Things My Dad Never Told Me About Woodside

In the last few years I have learned some things about Woodside I would never have dreamed.  These are things that I had no clue of when I was a young man spending my summers down there.  These new things I have learned I have tried to share on my other blog.  http://www.wasatchphotos.blogspot.com/  But I will also try to give some explanation here. 

My dad never told me about all the rock "statues" located near Woodside.  He didn't tell me there was a bear, another bear, a penguin, kings, a mummy, a two legged snake, a duck, statues of men, profiles of people or faces in the rocks.  There are many things that I believe are of significant Archaeological value.  In fact I once told the Utah State Archaeologist that I believe this is greater than Range Creek.  I am still trying to get a handle on what culture or people it may have been that left or modified all these rock formations.  They are no accident of nature.  They are man made.  They may have eroded some since they were modified but I do believe they were modified at one time somehow.  In fact I believe they were experts at how they did these "statues." 

I've also seen what looks like a platypus, snail or elephant, numbers, letters and many things that I can't tell what they are but I can tell that they are not natural.  There are tons of these statues.  (Pun)  I have probably only seen a scratch on the surface.  (Pun)  These rock formations are all over Utah and also in other states in the west as well.  States like New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Wyoming that I know of. 

There is one place where there are four big rocks that seem to have been put in place on purpose.  They don't seem to be there naturally.  Again, I am still trying to get a handle on what they mean.  It seems I do recall my dad at one time pointing these rocks out and making some comment about them or wondering what they mean.  I do believe there is some kind of European influence here.

Another raccoon story

Last week I started to walk to my daughter's house around the corner.  I didn't even get past my next door neighbor's house when I saw what looked like a dead kitten by the sidewalk.  It was actually between the sidewalk and the neighbor's fence.  It looked like a large kitten and I thought that strange because I hadn't seen any around.  Upon closer inspection I found it to be a young racoon.  I would say the racoon was only two to three months old.  There are some interesting items about finding this racoon. 

First I went and told my neighbor down the street who has had racoons in her attic twice before.  Last year she had them for six weeks.  This is the same neighbor who had a snake in her yard just a few days ago.  She wanted to see the racoon so she and her brother walked down and I showed it to them.  Another neighbor walked up the street and it appeared he didn't even see it.  My other daughter had walked by earlier and did not see it either.  The next door neighbor's daughter thought it was only there recently because she had been gong in and out all day and hadn't seen it.  I assured her that I thought it had been there all day. 

This happened on garbage day, which is Friday.  I had washed out my garbage can because I thought it stunk.  My neighbor across the street washed out two of his garbage containers.  He must have thought his stunk too.  It is apparent to me that it was the raccoon and not the garbage can that was stinking things up.  That leads me to believe that the raccoon may have even been there longer than one night. 

I called the Unified Police Department as they now handle animal control issues.  They weren't sure they handled this type of situation but the dispatcher took the information anyway.  They did not come by til the next day and the raccoon was no longer there.  I suspect my next door neighbor got rid of it somehow as he wasn't sure if or when they were coming.  Snakes and raccoons.  What's next?  These animals must seek out nice people to take advantage of or seek refuge. 

Urban Treasure Hunter

The freelance diamond setter explained that he was sifting through "very valuable" New York City mud for tiny diamond and ruby chips, bits of platinum, white-gold industrial loops for jewelry assembly, and gold earring backs and loops from broken chains, watches, broaches and necklaces -- all carelessly dropped and now his to mine.

. . .

Over six days, he says, he collected enough gold for two sales totaling $819 on 47th Street -- where he first got the idea to mine the sidewalks after finding gold scraps on the floor of a diamond exchange.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/prospector_scours_sidewalks_for_ReKRNWajHnjJhKSoW5Il6L#ixzz1QmMKlBwr

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/prospector_scours_sidewalks_for_ReKRNWajHnjJhKSoW5Il6L

Joseph V Heart Surgeries

Joseph V is of course Eric.  Eric had his first surgery when he was less than six months old.  In fact I believe he was four and a half months old.  His first surgery was the day after Labor Day the year he was born.  His next surgery was when he was six years old.  His next surgery was when he was eighteen years old and his last surgery so far which we hope is his last surgery was on the fifteenth of this month.  This should enable him to play basketball without having to worry about effects from his heart condition.  This is why he was actually looking forward to this surgery.  The last two years he has had a rapid heartbeat from playing basketball and had to go to the emergency room at the hospital and end up being admitted.  He also had a stroke earlier.  All thing considered he is doing good and is a brave man.

