work for The Masses. As a reporter she covered labor meetings, protests and riots as well as other social causes. Here in New York, she made friends with other journalists, liberals, socialists, labor collaborators and communist that she met through her work. During this time, Dorothy was like most young women, enjoying life, her first relationships with men and love. She also became pregnant during this time period and she chose to have an abortion rather than raise the child

Occoquan Prison: The Night of Terror

While working as a reporter for The Masses, Dorothy traveled to Washington, DC to join with a women’s suffrage protest organized by Alice Paul, Lucy Burns and The National Women’s Party. As a result, Dorothy and several of the other women were arrested and spent several weeks in jail. Dorothy asked for and was given a Bible which she took much comfort from. After being arrested and sentenced to thirty days in jail, Dorothy and the other women went on a hunger strike which drew the attention of President Woodrow Wilson who ordered the women to be released from jail. Later these women dubbed their time in the Occoquan Prison as “The Night of Terror”.

Love and Heartbreak

n 1918, Dorothy thought it was time to look for a possible new career and tried nursing by enrolling at Kings County Hospital in New York. It was while she was in nurse’s training that she met and fell in love with a fellow newspaper associate, Lionel Moise. She became pregnant with his baby which he insisted that she abort, so in an attempt to keep the man she thought she loved she had the abortion. She was only 21 at the time. Dorothy often stated how deeply she regretted making that decision because within a short period of time Lionel had walked out and left her anyway.

After Lionel walked out Dorothy was heartbroken and she married Berkely Tobey on the rebound. The two of them traveled for some time together but the marriage was a brief one and ended in divorce shortly afterwards. After divorcing Berkely Tobey, Dorothy entered into a relationship with Forster Batterham for several years and became pregnant for the second time. To Dorothy, this was a miracle because she had believed that she could not have children after having the abortion. She gave birth to a daughter she named Tamar Theresa on March 4,1926. This was the beginning of the end of her relationship with Forster who had not wanted either marriage or children and soon after the two went their separate ways.

The Beginning of a Lifetime of Serving God

Between 1932 and 1933, Dorothy met Peter Maurin an illegal immigrant who was also a scholar with leanings toward the catholic faith. On May 1,1933 the two of them published their first issue of The Catholic Worker and began focusing on their mission of promoting Biblical teachings, morals, mercy and justice, which was also committed to forming a nonviolence peaceful society. Together these two would work for social change, better working conditions for workers and help and comfort for the poor.

Achievements of Dorothy and Peter

  1. Started the newspaper (The Catholic Worker
  2. Opened the first House of Hospitality in 1933
  3. Started farming communes for people in need who could live on the commune and help to raise food and animals to meet their needs
Peter Maurin, Dorothy’s close friend and co-founder of the Catholic Worker’s Movement

Books Written by Dorothy Day

  1. The Eleventh Virgin
  2. From Union Square to Rome
  3. House of Hospitality
  4. On Pilgrimage
  5. The Long Loneliness
  6. Selected Writings
  7. Loaves and Fishes
  8. The Reckless Way of Love (notes on following Jesus)
  9. The Duty of Delight
  10. All the way to Heaven
  11. Peter Maurin Apostle to the World
  12. Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker
  13. Meditations
  14. In My Own Words

This is a short list of the books that Dorothy Day wrote. She also wrote over three hundred articles for various newspapers that she worked for over her lifetime. Many of her books are books of faith and stories of how she spent her lifetime and her faith in service to others.

Dorothy Day Honors and Achievements

Dorothy achieved so much that it is hard to comprehend everything this woman did but this is a short list of some of the most memorable events of her life.

  • Dorothy had the honor of meeting Mother Teresa in 1970. It’s believed that Mother Theresa gave Dorothy one of her crosses
  • Received Communion with the Pope 1967
  • Received birthday wishes from the Pope on her 80th birthday in 1977
  • University of Notre Dame honored her with the Laetare Medal which is given for outstanding service to the Catholic church and society
  • Dorothy had a long and deep impact on the Catholic church

This is only a few of the achievements and honors that Dorothy received during her lifetime.

In Conclusion

Dorothy Day was a determined and courageous woman who found her faith and her strength in the Catholic Church. Upon finding her faith, she worked hard and tirelessly for the poor. She gave more of herself than most of us are capable of. She was jailed several times in her efforts to help women fight for their rights in addition to other causes that she felt strongly about. She spent most of her adult life serving her God, her church and her fellow human beings. Let us all strive a bit harder to be more like Dorothy Day and make the world a better place. A world more like Dorothy Day’s vision of caring and loving our fellow human beings.

