Hastings Iowa Field Trip

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Audrey
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Hastings Iowa Field Trip

Post by Audrey »

Saturday, May 22nd we took a detour to Hastings Iowa to collect some photos for an upcoming issue of The Hatchet.

I was surprised when we entered the town.

I worried I would not find any good photo opportunities outside the cemetery!

The cemetery itself was worth the trip. I was sorry I hadn't thought to bring some spring flowers to lay on the grave.

JVM's grave was, to me, a great insight to him and either his personality or the regard he was afforded by his friends.

Armed with an old plat map we set out to find the farm. After making two stops to ask questions we were directed right to it.

The farm was located in what I found to be a very peaceful and beautiful spot. It was the kind of place that inspired respect and silence.

Personally, I found the farm and the resulting photos to be more interesting than the cemetery!

I cant wait for you all to see them in The Hatchet!!
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Harry
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Post by Harry »

Mon Dieu, Audrey! You were actually at the Morse farm! I'm looking forward to seeing the photos. That's something that has never been seen before.

There is a photo of Morse's tombstone in Rebello but no shots of the farm.
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FairhavenGuy
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Post by FairhavenGuy »

Mon Dieu, Harry. Ock-Knay off the oreign-fay ords-way.
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Harry
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Post by Harry »

No.
Audrey
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Post by Audrey »

Harry-- you should have been along!

Like I told Kat-- there wasn't even a place we could have stopped at for pie and coffee!

You would have enjoyed meeting the elderly gentleman who have us the detailed directions to the Morse farm. He was something of an amateur historian and the 20 minutes we spent with him could have easily stretched into hours had we not had the graduation party to attend. He was very interesting to listen to and seemed eager to tell all he knew!

He is being paid for his time-- He mentioned he had been in France "in the 40's" (so gallant not to mention the war!) and had some cookies made from butter and lemon. He told me they were the best he ever had in his life. I imagine he means madeleines and since I did copy his address from his mailbox he will have a home baked batch later this week.


PS-- Harry's joie de vie cannot be limited to one langauge!
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theebmonique
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Post by theebmonique »

Sounds like we have just added another stop on our yet to be scheduled forum sleep-over at Lizzie's. I can hardly wait for the next issue of the HATCHET !

Tracy...
I'm defying gravity and you can't pull me down.
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Harry
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Post by Harry »

Like Lizzie, Morse is oh-so-hard to fathom. You need only to look at these sometime contradictory statements said about him (from Rebello, p71):

"At the time of his death, John V. Morse's obituary described him as "a shrewd businessman, of even temperament, kindly disposition ... his friends are numerous, ... lived an honest, upright life ... kind and considerate of the welfare of others, gave liberally to those in need ...gave without ostentation and oftentimes in ways that the world knew not of."

"A very different view of Mr. Morse was reported shortly after the Borden murders in 1892. A Boston Post reporter elicited the following statements from Mr. Morse's neighbors and those who knew him best. They described him as "frugal and self-denying ... eccentric, peculiar, never formed close relationships, and maintained an austere reserve. He was selfish, hard-fisted in his business dealings, almost avaricious but scrupulously honest." His half-sister (Arabella) described Morse as "a man who when crossed, would never forgive, a trait she herself shared."

Eccentric is the word that comes to my mind the most. As an example, at the trial he would sometimes be in the corridors of the courthouse explaining the methods of farming used in the "West" to the New England farmers.

A most interesting character.
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FairhavenGuy
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Post by FairhavenGuy »

Harry @ Sun May 23, 2004 10:12 pm wrote:No.
Tres bien :grin:
Kimberly
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Post by Kimberly »

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Kat
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Post by Kat »

Harry, when I read Morse's obit I really had the feeling like it was a stock description- something the writer pulls out of newspaper obit-archives to print something nice if no one else more familiar with the deceased is around to write it. Is that possible? I saw others for that day and they didn't sound exactly like this one but then I thought maybe they rotate the *fluffy* ones by week or month?
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Kimberly
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Nancie
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Post by Nancie »

i second Fairhavenguy to "nockkay off the renchfay"
it's annoying. About Morse, what sticks in my mind
is the interview with the Davis family he lived with,
they all adored him. Yet they were Butchers and could have been in need of money... felt sorry for
Morse's neices being abused.... loyal to Morse. He
and Emma are very interesting characters I wish we
knew more about!
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Nancie
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Post by Nancie »

See what a waste of time it is having to look up
French words? I remember when Audrey said something to Ray and I actually spent the time to look it up, it was "you piss me off". Does anyone
agree with me, No more French words unless they
are clearly defined?
Kimberly
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Post by Kimberly »

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Kimberly
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Adminlizzieborden
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Post by Adminlizzieborden »

Kimberly, you did a very bad thing in posting for public view a private email to you. I suggest you remove it.

Please cease from all the sexualization of your posts. This all appears in the Lizzie Borden thread, a place for discussions about the case only. Take any more of this off the forum entirely.

If this type of thing doesn't cool down, there will have to be some suspensions. I am actually getting complaints from members here about all this discord. If you and Nancie can't play nice, then please feel free to start your own forum elsewhere so you can rant and rave about off topic topics to your heart's content.

As to the foreign language, it is to follow the same rules as English. Be civil and clean or be silent.

In fact, let this be all of our watchwords:
BE CIVIL AND CLEAN OR BE QUIET.

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joe
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Re: Hastings Iowa Field Trip

Post by joe »

Thanks, Audrey! I can't wait for the pictures in The Hatchet!
Joe
'97 Harley Road King with Gramma in the sidecar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream. ~ Edgar A. Poe
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