February 21, 2017
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read®
Issue 00306
• Armstrong • Cherryville • Coldstream • Fintry Please • Lavington Lumby454 • Spallumcheen • Vernon • www.tidbitsvancouver.com Westside Rd • Bold Medias Publishing For Advertising Call•(604) - 1387
The word “smith” comes from the Saxon word which means “to smite.” A smith was anyone who worked with a hammer, whether he was hammering wood, metal, or stone. Thus there were blacksmiths, clocksmiths, coppersmiths, goldsmiths, gunsmiths, locksmiths, silversmiths, arrowsmiths, and so on. And since all these smiths needed a hammer, there were also hammersmiths. Come along with Tidbits as we admire people named Smith! SMITH FACTS • The most common surnames in America are (in order) Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones, Miller, Davis, Garcia, Rodriguez, Wilson, Martinez, Anderson, Taylor, Thomas, Hernandez, Moore, Martin, Jackson, Thompson, Lopez, Lee, Gonzalez. • There are about 2.5 million Smiths in the U.S. • It’s been estimated that half of the Smiths in the U.S. trace their ancestry to England. There are also many Smiths who originated in Germany, including Schmidts, Schmids, Schmitts, Smitts, and Smits. • Smith County, Kansas is the geographic center of the U.S., and the town of Smith Center is the county seat. They were both named for Major James Smith who was killed in a Civil War battle near Kansas City in 1864. SMITH ORGANIZATIONS • In 1969 the Jim Smith Society was formed. You have to be named Jim Smith to be a member. • In the 1930s an organization called The Benevolent and Protective and Completely Universal Order of Fred Smiths of America had a convention in New York City, to which only people named Fred Smith were invited. A man named Smith Frederick sought admission but was only allowed to attend if he walked backwards and ate dinner with his back to the table.
Bill: “I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith.” Jill: “What is the name of his other leg?”
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® Mark Twain’s first book, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog” was published in 1867. The dedication read as follows: “To John Smith, whom I have known in diverse and sundry places about the world, and whose many and manifold virtues did always command my esteem, I dedicate this book. It is said that the man to whom a volume is dedicated always buys a copy. If this proves true in the present instance, a princely affluence is about to burst upon the author.”
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“When Adam got tired of naming his numerous descendants he said, ‘Let all the rest be called Smith’” -Fanny Fern
• In 1942 the National Society to Discourage Use of the Name Smith for Purposes of Hypothetical Illustration [TNSDUNSPHI] was formed at the University of Minnesota. The organization was formed by Glenn Smith, who was a student under Dale Yoder. During class, Yoder called every hypothetical character in his lectures “James Smith.” Glenn Smith took exception to this and dreamed up TNSDUNSPHI. He had letterhead made up and the printer, who was also named Smith, printed them up at a special rate in exchange for being named chairman of the board. Lowell Smith, a radio newscaster, drummed up publicity. The newspapers picked it up and the organization was on its way. Hundreds of people signed up. The motto was, “A guy named Smith / Must be reckoned with.” Members were required to carry their cards with them at all times and give them to anyone who used the name Smith for hypothetical illustration. Their battle cry was, “When you think of Smith, say John Doe!” • Mary Pickford’s real name was Gladys Smith, and her father’s name was John Smith. She once said, “I remember as a tiny girl hearing him say that he would never risk being arrested, for if the judge asked him his name and he replied, ‘John Smith’ he would surely be held in contempt of court.” ORGANIZED SMITHS • In 1945, Warner Brothers wanted to call national attention to their latest female movie star, Alexis Smith. A publicity man came up with an idea. A few days later newspapers all
over the country announced that Organized Smiths of America (OSA) had announced their achievement awards, and the award for acting went to Miss Alexis Smith. The following year another set of OSA awards was announced, including the award for military science which went to General Holland M. Smith. The next year, newspapers all over the country were requesting copies of the award results. There was no such organization. UNUSUAL FIRST NAMES • When founder of TNSDUNSPHI Glenn Smith was presented with the problem of what to
name his firstborn son, he wanted something really distinctive. He christened the child “Smith” so he became Smith Smith. • In Pearson, Georgia, Frank Smith was tired of being mistaken for other Frank Smiths, so he named his son 5/8 Smith. 5/8’s wife called him Willie. • A child born during a Louisiana flood was named William McKinley Louisiana Levee Bust Smith.
