The Devil in the White City (Hollis)

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Parallel stories:
Chicago Worlds Fair - 1893 - Burnham - Olmstead - Mayor Harrison - Ferris Wheel - Shredded Wheat - alternating current - Columbus Day - Cracker Jack - influenced Frank Lloyd Wright - Walt Disney's father laborer - mayor assassinated  - Museum of Science and Industry Building remains.
The Devil - H.H. Holmes - doctor/pharmacist - serial killer - sound proof vault - gas outlets - debt - many aliases - Detective Frank Geyer - cross country search for missing children - hanging.

Flo's Bread and Breakfast

Dorothy's good friend, Florence, runs this B and B, what are the way they calls a place what has both bed and breakfast for peoples. Flo, that's what we all calls her, have been real busy for the last week 'cause of the Super Bowl what is being held in New Orleans. Most of the peoples staying there is from Baltimore, but there are one couple from San Francisco. Dorothy have been helping with the cooking and Flo asks me to come over for breakfast ever day to talk to the visitors. They seems to enjoy my little stories. And I enjoy hearing about what's going on where they lives. Flo serves what might be called a hearty breakfast with biscuits, hot cakes, waffles, omelets or regular eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, grits, tomatoes, molasses, honey, cane syrup, jams and jellies, and such. Her coffee are good and strong and she has tea for them what is inclined to sip a lighter drink. I can tell you right now I sure don't mind going over ever day.

More on Curtis Ray Ickleburg's Hearing

I got to be real careful on this one 'cause there is bad words involved, but I think I can tell y'all what happened and not talk no dirt. If y'all remember I were telling you 'bout Curtis Ray Ickleburg getting things real mixed up 'cause he hears so bad. And I told y'all a jar were put out in the barbershop to get money for a hearing aid. Well the moneys is getting more and more 'cause of what happened down at the Pack-a-Sack. Curtis Ray's wife, Mozelle, sent him off with a list of things to get and as he were just out the door she remembered one more thing she were short on. She yelled out the door to Curtis Ray, "And get me a large bottle of household cleaner." Well Curtis Ray thought she were needing something to wash a part of the body what nobody (nobody with a clean mouth) would ever say. He thought on it all the way to the store and what he come up with were if Mozelle would say them words, being the good Christian woman she were, it must be okay in today's changing world. So he walked right up to the lady in the store and asked her where he could find a large bottle of some such product. She turned bright red and told him to go to the drug store down the street. And he did. The druggist figure out that Curtis Ray were just hearing wrong so he called Mozelle and asked what she were wanting. It warn't too long 'fore word were all over town. Yesterday the money in the jar were real close to a hundred dollars.

                                                Old fashioned hearing aid.

Atlanta Airport

Today, this ain't about Harper, except that's where it are being wrote from. I talked over the phone to my cousin what lives in Atlanta and he were talking over his cell phone 'cause he were in his car on the way back from the airport. I told him near 'bout ever time I called him he were going to, coming from, or just back from the airport. He said when you live in Atlanta part of your responsibilities are taking peoples to and from the airport. He said he were busy this year picking up peoples what was going to or coming from: Hong Kong, China, India, Nepal, Haiti, London, New York, San Antonio, Manhattan (the one in Kansas), and Florence in Alabama. I asked him if he had been anywheres during this year and he said, "Yeah, to the airport." He claims he's got a button in his car what says: ATLANTA AIRPORT, and all he's got to do is push that button and his car will do the rest. I reckon he's just funning me but with all the new gadgets they has come up with I ain't too sure.

