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| READ OUR MAIL October 1998 Mailbag SeacoastNH.com |
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October 29 NO DEAR, CLICK THE ATHENS BUTTON I am doing a project on ANCIENT Greece and I was wondering if I took information on just Greece instead of Ancient Greece, would it be the same thing? Or are they completely different? Jackie Editor's Reply: No way Jackie, you're not going to get off that easily. We may be from New Hampshire, but we know old Greece is different from new Greece. Back to those search engines, kiddo!. All we can offer is our opinion that Wheelies in Newmarket and Kittery House of Pizza have the best Greek salads in the Seacoast. Hope that helps. October 29 REALLY GOTTA KNOW I really want to know about the battle between John Pail Jones and his ship the Bonhomme Richard and the British ship Serapis in 1779. Devin K KRATZERKLN@AOL.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We really want to tell you, but first you have to go to the JPJ site. There's plenty on the battle and even more under JPJ Hotlinks. http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/links.html October 27 JUST ABOUT ANYTHING What did the Revolutionary War soldiers eat? Ben S. stampecollect@yahoo.com RALPH MORANG RESPONDS: Revolutionary War soldiers ate what they could get. Armies had cooks with portable kitchens and bought (or stole) fresh provisions along the way. In smaller units, soldiers carried flour, lard and anything they could find. A good resource for this type of information is a Revolutionary War soldier's diary, Yankee Doodle Boy : A Young Soldier's Adventures in the American Revolution Told by Himself - Joseph Plumb Martin, George F.Scheer (Editor); Paperback. http://www.seacoastnh.com/history/rev/index.html October 27 DUMB & DUMBER In your video review of The Apostle you go on at length about Robert DeNiro. He had squat to do with that film. It was Robert Duvall. Anonymous EDITOR'S REPLY: We usually don't respond to people whose email addresses doesn't work, but when the anonymous writer is absolutely correct, we take the hit. Thanks to the healing nature of the Internet, however, the aforementioned error has mysteriously disappeared. Shades of Orwell's 1984, except in this scenario, the good guys control the information. WE are constantly making corrections after the fact -- and we love criticism. Okay, we hate it, but we take it well. If we wanted to be flawless, we'd have gone into TV or newspapers! http://www.seacoastnh.com/film/index.html October 25 LOUIS WAGNER STOLE THEIR BOAT Interested in the article in the Portsmouth Herald today - Sunday, Oct. 25 about Smuttynose murders. I am the granddaughter of the Mr. Burke whose dory was stolen just before the murders. I grew up with the story that my grandfather had just put new thole pins (for oarlocks) in his dory and then it disappeared from its mooring at the end of Pickering Street. When it was found, the thole pins were almost worn through so it was always surmised that this was the boat. Valerie sewbiz@cybertours.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Seems we were quoted in today's paper, but watch out. The article says Louis deRochemont is making a movie about the murders. Since he is long deceased, I doubt that is an accurate reading of our web site article. The Herald article also notes that Karen was killed, then later Karen is suspected of murder. Hmmm. How rumors fly. If your grandfather owned a boat in 1873, we'd be glad to include your story online. For our version of the murders click below: http://www.seacoastnh.com/smuttynose October 23 STILL MORE DESCENDANTS OF JOHN PAUL My brother and I have, over a number of years, tried to complete a family tree linking us directly back to John Paul Jones as our ancestor. We embarked on this task because aged relatives on our mother's side (my mother's maiden name was Jessie Glencairn Macdonald), who are now unfortunately deceased, told my brother when he was younger that we were the direct descendants of JPJ and that there was in existence a family bible which established the link. We have not so far been able to track down the family bible but we do know that at some stage, many years ago, representatives from a JPJ society in the US visited my relatives in the village of Moniaive, Dumfriesshire, Scotland as they (so we understand), the members of the Society, had the evidence linking my family to JPJ. Do you have any idea which Society that might have been and can you help at all in our endeavors to obtain more information on our ancestor and, perhaps, complete the last links in the family tree which we have pieced together. If there are any other organizations which you suggest that I contact I would be very grateful for the information. I understand that there was a visitation to Moniaive, about the time that we are talking about, by a Society called "The daughters of the American Revolution" but we don't know whether that was the name of the Society with the links with JPJ. Alan Hart alan.hart@Lawgram.