Another interesting ride from Monterey to Salinas,  after being so fortunate, to see a part of what appeared to be a bike race – though the details are sketchy – though more research is in order. Also seeing a walk a thon that originated at Dennis the Menace Park. It did seem to be quite the day for Outdoor Activity so I was glad to have made the trip out there.

MST (Monterey Salinas Transit) Public System

To do that – was actually quite simple, I will admit that early on because there seemed to be a lot of fog I ended up using Bus 20 To Monterey via MST. It was on this bus I saw another cyclist – looked like he was packed for a tour on the same bus. I thought about getting a photo of his rig and him but missed the opportunity. I figure should add some media shots to this blog so stay tuned. After the ride and seeing the other Bicycle Tourist – since it was still early decided to get off at Edgewater and ride from Sand City To The Job Site job site by MPC.When I got off the bus still was foggy but I had time so I went for the ride.

Travel Monterey ~ Edgewater Shopping Center

As you leave from Edgewater you need to take a right and follow it down to turn left, around the back of some of the stores there in the shopping center. Relatively simple route as you come around you have a bit of a climb up the hill to reconnect with the trail but once on it, pretty good ride. That was really only a warm up if you want to call it anything as from Edgewater it is not to many miles from point A to Point B. Let’s talk about the ride in Salinas to Catch the 20 may be a bit more interesting. As I have been having some issues with the BC600 I believe it is. Will have to double-check that info and update it here but have found it has a tendency to reset itself sometimes and I have no idea why. The route spoke about here has a part of it on the bus, now more often than not I’d rather ride the full stretch, as it only equates to about 30 miles (30 miles = 48.28032 kilometers) round trip from there and back again. Though the only real challenge is if you decide to follow Blanco Road via Davis in Salinas as that is often the more direct chosen route for most cars. Yet as I think about it you are on a bike, so there are other options that would not have the same wind factor which makes blanco a challenging ride, as there is a lot of wind down that stretch depending on what time of day it is.

Back to the subject at hand,when bicycling there are certainly alternative routes some of them are mentioned at MTY County Dot Com that offers some of the approaches to experience Monterey County by bike, as well as presenting alternatives to the route prescribed. One of my personal favorites is to Follow Reservation around until I come to a turn off on the left that enters into the long retired Fort Ord. That then offers you unparalleled experiences and numerous miles without cars, on both road and an extensive collection of Single Track trails, giving you a different perspective as you are traveling the backwoods. From there you are able to connect to 17 Mile Drive, when you travel into Pacific Grove and from there you can most certainly travel into Big Sur if you are in a touring mood.

In closing Monterey County, has a well established system of paths and connecting roads to make your bicycling experience here on this part of the Pacific Coast Trail, a wonderful experience and an opportunity to see things from another perspective.

Monterey County Weekly
December 23, 2009
by Corby Anderson

On the corner lot of a once-pleasant, palm-studded neighborhood in East Salinas, an ash-colored tabby steps furtively across a dead and prickly lawn. Crouched low, triggered to pounce, he advances across a minefield of rotten newspaper bundles until he finds his prey. There, shaded from a vengeful sun by the T of a realtor’s cross, the four-legged feline vulture scrapes his raspy tongue across the carcass of a half-consumed lollipop.

The scene is drearier than a Cormac McCarthy novel. That is, until the grass man and his green wand cometh.

Brian Sharp spraypaints lawns that, for a variety of reasons, have lost their luster. “California is in its fourth year of drought,” he says. “That, combined with the foreclosure market, was interesting to me as an entrepreneur.”

Sharp, a business student at Hartnell College, witnessed the lawns in his community going fallow after owners began walking away from upside-down investments. Where others saw an ugly brown blight, Sharp saw green. With an investment of just a few hundred dollars, he created Presto Turf Sprayers.

“Golf courses have been doing it for years,” Sharp says as he sprays a fine layer of forest green on the brown ground where the cat had stalked its prey minutes before. “It is their secret salad. I just looked at the economy and connected the dots. I bought a backpack sprayer, some non-toxic, biodegradable paint, and started going door to door and calling the realtors.”

As one might imagine, the sight of Sharp painting a lawn green elicits quite a few comments and questions from curious neighbors and passers-by. “They just don’t believe it,” he says. “They think it’s unsafe or toxic. I tell them that it’s 100 percent eco-friendly, non-fetotoxic [safe for pregnant women and their fetuses] and pet-safe.”

It’s also a practical solution in a climate of dried-up funds, he adds: “The banks need to get people to buy the houses, but a dormant lawn takes time to re-grow. I call it zero-effort lawn care.”

Local broker Jeremy Rangle was one of Sharp’s first clients. “He offered to paint my lawn as a prototype and the result was great,” he says. “We use him for photography of our listings. His work makes for eye-catching lawns.”

Sharp claims that a coat of paint will keep a lawn looking snappy for up to six months. Next year, he plans to offer paint-on sponsor logos and special markings for sporting fields.

While shoring up unsightly lawns was the impetus behind his niche business, Sharp feels saving water is the most beneficial aspect of his work. “There are plenty of people with lawns that are toasted because there are water shortages, or water is too expensive to use regularly. My product keeps those people with water challenges in good standing with the neighbors and code enforcement types,” he says.

The Gonzalez native has a more traditional green thumb as well. He is a dedicated “cactophile,” a lover of all things succulent and drought-resistant. He maintains a stockpile of hundreds of unique cacti, and admires their survivability. “I love how frugal they are,” he says. “They do their best with the resources available to them.”

He has little time for his hobby, though, with a full slate of classes, his lawn painting business, as well as a full time gig running his family bail bonds business. He finds the mellow, solitary act of lawn painting to be therapeutic in contrast to his other work. “When I am painting, I don’t have to deal with shady characters, jail or bounty hunters,” he says. “They are the worst. Here, it’s just me and the grass.”

Using emerald-spackled drop cloths to mask off the concrete that wraps around the impressive-but-abandoned corner lot, Sharp traces the edges where lawn meets sidewalk with the focus of an artist. He is soon lost in his work, a conductor whose chrome baton flashes like schooling sardines in the fall sun. The nozzle is attached to a long yellow hose that reels from a homemade Frankentrailer apparatus, topped by a 50-gallon tank. He built “The Rig” when business became so steady that his back was getting sore from hefting the backpack around for days on end.

The only apparent victims of his work, besides his back, are his once-black Nike sneakers, which he considers to be collateral damage – victims of friendly fire in a larger fight to beautify soured tracts of land.

“It’s all about curb appeal. I want to help the community recover,” he says. At that, he turns, picking up the week-old newspapers that litter the brown patch he is about to turn green – and the discarded lollipop.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium used to be a sardine processing plant, in the heyday of Monterey’s sardine…day. When they converted the factory into a museum, they left the bones of the factory in place. The factory processed thousands upon thousands of sardines in the same place as the museum now promotes ecology.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a fascinating exhibit right now called The Secret Life of Seahorses. Not only do you learn about how seahorses dance with each other, and how seahorses, sea dragons, pipehorses, and pipefish mate and carry their offspring (hint: Mr. Mom), but the exhibit itself is a lovely piece of exhibition design. An artist was commissioned to make beautiful art nouveau-type seahorse-inspired gates and frames out of steel.