Nathan Dobbs, Today

Nathan Dobbs, the boy what were in Leslie Faye Schultze's will, are now a big man in our county. He taken the money he got and bought him a rider lawn mower. Then he taken the money he got from being able to mow more yards than before and hired a man to help. Then another and another man till he had a fleet of mens and mowers. You can't go out nowhere without seeing one of them Dobbs Yard Service mens riding over somebody's yard. Use to be ever body mowed their own yard. If they got too old or too sick then somebody in their family or from their church would do it. Not anymore. Peoples is too busy watching television and stuff to be mowing. And since we has the warmth and rain to make grass grow a lot, Nathan's mens stay real busy. I still mow my own yard even though I'm eight now and can afford to hire somebody else to do it. Maybe when I'm ninety I'll give in. Besides Hollis give me this radio thing what you can stick in your ear and listen to music while you mows. My yard are big enough for me to hear a whole opera before I'm finished. If the opera quits before I'm through I listen to a little country music. Just to even things out, doncha know?

Leslie Faye Keeps on Tracking

I reckon I better tell you that little drug salesman with the imaginary wife left us. He were good enough for his bosses to get him a quick transfer to West Texas. A lot of jokes went 'round, like he didn't have no problem moving his wife since she didn't have no packing to do and stuff like that; but mostly peoples just felt sorry for him. Leslie Faye were relieved enough to get back into a full time search for her husband what left her over a score of years ago. And she found him. Kinda. What she found were where he were buried. It were in Seattle, Washington 'bout three thousand mile from here. That's when she plotted her revenge. That's when she wrote out her will.
(Tomorrow: Leslie Faye's Revenge)

What Were In Leslie Faye's Will

Leslie Faye died a few year back and when they read out her will in a public service, as she had asked, we was all surprised at who got ever thing. Leslie Faye and her lawyer husband what run off several year ago never had no children so there warn't no direct family member to get nothing. Leslie had a sister but they hadn't spoke to one another for ever, so we was all wondering who would get the house, land, and the money (what turned out to be 'bout $50,000.) It went to Nathan Dobbs, a boy what cut her yard and were twenty-five year old when the will were read out. He were as surprised as the rest of us. But what really surprised us (and him) were that he had a duty to preform before the property were put in his name. He were supposed to take Leslie Faye's ashes to Washington state and sprinkle them over the grave of her long lost husband. He were to take a movie making camera with sound and make a picture show of him doing his deed. Then he were to bring that picture show back and show it to ever body in town what wanted to see it. I went and watched it. There he were standing in drizzling rain over the grave of her late husband. You could see his name on the tombstone along side the name of his new wife (I reckon it were a common law wife since he warn't never divorced) what was buried right beside him. Nathan spoke out the words Leslie Faye had thought up as he poured her ashes out of a bright red urn. He said, "You may think you got away from me, Grover Lynn Schultz, but I'm finally all over you."

Leslie Faye Lets Loose

Two things you need to know 'bout Leslie Faye: one, she passed on to her heavenly rewards five year ago and two, her husband what run off were named Homer Ray. These is important in understanding what I'm 'bout to tell y'all. When Leslie Faye come back from New Orleans she started hanging 'round Dorothy's Cafe a lot. What she were doing were waiting for this drug salesman what I've been holding back his name from y'all. It's more important what his name warn't than what it were as y'all will soon see. He come in one day a week or so later and Leslie Faye were waiting for him. She got right in his face and told him he were living a false life, that he didn't have no wife, that all that stuff he'd been telling were just made up. Then what she done next were the thing what stood out. She called him Homer Ray and shifted off to talk 'bout how he had run off and left her. A couple of us had to pull her out of that poor salesman's face so he could get free and to his car. He left half his dinner sitting on the table unate. Next I'll let you know how Leslie Faye ended up.

Finding the Salesman Out

Leslie Faye Schultze (that warn't her real married name 'cause she added a "e" on the end of Schultz after her husband run off) were spending a extra lot of time in New Orleans. She claimed she were looking for dresses for young womens what was getting married and for them girls what walk down the aisle with them. She were really spying on that salesman. She asked around drug stores and finally found a druggist what knowed him and know kinda where he lived, but he didn't know much 'bout the private life of this young fellow. His home are were down in the French Quarter, a old section of New Orleans filled with cafes and bars and lot of tourists. After asking around down there she found the boarding house (really a long stay hotel) what were the home of this salesman. Leslie Faye had took one of them long yellow writing pads what were left behind by her lawyer husband when he took off. He left pretty well ever thing in his quick escape. Well, she went to the hotel and told the woman what was the manager she were working for the Empire Soap Company and were looking for womens to try out a new soap for washing clothes. The manager told her the hotel were a all-men hotel and there warn't no women living there. That were what Leslie Faye were looking for but it didn't come close to satisfying her. Not by a long shot.

