ON THIS DAY IN 1907, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Secretary W. Fellows Morgan of the United Golf Association yesterday announced the entries for the national open golf championship, which will be decided over the links of the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Thursday and Friday of this week.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, Eagle columnist Henry Suydam said, “One day this week Senator Heflin of Alabama was making a beautiful speech at an open-air gathering in the District of Columbia, when a gay young aviator flew overhead, making such a terrific noise that even the megaphonic Heflin was drowned into silence. Very much the same thing happened to President Harding on the occasion of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. Whereupon Senator Heflin came into the Senate and asked unanimous consent for the immediate consideration of a resolution prohibiting flying in the District of Columbia over such places as sheltered open-air gatherings at which speeches were being delivered. Senator Willliams’ comment was as follows: ‘As far as I can learn, nothing is free except the air. For God’s sake, let us leave the air free, even if it interrupts the President of the United States and the Senator from Alabama. The airplane and the Senator both make noises, but the airplane makes the more scientific of the two.’”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1926, the Eagle reported, “R.H. Burnside, who is producing ‘Freedom,’ the big spectacle scheduled to open July 3 in the municipal stadium at the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial, yesterday announced the engagement of DeWolf Hopper to sing the role of William Penn. The part of Penn is the principal male role. The principal female role, the Spirit of Freedom, will be sung by Belle Story, formerly prima donna at the Hippodrome.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1928, the Eagle reported, “Rapidly approaching their 136th hour of constant dancing — broken only by those 15 minutes of rest which aren’t rest — 29 determined couples of young men and young women were still moving slowly and solemnly about Madison Square Garden today in quest of the $5,000 prize promised the winning team in the international dance marathon. To win this event, a couple must outlast all others. That is all there is to it. It is a case of the survival of the fittest. Only five couples dropped out in the last 24 hours. The judges and doctors insist that the eliminations will be slower and less frequent from now on. The favorites in the race remained. Since the marathon is scheduled to keep going until but one couple is left, Milton D. Crandall, its boss, has arranged to move the dancers down to the basement of the Garden next Thursday, or fight night, if necessary.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “A sudden walkout by more than 300 locomotive engineers at 4 a.m. today paralyzed the Long Island Rail Road, stranding some 300,000 commuters and causing one of the worst traffic jams in history. All available buses and subway trains were pressed into service in an effort to shuttle the hundreds of thousands of daily commuters to their jobs. Thousands of Brooklynites, who work on Long Island, crawled to their jobs in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the main highways. Acting swiftly to avert a transportation tieup of vast proportions, the Federal Mediation Board scheduled an emergency meeting between representatives of the railroad and the striking union for early this afternoon in Jamaica. The railroad posted ‘service suspended’ notices in all stations after it learned from the officials of Local 269 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers that their members would not report for work because of disputed ‘issues of rules and grievances.’ Michael E. McMahon, general chairman of the L.I.R.R. brotherhood grievance committee, said the decision to strike was approved by James P. Shields, grand chief engineer of the brotherhood. However, the Federal Mediator assigned to the dispute, Ross Barr of the NLRB, said he understood the strike was a ‘wildcat,’ and had not been authorized by the Brotherhood leaders.”
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Laurie Metcalf. Photo: Andy Cropa/Invision/AP
NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include National Book Award recipient Joyce Carol Oates, who was born in 1938; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Eddie Levert (The O’Jays), who was born in 1942; “Knots Landing” star Joan Van Ark, who was born in 1943; “Roseanne” star Laurie Metcalf, who was born in 1955; 1981 NBA Rookie of the Year Darrell Griffith, who was born in 1958; World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, who was born in 1970; “Star Trek” star John Cho, who was born in 1972; “Third Watch” star Eddie Cibrian, who was born in 1973; Olympic gold
John Cho. Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
medalist and former N.Y. Ranger left-winger Rick Nash, who was born in 1984; former “Saturday Night Live” star Abby Elliott, who was born in 1987; and “Best Friends Whenever” star Lauren Taylor, who was born in 1998.
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WORDS OF WISDOM:Abraham Lincoln delivered his “House Divided” speech on this day in 1858. Beginning his campaign for an Illinois U.S. Senate seat, he addressed the Republican State Convention at Springfield, saying, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.”
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Abby Elliott. Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
A NEW PERSPECTIVE:John Howard Griffin was born on this day in 1920. The American author and photographer was deeply concerned about racial problems in the U.S. To better understand black life in the South, he darkened his skin with chemicals and ultraviolet light and kept a journal during his travels. The result was his best-known book, “Black Like Me” (1961). He died in 1980.
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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.
Quotable:
“Fear dims even the sunlight.” — author John Howard Griffin, who was born on this day in 1920.
SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.
ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.
