Pappy's Train Chase

 Pappy was standing at the checkout counter at the library when he heard the whistle. He had been at his book club meeting and had picked up a couple books to take home with him.

    While he waited, a mother took her son out to watch the train go by. Pappy was imagining that the train would be gone by the time he got outside. Finally the librarian gave him his books and he was able to leave. The boy and his mother were coming back in and both of them had big smiles on their faces. When Pappy got outside, all he could see was the very end of the train disappearing as it rode away.

    In his car, Pappy followed the train. Being careful as he drove, he watched the railroad tracks, watching for the train. The road was right beside the tracks, but he couldn’t see the train.

    Coming to a stop sign, he waited for a couple cars in front of him to go. When it was his turn, he heard the whistle again! He couldn’t see the train, but he knew it wasn’t far away.

    He finally caught up with it. It wasn’t moving very quickly. It was a short train with two engines in the front, a boxcar, seven hoppers and a third engine at the end.

    He came to a spot where he could pull over and got out of the car and watched as the train went by. The engines were painted purple with yellow stripes. Even though the train was going slowly, it was LOUD!  From where he was standing, he was able to look down at the train. The river could be seen behind the train. He got back in his car and drove a bit further down the road.

    He stopped at another spot and watched it passed by. The engineer waved when he saw Pappy.

    The road was a long one and he easily passed the train again. Coming to a crossing, Pappy pulled over to wait for the train.  This time, since he was at a crossing, he heard the trains whistle. The engines were loud, but the whistle was even LOUDER!

    The engineer waved again and smiled as the train rumbled past. The engineer was probably happy since Pappy was standing well away from the railroad tracks. It can be dangerous standing too close to the rails!

    Pappy watched the train get smaller as it continued down the tracks. He got back in his car and headed for home. As he drove, he thought about his morning and smiled. He had spent some time with his friends talking about books, he had brought a couple books home with him and, he had chased a train.

    He hoped that he had gotten a couple good pictures but even if he hadn’t, he had enjoyed watching the train go by. Maybe he’d send the pictures to his grandsons, Mateo and Nico!

    Pappy was happy, what a great way to start his day!

What a Wonderful Combination

Sitting on a set of cold hard marble steps, I paged through a 1910 version of Norton’s Star Atlas. The steps were far from comfortable but I wasn’t complaining. I was happy to be where I was.

    It was Friday night and I was helping out as a volunteer for the Allegheny Observatory’s open house. My chore was to direct the various groups of visitors between the 13” Fitz-Clark refractor and the next stop, an explanation by some students of how the new Keeler scope was being used for research. I was positioned at the top of the three-story set of marble steps leading up to the telescope. Beside my perch was a small set of steps which I was using as a seat between tours.

    At the top of these three steps was the entrance to the second balcony of the observatory’s library. Inside the door was a narrow balcony lined with books and journals. A thick pipe railing surrounded the opening. Three stories below was a gentleman describing and showing videos of the April total solar eclipse. Above was a glass ceiling. No light was coming through it but in my mind, the shelves were glowing!

    After directing a group into the dome of the 13” refractor, I had about 20 minutes on my hands before the next group arrived. In those minutes, I talked with other volunteers and walked around a bit, peeking through windows to see what I could see. I also went into the library and explored the bookshelves!

    The books on the third floor were a collection of various subjects. Placed in alphabetical order by author, I was taken for a journey between astronomy, the workings of light waves, the design and manufacturing of optics all the way into machine shop practices. There were also numerous volumes written in languages I couldn’t understand.

    Being a machinist by trade I started out with a book about jigs and gages written in 1901. Books such as this are always fascinating to read. Having line drawings of old machinery and equipment, they are filled with lots of rich information which often isn’t passed on to new machinists these days. It is information which is usually picked up through years of experience. There are mentions and examples of tools and tooling which are no longer used in the modern machine shops because of the advancements of technology. 

    From there I headed into the field of astronomy. Since this library was in an observatory most of the books dealt in some way or another in that subject. I would remove a book from a shelf, being careful not to damage any fragile binding or covers, open it slightly and peruse the pages. If it interested me, I’d mark the spot it came from and go and sit down and read for a bit.

    The Norton’s Star Atlas I mentioned before was one of the ones I had taken down. I have a copy of this book at home, written in 1989. I use it quite often. My copy was bought in 1990 and I had inscribed on the first page that the first observations using it was at 5AM on March 3^rd, 1990.  I was observing in Sagittarius. It also says, “It was a beautiful, warm morning, the way they all should be!” The 1910 version in the library was a lot thinner than my copy and it doesn’t have any of the glossy pictures that mine has but it does have the great sky maps.

