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Weekly News November 3, 2008Description
Vice-Presidential Candidates: When I was born, there was no vice-president. Calvin Coolidge had succeeded to the office of president upon Harding’s death in 1923, and in those days there was no vice-president until the following presidential election. Charles G. Dawes was Coolidge’s running mate in 1924, and he served until Hoover’s vice-president, Charles Curtis, was elected in 1928.
In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt swept Hoover and Curtis out of office, and John Nance Garner of Uvalde, Texas, became vice-president. 4 years later, Roosevelt and Garner won again, defeating Governor Alf Landon of Kansas and Frank Knox, his running mate, in a landslide where the victors won every State except Maine and Vermont. Before World War II, FDR appointed Frank Knox as his secretary of the Navy. In 1940, Wendell Willkie was the Republican presidential nominee, and Charles L. McNary, Governor of Oregon, was his vice-presidential running mate. FDR triumphed again, but this time his vice-president was Henry A. Wallace. In the wartime election of 1944, an ill FDR won his fourth term with a little-known Senator from Missouri, Harry S. Truman, as his vice-president. Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York, was defeated, along with his running mate, Ohio’s Governor John W. Bricker.
From April, 1945, when Truman became president upon the death of FDR, the country went nearly 4 years without a vice-president. In 1948, Truman was elected in his own right, with his running mate, Senator Alban W. Barkley of Paducah, KY. They narrowly defeated the Republican team of Dewey (again) and Earl Warren, Governor of California. In 1952 and again in 1956, Dwight D. Eisenhower was unbeatable with his running mate, Richard Nixon. Adlai E. Stevenson was defeated both times, first with John Sparkman of Alabama as his vice-presidential candidate, and in 1956 with Estes Kefauver of Tennessee as his running mate.
Now we are coming to the time when most of you remember:
1960: Kennedy and Johnson defeating Nixon and Lodge
1964: Johnson and Humphrey defeating Goldwater and Miller
1968: Nixon and Agnew defeating Humphrey and Muskie
1972: Nixon and Agnew (then Rockefeller) defeating McGovern and Shriver
1976: Carter and Mondale defeating Ford and Dole
1980: Reagan and Geo. H. W. Bush defeating Carter and Mondale
1984: Reagan and the same Bush defeating Mondale and Ferraro
1988: Bush (41) and Quayle defeating Dukakis and Bentsen
1992: Clinton and Gore defeating Bush (41) and Quayle
1996: Clinton and Gore defeating Dole and Kemp
2000: Bush (43) and Cheney defeating Gore and Lieberman
2004: Bush (43) and Cheney defeating Kerry and Edwards
2008: Joe Biden’s name on this list will be the first ever from Delaware.
Mechanical projects in the shop kept moving well last week, with several well-qualified volunteers taking part both on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The locomotives were cleaned up
from the Oct. 25 and 26 runs, and the fuel pump was removed and rebuilt on the 1908 Model K. Two of the side rods were removed from Loco. #402 for the installation of new bushings. Work is progressing on the rebuilding of a 20-H.P. Stanley engine, and the building of a 20-H.P. burner with a used grate. Four cars were prepared for our Steam Car Run yesterday.
The Events Committee had a very positive meeting on October 28 and is coordinating 2009 events with the State through Dan Citron, Interpretive Manager of the Preserve. On Friday, six of us met with four representatives of the State Division of Parks & Recreation to finalize the legal agreement between the Friends and the Division. With very few points of discussion, flexibility on both sides should make it possible to have the final agreement signed by the time of our November Board Meeting on the 20th. We are asking Rich Williams to review this final agreement before it is signed.
Yesterday, November 2, the Stanley models 87, 76, 735, and 820 (Mountain Wagon) hauled 22 people for 42 miles on our short-notice steam car tour. Led by qualified drivers Bill Schwoebel, Steve Bryce, Walter Higgins and I, several others got the opportunity to drive, and all did very well. To be especially commended are Dan Citron, Steve Jensen, Art Wallace and Mark Russell who handled the 735 flawlessly without “senior” supervision. We were pleased that several new volunteer/members, and several wives, joined us for the trip.
The Qualification Procedures for operating FAHP’s mechanical equipment have been progressing diligently under the leadership of Bill Schwoebel and Steve Bryce. In some respects, driver’s qualifications for the Stanleys and other collection cars have advanced further than those for locomotive engineers on the Auburn Valley R.R. However, Anne Cleary and Bill Schwoebel have been running several on-hands classes for interested candidates, and will be making forthcoming announcements on those who understand locomotive boilers and overall locomotive operation, and whom they want to promote to engineers. Perhaps it is up to me to make it official as to those presently qualified, and this I am happy to do, viz: Anne Cleary, Bill Schwoebel, Chris Sanger, Brent McDougall, Steve Jensen, and John McNamara. Others like Jim Personti, John Hopkins, Dave Lumley, Dale Simpkins, and Steven Jensen (present age limitation) are strong candidates for qualification if and when they want to make the commitment. Until the Board should decide otherwise, Anne Cleary and Bill Schwoebel will be in charge of these promotions.
Professional movers will be at Auburn Heights on November 6 to move our heavy things to Cokesbury. Ruth and I will not be completely out of Auburn Heights until about Nov. 25, however, which is the date of settlement on the property. As usual, the quarterly Board Meeting of FAHP will be held in the Museum on Thursday, November 20, at 7:30 P.M.
We are sorry to report the death of Art Sybell’s mother, who almost visited Auburn Heights from her home in New York in early summer to celebrate her 100th birthday. We are also saddened to learn of the passing of Kenneth L. Berry on October 31. The father of Alan Berry, Ken attended our volunteers’ picnic in 2007. A legend around Hockessin, Ken was 3 weeks short of his 95th birthday. A memorial service will be held at Hockessin Friends Meeting House on Wednesday, November 5, at 4:30 P.M. Tom