Copyright L.M.Hosler 2019

history, History, Uncategorized, Women and History

The Inspiring Life of Nellie Bly: Pioneering Female Journalist

L.M. Hosler

Elizabeth Cochran Better Know as Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly at twenty one years old while working as a foreign journalist in Mexico

Nellie Bly Early Years

Nellie Bly was born in 1864 in Cochran Mills, Pennsylvania at a time when women were expected to stay at home, have babies, take care of their men and be happy doing that. Women had very few rights at that time, little education and they rarely had good career choices. Nellie was born into a large family of fifteen. Her father had ten children before he married Nellie’s mother, who then gave birth to another five children. Nellie was named Elizabeth Jane but was also nicknamed “Pink or Pinky”. Later when she began her career as a newspaper woman, she changed her name to Nellie Bly as her pen name. Nellie’s father died when she was six years old and the family fell into hard times. Her mother remarried but it is said that her new husband was abusive. Sometime later her mother divorced the stepfather leaving Nellie and her mother to support the family by operating a boarding house just outside of Pittsburgh.

Nellie had wanted to become a teacher and briefly attended the Indiana Normal School, now know as Indiana University of Pennsylvania. However, the family’s finances forced her to give up her teaching dream. It was at this time that Nellie left school to help her mother run the boarding house but she still had dreams of what she wanted to do with her own life.

Nellie Begins Her Career as a Reporter

Nellie began her career as a writer and reporter in 1885 at the Pittsburgh Dispatch newspaper. She had written an angry letter to the paper’s editor in response to an article that she felt disrespected young girls and women. After reading Nellie’s letter, the editor offered her a job working for the paper. Very few women were ever offered opportunities like this and Nellie quickly accepted the offer. She was generally given assignments that were considered of interest to women. Here Nellie could give a voice to issues that concerned women such as poor women who had to support themselves as well as the working conditions these women found themselves in. Of course, some of her articles didn’t sit well with the business class and this was the reason she was reassigned to writing just for the women’s page such as society news. Nellie soon grew tired of these boring assignments and wanted more of a challenge. She found her challenge by going to Mexico as a foreign correspondent for the paper where she spent several months writing about the lives and conditions she found in Mexico. After a few months however, she drew the displeasure of the Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz when she wrote articles critical of his leadership and government. Nellie was forced to leave the country but later she published her book “Six Months in Mexico”. It seems Nellie’s honesty as a reporter was not always appreciated and tended to get her into trouble.

Nellie Exposes the Insane Asylum Blackwell Island

In 1887 Nellie decided it was time to move to New York where she took a job at The New York World paper as a reporter. Her first real assignment with the New York World paper was to go undercover as an insane girl to the Blackwell Island mental institute. How many of us would willing have ourselves committed to an insane asylum? Not very many of us I am sure. Here she spent ten days living locked up with insane women. She saw and experienced everything that a truly insane person would experience. As a result, she wrote a series of articles exposing the mental health facility and she was able to bring about awareness for the mentally insane and instigate an investigation into Blackwell Island. This brought about much needed reforms for mental health institutions. Her story of her time in the mad house later became the movie, “Ten Days in a Mad House”. It was an awesome movie but I believe it was rather dramatized as they tend to do with movies.

Some of the reforms that were brought about by Nellie’s daring venture into Blackwell Island institute for the mentally insane included:

  • Better food for the patients
  • Better health care
  • Warmer clothing and more blankets
  • More oversight into the doctors and nurses treatment of the patients
  • Warm baths instead of icy cold baths
  • Cleaner clothing, towels and personal care items

Blackwell Island for the Mentally Insane Asylum

The Blackwell Mental Institute for the insane where Nellie Byl spent confined for ten days

Nellie Travels the World in Seventy Two Days

Nellie also had the opportunity to travel around the world to beat the previous fictional world record of eighty days. When Nellie brought up the idea of beating the old record her editor told her it wasn’t a job for a female so Nellie challenged him to send both her and a man at the same time. Her editor gave her the assignment. She left Hoboken, New Jersey on Nov 14th, 1889 by ship, traveling to London. From London she took trains to Paris and throughout Europe. From there she traveled to Egypt then on to the Suez Canal then headed towards Middle Eastern countries. From there, she next journeyed through Asian countries and into Japan. From Japan she headed home to San Francisco, Ca. Her journey consisted mostly of travel by trains and ocean liners but there are also reports of various other means of transportation such as horses and Asia rickshaws. Nellie completed her journey in record time with a total of twenty one seven hundred and 40 miles in seventy days, six hours and eleven minutes. I am not sure Nellie was aware at the time she began her journey that the Cosmopolitan magazine was also sending another female reporter, Elizabeth Bisland, on the same mission.