 

    I also looked at a book called “Astronomy by Observation” written by Eliza A. Bowen. Written in 1890 it has some photos of plaster reproductions of craters on the moon made by Nasmyth and Carpenter. Listed on its’ back cover are an assortment of scientific books ranging in price from 60¢ to $5. Sadly, the price of books has risen just the same as groceries.

    I went in and listened to some of the talk about astronomy and the history of the 13” telescope. One of the stories told was about the time that the lens for the scope was stolen and held for ransom.

    The telescope was built in 1861 by Henry Fitz and was installed in the original Allegheny Observatory. (It was later moved to its present location in the new observatory in 1906) When it was built it was the third largest telescope in the country! In 1872 the lens was stolen. A note demanded money but the observatory director, Samuel Langley wouldn’t pay. He figured this would only lead to more “lens-nappings”. The glass was eventually recovered in a hotel in Beaver Falls. The lens had a large scratch on it and it was shipped to Alvan Clark to refigure and polish. This ended up making the lens even better than it was before it was stolen! Ever since the lens has been replaced in the scope it has been known as the Fritz-Clark telescope.

    Another book I looked at was called “The Elements of Theoretical and Descriptive Astronomy” written by Charles J. White. It was published in 1872. What makes this book special was that it had been owned by Samuel Langley! His signature was on the first page! To think I was holding a book once owned, signed and read by this important man was extremely exciting.

    I get the same feeling when I think that John Brashear walked in these same corridors and climbed the same steps where I was stationed! This building is living history!

    Once the last group had passed by I started saying my good-byes. I stopped in the basement and saw a glass negative taken using the 30” Thaw refractor. Just barely visible are two faint dots. This is a picture of the planet Pluto. The picture was taken on February 16^th, 1953. This negative was taken 23 years after the planet was discovered. The reason there are two dots on the negative is that they would take a picture and then move the scope a slight bit and then take another shot. This was helpful in determining the exact position of the object they were observing. History, isn’t it exciting?

    Talking with the people who run this facility, the students that do their studies and research here along with the various volunteers who helped pull this event off was a learning experience. There is so much to learn when talking with them; I can only hope that at least a little bit of their knowledge rubbed off on me!

    I left the building without looking through either of the two telescopes that were being used. The clouds were making viewing difficult but most of the visitors saw Saturn and that is always something to remember! Even though I didn’t do any observing, as I headed home I had a feeling that in a small way I had participated in the history of this building and that I had been submerged into history itself. Old books, history and astronomy; what a wonderful combination!

Out and About

It seems as if there is never a lack of things to do. At times, I have to look around a bit, but I never have any trouble finding something worth doing! Here are a few of the places and things that Ann Marie and I have done and gone to in the past couple weeks. I’ve tried to pass over the boring stuff…

    On a Wednesday afternoon, we took a ride up to Brady’s Bend to attend an excellent lecture about the iron furnaces and the local area. We stopped for dinner and then went to the talk. I had just happened to come across a notice about the presentation and put it on my calendar. It was well worth the drive!

    That Friday, the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, (AAAP) had their monthly meeting at the Alleghany Observatory. I try to never miss a meeting held at this magnificent building.

    Besides the meeting itself, which I always find interesting and informative, there is often a tour of the observatory afterwards. These tours never cease to amaze me with both the architecture and the instruments they use to study the skies above us. 

    The next day, on a rainy Saturday we spent a few hours in the Carnegie Library’s Pennsylvania Room. Ann Marie did some research on her family history while I looked up information on iron furnaces. This is another nice piece of architecture, and they have a great collection well worth visiting!

    I took a ride up to Wagman Observatory to get some pictures of the couple day old moon. I was hoping to try and catch the 14 hour old moon the day before but the clouds of Pittsburgh ruined that attempt. I had much better luck the next evening. Later I spent some time looking for a comet that is in the sky now but it was located in the murk near the horizon, so, no luck there. The sky above was nice and clear so I spent the rest of my time roaming around the stars overhead.

    My library and my favorite bookstore were a couple stops during the ensuing week. I always enjoy roaming through the bookshelves, hunting for those “special” books that are just waiting there for me to pass by, ready to jump out and say, “Here I am, take me home!”

    Pi day (3/14) was on Thursday and of course, we had to celebrate the day! I made a pi(e) and Jim and Ann Marie came over to help eat it. It was another nice warm day so we played some Scrabble out on the back patio. I won’t mention who it was that won that day.

    Yesterday, Saturday, we took a ride to Apollo. The great color of green that occurs only in the spring was popping out all over the hills. The Forsythia bushes were all in bloom, adding their splashes of yellow to the scenery. 

    We took a walk on the Rock Furnace Trail which parallels Roaring Run. The idea was to visit the remains of the Biddle (Rock) Furnace that sit below the trail. The hike was about ¾ of a mile in both directions and of course, it was uphill both ways! The stream added a nice soundtrack to our stroll. The sun came and went, keeping us warm in the cool valley.

