NETSPEAK: Believe your eyes. This is not a manipulated photograph. The house cat is as big as it looks. Some months ago I featured a picture of another big cat. But it was a doctored photo. If you want to check it out for yourself you're welcome. But this is real. The outstretched body and the long hair makes this feline look somewhat larger than it is - but it actually is a very big cat. I have read that this breed can run to about 35 pounds.

I bring this up for 2 reasons. The first has to do with net urban legends. It seems like they go 'round and 'round and 'round. The story about Lee Marvin and Captain Kangaroo is one. The story about the UPS uniforms is another. The old tale about taxing emails is also a classic. So too is the one about the muslim deli owner(s) rejoicing after 9-11. They remind me of the old childrens game where one whispers something in someone's ear and they whisper in another - and so on among a group - until it comes back sounding nothing like the original. Rule of thumb? If it sounds/looks too good/bad to be true...

The second thing has to do with search engines on the net. It is rather easy to get the impression that it's important to be at the top of any given search engine on the net. There are probably 4 million companies willing to sell you a top place there - or at least sell you information that will get your website there. All of that would be real nice if it were all that easy. I say that because the net and the sites on it are constantly and rapidly changing. Nothing is standing still. And as most people know and/or understand, when a person is searching for something how they word their search is key to finding what they're looking for.

A search engine looks for key words in pages and responds accordingly. Because of this is is altogether possible for a person who is searching for a pair of shoes to find upteen websites that have, somewhere in their text, mention of that precise pair of shoes. I note, for instance, that some folks have visited my website(s) while searching for 18th century English orphanages. Others have come looking for information about the racehorse Seabiscuit. Things like this happen because the text on my pages changes constantly. What I'm driving at is that it is a waste of time and effort to attempt to get and stay at the top of any search engine. That's not the way it works.

So how is one supposed to navigate through these truths, and half-truths to find what we want?

Happily, friends, happily.

THE WATERWORKS: I find this photo to be very interesting. It is the Vermilion Waterworks becoming the Vermilion Waterworks. I could look it up to be sure, but I'd guess that this is somewhere between 1910 and 1915. I'm not dating the picture so much by the vehicle on the bank as much as I am by that which looks like a seaplane sitting on the river across the way. It would be a Curtiss aircraft because his first planes were seaplanes. When I first saw this picture (taken by Pearl Roscoe) I didn't notice the plane. My brother Al noticed. But its difficult to see. I don't know whether its because the true quality of the existing negative is bad or if it might have been something my brother did or didn't do when he developed the pic. I've not run across the photo in old Vermilion News files so it is most likely just a picture Roscoe took to record the progress of the new plant. It was probably never used because it was, at the time, unremarkable.

Individuals most likely have numerous old photographs they consider to be "unremarkable" and, therefore, toss. I would beg that folks not do that. If one has photographs taken around Vermilion (during any era) the Vermilion Area Archival Society would be more than happy to take them and preserve them. As the saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

Isaac Thompson: This, good friends, is a wonderful example of what I mean about preserving old pictures. This is a great photograph of one Isaac Thompson taken in front of the arcade and roller-skating arena at the old Crystal Beach Amusement Park. The era of the photo is evident in Isaac's clothing and the buildings about him. This, again, is circa 1910-15 or perhaps a bit earlier. The word Vermilion on the building in the background is spelled with two els. The arcade beside him stood on the lake bank in the northern part of the park.

This is a copy of a photo owned by one of my "net-met" friends, Denise/Dee. Isaac was her great-grandfather. His sister and brother-in-law, Myrtle and Sump Mumford, owned and operated a "Candy Confection" stand in the park. Dee told me that she also has an original candy cookbook that her great-aunt and uncle used at that time. Hopefully, she'll share that with us in the future.

Just a word about Dee: She helped me substantially with my history of the Gore Orphanage. She supplied me with a list of names of the people and children who once lived/worked in the orphanage. She also gave me more information about "Big" Ed Lampe and some pointers about tracking down more information on him. Her contributions to my work, as well as the contributions of others, are greatly appreciated.

