Video Games

Parents today are under pressure from their kids to play video games.  The graphics are amazing. The storylines must be magnetic because children and adults are strongly attracted to them.  They can compete with players who live just about anywhere there is a wifi connection.

 I remember how my boys came in contact with their first video game.  It was ..... Well read on.

Christmas was coming fast. I had searched the mall to find the last of our gifts.  Shopping with three boys along "to help" was always interesting.  They wanted to be sure I noticed the latest Star Wars toys.  They had been through the Sears catalog, watched all the tv commercials, and shared ideas with friends to develope long lists for Santa.  Santa had put those items in his bag & they would be coming by sleigh.

This final shopping trip was to Belk's department store.  They had been on their very best behavior.  This was hard because the store was filled with tired parents and tired children.  It helped that Santa was watching to see who was naughty or nice.  The slow moving checkout line seemed endless.

When what should we behold ..... Was it Sants & his reindeer.  No! It was Pac Man.



Yes Belk's had the wonderful idea of entertaining the children of Rock Hill by setting up a Pac Man game near the checkout line.  Near, but not close enough to interfere with its slow progress.  Every parent and every child could hear that unique sound of the game. It was a magnet for my boys.

My older boys pleaded, "Please can we go see. Please! We will stay right there and won't go anywhere else.   Please! We have been good. Please! "

And they had been good.  I knew they wouldn't go anywhere. I would be lucky if I could get them to come home.  What's a mom going to say?

"Ok, if you stay right here and hold Christopher's hand."   (This is something I would not do today.)

I watched them as the line advanced, slowly.  Finally I gathered my packages and made my way past other people's children to collect mine.

Let's go guys."

Matt and Andy wanted to tell me how cool the game was, but where was Chris.  As I looked at other little fellas dressed in similar jackets I could not find my four year old. He always stayed with his brothers.  Most likely another child trying to get close to the game moved between the boys.  If he had been as tall as his brothers, his view of the game might have been better. Plus  at his age, it didn't seem interesting.  Something nearby may have caught his attention or he may have wanted to find me so we could head home.

I began to search nearby. I called his name. No Chris.  I asked for help. We could not find him anywhere in the store.  People continued to look. We walked into the mall looking in nearby stores. It was not a big mall, but big enough.  I began to think of the stores where we had shopped and the ones Chris liked most.

Toys were off the route he might take, but around the corner to the first store on the right.   Yes,  we looked through the door. He was sitting on a seat at Baskin Robbins.  His little feet swinging back and forth.... Waiting for an ice cream.

Lesson: Video games can be dangerous if parents don't supervise properly.

John Bishop Harry - Part two

Will Harry established a home and reared a family in Lubbock, Texas. This conclusion is verified by a descendant of John Hutchinson Harry who remembers her father speaking of Cousin Will Harry of Lubbock. This fact, together with John Bishop Harry's published will that Will Harry was the surveyor who laid out the division of his real estate just before the Cival WR began.

Washington Marion Harry, (our ancestor), the youngest son of John B Harry, was the only son that established a home near his father in Cleveland County. (Buried in Grover Cemetery.)

An unfortunate accident came to John B Harry. As he was returning from Raleigh on horseback, which was the only mode of travel in those days, the old man was caught in a heavy thunder shower. The dye from his hat mixed with rain and ran into his eyes. It so injured his eyesight that he was almost blind during the last years of his life.

A beautifully executed will in John Bishop Harry's own writing shows him to be well educated. He left his estate to his four daughters and son, Washington. The two older sons had undoubtedly received their portion of the estate when they left for Texas. They are not mentioned in his will. However Will Harry is mentioned as an assistant in the survey and division of his property. He was not mentioned as a receipient.

I remember a statement by my father that one of his fathers brothers left home when he was young. After the death of his wife Sara and all his children were married and had moved away, John Bishop disposed of his larger home. It was sold to one Major Borsers. He divided his slaves with his children He moved two miles south on the Shelby-York, SC county road.  He built a rectangular home with one big room and a fireplace in the south and two pot racks at the north end. He had a dozen slaves that lived nearby and assisted him.  He was 73 years of age  and blind when he came to his new home. There he lived out his last years in luxury and comfort. His slaves prepared his meals, kept the big log fires in his living quarters burning. In winter a bed of embers burned under the pots on the pot rack of the kitchen fireplace. They worked his farm in summer and split the big chestnut trees in the woodlands into rails to fence in the cattle, hogs, and sheep. The old rail fence enclosed one hundred acres of pasture land.

John Bishop Harry lived to be 87. He died in the third year of the Cival War (1863). His will was made and probated  in that year.

