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| 14 February 2008 - Delhi, India |
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Words from my Gumpy on Politicians
The following is from Chapter 27 of my Gumpy's collection of short stories titled "That's Life...and then some". His collection of stories was self-published in 2000 in Indiana, and he is still kicking around, nearing the age of 92 years old. This chapter refers to an editorial, published in either the Indianapolis Star or Martinsville Reporter in 1999 or 2000. I have not found the published original. This is still timely with the 2012 election cycle underway.
Chapter 27 - Did You Vote?
This is an editorial that I wrote for the newspaper some time ago during a primary. I don't think it needs any update as the political scene seldom changes.
Recently, I voted in the primary, since I am almost 80 years old, I voted absentee. Always consider if I vote, then I have every right to complain.
Politicians are a unique group of people who can plead, cajole, cheat, scheme; lie and weep to get into office. But they can't function when the stock market takes a plunge or Medicare or Social Security runs out of money. When crime, drugs, teen pregnancy, AIDS, pollution and cancer take over, it's much easier to take a trip to Africa and if we are unlucky enough to have a tornado, flood, hurricane or earth quake, then they take turns flying over the disaster area.
Then later while making out like they are working the soup kitchen they make a great promise of immediate relief. That is, of course, if Congress approves it at the next session. Yet, every politician in his campaign speech will boast how he has the solution to all these problems. Surprisingly the problem is never solved, but it gets him or her another elected term. If you try to unseat any one of these clowns they will laugh at you because they know your vote has as much value as a lottery ticket. They will send our jobs to Mexico, Asia or China while they tell crime is down, unemployment is up and things never looked so good. And we agree.
Well, I voted for him or her and I will be back next election to vote again if the Good Lord is willing. Because I would not miss the opportunity or my right to editorialize on the misgivings of our politicians. Or still better, I think I would run for something the next time now that I know how the system works.
Keith Jones, Sr.
Chapter 27 - Did You Vote?
This is an editorial that I wrote for the newspaper some time ago during a primary. I don't think it needs any update as the political scene seldom changes.
Recently, I voted in the primary, since I am almost 80 years old, I voted absentee. Always consider if I vote, then I have every right to complain.
Politicians are a unique group of people who can plead, cajole, cheat, scheme; lie and weep to get into office. But they can't function when the stock market takes a plunge or Medicare or Social Security runs out of money. When crime, drugs, teen pregnancy, AIDS, pollution and cancer take over, it's much easier to take a trip to Africa and if we are unlucky enough to have a tornado, flood, hurricane or earth quake, then they take turns flying over the disaster area.
Then later while making out like they are working the soup kitchen they make a great promise of immediate relief. That is, of course, if Congress approves it at the next session. Yet, every politician in his campaign speech will boast how he has the solution to all these problems. Surprisingly the problem is never solved, but it gets him or her another elected term. If you try to unseat any one of these clowns they will laugh at you because they know your vote has as much value as a lottery ticket. They will send our jobs to Mexico, Asia or China while they tell crime is down, unemployment is up and things never looked so good. And we agree.
Well, I voted for him or her and I will be back next election to vote again if the Good Lord is willing. Because I would not miss the opportunity or my right to editorialize on the misgivings of our politicians. Or still better, I think I would run for something the next time now that I know how the system works.
Keith Jones, Sr.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Uriah Lamon
Earlier this month I wrote about the quilt made by Ursula Fellme Muck in the Indiana State Museum. Before I write about the Muck and Fellme families in Harrison County, Indiana, I need to work forward and write about the Lamon family of my 2nd-great-grandfather Uriah Lamon and my great-grandmother Blanche Lamon.
Uriah Lamon
Uriah was born in June 1854 in Harrison County, Indiana. He was the son of David Detrick Lamon and Permelia Smith.
In 1870, Uriah is in the household of his parents, David and Permelia, in Scott Township, Harrison County, Indiana.
Sometime between 1870 and 1880, Uriah moved from Harrison County to Gibson County. In 1880, Uriah appears as a laborer in the household of J.W. Emmerson in Montgomery Township, Gibson County, Indiana.
Uriah married Anna L Smith in Gibson County, Indiana on 9 November 1884. Uriah and Anna had at least the following children:
1. Blanche Lamon, born 1887
2. James Herman Lamon, born 1889
3. George Edwin Lamon, born 1893
Interestingly, the Lamon family show up in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee in the 1900 US Census. Uriah is listed as a farmer. I'm not sure why the family went to McMinnville, but they did not stay in Tennessee.
By 1910, Uriah and Anna had returned to Fort Branch, Gibson County, Indiana, to live with Anna's father Jesse Smith.
In the 1920 Census, Uriah and Anna were living on Walnut Street in Fort Branch.
I have not yet found Uriah in the 1930 or 1940 Census. I do know that he died in 1945 and is buried in Gibson County. An old photo of Uriah and Anna's tombstone is below.
Uriah Lamon
In 1870, Uriah is in the household of his parents, David and Permelia, in Scott Township, Harrison County, Indiana.
Sometime between 1870 and 1880, Uriah moved from Harrison County to Gibson County. In 1880, Uriah appears as a laborer in the household of J.W. Emmerson in Montgomery Township, Gibson County, Indiana.
