TIDBITS 08/16/09

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We encourage you to forward this email to friends and colleagues. ====================================== First ... the Sturgeon dilemna. There are two views. I take the conservative view: Swordfish and sturgeon both have scales as young fish, but lose them later in life. The Conservative CJLS permits them to be eaten. The criteria here folks is that they do have scales when young and while they have these scales they are kosher. And now ... Who Is He

I found the perfect gift ... something for someone who has everything. It is a 14 karat Gold Nécessaire de Toilette made by Cartier, date not given but valued at 30,000 SF back in

1989. Now here's the thing of it ... one of the items in this Nécessaire de Toilette harkens back to a name quite famous. Let me tell you about the man. You tell me who he is ... if you can ... heh heh.

He arrived in the United States from Nova Scotia in 1903. He had a total of seventy-five dollars to his name. And he had a bible. He also had an irresponsible nature and a daydreaming mentality. Previous to having arrived in the USA he had been fired from three jobs.

Ultimately ... in Boston ... he secured a position as a ticket collector for the elevated railway. Alas ... he was summarily fired when he decided one day ... on a whim ... to take the train for a joyride and then crashed it.

He then took on a job as a stable hand and was kicked out for neglecting the horses. Our friend had serious problems. Subsequent to this he took a job as a messenger but--you guessed it--he kept on losing the packages entrusted to his care. Ye gads man ... this guy was a disaster. So he did what any misfit in this world of ours with a reasonable amount of common sense does ... he went into business for himself. He found a product ... one of which you can see in the Nécessaire de Toilette ... and started on his own in 1905.

He rented a room in Hartford, Connecticut and began peddling from door to door. He labored late into the night. He sold during the day. And to his amazement ... as well surely to the amazement of those who knew him ... he found he ha a knack ... and he became a success.

By 1910 he had a staff of 25 men peddling his wares. As is the way with all products ... technology began to infringe on his business and the specter of losing all he had worked for loomed on the horizon. He fought back. In the July of 1919 issue of House Furnishing Review he took out an ad informing housewives of America that there was a misconception that modern technology would ease their burdens. To the contrary, he said. Ignore scientific advancement and return to hard labor for this will keep you healthy and ward off the ills of the indolent.

This versatility enabled our misfit to survive quite well till 1943 when he retired as president of his company with annual sales topping

10 million dollars. He had become part of the American scene. Who was he ... this guy who couldn't hold a job to save his life. Let me know what you think.

The Nécessaire de Toilette had a comb, a shoehorn, two perfume bottles, a powder box, two brushes, a mirror, a nailpolisher, and a boot-hook.

For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at

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where you will scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says Current Tidbits ... and you will see represented on our pages an image of a Nécessaire de Toilette in 14 karat gold that holds within its collection an item akin to that which was sold by our hero. And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark

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