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Vol 2 Issue 9

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TIDBITS® SINGS THE

STAR SPANGLED BANNER

by Janet Spencer • On March 3, 1931, a measure passed Congress and was signed into law that formally designated “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem of the U.S. Come along with Tidbits as we sing the national anthem!

A BATTLE REMEMBERED • During the War of 1812, British soldiers set fire to buildings in Washington, D.C. and then marched through Maryland. Most of the soldiers were peaceful as they filed through the town of Upper Marlboro, but a couple of drunken soldiers at the end of the procession were shouting, cursing, and carrying on.

• One of the town founders, an American physician named Dr. William Beanes, was so angry at this drunken display that he arrested the rowdy Redcoats and hauled them to the local jail. However, one of them escaped, ran for help, and came back fortified by more redcoats. They released the imprisoned soldiers and seized Dr. Beanes.

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• They rowed him out to a frigate in the middle of Chesapeake Bay and held him prisoner. Dr. Beanes had a friend named Francis Scott Key who was a lawyer. Urged by President James Madison, on Sept.

13, 1814, Francis Scott Key rowed out to the ship to negotiate Dr. Beanes’ release.

• Francis Scott Key carried with him many letters written by British sailors whose lives had been saved

by Dr. Beanes. The British subsequently agreed to release him.

• However, shortly after Francis Scott Key was taken aboard, the British began bombing Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Francis Scott Key and Dr. Beanes were held until the battle was over, lest they reveal the location of the British ships to their American friends.

• Fearing for the safety of American forces, Francis Scott Key was moved to write a poem called “The Defence of Fort M’Henry” which was set to the tune of an old English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” He scrawled the lyrics on the back of a letter.

• When he returned home, he had the song printed up on flyers that he distributed to his friends who had been under attack at Fort McHenry. Two copies of this original printing still survive today.

I WILL

• The song became popular very quickly. The newspaper in Baltimore printed the lyrics. The proprietor of a music shop printed the sheet music, and he was the first person to call the song “The Star Spangled Banner” rather than “The Defence of Fort M’Henry.”

THIS YEAR

• During the Civil War, the song became an anthem for Union troops and it steadily increased in popularity through the years. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order stating that the song should be played at all military ceremonies.

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• In 1929, the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” newspaper column pointed out that “Believe it or (Continued next page)

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Page 2

Tidbits® of North Central Arkansas (Front page continued)

not, the U.S. has no designated national anthem!”

This sparked a push to rectify this problem, led by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, until it was named the national anthem in 1931.

FACTS ABOUT FRANCIS

1. Is the book of 2 Samuel in the Old or New Testament or neither?

2. From Daniel 4, who dreamed of a tree that reached into Heaven? Obadiah, Joshua, Nebuchadnezzar, Matthew 3. Jesus referred to the attendees of what event as “the salt of the earth”? Daniel’s visions, Sermon on the Mount, Rebuilding temple, Holy congregation 4. From Judges 9, who had 70 of his brothers killed on one stone? Belshazzar, Naboth, Hanun, Abimelech 5. What’s the only Jesus miracle reported in all four gospels of the New Testament?

Water to wine, Feeding of the 5,000, Raising Lazarus, Red Sea parting 6. From 1 Timothy 5, what was the minimum widow age to be put on a church’s support list? 40, 50, 60, 70

• Francis Scott Key was a very influential lawyer. He served as an advisor in President Andrew Jackson’s cabinet, was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and argued over 100 cases in front of the Supreme Court. Although he was an avid poet, the lyrics to the national anthem are the only rhymes he’s remembered for.

FACTS ABOUT THE FLAG • The construction of the flag that flew over Fort McHenry was commissioned by Major George Armistead when he arrived in Baltimore to take command of Fort McHenry.

• A woman named Mary Pickersgill who sewed the flag for Fort McHenry, spreading it out on the floor of a brewery because that was the only place big enough to unfurl it. It took her and her assistants about a month to construct it. She billed the government $490 for the work, which is equal to about $5,500 in today’s money.

• The flag that so proudly waved was gigantic, measuring 30 feet by 42 feet (9 m x 13 m). That’s equal to one-quarter the size of a basketball court.