Neighbor's garter snake

I'll start this story with my grandson Sam.  Sam tried to catch a snake in his yard but the snake got away.  Then a few days later my neighbor called and said she and her brother had a snake in their yard.  I said I would come right over.  I went home and got a cultivator rake and headed over to deal with the snake.  The neighbors were just standing watching the snake which wasn't moving at all but was awake though it appeared that it might be asleep. 

So I stood around with them watching the snake and trying to plan a move to catch the snake somehow with the rake.  When I was about to make my move a car went up the street and made quite a bit of noise.  That's when the snake took off across the grass.  I tried to catch it with the rake like someone would a sheep with a shepherd's hook.  It didn't work.  The snake eventually make in into some creeping susans where it had much more cover than the grass.  I'll call my neighbor Jane.  Jane was fit to be tied.  She didn't want the snake around.  We had to get it.  So another neighbor to Jane, who I'll call Joe, came over and we looked for the snake.  We found it coiled up in the bushes.  We tried again to get it and it got away again.  Finally we found it coiled up again.  When it left this time Joe pinned it to the ground with the cultivator rake and I grabbed it behind it's head with my thumb and forefinger.  I put it in a plastic grocery bag and tied it off.  Now what do we do with it.  I had joked with Jane that we could put it in the black tote that she had sitting right there.  She didn't like that idea and said that she would never use the tote again.  I determined that I would take it to the Jordan River and let it go.  Jane had called animal control but they don't do snakes. 

So I went to a street bridge over the river to release it.  There happened to be a couple of homeless guys there so I asked them if it was OK.  The readily agreed it was OK.  So I released it as close to the river as I could.  It went right to the river and got a healthy drink of water.  I was worried that it may be a little hurt when it was pinned to the ground by the cultivator rake but it moved fine.  One of the homeless guys was impressed that it went right to the river and got a drink as well as I was impressed.   

At first we didn't know what kind of snake it was.  After a couple of days I looked in a Boy Scout Handbook and found that it was a common garter snake.  I didn't know a garter snake had the kind of stripes that this snake had.  With further research on the net I learned that garter snake bear their live young but carry them as eggs until they are ready to hatch.  It's called ovoviviparous.  Some snakes do birth their young without carrying them as eggs.  That's called viviparous.  Some snakes lay their eggs and then go on their way.  That's called oviparous. 

Anyway it was quite humorous fun adventure.  Animals must like my neighbors.  Twice they have had raccoons in their attic.  Animals must know nice people when the see them.  Part of the humor is that I was able to catch a snake though I had help and Sam wasn't.  Another part of the humor was all the worry Jane had over a harmless snake.  Bless her.

The Benjamin Franklin Connection

I was going to do this some time ago but it's not an easy thing to figure the genealogy of the Franklins.  I decided to go ahead with it and call it a "work in progress."  That means that whatever I post at this time will likely be updated in the future. 

The common ancestors for Ruth Franklin and Benjamin Franklin are Thomas Franklin and Jane White.  I will give the line for Benjamin Franklin and then for Ruth Franklin.  I have left the dates off on purpose as that is not my purpose here.  I am just showing the connection.  I have also left off the dates as that is not my purpose here.  It looks like Ruth is a full cousin to Benjamin three times removed. 

For Benjamin Franklin.
Thomas Franklin and Jane White
Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger
Benjamin Franklin

For Ruth.
Thomas Franklin and Jane White
James Franklin and Eunice Barnes
James Franklin and Martha Ormsby
Uriah Franklin and Abigail Colvin
David Franklin and Hannah Simmons
Ruth Franklin and Enos Curtis

To continue to the four Josephs:
Simmons Philander Curtis and Emaline Buchanan
Joseph Augustus Curtis (Joe) and Delcina Princetta Daley
Joseph Augustus Curtis (Dode) and Estella Olsen
Max Joseph Curtis (Max) and Vesta Isabella Pettersson
Nicholas Joseph Curtis (Nicholas)

7 Foods Most Likely To Make You Sick

5. Peanuts: In moderation, peanuts can be nutritious as they contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. However, they can be dangerous or deadly to about one percent of the population.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/7-foods-most-likely-make-you-sick

Eight Foods That'll Make You Look Younger

Tomatoes made the list of eight.

3. Tomatoes

The fruit's red pigment, lycopene, is a potent antioxidant that shields skin from sun damage—like sunscreen, but from the inside out. To best absorb lycopene, eat tomatoes with olive oil.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/8-foods-thatll-make-you-look-younger-2492695/#photoViewer=1

These mashed potatoes are cold!

Y'all have probably heard this one before.  But I'm going to tell it anyway. 

So this boy was causing quite a lot of concern to his parents because he wouldn't say anything.  They didn't know what was wrong.  They took him to doctors, tried to teach him, pleaded with him but nothing worked.  This went on for years.  Then one day when he was 12 years old he said, "These mashed potatoes are cold."  At first it was just matter of fact but then they realized that these were his first words.  They were amazed, surprised, confused. 

