One Hundred Years Ago

[Rix Gins]

Great postings as always. What is a "26" game? I know what punchboard game but curious about the "26" game that got him busted. Also that creepy story of Mrs.Light who was lead back by four police to the "psychopathic laboratory" after standing in traffic.

That was a creepy notation about the laboratory.  Like something out of the future Nazi Germany.  I almost think that the reporter was fishing around for a more dramatic description of a medical department, like he didn't want to write 'Psychiatric Ward' down.  I liked that item about the safe blowers and the watchdog.  Would love to have taken in that Darrow lecture.  I wonder if he sprinkled it with humor like he did with some of his trial cases.   

[gabrielle]

The book does sound good.  Rupert also wrote a three part biography on George Washington that was highly praised.  I spent some time trying to locate any interaction with his nephew Howard but I couldn't find any.  I'm sure they must have known each other as they were both in the movie making industry at the same time.  I noticed that Rupert was a Captain with the famous National Guard unit, the 69th New York regiment and they (along with Rupert) were assigned to help Pershing locate Pancho Villa..  So every time we see a Villa clipping, we will know that Rupert Hughes was out there, riding around in the dusty desert looking for him.

This is a bit of a lead....

https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Rupert-Hughes-Howard-Hughes-Sr.-s-Brother

[albrecht]

That was a creepy notation about the laboratory.  Like something out of the future Nazi Germany.  I almost think that the reporter was fishing around for a more dramatic description of a medical department, like he didn't want to write 'Psychiatric Ward' down.  I liked that item about the safe blowers and the watchdog.  Would love to have taken in that Darrow lecture.  I wonder if he sprinkled it with humor like he did with some of his trial cases.   

I imagined some MkUltra/old Universal movies mad scientist type experimenting mentally on the poor women in some makeshift basement laboratory. Yeah, those lectures would be interesting. I love the subjects also. Still can't figure out what a "26 Game" was and too broad a term to get any internet search results.

[gabrielle]

I imagined some MkUltra/old Universal movies mad scientist type experimenting mentally on the poor women in some makeshift basement laboratory. Yeah, those lectures would be interesting. I love the subjects also. Still can't figure out what a "26 Game" was and too broad a term to get any internet search results.

Given that the standard deck of cards contains 52 cards, I imaging the 26 game was some sort of game similar to double solitaire, wherein the goal is to eliminate 26 cards before your opponent does. We need Akwilly for this. LOL

[K_Dubb]

That was a creepy notation about the laboratory.  Like something out of the future Nazi Germany.  I almost think that the reporter was fishing around for a more dramatic description of a medical department, like he didn't want to write 'Psychiatric Ward' down.  I liked that item about the safe blowers and the watchdog.  Would love to have taken in that Darrow lecture.  I wonder if he sprinkled it with humor like he did with some of his trial cases.   

Yes, the dog who didn't like fish.  What an odd detail.  I can't wait to read what they do to inaugurate the new floor -- maybe a battle of the bands, with Happy and the Professor taking turns?

[albrecht]

Given that the standard deck of cards contains 52 cards, I imaging the 26 game was some sort of game similar to double solitaire, wherein the goal is to eliminate 26 cards before your opponent does. We need Akwilly for this. LOL

That could be the answer. Thanks. Various forms of Solitaire/Canfield/Klondike/etc were popular gambling games in the past. I haven't seen them in any casinos recently.

[gabrielle]

That could be the answer. Thanks. Various forms of Solitaire/Canfield/Klondike/etc were popular gambling games in the past. I haven't seen them in any casinos recently.

Not that I would know about card games or anything... ...just a guess.  Klondike does ring a definite bell. 

[Rix Gins]

This is a bit of a lead....

https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Rupert-Hughes-Howard-Hughes-Sr.-s-Brother

Why thanks, Gabrielle, that pretty much answers my question.  (That's what I get for relying on Wikipedia too much.)  lol.   

