November 4

On the 4th in 1825, the Erie Canal was officially completed. New York’s Governor DeWitt Clinton officiated at the Wedding of the Waters ceremony during which he poured water from Lake Erie in to the water of New York Harbor. It is interesting that they chose to hold a wedding ceremony because the Erie Canal can’t really be said to be straight.

The canal is 363 miles from beginning to end and its maximum depth is only four feet.

November 3

Anyone who approaches writing seriously, which is an extraordinarily foolish thing to do, will at times feels compelled to place his or her work in a public forum and subject it to scrutiny. As Robert Heinlein pointed out, “writing is nothing to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards”. Putting that to the side for the moment, once what you have written is exposed to the gaze of the world at large you have to expect to receive criticism of your work. Some people will like it and others will despise it. Marie Gouze[i], a playwright, journalist and feminist, writing as Olympe de Gouges in the eighteen century, wrote a great deal and received a great deal of criticism of her literary oeuvres. Criticism can at times be very cutting, at times more cutting than one should reasonably expect. Marie’s troubles began when she adopted the heretical position that "Female and male citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, must be equally admitted to all honours, positions, and public employment according to their capacity and without other distinctions besides those of their virtues and talents." On the 3rd in 1793, poor Marie[ii] was beheaded for her literary efforts. It seems that the publishers’ tool ‘Sorry, not for us. Better luck elsewhere’ had yet to be invented.

[i] In 1791, in response to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, the work principally of the Marquise de Lafayette, de Gouges wrote Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.
[ii] She was arrested in 1793 following the publication of her book The Three Urns, or the Health of the Country, By An Aerial Voyager.

November 2

Radio station KDKA, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the first licensed commercial radio station. On the 2nd in 1920, the station began its life by broadcasting the results of that year’s Presidential elections. Warren G. Harding decisively beat Franklin D. Roosevelt with a score of 404 electoral votes for Harding and 127 for FDR.

Robert Trow, who would become well known by virtue of his playing the characters of Bob Dog and Robert Troll on Fred Rogers’ show, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, got his start at this radio station.

November 1

Boies Penrose was born on the 1st in 1860. As an adult, he would serve in the United States Senate from 1897 until his death on December 31, 1921. His contribution to Public Service can best be summed up in the following quote, delivered in a speech Penrose gave in 1896: “I believe in the division of labor. You send us to Congress; we pass laws under which you make money…and out of your profits, you further contribute to our campaign funds to send us back again to pass more laws to enable you to make more money.” It is unnecessary to mention that Penrose was a Republican.

One indication of Penrose’s great insight into his own character is illustrated by his statement that "Public office is the last refuge of a scoundrel."

October 31

On the 31st in 1968, President Lyndon Johnson addressed the nation to inform the populace that due to the progress achieved at the Paris Peace Talks he was ordering the complete cessation of “all air, naval and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam.” The war would continue until April 30, 1975. Johnson’s address was the 60s version of President Bush’s appearance on a naval vessel standing beneath a banner proclaiming “Mission Accomplished”.

October 30

John Joseph Caldwell Abbott died on October 30, 1893. He was a Canadian lawyer and politician who had an interesting career. As most people recognize, France has long been a haven for terrorists and malcontents with a generally anti-American bent. Canada, on the other hand, has been a haven for American political dissidents with a somewhat less violent bent. There are exceptions however. In the 1880s, John Joseph Caldwell Abbott was Canada’s Prime Minister. Like so many other politicians, Abbott began his career as a lawyer. He was a signatory of the Montreal Annexation Manifesto, which sought to have Canada become one of the United States. One of Abbott’s most high-profile cases involved the representation of the participants the robbery of three banks in St. Albans, Vermont, United States. In 1864, Americans, from the recently formed Confederate States of America, began to congregate in St. Johns, Canada, just across the border from St. Albans. On October 10, 1864, this band came across the border and checked in to a hotel in St. Albans. On the 19th, they simultaneously staged armed robberies at three of St. Albans’ banks, netting a total of $208,000. I mean, really now, waging a civil war is not cheap and the arms suppliers really appreciated it when the armaments they sold were paid for. While the banks were being robbed, some of them ushered the towns' folk to the village green so that those robbing the banks could, when they had a spare moment, round up and steal all of the residents' horses. The group then re-crossed the border and returned to Canada where they were promptly arrested. The United States soon sought to have them extradited. Abbott, a sort of 19th century version of William Kunstler, was counsel for the raiders at their trial. He successfully argued that the men were belligerents operating under military orders and Canada, a neutral nation, blocked their extradition. The raiders were freed and $88,000, all that remained of the $208,000 stolen, was returned to St. Albans. The balance, it may be assumed went for lawyers’ fees. 20th century American lawyer, Maurice Nadjari noted, “You can’t make a living defending an innocent client” a fact that Abbott must have also observed. Their lawyer had to get his fee, didn’t he? Having to return the money probably really ticked the raiders off.

October 29

On the 29th in 1964, while in New York City, Jack “Murph the Surf” Murphy[i] visited the American Museum of Natural History[ii]. While walking around the museum he visited one of the restrooms and unlocked a window. Later that evening, Murph the Surf, accompanied by Alan Kuhn and Roger Clark returned to the museum after it had closed for the day. The 565-carat Star of India[iii] sapphire was the only gem protected by an alarm. Murph the Surf was pleasantly surprised to discover that the battery that powered the Star of India’s alarm was dead. He stole the gem and some others, most notably the Eagle Diamond and the de Long Ruby[iv]. The trio was arrested two days later. The Star of India was recovered from a locker in a Miami, Florida bus station. The Eagle Diamond[v] has never recovered.

[i] Murph was prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Maurice Nadjari was the lead trial counsel for the DA.
[ii] J. P. Morgan was the major benefactor of the Museum. He also endowed the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Harvard University’s medical school.
[iii] Financier J. P. Morgan had donated the Star of India to the Museum of National History in 1900.
[iv] The de Long Star Ruby weighs 100.32 carats. It was a gift from Edith Haggin de Long.
[v] Charles Woods found the Eagle Diamond in 1876. Woods thought it was topaz, pretty but worthless. He sold it for $1.00 to Samuel Boynton who in turn sold it to Tiffany & Co. for $850.00. J. P. Morgan bought it from Tiffany and then presented it as a gift to the Museum to be displayed with the Star of India and the de Long Ruby.