Walker Smith was a boxer. His manager had so little faith in him as a fighter that he hadn’t even bothered to get the man a permit to fight. When Walker Smith was climbing into the ring for his first fight, the manager needed a permit pronto, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a permit for a fighter named Ray Robinson. That’s how Walker Smith became known as Sugar Ray Robinson.
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1. What percent of people in the U.S. are named Smith? 2. What state has the greatest number of Smiths? 3. What state has the fewest Smiths? 4. Which state has the greatest number of Smiths per capita? 5. Which state has the fewest Smiths per capita?
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• In 1901 a boy born in Oklahoma was christened Loyal Lodge No. 296 Knights of Pythias Ponca City Oklahoma Smith. • Another Smith presented with a newborn boy wanted an unusual first name for the child and named him Euphonius Smith. The young boy was called “Phoney” for short throughout his childhood. • A newspaper photographer in San Francisco named Smith wanted to change his first name to something unusual, so he went to court and legally became Another Smith. MEMORABLE SPEECHES • Charles Emory Smith was Postmaster General under Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. He was scheduled to be the speaker at a dinner where important politics were to be discussed. When he arrived at the dinner, he was so drunk that when his name was called to present his speech, he was unable to arise from his chair. After a pause, the meeting continued without him. The following day, the newspaper reported, “Charles Emory Smith was called upon to speak and his remarks will be found on the following page.” The next page of the paper was totally blank, except for a small line at the •
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bottom which said, “What else could he say?” Some time later Charles Emory Smith was a speaker at another dinner where he was expounding on the problems of having such a common name. He said, “Sometimes I find myself wishing that I had lived in the time of Moses. It is written quite clearly in the Bible, I Samuel 13:19: ‘Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel.’ It must have been a happy land.” IT’S A FACT The Bible mentions Smiths, saying in 2 Kings, Chapter 24, that when Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem he carried away as captives “all the princes, all the mighty men of valor, and all the craftsmen and the Smiths.” QUICK BITS ABOUT SMITHS Smithite is a mineral named for G.F.H. Smith, an English scientist. Smithsonite is a mineral named for James Smithson. Ornithologist John James Audubon named the Smith’s longspur, a songbird of the tundra, for his friend Gideon Smith. Amazing Plants
Erasmus Peshine Smith was an international lawyer and diplomat who invented this word for a new form of communication in 1854.
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• Everybody hates them. They pile up against fences till they knock them down. They clog machinery. They lacerate the legs of livestock. They spread prairie wildfire. And they choke out cash crops. Yet, as dastardly as they seem, tumbleweeds are not all bad. You have to give them credit for tenacity and versatility. • A native to Russia, tumbleweed emmigrated to the U.S. aboard a sack of flax seed bound for North Dakota. It liked this continent just fine and soon spread to every state west of the Mississippi, a few states to the east, plus Canada and Mexico. Today it’s known as “the weed that won the west.” • There are a variety of plant species that tumble in the wind in order to disperse seeds, but the one that spread across the western U.S. is commonly known as Russian thistle, saltwort, or windwitch. • The plant can be as small as a soccer ball or as large as a car. • Tumbleweed owes its success to the fact that it is disease-resistant, and tolerates drought, salt, and harsh conditions. It’s often the first plant to grow in difficult conditions such as semiarid deserts, disturbed areas, sandy beaches, and other areas with barren soil. Another factor that has been helpful in the spread of the weed is the misuse of land: when farmers overgraze the land, or plow more land than they plant, tumbleweed considers it an open invitation. Chris Willan • Each bush, after drying up and separating from its roots, rolls across the prairie, spreading 200,000 seeds asGeek it goes. Desert environments Head are ideal for them because the wind can blow them for miles and miles without encountering
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TUMBLEWEED