[K_Dubb]

A look at those addresses shows several buildings that may have housed the clubs:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/210+S+Washington+St,+Seattle,+WA+98104/@47.6008789,-122.331217,3a,75y,180h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPf6XEw_Qr6p6N_aaHzD9Pw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DPf6XEw_Qr6p6N_aaHzD9Pw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D61.704803%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x54906abae13a2eb1:0x1b4aaeb610c39fd6

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

I imagine that experience inspired some serious discussion of "Mutiny on the Chehalis" among the crew. I can think of a lot worse things than being abducted and held in gentle captivity by a rich, lovely Tahitian plantation owner. At least until her husband came home.   

From what I've been able to find, "gell" was most likely a variant of "gal."

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

From the Seattle Star today:

That's quite moving. I've often thought that knowing your decisions will send thousands to their deaths must be a horrible, haunting burden to bear for military commanders.

Ah, the good old days, when the editorial staff of a newspaper could arbitrarily award abandoned babies to whoever they felt was most deserving of one!

And a couple of disparaging items on mechanical music:





I guess they didn't think the American Fotoplayer and its like were as cool as I do.

I say the heck with them and their hifalutin snooty attitudes!

[K_Dubb]

That's quite moving. I've often thought that knowing your decisions will send thousands to their deaths must be a horrible, haunting burden to bear for military commanders.

Yeah, according to Wikipedia, this is about the time he resigned in protest when his aggressive submarine policy wasn't adopted.  He later headed a pro-war party.  I suspect this was a cover story for his resignation, or that they were crocodile tears.  Though, humans are complex.  There's no reason couldn't have held all those opinions.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Yeah, according to Wikipedia, this is about the time he resigned in protest when his aggressive submarine policy wasn't adopted.  He later headed a pro-war party.  I suspect this was a cover story for his resignation, or that they were crocodile tears.  Though, humans are complex.  There's no reason couldn't have held all those opinions.

I was taking the article at face value because I don't know anything about the admiral. It hadn't occurred to me that the story might be false, and if it is he was beyond contempt for pretending otherwise.  On a somewhat related note, I lost a lot of respect for Teddy Roosevelt a couple of years ago after reading that he was almost giddy with pride at how many of his troops were killed during the battle of San Juan Hill.

[WhiteCrow]

Watching "This Old House" on PBS  and showed an advertisement  for a Sears kit house from 1910.
Looked on-line and the same house is still in the 1916 Sears Catalog . To build the house in 1910 with foundation and labor cost about $1,000,00. Best part, the house is still standing today

1916  price increased $190.00 in six years., from 1910 price.

1910 $753.00

1916 $943.00

[gabrielle]

Some war news from the Boston Sunday Post.  Isn't it interesting that there is an advert for Canadian War relief in the Boston paper?

[Rix Gins]

Speaking of war relief, here is an interesting poster to drum up funds in Canada. 


http://www.ww1propaganda.com/world-war-1-posters/canadian-ww1-propaganda-posters?page=27

[gabrielle]

I like the play on words with pay and patriotism...very clever. 

[Rix Gins]

Re: K's 'He Talked Too Much' clipping from above.  Strange to think that people were filing 'butthurt' suits 100 years ago.  A slander suit, I'm guessing.

[Rix Gins]

I like the play on words with pay and patriotism...very clever.

Yeah, I liked that too.  Pretty cool that they had a special fund that workers could pay into. 

[gabrielle]

Re: K's 'He Talked Too Much' clipping from above.  Strange to think that people were filing 'butthurt' suits 100 years ago.  A slander suit, I'm guessing.

LOL. I would love to know what he said about her that so disgusted the other borders.  Sounds juicy. 

[Walks_At_Night]

Working on the last installment of the Ford's now..............

Sorry for the delay thread.   

[gabrielle]

Working on the last installment of the Ford's now..............

Sorry for the delay thread.   

We are patient...and waiting.   I can't wait to read it, and I really appreciate the effort you put into it.

[Rix Gins]

Quick...what reference was made in the above movie to an event that took place 100 years ago?  Well, if you don't know, the answer is down below.  There was one other historical event that was brought up during the movie, concerning the USS Indianapolis, as relayed by the character Quint and that took place during World War Two. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_%28CA-35%29

It hardly ever happens but here was a case where BellGab came crashing into the real world;  I was watching Jaws the other night and I started chuckling because the character Hooper (as played by Richard Dreyfuss) reminded me of our own K__Dubb.  I don't know, guess he kind of looks like K's avatar, and Hooper did have an encyclopedic knowledge regarding sharks.  I doubt that K knows sharks, but I do know that he possess quite the knowledge of other things, uppermost amongst them, music.  Had to stop watching the flick after awhile because I just couldn't take it serious, but that's ok, I really don't care to see the parts where both Quint and the shark get rubbed out.
 