During those seventy two days as Nellie traveled the world, the editor of The New York World used her trip to drive up circulation of the newspaper. Nellie would send dispatches to the paper on where she was every day. The newspaper sponsored a contest offering a prize of a trip to the person who made the most accurate guess as to how long her trip would take.

Upon her return arrival in San Francisco on Jan 25th 1890 Nellie was greeted with crowds of admirers and was given a special train to make her trip back to New York. When she arrived in New York she was honored with parades, brass bands and fireworks to celebrate her victory and safe return. She later wrote her book titled “Around the World in Seventy Two Days”.

Nellie’s Many Accomplishments

Nellie Bly was certainly a woman ahead of her time. In a time when women were looked on as nothing more than a wife, mother, housekeeper and laundress, she blazed a path of her own. In 1895 Nellie married Robert Livingston a man quite a bit older than her. After his death, Nellie wrote numerous articles covering the women’s suffrage movement. Her words and her stories were a powerful tool for women everywhere. Nellie also covered the First World War reporting from the Eastern front lines. Nellie received numerous awards for her work throughout her lifetime and she certainly left her mark on the journalist world. In 1998 Nellie Bly was indicted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Nellie Bly was a leader whose work influenced women’s lives in many ways. Her early work exposed factories and influenced changes in safety. She became a role model for young women who dreamed of becoming something more than a wife and mother.

Copyright  2019 L.M. Hosler

Uncategorized

From Commoner to Queen of England: The Journey of Elizabeth Woodville

L.M. Hosler

The White Queen Novel

The White Queen novel is written by Philppa Gregory, a historian with a keen interest in English kings and queens. Philppa Gregory combines her love of history, writing and researching into this compelling story of Elizabeth Woodville, the daughter of a squire and a young widow with two young sons. This is the story of one young woman’s rise to the height of power, her fall from power, her struggles to save her children and the love she has for King Edward IV. The book is well written and Philppa Gregory does a great job with researching any of her books. Although it is fiction, it is based on real people’s life’s and real events that occurred during their lifetime.

This is the story of great royal families fighting for power and the throne of England as the greatest prize of all. Many of these great families would fight against their cousins in a war that became know as “The War of The Cousins” and later known as the War of The Roses. This was a time when friends, cousins and brothers could turn on each other in the middle of a battlefield in a moments notice.

Queen Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth’s Story

Elizabeth Woodville was considered to be a commoner and not good enough to marry a king, even though her mother Jacquetta of Luxembourg came from the royal family of Burgundy and had been married to the Duke of Bedford. Elizabeth’s father however, had been merely a squire in the Duke’s service so Elizabeth had no real prospects of a royal marriage. She was also the young widow of Sir Thomas Grey and had two small sons.

Elizabeth waited alongside the roadside hoping for a chance to petition the king to have her land returned to her. When the young King Edward saw her waiting alongside the road with her two boys he was instantly captivated by the beautiful lady. Edward attempted to make Elizabeth his mistress but she firmly refused, she would settle for nothing but becoming his wife and his queen. They soon married in secret and against the wishes of his top advisers and counsel who were hoping to make a match with a princess of France and King Edward.

Elizabeth is soon anointed as Queen Elizabeth. Through her new husband begins to move her many family members into positions of power and wealth through marriages, which infuriates Edward’s great friend and mentor the Earl of Warwick. The Earl of Warwick schemes and brings about an uprising in which he tries to have Edward’s younger brother George made king and put on the throne.

This is only one of the many uprisings and rebellions that King Edward and Queen Elizabeth faced as they ruled England and their own family grows. There would be many battles and much blood shed as the royal couple fight to stabilize England and keep the throne for their sons.

Elizabeth’s Young Sons: Heirs to the Throne

Young Prince Edward and his younger brother Prince Richard

Elizabeth came birth to several daughters and two sons who were the heirs to the throne after their father King Edward. King Edward, unfortunately dies while the two boys were too young to be named king. Edwards younger brother, Richard took the throne instead and the two young heirs were sent to live in the tower. One of the greatest mysteries in the story of Elizabeth Woodville, is the story of the two sons who were imprisoned in the tower and disappeared with no trace and no bodies were ever discovered. To this day, no one knows what really happened to the two young princes, Rumors were that King Richard had the two boys murdered so that he could be crowned king. However, there were several others who could have murdered the boys or given the order to have them killed. The author of The White Queen, gives a different theory on what may have happened to the heirs to the throne. The boys disappearances have never been solved and their killers were never found.

