Harper’s Weekly – January 1, 1859

Harper's Weekly archives ^ | January 1, 1859

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[colorado tanker]

Wow, so New York was the city that never sleeps even back in 1859!

[Tax-chick]

I had to think about the party hours, too, but Homer is right. Social life in those days kept very late hours. Not so much, now, when work is so much more consuming for the well-off, but I still get notices about concerts where the opening act starts at 10:00 p.m., and I wonder who goes.

Der Prinz and I went to a bluegrass concert (The Infamous Stringdusters, check them out, they’re brilliant) at a venue that turned out to be a bar. The ticket said it started at 7:30, iirc, and that’s already late for me, but it turned out the place *opened* at 7:30, and the warm-up band started at 8:30, and the main act came on sometime after 10:00. We haven’t gone back to that place, but we really liked the openers, “The Brothers Comatose,” and bought their CDs and saw them again at a place with more sensible hours.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I live in the home town of KPIG 107.5 FM and listen a lot. Brothers Comatose are a big favorite with the Piggies and get lots of play. I agree, they are good.

OK, they say KPIG is based in Freedom, CA, which is an unincorporated area adjacent Watsonville. But their studio (the Sty) is here in Watsonville.

https://www.kpig.com/

[Tax-chick]

Their songs are very atmospheric, even if they’re also opaque. Makes for some interesting conversations in the car. “What did that even MEAN?” Several are solidly in the Vampire Goth Bluegrass mode, the official musical genre of the Undead Thread.

The bass player was as cute as a Golden Retriever, but I understand he’s moving on to new opportunities.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

It is a sensible arrangement, but will probably result in failure.

I've noticed that George invariably predicts disaster before Ellie's parties. I suspect it is meant as a method of actively not tempting fate. Not that our highly rational diarist is at all superstitious.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Previous excerpt from this volume was on November 6, 1858 (reply #3).

David Herbert Donald, Lincoln

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from November 2, 1858 (reply #14).

Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, Vol. II

[BroJoeK]

On the 1858 election of Douglas, quoting: "Others pointed to illegal voters allegedly brought in by Illinois Central Railroad to help Democrats carry key counties, and Herndon claimed that 'thousands of roving -- robbing -- bloated pock-marked Catholic Irish were imported upon us from Philadelphia, St. Louis and other cities.' "

And yet in Lost Cause mythology it's Lincoln who wins by bringing in "trainloads of supporters" to overwhelm the anti-Lincoln locals.
In fact, we will see "trainloads of supports" used again at the 1860 Republican convention, but once again, they won't be Lincoln's.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from January 4 (reply #16).

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Homer: "I wonder who is providing the music. George "knows people" and is a supporter of the arts. He could have some major pros fiddling in his parlor.

GTS: Helmsmüller's musical corps . . ."

That is my only clue, but a search of the name did yield a composer by that name from New York, during the right period. There is even a youtube video of his work from a not-too-distant time. Sounds danceable to me.

President Lincoln's Grand March - 1862

[BroJoeK]

"Sounds danceable to me."

Would that be the twist or watusi?

;-)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I had a vision of the lovely blonde debutante, Miss Mary Hoffman, performing the Funky Chicken.

[Tax-chick]

Anent “... the violoncello very prominent and very larmoyant.”

“Larmoyant” means “lachrymose,” or teary.

One hundred twenty guests sounds like a successful event. Good for Ellie.

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[Continued from January 6 (reply #29).]

January 7. Drizzle and liquefaction all day. In the lowest depths of laziness, inertia and nullity. Murray Hoffman dined here, and we went together to hear Nozze di Figaro, Ellie and Miss Rosalie protesting that after two nights of dissipation they must retire early. Very beggarly house. Mozart is repulsive, of course, to lovers of Verdi.

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

[Tax-chick]

Mozart is repulsive, of course, to lovers of Verdi.

LOL!

[GreenLanternCorps]

Homer,

A thought just occurred to me. George Templeton Strong is a patron of the arts. So does his diary, prior to April 1865, mention the well known Booth brothers? One of which will gain some infamy in the Spring of 1865...

GLC

[GreenLanternCorps]

I had a vision of the lovely blonde debutante, Miss Mary Hoffman, performing the Funky Chicken.

I keep picturing someone in the crowd shouting "Free Bird!" when the band asked for requests...

[Homer_J_Simpson]

So does his diary, prior to April 1865, mention the well known Booth brothers?

Edwin is mentioned in 1860, 1863 and 1864, for Hamlet, Macbeth and Hamlet respectively. Nothing on John W. before April 1865.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Thanks, I know that John Wilkes Booth was fairly well known as an actor prior to his assassination of President Lincoln. Was just curious if his name came up in the diary at all.