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

We are patient...and waiting.   I can't wait to read it, and I really appreciate the effort you put into it.

Likewise! I've really enjoyed it, Walks!  Which reminds me, after you covered Henry Ford's darker side, I meant to ask you if you'd ever seen the wicked "Henry Ford's Diary" that was in National Lampoon in the mid-seventies.  Unfortunately, I can't find it on the interwebs or I'd link to it.

[Walks_At_Night]

Likewise! I've really enjoyed it, Walks!  Which reminds me, after you covered Henry Ford's darker side, I meant to ask you if you'd ever seen the wicked "Henry Ford's Diary" that was in National Lampoon in the mid-seventies.  Unfortunately, I can't find it on the interwebs or I'd link to it.

Sure haven't - if you ever find it make sure you post it.

[Walks_At_Night]

In Part VI of this series on the Ford's we look at the modern day Ford's.  Today the family involvement with the Ford
Motor company is quite strong - as there are seven family members working at the company.   This is likely to increase
in the near future as several members of the 6th generation removed from the founder Henry Ford will probably join the
company in the near future.   While the Ford Motor Company is a publicly traded company, the family has effective
control through a superclass of voting stock.  Such strong family ties to a company for such a lengthy time is almost
unheard of.   World wide, only 2% of companies survive family control through three generations - five is very
uncommon.   There are no Watson's at IBM, no Durant's at GM nor are there any Westinghouse's at Westinghouse but
the Ford's commitment to the family business remains remarkably strong.   The official story is that family
members have to apply for a job just like anyone else - not sure how true that is but it sounds good.

Let's take a closer look at some of the more interesting living family members.

William Clay Ford Jr
Probably the most prominent of the modern day Ford's he is definitely a chip off the old block - at least
by appearance.  It is amazing how much he looks like his Dad - he definitely wasn't adopted. 
By all accounts he is a very nice, well grounded guy.   All of his four children attended public schools.
He is an avid hockey player and played on the company team for many years - pretty successfully too as the
team won its Division in the National Pond Hockey tournament more than once.

Bill Jr. joined the Ford Motor Company in 1979 after graduating from Princeton [he would later get an MS
from MIT].  He would slowly work his way up the company ladder and became Chairman of the Board in
1999.  In 2001, CEO Jacques Nasser would be ousted after clashing with the Ford Family. Nasser was
totally focused on the maximization of profits.   The family ob felt that while this was obviously was important,
tradition and valuing people were also things to be considered. With Nasser gone, William Clay Ford Jr
became CEO - the position that was denied to his Father by HFII. 

He would remain CEO until 2006 when he stepped down to turn the position over to  Alan Mulally, the 1st class
CEO they nabbed from Boeing.   However Bill Jr was certainly a solid CEO in his own right - the company
lost $5.5 billion the year before he took over but he soon had restored the company to profitability.
While it is not quite true that the Ford Motor Company had no government assistance during the big recession,
it certainly did not totally collapse like GM and Chrysler.

When several Ford employees were injured and killed in an industrial accident at the Rouge plant, Bill Ford
was right there at the scene doing what he could to help............


His 1st day at the Ford Motor Company


Benson Ford Jr
As we have discussed earlier he was one of the family "Bad Boys" before making amends.  In the 1970's he
left Michigan for California were he came heavily under the influence of his psychotherapist Louis Fuentes.
While living in California he became hooked on both hot rods and cocaine.  When his Father died in 1978
he would be left plenty of funds but no voting stock.  This did not sit well with him and at Fuentes'
urging he would challenge his domineering Uncle HFII for the CEO position by citing 'abuse of power'.
He was invited to a meeting with both of his uncles - HFII and William Clay Ford to work things out.
WCF caught Benson Jr. wearing a wire to the meeting!   