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We have heard from dozens of potential Jones descendants, all of whom we tell that, to our knowledge, Jones was not named "Jones" and had no descendants. But you could certainly be related to the Paul family in Scotland. Click below to contact Jones' Scottish birthplace. Also here is a DAR link, and they certainly can help you find genealogical information since their organization was started in 1896 to promote that purpose. If you go through the Missouri DAR Chapter link (below that) you get to hear patriotic music while you surf. Also check our JPJ Hotlinks page for more Jones' links to the Internet than anywhere else. http://www.chesapeake.net/DAR/ http://www.open.gov.uk/nithsdal/index.htm http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/4136/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/links.html October 22 GENEALOGY LOVERS CLICK BELOW My daughter and I are trying to start a small electronic publishing company dealing with genealogy and history. We have one book ready to go, another almost ready, and are working on a third. Within a month we should be able to release our books on CD-ROM. The two books we are ready to release now both deal with this area of the country and have genealogical and well as historical information. They are published in the Acrobat format so they are cross-platform and can be used by both Mac and PC. We do have a link to your site on our page for the benefit of people researching this area. Pat Mullaney of E-Books ebooks@tiac.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We have long had a genealogy section on the back burner due to the volume of mail we get on that topic. But we also have 40 other sections on the crowded back burner. So glad to have a LINKS page to which we can refer people, though it goes far outside our region. And we're pleased to be linked from it. http://www.tiac.net/users/ebooks/links.html October 22 MORE SULLIVAN RELATIONS We are trying to establish a link between the Sullivan Family (General John Sullivan) and the family of Susannah Garland, Susan Garland Foss. Douglas S. Fleming , Lunenburg, MA dfleming@tiac.net http://www.seacoastnh.com/framers/sullivan.html October 19 BOOKING IT WITH JPJ I am from St. Mary School in Danvers, Mass. We have to do a report on, A Naval Hero of the Early American Republic from ( 1789-1815).I looked up John Paul Jones, and i did get information. I was wondering if you could please send me the information on the bibliography (the date published, publishing company, etc.) Thank you. Elizabeth EDITOR'S REPLY: We haven't taught in years, but if you read an article from our site, we believe, the correct form is to reference the web article as if it were a magazine. Our sources are listed there, but unless you actually read that source material yourself, it does not belong in your bibliography. Only what YOU read goes there. For example: Robinson, J. Dennis, "The Two Burials of John Paul Jones," www.SeacoastNH.com, Portsmouth, NH, 1998. http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/burial.html October 19 WASN'T HER NAME MRS. SULLIVAN? Looking for name of the wife of Gen. John Sullivan, and the names of their children. Can you help, or suggest where I could find this information. Barb dfleming@tiac.net EDITOR'S REPLY: This should not be too hard to find, but you need a Durham historian for this one. Always start with the NH Historical Society, then we have listed the UNH Dimond Library. The Durham Historical Society is located at the corner of Route 108 and Main St. 2nd foor, brick building. Call for hours: 603-868-5436. http://www.nhhistory.org/ http://www.library.unh.edu/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/framers/sullivan.html October 17 CANADA SEES ENDEAVOUR IN 1999 I have placed a link from my Endeavour page to your page. My animated site using Java is listed below. Thank you! Caprina caprina@westwebb.com http://westwebb.com/endeavour.htm October 16 LOBSTER LINKS I am a 5th grade student at Montague Elementary School in Killeen, Texas. I am doing a report on lobsters. Your help with my report would be greatly appreciated. Beau W of Fort Hood, Texas jwasson@n-link.