Reasons I Recommend Reading The White Queen

I have read several of Philppa Gregory’s books and I have loved every one that I have read. She uses actual people, dates and events to tell a fascinating story. Every book has been a page turner and hard to put down. In this story of The White Queen she describes battles, conflicts and emotions that I felt as if I were transported back time and as if I were right there in the middle of all the conflict. Thank goodness I was only reading about these treacherous and bloody times.

I personally love this type of story because of the history and that I know these things actually happened and people lived these stories.

I recommend this book for many reasons

  1. If you are like me and like stories base on history you will enjoy this book
  2. For those who like action to keep your interest there is lots of action detailing many of the battles of the War Of The Cousins
  3. Romance: Who wouldn’t like a love story involving the King of England who marries a squire’s daughter just because he falls in love with her even though she has no title or great wealth or power
  4. It is an intensely emotional story as Elizabeth the mother of the princes in the tower fights to save her sons
  5. Because the characters are based on real people, they seem very real

I would encourage anyone to read the story “The White Queen” by Philppa Gregory. This story has also been made into a television mini series which is very good. Philappa Gregory also wrote “The White Princess” Which is the story of Elizabeth’s oldest daughter and her marriage to Henry VII. The White Princess has also been made into a television mini series.

Copyright L.M. Hosler 2024

Entertainment, Uncategorized

Impact of Violence in Entertainment on Children

L.M. Hosler

A young boy playing with a gun

A young boy experimenting with a weapon
A young boy experimenting with a weapon | Source

Violence And Our Society

There is no doubt about it, everyday we hear so much violence on the news. It seems our society is becoming more violent with each passing generation. We, as parents, grandparents and society in general have an obligation to try to stem the tides of violence. So where do we start? Our government wants to take away our rights to own firearms. They also want to remove our ability to protect ourselves. They think the solution is gun control. But most of us, know that if a criminal wants to inflict violence on others, they will find a way. They may choose to steal guns. Recently, there have been cases where they used various other weapons. These include knives, ropes, bricks, hammers or rocks.

We know that mental illness plays a role in most cases of violence. But, here again, there are many who suffer from some form of mental illness, who would never harm someone else. But suppose a slightly mentally ill young person grows up viewing violence every day. They see this violence in their television programs, movies, and video games. Would that make the chances of that person committing a violent act increase? If they view this every day, does it not distort their thinking and reasoning ability? If a mentally ill person views violence as a way of life, do they choose violence? Do they use it when they have issues with others? Is violence their method of resolving conflicts?

Children Learn Violence

Most children are not born with violent tendency, except for certain mental illnesses. They learn what their surroundings and those people around them teach them. A National Television Violence Study project was done by the government nearly twenty years ago. The studies results showed the following.

  1. Children learn aggressive behaviors
  2. Children who watched a lot of violent television and movie content seemed to lose their empathy towards others
  3. Some children would develop fears of becoming victims of violence

Yes, children do learn from watching violence on television. A friend of mine has the scar to prove it. Her brother, after watching cowboy and Indian shows decided to try to scalp my friend with his pocket knife. Of course, in this case, the child was punished and made sure he knew what he had done was wrong. My own son, after watching a show called Circus of The Stars, decided to try to ride his bike over his younger brother. These are just two example of how children react to what they see on Television.

Hero Or Nasty Villain

We have all watched movies where the hero did some very extreme acts of violence himself. However, the hero is shown as being glamorized and his actions are excusable in his efforts to destroy the villain. The villain is portrayed as so evil, that any violent acts the hero does is justifiable even if the hero has killed, harmed or damaged just as many people as the villain.

Now movies, and television drama shows would be very dull without some sort of conflict, I agree. But, do they have to show in graphic detail, blood and body parts flying? I think not. Movies were just as good years ago, without having to see blood smeared and detached limbs and heads.Some of these shows, movies and video games are so graphic that children are growing up seeing blood splatter that it has no effect on them and it doesn’t seem to bother them. In fact, to them this is exciting and normal. Some movies I have watched recently have shown people being tortured or being beaten so badly, that I had to turn off what might have otherwise been a good movie. In fact, it was a remake of Bonnie and Clyde, but it was so much more violent than the original, which was quite violent enough.

Everyone Can Help Change The Violence

All of us have the ability to help to curb violence in the media and protect our young people from its harmful effects. Here are some tips that may help parents or caregivers of young children.

