I took this about a week ago down Onemo near the public landing and keep meaning to tell the story associated with that trip but never have time. In case I forget, it involves CBW in strange surroundings; a waterman who thinks CBW is up to no good; an old man and a tractor. How's that for suspense? Now let's talk about something completely unrelated: unusual names.
In the book Gwynn's Island Times, News Items from the Mathews Journal (1905-1937) and the Gazette Journal (1937-1950), compiled by Elsa Cooke Verbyla, there is an interesting story from 1942 relating to a homecoming week for some Merchant Marine captains. They were visiting family in between trips and came together for a supper on Gwynn's Island. There was good food and good story telling, but this, in particular, caught my eye:
"...Captain Percolator Hudgins is 41. He is the son of Capt. Charlie (Coffee Pot) Hudgins and Mrs. Hudgins, at sea 24 years on the East Coast and the Caribbean. His son, "Dripolator," was there too.....Captain Percolator carries a rabbit's foot and also a "sacred" elephant. He says he rubs the rabbit's foot every day and strokes the "snoot" of the elephant for luck. The elephant came from India. He is another of the Island skippers who came up through the "hawsepipe" route and refuses to be worried about the submarine menace. Asked his full name, he said, "If you don't call me Percolator nobody here and at sea would know who you are talking about."
from page 112, Gwynn's Island Times
I wonder if Dripolator had a son. What would his name be? I'll go with Mr. Coffee or Coffee Cup.
More importantly, I need an elephant from India. Good luck is not something running rampant around the CBW household.
15 comments:
Keurig?
French Press?
Good heavens, it'd better not be Cuisinart. They're bad luck, for sure.
And all these years I thought stroking the elephant meant something entirely different. You can erase that if you want to. I have a fever.
This was actually printed in the paper? Wow, have times changed. They must not have had anything else to talk about, huh? That actually must have been nice to not have all the bad stuff clogging up the paper!
I wonder if the son was named Drippy...
Demi-tasse!
I know I know.. Capresso!!!!
Only because I am longing for one and it is going to be a long time before those pennies are saved!
I wonder if we split the cost of the Elephant will the luck be spread between us or will it only take one owner like the Elder Wand.... (I may or may not have reread Harry Potter and just finished it last night... I am not telling.)
I know it wouldn't be Sanka. Get it? SANK a? I wish I could come down there and sprinkle good luck dust all over you. Then I would make you some supper.
My veri word is "crablar"
Caffeine Bean!
The rubbing of elephant snout thing~is that the same as getting lucky?
Cuisinart?
Cone Filter?
Starbucks???????
Li'l Kona Blend.
Krups? Mocha Latte?
He'd be called The Dredges. You know, the residue at the bottom of the pot when you percolate coffee.
Rita used to say, don't give me the dredges.
The Dredges sounds like a bad disease you might catch the crabbing wasn't going well....
I vote for Mr. Coffee
:)
AMN
Ha!! Good one, AMN. As soon as Grandma J. said dredges I thought of crabbing.
And when you say crabbing, my mind goes where it ought not. As for rubbing the elephant...
Good the the last drop....that sinks you...
I think The Dredges would be a good name for a punk/rage band.
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