I wish my hand had been steadier so I could have gotten a really crisp image.

Bluefin tuna in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA. This is in the Outer Bay exhibit, a beautiful, eerie space designed to look like the depths of the sea.

Leopard shark at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Neatorama.com’s list of 10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World has several Californian entries.

The list of California trees include:

The Lone Cypress in Monterey, California – The iconic tree is located on a cliff ledge with the Pacific Ocean as the background. It is part of the 17-Mile Drive and is the official symbol of Pebble Beach.

The Circus Trees in Gilroy, California – These arbor-sculptures are the work of  Axel Erlandson who opened a park with these trees in 1947. The arbor-sculptures were later purchased by millionaire Michael Bonfante in 1985 and now reside in Gilroy Gardens.

General Sherman in Sierra Nevada, California – Giant sequoia trees will only grow in this area and are the world’s largest trees (by volume). The biggest of the sequoias is the General Sherman which is 275 feet in height and over 6000 in weight.

Chandelier Tree in Leggett, California – This redwood tree is 315 feet tall with a 6 foot wide by 9 foot hole cut in the base that allows cars to drive through.

Churchill has many short-term corporate apartments available within a close drive to these magnificent trees. Contact us if you need short-term rentals in California.

The Lone Cypress at Pebble Beach. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Delicious and stuffed full with strawberries, bananas and nutella. Found in downtown Monterey at the Monterey Crepe Company…it was beyond délicieux!

P.S. If you love fish…the salmon and cream cheese crepe melts in your mouth! I give it a 5-STAR!

I think he hath too much meade!

Acrylic,spraypaint, on canvas 120/85 cm 2009

Stories by:
Corby Anderson

The Fire

It was a little past midnight on a moonless, foggy Tuesday when Stuttering Sheila and her “bbbenefffactor” Antonio paid their tab and warbled from the barstools where they had perched since lunchtime.

Their departure left only the sad eyed owner of the Otter Limits, Marina’s last pub, and the banker who cooked loans next door at Peoples Trust. At 12:17, a plan was formed. By 1 am, the alarm was disabled, the vault penetrated.

Downing double Chivas’, they toasted the days when Fort Ord thrived as they watched the tangerine flames engulf the wall that separated their adjoined places of employment.

***********************************************************

To Die Ironically is No Death At All

How ironic, he thought, his mind reeling wildly as his glottis spasmed and clamped vice-like on the spiny obstruction which was now lodged horizontally, buried deep in the ribbed tubing of his esophagus.

An apologetic fist wailed fruitlessly on his upper back. He assumed by the force being applied that it was the waiters knuckles that were breaking his ribs accidentally, and not those of his panicked wife.

With no breath coming, his eyes fixed in a shocked gaze on the small dish of lemon aioli and its delicious, thistly consort, the local fare. “My name is Arthur, and I’ve choked.”

***********************************************************

The Return

“By god, they’re back!” yelled Edmondo.

Over and over he ranted this refrain, but only the gulls and the cormorants could agree, for he was alone in his boat. Before the vengeance took her, his wife had cruelly called the vessel his “smelly, steel casket.”

But the fisherman did not like to remember Angelina in this way, for she was the light and the ardor, and other than the salmon and his few friends at the marina, she had been the whole of his existence, and so he had re-named his small dory in honor of her when she passed.

California vacations are all about doing things with the entire family, and one of the best things to do while in the Golden State is visit one of the state’s top-notch aquariums. From San Francisco to La Jolla, there are several awaiting your discovery.

If you have young kids, a trip to an aquarium can be richly rewarding experience as you watch the wonder in their eyes as they get an up-close look at the other-worldly creatures swimming in tanks designed to look like native habitats. With elaborate signing and fun hands-on exhibits, an aquarium seems almost like a theme park to most children. They’ll discover sealife and various creatures that will offer hours of stimulation.

Here is where you can find some great aquariums in the state of California:

Monterey Bay Aquarium

With its colorful history and Cannery Row sightseeing, Monterey is a popular destination for many California travelers. And Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the biggest reasons people travel to Monterey. You can easily spend many hours in this first-class facility housing more than 6,500 fascinating sea creatures.

Housed in one of the former cannery buildings, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a fascinating exploration of the undersea life found near Monterey. The aquarium covers everything from tide pool creatures to sharks and even features a 31-foot high kelp forest that is visible in one of the aquarium’s huge tanks. Two-story viewing windows give visitors the feeling they are truly 20,000 leagues under the sea.

One of our first impressions was how unique and artistic many of the exhibits are. They combine living creatures with art displays in a very unsual way. The great thing is that exhibits are always changing. So, while we enjoyed the Jellies during our visit, you’ll see other interesting exhbits when you go: Living Art exhibit which featured not only the always colorful jellyfish, but artwork and installations by such well know art figures as Dale Chihuly, David Hockney and Cork Marcheschi.

Among the other parts of the aquarium we enjoyed were the sharks and schools of fish in the Monterey Bay Habitats section, the unusual animals found only at great depths in the Mysteries of the Deep exhibit, and the California Sea Otters, always a crowd favorite.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach. For more information, phone 1-800-756-3737 or visit www.montereybayaquarium.org.

Aquarium of the Pacific

If you haven’t been to Long Beach yet, you’re in for a treat. You’ve no doubt heard about the famous Queen Mary – worth an hour or two of exploration all by itself – but nearby is Rainbow Harbor, which offers a multitude of activities that are all within a short walk. The “boardwalk” around the harbor’s shoreline takes you past a host of sea-going vessels ranging from huge excursion boats to paddle-wheel riverboats to historic schooners to garden-variety fishing boats. Several boats offer harbor tours while others will take you whale-watching.

One of the must-see attractions right in Rainbow Harbor is the Aquarium of the Pacific. Home to more than 12,500 ocean animals, the Aquarium also features 19 major habitats and 32 focus exhibits. We spent a couple hours wandering through the exhibits and found each one fascinating and a fun experience for oldsters as well as youngsters.

The Shark Lagoon is one of the most popular exhibits at the Aquarium of the Pacific. With more than 150 sharks, the lagoon includes large sharks, rays and shark touch pools where you reach down and feel them as they swim by. The Aquarium also has exhibits on various geographic areas including the Northern Pacific, Southern California/Baja and the Tropical Pacific.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is an example of major redevelopment that has made Long Beach one of the most surprising and interesting destinations in California. This is a former Navy town, which some people say spawned businesses that mainly catered to enlisted men and were not the family-oriented type of businesses they needed to be a major tourist attraction. All of that has now changed and the stylish condos, new restaurants and colorful shopping areas such as Shoreline Village and Pine Avenue have made Long Beach a popular spot for families and couples from all over California.

Aquarium of the Bay

Next time you visit Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, the Aquarium of the Bay is right in the center of the action. Even in summer, the chilly breezes blowing down on the wharf may convince you it would be good to take a break and see a great exhibit that happens to be located indoors.