It is an interesting document listing slaves, property, and household effects. A map designed by John B Harry is intact. It shows an acreage of some thousand acres between Buffalo Creek and the South Carolina line. It lay along a stream called Jacob's Branch. His son, Washington Marion Harry, constructed a log dam on Jacob's Branch, and used the power therefrom to set up a community center:
A corn mill,  flour mill, a saw mill, a syrup mill, and a cotton gin which was probably the first cotton gin in Cleveland county. It had on it the printed letters of the Whitney patent and was geared to operate not only by water power, but also to cog gear that operated the gin by manpower.

My father, David Harry, the second son of Washington Harry, learned to operate the above mentioned machines, and later moved this equipment one mile up the creek on a higher shoal on Jacob's Branch. Here he built his home.  Here my two brothers, sister, and I were born and reared.

The water power of Jacob's Branch was geared to a turbine wheel operated under 22ft of pressure and a big overshot wheel 100 ft in diameter. These power units powered the operation of the following machines: a corn mill and a flour mill that pulverized the corn and wheat that made the bread for a twenty mile area; a feed mill that ground the  ................(this line is missing in my copy) .........,,,,,
farming community; a syrup mill that crushed the cane and cooked the syrup; a lathe that turned the columns and banisters that ornamented the homes of the area; a shingle mill. All of this service center was handed down from the genius of John B Harry, the old farmer, politician, and clockmaker.

Washington Harry had three sons - John Wesley MacMeeekin (Mack) Harry, Zebulon Bishop Harry, and David Filmore Clay Harry.  

Mack Harry, my fathers oldest brother, established his home 1/2 mile from his fathers home. The front room of his home was a community store. Ex-slaves farmed his land. He taught  a community school for the children of the area - reading, writing, arithmetic. He was married to Dicey Bell. They had three children - one son - William Harry ?, Lenorea, and Dicey were the daughters.

My father, David Harry, the second son of Washington Harry and Mary McArthur Harry, in partnership with his father, supervised and operated the service center.

David married twice. The first marriage was to Nancy Adams.  They had three children - one son and two daughters, Pluto, Sophie, and Ellis.

His second marriage was to Sara Frances Gold. There were born to them four children -Charles Franklin, Woodfin Grady Harry, Benjamin Audy Harry, and Margaret Lee Harry (named for Margaret Bishop and  Margaret Malinda Gold.)


[ I am visiting my daughter .... Waiting on her new baby to arrive .... I brought some but not all the pages of my Grandfathers family history.  I will enter what I have and add additional pages, when I return home.]

John Bishop Harry - part 1

John Bishop Harry grew to manhood in Haggerstown, Maryland. As the time came for him to take pathways of his own choosing, his dreams turned southward. They were fixed by his Uncle John Harry and other relatives, who had moved to make homes in Virginia and North Carolina. He had close relatives in Edenburo, Virginia , Harrisonburg, Shenandoah, and Rockingham counties. . His visit with them extended as he met and fell in love with a Virginia girl, Sara Anne (Sally) Hutchinson. John B Harry and Sarah Hutchinson were married on April 20, 1806 in Shenandoah County, Virginia according to a family bible.  She was the daughter of George Hutchinson of Harrisonburg, Va on the square.

(My mother made a note in her records that John was living in Harrisonberg in 1809.)

John persuaded Sarah to join him in a covered wagon visit to relatives in Guilford, Cabarras, and Mechlenberg County, NC.  We assume he ended up at the home of David Harry (probably the son of John Harry).  This David Harry lived in the foothills of Mechlenburg. A David Harry had lots of mail when he left Hagerstown for Charlotte. It seems logical to assume they were related.

John B and Sarah's journey ended at Lincolnton, NC, the county seat of Lincoln County. The county began with the shoreline of the Catawba River.  It was one of the first NC counties organized west of the Catawba. It was a large county and embraced an area of territory that now includes Lincoln, Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland and Rutherford counties.

John B settled down in Lincolnton to make his home. He became an outstanding citizen and represented the county in the North Carolina State Senate.  He was elected county sheriff, a position of responsibility which he filled with honor and efficiency. He was one of the most outstanding citizens  of  the area : innkeeper, sheriff, and representative of western North Carolina bounded by the Catawba River on the east, the South Carolina line on the south, the mountains around Chimney Rock, and the Blue Ridge mountains in the west. This old innkeeper at Lincolnton had a big job that kept him busy.

While serving in the state legislature decisions were made about boundaries for new counties. No sooner than that decision was made John Bishop decided to move from Lincolnton to Cleveland County. His duties as surveyor and as sheriff gave him the opportunity to know a vast area.  There was a spot on Buffalo Creek between Shelby and what is now the town of Grover. It was joined to what became the John Herndon farm on one side, the Major Borders farm on the other.  The Graham farm was across Buffalo Creek toward Shelby on the other.

Here  John B established his home. The home still stands. Every piece of it was from heart of pine which was plentiful in the area. It was battened together with heart of pine pins 1 1/4 inches in diameter. These anchors have held the homeplace together for many years. They still hold.