Hard Heads

I reckon I need to tell a little more 'bout Leslie Faye Schultze and her detecting skills. It warn't she were so good in the way Sam Spade or J Edgar Hooper was in tracking down peoples. It were more she were hard headed. To my point, she were married for 25 years when her husband up and left her. For some reason. Her husband were a lawyer and had a office in town. Leslie Faye were there most ever day checking up on him. She made him fire several secretaries what she claimed was making a advance toward him. She were constantly checking his books to see where all the money was coming from and going to. After he left, Leslie Faye tracked him to Jackson, Mississippi and found him living in a motel just north of the city. He left there and she found him in Atlanta, then in Dallas, then in Phoenix. That's when he vanished off the face of the earth. I reckon it's been twenty years since he were heard of. But Leslie Faye ain't stopped looking. She puts ads in papers and she were even on one of them women's talk shows on nationwide TV claiming her husband were deducted by space peoples. I reckon her failure to smoke her spouse out are what keeps her head so hard. I reckon that's why she were spending so much time in New Orleans. I reckon that's why she are so determined to find this drug salesman out.

Leslie Faye Schultze, Detective

Leslie Faye Schultze warn't no real detective. I mean, she didn't have no license or office with a door window what announced she were in the detecting business. She were really more of a snoop. She knowed what were going on all over town. The story are she broke up a thirty year marriage when she were having tea at the house of the couple and spotted a blonde hair in a yellow shag carpet. The wife were black-headed. Well, Leslie were real suspicious of this drug salesman what were showing a picture of his wife what turned out to be one of them pictures what are displayed in picture frames in the five and dime. So Leslie Faye just couldn't wait to get to New Orleans what were the home of this fellow and start detecting on him.
(Tomorrow: Finding the Salesman Out)

The Drug Salesman's Imaginary Wife

Years ago we had this drug salesman what lived in New Orleans and what come to Harper 'bout ever month. He were real popular with all the town folks and ate at Dorothy's Cafe ever time he were here. All he talked 'bout were his wife, Honey. Honey this and Honey that. She were a nurse he said. She were writing a book about sick children in the poor areas of the city. She were beautiful and sang in the church choir. Ever thing were wonderful. He carried 'round a picture of her and she were real pretty. But Leslie Faye Schultze seen the same picture in the frames at Woolworth's and knowed something were wrong. The salesman said he knowed 'bout the pictures and his wife modeled for photos what was used in picture frames and put in magazine ads. He were such a honest sounding guy we all believed him. All but Leslie Faye.
Tomorrow: Leslie Faye goes detective on us.

Armadillos

One of the things we has around here what we didn't have when I were a young'n are the armadillo. They is like a cross between a reptile and a mammal. I looked 'em up in a book down at the library what are the place where I volunteer. They eats ants among other stuff. If you is driving down the road a lot of times you will come upon a armadillo, either walking or run over by a car. They is hit a lot 'cause they will jump 'bout four feet in the air if they gets scared and will jump right into the front of a oncoming car or truck. Yesterday I were talking about road kill and how this one guy knows how to cook a armadillo. He are the only one I know what will eat one. He eats squirrels, possums, and foxes. He won't eat house cats or dogs. I asked him one time why not and he said they just warn't made for eating. He won't eat horse meat neither. I reckon he made up his own kitchen rules and that's okay with me. The joke around here are that a armadillo (when they is ate) are called possum on the half-shell, like oysters doncha know?

