Old Letters, computers & streetcar tracks

My friend K. drives a Rolls Royce which he keeps in pristine condition; he also keeps a Cadillac to use as a dingy when his Rolls is in the shop. It’s often in the shop because if a bird so much as craps on the windshield, K.takes it to the garage.

Anyhow, today as I helped him shuffle cars, he treated me to lunch at Whiteway Delicatessen. As we enjoyed our scrumptious sandwiches, I told him about my progress editing the Stacy Letters, those old letters which I found in a wooden file drawer I bought at a yard sale. They touch on Jacksonville history.

In turn, K., scion of one of Jacksonville’s oldest families, told me he has letters, diaries and papers from his own forbearers. Some of these date back into the 1880s and all relate to Jacksonville History!

What a treasure!

But, unfortunately, K.is seriously considering destroying the lot because he feels that private papers should stay private.

I choked on my sandwich.

I can see his point to a certain extent and I sympathize with it. While I have no secrets, certain things in my own journal are private and I would not want the world in general to read them – yet. I’ve asked my children not to read my journals until after Ginny and I are both dead; to never read less than 50 pages at a time; and to wait 20 years or so before even thinking of publishing them. (As though anybody 20 years from now will be interested in my life and petty affairs – what vanity).

So, I suggested that K. gather his family's letters and diaries; pack them in a plastic bin, the sort you can buy at Big Lots or K-Mart for a couple of dollars; seal the bins; Lable them “Not to be opened before the year 2050”; and donate them to the Jacksonville Historical Society.

I’m confident that the society would respect the private nature of the correspondence and would preserve them until all immediately concerned are long gone. Then the details of daily life in a former age would become invaluable to future historians.

K.was not too keen on my idea – but he’s got it in the hopper.

Future historians, I wish you luck.

On a different historical note: last week road crews resurfacing San Marco Blvd. ran into a problem – streetcar tracks buried three feet under the present day road surface. The last trolley car ran Jacksonville streets in 1936 so these have been underground for quite a while.

In order to refurbish the street, hundreds of massively heavy, water-logged, heart-pine cross ties had to be dug up and disposed of. Many were consigned to the trash.

But Donald, God bless him, salvaged several for me. He must be as strong as Samson to lift these things into the back of his van. But last night he brought some for me to use to line my bromeliad bed in the garden.

For close to 50 years I’ve collected assorted junk related to Jacksonville history. And while railroad ties are not your typical collector’s item, I’m delighted.

After we placed the streetcar ties, Donald gutted my computer and did things to it. Esoteric, technical things with wires and cables and chips. He replaced the carburetor and screwed in new spark plugs and a spleen.

My computer survived the operation and is resting comfortably.

Among the new guts, is a multidirectional microphone. If I ever learn to work it, I can cut and paste e-sounds – like my words of wisdom (known among my children as tirades) and post them on my website. Thus ushering in a new era of boring things on cowart.info .

Donald also used Gimp software to design a book cover for Letters From Stacy. Now the only delay is me; I hope to the letters posted on Lulu next week – D.V — both as an e-book and a real book.

Donald would have done more web stuff for me but he wanted to rush home to his own computer to e-talk with this virtual e-girl he’s met online through an e-dating service. They plan a f2f meet soon. Such e-courtship rituals seem bizarre to me but I wish them joy. — Or should that be e-joy?