  • Know what programs your child is viewing and what video games they are playing.
  • Watch with your child the games they are playing and the television programs they are watching
  • Limit the amount of time the child is allowed to play games or watch television
  • Make use of the time you spend watching television programs by discussing how this is not what reality is
  • Talk about the violence and let your child know it is not reality and there are consequences to violent behavior
  • Change the channel and explain why you are doing so
  • Refuse to watch overly violent shows or movies
  • Talk with other parents and encourage them to avoid violent games, movies and television programs
  • Also discuss with other parents if there are violent games or shows you do not wish your child to be exposed to. Chances are they may agree with you.
  • There are groups that try to curb violence that children are exposed to. Join one and make a difference
  • Most televisions have parental controls which can be used to help eliminate viewing violent and sexual content. Be sure to use these controls
  • Join groups that work towards curbing violent games and television

The Good Things

Yes, there are good programs on television and good movies. It is just getting harder to find good family type movies. There are some good educational channels, such as the History Channel, and some good family movies can be found on the Hallmark Channel. Teach your children to look for the good and protect them from being overly exposed to the violence. Hopefully, our society may change its course amid all the violence and eventually hold the entertainment industry accountable for what it produces.

Uncategorized

Understanding the Tragedy of Native American Displacement

L.M. Hosler

Andrew Jackson Is Elected President

In 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected president of the United States. AS president, he had promised that if elected he would have the Indians removed. Jackson had always disliked the Indians and had been involved in several brutal attacks on the Creek and Seminole Indians. Gold had also been discovered that year in Georgia, which led to more settlers laying claim to Cherokee land. After Jackson took office he promptly began working on passing a law to remove the Indians. On May 28, 1830, he signed into law “The Indian Removal Act.”

This act resulted in two lawsuits being filed with the US Supreme Court. John Ross was the principal Cherokee chief at the time. He filed one of these suits. He claimed that the Cherokee were a sovereign nation and thus the law was illegal. The court decided in favor of the Cherokee. It declared that the Cherokee were indeed a “domestic, dependent nation.” They were under the protection of the United States government.

The second case was Cherokee Nation vs Georgia. It was decided in favor of Georgia. This happened due to the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case. The Supreme Court declared it did not have any authority to hear the case. This was because the Cherokee Nation was not a foreign nation. They were also not a state. This decision left the Cherokee vulnerable to President Jackson’s “Indian Removal Act.”

Politicians Broken Promises and Lies

In May 1838, General Winfield Scott was given the assignment of driving the Cherokee from their homes. He did this by burning their homes and killing families if they resisted. Those who did not resist were moved into stockades, also know as forts, which had been built in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. The stockades had little food, sanitation or even blankets and the water was unsafe for drinking. The Indians were crammed together in unhealthy and overcrowded conditions. The weather was extremely hot that summer. Diseases such as measles, dysentery and other diseases, spread rapidly and left an estimate of 2000 dead Indians in the camp. The government had promised the Cherokee money for things such as food, blankets, medicine and sanitation needs but the money never arrived for those things. Instead, as in many cases involving the government, it lined the pockets of greedy politicians and military officials.

The Trail Of Tears Begins

Some of the luckier prisoners were finally moved by boat, in June and July, while others would be forced to wait months in the camps and then would be forced by the U.S. army to travel by foot with only a few wagons to haul supplies for the trip. In October, the remaining Indians were organized in groups of 1000 to begin the journey west. Many would not live to see their new homeland. They would be forced to travel in horrible winter weather conditions, with little food or warm clothing or even shoes on their feet for the winter months. Thousands would die from starvation, disease, or would freeze to death before reaching their destination. Many of the old would simply die of exhaustion along the way. Death occurred on a daily basis and the dead were buried along the trail. Mothers would be forced to bury their children and then proceed to move westward. This forced removal from their homes and the march of the Cherokee Indians became known as the “Trail of Tears” because of the heartache and the millions of tears shed by mothers and families along the way.

Trail of tears marker honoring those who were forcibly removed from their land. Source: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Legend Of The Cherokee Rose

As the Cherokee walked the trail to their new home, there were many tears, especially from the mothers. One of the elders of the tribe sought to ease their pain and suffering by praying for a sign. Soon after that, each time a mother’s tear fell to the earth, a beautiful white rose with a gold center would grow. It was said that the white represented the mother’s tear while the gold center was the gold stolen from their lands. The seven leaves represented the seven Cherokee nations. Today, these beautiful white roses grow wild along “The Trail of Tears.”