Their first child,, John Hutchinson Harry, was born to them while they lived in the old inn in Lincolnton.  He was the only child of six  who did not move to the new home.  As he grew up, he became interested in Sam Houston's big venture in Texas. He was commissioned a major of volunteers for the Texas Army. He proceeded to gather a little wagon train of volunteers. They assembled in Lincolnton where they began the long trek by land to Texas. Sam Houston needed arms and ammunition for his little army. John Hutchinson Harry was commissioned to go with a wagon train to an army post in Arkansas for arms and ammunition. He was successful. Houston made him the chief of his quartermaster Corps.  He served at the Battle of San Jacinto. (1858 Texas).
This resulted in the total defeat of Santiagos Mexican Army and gave birth to the lone star state.

John Hutchinson Harry returned to Lincolnton and married his childhood friend Sara McCullough, after the manner of his distinguished father. He and his bride set out in a covered wagon on a thousand mile honeymoon journey to what was then the little village of Houston, Texas. Here again he followed in the footsteps of his father and opened one of the first hotels in what was to be an important city.  They continued to operate this hostelery until Sam Houstin gave him 4,000 acres of Texas land near Fort Worth. for his service in the Texas War for Independence.  John established a trading post and organized a covered wagon supply service to the new sections. The tradegy of yellow fever cut short the promising life of the young couple   Their only child, Marcus Lafayette Harry. His descendants live in the Houston area. 


Julia Bennett, my mother, corresponded with Jennie Mae Bennett (she is not connected with the Bennett line in our history), his granddaughter and Mrs Gladys Lesperance Belt, who secured the DAR papers on the family line tracing or line to Martin Harry of Hagerstown, Md.

The following children moved with John Bishop Harry to Cleveland County:
Ann Elizabeth who married Edmund Bridges , They established  their home one half  mile south of John B Harry homestead on Buffalo Creek
to
Lydia (who Ponce Martin, and establish a home 2 1/2 miles south of Grover and 2 miles south of her father)ll

Julia Anna. (Married a Hopper and established a home 3 miles west of John B Harry's home in a little trading center called Earle.)

William (Will) Harry who was with his father and assisted in surveying out and dividing his estate 3 years before he died. Will Harry departed the old home community perhaps to serve in the Mexican War for the Independence of Texas.

Okinawa Letter

This is the only letter that I have from my dad while he was stationed in Okinawa. He was sent overseas shortly after Gaye was born.   A short time after he returned to Fort Benning he was sent to the Korean War. His orders were delayed for Barbara's birth.


He sent a foot locker home with gifts for family, but war creates desperate times for many people. The footlocker was stolen.  Daddy sent Gaye some blue lacquer sandals and sent me a red pair.

Privacy

Much is being said about privacy these days.  NSA is building a huge data center not far from here.  Snowden went public with information that was really released years ago, but did not get much play with the public or press.  His comments take on significance because of the recent scandals in Obama's administration. ( Original article written in 2013.)

Movies and television shows  depict government with the ability to easily scarf up information about anyone anywhere.  Viewers feel safer thinking of it as fiction, only approaching, but not quite touching reality.  Congressional hearings are going over the actual scope of these actions and legal restrictions.

It is amazing seeing what technology knows about you, me and everyone.  At Allstate I could put in a name, address, and phone number to get an abbreviated credit score, claims history, current and past insurance carriers, drivers in the household and their driving record and VIN numbers. 

When I wanted to transfer a prescription and sign up for a discount program with the pharmacy,  the software wanted to verify that I was the right person for the medications.  So up popped several multiple choice questions.  One listed 3 people & I had to identify one that belonged to my family - two were fake, but one was my daughter-in-law.   Two. Listed cars I had owned.  Two were fake, and one was a car I sold a year before in another state.   Obviously this information did not have any relationship to my prescription, but to a giant database.  If you really want to see who knows about you, pull a credit report. 

I worked with a guy who refused to have an electronic toll gizmo on his car.  He didn't want anyone to know where or when he went places.  But  using a debit card, rewards cards, insurance, etc., creates an electronic record.  Whether the government really cares about me is another matter.  I am a very boring 65 year old grandmother. I don't have money, position, power or a platform to interest anyone.  The concern is that people who can make a difference, who may be capable of representing public concerns of millions, could be impacted by imprudent use of private information.  What limitations will restrict the ability of future leaders, or their aides, to abuse data to manipulate future people, economies, etc.  Are we paranoid enough to protect our nation from the worst of us and trusting enough to maintain our liberty?

I am not going through a divorce, don't have children, siblings, parents dealing with mental problems or drugs or embarrassing situations.  American culture appears to be schizophrenic. We are raised to say "None of your business".  Cities advertise "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas".  Companies advertise the option to order their products online; so no one has to see you standing in a checkout line with "Depends". Folks share their life story on Facebook, then  share Facebook instructions to select the right options to avoid sharing information with strangers.  Why?  Because it is none of their business.

