CT – 220 CORNERSTONE TRAVELER OCT. 15 ‘13
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Hi to all my readers of the hardcopy of this bi-weekly newsletter and the online copy at
mid-Hudson Valley news: There is not too much to report about the mid-Hudson Valley, so I going to repeat what I have written previously about the historical importance of this area. There is history everywhere if you only know where to look.
For instance: There is the last encampment of American Soldiers of the American Revolution on Rte. 300 in New Windsor. I have to admit that you need to use your imagination to visualize what this encampment looked like in 1783. And I naturally did.
About a mile from this encampment site is the Purple Heart Hall of Honor that gives tribute and recognition of all the American soldiers who sacrificed life and limb in the defense of America. One friend of mine has his name enshrined there as he was killed in Vietnam on Feb. 1, 1969. There is no cost to this Hall of Honor, just a jug for donations.
Continuing with the history of war in the mid-Hudson Valley. The Ulster Volunteers were instrumental in defending Cemetery Ridge against Picketts Charge at the battle of Gettysburg. The battle essentially ended the war between the States, the Civil War.
On Rte. 9w near Newburg is the Gomez Hill House, an historical landmark of the first Jewish homestead in the New World. Which really wasn’t new considering there were already people living here..
Of course there is Huguenot Street in new Paltz, the oldest street in American with the original houses of the early 1700’s.
Then there is the house in Newburg where Washington slept.
The D&H canal went through High Falls to the Hudson River to deliver much needed American coal to the city of New York. With this canal, New York no longer had to rely on coal from Great Britain. The D&H canal company was the first company to raise a million dollars on the stock exchange in Hew York in 1829.
The mid-Hudson Valley also provided much needed wheat, oats and hay for the horses in New York City. I suppose you could refer to this valley as the OPEC of needed fuel for the energy of New York City.
That’s about it for the historical significance of the mid-Hudson Valley.
observations:
I am starting to firmly believe that the shutdown of the American government, precipitated by the Republican Party is due in fact to the fear of the Republicans that if Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) succeeds, it will spell the doom of the Republican Party and the Tea Party in the elections of 2014, This is the reason they want to delay the individual mandate of the ACA from being implemented until after the 2014 elections. If the ACA succeeds it will spell the doom of Ted Cruz and many other Tea party politicians. That is something the Tea Party cannot allow to happen.
sports:
There is not much to report on the baseball front considering both the Yankees and Mets are out of the playoff race.
The Jets are 3-3 with their loss to the Steelers. And the Giants are having a terrible season with a record of 0-6.
The Knicks seem to be doing well in the NBA with a record of – . The Nets are – .
The NHL season is getting started with the Rangers showing promise and a record of – .
other:
As with all previous issues of this newsletter, everything written here is either copyright protected or copyright pending.
The history of P&G’s follows this newsletter from about the mid 1930’s to almost the present.
Following the P&G’s history is the short story I wrote called Specters of the Past that was included in one of the first issues of this newsletter.
I hope you like it.
Thank-you – Rik McGuire
                               History of P&G’s continued to the present
From 1925 – 1945 a number of diverse businesses occupied the building. These included Carols Clothing Store, Atkins Drug Store, Schaffert Real Estate Office, Marie Shop and Dicks Bar and Grill among others.
In 1947 Dicks Bar and Grill was purchased by two Lake Mohonk employees, Pat Cafferty and George Jayne. Legend has it that neither told their wives of their intention to purchase the business. They immediately changed the Grills name to Pat and Georges. Among it’s loyal customers it was simply P&G’s.
One of the best things to happen to P&G’s occurred in 1961. An ex Dodger player named Stormer Nickerson became a bartender. Stormy as he was affectionately known became something of a legend. His heart, quiet good humor and generous spirit made P&G’s the one place that welcomed all from the harsher outside world into a refuge for college students, business people, local characters and even for a while, in the 1960’s, bikers. According to one source. “They weren’t as rowdy a crew as you might expect because although he was quiet, Stormy commanded and got respect.” His professional baseball background made him a natural to pitch batting practice for the New Paltz College teams and he did so for a number of seasons. One college fraternity considered P&G’s their private domain. The scene of everything important, news, views, camaraderie and especially humor was always evident at P&G’s.
After the St. Helens volcano erupted and news reports discussed the possibility of ash fall out across the U.S., Stormy came to work to find the staff dressed in garbage bags and metal kitchen colanders on their heads. Since no ash was reported on anyone, Stormy reasoned the
attire had been affective by making everyone laugh their ash off.
In June 1991, after 30 years, Stormy retired from P&G’s. He died in June of 1994. From his casual humor that lingers, to his Chile recipe that is still served and the kind memories often repeated by his many friends, Stormy is still here.
In 1969 Edwin Beck bought P&G’s. His first weekend as owner was completely successful. The following weekend, however, the place was deserted. A disheartened Beck couldn’t understand what he had done to alienate everyone so quickly. He was relieved to learn it was simply a matter of poor timing. Everyone was away and wallowing in a farm in Bethel NY. A music festival or something.