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Here you go, Beau -- a few local sites. http://octopus.gma.org/lobsters/ http://www.newicks.com/ http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/lobster/library/publications/bulletin/vol8num1.html October 15 NAME THAT CRYPT Hello, I'm trying to answer some questions for my US History teacher, one of the questions is to find "the institution of higher learning" also has the crypt of John Paul Jones... If you know the answer, I would greatly appreciate it! Nicole Smiles506@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We know Nicole, but we're not telling. You have to read all the way to the LAST SENTENCE of the attached article to get the answer. To see what's in the crypt, click furhter. http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/burial.html October 15 THANKS FOR MEMORIES, MR. MORANG To Ralph Morang: Your photographs bring back many wonderful memories of my growing up years in the Exeter-Portsmouth-Hampton area. The four summers I waitressed at "The Renwood", during my years at UNH, seem only yesterday, but Hampton Beach is still a great place. While looking at your photographs, I get the feeling I'd love to return permanently. Thanks for the memories, Carolyn from Findlay, Ohio callard@mail.findlay.edu http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/photo.html October 14 SEA WATER IN OUR VEINS I spent my whole adult life in the United States Navy and the Merchant Marines out of Hoboken, New Jersey. I thought I was salty until I visited your website and visited and learned about John Paul Jones. You folks in New Hampshire are indeed a hale and hearty breed of seafarers! Jim from NJ jholman@uswest.net http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/index.html October 14 HOME IN NEWFIELDS I have recently bought a house in Newfields. How can I find out the history of this house, and if there are any photographs of it's original construction? B. Elliott belliott@tiac.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We suggest you try to contact the Newfields Historical Society. All we know is that you reach them via the town call at 772-5070. But the town Hall is only open from 9 am to 1pm during weekdays. Look for our Newfields web page section coming up in 1999. October 13 GOVE ATTACKS HAMPTON You should write about Edward Gove of Hampton who lead a "revolution" 100 years before the American Revolution ! It would make fascinating reading. Cindy cyndylou3@earthlink.ner EDITOR'S REPLY: Once again, the crack Internet team at the Lane Library in Hampton has done the job for us. Here's a link so you can read Dow's History on "Gove's Insurrection." Thanks for the idea. http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/dow/chap5/dow5_7.htm October 12 TRY SEARCHING ON "NAVAL+HEROES" I WANTED TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON "NAVAL HEROES" WHERE CAN I FIND THAT? SHARVILA Sharvila@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We've been forewarned by a Florida reader that the DAR is sponsoring an elementary school essay contest on the topic of "Naval Heroes." Bet this is from one of those junior essayists. We send back a detailed note trying to help kids learn how to use the Internet to SEARCH, how to narrow their search choices, and how to research (not copy) their essay on the Web. Parents working with their children can be help out beleaguered webmasters by guiding their kids online. The DAR might want to offer guidance as well. http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/links.html October 12 WOODEN WE LIKE TO IRON OUT THIS QUOTE… Hi, I am trying to find out about a quote I heard. I was told that it is from John Paul Jones. Can you help? "Gone are the days of wooden ships and iron men." Any ideas? fact? fiction? Larry from San Diego lfindahl@inetworld.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We didn't know the derivation of the popular quote. Certainly not by JPJ, and Bartlett's offered no help. Sounds like a 19th century poem. We can only throw ourselves on the mercy of our astute readers. Here, meanwhile, are web sites that feature, but do not attribute, the quote -- here applied to everyone from Jones, to Admiral Nelson, to Gloucester Fishermen: http://www.avalonhill.com/wsim.html http://www.codhead.demon.co.uk/navy.htm http://www.cape-ann.com/ironmen/ October 12 SEEKS POND VIEW I was wondering if you could give me some information about a lovely restaurant I visited called the Pond View -- where is it located? Mary HIGGINME@bingham.com REPLY FROM WEBMASTER TIM: There may be more than one Pond View restaurant, but the only one I know of is in Kingston NH and is, as the name implies right on a pond off Route 125 in Kingston. I'm told the Pond name is Bayberry Pond. A friend of mine in Hampstead recommends it highly. Their # for reservations is: 642-5556. http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/dining.html October 10 YOU AXED FOR IT BACK Enjoy very much your web site detailing the Smuttynose Murders. FYI, the