A National Disgrace

This is perhaps one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the United States. Government tyranny, greed and power outweighed common decency and kindness. Basically, our native American citizens were forced into concentration camps, much like Hitler did to the Jewish people. For this, Presidents Andrew Jackson and President Martin Van Buren, who was elected president after Andrew Jackson and finished carrying out Jackson’s evil work, will both have to account for all the pain and suffering they were responsible for.

history, History, Women and History

Royal Fairy Tale Weddings: Royal Scandals

L.M. Hosler

The Queen Arrives at Royal Wedding

The Queen of England arrives by carriage at a royal wedding.

Times Have Changed Attitudes About Royal Marriage and Divorce

At one time, divorce was not an option to even be considered for the royal British family. It was almost impossible to obtain a divorce among the royal class. But over the years there were some exceptions, probably beginning with King Henry VII and his six wives. In his case, he did manage to divorce his first wife. The other wives had less fortunate endings. But divorce among the royalty was still considered taboo and likewise, they were not allowed to marry a person who was divorced. King Edward VIII gave up the throne to be able to marry the twice divorced Wally Simpson. Things began to change during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Her sister and three of her children’s fairy tale weddings ended in divorce. Just recently Prince Charles the heir to the British throne and his son Prince Harry have both been allowed to marry divorced women. It is looking very likely that the fairy tale wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will quite likely end in another royal scandal. As a matter of fact, this royal fairy tale has already become a major scandal for the British monarchy.

The Prince and Princess of Wales

Prince Charles and Princess Diana marriage begins to crack.

Not long after Prince Harry was born, things began to deteriorate between the young couple. Charles had done his royal duty and produced an heir and a spare heir. By 1986, rumors began that Prince Charles was rekindling his old romance with Camilla Parker Bowles. Then the rumors began about Princess Diana and other men. How much was true may never be fully known, but we do know for certain that Prince Charles did have an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and he did marry her several years after Diana’s death. The fairy tale had become a rocky road. In February of 1989, Princess Diana had an occasion to confront Camilla and let her know that she knew what was going on behind her back. By 1990, the marriage was on very shaky ground and at some point, Prince Charles admitted his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Diane famously said that there were three people in their marriage.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana arrive by carriage to Prince Andrews wedding

Princess Margaret the Queen’s Rebellious Sister

Princess Margaret had a reputation for being a rebellious royal. When she was very young and quite beautiful, she fell in love with Captain Townsend. The two privately planned on being married but the captain who was divorced was not considered a good match for Margaret. He was not of noble birth but even worse he was a divorced man which was not acceptable at that time. Margaret at that time needed both the permission of her sister, the Queen Elizabeth, and parliament to marry Captain Townsend. Privately, her sister would have granted her permission but it was well known that parliament would not give their consent. Eventually Captain Townsend and Margaret called off their romance.

On May 6, 1960, Princess Margaret married a thirty year old photographer and commoner, Anthony Armstrong Jones. It was a lavish fairy tale wedding with thousands of guests, royals and heads of states from other countries. It was also watched by millions around the world on national television. On November 3, 1961, their first child David arrived followed by a sister, Sarah on May 1, 1964. Upon the arrival of the children, it was decided that Anthony Armstrong Jones needed to be given a royal title for the sake of the children. He was given the title of Earl of Snowden and his son the title of Viscount Linley. A few years after the birth of the children, the marriage began to sour. The couple loved partying which ended up involving affairs, drugs and alcohol, all the aspects of the modern 1960s. The two separated and on July 11th 1978, after eighteen years of marriage the fairy tale ended in divorce. Princess Margaret twenty years earlier could not marry a divorced man but 1960s changed attitudes so by 1978 divorce among the royals was not quite so scandalous.

Princess Margaret in her Wedding Dress

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

Prince Andrew was formally introduced to Sarah Ferguson at a party given by Princess Diana. They immediately hit it off with Prince Andrew falling for the fiery red haired beauty. On March 18th 1986, they announced their engagement. On July 23, 1986, they were married at Westminster Abbey where many of the royal family have been married.

Almost from the start, theirs was a rocky road. Prince Andrew’s position in the Royal Navy kept him from home for long periods of time for the first five years of their marriage. Sarah or (Fergie) as she was known had deep security issues relating back to being abandoned by her mother at an early age. The couple did have two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie. Sarah was perhaps never fully supported by the royal family. She didn’t fit the royal mold and was bold and outgoing. At any rate, the marriage floundered and the Duke and Duchess of York announced their separation in 1992 and were divorced in May of 1996. Along the way there were scandals and other relationships as was the case in most of the other royal fairy tales. However, their story may yet have a happy ending. Prince Andrew and Sarah have always remained close friends and both were very involved in the raising of their two daughters. It seems that today they live together and there are rumors that the two may remarry someday. Let’s hope that this royal fairy tales ends like fairy tales are supposed to end and they live the rest of their lives happily as fairy tales are meant to end.