Why Bobby, we didn't know you could talk.  Why didn't you say something before?  It's been so many years.  Why did you wait til now? 

He answered, "Well, every thing's been fine up til now." 

So if you have a child that doesn't say much then that may be a good thing.  Or maybe there's a teenager thing going on. 

Greek and Italian Christmas Party at Woodside, Utah

It was a really a brawl rather than a party that Christmas Day in 1901 at Woodside, but party sounds better.  I'm still not sure if the Italians were cowboys or railroad workers.  I'm not even sure who won the fight/brawl.  The Italians supposedly got the worst of it but the Greeks left the country.  Here is a bunch of newspaper articles telling the story.  I have tried to keep them in chronological order.  The first one actually quotes a newspaper article but is in the history of Emery County. 

     "Poker Pete" Olsen's saloon in Woodside was the scene of a wild brawl on Chrismas Day 1901 between the local cowboys and a group of Greek railroad workers.
Edward A Geary, A History of Emery County, p. 157.

     Several Greek and Italian laborers for the Rio Grande Western Railroad Company came together in a drunken brawl at Woodside yesterday.  The result was that four Italians are pretty badly done up, while the country is rid of its Greek population, the latter hitting the trail, not even waiting for a train. 
Eastern Utah Advocate
December 26, 1901

     Poker Pete Olsen has taken out a saloon  license for his Woodside place of business dating back to December 14th.  The last named period will cover the date of the recent cowboy episode at that point when high jinks were indulged in and a regular old frontier day time experienced. 
Emery County Progress
January 4, 1902
And Eastern Utah Advocate
January 16, 1902

     A very disgraceful affair occurred xmas day which ended in all but a killing of some boys who were holding kangaroo court at Poker Pete's.  A band of Greeks encouraged by the bartender made deadly assault upon the boys with guns and knives ending luckily with nothing worse than a sore head or two and some slight knife cuts.  Some of our self respecting citizens are wondering why the county officials don't take recognizance of the vile doings here.  __A Citizen
Emery County Progress
January 11, 1902

     Woodside and Castle Dale are running a neck and neck race at present for the honor of being the toughest town in Emery County.  Everything goes in both places.
     . . .
     Sheriff Tuttle returned from Woodside early in the week where he spent a few days investigating the Christmas Day racket.  He learned a whole lot but found it difficult to get such information as would secure a conviction against the offending parties.  Most of the citizens are bitter against the Greek railroad element.  An attempt was made to burn Poker Pete's saloon Christmas night by some parties presumably indignant citizens.  The door was broken open and a beer case filled with inflammable matter was set fire to under the bar.  The fire was discovered by the proprietor and Scott Miller who were up at the store about 40 rods west in time to extinguish it before any damage was done.  This was between 9 and 10 o'clock Christmas night.  There had been a racket in the place earlier in the evening and someone shot a hole through the stove pipe. 
Emery County Progress
January 11, 1902

     Sheriff Tuttle has been down at Woodside investigating the troubles there between the Greek and Italians laborers on Christmas day.  He confesses to know but little if any more than before he made the trip.  There have been no arrests..
Eastern Utah Advocate
January 16, 1902

There is also another article which had a few words that I could not make out that I posted on an earlier blog post. Check out the post of May 16 and look at the first article in the post.

Bee Propolis

Some interesting facts about propolis:

Another medicinal marvel from the beehive.
Has antiseptic, antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. 
Works against harmful bacterial without destroying the friendly bacteria the body needs.
Is a natural antibiotic and has no side effects.
Fights bacterial strains that have become resistant to synthetic antibiotics.
Has all known vitamins except vitamin K.
Has all fourteen minerals required by the body.
Has sixteen amino acids.

For more information about bee propolis and how to obtain it please follow these links:

http://www.draperbee.com/info/propolis.htm

http://www.pureroyaljelly.com/propolis.html

http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=66

http://www.durhamsbeefarm.com/index.php/bee-products/honeybee-propolis.html#3

http://www.raysahelian.com/propolis.html

http://www.doctormanukashop.com/.

9 Foods for Healthy Eating

Avocado is number one.

http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/foods-healthy-eaters-can-t-live-without?GT1=50002

Hass Avocado

Touts: Belly-flattening monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) that lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol

“They're creamy, delicious, and feel like a real splurge, but they're packed with nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, and the good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. One ounce (3 slices) is just 50 calories.”—Lyssie Lakatos, RD, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, the Nutrition Twins, authors of The Secret to Skinny: Drop a Size and Get Healthier.