The stars were two feet in diameter (0.6 m) and each stripe was 2 feet wide. It required a team of eleven men to raise it on a 90 foot (27 m) flagpole. It was designed to be highly visible.

• The weather was stormy while the Battle of Baltimore was raging. The woolen flag would have weighed more than 500 lbs (227 kg) when waterlogged, so it was taken down and replaced with a smaller “storm flag.” When the rain cleared, the storm flag was taken down and the big flag was hoisted once again. This is the flag Francis Scott Key would have seen from the ship when dawn broke, not knowing that a substitute stand-in flag actually flew during the ‘perilous night.’

• As years passed, the smaller storm flag was lost and no one knows what became of it. But the larger flag was handed down to Major Armistead’s family, who rightfully cherished it as an American heirloom.

• Over the years, the Armistead family was bombarded with requests for souvenir scraps of the fabric of the flag. They snipped bits and pieces off, giving them to veterans, government officials, and honored citizens. More than two hundred square feet of the Star-Spangled Banner was eventually given away, including one of the stars.

• In 1873 the flag was attached to a canvas backing in order to be displayed at the Boston Navy Yard.

• In 1907, it was donated to the Smithsonian Institute, who later hired a team of ten seamstresses to remove the canvas backing and replace it with a linen backing. It took them two months to sew 1.7 million interlocking stitches in a mesh that covered and reinforced the flag.

• The flag spent the next 50 years in a glass case in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building, before being moved to the National Museum of American History in 1964.

• In 1999 it was taken to a climate-controlled lab where it took a team of workers two years to undo the 1.7 million stitches to remove the linen backing.

It was examined, cleaned, and attached to a backing made of a lightweight polyester fabric called Stabiltex. The project cost $7 million and took about ten years.

• In 2008 it was put on display in a climatecontrolled low-light gallery where it is sealed in a pressurized chamber, monitored by sensors, shielded by glass, and guarded by a waterless fire-suppression system where it will remain permanently.

1. In 2015, pitcher Dillon Gee set a New York Mets record for lasting at least five innings in the most consecutive starts (51). Who had held the mark?

2. Who is the all-time leader in saves for the Philadelphia Phillies?

3. In 2014, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson set a record for fastest NFL player to 10,000 receiving yards (115 games). Who had held the mark?

4. When was the last time Yale’s men’s basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament?

5. How many consecutive Game Seven playoff losses have the Anaheim Ducks suffered entering the 2015-16 NHL season?

6. Name the oldest U.S. male swimmer to win an individual Olympic gold medal.

7. Who was the last men’s golfer before Jordan Spieth in 2015 to make a birdie on the 72nd hole to win a U.S. Open by one stroke?

Page 3

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by Samantha Weaver * It was American mythologist Joseph Campbell who made the following sage observation: “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” * If you’re an aficionado of barbed wire, be sure to head to LaCrosse, Kansas, during the first weekend of May. Collectors gather there every year for the Antique Barbed Wire Swap and Sell Festival. * You might be surprised to learn that both men and women have an Adam’s apple; it’s more visible on men because men have larger larynxes and because women tend to have more fatty tissue in their necks. * You doubtless know of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers, as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, and you’ve probably heard that he was fatally wounded in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Most of his accomplishments are not common knowledge, though -- and they deserve to be. Born into poverty on the Caribbean island of Nevis, the illegitimate son of a Scots merchant, Hamilton began work as a clerk at the age of 11. His employers were so impressed with his intelligence that they paid for him to attend school in America, where he became involved in revolutionary politics. He was a lieutenant colonel by the age of 20 and managed to marry into one of the most distinguished families in New York. In addition to writing most of the Federalist Papers, Hamilton founded the New York Post, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Mint. * Marie de Medici, queen of France in the early 17th century, once had a gown made that was embellished with more than 3,000 diamonds and 30,000 pearls. *** Thought for the Day: “He who is only just is cruel.

Who on earth could live were all judged justly?”