Road Kill Recipes

This fellow, Rhett Rendouble, have been know around here for years for his collecting, cooking and eating of road kill. I ain't sure if it's against the law in Mississippi to do this 'cause I heard the other day where it's just been made legal in Illinois so I guess it ain't legal until somebody passes a law saying so. If it ain't legal 'round here I reckon it's just 'cause they ain't got around to doing the law work on it. I don't want to sound like a lot of folks do it 'cause Rhett are the only one in this county what does it. As far as I knows. Anyway, Rhett has cooked up all kinda critters over the years and somebody talked him in to coming up with a recipe book what contains 15 different kinds of animals he has stewed up. I reckon snakes and armadillos is the most unusual. Most recipes use only things what can be collected from the local area and not many what has to be bought in the grocery store. Rhett taken his Kodac and made before and after pictures of all his works. These pictures can be saw in his book. All in color.

And the Winner Are

Me and Dorothy gets along exceptional good. We don't hardly never argue. But we does have different  views on what's important on TV. Like Dorothy wanted to watch the Gold Globes last night so I watched with her. I wanted to watch a ballgame from Atlanta and she watched with me earlier in the day. When that young girl won a award for a TV show Dorothy near 'bout had a happy fit. I just couldn't see it. It warn't like she kicked a 49 yard field goal with 13 seconds left in a play off game or nothing.

Gum Control

Used to be a woman on TV what would get words all mixed up. Like she thought when they was talking about violence on television they was saying violins on television. We got a man 'round here what gets your words confused a lot. The other day he were in the barber shop raging 'bout how they (the government) was trying to get control of gum chewing. He said they was trying to limit the amount of gum what could be bought in a pack and you needed to be checked out before anybody could sell you any gum. He had it in his mind that peoples in power was upset 'bout peoples tossing gum on the street and it getting stuck on peoples shoes. And peoples sticking gum under the tables in cafes. What he were really upset about were asphalt weapons and just what a asphalt weapon were and how it had anything to do with gum. Warn't nobody in the barber shop what was willing to try to explain him out of his confusions. Gus Gusterson, the head barber (I reckon they is all head barbers, but he are the main one) set out a little jar with a note on it what said: COLLECTIONS FOR A HEARING AID FOR CURTIS RAY ICKLEBURG. So far there are a quarter and a few pennies in the jar.

Harper Post Office Still Open

We had friends what come to stay with us on their way back from Florida. They lives up in Iowa and goes deep in Florida ever winter. On their way back they usually stops in for a day or so. We always has a good time. This time they forgot a bag what held brand new socks they had picked up at a outlet store somewheres on their way to or fro. I went down to our little post office to ship 'em up to Geezer City, Iowa. We has two twin sisters what runs the p.o. One are named Florene and the other are named Morene. They has to wear little name tags, one what says Flo and one what says Mo. That way we know what one we is addressing 'cause they looks just exactly alike. Flo were there today and as usual she took good care of me and got my package off right admirable. While I were in line Flo helped a old man what wanted to return a hat to Chicago. She had to retape his package and rewrite the: From and To. She sold Minnie Mae Belltower some special stamps what had Elvis on 'em. A woman needed to know a zip number. A couple from Maryland needed directions to the interstate. Jackson Hayburger just come in out of the rain and she brung a chair out of the back for him to sit upon. Like y'all probably remember our little post office are on the government shutdown list. If they does do it, think of all the peoples what is gonna be shortchanged.

Hacker

I got what they called hacked last night. My computer says it come from Japan. I reckon they was up over there working on my mail while I were sleeping away over here. Now they say I got to change all my passwords and other stuff. I think I just got through changing 'em a while back. I think what were sent out were a ad about how to lose weight. I ain't one to recommend to other peoples that they lose weight. It's like my grandma used to say, "Sweep around your own doorstep first." All this computer stuff is getting too hard to deal with. I reckon my daddy were better off when all he had to worry about were what peoples' ears was on the other ends of a party line.

