Treat your family to a good Christmas Eve mystery

Santa’s original reindeers “Dunder” and “Blixem” may hold the key to solving a Christmas mystery that is almost 200 years old. Who wrote the classic yuletide poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas?”

 

On Dec. 23, 1823, the epic poem was first published authorless in the Troy (N.Y.) Sentinel, a semi-weekly newspaper in upstate New York near Albany. It was contributed by an unnamed reader. 

Today, we recognize this poem by its opening line: “Twas the Night Before Christmas….” 

Joyce Bassett of the (Albany) Times Union said recently: “This poem is largely responsible for the conception of Santa Claus from the mid-19th century to today.”

 Almost everyone believes Clement Clarke Moore of New York City wrote the legendary poem, but the true author just may have been Henry Livingston Jr., of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Both men were learned writers whose work include poetry. 

Bassett said a mock trial was held in 2013 at the Rensselaer County Courthouse in Troy. In the case of “Livingston v. Moore: Who Really Wrote ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’?” two teams of local lawyers argued the case on behalf of their respective “clients.” 

It was all for fun. Bud Malone, a retired state supreme court justice, told the crowd and a gaggle of news reporters who had gathered for the trial: “We have a hung jury.” 

Most historical accounts believe Moore, who lived in Manhattan, penned the poem on Christmas Eve of 1822. At the time, he was employed as a professor at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church.

 

Charles Clark Moore

Bassett said Moore composed “A Visit from St. Nicholas” in his head – all 56 lines – during a family sleigh ride. He wrote out the poem after arriving home and recited it for the amusement of his six children. 

“Tradition tells that Harriet Butler, who was a holiday visitor to the Moore home, took a copy of the poem home with her to Troy, where the next year it was submitted anonymously to the Sentinel for publication,” Bassett said. 

Moore originally referred to the poem as “a mere trifle” and didn’t want his name associated with the poem, “because as a stodgy man of academia, it was beneath his dignity; he preferred to be known for more scholarly works,” Bassett reported.

 

As published, lines 20 through 25, are critical to the literary mystery. 

And he whistled, and shouted, and call’d them by name:

“Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,

“On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;

“To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

“Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!” 

“Dunder” and “Blixem” are Dutch words for “thunder” and “lightning,” so their use is appropriate, as names that might have been selected by St. Nicholas himself…a kindly old man who emerged from old Nordic folktales. 

Some critics said the Dutch reindeer names were unlikely to have been penned by Moore, because his family roots were pure English. 

Livingston, though, was nine-tenths Dutch by inheritance, according to documents cited by Poughkeepsie area librarians. Livingston’s ancestors believe that he wrote the poem as early as 1805.

 

Henry Livingston Jr.

The librarians’ research suggested: “‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ is absolutely in the Dutch tradition of Henry Livingston…and just as absolutely not in that of C. C. Moore.” 

The leader of the pack of those doubting Moore’s authenticity is Dr. Don Foster, a retired professor of English literature at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.

 

Dr. Foster described Moore as “something of a curmudgeon,” while Livingston was an “irrepressible levenslust,” full of joyful exuberance…just like St. Nick.

Take a stroll along the Duke Gardens pathways

Before moving on down the road on U.S. Route 70 from Durham toward Raleigh, stop to smell the roses and other posies on the Duke University campus in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, one of the university’s most treasured landmarks. 

The American Public Gardens Association ranks the 55-acre Duke Gardens as one of the top 10 public gardens in the country.

 

As background, Trinity College in Durham was rechartered in 1924 as Duke University, named in honor of Washington Duke, an American tobacco industrialist, who lived from 1820-1905. 

The benefactors were his sons, Benjamin Newton Duke (1855-1929) and James Buchanan “Buck” Duke (1856-1925). 

In the 1930s, Dr. Frederic M. Hanes, a neurologist and member of the founding faculty of Duke’s medical school, and a passionate horticulturist, developed a plan to convert a neglected, debris-ridden ravine near the hospital into a garden spot. 