-- Lord Byron (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Tidbits® of North Central Arkansas

* On March 3, 1887, Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6-year-old Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing after a severe illness at the age of 19 months. Under Sullivan’s tutelage, the previously uncontrollable Keller flourished, eventually graduating from college and becoming a lecturer and activist. * On March 6, 1899, the patent office in Berlin registers Aspirin, the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of Friedrich Bayer & Co. Acetylsalicylic acid was originally made from a chemical found in the bark of willow trees. * On March 2, 1904, Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, the author and illustrator of such beloved children’s books as “The Cat in the Hat,” is born in Massachusetts. Geisel’s first book, “And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,” was rejected by over two dozen publishers before making it into print in 1937. * On March 5, 1929, David Dunbar Buick, founder of the Buick Motor Company, dies in relative obscurity after years of working menial jobs. By 1906, Buick had lost control of the business and sold his stock, which would later be worth millions of dollars. * On March 1, 1932, the 20-month-old son of aviator Charles Lindbergh is kidnapped from the family’s mansion in New Jersey. Although a ransom note demanding $50,000 was left in the nursery, the baby had been killed the night of the kidnapping. * On Feb. 29, 1940, the film “Gone With the Wind” is honored with eight Oscars. The most momentous award went to Hattie McDaniel for her portrayal of “Mammy,” a housemaid and former slave. McDaniel was the first black actor ever to win an Oscar. * On March 4, 1962, a Trans-African DC-7 crashes on takeoff in Cameroon, its 111 passengers and crew doomed by a mechanical failure. It was the first single-airplane disaster in history in which more than 100 people died. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

PAW’S CORNER

By Sam Mazzotta

Making the Most of Cat’s 9 Lives

--DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I’m extremely curious about the average lifespan of cats. Years ago my husband found a stray kitten about 6 weeks old. “Skeezix” lived to be 26 years old until he passed away one night after two strokes. We also rescued a stray we named “Sheba,” and we had her for 25 years (the vet couldn’t believe she’d lived so long), so she was at least 26 or 27 when congestive heart failure took her. My two remaining cats, “Mama” and “Baby,” are about 16 and 19 years old, respectively.

We’ve never done anything special in terms of care and feeding. They all have been spayed or neutered, gotten regular veterinary care and lived indoors exclusively. I feed them Dad’s dry cat food, split a can of wet food between them occasionally, and of course a few Whiskas treats every day. Is it normal for cats to have such longevity? -- Fay, via email DEAR FAY: Those are amazingly long-lived cats!

The average life span of a common housecat is about 15 years, so it’s safe to say that all of your cats have made it well past that mark.

Is there a magic formula to help your cats live longer? No one has that, but there are some things that will improve a cat’s life over the long term, and you have done all of them. Regular vet care, keeping cats indoors (away from many dangers and stressors), routine feeding and, of course, lots of TLC can all contribute to long life.

So, who is the oldest cat ever documented? That would be Creme Puff, a cat in Austin, Texas, who made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2005 at the spry age of 38!

Send your tips or questions to ask@pawscorner. com. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Fishing Report, White/Norfork River Hi Gang, Generation at both Norfork and Bull Shoals has finally moderated. Bull Shoals has reduced flows to six generators instead of the eight we have had for months. Norfork is now running one generator much of the time instead of the two we have seen for so long. That will make for easier fishing for sure. We will start seeing some wading opportunities for the fly fishermen and the drift fishing will be much improved.

I had some very good fishing over the past weekend as you can see in the photo. That is a very nice Rainbow caught by long-time client Ed Pusczek on the lower Norfork. That beauty measured twenty inches and was quickly released as we always do with bigger fish. Ed along with Jim and

By Nick Kopcha Janice Becker had three days of good fishing weather and cashed in on the abundant supply of fish in both rivers. They caught the difficult to do “Grand Slam” including Rainbows, Cutthroats, Brown and Brook Trout. With the lower water now the fishing success should sky rocket as the fish will concentrate into more focused and easier to fish locations.

We are edging into more Spring-like conditions with the Rainbows starting some early spawning activities and they are beginning to locate on some of the gravel flats. The Brown Trout were hard to catch and it seems that their spawning activities are mostly over but they will soon be cranked up and they will feed heavily as they recuperate. The water will fluctuate with Spring rains and the Browns will rush to the cut banks so you will have some great chances at catching some real trophy class fish.