JUST OVER THE BANK: Just beyond the pic of Mr. Thompson (above) and over the lake bank was this scene. I don't have much to add to the photo in the way of words. This was just one of the things that was going on at the park, and all along the lake, during the summer months in the early 20th century.

I know that records readily showed me that boat and canoe rentals were big business in those days. They also showed me that these activities were not without a goodly number of tragedies. Lake and river boating/canoe accidents and drownings were part of the season and part of the business. The key difference was that very few people filed wrongful death law suits during that time. It appears that most people understood that accidents just happen. They didn't find it necessary to sue the rental places for negligence. It would have been a very contrived allegation. Time has changed all of that. Now such allegations are commonplace.

CAMP VERMILION: Here we are at the dawn of Vermilion's Olympic Outing Club. This is another rather foggy photograph. It actually looks better on the net than it does on photo paper. Taken from the east bank of the Vermilion River looking west one can just make out a tend on the shore. I doubt that the folks in the canoes are club members. The Olympic Club was exclusively a Men's Clubat the time - and remained so right into the late 1970's or early 1980's. Women were normally only allowed at the campground for one week during the summer. The canoes most like came from one of the boat liveries near the river bridge in the village.

The club is an extremely interesting place with an extremely interesting history. Although things have been modernized some during the last several years the flavor of the club is still that of old-time Vermilion. The atmosphere is laid back and very very friendly.

CLASS REUNION UPDATES: Again members of the Vermilion High School Class of 1959; your class reunion will be held between October 8 and 10, 2004 here in town. Those looking for more information on the subject can now visit the Class of '59 website by clicking on the highlighted text. To my knowledge Roger Boughton is responsible for this site. I should mention that a visit to this particular website is worth ones time. Maybe you didn't belong to this class, but I'm sure you know someone who does. And I think you'll enjoy reading some of their memories of those days. Also BuffaloBill Hlavin has asked me to find and 1958 football program for him. I'll look. But I'll also ask class members tuned into this site to also look and let myself, Roger, or Bill know if you have one.

Dale Wendell, in sunny Arizona, told me that his class (VHS 1944) will also be having a reunion this summer. Just this day (1-24-04) Dale let me know that it will be held on Sunday, July 25, 2004 at the Vermilion Fish and Game.

As news regarding these activities comes to my attention it will appear on this web page. So stay tuned.

From a long way around the planet comes a message about the VHS Reunion of the Class of 1954. Their Reunion is planned for the 17th of July, 2004 at the Amvets Post on Route 60. I've also heard (2-14-04) from George Hoffman of this class who now lives in Sandusky. He,and four fellow classmates, are putting this reunion together.

And I'll have to get back to you about the Reunions of Classes 1963, 64, and 65. I published it a few weeks ago but don't have it at my fingertips right this moment. In any case it's going to be a busy place for such activities this summer. Perhaps we should have just had one gigantic blow-out.

The Beat Goes On: The page is generated by the dreaded Macintosh Computer and is written and designed by (me) Rich Tarrant. It will change weekly ~ usually on Saturday. Bookmark the URL (Universal Resource Locater) and come back at your own leisure. Send the page to your friends (and enemies if you wish). If you have something to share with those who visit this page, pass it on. And if you see something that is in need of correction do the same. My sister, Nancy, is a great help in that respect. It only takes me a week to get things right. And follow the bookmarks. You might find something you like. If you experience a problem with them let me know. Also, if you want to see past editions of this eZine let me know and I'll send them to you.

Links to other sites on the Web

Vermilion Ohio Historic Pix
History of Linwood Park
Vermilion Community Orchestra
Vermilion Chamber of Commerce
Vermilion's Oldest Church
Vermilion Visitor's Advisory (Satire)
Gore Orphanage History
The Lester Pelton Story

"I am not deliciously saucy." ~ Bart Simpson

Vol.1, Issue 48, February 21, 2004

© 2004 Rich Tarrant