Page 6 • CEDAR STREET
Times • March 12, 2010
Jon Guthrie
High Hats & Parasols
Another one bites the dust
The News … from 1910.
Scammers worked Del Mar Hotel
Kenneth Willis, a traveling salesman from Oakland, informed Pacific Grove law enforcement that scammers victimized him at the Del Mar Hotel where he is staying. Willis was reading a newspaper in the lobby when he was approached by a man who appeared to be an affable gentleman. The man identified himself as George Hall and the two struck up a conversation. They were talking when a third man approached. Hall told Willis that the man was a wealthy high-liver who carried a flask to drink from, was mostly inebriated, and enjoyed gambling recklessly by flipping coins on ridiculous bets. Thereupon the high-liver joined them, and Hall promptly won innumerable coinflip bets. Hall then asked Willis if he wouldn’t like to flip for a sizeable sum of money, say one thousand dollars. Willis agreed, but said that he only had $250. The high-liver agreed, but said that he would have to go to his room to retrieve some cash as he only had $100 with him. A man passed by who was introduced by Willis as the hotel manager. The alleged manager agreed to hold the wager in his office until the high-liver returned. He walked toward the back, carrying the $350 cash. A woman then called to Hall from near the dining room. Hall said the woman was an old friend and he excused himself to go speak with her. Willis became suspicions after an interval during which none of the men returned. He then walked to the manager’s office and found it occupied by a gentleman he did not recognize. The genuine manager had no knowledge of the goings-on.1
Rain and wind may have contributed to the downfall of this tree off Forest Grove Boulevard on March 10. The tree took a serious bite out of a neighUnknown suspects had a fine time last night after stealing a hack2 and team of horses boring garage, but no one was injured. Sources claim that the property ownwhile Manual Perry, the hack driver, took a few minutes off for a bite to eat. The hack ers had asked for permission to remove the tree over a year ago. The city was subsequently reported as having been seen at various locations around Monterey. arborist could not be reached for comment at press time. Photo by Ken Morley In the end, however, the hack thieves decided on a venture to Pacific Grove. There, following their gambols, they tied the horses to a post on Pine Avenue and abandoned the hack and team. The constable noted, in the thieves’ behalf, that the team first had “Coins – An Expression of Their Society: A Personal and Irreverent Look at been comfortably blanketed. Interesting Ancient and U.S. Coins” is the title of the Gentrain lecture set for March How the thieves made the get away from Pine is not known. There has been some 17 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.Tom Logan, Gentrain and MPC History Instructor, speculation as to how the thieves may be residents of the Grove who simply walked will talk about what coins mean ad how they are used as propaganda. This talk will be home. While there is as yet no direct evidence such as to verify the guilty parties, based on Tom’s personal coin collection and will focus on the birth of coins in ancient suspicion points strongly in certain directions. Arrests may follow. Lydia, their development by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and on U. S. Coins. The stealing of a hack and team of horses is a penitentiary offense and if the Some of the questions we will try to answer are: What was Washington ’s reaction suspected parties escape punishment this time, they should doubtless be more careful to having his portrait put on a coin? Why is FDR on the dime? Why is a non-president in the future. on the $10 bill? What U.S. coin had to be changed because Miss Liberty looked like Museum closes book, opens new one she had a bad hair day? The Grove’s Museum of Natural History has closed its registration book for one The lecture will be held at Monterey Peninsula College Lecture Form 103 and year, and opened a new registration book for the next. During the first three days of lectures are free. availability, twenty-four individuals signed in as visitors. It is interesting to note from how many parts of the world our visitors come. During the past year nearly every country in Europe, every state and principal city of our nation, and every section and city of California have been represented upon our register. Among these visitors were many people of science from universities of the world. This shows that Pacific Grove and its Museum are quite widely known.3
Monterey taxi stolen, recovered in the Grove
Gentrain lecture on coins next week
Andrew Carnegie visits Grove
Perhaps you noticed the flag at the Carnegie Library flying early in the breeze. That was in honor of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, a surprise visitor to Pacific Grove. After arriving by train, Mr. Carnegie and family checked in at the Del Mar Hotel. Carnegie says that a trip around 17 Mile Drive is planned before he tends to his Pacific Grove Agenda.4
Adult education is a gift that keeps on giving An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Benjamin Franklin By Bonnie Bragg
Around town… •
The El Bethel Mission has announced a Divine Healing meeting for Wednesday at 7 pm.