Uniquely, the Aquarium of the Bay has about 300 tunnels that visitors can walk through that makes it feel like you’re walking through a fish tank. Sharks, eels, octopus – whatever sea animals you’re interested in, chances are you’ll see it swimming somewhere at the Aquarium of the Bay.

The kids will be especially interested in the touch pools where they can touch starfish, bat rays and even small sharks.

But here it’s not just the aquarium that brings the ocean to life – the many seafood restaurants and tourist attractions along Pier 39 create a festive atmosphere with great vistas of the San Francisco Bay. Take a walk along the pier and you’ll probably spot dozens of sea lions sprawling on the docks below. It’s as if they’re holding court for the tourists who can’t resist their charms.

For more information on the Aquarium of the Bay, visit www.aquariumofthebay.com or call 1-888-732-3483.

Birch Aquarium

The village of La Jolla, near San Diego, is worth a getaway any time of year with its spectacular coastal views, great restaurants and trendy shopping. But one of the best local attractions for kids is the Birch Aquarium.

This is not a huge facility like the aquariums in Monterey and Long Beach, but rather a smaller, more intimate experience where the kids can take their time viewing the exhibits and where parents won’t have to deal with large crowds.

Exhibits at the aquarium are organized by type of fish, and by type of environment. For example, the “Gateway to Baja” looks at fish from that particular region. Another exhibit is on the various species found in tide pools. You can see the difference between the fish found in Southern California waters and those found in the tropics.

Among the most popular exhibits at the Birch Aquarium is the seahorse exhibit where you can view a wide variety of these creatures ranging from tiny half-inch seahorses up to sea dragons. Kids also will learn a lot about oceanography through various interactive exhibits. They can ride an earthquake machine or learn the properties of water and how waves are made. Videos offer extraordinary glimpses of life beneath the sea.

For more information on Birch Aquarium, call 858-534-3474 or visit http://aquarium.ucsd.edu.

Today I woke up to the news that one of my African-American broadcasting heroes, Bryant Gumbel, is recovering from a bought with malignant lung cancer. Gumbel is 61 years young, and his presence in the broadcasting community has had a major impact for several years.

I call him a pioneer, because Bryant broke into the national media at a time when it was not too popular to have a black man in a leading position on the TV news, or even in Sports news, although more likely than not, African-Americans were dominating all of the popular American sports the moment we were allowed to compete against non-black athletes.

USA Today reports that…Gumbel was among the first announcers to cross over from sports to general entertainment. After working as a reporter and studio host for NBC Sports, he became an NBC Today show host. In recent years, he’s returned to TV sports including working as the NFL Network’s first play-by-play game announcer although he hadn’t previously called football games…

Bryant Gumbel defeated all of his competition to rise to the esteemed position as lead Host on the ”Today” show, on the NBC television network. He is credited with promoting Katie Couric and for mentoring current ”Today” show host Matt Lauer throughout their careers.

It is unclear to me if Bryant was a regular smoker of cigarettes, but he is known to enjoy a celebratory cigar from time to time, but there is no evidence that any of that is the cause of his cancer battle.

One does not have to be a smoker to develop lung cancer, but it is usually at cause for the disease.

Bryant Gumbel announced Tuesday morning that he had cancer surgery two months ago to remove a malignant tumor near his lung. The subject came up during a live taping of the  ”Live! with Regis and Kelly,” where Bryant is filling in this week for co-host Regis Philbin,who is undergoing hip replacement surgery, Gumbel brought it up to explain why he could not dance with co-host Kelly Ripa.

Needless to say, Kelly and the audience were stunned. Bryant said that he kept it away from his staff and close relationships, but he did tell his immediate family. The broadcaster is notoriously private.

The former ‘Today’ show anchor says he had a tumor and part of his lung removed two months ago.

He states that  he is seeing his surgeon next week.

“I’m hoping they greenlight me to play golf again,” he said.

http://wp.me/pEzT2-kk

Senator Harry Reid was correct to say that the Republican’s are resisting Health care reform much like the Democratic senator’s that were resisting the abolishment of slavery, prior to the Civil War.

They want us to not have health care, so that the majority of us will die off quickly and they are committed to our death from disease.

I applaud Senator Harry Reid, who is only speaking the truth, to those that already know that they hate us, as much as they loved slavery.

I am glad that Bryant has the financial ability to provide health care to his family and himself,and I encourage all men to go seek the highest level of medical care you are able to receive, even if you have to go to a free clinic.

Your family and future may depend on it.

Sources-

http://bossip.com/188206/bryant-gumbel-on-the-mend-after-cancer-surgery/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-12-08-bryant-gumbel-lung-cancer-surgery_N.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/08/bryant-gumbel-cancer-anno_n_383844.html

Sunday Their will be a “Peace” march held in Jaurez , The people holding the march have kept their names out of the news for fear that they will be Killed ,
Other activists and some outspoken students have been killed recently because of their opposition to the Drug Cartels !

In the 4 years since Calderon has taken Office 15,000 people have been killed throughout Mexico , 4000 plus just in the Jaurez area !

….
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) – Twelve people were killed in related gun battles in northern Mexico on Friday, one of the highest death tolls from a clash in the country’s drug war in recent months.

Shooting broke out when soldiers approached a ranch during an operation near the city of Monterrey, military and local authorities told Reuters. Seven gunmen were killed in the shootout, they said.

Other gunmen, thought to be part of the Zetas drug gang, escaped the ranch and were chased by security forces, leading to another shootout that killed five people, including a bystander.

“So far we have 12 dead confirmed,” a police source said. “Eleven were drug gang members and one was a civilian.”

Since President Felipe Calderon took office in late 2006, more than 15,000 people have died in the drug war, which is tied to a fight between rival cartels for control of the lucrative trade.

Massive army deployments in cities such as Ciudad Juarez on the U.S. border have failed to quell the violence.

Peace and tranquility await guests at the Sanctuary Cottage in Carmel Valley. Phase 645AF, Phase One P65+, Mamiya 35mm. ©2009 Ken Doo Photography

Situated just minutes from Carmel, Sanctuary Cottage opens its doors to guests visiting the central coast.  Ed and Beverly Sigourney carefully designed this hidden getaway, and their attention to details really shows, from the beautiful wood floors, granite countertops, large picture windows, to the heated slate floors in the bathroom.  The cottage is ideally suited for visitors to the central coast seeking a location close to nearby events, such as the AT&T National Pro Am Golf Tournament in Pebble Beach (February 8-14, 2010) The US Open Championship (June 14-20, 2010), or the Concourse D’Elegance (August 15-, 2010), yet desiring a quiet retreat in the evenings.  Couples will especially enjoy the romantic setting of the pond and gentle waterfall.

Newly appointed kitchen.

The living room area features Blu Ray HD entertainment center and views of the expansive landscaped property.

The pool. Guests can wander the expansive grounds and enjoy the manicured landscape of the Sanctuary Cottage in Carmel.

The gorgeous property is a perfect sanctuary and also provides a beautiful setting for weddings and other events.  I was honored when Ed and Beverly Sigourney asked me to do the photography to help them showcase their newly remodeled cottage. I chose to use my Phase 645AF camera and Phase One P65+ medium format digital back and Canon 1Ds Mark III camera to complete this architectural/interiors photography job.   You can find out more information about staying at Ed and Beverly Sigourney’s Sanctuary Cottage in Carmel, California at their website, www.carmelvalleysanctuarycottage.com  or call Ed or Beverly direct at (831) 659-3572.