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“I Love that little paper!” a barrier, spreading seeds all the while. Ranchers curse the thing, not realizing that instead of a curse, tumbleweed could actually be a blessing. According to an article in “Smithsonian” magazine, tumbleweed is edible before blooming. Tumbleweed has nourished cattle through more than one major drought. It’s high in amino acids, protein, fiber, phosphorus, calcium, nitrates, and potassium. It’s higher in protein than alfalfa and uses less water than any cash crop known. This could be extremely important in the future. Tumbleweed doesn’t care what kind of water it gets and will grow well even on brackish saline water. Birds and rodents eat the seeds and prairie dogs feast on all parts of the plant. Though cattle will not eat it after it reaches maturity and develops spines, other animals such as sheep, goats, and camels will eat even the spines, which can be thick enough to puncture a car tire. Not only is the stuff good for livestock, but it’s edible for humans. Try this recipe if you feel adventurous: Cook one pint of young plants in one pint of water. Add a pint of milk, thicken with two tablespoons of flour mixed into a quarter cup of cold water, garnish with cheese and herbs, and you’ve got a decent meal. There’s more good news. Press tumbleweeds into logs or briquettes and they will burn at a rate that is cost-comparable with low-grade coal. Experiments with liquefied tumbleweed continue. Some of them include extracting the nutritive parts for food supplements, purifying the chemical components for vitamins and food additives, using the fibers in pills and sanitary napkins, developing the leftover sludge into drilling mud, or burning the leftovers in the furnace to heat the factory. At some point in the future, farmers may be tending the tumblin’ tumbleweed as a valued crop rather than cursing it.
WORLD’S LARGEST MUSEUM
• On June 27, 1829 a man named James died, leaving behind a fortune and a very interesting will. He was an English chemist and geologist who published numerous scholarly papers, and when he died at the age of 64, he left his money to his nephew. • However, there was a provision in his will stating that if his nephew died without leaving an heir, any money remaining would be given to the newly founded nation called the United States of America in order to establish a museum. The purpose of the museum would be to increase knowledge. • No one knows why James willed his money to the U.S., a peculiar thing considering that he had never even visited the country. Perhaps it was because when he was born, his parents were not married and the high society English snubbed him. • James’ nephew died in 1835 leaving no heirs, and in 1846 a museum was founded in Washington, D.C. using his money. • It’s now the world’s largest museum complex and encompasses 19 museums, nine research centers, a zoo, a research library, a zoological garden, two magazines, a publishing company, a traveling exhibit, an office of education, and more. It has over 156 million items in its collections and is known as “the nation’s attic.” • In 2015, more than 28 million people visited the various branches of the museum. About
Call Today (250) 832-3361 * “Save the plastic cups that yogurt or fruit comes in. You can reuse them for Jell-O cups. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, and secure tightly with a rubber band.” -- E.D. in Kansas * Start seeds in the cups of an egg carton, the kind that are made from paper. You can get them going on a windowsill inside. When it’s time to plant in the ground, score the bottom of each cup and plant it -- paper and all -- in the dirt. * “I found a decorative cardboard box that is big enough to hold a power strip. After installing it in the box so it looks pretty, I made holes out the side for different kinds of chargers (Apple, Android, etc.). The cord can be stored in the box or pulled out enough to charge a device. It looks nice on the side table instead of a mess of cords.” -- W.L. in Alabama * “Cheese can be grated, then frozen. The frozen cheese can be used in casserole dishes without even defrosting. I find it convenient to freeze my mozzarella in batches because we make a lot of individual pizzas. I can get a big block, grate it and freeze. It keeps for a long time.” -- J.M. in Pennsylvania * Lipstick and lip gloss (including lip balms) shouldn’t be kept for more than a year. You can extend the life of your favorite lip wear by shaving a bit off and using a brush to apply it from the cutoff portion. If it touches your face, it can collect and breed bacteria. Be sure to replace mascaras every six months at minimum, and clean brushes regularly. Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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1. ANATOMY: Where would Haversian canals be located in the human body? 2. MOVIES: Which star of early “Tarzan” movies was a gold-medal winner in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics? 3. GEOGRAPHY: In what body of water do the Comoros islands lie? 4. FOOD & DRINK: What cooking term is Italian for “to the tooth”? 5. MUSIC: Which of Beethoven’s symphonies also is known as the “Pastoral Symphony”? 6. COMICS: What profession did Blondie take up in the comic strip in the 1990s? 7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Where would someone be located in the United States in an area often described locally as “down east”?