    The furnace is now only a pile of stones sitting below the trail. Built in 1825, it produced iron for 30 years before it shut down permanently. Moss and leaves covered the rubble but pieces of the walls can still be found intact, 199 years after they were built.

    So, we are relaxing this Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day. Chances are another Scrabble game will be played or maybe a movie will be watched before dinner. Then, it will be back to my desk to figure out what is on next week’s schedule….

Let It Rain, Let It Rain, Let It Rain

 

The rain is falling heavily, creating patterns in the pools on the sidewalks. The grass has a fresh green look to it. Sitting inside the quiet cocoon of the library, I’m warm, dry and comfortable. A pile of “new” books sits in front of me.

    It’s Monday morning, the day of the Queens funeral. Up early to watch the solemn ceremony and then off to a doctor’s office for a routine check-up, the hours without sleep haven’t caught up with me yet. The rain had commenced right as I had arrived at the doctor’s office, of course! There are still damp spots on my pants.

    A short distance away is one of my favorite spots, The Cooper-Siegel Community Library. The lot is filled this morning but inside, other than a few laughs and giggles from the children’s room, all is quiet, as it always is. An empty table beside a window provided a home base for my visit.

    Though I check out the books on display as I come in, the used bookshelf is still my first stop. This library always has a splendid selection of books for sale, the majority of them for under a dollar.

    Carefully perusing the volumes, I select a few and start a pile on the librarian’s desk. A book of memoirs, The River Quickens, signed by its author starts the pile. This is soon followed by a barely read library book about Victorian England’s fight against filth titled, Dirty Old London. I’ll probably be the 3^rd or 4^th person to read it…if not the first!

    A hardback Readers Digest edition of Lost Horizon was added, replacing the paperback edition I had just picked up moments earlier. Fifty cents as compared to twenty-five, I can handle that. Once it is read, it will be re-donated back to the library to allow someone else to purchase it.

    An old book (1922) on the Elements of Plane Trigonometry joined the pile simply because it looked nice and it was in good shape. Not bad for a quarter. Lastly, my most expensive purchase, (75 cents) was a new, unread copy of The Writing of the Gods. A hardback, published last year, telling about the de-coding of the Rosetta stone.

    I purchased my books, adding a small amount to the library’s coffers and returned to my table. The rain was still falling; I’ll stay here, inside and dry until it lets up a bit. There is a cup of coffee sitting in the cup holder in the car, I can hear it calling to me! But until the rain slows down, I’ll be content to read a bit longer. I’m always happy here.

Finally!!!

 

I did something today that I haven’t done in at least 6 months! I went into a library and BROWSED! I had ordered some books on-line and had them delivered to the Bridgeville Library for pick up. When they called to tell me they were in, they asked if I would like them to bring the books out to the car or would I be coming in?

Naturally…I went in! A mask is required of course. The librarian was sitting behind a booth-like enclosure, high Plexiglas on three sides.  It was difficult for her to hear me or for me to hear her. I asked if we were able to browse the stacks or just pick-up pre-ordered books.  She told me they were open and I could stay for up to 45 minutes.  I had to keep my mask on and maintain social distances.

I was overjoyed! In fact I was a little bit overwhelmed. I got a bit choked up as I told the librarians how excited I was. The libraries closed in Alleghany County on March 16^th, the announcement was sent on March 13^th, Friday the 13^th! That is “approximately” 223 days since I’ve been inside a library. (Not that I was counting) Ann Marie and I did go inside the main Branch in Oakland in the beginning of September but it turned out they were closed except for using the computers, picking up pre-ordered books or to use the bathrooms. We took a run to the bathrooms just to go inside and look around. It really wasn't what we had hoped for!

I was excited, where do I start? What do I want to get?  I finally went to the farthest set of shelves and worked my way back to the main desk. Biographies and into hobbies and home keeping, through the sciences and into fiction, I just strolled along, pulling out books when they looked appealing. I picked up a couple books I have probably read before and added them to my pile.

There was one other patron in the library with me. We kept our distance from each other but I really wanted to go over and say how excited I was. No doubt she was also, it sure looked as if she was smiling under her mask! How could she not be excited to be finally allowed back into this sacred temple of education?

I passed over the DVD’s and moved on to the “new” shelves. One of the books there was a new version of the Scrabble Players Dictionary. I wonder how many times that has been lent out.  I have a copy of it at home so I passed over it.

I left the library with four new books to read. I couldn’t wait to get started. I pulled into “my spot” near the stream and looked through my cache. I picked one out and started to read, I still had 20 minutes until work started, plenty of time…

Oh, what a great feeling!