He approached Sarah Pearson Angier Duke, the widow of Ben Duke, about his idea. She agreed in 1934 to contribute $20,000 to transform the site into a lush garden (about $405,500 in today’s dollars).

 

“By 1935, more than 100 flower beds were in glorious bloom in the area that is now the South Lawn,” a university spokesperson said. “They included 40,000 irises, 25,000 daffodils, 10,000 small bulbs and assorted annuals.” 

Heavy rain destroyed the original garden, but Dr. Hanes refused to give up. After Sarah Duke died in 1936, he worked with her daughter, Mary Duke Biddle, to rebuild the gardens bigger and better than ever. 

Ellen Biddle Shipman, a pioneer in American landscape design, was selected to design the plans for both the construction and the plantings for the new gardens. The “new and improved” Sarah P. Duke Gardens was dedicated in April 1939.

 

There are five miles of allées, walks and pathways throughout the botanic gardens. More than 300,000 visitors from all over the world visit annually. Admission is free, and the gardens are open from 8 a.m. to dusk, 365 days a year. 

It’s an easy walk from the gardens to the majestic Duke Chapel, the centerpiece of West Campus. The Duke family wanted the church to be the central building in order to have a profound influence on the spiritual lives of the students. 

Its cornerstone was laid on October 22, 1930. It was formally dedicated on June 2, 1935.

 

Entombed in the “Memorial Chapel” are Washington Duke and his two sons, Ben Duke and Buck Duke. 

Down below in the basement is the “Crypt,” which contains the remains of other Duke dignitaries. The crypt seats about 30 people for prayer meetings and Bible studies. 

“Tuesdays in the Crypt,” an evening worship, became a Duke tradition. 

Needless to say, the Crypt is hallowed (if not haunted) ground a Duke.

 

More uplifting, perhaps, is the bronze statue titled “The Sower,” which was acquired by Buck Duke in Leipzig, Germany, and installed on the Duke campus in 1914. The subject is a 17th century peasant sowing his fields, planting seeds from his knapsack by hand.

 

The university archivist said: “At a time women students were permitted only three dates a week and these were carefully defined, students could stroll about certain areas of campus without it counting as an allowed date.” 

Hence, “The Sower” assumed the role of Cupid. “Couples started placing pennies in the statue’s open hand; if the coins were gone the next time the couple visited, the gentleman could claim a kiss.” 

The campus caretaker was instructed to collect the coins regularly and deposit them in the university coffers.

Durham is where Civil War in North Carolina ended

From Orange County, U.S. Route 70 winds in an easterly direction into Durham County to merge into an “urban maze of highways and superhighways.” Motorists who want to “take it easy” can follow the “U.S. 70 Business” signs. 

A key historic site is Bennett Place in Durham, an old farmhouse that “became the location of the largest surrender of Confederate soldiers in the Civil War.”

 

It is here that Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate Gen. Joseph Eggleston Johnston peacefully hammered out the terms of surrender. 

The Confederate soldiers formally laid down their arms on April 26, 1865, ending the war for 89,270 Rebel troops who were still fighting in four states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

 

The agreement was patterned after the document signed by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Va., on April 9, 1865. (This ended the fighting for 28,356 Confederate soldiers who were aligned with Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.) 

James and Nancy Bennett farmed 325 acres, growing corn, wheat, oats and potatoes while raising hogs. James was also a tailor and a cobbler, while selling horse feed, tobacco plugs and distilled liquor on the side. 

Although the Bennetts were not slave owners, their two sons, Lorenzo and Alphonzo, enlisted as Confederate soldiers and died during the war. 

In 1921, a fire destroyed the old Bennett farmhouse and kitchen; only the stone chimney survived. The Civil War Centennial (1961-65) provided a revival of interest in Bennett Place, and a park was officially designated as a North Carolina Historic Site in 1962. 

A structure, about the same size and age as the original Bennett house, was discovered nearby and moved to the site for restoration. A modern visitor center with exhibits had been added.

 

Nearby is Duke Forest, owned by Duke University. A swath of the woodlands was set aside in 1966 to establish the Duke Lemur Center. 