Sarah Ferguson on Her Wedding Day

The scandal That Splits The Royal Family

The latest royal scandal is still brewing. This one involves the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the former Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle an American Hollywood actress. The couple married on May 19, 2018. Their son Archie was born the following year on May 6, 2019. In January 2020, they made headlines around the world with their decision to leave the British royal family and move to Canada.

Some Fairy Tales End Happily

Everyone, including me loves a fairy tale. When we see a young beautiful prince or princess marry in a huge fairy tale wedding complete with beautiful white dresses, horse drawn carriages, famous and titled guests, we can’t help but still believe in fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White and Beauty and the Beast and happy endings. After all, some of the royal family such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert somehow managed to live out their fairy tale.

Copyright Linda Hosler March 10, 2014

history, History, writing

Advice on Beating Writer’s Block

L.M. Hosler
The Frustration of writer’s block

Some days it seems like ideas for writing just flow through your fingers and onto paper. But then along comes the dark days when nothing you write seems to be right and there seems to be no new ideas. Writer’s block is seen as a condition where creativity is blocked, frustration and irritation tends to set in. Writer’s block occurs when the writer wants to write but can’t seem to find the right ideas and words. Some writers suffer from writer’s block after having a story or book rejected or criticized. I have read that even well known authors suffer from writer’s block at times. What can a writer do to help get back on track and beat writer’s block? I know from experience that getting rejected or not being able to make money by writing that many of us including myself, tend to get discouraged and put our writing on the back burner to pursue other avenues. Certainly not the right thing to do, but it happens. So how do we get back on track and beat writer’s block?

Stories Are Out There Waiting for Us to Write

You have probably already heard the great advice, that says you should write about what you know. This may be very true, but writer’s generally write about just about anything. Whatever their passion is they will write about it. Some writers write books while others are content to write short stories, poetry or articles. What is your passion? Write about that.

  • Romance: My favorite and a big seller
  • Family
  • Your own personal stories
  • Science Fiction if you have a great imagination
  • Social Issues: Writing about something you feel strongly about can change our world
  • Sports are a big part of our lives and so much to write about
  • Politics are exciting to write about and can influence other people’s opinions
  • News is always happening around us every day. In our own communities and around the world
  • Science and history: I personally love history and always have so this is my niche. Science not so much for me.
  • News articles about current events

Stories are everywhere just waiting for the right writer to put the words down on paper. That writer could be you.

Romantic Stories Ideas

Love stories are very popular. Who doesn’t love a good love story with a happy ending or maybe a not so happy ending because not all love stories have happy endings.

  • Love stories are all around us. Ask some older couples who have been married a long time how they met and they will be happy to give you a great story
  • Or how about a man or a woman who travels back in time torn between two loves
  • Another great story idea is two people in love with each other but live miles apart but can’t seem to find a solution to be together
  • How about a story on celebrities couples who have survived a long turbulent relationship
  • Tell your own love story good or bad

History is Full of Great Stories

  • Write fiction stories based on historical events and people
  • Write nonfiction on real characters and events
  • Write your family history. Did a family member serve in one of the wars? I just recently started searching my family history and found several interesting relatives that with some imagination should make for interesting stories
  • Veterans are a great source of information and stories of their experiences serving our country
  • I often research old newspapers for some ideas about people and events that may make interesting fiction. Just be sure to change names and other identifying personal facts unless you have the written permission of the parties involved.

Ideas Right in Your Own Backyard

  • Gather some odd or old items like old pictures, jewelry, clothing, games or old letters and create a story combing all those items.
  • Look out your window to see what the neighbors are doing (be nosy)
  • Take a walk through a park and watch people and make up stories about how those people are related and what they are doing. What’s the story of the older couple sitting on the park bench? Go talk to them.
  • Has someone in your life inspired you to become a writer? Write about who that was and how they influenced your writing.
  • Talk with some disabled people and write about how their disability affects their lives and their family’s lives. Maybe volunteer to help someone who is disabled.
  • Invite the neighbors for a cookout and just sit back and listen to some of the stories which you will hear.
  • Imagine that you have inherited an old house that is filled with old documents and personal papers.
  • Imagine that you find something that affects your life. Or maybe you find old stocks and bonds that are worth a fortune. What will you do with all that money
Your Own Personal Life

While I feel that my life has been way too boring to write much about there have been some tough times and decisions, I have had to make that I am currently writing about. For example, years ago I wrote an article about going through a divorce and how it affected me and how I worried about how my children were going to affected by the divorce. I just now while writing this have come up with a brainstorm. Now years later, I am going to write about just how it did affect my three sons and their lives.