6,300 people work for the museum. • In 1904, 75 years after James died, his remains were brought to Washington by museum regent Alexander Graham Bell where they were buried in a tomb in the museum, which had been named after him. What is the name of the museum? (Answer below)
A young author finished writing his novel and presented it to a publisher. The publisher replied, “We only publish books from wellknown names.”“Perfect!” replied the author. “My name is Smith!”
8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms? 9. LITERATURE: What is the literary genre described by Jonathan Swift as “a glass wherein beholders discover everybody’s face but their own”? 10. GEOMETRY: How many sides does a rhombus have? Answers 1. The bones 2. Johnny Weissmuller won five gold medals in freestyle swimming contests. 3. Indian Ocean 4. Al dente 5. Symphony No. 6 6. Catering business 7. Eastern New England 8. Grover Cleveland served as president in 1885 and 1893 9. Satire 10. Four (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM • The Smithsonian Museum was named for James Smithson. The original bequest that started the whole thing was about $500,000 in 1838. That would be worth about $13 million in today’s dollars. The museum was founded in 1846. • The current budget is over $800 million per year. • Admission to all Smithsonian locations is free. • The only day the Smithsonian is closed is Christmas Day. • Only about 2% of the museum’s collections are on display at any given time. • The Collections Search Center has 9 million digital records available online. • The Smithsonian Institution Libraries hold 2 million library volumes. • The collection includes many artifacts including the following: • More than 3,000 sea slugs, 50,000 flies, close to 115,000 bird eggs, and over 7 million beetles. • Over 4 million fossils. • About 4.5 million plant specimens. • Julia Child’s longtime kitchen from her cooking TV show. • The first artificial heart pump, made from $25 worth of erector set parts in 1949. • Locks of hair cut from the heads of the first 14 presidents, from Washington all the way up to Franklin Pierce. • The 18-foot beard from a farmer who died in 1927. • Abe Lincoln’s stove-pipe hat, Judy Garland’s ruby slippers, and a prop phaser from the original “Star Trek” set.
1. How many people on the Mayflower were named Smith? 2. In the 1908 Olympics in London, Forrest Smithson won the 11-meter hurdles while carrying what in his hand?
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info@TidbitsVernon.com Kitten’s Sudden Illness Has Owner on Guilt Trip
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: We had a very scary weekend when our new kitten, “Maxie,” who is about 12 weeks old, curled up on his bed and wouldn’t wake up. I rushed him to the veterinarian, where he was given fluids but took several hours to come around. He stayed lethargic for the next couple of days. I feel terrible that he got so ill with a respiratory infection, and that I didn’t notice anything wrong. What signs should I have looked for that might have kept him from getting so ill? -- Doreen in Wheeling, West Virginia DEAR DOREEN: Observant owners often can spot when things aren’t quite right with their kittens and adult cats, but sometimes illness strikes seemingly without warning. Kittens can become ill very quickly; Maxie may have begun showing symptoms during the night, when you were asleep and couldn’t observe him. And often, cats reveal few to no symptoms at all. They’ll frequently try to hide symptoms of illness -- an instinct for self-preservation. Subtle signs that things aren’t right include your cat hiding away and not wanting to come out; reduced appetite; lack of interest in toys and things that used to stimulate him; and physical signs like slower response or trouble walking. Vomiting or diarrhea are major warning signs, of course. Today, put aside any guilt at not catching Maxie’s illness sooner -- that may not have been an option -- and instead focus on helping him recover. Follow the vet’s instructions on giving him medicine, what to feed him and when, and make sure his bedding is clean and warm (a heating pad underneath can be a big help). Send your questions, tips or comments to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