Contact the studio in Carmel for more photography information or call (831) 626-1844.  Ken Doo

Take a ride with the latest Spyder out of Stuttgart. It does make some awfully good noises.

Then step back in time to this legendary Spyder of yore:

Thanks to The Chicane for the tip.

- Gyro

Notable artists who made the area their home include John Steinbeck, who grew up in Salinas, and lived in nearby Pacific Grove for many years as well as the city of Monterey for a very short time. Steinbeck immortalized Monterey with his novels Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat and East of Eden, and his play Of Mice and Men. Among Steinbeck’s friends were some of the city’s more colorful characters, including Ed Ricketts, a marine biologist, and Bruce Ariss, artist and theatre enthusiast who designed and built the Wharf Theater. After Rickett’s death, the new owner and a group of his friends would assemble in Rickett’s lab for drinks and Jazz music every Wednesday evening. While visiting with the group, San Francisco DJ, Jimmy Lyons, suggested holding a Jazz celebration in Monterey which eventually became the Monterey Jazz Festival.^[

Also seen here.

New Real Estate Pro coming to you world and I have a lot to say.

Zachary Taylor

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

From the Ohio State Journal

OLD ZACK.

BY J. GREINER — TUNE, “Uncle Ned.” [original song LYRICS]

There lives an old soldier, there never was a bolder,
On the Mississippi, down below;
His name is Old Zack, and he’s upon the track,
For President, in Ohio.

Chorus –

The Locofoco leaders look blue, they do,
So go it with a rush, boys, go’
For old Rough and Ready, we know everybody
Wants President, in Ohio.

With a long strong pull, pull together, altogether,
United as one man go;
With hearts true as steel, put your shoulders to the wheel,
For Old Zack in Ohio.
Chorus — The Locofoco leaders, &c.

Tho’ Cass broke his sword on a stump, and he ‘swor’d,’
(As some say he did long ago;)
The story wont pass — all ‘gas,’ Mr. Cass,
It wont do in Ohio.
Chorus — The Locofoco leaders &c.

Let Cass run his chances — we think “circumstances
Will prevent his attendance,” you know;
Old Zack fights to win — he’s good looking, he’ll come in,
With a shout from Ohio.
Chorus — The Locofoco leaders, &c.

Poor Cass, a man of doubt, wires in and wires out –
Both this way and that way he’ll go;
But candidate Cass, like a snake in the grass,
You can’t hide in Ohio.
Chorus — The Locofoco leaders, &c.

Hang your banners on the wall, Whigs, Democrats and all,
For Old Rough and Ready we go;
For he’s an honest man — elect him boys, we can,
And we’ll do it in Ohio.
Chorus — The Locofoco leaders, &c.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Jun 27, 1848

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

“OLD ZACK.”

Composed by J. Greiner, Esq., of Columbus, Ohio, and dedicated to the Detroit Rough and Ready Glee Club, and sung by them at the Washtenaw County Convention, July 4th.

TUNE — “THE POACHERS.” [original LYRICS]

Come kindle your watch-fire every true Whig,
No longer stand watching the weather,
In heart and in hand, united we’ll stand,
Sink, swim, live or die, altogether.
Then rally, “Whigs rally” from hill-top and valley,
Your Banners unfurl to the sky.

CHORUS.
Old Zack’s on the track, will you stand at his back,
All you in his favor say “Ay,” (that’s it.)
Stand up to the rack, ye friend of Old Zack,
Ye Whigs that will never say die.

Shall we in the hour of danger shrink back,
Surrender Old Zack, never! no –
Who never turned back of his and to a friend,
Nor back of his coat to a foe.
We’ll give ‘em a little more grape “Capt. Bragg,”
His enemies proudly defy.

CHORUS.
Old Zack’s on the track, &c.

Alas! poor Cass, our noise and confusion,
His sensitive soul will confound.
The sword he ran into the old hollow stump,
He soon will run into the ground.
The Court of France may have taught him to dance,
To cut a pigeon-wing high.

CHORUS.
Old Zack’s on the track, &c.

When Old Zack is snug in the Presidential Chair,
Then we shall enjoy the fun,
He never will “GO IN” for “BURNING THE BARN,”
But Lord, how the RATS they will run.
Tho’ poor Matty Van is a badly used man,
His chances are all in my eye.

CHORUS.
Old Zack’s on the track, &c.

Then saddle the Nags, the track is all ready,
No matter how many may come.
We’ll bet “Old Whitey” will distance the field,
We know that his rider is “SOME.”
Then down with the dust, and fork up the dough,
No longer stand parleying by.

CHORUS.

Old Zack’s on the track, will you stand at his back,
All you in favor, say “Aye,” OLD ZACK, (that’s it.)
Never fly from the track, ye friends of Old Zack,
Ye Whigs that never say die.

N.B. The audience answer “Aye,” in the Chorus.”

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Aug 1, 1848

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

From the Library of Congress website, an explanation of the above image:

SUMMARY:  In a ring a large bull, wearing a ribbon marked “The Rough & Ready” between its horns, faces five matadors. The bull represents Zachary Taylor, nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready.” The matadors are prominent Whigs, who hold capes expressing their varied expectations of the candidate. The matadors are (from left to right): Senator John J. Crittenden holding a “Wilmot [Proviso]” cape; New York editor James Watson Webb, who states, “We desire you to have–” [written on cape] “No Veto Power.” An unidentified man (possibly Congressman John M. Botts) says, “We will have–” [on cape] “A National Bank.” Daniel Webster insists, “We must have–” [on cape] “A High Tariff!” An unidentified man standing behind Webster exclaims, “I hope that we won’t be Bulled!” In the background are stands crowded with spectators, above which flies a flag “U. S.”

*****

From the Winchester (Ia.) Orthopolitan.

WE ARE ALL FOR TAYLOR.

BY ONE OF THE B’HOYS.

TUNE — “OLD GRANITE STATE.” [original song LYRICS]

We are coming, we are coming!
To the battle just begun,
We’ve a true and tried commander,
For ’tis Taylor leads us on;
He who fought so bravely for us,
On the eighth and ninth of May,
And amid the fearful carnage
On the hights of Monterey.
We are all for Taylor.
We are all for Taylor.
We’re for Fillmore and for Taylor.
For the honest and the true.

He who never has surrendered
Though the foe stood four to one,
Is the brave and gallant Taylor,
Who will nobly lead us on;
And the ides of next November
Will record another name,
In the highest nich of glory,
On the brightest scroll of fame.
We are all for Taylor, &c.

Though our foes may count by legions,
We will never shun the fray,
But will bravely march to battle,
And are sure to win the day;
For ’tis Rough and Ready leads us
Who has never known defeat,
And his word is every “ONWARD,”
For he knows not a retreat.
We are all for Taylor, &c.

Where the battle rages thickest
Will our gallant chief be found,
And his cheering voice be ringing
To encourage all around;
Every danger nobly scorning,
He will boldly lead the van,
To a Buena Vista greeting
For the man of Michigan.
We are all for Taylor, &c.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Aug 8, 1848

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

ROUGH AND READY.

