30/06/2024

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“It seemed as if a total dissolution of nature was taking place” is the way 15-year old Alexander Hamilton described living through a hurricane (“The West Indian Hurricane of 1772”). Other natural and man-made disasters chronicled in vol. 069 are “The Eruption of Mt. Asama of 1783,” “The Great Chicago Fire,” and “The Siege of Nicaea (1096-1097).” Society and social reform are treated from a variety of viewpoints: “Tatlings: Epigrams (1922),” “Wooed a ‘Marjorie Daw’ for 14 Years,” Petty Management” (Florence Nightingale), “The Public Schools of Today,” “What a Colored Man Should Do to Vote,” “Patriotism and Government” (Tolstoy), the “Prison Journal of Stephen F. Austin,” and Fichte’s “My Will is Mine.” Books and reading are given their due in “Women Writers of the 17th and 18th Centuries,” “The Art of Reading,” and Benchley’s humorous “The Most Popular Book of the Month.” The tenets of Calvinism are explained in a short essay. Oliver Goldsmith presents his novel theory about the origin of marine fossils found on dry land. Listeners are introduced to the exploits of San Francisco resident Joshua Norton, who proclaimed himself “Norton I, Emperor of the United States.” And, finally, an essay on “The Art of Packing” dating from the era of steamer trunks should bring a smile to today’s backpack and roller bag travelers. Summary by Sue Anderson