Before they left town for Adventure Round 2, we celebrated Seattle's Restaurant week- Price Fixe at restaurants we normally don't have occasion to frequent. It was a nice chance to catch up before they are gone for a month or something, and to trade a few things. They brought Nana (to spend the night and convert my garden to a thing of weedless beauty), and "another box of things. Maybe from Nana's?" Now, I am happy to be the only one not downsizing a house, but there has been no small number of boxes of tchotckes that were never worth the effort to ship, and I really thought we had weeded all those out.
Nana and I sat down for a cup of tea last night to see if either of us could figure out if there was anything of value in the box. Turns out- Bonanza!
This was the box with the last few missing things. Nana's recipe box has been AWOL since the move. It was in the box.(!!) Papa's nearly exotic fleece barret. In the box. Classic children's books, a 1950s cookbook and some VHS labeled 1989 Preecs Children. Papa's Right of Way Association Plaques. His Boy Scout (leader) award. Awesome.
But most of the box was pictures. All manner of pictures. Pictures from the last few decades of domestic and foreign travel. Nana's high school graduation photo. Her Kiwanis Award (for service). Grammie Jean's baby book (not aging as well as she did). Papa's 65th high school reunion photo. There is no shortage of cool stuff and rainy afternoons in that box. Next time I make noise about "nothing to blog about" remind me to pull some stuff from the box and start collecting stories.
Before I really get started on it though, I wanted to share this little gem of a newspaper clipping. (Transcript follows for future search ability.) I would love if someone could fill in the ~30 year time gap between the estimated date of the clipping and the postmark.
I have been deeply moved by an act of innate honesty of my fellow man . . . . at all times of course, most of us are careful with out money for the needs it must supply . . . but at Christmas time with this business of gift exchanging, it becomes of particular importance . . . last week a lad of small fry age was entrusted with a sum of money . . . . and somehow lost a bill of large denomination from his pocket . . . . it was a tragic occurrence, so much so that he was plunged into deepest despair because he felt he had ruined Christmas for his family . . . the following evening a little ad appeared in the daily newspaper that "folding money" had been found . . . . On inquiry it was determined that from the spot it was found and being in the amount of the sum lost, it could be no other than the small fry's bill . . . every offer of recompense was refused . . . . the finder of the bill was glad it could be returned to its owner . . . . I think that is a wonderful thing . . . . that a man would find a piece of paper money in the snow and advertise to locate the rightful owner. . . . and at the holiday season time too, when everyone can use a little extra coin of the realm . . . . and truly Mr. William B. Preecs of Pacific Northern Airlines, who must be possessed of the pure meaning of the Christmas Spirit may enjoy his holiday knowing he has lightened a heavy burden from a little boy at Christmas time.]
[Enveloped post marked Baltimore MD 212 12 Nov 1986 from the Thunder Hill Rd House to the Everett House]
2 comments:
The Pegue's family had a bit of status beyond hometown columnist. The little brother that lost the bill was junior of one of my patients who went on to be Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. Another Brother was "Mayor" of Tenakee Springs. Judge Pegues remembered the story when I mentioned it to him 40 years later. I have always found the story very telling about Poppa's character. It wasn't his and you can't make him keep it. Remind me to embellish the Safeway Robbery story if I haven't already heard it.
How did you come across the story/article in Baltimore?
And I'd love for you to write up the Safeway robbery- someone told that story at his funeral.
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