A welcome to all my readers of this exciting and thought provoking issue of this bi-weekly newsletter, The CORNERSTONE TRAVELER.  Also available online at www.cornerstonetraveler.com.

 

mid-Hudson Valley news:  There was a major forest fire that burned over 2100 acres just a west of the Minnewaska State Park at Sams Point.  It burned so much acreage because there was so little snowfall in the mountains of New York.  Maybe two inches if not less.  It is believed that it was started by a carelessly thrown cigarette butt because there are so many tourists in the region or it might have started by a burning ember from a home owner burning yard waste.

In less than ten years over 7,000 acres have burned in the mid-Hudson Valley.  A few years ago over 3,000 acres burned in the Minnewaska State Park.  Again this burn was caused by less than average snowfall of the previous winter.

If there are those out there who don’t believe there is a dramatic climate change taking place have their heads up their butts, they can’t really see what’s going on around them.  What a shame!

There was the Car and Craft festival at the Ulster County Fair grounds on Libertyville Road in New Paltz this past Saturday.

The Gardiner  Cupcake Fair  will be this Saturday, May 14.

The farmers markets are starting up in many towns and cities in the area.

I guess this means the spring-summer festival era has started in the

mid-Hudson Valley.

 

observations:  Last week I saw a very interesting show on WLIW ( an affiliate of PBS on Long Island) called the Treasures of New York City.  It was on the history of St. Patrick’s  Cathedral The bishop who envisioned this cathedral was Bishop Hughs.  Unfortunately he died before it was completed in 1879.  The history and construction of this cathedral totally amazed me.  Even the pipes to the organ are meticulously maintained.

The funerals of Babe Ruth, Ed Sullivan, Robert Kennedy and scores of First Responders, Firemen and Police officers who died on 9/11 were held at St. Patrick’s.

I have never been there, but I do want to check this cathedral out and maybe even attend a mass.  I was that impressed with the show.

 

sports:  MLB:

The Yankees are 6 ½ games back in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the American League with a record of 11-18.

The Mets are in 1^st place of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National League.  Their record is 19-11.

NHL:

The Islanders lost to Tampa 4-1 in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

other:  As with all previous issues of this newsletter everything printed in this newsletter is either copyright protected or copyright pending.

The history of P&G’s follows this newsletter from 1900 to about the 1930’s.

The short story included after this history is called TJ Davis, a short story I recently completed.  I hope you like it.

 

Thank-you  -  Rik McGuire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  The History of P&G’s from the Beginning

 

Travel back more than a century to the spring of 1900 as builder John H. Hasbrouck and his men construct a 50′ by 28′ building on the site of the current P&G’s Restaurant.  Look around and begin to imagine.

The first floor features a fountain with water softly falling into a cobblestone basin.  The exotic effect is enhanced with darting goldfish and blooming water lilies.  Palms set liberally throughout the room, provide an air of privacy for those seated at the groups of small tables.  Patrons, dressed in their finest, sit chatting, sometimes courting and enjoying the establishments fine refreshments.

The upper story is a promenade, opened to a full view of sunset over the Shawangunk Mountains.  Live music gently eases you from afternoon into evening.  Welcome to the ambiance and hospitality of the Casino.

The Casino’s owner, Mr. Steen, had correctly envisioned the areas many tourists, summer boarders and trolley passengers stopping to enjoy the unique features of his establishment.  The terminal station for the trolley line from Highland is located just across Main Street.  It is said that Steen patterned the Casino after the famous Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.

On June 1, 1900 the Casino was officially opened.  That evening “a large number of people enjoyed the ice cream, music and the lovely mountains views.”  according to the New Paltz Independent newspaper.  Music was provided by a band which included a piano and several other instruments.  The Casino soon became famous for Saturday night dances held on the second floor of the open pavilion.  It was decorated with flowers and vines suspended from the rafters.  The crowds were so large that special late trolley cars were run to accommodate the guests and take the orchestra back to Poughkeepsie.