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George Shelton has opened a shoe-polishing parlor at his book shop where he will give equal attention to either lady’s or man’s shoes. Mr. Shelton also offers more than 3,000 books for sale or exchange. Forest Avenue near Lighthouse.
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The Ladies Aid of the Christian Church will do sewing to raise money for their projects. Phone your order to Red 395.
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The Bashan Musical Club will gather Saturday at the residence of the President, Mr. J. A. Pell, 311 Forest Avenue. All members are encouraged to attend.
For sale or rent… Leather go-carts are being featured at J. K. Paul’s Furniture Store. They are very fine and are sold at a bargain.5 Embroideries are being sold at the right prices at the Golden Rule Bazaar.6 Wish you could speak French? Lessons offered in that language by Miss Anita Murray. 149 Eighth Street. The ladies of the Christian Church are to hold a cooked food sale on Saturday, March 12, at the store of F. J. Wyeth. The sale will commence at 10 am. Pasture your horses where there is a lot of graze. Good tight fences. W. T. Mitchell, Sur.
(Endnotes) 1
Well-organized scams of the era spurred several, later movies such as The Sting.
2
A hack referred to a horse-drawn carriage available for hire. After 1914, however, guards at California prisons became known as hacks.
3
Numbers of visitors were not offered in this report. Perhaps these will be discovered in a later newspaper.
4
A visit to the Carnegie Library topped his agenda. More on this visit in next week’s column.
5
Go-carts of the era were light, open carriages.
6
Embroideries refers to a design or decoration formed by or on an object as if by embroidery.
Give the gift of education to those you love by purchasing a coupon for classes at The Pacific Grove Adult School. Consider all the things this coupon can deliver to a friend or relative: companionship, physical and mental stimulation and more. Choose from a wide array of classes. Consider a course in art, physical movement, foreign language or journaling, just to name a few. Stimulate your brain, enhance your life skills and learn something new. The latest news on brain fitness from the medical community is to keep the mind active. Television shows feature this news as well as articles you read daily. The brain is not unlike a muscle that needs constant strengthening and exercise. The research abounds: stay mentally active with word games, crossword puzzles, challenging reading and stay away from a steady diet of passive activities that require no input from your brain. Learn something new and grow new brain synaptic patterns. I learned to crochet last year at 61 and I could feel my mind struggle to coordinate my hands into a new, unfamiliar movement needed to manipulate a crochet hook through yarn. It was a challenge but now I can crochet. This prodded me to learn to knit and then to experiment with a crazy quilt scarf for my daughter. Deep within I know my brain received immense growth with this new craft and now whenever I watch T.V. I knit, crochet, embroider or sew. Pick up a new skill or revisit an old one and take a class from the Pacific Grove Adult School. The Adult School is a caring, supportive environment in which to enliven your mental life. A glorious facet of adult recreational learning is that it is geared to your individual pace. There are no tests, no detentions, no one to compete with, just the pleasure of being with supportive students all learning for their own personal growth. Imagine rekindling your knowledge of a foreign language learned long ago. Stimulate your body/mind connection with a gentle stretch class or stress release yoga. Challenge yourself with new computer skills such as email or emailing digital photos. Imagine being knowledgeable and appreciative of the birds in the Monterey Bay. Explore your hidden artistic talent in a class where one project is to make a paining of an animal from a photograph you bring in. Improve your overall muscle tone and strength with weight training. All those classes and so many more await you at the Pacific Grove Adult Educational Center. Come by pick up a brochure of classes and be ready for new learning adventure in the New Year. Also you can look at a brochure of classes and register for classes online at www.pgusd.org. Once again invest in the gift of education and buy a coupon for a friend or relative and they can reap all the benefits of personal growth and brain stimulation.