AIR — “Who’ll be King but Charlie.“ [Original song LYRICS]

The news comes in, on every hand,
From mountain top to ocean,
To stir the heart and rouse the land,
And keep the ball in motion.
With banners flowing and bosoms glowing,
And ranks all true and steady,
A nation’s voice proclaims our choice,
Hurrah for Rough and Ready!
With banners flowing and bosoms glowing,
Come, Southrons and Northrons, we’re all agoing
To join the throng and shout the song,
Hurrah for Rough and Ready!

The Western lads are all alive,
See how the prairie blazes!
And rock and hill fling back the cheer
The distant frontier raises.
With banners flowing, &c.

The boys of Maine will try again
What hearts and hands can do, sir,
And there’s the star, that never sets,
She blazes brightly too, sir.
With banners flowing, &c.

The ladies all are on our side,
And urge us to our duty,
And where’s the cause that ever failed,
When backed by truth and beauty?
With banners flowing, &c.

Then here’s to him, the brave old man,
The soul of truth and honor,
He leads us in our country’s name,
God’s blessing be upon her.
With banners flowing, &c.

Then freemen, up, to all you love,
Be firm and true and steady,
And every man resolve to stand
Like men by Rough and Ready.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Sep 5, 1848

Image from http://memory.loc.gov

From the Ohio State Journal.

One of the Old Zack Songs.
BY J. GREINER.

TUNE — “O look ye there.”

O all ye pouting, doubting Whigs,
Who go about as mourners,
Come wipe the tear-drops from your eyes,
Stop croaking on the corners.

CHORUS.
O come along, with shout and song,
And “go it” while you’re able,
We’ll put Old Zack in the White House, boys,
“Old Whitey” in the White House stable.

Ah me! to hear these croakers croak,
O, ’tis a “sin to Moses!”
They snuffle, they “can’t go Old Zack,”
And then they wipe their noses.

O come along, &c.

Cheer up! cheer up! ye fearful Whigs,
And on your harness buckle;
At doubting Whigs the devil laughs,
The Locofocos chuckle.

O come along, &c.

The Locos swore that Harry Clay
Made pledges far too many;
The rascals now abuse Old Zack,
Because he don’t make any.

O come along, &c.

The Taylor platform’s broad enough
To hold this mighty nation;
‘Tis built of Whig materials all,
And has a firm foundation.

O come along, &c.

The Locos tried at Baltimore,
To fix a platform bigger;
They set a “dead-fall,” and for bait
Stuck Cass upon the trigger.

O come along, &c.

The sly old fox of Kinderhook,
He eyes the trap with wonder;
He thought ‘twould do for catching rats,
But “foxes” wouldn’t go under.

O come along, &c.

Tho’ Cass has lived all his six lives
In office, for the trimmings,
Yet Old Zack curries the longest pole,
And he’ll knock all the “‘SIMMONS.”

O come along, &c.

Nine Taylors to make a single man,
We always used to muster;
Take nine such Taylors as Old Zack,
And wouldn’t he be a buster!

O come along, &c.

Then come along with shout and song,
And “go it” strong, we’re able,
W’ell put Old Zack in the White House, boys,
Old Whitey in the White House stable.

O come along &c.

P.S. — Tho’ chicken thieves abuse Old Zack,
They’ll “catch it” if they’re taken,
For tho’ Joe Bennett stole the hog,
He didn’t save his bacon.

O come along, &c.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Sep 12, 1848

Image from http://memory.loc.gov

A WHIG CALL TO QUARTERS.

(Changed from the N.Y. Tribune.)

“Haul down the flag! — all’s over;
We have done what men could do,
Unbroken through adversity,
A tried and gallant crew;
So it has been with Truth and Right
In every age and clime.
Beaten, — borne down by the numbers, –
And conquered —– for a time.”

Such — when the fight was ending,
And our boldest men turned pale;
For the stoutest hearts had learned to fear
Under that driving gale;
When our ships were drifting helplessly
Upon the heaving tide,
And the good Kentucky liner
Poured in her last broadside –

Such, were our thoughts when beaten;
But how else should it be?
False flags and foreign bottoms
Gathered from every sea,
Freebooters of all nations
That sail the salt sea brine;
Thank God! there wasn’t one of them
Fought in the old Whig Line!

In the rough and bitter weather
And the angry tempest’s frown,
Few Whig ships were left together,
When the dismal sun went down,
Repairing the disasters
Of the storm and battle’s wreck;
But we still hear distant cheering –
When we listen from the deck.

None know — so thick the night is,
What ships yet live or drown;
And the Constitution’s color
Are at half-mast, union down;
But the old ship heaves a rocket
Through the darkness for a sign,
And from the whole scattered squadron
See the dancing signals shine!

For the years are rolling over,
And the time has come again;
We have another fight to fight,
Another field to win,
The LAST field — for the country;
If but once more we fail;
Hoist your last rags of canvas,
And TRUST the favoring gale!

We were not always beaten;
Think of the times of yore!
Shake out the ancient ensign
We conquered with before!
The Flag of the Revolution
Flying as first it flew;
Up to the highest topmast!
Send up the Buff and Blue!

With shout for our new Commander,
Roll out that larboard gun,
Signal the beat to quarters,
There are fields yet to be won;
And while he nobly leads us –
While we with him conquering strive,
Nine Cheers for Admiral Taylor,
The bravest man alive!

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Sep 19, 1848

Image from http://memory.loc.gov

From the Rough and Ready Songster.

ROUGH AND READY.

Twas in the trench at Vera Cruz,
A group of soldiers lay,
Weary and worn with working
At the guns the live long day.
Their faces were begrimmed with sand,
And soot from shot and shell
Exploding in the crumbling earth –
For fast the missiles fell.

Yet cheerly they chatted,
For their hearts with hope beat high,
They knew the hour of victory
Was surely drawing nigh.
There came a war-worn soldier,
To mingle with the rest;
They bade him welcome to their cheer,
And gave him of the best.

He’d served with General Taylor,
And they asked him of the man,
Who first and last had led the way
To victory in the van –
On the winding Rio Grande
On the eighth and ninth of May,
And the storm of Monterey.

“I knew him first,” the soldier said,
“Among the Everglades,
When we gave the savage red-skins
Our bayonets and our blades.
I think I hear his cheerful voice:
‘On column!’ Steady! steady
So hardy and so prompt was he,
We called him Rough and Ready.

“He rode upon an old white horse;
And wore a brown surtout –
But, oftener, when the ground was deep,
He trudged with us on foot.
The man from whose canteen he drank
Was envied and though lucky;
He had the brave and kind good heart
The honored old Kentucky.

“By wounds outworn, I left the field;
But when a new campaign
Against another foe commenced,
I joined the ranks again.
‘Twas fun alive, boys, once again
To hear the sabre’s clank,
To see old Rough and Ready ride
His white horse on our flank.

“At Palo Alto comrades, there
He gave us work to do,
And o’er La Palma’s sulphury smoke
His flag triumphant flew.
When from the fire his aid-de-camp
Would have the chief retire,
Old Rough and Ready merely said,
‘We’ll ride a little nigher.’