The electric power shut down at midnight. According to Independent writer Delia Shaw “…the time of closing and the departure of the last trolley (run by electricity) had to be reckoned with, but as was often the case, several folks ‘Missed the Last Trolley’… seems between intermissions the  fellows would walk their girls down the street where numerous straw thatched summer houses were located on the banks of the Wallkill River and they were so preoccupied with making love by the light of the silvery moon that they forgot everything.”  Shaw continued.  “Saturday Nights In New Paltz Became A Legend!  There was not a single hitching post available, nor an inch of space under any of the sheds of the five local hotels.  The Casino drew people from surrounding towns and they came via hay loads and 4 seated carriages, while some men even walked and carried their dancing shoes.  ‘Little Larry,’ the shoeshine fellow, did a landslide business on Sat. Nights!  As did all the merchants and the stores open ‘til 9 p.m.”

By 1921 the Casino had changed hands and names, becoming the Blue Crane Inn.  Ads of the era read.

The big Night at the Blue Crane Inn

Dancing Every Wednesday and Saturday Evening

In the Chinese Hall-Good Jazzy Music.

 

The cornerstone of nightlife in New Paltz continued to thrive.

In 1925, after 28 Years of service, the Highland to New Paltz trolley company folded.  The demise of the trolley business and the affordability of the automobile meant peoples outings were no longer confined to the trolley’s narrow corridor.  They could drive to any village hotel, restaurant, or scenic spot that caught their fancy.  Indeed, New Paltz and the Blue Crane Inn lost their captive audience.  The Inn, however, continued to accommodate people well into the 1930’s.  Other establishments came and went until 1947 when it became Pat and Georges and ultimately was nicknamed the P&G’s that welcomes everybody.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                TJ  DAVIS

 

We sat in the dark corner of the Village Green Tavern with our voices low so other patrons could not hear what we were saying.  Clem was one of the few people who knew of my ability to see and learn from angels.

I told so few people of this ability, I could count them on one hand.  I obviously didn’t tell many people of my ability because they would have thought me to be partially insane, if not totally insane.

“You know.”  Clem said.  “I had a hard time believing that you could see angels.  Now you want me to believe you see even more spiritual entities, demons, you call them.  If you do in fact see these new entities, how do you know they are demons?”

“Because they do not have the same angelic presence I see with angels.”  I signaled to the waitress that I wanted another drink.

“Another iced coffee?”  She asked.

“Yes.  Black, no cream or sugar.”

“Coming right up”  She said after she wrote in our check.

Clem signaled for another drink also.

“Bud?”  She asked.

Clem just nodded.

I decided I didn’t want any alcohol beverages because I rode into town on my Harley Roadking and I don’t drink and drive.  Clem as he usually did had an apartment over the tavern.  He always made certain that he had a place to crash near a bar or tavern so he didn’t drink and drive.

Our drinks arrived a few short minutes later.  We finished our respective drinks.    I paid for the drinks with what little cash I had in my pocket.

“I know they’re demons because they have demonic grins on their faces.  I also see their demonic grins widen when a mortal human being creates chaos or is the victim of said chaos.”

 

Oh… By the way.  Everyone calls me TJ.  I suppose I should tell you my name in case you’re curious.  TJ is short for Thomas Jefferson.  My full name is Thomas Jefferson Davis.  My father was a history buff.  No… a history fanatic.  He couldn’t seem to get enough history.  With a last name of Davis, my father thought it appropriate to have my name of the two people who tried to shape and unshaped this nation of ours i.e. Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson Davis.

I settled for the name TJ when I didn’t feel comfortable being called Tommy or Jeff.  Thus TJ became my nom d-clare so to speak.

Unfortunately both of my parents died twenty-four years ago in car accident when I was but nine years old and was raised by my Aunt Mimi in upstate New York.

I learned I could see angels when the spirits of my parents appeared before me as I lied in bed one night.  They whispered with their fingers to their lips that I was to be able to see angels.

I didn’t know what to think after I heard their whispers.   I was just glad they were well on the other side of life, so to speak.

But to be able to see angels?  That was a concept totally alien to me.  But I was to learn the next night on how right they were.

The next night I saw my parent’s spirits one final time before they crossed over to the next level of being.  They nodded to the ceiling of my bedroom.  There I saw many “angels”.  These angels are not what you may have been taught.  They don’t have wings.  Wings, the angels explained to me are for show only.  They also didn’t have halos.  Halos was explained to me as a concept from ancient Egyptian mythology.

