an interview with David Kapp

POETRY 

Our shadows loomed before us
in the mid-morning sun
as we took our daily walk.
Tall and lanky, mine;
powerfully sound, his.
The dark silhouettes
were like charcoal drawings of our younger selves,
the greener, meaner versions

So you think this is a dirty, antagonistic, unprincipled and devious election? Read about some of the goings-on from previous elections. The following tidbits come from three sources: Anything for a Vote by Joseph Cummings, The Making of the President series by Theodore White, and stuff I know but don't know how I know it.

1796: ADAMS vs. JEFFERSON John Adams and his Federalist party called Thomas Jefferson an atheist and cited him for his love of the French Revolution, especially the bloody, screaming mobs.

1800: ADAMS vs. JEFFERSON (THE REMATCH) Back then the loser of the presidential race became Vice-President. Jefferson, as VP, hired a writer named James Callendar who called John Adams, in print, a repulsive pedant, a gross hypocrite and a hideous hermaphrodite. President Adams promptly had Callendar jailed under the Alien and Sedition Act.

1828: ADAMS vs. JACKSON Upstart Andrew Jackson's people inferred that John Quincy Adams was a pimp and that when serving as minister to the Russian court, he had offered his wife's maid to the Czar as a concubine. Jackson's supporters also labeled Adams anti-religion because he traveled on the Sabbath.

1860: LINCOLN vs. DOUGLAS Honest Abe Lincoln, that paragon of truth, was accused by the backers of Stephen Douglas of lying about Thomas Jefferson, saying, "Jefferson sold his children by Sally Hemming into slavery." Where Lincoln was obviously anti-slavery, Douglas seemed to be ambivalent on the issue. He issued baffling statements like, "I am for the negro against the crocodile, but for the white man against the negro."

I868: GRANT vs. SEYMOUR (WHO?) While general of the army in 1862, Ulysses S.Grant issued General Order No. 11, saying: "Jews, as a class, violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department, are hereby expelled (from the Army of the Potomac)." Lincoln immediately rescinded the order but it became fodder for Horatio Seymour's campaign, which labeled Grant the first anti-Semite candidate. Apparently Grant was able to pull out a win even without "the Jewish vote."

1872: GRANT vs. GREELEY Boss Tweed wrote, "I did not suppose that any men outside of a lunatic asylum would nominate [Horace] Greeley for President." A reporter wrote that Greeley's nomination had to be the result of not enough whiskey at the Cincinnati convention. By that time Greeley was cooked.

1920: HARDING vs. COX The Republicans' biggest challenge was to hide the bodies, literally. Warren G. Harding had so many affairs in his background that they kept popping up at inopportune times. Fortunately there were no TV debates in those days so James Cox never had the opportunity to publicly confront Harding on his infidelities (not to mention his drinking and wild parties). After listening to one of Harding's meandering speeches, H.L. Mencken wrote, "It reminds me of wet sponges on a line drying."

1928: HOOVER VS. SMITH America's first Catholic presidential candidate, Al Smith, didn't have a chance. Shortly after his nomination a newspaper headline read: "Rome suggest Pope move here." At the time of the election, New York's Holland Tunnel was under construction. Republicans circulated pics of Smith at the mouth of the tunnel and asserted that it really led under the Atlantic, straight to the Vatican basement.

1960: KENNEDY vs. NIXON We all remember Tricky Dick "Would you buy a used car from this man?" Trying to combat his devious persona, Nixon tried candor, then openness, then false integrity, but Truman blew him up when he said, "If you vote for Nixon, you'll go to hell." JFK, not to be outdone in the lack-of-integrity department gave a speech to an unsympathetic group of farmers in South Dakota. After the speech he said to a staffer, "I'm glad that's over, f--- the farmers."

Fed up? Thinking of not voting?  

Here are just a few of the issues at stake in this election.

• Health Care as we know it
• Influence of the Supreme Court for at least a decade
• Legal abortion status (Roe vs. Wade)
• Your tax rate
• Control of both houses of Congress

And so many other aspects of our lives, way too many to list.