“You should have seen the brave old boy
In the streets of Monterey,
When the cannon swept the plaza,
How he sternly stood at bay.
When shell, and grape, and cannon ball
On their deadly errand went –
The general seemed a man of steel,
And fire his element.

“And if a wounded soldier,
In the streets of Monterey,
Or friend or foe, looked up to him
Imploring, whence he lay,
He stooped to wipe the drops of pain
That dimmed the marble brow,
Or proffered from his own canteen
A drink — I see him now!

“At Red Buena Vista
My part I could not bear –
But they tell me that the brown surtout
And the old white horse were there.
And well do I believe it;
For the foe stood four to one –
And without old Rough and Ready
How had the fight been won?

“I’ve worn the sergeant’s chevron,
And I may wear it yet –
But old Rough and Ready tells me
I shall wear the epaulet;
But in the ranks or out of them,
To him I’ll still prove steady,
And long as I’ve a tongue to talk,
Speak out for Rough and Ready!“

So spake the war-worn soldier
To his comrades as they lay
Beneath the breast-work, where they’d served
The guns the live-long day.
And their sleepiness and weariness
It fairly chased away,
When the Rio Grande’s hero
Spoke the man from Monterey.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Sep 26, 1848

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

A New Taylor Man.

Mr. Willis Hall, the Attorney, has gone over to Van Buren, but Mr. Willis, the Poet, has come over to Gen. Taylor. The exchange is a very good one for our side. We could expect no less from our old coadjutor and assistant, than he should follow the lead of the Mirror, in going for our candidate for the Presidency. The song that we publish from the Boston Atlas, by Mr. Willis, is decidedly the best Taylor song that has yet been published, and is worthy the reputation of the author.
[N.Y. Mirror.

TOE THE MARK -- 'TIS TAYLOR CAN.
A WHIG SONG -- BY N.P. WILLIS.

TUNE: -- "Dandy Jim of Caroline." [original song LYRICS]

I.
Come Whigs! come brothers — one and all!
Flock to the “Rough and Ready” call!
Come stand up close and hear our song,
And follow it up with chorus strong!

Chorus –

Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can –
Hero, sage, and kindly man!
In council great as in deadly fray,
But a plain old fellow for every day.

II.
Now, where has been for many a year,
This will so firm — this head so clear?
Such men, for Fame, will oceans swim!
Zack chose that Fame should come to him!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

III.
Zack’s coat is loose — his manner’s “rough” –
But, near him, hearts bow fast enough;
And the old great coat will do to wear!
Tho’ a bullet hole shows here and there!*
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

IV.
To faithful guard a weary post –
At any odds to fight a host –
To spare the weak — to keep his word –
To hold his own by pen or sword.
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

V.
When Hull’s surrender laid us low,
Fort Harrison next met the foe;
Hope saw the onset in despair –
She didn’t know old Zack was there!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

VI.
Worth twenty lives, the risk’d renown,
The desp’rate stake, to save Fort Brown!
But Palo Alto clear’d the track,
And through Resaca went Old Zack!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

VII.
By ruthless storm, at Monterey,
More proudly might have gone the day –
But wife and child stood by the foe,
And Taylor let the glory go!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

VIII.
But Polk began a rat to smell; –
Zack serv’d his country quite too well!
To his “high horse” they “hollered whoe!”
But couldn’t stop “old whitey” so!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

IX.
Supplies cut off — “boys” all away –
In doors, they thought, he’d have to stay,
And now Polk’s passport friend might call,
And laugh at Zack behind his wall.
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

X.
Down came Santa Ana, five to one,
With thanks to Polk, expecting fun!
Buena Vista wasn’t far,
Zack let him do his laughing “thar!”
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

XI.
Hard was the foe that day to drive –
One new recruit to veterans five!
But when it grew too tough, they say,
Old spy-glass came and turn’d the day!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

XII.
Buena Vista’s star is bright!
But where will fall its purest light!
On Zack’s last order, sad and low –
“Bring in the wounded, friend and foe!”
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

XIII.
A heart with victory softer grown –
A head that knaves soon let alone –
A hand no foe drove ever back –
And a soul all truth has glorious Zack!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor can.

XIV.
Now if you’d like to know the school
Where Presidents best learn to rule –
Zack’s life is just the very one
God chose to train a Washington!
Toe the mark, ’tis Taylor’s can –
Hero, sage, and kindly man!
In council great, as in deadly fray –
But a plain old fellow for every day.

*NOTE. — It was mentioned in one account of the battle of Buena Vista, that Gen. Taylor’s grey great coat had two bullet-holes through it, when he took it off after the action.
[Boston Atlas.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Oct 31, 1848

Image from www.csub.edu

From the Newark Daily Advertiser.

BUENA VISTA.

AIR — STAR SPANGLED BANNER.

I.
Night-shadows fell cold at the closing of day,
Where the morrow should see valor’s contest with numbers;
The bivouaked armies in hostile array
Sank to rest, while the sentries kept watch o’er their slumbers.
‘Neath the stars few to fight the proud foe in his might,
While loved hearts afar, quailed with fear at the sight;
But the soldier reposed, with the dreams of the brave
That the Stars and the Stripes should triumphantly wave.

II.
The drum and the bugle aroused them at morn
And they sprang to their arms for the contest of glory;
Their chieftain that flag, long defeatless, had borne,
With a fame that shall ne’er be forgotten in story.
Like the waves of the main swept their horse o’er the plain,
While red grew each hill and ravine with the slain;
But they saw through the battle cloud’s darkness, the brave,
That star flag, though torn, still triumphantly wave.

III.
O’er wearied they sank on their weapons to rest
When the night-cloud again on their valor descended,
Mid comrades the noblest, the bravest and best
Who slept their last sleep where their courage contended.
But when broke the day, O! where — where were they –
The proud legions of night? — in their fear fled away!
Then gladly they saw that star-flag o’er the brave,
In the sheen of the morning triumphantly wave.

IV.
All hail to the Hero who valiantly led
First and foremost the rank of his country’s defenders!
For now we have railed, and made him our head,
First in peace to proclaim him who never surrenders.
The laurel wreath fair from his brow none can tear,
But still greener shall bloom in the President’s chair;
And the nation, rewarding the honest and brave,
Shall behold, its star-banner triumphantly wave.

V.
O! the Ides of November will tell them a tale
In a voice that shall echo like Waterloo’s thunder;
And autumn winds mournfully whistle and wail
A sad dirge for officials who fatten on plunder.
Corruption’s dark blight far shall flee from HIS sight
Who asked for no favors yet feared not the fight;
And as Buena Vista beheld o’er the brave,
That Star-flag o’er us shall triumphantly wave.

NEWARK, Oct. 11, 1848.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Nov 7, 1848

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

[Written for the Dalem Taylor Glee Club.]

SONG.

TUNE — “O, carry me back to Old Virginia. [original lyrics and music]

These stirring time — these stirring times –
We’ve worked both night and day,
With rousing speeches and merry rhymes,
Our toil has been but play.
And now we’ve whipped both Cass and Van,
We need not work any more –
Oh row them up the old Salt river,
And set them on the shore.
Oh row them up, &c.