Angels are not gender specific, as angels have no need for gender.  As they also don’t have names.  Names are not needed in heaven.

Angels are just brilliant spirits of light, as they appeared before me.  That is all they need to be.  To exist,

I guess I should explain more of my private life,  I am a history teacher for tenth and eleventh graders at a local high school.  I suppose I took after my father’s penchant for history, American and world.  I live with Lily, another teacher in the same high school.  She teaches Algebra, Geometry and Trig.

Lily knows of my ability to see angels.  She is one of the fingers on my hand that know of my ability.

She believes and accepts this ability though she doesn’t know why.  Funny.  I don’t  know why either.

Anyway, back to the Village Green Tavern.  I was still arguing with Clem about the demons I was seeing.

“What and where are these so-called demons?”  Clem asked.

“All over.”  I said.  “They are mostly converging on those people they think they can guide demonically.”

“Like Larry?  He’s a little loose in the head.”  Clem said.

“Precisely.”  I said.  “That is why the demons are attaching themselves to him.”

“What are we to do?”

“Just sit back and watch.”

Just then a beautiful and shapely woman, Betty, walked out the door of the tavern.  The door hadn’t even finished closing when Larry stood up from the bar and followed her.

“Come.”  I said to Clem.  “We have to follow him to see what his intentions are.”

We left our table and followed Larry who was following Betty who walked down a  deserted street in the city.  I knew immediately what his intentions were. And I decided he must be stopped.  Clem followed behind  me.

When Betty turned to her left to enter her apartment building, Larry jumped her with plans to do unspeakable and unmentionable acts.  I knew this and immediately sprinted to stop  him with Clem close on my heels.

I body slammed him away from Betty, who didn’t even have time to scream when he slapped his hand over her mouth before he started to tear at her clothing.

I learned early in life how to fight if I wanted to keep my normal unexceptional appearance.  We ended up on the floor grappling and punching each other when Larry somehow managed to get me on my back and was prepared to swing a fist into my face when Clem body slammed him off of me.

“Thanks.”  I said as he helped me to my feet.

Meanwhile.  Larry just moaned on the floor.  I saw the demonic creatures shake their heads in disgust when they knew that their plans for Larry had been thwarted.

Larry rose to a sitting position and he almost cried.  “I don’t know what came over me.”  He said.  “You both know me and should know I would have never tried anything like that.”

I could only nod.  “You have to explain yourself to Betty.  She is most likely going to file charges against you for attempted rape and assault.”

“But!  You know that is not me.”  Larry cried.

Clem nodded and laughed.  “Hell.  You couldn’t get laid in a whore house.”

“What am I to do?”  Larry cried.

“Plead temporary insanity from drink.”  I said.  “Everyone at the Village Green knows  how much you drink.  I think that would be your best defense.”

Clem and I left the apartment building with Larry still babbling almost incoherently on the front porch.

“Did he react to your so called demons?”  Clem asked.

“Yes and the demons who tried to guide him are very pissed off.”

“Should I be worried about them?”

“No.  Because they know they have no influence on you.”

“You’re sure?”

“Almost.”  I smiled.

“That does not make me feel too great.”

“You’re fine.  Trust me.”  I tried to soothe Clem.

 

As the days rolled on, I kept seeing the demons trying to influence and infect mortal people.  Not that I am not mortal.  Far from it.  I am as mortal as the next person, but I am different because I can see more than the average mortal.  Are there more like me?  Most likely though I have yet to meet one  who can see as I can.

It seems that these demon spirits are getting bolder with each passing day.  What can I do?  I am only one person with this special ability.  There must be more like me, but I have yet to meet even one.  So.  What can I do?  Just sit back and wait  and watch as chaos unfolds?  I can’t do that.  It is not in my nature to do so.

I have often asked the angels for help.  But they informed me they are forbidden from helping mortals like myself by who do you think?  Why God of course!

Why  is God putting this burden on my shoulders?  I have no clue.  I do know that I favored human life and disliked the taking of a human life even before I was chosen to see angels then demons.

Even growing up I did not like John Wayne Westerns.  It appeared to me that the killing of the native peoples was of no consequence to the writers and producers of said movies.  This bothered me greatly.  If given a choice between a John Wayne western and the Wizard of Oz, I would have chosen the Wizard of Oz.  That was my being, like it or not.