It is an internationally acclaimed research facility/living laboratory housing about 250 lemurs across 14 species – the most diverse population of lemurs on Earth, outside their native Madagascar.

 

Lemurs are the most threatened group of mammals on the planet and are at risk of extinction, the Duke researchers say. “Our mission is to learn everything we can about lemurs – because the more we learn, the better we can work to save them.” 

“They are endemic only to Madagascar; once lemurs are gone from Madagascar, they are gone from the wild.” 

(Visitors can make reservations online at lemur.duke.edu to tour the facility. Admission fees apply.)

 

Russell McLendon, a science writer for Treehugger.com, said: “Lemurs are easy to love. They’re cute, charismatic and oddly humanlike, which isn’t just a coincidence. Lemurs are primates like us, and while they’re not as closely related to people as chimpanzees and other apes are, they’re ‘still family.’” 

“Lemurs face an array of dangers across Madagascar,” McLendon said. “Some people hunt them, but the single greatest threat to lemurs is the same thing causing most wildlife declines around the world: habitat loss, driven by everything from logging and agriculture to climate change.” 

Dr. Robin Ann Smith of Duke University observed: “Males rule in most of the animal world. But when it comes to conventional gender roles, lemurs – distant primate cousins of ours – buck the trend.”

 

“It’s not uncommon for lady lemurs to bite their mates, snatch a piece of fruit from their hands, whack them in the head or shove them out of prime sleeping spots,” Dr. Smith said.

John Fraser might be N.C.’s ‘Father Christmas’

Botanist John Fraser of Scotland deserves to be declared an honorary North Carolinian. His contribution to the Old North State is immeasurable. 

In 1787, John Fraser spied the “perfect Christmas tree.” There it was – growing in a forest in the mountainous northwestern section of the state. This year marks the 235-year anniversary of Fraser’s discovery of the Fraser fir.

 

We should learn about John Fraser in order to become more knowledgeable ambassadors for North Carolina’s down-to-earth Christmas tree growing industry.

 

Fraser was one of the great European “plant hunters” who came to North America to explore the woods and meadows to select unique plants that could be uprooted and sent back to the Old Country. 

David Marsh, the webmaster at The Gardens Trust in London, England, said Fraser “once set the horticultural world on fire” with his discoveries – in excess of 200 species. 

William Curtis, founder of an esteemed botanical magazine in London, called Fraser “one of the most enterprising, indefatigable and persevering men in the cause of botany and natural science.” 

Charles Sargent, a noted American botanist, chimed in that the value of Fraser’s contributions to England has “never been surpassed.” 

John Fraser was born in 1750 in the village of Kiltarlity, not too far from Beaufort Castle on River Beauty in northern Scotland. In the 1770s, Fraser moved to London and became a retailer, selling linens and dry goods at a shop in the fashionable Chelsea neighborhood. 

For relaxation, Fraser began to frequent the renowned garden in Chelsea that was operated by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries for the growing of plants to be used as medicines. And it was there, Marsh said, that Fraser “became besotted by botany.” 

Fraser’s first venture from England to the Carolinas was in 1782. 

George Ellison of Bryson City, N.C., a noted author and naturalist, said that Fraser seemed to enjoy frolicking about in the Southern Appalachian region.

What set Fraser apart from the other horticulturists, Ellison said, was “his expertise at successfully shipping live plants back to Europe. Fraser may have initiated the practice of utilizing the moisture-holding properties of sphagnum moss as packing material” to prevent the plants from dying. 

On one expedition in 1787, Fraser was teamed with the great French botanist André Michaux. 

Apparently, “Fraser talked too much for Michaux, and when Michaux’ horse ran off, he told Fraser to go on ahead without him. As a consequence, John Fraser took the high road and discovered the Fraser fir,” said North Carolina State University’s Dr. Jill Sidebottom of Nebo, N.C.

Dr. Sidebottom, who has written extensively on Fraser firs, said: “The Fraser fir possesses a wonderful fragrance, soft needles and strong branches; it is uniquely suited as…the world’s best Christmas tree.” Frasers grow best at an elevation of about 3,000 feet.