Now the women all, both great and small,
Have gone for honest Zack;
And every married Taylor man
Has a Taylor wife at his back.
While the maidens fair, they all declare,
Their brightest smiles are for
The gallant youth, who love the truth,
And Cass and Van abhor.
Oh row them up, &c.

See in their State, the damsels wait,
On the man they delight to honor;
There’s Flora Day, so far away,
Our blessings rest upon her;
And Delia Ware, so fresh and fair,
Did her hero worship prove;
While Louisa Anna has shown she can a
Fine old veteran love.
Oh row them up, &c.

Miss Carolina she is as fine a
Girl as walks the earth,
And Georgia, too, she is true blue,
And does credit to her birth;
But of all my land, Miss Rhody Island,
Has made it clear to sight,
That Providence smiles on woman’s wiles,
When she uses them aright.
Oh row them up, &c.

We give our hand to Mary Land,
For she’s a real lady;
But Miss. S. Sippi is too tippy,
To vote for Rough and Ready.
Miss Souri and Virginia,
(Now is it not too shocking?)
Say –’No, we will not let you in,
So prithee ’stop that knocking.”
So row them up, &c.

Each Taylor man has done what he can,
And worked with right good will,
With thought and sense and eloquence,
That to head and heart appeal,
Yet ’tis but human that every woman
Should in our cause assist;
And all must own, that behind the throne,
Is a power than none can resist.
We’ve rowed them up the old Salt river,
And set them on the shore.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Dec 26, 1848

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

For the Huron Reflector.

SOME ROUGH AND READY RHYMES.

TUNE — HAMMERMAN’S SONG.

Now the campaign of ‘48
Has reached a joyous close!
The Whigs have gained their President,
In spite of all their foes.

Chorus –

And here’s to the Old Keystone State!
For she has nobly done;
And home protection she shall have
Without the advalorem;
Without the advalorem, boys,
Without the advalorem;
And home protection she shall have
Without the advalorem.

The Loco lads unfurled their flag,
With “Cass and Butler too;”
But ‘gainst Old Zack they could not stand,
Old Zack the brave and true.

The leaders thought that all was safe
As in the days of yore;
But the Whigs unfurled a nobler flag,
With “Taylor and Fillmore.”

Now Mat’s retired to private life,
And Butler is no more;
The craft that bore old Cass away,
Has reached Salt River’s shore.

Chorus –

And here’s to the great Empire State,
She has done nobly too;
And out of members thirty-four,
She give us thirty two.
She gives us thirty-two my boys,
She gives us thirty-two;
And out of members thirty-four,
She gives us thirty-two.

The shores are bad, the River rough,
And oh, how hard they toil!
The Locofoco leaders now
For help cry out “Free Soil!”

Ah! doughfaces, hold down your heads,
Your Cass is fairly beat,
By that Free Soil for which he said
We could not legislate.

Call not for shame, upon that name,
Or raise your idle bark?
For when the question was brought up,
You didn’t toe the mark.

That Free Soil robe you have put on,
Will never stand the dye,
‘Tis like the morning’s gossamers
That with the zephyrs fly.

You now may put up tongue and pen;
There’s nothing you can do,
Our Territories come in free
Before next fifty-two!

Old Zack, you’re now our President,
The Whigs fell wondrous nice;
But ere you start from Baton Rouge,
I’ll give you some advice.

Chorus –

And here’s to the New England States!
I know they Slavery hate;
But Free Soil traps could not catch them
With Matty for their bait.
With Matty for their bait, my boys,
With Matty for their bait,
But Free Soil traps could not catch them,
With Matty for their bait.

Now when you go to Washington,
Forget all past abuse;
[But never rest until you're cleared
Tom Benton's buzzard roost!

If office-seekers should come round,
Give Jamie Polk a share,
For he has labored wondrous hard
To put you in the Chair.

And as respects your Cabinet,
I have one word to say;
Let your first choice be first in worth,
Our glorious HARRY CLAY.

When legislation gets on smart,
And Jack Calhoun looks sour;
Then Zack, this last advice respect,
Don't use the Veto power.

A ZACK WHIG

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Dec 26, 1848

Image from www.tara.tcd.ie

From the New-York Tribune.

“So Say we All.”

The other day a  trot came off — ’twas Suffolk versus Polk –
I railwayed to the trotting course, along with many folk;
I staked my cash on “Jemmy K.”  they told me he would win,
But then, too soon I found, alas! that I was taken in.
To Saratoga then I went — to dance I had a will.
And asked a damsel that I saw to dance in the quadrille;
She said me yes — confound the girl, I’d dearly like to choke her,
For she knew how — but I did not — to tumble thro’ the Polka;
Music struck up, and we struck out — oh! ’twas a thing of course;
I lost my BALANCE, as I did when betting on the horse;
And now I hear another Polk will run another race
Upon the Presidential course, against the old “white face.”
But on my life, I swear to you, that General Lewis Cass
Can’t get the man who backed the horse to LOSE UPON THE ASS.

A BETTER.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Sep 12, 1848

Lewis Cass

When the Locofocos tell us how Gen. Cass behaved on surrendering himself to the British, they take a very unfair advantage of us. We cannot point them to old Rough and Ready’s behavour at a surrender. — Prentice.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Sep 5, 1848

*****

In the book, Lewis Cass and the Politics of Moderation (Google Books LINK) pg. 13: More about the surrender.

Margaret Taylor (Image from www.whitehousehistory.org)

The President elect is a joker. At a tavern in Maryland, while he was waiting for the Baltimore train, among others who introduced themselves was one of the obiquitous Smith family. On hearing the name, Gen. Taylor remarked, with a merry twinkling of the eye –

“That’s no name at all.”

“Why, General,” replied Mr. Smith, “you should have no objection to the name, Mrs. Taylor was a Smith.”

“Yes,” added he promptly, “but I made her change her name, and I advise you to do so too.”

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Apr 3, 1849

Home of Zachary Taylor, "Springfield," Brownsboro Road

Correspondence of the New York Express.

Old Zack at Home.

WASHINGTON, March, 27, 1849.

The President is one of the most humorous and campanionable bodies of the metropolis. — He satisfies everybody here, which is more than anybody else does, and amuses even those who are disappointed. He enjoys himself much, I should think, but whether he does or not, everybody is at home where he is.

Upon the reception days the ladies are first cared for and served. He offers an arm to one, a seat to another, tells a third where his daughter and niece are to be found, and has the faculty of entertaining a dozen at a time. When the ladies are all attended to, he has a kind word for the gentlemen, and a dozen for little children, if any are around him. The more formal visitors address him as “Mr. President;” the less formal as “General Taylor,” which he seems rather to prefer.

There are no servants or attendants about him, and when he wants to see any of his household he goes to them rather than have them come to him. “Excuse me for introducing myself,” said a gentleman the other day. “No excuse is necessary, sir. Here, if anywhere, the people have a right to come without an introduction.”

“I have been a soldier for forty years,” said an old Marylander to him the other day, “but not so successful as you, General Taylor.”

