EASTER POEM: “Speaking for the Flowers” was written by Eleanor
Hand, who is a resident of Sena-Kean Manor in Smethport and
formerly of Eldred.
It seemed appropriate for the day before Easter.
We quote:
“Mr. Weatherman, my tulips were up three inches high.
“Now they look so sad and blue, it nearly makes me cry.
“I can’t believe you’d do this to buds, and flowers and
trees.
“Not only that, this weather makes me want to sneeze.
“Now, why are you so trying, why do you act so bad?
“Why do you cause us all to fret and make the flowers look
sad?
“I’m sure you didn’t mean it. I’m sure you’ll mend your
ways.
“But flowers don’t understand this, they need the sun’s warm
rays.
“So go away, old fellow and rest your weary bones.
“Come back another season with your snow and ice and cold.
“We want the sun – so yellow, the sky an azure blue.
“We want warm breezes blowing and lovely flowers, too.”
AND ALSO: On another subject of much interest today – the
opening of trout season – we pass along a follow-up from Jean Lance
of Port Allegany on President Grant’s fishing in this area:
“My great aunt Caroline Retire told this story to family
members:
“Captain Clay of Wilcox invited Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to visit
him on the Rasselas Road after the Civil War. Grant arrived at the
Clay farm ready to fish; however, his staff had neglected to pack
boots for the general.
“One of the staff members came across the road to the home of
Enos Retzer to see if a pair of boots might be available there.
Grandmother Retzer found a pair that fit.
“So the boots were lent to Gen. Grant for his fishing all around
the area, never to be returned to the Retzer farm.”
OH, ZIPPO: The Zippo lighter “sparked” the interest of a reader
of the Arizona Daily Star and gave some publicity to Bradford’s
world-famous lighter company.
In a Q&A column, a reader had an inquiry about the number of
Zippo lighters appearing in movies even as far back at the 1930s:
“When were they invented, and by whom?”
That led, predictably, to the story familiar to all Bradfordians
about George G. Blaisdell’s 1932 invention which took its name from
another current invention, the zipper.