 

Additionally, the uncanny ability of the Fraser fir to hold its needles after being cut may have a lot to do with “its home in the clouds,” Dr. Sidebottom said. “Not only do Frasers in their natural habitat receive a lot of rain, they are immersed in clouds about 35% of the time during summer. 

Before becoming a Christmas tree, the Fraser fir was used for medicinal purposes by the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans. 

“The Fraser fir was a panacea for the Cherokee inasmuch as it was used for such diverse ailments as lung pains, kidney trouble, internal ulcers, colds, venereal diseases and constipation,” Dr. Sidebottom said. “The resin of the plant was said to be highly effective when used externally on fresh wounds.” 

‘Cracking good’ walnuts usher in the holiday festivities

Walnuts accompany the holiday season that extends from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. 

Big bowls of the brown-shelled beauties with a commercial-grade nutcracker found nearby are standard course for Americans in any region.

 

Walnuts are universal favorites, and 99% of them come to us from California’s Central Valley region. 

The first walnut trees planted in California in the 1770s came from the Franciscan Fathers. They were Catholic missionaries from Central and South America. Many of today’s improved cultivars are descendants of those early walnut plantings. 

Luther Burbank, America’s legendary botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science, is credited with early research in California walnut cultivation.

 

In some European cultures, Saint Nicholas would bring fresh fruit and walnuts in a large sack to leave for good boys and girls.

 

In America, Santa Claus became famous for stuffing oranges and walnuts, both symbols of good luck in the coming year, into children’s “Christmas stockings hung by the chimney with care.” 

As it turns out, walnuts have a lot going for them. 

First, they’re great sport to crack open. Some people choose hammers. But watch out. Pieces of shell can fly off in any direction. (You need to have a container handy to collect the debris.) 

Second, there’s always the challenge of picking all the “nut meat” from the crevices, using those skinny, pointy tools that look like they came from the dentist’s office.

 

Third, walnuts are tasty with a rich and flavorful buttery texture. It’s utterly impossible to eat just one…or five…or eight. 

Fourth, you don’t have to fret about that, because walnuts help build healthy bodies. 

“Walnuts are the ‘king of nuts,’ ranking above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Dr. Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton (Pa.). “A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as many antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut.”

 

“But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. Consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet,” Dr. Vinson suggested. 

Emily Lockhart, a regular contributor to the ActiveBeat healthy living website, said: “Walnuts can help reduce stress-related illnesses. The melatonin found in walnuts can also promote sleep.” 

She has tallied “13 science-based health benefits of walnuts.” 

In a nutshell, eating walnuts helps to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk, Lockhart said. Walnuts are also good for one’s stomach and may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. 

“Eating walnuts may even help control your appetite and hunger,” Lockhart said. “Some studies suggest that eating walnuts may help lower blood pressure.” 

“It may be just a coincidence that the shell of a walnut looks like a tiny brain, but research suggests that this nut may indeed be good for your mind,” Lockhart said. “Observational studies in older adults have linked eating walnuts to better brain function, including faster processing speed, more mental flexibility and better memory.” 

Medical researchers agree. They attest that eating walnuts helps senior citizens to stay mentally sharp and alert…increasing one’s “remembery,” while reducing one’s “forgetery.” 

Local grocery stores do sell bags of walnuts that have already been shelled, so having arthritis in the thumbs is no excuse for not buying a bag on every trip. 

Try a Waldorf salad with fresh apples, celery, walnuts and grapes, dressed in mayonnaise, and traditionally served on a bed of lettuce.

 

Or add walnuts to your leafy greens, along with strawberries, onions, pineapple chunks and small slices of a green apple. Pour a little raspberry vinaigrette dressing on top.

Why does ice hockey have 3 periods?

Hockey has a unique tradition. The teams play three periods rather than four quarters or two halves. 