Joy in our lives

Do you have favorite memories that are of no particular significance - except to you?

I think we all do.  Simple moments in time when you were alone in your thoughts, when you observed a kindness or experienced one.  These moments happen alone, with family or friends or strangers in crowds, early in the morning or late at night.  Many are treasures stored away through decades of a long life or spontaneously recalled because of a visual or spoken cue.

This morning we had a church lesson about finding joy in our lives.  As others listed broad topics of joy, my mind had a series of micro moment of joy from my life.  I thought I would record a few.

Throughout childhood we enjoyed riding bikes.  Children experience a sense of freedom and independence that accompanies the ability to move outside of their immediate boundaries.  It was a hot summer day. For whatever reason Gaye and Susan and Edie Caldwell and I had been exploring the street behind our homes. Most of the property was undeveloped.  There were a few homes, a creek, a large saw dust pile, and freedom.

Whether it was just time to be home or we heard thunder, we started home on our bikes. There were lots of giggles and laughter as we raced each other across the field.  Behind us we could see a slow moving curtain of rain.  We were trying to get home before we were soaked.  But it was hot and the rain felt so good.  I remember riding my bike back and forth into the rain and out of the rain.  Back and forth - laughing and relishing the moment. Pure joy!

::::::::::::::::
Once I was driving in the mountains of North Carolina.  At that moment there were no cars in sight. Autumn was in full color! The leaves were brilliant Reds, Orange, Gold. If you have ever seen an oil painting on black velvet when the color seem much to bright, that was truly the color.

As I rounded a curve a beautiful meadow was directly in front of me. A large tree covered in bright yellow leaves stood alone in the center. Suddenly a large gust of wind hit the tree blowing the leaves around the way a child blows a dandelion.

Georgeous!  Just stunning. I can see it in my mind as if I just experienced it.  Joy! Real Joy!

:::::::
Seeing one of my sons or my daughter delight in their child's laughter.  Yes that is joy..

Counterfeit Currency

One of the things I find truly engaging while doing family history are the research spin offs into actual history to understand more about my family and the events influenced their lives.  Major events that might merit a sentence or two in  massive college texts may have been a huge challenge to everyday families.  It is even more interesting to compare those events to our day.

This is what happened when I read a line in the Maryland Historical Magazine about my ancestor, David Harry. 

 Saturday Feby 8th 1777… Ordered that Capn Andrew Linck pay David Harry £2…12…6 for his services and nine men under his Command in apprehending Isaac and Christian Shockey—

The article was not about David Harry, my ancestor. It was about Isaac and Christian Shockey. Curiosity got the best of me. Who were the Shockey's? Why would my ancestor be "apprehending" them?

It turns out the Shockey's descendants have done a bit of research. I don't have all the details, but the basic story is they were counterfeiters. The Shockey descendants are trying to organize the facts for their family records. In one record I learned they had been hiding in a cave. One had been a deserter in the Revolutionary War and George Washington had pardoned him and he reformed. Other records say they escaped from jail and another says one or more were executed. The Shockey family will need to put that part of the story together.

Now this is where I explain the "historical lesson" I learned. I never thought much about counterfeiting. Probably because it has never been part of my life. Look at the photo above. Notice that it was issued by Virginia - each colony had its own currency. The design is not complicated which would make it easy to copy. Often currency was only printed on one side which also made it easy to copy. Also notice the warning " Death to Counterfeit".

Great Britain began to counterfeit "Continentals" early in the war. Their hope was to bankrupt the colony's finances. George Washington ran into problems trying to buy from local farmers who were concerned about currency. Who would reimburse the farmer who receives counterfeit currency for his produce or pig or cow. It would be safer to take British coins. Among many concerns good men who wanted the British gone faced a big ethical decision on whether they would feed the British or the colonists soldiers.

The other part of the problem was the value of colonial currency was diluted when counterfeit currency was added into the mix.  

How does this impact my knowledge of David Harry and his times. David was not a bounty hunter out to get paid for catching the bad guys. I already know a lot about David and his activity in the community. He was a wagon maker. He helped start the first fire company in Hagerstown. He fought along with his neighbors in the Revolution. This tells me that he was trusted to lead others in a difficult adventure. Even more important he was willing to go.

Today our nation is still concerned with a counterfeiting and other attacks on our nations financial security. We have redesigned our currency adding many safeguards to combat criminals. As we have become more sophisticated in our technology, others have developed other ways harm us. Identity theft, hacking businesses and government systems and greed are problems that can bring down nations if left unchecked. It takes men and women of integrity and intellect to protect our nation. It is nice to know we have men and women in our ancestry who stepped up when needed.