The Shad kill did not last for long on the Norfork and will probably subside now on the White River with the lower water flows. The fish will still be looking for them though so you can still catch them on Shad and their imitations both lures and flys. Quite a few nice Walleye are being caught just below the dam at Norfork and will be around for a while until they are all caught.

Now is the time to get out on the rivers and enjoy the better weather and great fishing that Spring always brings!

Be safe, wear your life vests and be careful with your boating and wading.

See Y’all next week.

Tite-Lines, Nick Kopcha 314-609-5507 nkopcha@centurytel.net For all of your fishing needs, Lodging, Guides, Boats, Tackle etc. just call: Rose’s Resort and Full Service Trout Dock http://www.rosestroutdock.com 870-499-5311

Page 5

“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (870) 421-7898 Amazing Animals

BEAVERS

• The beaver is the largest rodent in North America.

An adult can weigh between 40 and 95 lbs. (18-43 kg).

They can live about 12 years.

• Beavers eat the inner bark of a tree as high as they can reach and then they chip away at the tree with phenomenal front teeth that never stop growing. They can fell a tree five feet (1.5 m) in diameter. A flap in the back of their mouth keeps them from swallowing splinters.

• When the tree falls, beavers strip the inner bark that was previously out of reach. Branches are chewed off and carried to the water for use in the dam or lodge, or to be stashed as a winter supply of food. They fashion mud roads to their favorite lumbering grounds to make it easier to drag branches. If the trunk is too heavy to be easily moved, a canal may be constructed to float it down to the water. Canals can be 700 feet (213 m) long.

Beavers also build canals across peninsulas in the pond.

• Dams are built by dragging trees to the stream and placing them with their big end upstream. They are weighted with mud and stones, and many layers are added. Beavers bring mud up from the bottom by scooping it up in their front paws and holding it against their chests. They can hold their breath underwater for 15 minutes. Beavers work hard to keep their dams in repair— a tough job when you consider that the dams can be several hundred feet in length. One Montana dam was over 2,000 feet (610 m) long.

• They build their lodges by constructing a cone of sticks on the bottom of the pond. Mud serves as plaster, and there’s always a ventilation hole at the top.

• In a beaver lodge, several underwater entrances slope up to a living room that’s above water level. It’s carpeted with grasses, and can be big enough for a man to curl up in.

• Beavers have to regulate the water level of the pond in order to keep their lodge from flooding or going dry, so they build locks and spillways. They build dams upstream and downstream to aid in flood control.

• Beavers also keep themselves busy raising young. A typical beaver family consists of the parents, a bunch of newborns and several one-year-olds. The young stay with the parents for two years before being driven off to fend for themselves. There are usually 6 to 12 family members in each lodge.

• The enamel on the teeth of a beaver is orange. Their eyelids are clear so they can see under water. Their ears and noses have valves that close to keep water out when the beaver is submerged. They also have an interior set of lips that close so the beaver can chew underwater without getting water in their mouths. They mate for life.

• Their favorite trees to cut down include aspen and willow, which re-grow from the roots and become thicker after pruning. As the beaver ponds flood more meadows, more aspen and willows grow in the damp ground. And willow sticks will grow roots and sprout when placed in a beaver dam or lodge, helping to stabilize the area.

• At one time beavers were common in Europe and parts of Asia, but now their territory is limited to parts of the U.S. and Canada. About half a million are trapped each year for their pelts and scent glands. Scent glands are used in perfume. Their under-fur is combined with wool and other animal fibers and compressed under steam in order to form felt.

A Word from the Publisher:

by Jack Baker

In 1973 Baxter County celebrated it’s Centennial year of existance. To remember the year of the event there was issued by the Centennial Committee a china plate noting the historic formation of Baxter County. The County was named for the post civil war Governor Elisa Baxter. On a practical note: the plates were not that popular. watch for them at estate and garage sales. You can own a dish of history. If you just want to see one see the one on display in Gassville at Taylor’s Freez King. Don’t see it.. Ask!

