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.[neWLine]

It seemed appropriate for the day before Easter.[neWLine]

We quote:[neWLine]

[neWLine]

“”Mr. Weatherman, my tulips were up three inches
high.[neWLine]

“”Now they look so sad and blue, it nearly makes me
cry.[neWLine]

[neWLine]

“”I can’t believe you’d do this to buds, and flowers and
trees.[neWLine]

“”Not only that, this weather makes me want to
sneeze.[neWLine]

[neWLine]

“”Now, why are you so trying, why do you act so
bad?[neWLine]

“”Why do you cause us all to fret and make the flowers look
sad?[neWLine]

[neWLine]

“”I’m sure you didn’t mean it. I’m sure you’ll mend your
ways.[neWLine]

“”But flowers don’t understand this, they need the sun’s warm
rays.[neWLine]

[neWLine]

“”So go away, old fellow and rest your weary bones.[neWLine]

“”Come back another season with your snow and ice and
cold.[neWLine]

[neWLine]

“”We want the sun – so yellow, the sky an azure
blue.[neWLine]

“”We want warm breezes blowing and lovely flowers,
too.””[neWLine]

[neWLine]

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:[neWLine]

“”My great aunt Caroline Retire told this story to family
members:[neWLine]

“”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.[neWLine]

“”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.[neWLine]

“”So the boots were lent to Gen. Grant for his fishing all
around the area, never to be returned to the Retzer
farm.””[neWLine]

[neWLine]

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.[neWLine]

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?””[neWLine]

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.