Wuthering Heights (Hollis)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
(This book was read as an assignment and my favorite passage in the story was "The End.")
moors - orphan boy - selfish children - jealousy - death - grave invasion - ghosts - greed.
Before reading this book I watched an old movie staring Lawrence Olivier and Merle Oberon. The content of this film covers only the first half of the novel and portrays Heathcliff (Olivier) as a hero. This is not the case in the novel.

My Visit to the Carter Center

I had a surprise visit to Atlanta 'cause Jack forgot some important papers what had to be in his hand before Monday. Hollis decided he would like to take them over (I reckon so he could drop in on an old girlfriend what me and him went to England with) and I come with him. Well since Lou Ann, Jack's wife, ain't never been we ended up going to the Carter Center what are the museum of former President Jimmie Carter. He were the first American president without a accent, doncha know? Anyway, it are a real interesting museum what tells all about Jimmie Carter's rise to the Georgia State Senate and to the governor of Georgia job and on to the President of the United States. He were a officer in the navy and were on a submarine. He had a lot of problems while he were president but were able to get the Egypt peoples and the Israel peoples to cut out their fighting. After he finished up being president he were in the business of trying to spread peace and won awards for his efforts. He also did carpenter work on houses for peoples without none and he taught a Sunday School class what peoples drove from miles around to got to. It were a real interesting day. Home tomorrow.

New Year's Goals

I ain't one for New Year resolutions, but I do make goals ever year around this time. One of my goals this year are to buy me at least two pairs of pants. It ain't about the money; it are about me hating so much to go 'round trying on clothes. My old pants is getting raggedy and Dorothy has been pushed to making remarks about them, all the time. I wonder if all mens has this problem of hating to go shopping. Anyway Hollis says he will go with me and make my trip to the stores a lot less of a problem. I may even pick up a new shirt or two. Nothing fancy, doncha know?

It's All In the Ears

Last night we was watching old movies and the star of the night were Loretta Young. This morning I were in the library and I looked her up. She were borned named Gretchen but they changed it later to Loretta. She were one of them peoples what don't get better looking when they grows old. She were still pretty but she were beautiful while she were young. When her and Clark Gable was making a movie way up north in the snowy areas, her and him had a fling (trying to stay warm, I reckon) and she come down with a baby. It were a girl and were put in a orphanage so nobody would know it were hers 'cause back then peoples didn't have no children out of wedlock and talk about it. Later on she adopted the little girl and they named her Judith. Now y'all probably know though Clark were a good looking man he did have real big ears. So did little Judith. When the kids commenced to making fun of her, her momma, Loretta, were kind enough to have her ears pinned back. Little Judy didn't know about who her real daddy were until she got real curious about rumors and made her mamma tell her the truth. We had a rumor going on round here in Harper 'cause of a rash of red headed babies when the mommas and papas was blonde or black headed. Don't think there was nothing to it, but there were a redheaded milkman going all over town delivering milk. I ain't saying nothing; just passing on information.

It Ain't a Eye Pad

I were down at Dorothy's Cafe for breakfast with some of the boys this morning. Dorothy still runs it but since she married me she has hired three more cooks and she only does the salting and peppering and managing. One of the fellows were talking about what he got for Christmas and asked me what Dorothy got me. When I told him it were a iPad, he wanted to know what were wrong with my eye. I had brung it with me so I show him what all it could do (as far as I knew) and he were real surprised that such a little thing can do so much. I'm just learning about it but so far I can play music and play solitary cards. Hollis learned me how. I can even listen to the music while I play solitary. They has ways to read books, find out the weather and news, and work jigsaw puzzles. Hollis says he will teach me all of 'em, but I asked him to do it slow so I can learn 'em good.

Happy New Year From Harper

Me and Dorothy is sitting in our den looking out the sliding glass doors at the fireworks being sent up from across the lake. We get a double view with the reflection on the waters. I set the FM radio on a station what is playing classical music and right now that young Italian man what is blind is singing Nessun Dorma a song I know from listening to opera a lot. It goes along real good with the pretty lights in the sky and on the lake. I wants to wish all y'all where ever y'all is a very Happy New Year. I hope y'all all is blessed and prosper real good in 2013.