Liz and Keith Rogers moved into their lovely new home on Chadwick Court last May. They came to Southport from Foster, Rhode Island where they had lived ever since they

married more than 30 years ago. There, Keith helped to build a post and beam saltbox-style home with passive solar heating. On their spacious six-acre plot of land, Keith also created a garden of shade loving native wild plants that he later expanded into a nursery catering to people who wanted gardens with plants unique to the local environment.

Keith & Liz Rogers on an inspection tour in April of the foundation of their new home on Chadwick Court.

Liz, raised in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, earned her BS degree in natural resources at the University of Rhode Island. She worked in Eastern Connecticut for 31 years as a conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, promoting the conservation of farmland and the protection of natural resources.

Keith grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut. He earned two BS degrees from the University of Connecticut, one in history and a second in geology. Drafted into the Army during his college years, he served in Vietnam as that war was winding down and later in Korea.

Following his stint in the Army, Keith worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, preparing maps for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Later, he was employed by the Navy's Construction Battalion Center in North Kingston, Rhode Island, where he was in charge of computer systems. The last 20 years of his career were spent in various computer support functions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Liz and Keith met at a technical conference in the late 1970s. She was a trainee who had come to the meeting with a date. Her father, Keith's supervisor and his landlord, was also at the meeting. At the end of the conference, she abandoned her date and left with Keith. He, carelessly, neglected to get Liz's phone number and had to ask her Dad for the information. Keith and Liz married in 1980. 

The Rogers have enjoyed canal-boating trips in England, cruising on the extensive network of man-made waterways that once supported industry but now are used strictly for recreation. Canal-boaters steer the boats they live on and manually operate the locks as they pass through them. Keith and Liz found people in the UK to be very friendly and helpful. They've also taken month-long vacations in Hawaii and Italy and mentioned other trips to the Panama Canal Zone, Portugal, Iceland and elsewhere.

When they began to think seriously about retirement, the Rogers considered living on the Cape, where they had vacationed for years, and they came to look at Southport. Liz's parents had moved to an age 55-plus community in the South and the concept appealed to Liz and Keith. They've jumped into life at Southport enthusiastically, taking up golf, starting with some lessons. Keith said that they find our course challenging. They enjoy kayaking and cycling the area's bike trails and they're regulars at the weekly men's and women's coffees. Liz participates in a yoga program and wants to get involved in hand and foot and mah jong when the cold weather sets in. They mentioned bocce and pool as still other activities they want to try.

The Rogers family includes a son, his wife and their three children who live in Rhode Island. I found Liz and Keith to be an involved, energetic couple, living life to the fullest. Like all my discussions with new neighbors I enjoyed meeting and spending some time with them. So will you!  

 TRAVEL

 Biking  & Barging in Germany    

Roy & Diane Roberts talk with Karlyn Curran  

Diane and Roy Roberts spent a week bicycling through Tuscany last October. They liked it so much that they decided to take another bike ride in Europe. This time they joined a bicycle/barge trip that took them along the Saar and Moselle Rivers in Germany, ending up in Koblenz, where the Moselle converges with the Rhine River. Their group, organized by the Bay Area Senior Cyclists, consisted of 19 members from southern Massachusetts.

Diane and Roy left Southport on October 4 and spent a rainy week in Paris. However the rain didn't deter them from enjoying most of Paris's best attractions. Then, at the end of the week, they boarded a high-speed train for a 300 mile, two-hour ride to Merzig, Germany, where they
met the rest of their group and boarded the barge that would be their home for the week.  

The Allure served as a floating home for the cyclists, traveling along with them as they biked beside the Saar and Moselle Rivers in Germany.

