Scary Librarians

We at Inkwell suggest you buy books rather than using your local library. This has nothing to do with our being authors and getting royalties for book sales. It's for your own good. Really.

Those librarians! Tough crowd.

All Aboard the Jarrett-Palmer Express Train

By Susanne Dietze

The train trip in my novella The Honeymoon Express from The Rails to Love Collection was inspired by a real event: the Jarrett-Palmer Express Train, or the Lightning Express!

Find it here!

After 1869, when Leland Stanford drove the ceremonial Golden Spike connecting the Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail lines to create the first transcontinental railroad in America, passengers could travel from coast-to-coast by rail. The voyage took approximately one week, at speeds averaging 20 mph.

The week-long trip was incredibly fast for the time, but in 1876, the trip was accomplished--one time only--in just eighty-three hours.

Henry Jarrett & Henry Palmer are the duo responsible for coming up with this amazing event. One might suspect they were in the railroad business, but in fact, they managed a New York theatre company. Eager for a way to promote their troupe, they determined they'd travel to the west coast by rail in four days, where the actors would get off the train and perform Henry V in San Francisco.

It was an incredibly complicated, cooperative effort that required tremendous planning and expense. Naturally, the trip received a good deal of press in the months leading up to the departure--which Jarrett & Palmer must have enjoyed, since tickets to Henry V sold well, too. At last the big day came, and with much fanfare, the train pulled out of the station in Jersey City, New Jersey, on June 1, 1876.

To complete the journey in the four-day time frame, trains would have to move at high speeds, and necessary stops would have to be as short as possible. All the way to California, rail workers ensured as smooth a path as possible, clearing the way of debris and diverting other trains onto side tracks so the Lightning Express could zip by. At every scheduled stop, supplies, water, and coal were ready for quick loading, as were staff, including conductors, brakemen, firemen and engineers. Likewise, the engine was switched out five times to avoid mechanical issues.

The Lightning Express must have caused a great deal of inconvenience for the railroads and passengers on other trains, but if anyone minded, they seem to have been in the minority. Day and night, people lined the tracks to get a gander at the train, and several towns shot off fireworks when it passed. Reportedly, a man's funeral was interrupted by the coming of the train; everyone went to look at it and returned to the church to finish the service afterwards. 

Businesses and agencies got in on the act, too. The New York Times shipped its newspaper to Chicago on the train, Wells Fargo put a safe in the baggage car, and the USPS created a postmark for mail that went on the train. 

Being a passenger on the Lightning Express wasn't the most comfortable experience, however. Traveling at a high rate of speed wasn't as smooth then as it is on modern trains. The jarring and jolting made it difficult to sleep, walk, or cook, so most food was served cold. When passengers did manage to catch a few winks, they awoke to cinders on their faces.

To be a coast-to-coast trip, the passengers took the train as far as it would go, Oakland, California, and boarded a ferry to take them to San Francisco. A mob was waiting, even though the train was twelve hours early.

At last, the passengers arrived in San Francisco. Despite a few difficulties with equipment and weather, the Lightning Express completed the trip in just three days, eleven hours, and 39 minutes--an astounding achievement in technology.

The production of Henry V was a success, too, just as Jarrett & Palmer hoped, but the legacy of the express train known by their names is far more lasting as a mechanical achievement, national source of pride and celebration, and a stepping stone for more efficient travel in America. 

For more, read: The Jarrett-Palmer Express of 1876, Coast to Coast in Eighty-Three Hours, by J. C. Ladenheim, Harvest Books, 2008.

***

A version of this blog originally appeared on Heroes, Heroines & History.

***

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of a dozen new and upcoming historical romances. A pastor's wife and mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can visit her on her website, www.susannedietze.com, and sign up for her newsletter for an occasional cheery hello: http://eepurl.com/bieza5

WW1 Letters

by Anita Mae Draper

If my header looks familiar, it's because it's the same one on my Facebook Author page. Contrary to what it seems though, I haven't switched my Old West historical fiction for WW1 stories. I enjoy writing about the late 1800's too much.

However, on Nov 25, 2016, it will be 100 yrs to the day that Noah C. Draper answered the call and signed up as a volunteer in what would eventually be called The Great War.

Recruiting Poster, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. Courtesy of the George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19860131-059

After 2 yrs of posting the 1911 Courtship letters of Noah Draper and Ethel Nelson on my Author Memories blog, the time has come to move on to the next phase of their lives. For those of you who haven't read the letters, they are filled with local news, friends and agriculture details.

The difference between those letters and these ones will be that for the most part, these are from Noah to Ethel only although a few from other family members will be included. Ethel treasured Noah's letters as she received them, and they've lasted these 100 years. Due to ship conditions, however, Noah had problems keeping the letters Ethel sent to him - as you'll find out as he heads out to sea.

The current post shows Noah Draper's WW1 Naval Uniform in which you'll see what he wore on and off ship, and a graphic like this:

Feb 1917 - Ordinary Seaman Nelson C. Draper, RNCVR

 You'll also see the problems I had sourcing his uniform.

On December 4, I'll post the first letter as Noah leaves Ethel and the kids behind and starts his tour of duty as a Canadian serving with the British Royal Navy. If you know anyone who is interested in WW1 history, especially the naval branch, please let them know about this series. Comments on the posts are welcome.

For the writers in the bunch, I've used Noah and my genealogy research earlier in an Inkwell post, Using Genealogy for Story Realism.

I've also guest blogged at Seekerville with the informative post, Liven Up Your Writing With Dead People.

Can I just say that our own Inky Deb came up with the title for my Seekerville post, and those sweet Seekers loved it. (Although they sound similar, they are not the same posts.)

Do you know someone who served in the Great War? I'd love to honor them by having you share it in the comments section on this post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at www.anitamaedraper.com

Tough Choices

For about ten minutes, I considered, since this post would go live the day before a highly contested presidential election, that I might talk about politics. Then I slapped myself.

I will say this, though. Many of us are making tough decisions. Let's show a little grace toward those who stand on the other side of the aisle--or who have camped out at various places in the aisle. And prayers for grace and healing for our nation come November 9th, regardless of the outcome.