Before long Benson Jr. was busted at an airport muling in cocaine and hash from Asia and he became
a family pariah for a number of years.   Eventually he got himself straightened out and would hold
some minor positions at the company, however he never became a mover and shaker at the company like
his cousins Biil Jr. and Edsel Ford II.



Edsel Ford II
HFII's only son and a very prominent member of the 4th generation.  Like his dad he is witty and
very quick on his feet. He joined the Ford Motor Company in 1974 and was immediately told by his
Dad that there are "no crown princes at Ford. If you want my seat you will have to earn it". 
Edsel Ford II would never become CEO but he would be a member of the board for decades while
holding high positions in the company.   His sons Calvin and Henry Ford III are current
generation 5 employees at the company.



Alfred "Alfie" Ford
If Benson Jr, was a Bad Boy then Alfie is the 'Crazy Uncle'.  He is Josephine Ford's son
[Remember she married an unrelated Ford].  He would buck this whole auto company business in
1975 when he traveled to India to meet with Swami Prabhupada of the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness.  He has donated many millions of dollars on such schemes as setting up
a Vedic cultural center in Moscow.   



Elena Ford
The first Ford female to take an interest in the Ford Motor Company, she holds the highest
position in the company of the 5th generation.  On March 1, 2013 Ford became a vice-president of
the company, making her one of thirty-eight officers running the company and she is in charge
of global marketing.  She raised some eyebrows when she was hit with a DUI charge but has
gotten herself straightened out.




Henry Ford III and Calvin Ford
Sons of Esdel Ford II.   HFIII has an MBA from MIT and started his working career as an
middle school math teacher.  He soon joined the Ford Motor Company and has been involved
with UAW labor negotiations.  It is way too early to tell but it is not impossible that
one day he might be CEO of the company that his great-great grandfather founded.  Calvin
went to UVA and is currently working at Marketing for Lincoln.

HFIII

Calvin Ford



[Note: Here are links to the first five parts of this series]

Part I:   http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,9331.msg730248.html#msg730248
Part II:  http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,9331.msg733430.html#msg733430
Part III: http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,9331.msg735481.html#msg735481
Part IV:  http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,9331.msg737314.html#msg737314
Part V:   http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,9331.msg742700.html#msg742700


A couple of videos of interest:
Video clip of Edsel Ford II talking about LeMans and Carroll Shelby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23K7vFtTafA

Video clip of Calvin Ford and HFIII talking about their Dad EFII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-mVDybTtis

[Walks_At_Night]

With the series on the Ford family done I'll return back to the auto companies of Michigan in 1916 along with other 100 years ago tidbits
that I find. 

Doesn't look like there has been much on the Irish Easter uprising in  1916 yet - or did I miss it?

[Rix Gins]

With the series on the Ford family done I'll return back to the auto companies of Michigan in 1916 along with other 100 years ago tidbits
that I find. 

Doesn't look like there has been much on the Irish Easter uprising in  1916 yet - or did I miss it?

I'd venture to say that the Ford Motor industry is in good hands.  Nice videos at the end.  I'd like to meet Edsel Ford II and I don't say that about just anybody.  Thanks for the great series, Walks.  Henry is occasionally mentioned in that Chicago newspaper The Day Book and if I see him I'll be sure to make a clipping.  Easter is a funny day calendar wise...will be on the 27th of March this year but back in 1916 it was on April 23.  So I guess we still have several weeks to wait before it occurs. 

[K_Dubb]

It hardly ever happens but here was a case where BellGab came crashing into the real world;  I was watching Jaws the other night and I started chuckling because the character Hooper (as played by Richard Dreyfuss) reminded me of our own K__Dubb.  I don't know, guess he kind of looks like K's avatar, and Hooper did have an encyclopedic knowledge regarding sharks.  I doubt that K knows sharks, but I do know that he possess quite the knowledge of other things, uppermost amongst them, music.  Had to stop watching the flick after awhile because I just couldn't take it serious, but that's ok, I really don't care to see the parts where both Quint and the shark get rubbed out.

Ha, but I don't know movies at all -- never seen Jaws, for example.  I shall have to find some clips of my alter ego.  Hopefully he is not without some charm to offset that insufferable pedantry.

[K_Dubb]

In Part VI of this series on the Ford's we look at the modern day Ford's...

Thanks, I was curious how all this would end up!