Jeff Symes play "Isles in the Moon" will be produced again this year from October 16th to November 1st at the Players Ring Theatre. Thomas Olson tomo@ici.net http://www.seacoastnh.com/smuttynose/index.html October 08 "OLD" CITY HALL WAS A SCHOOL Do you know where I can get a photo of the Old City Hall, 126 Daniel Street, during its hey day? Kim Lovejoy klovejoy@sheehan.com EDITOR'S REPLY: To which heyday are you referring? Before it was the City Hall, the building was the local high school starting in 1858. There is a photo of it in the 1902 Gurney guide to Portsmouth. This lot was actually given to the city in 1700 by the niece of the first colonial governor Richard Cutts for the creation of a school house, but it took 150 years for the city to respond. Today with the City Hall moved to the "old" hospital building, the building is being leased as office space. (Kim -- click here for a few pictures courtesy SeacoastNH.com) http://www.seacoastnh.com/mail/school.html October 07 WANTS TO REBUILD RANGER TOO Put me on the list of people interested in donating $, time, labor to build the Ranger replica. Christy Day daychristy@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: There is no formal group trying to rebuild JPJ's Ranger. It was just a suggestion that won't die. Tom Cocchiaro of the Portsmouth Chamber says he will receive calls on the topic and see if there is any real momentum here. Leave him a voice mail at 603-436-1118 X 20 or send an email (t.cocchiaro@rscs.net). We'll suggest the idea to the new PMC that successfully brought in the Endeavour. The Piscataqua Maritime Commission was created to bring tall ships to Portsmouth and to enhance an appreciation of the local maritime heritage, and to educate young people interested in maritime-related careers. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please092798.html October 06 NEWMARKET HISTORY ONLINE? I am looking for history highlights about Newmarket, NH from 1850 to present. I am having trouble finding anything on the internet. Virginia amoskeag@ma.ultranet.com EDITOR'S REPLY: You won't find much on the Net. Newmarket is a small former factory town. There is a great history book, the name escapes us, but write via snail mail to the Newmarket Historical Society (c/o Stone School Museum, Granite St.. Newmarket, NH 03857). We're in post-production at Ideaworks on a video about the Lamprey River. It is being produced by the Lamprey River Advisory Committee (c/o 55 Wiswall Road, Durham, NH 03824. The official town web site is: http://www.newmarket-nh.com/index.htm October 06 SUB TEXT OUT OF PRINT Trying to locate a copy of Portsmouth Built (Submarines) by Richard Winslow III. Is it available in your bookstore? Thanks Paul W pweisner@zdial.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Sorry, you've got to check the local used bookstores ln town like Bob's Books, The Book Guild (436-1748) or the Portsmouth Book Shop (433-4406). Dick Winslow does research for the Portsmouth Library on Tuesday's, maybe he can help locate a copy. His new book on the history of the Navy Yard is due in the year 2000 October 05 RENAISSANCE FAIR IN OCTOBER My son and I enjoyed the evening at the Music Hall with Rodman Philbrick. The Mighty was a rather good show! Thank you for the opportunity. Do you know of a Medieval-type event this weekend in Portsmouth? People in costumes? Linda H LindaHar@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We called Presoctt Park Arts Festival office (603-436-2848) for details on their Piscataqua Fair, A Renaissance on the Waterfront and got a recording machine. In George Hosker's voice the machine said the fair runs October 10-12 on Pierce Island. There will be 27 acts per day including pony rides, sword fighting, rope walker, medieval food fest, belly dancers, crafts fair and kids' events. October 05 CYBER VISITOR ARRIVES FOR REAL I thought you might like to know, I was in Portsmouth recently and on Saturday Sept 12 saw the Endeavor. I was also very impressed with The beautiful flowers in Prescott Park. I enjoyed my stay in your city Very much. William F. Scott of Grand Haven, MI wfscott@wmis.net October 05 SEACOAST'S TOP SF WRITER BEAMS IN Hey, this is a cool site. I like the way you've done Philbrick, Perrault and Morang -- you captured them in a cybersnapshot. I write a web column for a sf magazine and see a lot of sites; this one stands out. Congrats! Jim Kelly jimkelly@nh.ultranet.com www.nh.ultranet.com/~jimkelly http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/index.html October 01 MORE LOCAL TIDE CHARTS ONLINE Just a note to let you know we have added 3 more tide sites to our New Hampshire index - Seavey Island, Atlantic Heights and Salmon Falls River. John Standish http://www.maineharbors.com/nh/tidenh.htm |