A villa amid the vineyards

On their first day of biking the group cycled 26 miles along the Saar River from Merzig to Saarburg--in eight hours. As was always the case for the remainder of the week, the trip included many scenic and interesting stops along the way. On some days, Diane and Roy enjoyed lunch in a restaurant in one of the tiny villages they passed through; on other days they ate a picnic lunch they had brought from the barge. While the group pedaled, the barge was also traveling down the river.

Saarburg is an old town situated in the most beautiful part of the Saar Valley. A travel brochure that Diane and Roy brought back with them has this to say about the area: The picturesque little villages and towns of the Saar are strung along the river like pretty beads on a necklace, set in a

The Porta Nigra, a 2nd century city gate in Trier, the oldest city in Germany

varied and peaceful countryside. The only  

thing that marred this perfect ride was the constant and bone-chilling rain that fell all day.  

With rain in the forecast for the following day, only eight riders, including Roy and Diane, set out for Trier. True to the forecast, the last half of the ride was soggy. They arrived in Trier in time to explore the city, which is the oldest city in Germany, having over a 2,000-year history. Trier was part of the Roman Empire and still has many remnants of Roman ruins, the most impressive of which is the city gate, "Porta Nigra," built by the Romans in the second century and still largely intact.

The Saar River flows into the Moselle River at Trier, so the rest of their trip was along the Moselle. According to the same travel brochure: The section of the Moselle

Vineyards cover the steep slopes lining the Moselle River.

between Trier and Koblenz is one of the loveliest stretches of landscape in all Europe. Here the river snakes in countless meanders through the Rheinische Schiefergebirge Mountains, treating the traveler to an incomparable succession of contrasting scenery. Steep hillside vineyards and precipitous cliffs rising up from the water alternate with lush riparian meadows where the term "riverbank" loses its meaning. This overwhelming abundance and variety of scenic beauty is probably unmatched by any other river...Truly the stretch of the Moselle between Bernkastel-Kues and Cochem, dominated by ancient castles perched on the riverside hills and in the side valleys, is one of the most beautiful wine-growing regions in all Germany.

In an email message Diane had this to say about their ride from Trier to Bernkastel-Kues, where they spent the next night. "Today we had a great ride through a mosaic of vineyards that line the Moselle. These vineyards are built on hillsides that seem to flow into the river. It is amazing that grapes can be grown, cultivated and harvested (by hand) on such steep slopes. Although it was very cold today (40s) we only had to deal with a few sprinkles. Riding along the Moselle and taking in the extraordinary vista of hillsides of vineyards--what a treat!"  

A castle rises above a village of half-timbered houses.

Diane had slipped on wet steps and pulled a muscle so she and Roy didn't ride the next day. According to another of her emails: "We enjoyed a very comfortable view of the Moselle Valley as we cruised down the river on the barge, marveled at our captain's ability to maneuver through the locks and took in the wonder of the vineyards laid out in an expansive patchwork on both sides of the Moselle River. I don't believe an artist's palette filled with every shade of green could show the beauty of the stands of vines flowing down the steep hillsides to the towns along the Moselle."  

Diane wrote that Day 6 was spectacular. "The sun was shining when we got on our bikes at 9 am and the temperature was 50, but by the time we made our first stop for coffee we had shed three layers of clothing and the temperature was 65! The riding was easy (no rain and mostly downhill) and the small towns we explored were charming."Cochram, their destination for the night, is a cozy and characteristic Moselle town, one of the most frequently visited tourist places on the Moselle River. It is surrounded by steep vineyard-covered mountains, wooded hills, medieval fortresses and has a picturesque center with timber-framed houses.

On the last day the landscape changed and the group left the vineyards behind; forested hills now lined the riverbanks. They arrived in Koblenz in time to tour the town. Situated where the Moselle empties into the Rhine River, Koblenz was completely destroyed by Allied bombs in World War II. Today it is a busy modern city with a population of over 100,000.  