Santa Fe Chicken Casserole A casserole for when you’re in the mood for Southwest or Tex-Mex flavor cooking! 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup 2 tablespoons Land O Lakes no-fat sour cream 1 teaspoon chili seasoning 1 (8-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained 1 (8-ounce) can cut green beans, rinsed and drained 1 (8-ounce) can sliced carrots, rinsed and drained 1/3 cup shredded Kraft 2 percent milk Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast 1/4 cup crushed light tortilla chips 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with olive oil-flavored cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, combine chicken soup, sour cream and chili seasoning. Add corn, green beans and carrots. Mix well to combine. Stir in Cheddar cheese and chicken. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle tortilla chips over top. 3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Place baking dish on a wire rack and let set for 5 minutes. Divide into 4 servings. TIP: If you don’t have leftovers, purchase a chunk of cooked chicken breast from your local deli. * Each serving equals: 254 calories, 6g fat, 24g protein, 26g carb., 822mg sodium, 133mg calcium, 3g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 1/2 Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1 Starch; Carb Choices: 2. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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by Samantha Weaver * It was world-renowned American photographer Ansel Adams who made the following sage observation: “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.” * You might be surprised to learn that the blood of a grasshopper is white. * Tacumbu prison in Asuncion, Paraguay, is notorious for its overcrowded conditions: 3,500 inmates are crowded into a space designed for half that number, and many of them sleep on cardboard directly on the floor. One inmate, however, until recently enjoyed amenities that many outside the prison walls would love to have. Drug trafficker Chimenes Pavao bribed officials to look the other way, then set up a fully furnished, tastefully decorated three-room suite, complete with air conditioning, a refrigerator, a library, a flat-screen TV, a DVD player and a treadmill. The luxury cell was discovered when a bomb threat caused \police to search the entire prison. * If you’ve ever been the victim of a pursesnatching, here’s a discouraging bit of information: Those who study such things say that four out of five perpetrators get away. * In 1804 our planet hit a milestone: a population of 1 billion people. It took 123 years to add another billion, then only 33 more to get to 3 billion, in 1960. We crossed the 4 billion mark in 1974, hit 5 billion in 1987, and got to 6 billion in 1999. In 2011 (or early 2012, depending on who’s doing the estimating, the earth’s population passed 7 billion, and those who study such things expect us to get to 8 billion sometime in the mid- to late 2020s. Thought for the Day: “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” -- Benjamin Franklin (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Armstrong-Spallumcheen Chamber Week Events Lunch & Learn
SPECIALITY SHARPENING
All your sharpening needs, and for your convenience, drop off and pickup at Vernon’s Water Store. 180, 4400 - 32 St (250)308-4866
• Feb 22 – Spallumcheen Signage bylaw info 12 – 1pm • Feb 23 – Armstrong signage bylaw info 12 – 1 pm • Feb 24 – Post Budget Event with Greg Kyllo 1:30 – 3 pm at 3550 Bridge St. • Save the Date: April 12 Provincial All Candidates Meeting – Armstrong Seniors Activity Centre RSVP or questions? 250-546-8155 or staff@aschamber.com
V.J.H Auxiliary Check out our Gift Shop. Great little Handcrafted Section with lovely hand knit and sewn items (All made by auxiliary members). Lots of new gift-ware. As a matter of fact if you are looking for something ---we’ve probably got it. Patronize our gift shop and help the hospital.
1. About one out of every hundred people in the U.S. are named Smith. 2. Texas has more Smiths than any other state, with about 250,000. 3. North Dakota has only about 3,500 Smiths. 4. Mississippi has the most Smiths per capita, with about 2 out of every hundred people. 5. Hawaii has the fewest Smiths per capita with about 4 out of every thousand.
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1. There was not a single Smith on the Mayflower. The captain’s name was Jones. 2. In the 1908 Olympics in London, Forrest Smithson won the 11-meter hurdles while carrying a Bible in his hand.
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