Uriah married Anna L Smith in Gibson County, Indiana on 9 November 1884. Uriah and Anna had at least the following children:
1. Blanche Lamon, born 1887
2. James Herman Lamon, born 1889
3. George Edwin Lamon, born 1893
Interestingly, the Lamon family show up in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee in the 1900 US Census. Uriah is listed as a farmer. I'm not sure why the family went to McMinnville, but they did not stay in Tennessee.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Fort Delaware, August 1863
149 years ago this month, my third-great-grandfather Joseph Thomas Jones and his brother-in-law William Gilbert Daniel were prisoners of war, held with 8,000-12,000 other men at Fort Delaware following their capture at the Battle of Big Black River on 17 May 1863. They were at this camp between 15 June and 20 September 1863.
Fort Delaware is located on Pea Patch Island, between New Jersey and Delaware in the middle of the Delaware River. The prisoners referred to this as "Devil's Half Acre".
The painting above comes from the US Senate page, http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting_33_00012.htm. This dates between 1870-1875.
Joseph and William both survived the ordeal and returned to their families in Tennessee. Joseph migrated with them to Indiana before returning to farm in Jefferson County, Tennessee.
Prison Conditions
In Brian Temple's The Union Prison at Fort Delaware: A Perfect Hell on Earth, he describes the conditions at Pea Patch Island in July and August 1863 as "the heat could be so intense that there were days where 'men by the hundreds are seen sweltering on their backs, fairly gasping for breath, like fish dying on a sand beach.'" The men there faced poor water and food conditions, often resorting to eating rats.
The following correspondence comes from War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (see Google Books):
Joseph and William were in the group of prisoners transferred from Fort Delaware to Point Lookout in September 1863. Detail on Point Lookout will be provided in a future post.
Update - I've corrected this post to note that Joseph was not alone as a prisoner of war, he was with his brother-in-law, William. This may be one of the reasons that they both survived through 3 months at Fort Delaware and almost 5 months at Point Lookout before they were set free.
Fort Delaware is located on Pea Patch Island, between New Jersey and Delaware in the middle of the Delaware River. The prisoners referred to this as "Devil's Half Acre".
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| Source: Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/de0498/ |
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| Source: Fort Delaware by Seth Eastman, US Senate (see link) |
Joseph and William both survived the ordeal and returned to their families in Tennessee. Joseph migrated with them to Indiana before returning to farm in Jefferson County, Tennessee.
Prison Conditions
In Brian Temple's The Union Prison at Fort Delaware: A Perfect Hell on Earth, he describes the conditions at Pea Patch Island in July and August 1863 as "the heat could be so intense that there were days where 'men by the hundreds are seen sweltering on their backs, fairly gasping for breath, like fish dying on a sand beach.'" The men there faced poor water and food conditions, often resorting to eating rats.
The following correspondence comes from War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (see Google Books):
Joseph and William were in the group of prisoners transferred from Fort Delaware to Point Lookout in September 1863. Detail on Point Lookout will be provided in a future post.
Update - I've corrected this post to note that Joseph was not alone as a prisoner of war, he was with his brother-in-law, William. This may be one of the reasons that they both survived through 3 months at Fort Delaware and almost 5 months at Point Lookout before they were set free.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Sepia Saturday - Antonio Campuzano
I have corrected my earlier entries after fellow Campuzano researcher Pat Rosas sent me a copy of Antonio Campuzano's photo. In earlier posts, I had speculated that Antonio was the brother of my 2nd-great-grandfather Vicente Campuzano. Well, we're convinced the two are related, just not as brothers. Below is a photo of Antonio P. Campuzano, barber of Tempe, Arizona.
Antonio and Vicente were in the same circle of Sonoran & Latin American immigrants who were active in the growth of Tempe & Phoenix during the early decades of the 20th Century. On the petition to incorporate Glendale, Arizona, posted on 14 July, one can see the signatories included Pedro Garcia de la Lama, founder of Liga Protectora Latina, among others who formed the mutual aid society.
In the 1913 City Directory for Phoenix, Antonio appears on the same page as another Campuzano, confirmed by Pat as her grandfather, Gregorio Portillo Campuzano. He was a blacksmith, born 16 November 1877.
In the 1912 City Directory, Gregorio is listed, but not Antonio. Antonio is listed in the 1903 Phoenix City Directory with wife, as a barber at 25 S. 2nd Street.
It is great to have a photo of Antonio and resolve the mystery over whether he was a brother to Vicente Campuzano. There's more work to be done to connect these families. Thanks to Pat for the photo and the information.
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| Source: Pat Rosas, photo of Antonio Campuzano |
In the 1913 City Directory for Phoenix, Antonio appears on the same page as another Campuzano, confirmed by Pat as her grandfather, Gregorio Portillo Campuzano. He was a blacksmith, born 16 November 1877.
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| Phoenix City Directory, 1913 |
It is great to have a photo of Antonio and resolve the mystery over whether he was a brother to Vicente Campuzano. There's more work to be done to connect these families. Thanks to Pat for the photo and the information.
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