These are just a few ideas and tips to break the writer’s block we all experience at times. But what’s really important is that we get started and don’t stop writing. And the most important advice is to never give up, never quit writing.

What Works for Me

 have recently found some new ways to get creative. First, I joined some writing groups on Facebook and found some new ideas.

One thing I do is look for some ordinary pictures such as a boat washed up on the beach. Then I start describing the area around the boat. Some people are standing in the background, so I make up names and personalities for them. I image these people coming out for a family holiday out on the boat and picnicking on the beach. After a while my story starts to develop. Who are these people, how are they related, what are they doing at the beach? Are they a family or just a group of friends.

Another thing I am doing is to read the obituaries of any newspaper and make a story of that person’s life. I don’t use the names of course. But I can tell a story by their age, marriage or marriages, children, grandchildren. If they were in a branch of the service, or what organizations they belonged to such as churches, or if they were a teacher. Again, a story begins to develop as you write. In other words, I model my characters after these people.

I also love watching movies and documentaries which don’t always answer my questions so I begin doing research on my own and the next thing I know a story evolves. I change the names and make it a work of fiction.

These are a few of my ways of beating writers block and they work for me. I hope they may help others to do the same.

Best Tips to Beat Writing Block
  • Have fun and experiment with new things and ideas
  • Keep learning and researching.
  • Go exploring in your local area or travel if you can afford to do that.
  • Read anything and everything.
  • Research through old newspapers (Library of Congress) is a great source.
  • Local newspaper may also provide some inspiration.
  • Get started writing every day and new ideas will start to form.
  • Schedule writing time just like a regular job. Even just sitting down and writing whatever comes to mind. Write those ideas down for future references.
  • Carry a small notebook with you and jot down things you observe that may make a good story or article later.
  • Write about anything that interests you. Don’t limit yourself. Write about times you were happy or had a terrible experience or a life changing experience.
Putting it All Together

In conclusion, most every writer experience writer’s block from time to time. I know I do. I also know that we must all hold ourselves responsible and keep writing even when it’s difficult. Writing is not always easy, but we must not give into the temptation to just throw in the towel. If writing were easy everyone would be doing it. If writing is your passion, then you will keep those fingers flowing over the keyboard and the words filling the pages.

Copyright Linda Hosler April 30, 2023

history, History, Women and History

Mother and Serial Baby Killer Marie Noe

L.M. Hosler

What sort of mother will kill not one but eight of her ten children??

Marie Noe was a young Philadelphia woman who had ten children between 1949 and 1968. Two of those children lived only a short time and died stillborn. Some only lived a short time in the hospital, never making it home. The other eight babies Marie admitted to smothering to death.

Marie was born as Marie Lyddy on Aug 3, 1928, in an area of Philadelphia, Pa. It seems that Marie had been a neglected child who was most likely physically, emotionally and sexually abused as a young child. Marie’s family was certainly a troubled one. And to make matters even worse, Marie contacted scarlet fever which left her with some learning disabilities. She had a very limited education. She most likely only finished the fifth grade. At that time, she started working to earn her keep.

Marie was close to twenty when she married Arthur Noe and he was twenty-seven. Shortly after that the babies started to be born.

  • Ten Babies
  • Richard Allen March 7th, 1949
  • Elizabeth Mary Sept 8, 1950
  • Jacqueline April 23, 1952
  • Arthur Joseph Jr
  • Constance Feb 24, 1958
  • Letita stillborn Aug 24, 1959
  • Mary Lee June 1962
  • Teresa Died in the hospital only hours after her birth
  • Catherine Ellen Dec 3, 1964
  • Arthur Joseph Jr July 1967

Several of these babies spent a few weeks or months in the hospital and seemed healthy. Healthy enough for the doctors to release them to go home. But then dying a few short weeks or days later. Marie was always alone with the baby when they died. But the deaths were all considered to be SID deaths which is (sudden infant death syndrome). After the birth of the second Arthur Joseph JR, Marie was no longer capable of having any more children.

Investigation and Sentencing

In 1999, a newspaper article written by Stephen Fried brought the Noe’s story back into the spotlight. This article triggered an investigation into the deaths of the eight children. That many years later the evidence of course was sketchy. However, Marie Noe was brought in for questioning and eventually confessed to killing four of the children. She was seventy-one years old by that time.