Hockey games were once played with two 30-minute halves prior to the 1910-11 season. The concept of three 20-minute periods with 15-minute intermissions between periods was devised and implemented by two of hockey’s most prolific pioneers, brothers Lester and Frank Patrick. 

The Patrick boys were born in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, and started playing hockey at a young age in the late 1880s. Both became accomplished players and rose to achieve greatness within the sport, both on the ice and off, according to hockey historian Jason Beck.

Lester Patrick (above) and Frank Patrick (below)

 

“Lester Patrick was the promoter and showman, while Frank Patrick was the dreamer and the thinker.” 

Their collaboration resulted in the belief that an extra opportunity to clean the ice would benefit the game and give the hockey players an extra rest break. A second intermission also provided fans with an extra opportunity to visit concession stands, buy merchandise and use the washroom. 

The model stuck, and when the National Hockey League (NHL) officially came into existence in 1917, it adopted the three-period and two-intermission format that the Patricks had “invented.” 

By scraping, flooding and smoothing the ice twice, the surface holds up better, allowing the players to better showcase their skills and, ultimately, provide better entertainment for the fans, according to the hockey blog Brave Stick Hockey. 

Frank Patrick was credited with 22 changes that remain in the NHL rulebook to this day. “It’s no wonder he was called ‘the brains of modern hockey,’” Beck said.

 Images of Frank Patrick

Most of the stories about the Patrick brothers that have been passed down, however, focus on Lester Patrick, who was nicknamed the “Silver Fox.” 

In 1961, Dave Anderson of Sports Illustrated wrote about an NHL Stanley Cup thriller that occurred in 1928. Lester Patrick was manager-coach of the New York Rangers, playing on the road against the Montreal Maroons. 

It was Game 2 of the best-of-five playoffs; the Rangers had dropped the opener. “The game was scoreless early in the second period when suddenly the puck smashed into Ranger goalie Lorne Chabot’s left eye,” Anderson said. 

“Minutes later, in the dressing room, a doctor lifted a blood-smeared towel from Chabot’s face. ‘The eye is bleeding badly,’ he told Coach Patrick. ‘Get yourself a new goaltender.’”

Lorne Chabot

“Minutes later, in the dressing room, a doctor lifted a blood-smeared towel from Chabot’s face. ‘The eye is bleeding badly,’ he told Coach Patrick. ‘Get yourself a new goaltender.’” 

“In such an emergency, it was then customary for the other team to permit the use of any available goaltender” who could be plucked from the available spectators. 

Not so this night. Lester Patrick’s two first picks were rejected by Eddie Gerard, the manager-coach of the Maroons. 

An angry Patrick told his team: “Somebody here will have to put the pads on” (and play a man down). Frank Boucher, the Rangers captain, replied: “Look, Lester, you’ve done everything in hockey, and you’re still in pretty good shape. You can go in there yourself. We won’t let them get a good shot at you.” 

Frank Boucher

The 44-year-old coach hadn’t played a minute of hockey in seven years, yet he donned a Rangers’ “blueshirt” jersey and “stiffly skated onto the ice for a warmup…with nearly 30 pounds of equipment strapped to him,” Anderson said. 

“At the other end of the ice, the maroon-and-white uniformed players smiled at the sight of Patrick. They were ready to ‘strafe’ him.” 

Yet, Lester Patrick fearlessly awaited the Maroons’ bombardment.

 

Lester Patrick between the pipes.

Odie Cleghorn, the coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates NHL team, stepped in to “run the bench” for the Rangers. “Stay back to protect Lester,” Cleghorn told the team. “Don’t let ‘em get close. Wait for a break. If you can protect Lester, one goal might win it.” 

Playing cautiously, the Rangers, “hounded the Maroons and checked fiercely at mid-ice. As a result, the Maroons were forced to fire long, harmless shots, which Patrick easily stopped. The second period ended with the two teams still tied 0-0,” Anderson wrote. 