I guess I am writing this because I want people to know there are angels in the world to guide everyone and now there are demons who try to counteract the guidance of the angels.

Who is guiding these demons?  Lucifer?  God’s angel of light and who fell from God’s grace?  I really don’t know.

I guess I should get back to real life.  Whatever real life there is at the present.

 

My real life?  I had a normal life up until the age of nine when my parents died in a car accident.  It was a tough go for me after they had died.  But Aunt Mimi raised me as well as she could, being childless herself.  But it was a good life.  It continued to be good until I met the angels that first time.  Not that my life turned bad, only different, very different.

I went through high school then onto college  (out of state) seeing and learning from the angels.  I couldn’t tell anyone of this new sight of mine, for who would believe me?

How did the angels come to be?  Good question.  But by God?  Of course!

Angels came to be as they were the first souls to help form the collective consciousness of God.  I know that most religious people will not accept that God did not always exist.  But according to my informal sources, God came to be the collective consciousness of the souls of people who had died.  The collective consciousness gets stronger and larger each passing day with new souls becoming part of this collective consciousness.

Are all souls allowed into this collective consciousness?  Hardly.  Those people who committed heinous, despicable and unholy acts while they lived are not accepted into this collective consciousness.  Do they go to hell?  You may ask.  Yes and no.  Hells is not what you may think it is.  Hell for the departed is being forced to spend their existence away from the being of the collective consciousness, hence demons in the real physical world.  These demons are what they enjoyed being when they lived.  Creating chaos, misery and death.  To put it crudely.  That is the way they get their rocks off.

Now you will ask:  Is there a heaven?  Of course though I have never been there.  I only know what the angels have explained to me.

I always envisioned heaven to be angels and the spirits of the dead on clouds, tossing their halos to each other, as if the halos were Frisbees.  (as if halos do exist)  How wrong I was.  Heaven is the collective consciousness of God.  How beautiful and wonderful that must be!  You have no idea, just like I have no clue.  I am just writing my thoughts of heaven and how I believe heaven to be.  I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Anyway back to the demons I am starting to see.

They are evil beings, more evil than when they were mortal living beings.  They got their jollies seeing death and misery in the world.  They believe they can cause more death and misery in the mortal word by motivating the living with greed.

They are counteracting the teachings of Jesus who taught.  “You cannot serve both God and money.”  I see too many people putting money over God.  Money is their god.  Unfortunately so.

Angels are beautiful lights, demons are as ugly as sin (no pun intended).  Maybe that is the reason they are demons.  Are they demons because they are so ugly!  Don’t know.  I just know what I can observe with my mortal, human eyes.  But like angels, demons have no gender.  At least none that I could see.  Could that be the reason they are demons?

All I know and am certain of, is that they are demonic and evil!  I have to find a way to counteract the evil of these demons.  How?  I have no clue yet.  But I have to try.

Unfortunately, I am seeing these demons everywhere  Especially where, they, the demons can influence greed. Wall Street?  Don’t know because I have never been there nor do I want to go there because I fear what I will see.

 

It has been a long and complicated life for me these last twenty-four years.  Yes.  I am thirty-three years old and getting older.  Will my visions ever end?  Again, I have no clue.  Do I want them to end?  Yes and no.  No because I like that I can help thwart or stop the demons intentions.  Yes.  Because I am tired of this battle.  I do want it to end.  And end for the good of all of mankind.  Maybe I should say human kind so as not to offend women.

I know this writing of mine will not see the public eye until after I die.  Which I am trying to prevent at all costs.  I do know that when I die I will be either in the collective consciousness of God or with angels.  I am hoping for angels because they are the ones who can prevent the consciousness and evil of the demons.

How should I continue?  I guess it should be with how I, as a mortal human, been able to fight the demons.  I suppose I should write of how I counteract demon desires.

 

Clem was talking on how we preserved a woman’s dignity.  I had to agree though reluctantly.  I was there to thwart demons and that was the only reason I saw and did what was done on behalf of all humankind!

I was tired and Clem saw this and we decided to depart and say our goodbyes.  I rode my Roadking to my mountain home that I rented from a local developer.

