A Book a Day, week 10

BOOK SIXTYFOUR
"How to Use Your Senses - Magnifying the Five Loaves" by Ervin Seale, 1945.

Another book by Seale, this one is from a year prior than day 60's book.

The name "Pearl" is written at the top of the title page in pencil, and the Metaphysical Bookstore's name and address is stamped in ink on the bottom.

The booklet is a quick 28 pages and reads like a long sermon, applying the story of Jesus with the fish and loaves of bread to modern life. Seale talks a lot of the Bible being very applicable to today, arguing against those who think its use has been outgrown and is for a former age. This was 65 years ago.

BOOK SIXTYFIVE

"The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - The Cameo Edition - Volume Five" published by Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1904.

This book has both covers detached from the binding, and inside each cover "H.F. Garver" is written. I can only assume this is Henry Fusselman Garver, my great-great-grandfather, and the older brother of Carlton Martin Garver, the Mayor of Des Moines. I believe this is the first time I have come across his name written in any of the books, which now gives me a book from him, his brother Carlton, his wife Winnie, his daughter Jean, his granddaughter Juliette, his father George (whose cane I also have), his mother Barbara, his wife's mother Juliette Preston, and his grandfather, old Henry Fusselman.

I like being able to tie the family all together here.

I also particularly like how the one book of H.F. Garver's that I have here is an extreme detour from the usual religious theme that his daughter's book collection took. Can I infer that H.F. had a more morbid sense of character than the rest of the family? Or, not having any other books of his, is this just not enough information to drawn conclusions?

I think I will speculate just as I would prefer to anyways.

I love Poe and with Halloween being only ten days away, I am very tempted to read as much of this book as I can before the month ends.

Whether or not the deteriorating state of the book deters me remains to be seen...

BOOK SIXTYSIX

"Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, 1851 - this publishing, 1948.

One of the great English-language novels, this book is marked up thoroughly with notes and underlined passages. Since there is no name written in the book, I will go through other books and try to match the handwriting, but the script is not cursive as my great-grandmother always wrote, so judging by the date of the book I am hoping to match it to either my grandmother or grandfather.

Since my grandfather tended to put his address labels inside all his book and I haven't seen his handwriting in any of them yet, I'm not expecting to find a match with him. So, my grandmother is the primary suspect here, although a novel like this doesn't particularly go with the theme of her usual readings...


BOOK SIXTYSEVEN

"The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament" by John McHugh, 1975.

On the first page, someone wrote "Prop of Angie A-----". I cannot make out the last name, but judging by the paperclip bookmark binding the first few pages of the introduction, it looks like my grandmother had her hands on this book after Angie.

The book itself is dedicated "To my Mother and Father" which is also where the paperclipped pages begin. No other pages have been marked in any other way.


BOOK SIXTYEIGHT

"Every-Day Dishes and Every-Day Work" by Mrs. E. E. Kellogg, 1896 - this publishing, 1900.

Full of recipes for all sorts of things from over a century ago, Ella Ervilla Kellogg's book also has a useful section titled "General Suggestions for Economical Housework.

There are three additions to the book - a recipe for chocolate cake, a menu from the Iowa Sanitarium for May 19th, and another recipe written inside a ripped open envelope addressed to Mrs. Barbara Garver. The stamp is a one-cent stamp featuring Ben Franklin.

The book was published by the Modern Medicine Publishing Company of Battle Creek, Michigan, where Ella's husband, John Harvey Kellogg, ran the Battle Creek Sanitarium.

I can't help but think of Corn Flakes and suddenly want to watch "The Road to Wellville".

On the top of the cover is written "Mrs. H.F. Garver" with a Des Moines address that I have seen a few times before. In addition to book 22, this is the 2nd book with my great-great-grandmother's name in it, although that time she used her actual name, instead of her husband's.

BOOK SIXTYNINE

"What Will We Eat Today? Pressure Cookery for Every Meal" by Ruth Berolzheimer, 1949.

This recipe book is a companion for the Ekconomic Pressure Cooker, made by the Ekco Products Company in the late 40's. The book itself was published by the Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago while Berolzheimer was the director of the institute, but clearly it was an Ekco project.

One page before the introduction by Berolzheimer, praising the modern wonders of pressure cookery, there is an endorsement by "internationally known singer and commentator" Kate Smith.

While her expertise in the kitchen is debatable, Smith's professional career as a singer is full of fascinating moments. An inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999, she was known for many songs, among them the controversial top twenty song of 1931, "That's Why Darkies Were Born".

Often played during the 7th inning stretch at Yankee games, her version of "God Bless America" has also been a part of the Philadelphia Flyers' history since 1969 and is perceived to bring good luck to the team when played at home games.

Three bookmarks are inside the pages of the book. One being an ornate paper napkin, the other 2 are recipes. The one used in today's shot is for "pecan pie or pudding".

BOOK SEVENTY

"The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom" by Benjamin Creme, 1980.

My grandmother's address label is inside the front cover and she put three paperclip bookmarks into this one. Also, there is a newsletter from the "There is a Way" television ministry dated October 1985. I haven't seen Dale Batesole's smiling face since book #28.

Tucked into the same page as the newsletter is a thin sheet of paper courtesy of Sharyn Gailey from the Caldwell Real Estate Company in Whittier, CA. The lined sheet is filled out and has the header "Dream - Feb 9, 1987".

My grandmother's handwriting is very difficult to read, but I am very interested in deciphering as much of this as I can. I had no idea that she wrote down her dreams and I am excited to learn about them.

Another bookmark is a proper bookmark from W.D. Nelson, Bookseller, at 4226 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. I wonder if the Pacific Ocean is offended when it can see a street named after the Atlantic, or merely annoyed.

A few pages further in, there is a prayer notecard from the Unity School of Christianity. My grandmother double underlined the first two lines of the prayer.

A white button tied to a length of dental floss serves as another bookmark.

The final treasure is a newspaper clipping from Whittier's "The Daily News", February 10th, 1982. It is an article about the author, Benjamin Creme, and his predicting of the Second Coming of Christ.

Creme claims "the savior figure is alive, walking the Earth" already and adds "I'm too lazy to take this much trouble to hoax anyone."