“Thirty seconds after the start of the third period, however, Bill Cook suddenly scored for the Rangers. The goal loomed larger and larger as play went on, but then, with less than six minutes to play, the Maroons’ Nels Stewart flipped a long shot along the ice. It skidded slowly toward Patrick. He dropped to both knees, but the puck slid between his pads for the tying goal. When the third period ended with the score 1-1, the game went into sudden-death overtime.” 

Bill Cook

“In the overtime, the Rangers intensified their mid-ice defense. The Maroons took a few long shots, but Patrick blocked them easily. On one, a chest-high shot, Patrick took no chances. He dropped his stick and caught the puck with both hands.” 

“Then, at the seven-minute mark, the Rangers’ Ching Johnson slid a pass up the ice to Boucher. He took it at full speed, skated around a defenseman and shot the puck behind goalie Clint Benedict,” Anderson said. 

“The Stanley Cup playoff was tied at one game apiece. The Rangers on the ice rushed toward Patrick. The others swung over the boards to get to him. They all carried him off the ice on their shoulders.” 

 

Rangers get a ‘real’ goalie to complete the 1928 series

 Before Game 3 in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs in 1928, Lester Patrick, the manager-coach of the New York Rangers, had to resolve an important matter. 

His goaltender, Lorne Chabot, was so badly injured during the second game, he had to be hospitalized and was lost for the remainder of the playoffs, wrote Stan Fischler, the New York Rangers’ historian and a former broadcaster. 

Bringing in a surrogate goalie required the consent of the opposing team’s manager-coach. Eddie Gerard of the Montreal Maroons essentially “vetoed” Patrick’s picks. The coach inserted himself as goalie in Game 2…but his 44-year-old body was “one and done.” 

The aches and pains of aging prevented him from attempting to suit up for the remainder of the playoff series. 

Hence, Patrick appealed to NHL President Frank Calder to intervene, so the Rangers could have a “real” goaltender.

 Frank Calder

“After many high-level conferences with Calder, the Maroons finally consented to allow Patrick to sign Joe Miller as his goalie for the rest of the best-of-five series,” Fischler said. 

Miller had been the goalie that year with the New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, the sorriest team in the NHL.

 

Joe Miller

Frank Boucher, captain of the Rangers said: “The Maroons consented to Joe,” said, “because they thought he was the league’s weakest goalie.” 

In fact, Joe Miller had been such a disappointment with Amerks, he actually was knocked down a peg to finish the season in the minors, assigned to Niagara Falls of the Canadian Professional Hockey League. 

NHL players joked about the skills of Joe “Red Light” Miller. “Red Light” may be the “most brutal nickname” in all of sports. When a goalie gets scored upon, the red lamp in the goalie’s cage flashes on. 

“Alas, ‘Red Light’ Miller gave up two goals in Game 3, while ‘his’ Rangers failed to score. It looked like curtains for the New Yorkers, especially since all of the games were being played at the Maroons’ home, The Montreal Forum,” Fischler said. 

Game 4 on April 12, 1928, figured to be the clincher for the home club. “They were so cocksure of themselves,” Boucher recalled, “that they made plans for a victory banquet after the game.”

 

But this time, Joe Miller was stellar. “Bolstered with a second-period goal by Boucher, the Rangers triumphed 1-0, setting up the finale (in the best-of-five series) on April 14,” Fischler said. 

Game 5: 

“When ‘Red Light’ took the ice, he looked down at the other end and saw his opposite in front of the Montreal net; it was future Hall of Famer Clint Benedict, considered the difference-maker in this high-tension contest.” 

“Miller shook off the butterflies in his stomach, holding the Maroons scoreless for two periods, while a first-period goal by Boucher staked the Rangers to a tenuous lead,” Fischler said. 

“The New Yorkers held fast despite an early third-period penalty which – even more incredibly – led to a Rangers’ shorthanded goal; again by Boucher.” 

Advantage Rangers. New York was up 2-0. 

“Miller retained his shutout until he was beaten by Bill Phillips with five minutes left in regulation. From then on, Miller closed the door, and the Rangers won, 2-1, clinching their first Stanley Cup.” 

Boucher said: “In the end, Joe Miller proved that he was a really fine goaltender.”