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Page 6

Tidbits® of North Central Arkansas

Winter Boredom Busters for Energetic Families 1. Who had a hit with “Down in the Boondocks”?

2. Name the two musicians who started Mudcrutch in Gainesville, Florida.

3. Just how big was “Big Bad John”?

4. Who wrote and released “Please Come to Boston”?

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “You are my whole, babe, My heart and my soul, babe. I’d have nothing to show, babe, If you should go away.”

Answers 1. Billy Joe Royal in 1965. He cut a demo of the Joe South song and netted a recording contract, using the demo as the released version.

2. Tom Petty and Tom Leadon, in 1970. The band, the forerunner to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, reformed in 2007.

3. Big Bad John (from the song by Jimmy Dean in 1961) was 6 foot 6 inches tall, and 245 pounds.

4. Dave Loggins, in 1974.

5. “Which Way You Goin’ Billy,” by The Poppy Family in 1970. Songwriter Terry Jacks first wrote the song as “Which Way You Goin’ Buddy,” in memory of his idol Buddy Holly. He then change it to a generic Billy when he saw all the men going to fight in Vietnam and leaving wives and girlfriends behind. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

If your family is suffering from the winter blahs, don’t let the seasonal funk get you down. Try some fun indoor and outdoor activities to perk up your February days. Pick out your favorites from this list of 10 boredom busters. Jot them down on your family calendar, and adapt them to the projects or birthday celebrations that your family has already inked in.

FUNSTUFF FOR FAMILIES: 1. There are more than 7,000 recognized living languages in the world today. Learn how to say “hello” in one that interests you. Greet each other at the breakfast table in the language.

2. Go together to your public library and check out the latest happenings for kids. While you are at it, check out several storybooks, too. Set aside a special “library book” basket to store them at home between visits.

3. Draw a picture of an outdoor winter scene where you live. Scan and email it, or help your child address a big envelope to send the drawing via U.S. mail to someone special.

4. At lunchtime, name the foods on your plate and talk about where they came from. “The grocery store” is not a correct answer!

5. Draw eyes, a nose and mouth on your fingers with non-toxic washable markers to create finger puppets. Tell a story.

6. Citrus fruits evoke images of sunny beaches and warm places. For a healthy midday beverage, squeeze the sweet juice from oranges. Or, think “summertime” and squeeze some lemons for a pitcher of homemade lemonade.

7. Pop popcorn for an after-school snack. Sprinkle a new topping on it.

8. Make a dollhouse out of a cardboard box using supplies from your craft box and periodicals and clean containers from the recycle bin.

9. Pick a destination close to your home and walk, bike, skate or ski to get there. When you return, make hot chocolate and top with a dollop of whipping cream and a dash of cinnamon for an extra treat.

10. Shop together for the ingredients for sub sandwiches. At dinnertime, let the family build their subs assembly-line fashion. *** Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide.

To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page.

Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.” (c) 2016 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.

“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (870) 421-7898 A PATRIOTIC PLEDGE • In the late 1800s a magazine called “The Youth’s Companion” was very popular. Editor James Upman promoted education tirelessly and instigated a program of premiums for subscribers. The prizes included such things as patriotic posters, historical books, and especially American flags. He began a concerted campaign encouraging all schools to install American flags, and he sold them the flags.

• In 1892 Upman was preoccupied with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the New World. He wanted a nationwide celebration on that day to underscore his belief that the American system of free universal education was the source of the country’s success. He asked Francis Bellamy, who worked for the National Education Association, to help him create a program for schools for the Columbus Day event.

• Bellamy wrote a speech, devised a flag-raising ceremony, and penned a simple creed that school children could recite in unison as the flag was raised. The pledge that Bellamy wrote was short so that even the youngest of schoolchildren would be able to memorize it.

These details were published in the September edition of the magazine.

• On October 12, 1892, millions of children all over the United States recited this creed while saluting the flags.

This started a tradition. In 1942 Congress recognized the creed as the official national pledge of the U.S., now called the Pledge of Allegiance.

• The original version was: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” In 1923, the words, “the Flag of the United States of America” were added. In 1954, the words “under God” were added.