When I got “home” I washed and changed into my sleeping clothes and lay on my bed thinking of those damn demons.  I couldn’t fall asleep for at least thirty minutes before I finally nodded off.

I woke the next morning, energized thinking I had at least stopped the demons from doing what were in their plans.  Was that enough to satisfy me?  No!  I had to try and eliminate them from the mortal world.  However tough that might be.

I showered, dressed then went to a local diner for coffee and breakfast.  I saw more demons as I rode my Harley to Charley’s Diner and I knew there was nothing I could do about them.

Lily and I finally married after I had gotten a full time position as a columnist for the city paper.  We thought it best if we married as not to give my detractors ammunition to use against me.  i.e. Living in sin.

My detractors, those who didn’t believe that Jesus taught against greed were extremely upset that their religious views countered the teachings of their messiah, Jesus.

I received many threatening letters.  Not only at the newspaper, but also at my mountain top home where I lived with Lily.  I tried to persuade Lily to leave so she would be safe from those greedy assholes.  She quite naturally refused.

 

If you are reading this manuscript then I must be dead because I made certain that no one would see or read this until after I had died.  So.  I must be dead and either with the collective consciousness of God or with the angels.  I cannot write for certain where I will be after I die.  I just know that if you are reading this, I must be dead.

 

Clem’s notes.

 

I had known TJ for I don’t know how many years.  But I accepted his ability to see angels and demons though at first very reluctantly.

I was asked by Lily to help her settle TJ’s affairs.  We found this manuscript on his laptop.  It took many attempts to guess his password to open this manuscript.  We tried everything we could think of and one day we found it.

Let me explain how TJ died.  He wrote letter after letter to a local city newspaper explaining how greed was the devils tool to control humankind.  The editor and publisher of this newspaper decided that TJ would make for a good columnist and TJ wrote a twice weekly column for the newspaper.

His elevated opinion and column provoked many angry letters to the editor, when TJ wrote that greed was against the teachings of God and Jesus.

Then one night when he was outside of a local tavern, smoking a cigarette (yes he smoked cigarettes) he was gunned down by an irate reader who disagreed with his thoughts and written columns.  The gunman was never caught, but TJ died almost immediately from the bullet that pierced his heart.

Lily is having a trough go of it, though she is holding up well with TJ’s death.

I don’t know how much more I can write before this manuscript sees the public eye.  I may just end it here and hope TJ’s spirit is happy with my effort.

 

TJ

 

I’m back though only briefly because I learned how to manipulate the transistors and bits on my lap top where this manuscript is saved.

Clem, Lily.  Do not worry.  No one has hacked into my lap top. It is only me, believe it or not.  I’m still dead.  I have been assigned to the angels though I can never be an angel.  I guess you could call me Angel In Training though it could very well be eons before I am a true full fledged angel. (If that should ever happen)  The acronym for me is Aint  (Angel In Training)  I along with the real angels try to guide the human populace toward a better pursuit in life, away from financial greed.  Do I like my so called after life?  Again Yes and No.  Yes, I like being a helper to “real” angels.  And No, because I wish I could have done more when I lived.

This is almost an idyllic existence.  So.  My readers of this manuscript just be aware of what awaits you after death.  Trust me.  Yu can’t avoid death.  It doesn’t matter how much money you managed to accumulate.  You are just as dead as the penniless homeless person who died on the street.  Both you and the homeless person will be judged equally by the so called “elders” who judge all who pass.  I urge you to be aware of how your actions when you lived will be judged.  And you will be judged!  There is no appeal if you disagree with your judgment.

To the person who ordered my death, you will be judged buy the so called “Elders” who judge all who die.   I know you didn’t actually pull the trigger of the gun that killed me, but ordered my death through a third party.  I assure you, you will be judged and you will not like the judgment, but what can you do?  There is no court of appeals.  You will just have to live with the spiritual judgment for maybe eons or maybe even eternity.  Believe me eternity is a long time.

I know who you are, but I will not name you because I fear you will sue Lily and/or Clem for slander or libel.  So I will just let you stew knowing I know who you are and let you sweat what awaits you after you die.

 

10:24

5/2/16

@P&G’s