Crankin' It Up

We have a special project going on in the True Blue studio. Some of the You Tube fans are clamoring (That may be a slight exaggeration.) for more Harry Lauder records. I found six sides of Harry Lauder tonight, so for the next several weeks we will be posting doubles; a Harry Lauder performance and one of our regular Friday night Crank Ups. Tonight's selections are Roamin' In The Gloamin' and Too Much Mustard, which is a Turkey Trot recorded in 1913. I have no idea how you do the Turkey Trot, but it sounds as if you need happy feet for it to work.

Roamin' In The Gloamin' was recorded in 1911 for 10 inch and 12 inch discs. This one is the four minute 12 inch version which includes an amusing narrative.

Bug

On a cold, wet February night in 2004, I had to go to my office after hours, and Susan rode along. On the side of the road I saw a couple of eyes in the weeds and stopped, backed up and shined the headlights to discover a very wet kitten. I hopped out to pick it up, and it ran, so I had a brief chase in the mud running it down. As we continued to the office, Susan said, "This cat has a broken leg." That was a downer, but Susan tried to make it better by telling me she would take the cat to the vet in the morning so I wouldn't have to kill it.

When I got home from work the next day we still had a cat, and it was wearing a cast! Susan related that the vet looked it over and said, " I believe I can fix this cat! The poor thing sure took a tumble." Took a tumble? We had to name her Bug after hearing that. She still likes to sit with her broken leg out; kind of like Chester on Gunsmoke.

Flood News

You have seen the flood news from the Midwest, and from what I witnessed on my trip to Iowa, it is worse than even the depressing news organizations can show. Bottomland fields in the Mississippi system aren't going to produce anything this year, and the effects are going to be severe for everyone who has connections to the farm economy.

I clicked on the Mid-Continent Railway Museum link tonight and was saddened to see that this great Wisconsin tourist attraction was devastated by flooding also. Go to their site and click on the Flood Update link to look at photos of the damage; or click here.

They will be up and running soon, and if you plan to visit, there is another pleasant place in the same neighborhood that you will not want to miss.

Strolling The Grounds At The Gas Engine Show

This is the final installment of slides and video from Southern Indiana's Antique and Machinery Club show in June. There are some more shows coming up in Indiana the next two weekends, and if I can catch up on a few chores around home I may go take some more photos. This video runs for seven minutes, so grab a cup of coffee before you hit Play.

Not My Victrola

This number is a great energizer to help you get going on a Monday. Look it up on KSPM01 over at You Tube to read the extensive notes about this record.

Monday Again!

Back to the old grind!

Dirty Rotten Blighters

We are under attack by Japanese beetles in Southern Illinois. They have wiped out our plums and apples, and are also eating cypress, basswood, oak, and pecan leaves. These things even eat elm. I didn't think anything would eat elm.

Weekend Steam

From the collection of Rev. Norbert J. Lucht of Athens, IL, the November 1966 issue of Engineers and Engines Magazine displays a very nice old-timey photo of the Good Old Days. Notice the absence of hard hats, and the abundance of whiskers and overalls. These guys did not spend all day hitching their pants up as they worked.

Crankin' It Up

I was away form the True Blue Studio last week while I was on the road, and I couldn't take the old Brunswick with me, so this week I am giving our fans a double. The first one is a great fox trot from the Roaring Twenties. The Isham Jones Rainbo Orchestra really gets wound up on this number.



Our second selection is the ever popular Great War song "There's A Long, Long Trail". This song was recorded by John McCormack in 1917, and it is still meaningful for those away from home today.

Sightseeing Where?

I've been up in Iowa visiting family and I did some looking around and reminiscing while I was there. The Dublin general store was built in 1874, and was used up until 1964. It is leaning north and east, and the foundation rocks have settled in so the siding is down to the ground. There will have to be some major repairs soon if it is to be saved. There is a new tin roof on it, so this old building has friends.

I was surprised to see the old wooden bridge over what used to be the Milwaukee Railroad at Grace Hill. It looks just as good as it did years ago.

The old church at Grace Hill has had a tin roof as long as I can remember, and it has a good foundation. It is still used for a community reunion every year. It is far enough out in the sticks that vandals don't seem to find it.

This old school building east of Grace Hill is losing its roof, so it is a short timer. When I was in high school, the owner used it as a shop where he rebuilt engines. He overhauled a Model T engine for me; that is what he learned on when Model Ts were in common use.

I was surprised to learn from this sign that the Copperhead movement was active in Iowa. A lot of Iowa men fought for the Union. Illinois had lots of Copperheads, but they were concentrated in the southern end of the state.

This old school building is well preserved, and even the shed has been fixed up. The shed was for the teacher to stable her horse, and for storage of firewood or coal.

There are still two outhouses.

It's no wonder this sign is on the door;

NO CATALOG!