Roy & Diane Roberts

The next morning Roy and Diane boarded a plane for Boston and Cape Cod. Despite some rainy days, they said this was a great trip. The weather improved as they went along until at the end they had traded their raincoats for short-sleeved shirts. The villages along the river were never bombed and retained their old world charm. Residents appeared to be mostly people involved with the vineyards or, as on Cape Cod, people who own seasonal homes there. Diane and Roy did more than just appreciate the beauty of the vineyards. During cocktail hours and with their meals, they also appreciated the taste of the Riesling wine from the local vineyards! I predict that there will be another bicycling adventure in their future. 

PHOTOS: Roy & Diane Roberts   

The summer is fading fast

into another glorious season of wisdom,

where I can gaze up at the moon

and feel the sultry breeze on my bare shoulders.

Time to let the snakes shed their skin

and slither away -

out of my sight.

Like the dog days of summer

sweltering under a cruel sun,

I have lain in waste at your feet,

panting. . .holding onto a memory

that begs no more,

for it is now lost in oblivion.

Cooler, mellower breezes await me

as I round the next bend,

looking forward to autumn

and the brilliant colors it will usher in;

ah, to play hide and seek with the wind again,

missing you,

but not risking contact,

for I have left my baggage at the door

 to follow a temperate moon.

William Apess, an itinerant revivalist Pequot Indian preacher from Connecticut, visited Mashpee in 1833 and attended a Sunday service at the Indian Meeting House. To his dismay, he found the Reverend Phineas Fish preaching to a congregation of mostly white people from Mashpee and surrounding towns. The 1820 census listed 20 white families living in Mashpee, about a quarter of the total population. Two years after his graduation from Harvard College, Reverend Fish had been appointed by the college to "minster to the Indians." He enjoyed an annual salary of $400, a parsonage and a 460-acre parsonage woodlot, making him relatively well off and "insulated from the vagaries of congregations and contributions."

At the same time, twenty-five-year-old Joseph "Blind Joe" Amos was leading Baptist services in Mashpee. These were held under a large oak tree or, during inclement weather, in the One Room Schoolhouse. Soft spoken and taught by his mother at an early age to memorize Bible passages, Amos had a larger following among his Mashpee neighbors than the Harvard educated Reverend Fish.

The indignant Apess called for a public meeting and read from a pamphlet he had written containing "a sketch of the history of the Indians in New England." He stayed in Mashpee and helped to draft Mashpee's Declaration of Independence. The declaration was signed on May 21, 1833, by 102 residents gathered in and around the One Room Schoolhouse:  

• RESOLVED: That we as a tribe will rule ourselves, and have the right so to do for all men are born free and equal says the Constitution of the country.
• RESOLVED: That we not permit any white man to come upon our Plantation to cut or carry off any wood or hay or any other article without our permission after the first of July next.
• RESOLVED: That we will have our own Meeting House, and place in the pulpit whom we please to preach to us.

 The honor of being the first signer of the declaration was given to sixty-year-old Deacon Isaac Coombs. He had been a deacon for 20 years and had remained as one of the handful of Indian members of Reverend Fish's church.

On July 1, 1833, the Indians notified Reverend Fish that he was dismissed as minister while several men took possession of the Meeting House by entering through a window and changing the lock on the door. Meanwhile, William Apess, Jacob Pocknett and Charles DeGrasse prevented a white man hired by Reverend Fish from carting a load of valuable cordwood away from the parsonage woodlot.

The white man's version of this incident expanded with each retelling and was described as the "Woodlot Riot" or the "Indian Resurrection." Although the governor's first reaction was to call out the state militia, cooler heads prevailed and he sent an Executive Council member to investigate the situation. The Meeting House key was returned to Reverend Fish; Apess, Pocknett and DeGrasse served brief jail sentences.

Although the General Court passed an act in 1834 returning Mashpee to the status of an incorporated district with the power to select most of its own officers, it was not until 1840 that they conceded Mashpee the right to organize its own church affairs. Once again the Meeting House locks were changed and this time the unpopular Reverend Phineas Fish was bodily removed by the constable.

SOURCE Mashpee The story of Cape Cod's Indian Town, by Francis Hutchins, 1979