A PATRIOTIC SONG • Born in Massachusetts in 1859, Katharine Lee Bates grew up to become a professor of English literature at Wellesley College. She was also a prolific writer, authoring many books, articles, poems, and stories.

• In 1893 she traveled to the Rocky Mountains where she spent the summer teaching at Colorado College. One day, she joined a group of people headed for the top of 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. They traveled by wagons, mules, and foot.

• Katharine was exhausted by the time she reached the top, but the view was magnificent. Inspired by the sight of the mountains, plains, and skies, she composed a poem celebrating the beauty of America.

• Two years later, her poem was published in a magazine called “The Congregationalist” for their Fourth of July edition, and it reached an even wider audience when it was reprinted in “The Boston Evening Transcript” in 1904.

• Meanwhile, a New Jersey musician named Samuel Ward had written a hymn called “Materna.” The song’s first line was, ‘O Mother dear, Jerusalem’ and the tune was metrically identical to Katharine’s poem. It was natural for Katharine’s poem and Samuel’s tune to match up, and soon people were singing the new song.

• By the time Katharine died in 1929, the song whose lyrics she had penned had become a national favorite.

• Many people approached Congress asking for this song to be chosen as America’s national anthem because it is simple, beautiful, and easy to sing. Even though “The Star Spangled Banner” was chosen in 1931, many people still feel that Katharine and Samuel’s song would make a better national anthem. The song is called “America the Beautiful.”

BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:

1) Old; 2) Nebuchadnezzar; 3) Sermon on the Mount; 4) Abimelech; 5) Feeding of the 5,000; 6) 60

1. Dwight Gooden, with 50 consecutive starts (1987-89).

2. Jonathan Papelbon, with 123. Jose Mesa is second, with 112.

3. Torry Holt did it in 116 games.

4. It was 1962.

5. Three consecutive Game Sevens.

6. Duke Kahanamoku, who won in 1920 at age 30.

7. Bobby Jones, in 1926.

Page 7

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Tidbits® of North Central Arkansas

Replacement China ---

Q: I have a partial set of Sakura china in the Laredo pattern. It was discontinued at least 20 years ago. Can you help me? I love this pattern and would like to at least have a complete set for six. -- Betty, Conway, Arkansas A: Replacements can probably help you track down the pieces that you’re missing, but be prepared for sticker shock, because it won’t be cheap. The address is P.O. Box 26029, Greenboro, NC 27428. In addition to china, Replacements also helps complete silver flatware patterns and crystal, and even offers free pattern identification. Its toll-free telephone number is 800-737-5223. *** Q: My late great-aunt was a seamstress throughout the 1920s and ‘30s. I am in the process of liquidating her estate in a suburb of St. Louis. In addition to two Singer sewing machines, there are thimbles, thread cases and an assortment of numerous other items, all relating to her profession. Because I can’t save everything, I need your advice. -- Mandy, Tempe, Arizona A: I don’t want to needle you, but be very careful when sifting through this estate. Thimbles have become extremely collectible, so you should be aware of certain ones, especially those crafted by James Fenton, Charles Horner, the Simon Brothers, and ones featuring unusual designs such as the “Iles Ventilated Thimble.”

Because Singer sewing machines made during the 1920s and ‘30s are plentiful and often priced for less than $150 at local shops, I do not think they are worth keeping. The real value of these machines could, however, be the contents of the drawers. Look for vintage needle cases, because one made by W. Avery & Sons recently sold for $300 at auction. Examine carefully measuring tapes and other items issued as advertising premiums. So you won’t get stuck, steer clear of new thimbles advertised as limited editions. They rarely increase in value. *** Q: I have a first edition of Frank Yerbe’s novel “Bride of Liberty.” I have been offered $50 for it. -- Bill, Akron, Ohio A: Take it. According to several used-book dealers I consulted, a first edition of the novel you mentioned generally sells in the $15-$25 range. It was published

by Doubleday in 1954.

Write to Larry Cox in care of KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or send e-mail to questionsforcox@aol.com. Due to the large volume of mail he receives, Mr. Cox cannot personally answer all reader questions, nor does he do appraisals. Do not send any materials requiring return mail. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

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