Ed Beck never spent time worrying. He looked across Main Street and up Platekill Avenue, seeing thousands of thirsty college students who, for the most part remained on campus. Taking a good supply of liquid refreshment, Beck went to the campus and gave the students (all legal in those days) a new place to call home. He transformed P&G’s from a neighborhood bar into a local institution.
The face of Beck’s personality had much to do with the continued success of P&G’s, the place was fun. One oft quoted story about Beck concerns a young P&G’s enthusiast who wanted to be just like Beck when he grew up. It is reported that Beck in all humility replied. “Well you can’t do both.”
The name Pat and Georges was officially changed to P&G’s in the 1980’s by Ed Beck and his son Mike. In 1985, Mike bought out his fathers interest. In 1994, he undertook extensive renovations, making the building exterior appear as it did in 1900, when it was the Casino.
SPECTERS of the PAST
No. It wasn’t a dark and stormy night. It was dark, but the heavy mist covering this mid-Hudson Valley small town was anything but stormy or gloomy. In fact because of the street lamps, the mist gave an almost heavenly affect to the town’s main street. It was just past three o’clock in the morning and the last patrons of the local bars and taverns had already walked back to the warmth of their homes. The main street was empty except for the lone homeless dog or cat scraping for scraps of food. The only image was the specter of an old man looking forlornly at the paving equipment parked on the streets sides.
The specter shook his head slowly from side to side as he looked at the age worn smooth cobble stones that the paving equipment were destined to cover with a layer of crushed stone and asphalt.
The old mans ghostly specter was joined by another specter of an old man in a straw hat covering his ghostly head.
“You look saddened Gino.” Straw hat said in a whisper.
The old man looked up to Straw hat. “Hi, Phil.” He whispered. “I am seeing that this street is to be paved with that black gooey stuff in the dump trucks. They are about to cover up my painstaking, back breaking labor that took countless ten hour days, six day weeks for me to complete.”
“This saddens you Gino?” Phil asked.
“Yes. And I know you are going to say it is just progress. I accept progress. Hell, I died fifty years ago and I know the world must continually change to become better with time. But I am saddened that my work, no my art, is to be covered for all time.”
“Your art?” Phil asked.
“Yes. Art. I was no different from a Michelangelo with the laying of these cobble stones. I shaped and fitted each cobble stone perfectly. Just as Michelangelo did when he sculpted the Pieta. The only difference is that I wasn’t recognized for my work, my art, accept for the paltry six dollars a week they paid an Italian immigrant.”
“I know how you feel Gino.” Phil whispered. “I saw the people of this town do the same to the 150 acres of field I plowed by hand with a plow horse and a single trowel walk behind plow. That field that I tenderly plowed early every spring, then planted seeds by hand and reaped thousands of bushels of green beans, peas, onions, beets and countless other vegetables is now covered with what they call multi-family town houses and condominiums. Sure there are a few small garden plots that measure maybe five feet by five feet at the most. What is grown in these small garden plots is a tiny fraction of what I produced on the very same ground. Yes, Gino I know how you feel. I firmly believe that my tenderly touches to my farm were a work of art.”
Phil and Gino were joined by yet another ghostly specter. “Hi friends.” The ghostly specter greeted. “I know how the both of you feel. The beautiful stone church I built three hundred years ago was torn down thirty years ago so a new more accommodating church could be built. Each stone of that church I hand picked and sculpted so it would fit precisely with adjoining stones. It took me and a few helpers more than ten years to complete a work of beauty. Then thirty years ago it was decided to tear it all down and build anew. In less than a day those monster metal beasts tore down ten years of work. Then the next day more metal monsters shoveled those hand picked stones into yet other metallic monsters with wheels and these monsters hauled my pieces of work away to a quarry to be buried.”
I hand picked each stone from as far away as thirty miles. I even dragged granite stones
out of a local river. Ten years to build my work of art and less than a day to tear it all down and destroy it. I know how you both feel, Gino and Phil. ”
Just then they saw two young men walking down the sidewalk toward the specter’s. The young men seemingly passed right through Gino, Phil and Michael, and in fact they did. Suddenly one man stopped, turned to the street and looked down.
“Why did you stop Peter?” The other asked.
“I’m just admiring the beauty of this street and trying to imagine the back breaking work to pave this street by hand with cobble stones. Look at it Bill. I’m sure you can see the beauty in these cobble stones. Yet within the next twelve hours all this beauty will be covered and lost for all time by the asphalt being laid down tomorrow.”
“You know as well as I that the town highway department decided that the cobblestones are too slick to drive on especially during the winter. Hell, they are too slick to even walk upon when it rains, sleets or snows.”
“I know Bill, but still it is a shame that this beauty has to be lost for all time. Even the photographs by the local newspaper does not do justice to this beauty and art.”
The three specters stared at Peter and Bill. Both Michael and Phil looked at Gino. “You see Gino.” Phil started. “Your work or art is not lost for all time. It is forever etched in the mind of Peter and probably countless others who admired the beauty of your labor.”
Gino was finally able to manage a smile. “Yes Phil, I do suppose you are right.