“Only,” said old Zack in reply, “because you had not so many opportunities to win success.”

Old men, young children and ladies, seem to be the favorite companions of the President. For the first he has the respect and care due to old age, for the second, the love of a patriot, and for the last, the gallantry of a soldier and a well bred Southern man.

Truth seems to be with him the highest standard of politeness, and he will not seem what he does not feel and what he is not at heart.

The other day having visited Mrs. John Quincy Adams, and Mrs. Madison, he rode up hill and down dale in pursuit of Mrs. Alexander Hamilton. It was long before he found her, (having recently changed her lodgings,) but he went from one end of the city to the other, and seemed to enjoy the interview mightily.

Indeed the practice of the President is to learn all he can of the past, and from men who knew most of the early Presidents and the early history of the Government. Washington’s farewell address he has treasured up  within his heart of hearts, and Washington’s life and Washington’s example, is the mirror of his own life. “What do you propose,” says a friend to him now and then. “What Washington did,” and he always has a word or incident to illustrate what he means.

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) May 8, 1849

Death of the President.

This even, so solemn and important in its character, so sudden and startling in its announcement, has thrown the mantle of unspeakable sorrow over the nation. But sixteen months and a few days had elapsed since ZACHARY TAYLOR assumed the Presidential office, to the period of his death, yet in that brief interval, he had enthroned himself in the affections and confidence of the people, with a power possessed by none of his predecessors save Washington.

Like him, he was “first in war,” leading the armies of the Republic in a perilous contest over doubtful battlefields, every one of which by his prowess was converted into a field of victory. Like him, he was “first in peace,” conducting the difficult and delicate relations of our Government with foreign powers and so perintending its domestic concerns at a period of extraordinary perplexity and trouble, in a manner to promote the general peace and prosperity, and to compel the admiration and gratitude of all nations abroad and all parties at home. In less than five years, he had risen from a station of comparative obscurity, and by the force of his military and civil acts, the wisdom of his public policy, and the virtues of his private character, he had placed himself in advance of all the living men of the nation, “first in the hearts of his countrymen.“

He had served his race with the zeal of a Philanthropist, his country with the valor of a Hero, and the devotion of a Patriot, and his God with the fidelity of a Christian. To translate the voice of this great public bereavement, words are weak –

To pronounce his eulogy, they are needless.

Let his last words be his only epitaph, “I am prepared — I have endeared to do my duty.“

Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio) Jul 16, 1850

Image from http://lcweb2.loc.gov

THE LATE PRESIDENT.

The following brief sketch of Gen. TAYLOR’s career we take from the Inquirer. The events of his life within the last four years are too familiar to the public, to need a more extended recapitulation. The renown of the Mexican campaign has added a page to the history of the country which will be repeated for ages, and the name of Taylor will be mentioned whenever courage, exalted patriotism and public worth are spoken of:

Gen. Taylor was born in Orange county, Va., in 1790 [24 Nov 1784]. His father, Col. Taylor, served in the war of the revolution, and in 1789 emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky, where he bore a conspicuous part in the labors and struggles of the early settlers. In May, 1808, Zachary Taylor was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 7th Regiment of U.S. Infantry. In 1812 he was captain, and placed in command of Fort Harrison on the Wabash. When the war with Great Britain commenced, the fort was attacked by 400 Indians, and for his successful defence of it, he was brevetted major. After that war, he received the rank of colonel and during the Black-Hawk war in 1832, distinguished himself at the battle of Bad-axe, whice resulted in the capture of Black-Hawk and the Prophet.

In 1836, he was ordered to Florida in command of a separate column, and in December, 1837, fought at the battle of Okee-cho-bee, which resulted in the total defeat of a large body of the Indians. In May, 1845, Texas was annexed to the Union, and in the August following, Gen. Taylor, then in command of the first department of the army, proceeded with a portion of his troops to Corpus Christi. On the 11th of March, 1846, he took up his line of march for the Rio Grande, where he arrived on the 28th. On the 12th of April he was summoned by the Mexican General to evacuate his post on the river, which he refused to do.

On the 1st of May he left his entrenchments, opposite Matamoras, to open the communication with point Isabel. On the 8th of May, on his return to relieve Fort Brown, which was bombarded by the Mexicans, he was encountered by 6000 of the enemy at Palo Alto, whom he defeated. His own force consisted of two thousand one hundred men. The next day, the 9th, he again met them at Resaca de la Palmo, and after a hard-fought battle, routed them with slaughter, and took possession of Matamoras. These two signal victories, obtained with such disparity of force, produced an enthusiastic admiration of Gen. Taylor, and of his gallant companions in arms.

On the 21st and 22d of September he assaulted Monterey, a fortified city in Mexico, which, after a desperate resistance, capitulated. On the 22d of February, 1847, with a force consisting of five thousand men, (General Wool being second in command,) he encountered the Mexicans at Buena Vista, under Santa Anna, twenty thousand strong, and totally defeated them.

On the 14th February, 1849, on an examination of the electoral votes for President and Vice President, he was declared duly elected President of the United States, and was inaugurated on the 4th [5th] of March following. He thus occupied the office of Chief Magistrate a few days more than sixteen months.

Tioga Eagle (Wellsboro, Pennsylvania) Jul 17, 1850

NOTE: The above article gives a good, brief, biographical summary, but some of the dates are off, which I have noted, and there are also several typos/spelling errors, which I left in.

*****

Zachary Taylor Memorial on Find-A-Grave

Forgotten Presidents

We drive through San Francisco, including the Golden Gate Bridge. Not Paul’s favorite part of driving with this huge trailer. Not to mention Indigo is pretty much spazzing out about the way it feels having our lives on our backs like this is much different than just tooling down to get a coffee.  We make it through SF and hit the afternoon rush hour around San Jose. We finally make it to Monterey. Upon arrival, we drive down the street where Paul’s brother lives, only to have our suspicions confirmed that it is indeed a dead end street. We have to back all the way back down it and turn around in the intersection. Good back up practice! A friendly neighbor moves and we have a great parking place right in front of the house. Perfect!

We have a good time in Monterey. Paul and Dave do a small hike in Garland Ranch, we plan and execute a fabulous birthday party for Indigo’s daughter’s 10th Birthday at the Monterey bay Aquarium!! What a fun time that is, we surprise her with a cake and presents and bring her in to the big huge  tank after hours when  no one else is there, how special. We have cake and watch the fish for a while, then walk around the aquarium enjoying the utter lack of crowds. Dave brings us to cool places, we feed kelp to the abalone, pet the gumboot chiton and the stingrays, see the new sea-horse exhibit, and take lots of backstage tours, seeing them growing sea-horses and jellies and the like. It’s a great time. On Saturday we go to the aquarium again in the daytime, with all the crowds, to see a feeding in the big tank and kelp forest and to see the animals that are sensitive to light so we could not see them the night before, like the leafy sea dragons and penguins and otter. We also walk along the shore and see harbor seals and otter and lots of birds like cormorants and pelicans. We spring for some taffy and other candies, too. We have a nice visit with Dave and Heather, including some deeper conversations and sharing which will be important for us. Heather also turns us on to WWOOF, so now we have more options to find places to live on our travels.