New Hampshire Glossary: Dowser

Posted on 30 July, 2008 by Janice Brown

A dowser is a person who is able to locate water, and sometimes precious metals. On a few documented occasions, dowsers have located wanted criminals and missing objects. Dowsing is accomplished through an intuitive search process.

In some cases devices made of natural wood, or sometimes of metal (called a dowsing rod or wand) is used to facilitate the discovery. When the dowser walks with the device in his or her hands, they feel a tug, pull, drop, tingling, or other sensation when the desired element is beneath them or nearby. A weighted pendulum is also used in a somewhat different manner such as holding it over a map, but to bring about the same outcome of discovery.

Before the Victorian era dowsers and their abilities were sometimes considered practitioners of the art of witchcraft or magic, so the wand or rod they used was called a “witching wand,” or a “divining wand.”  Sometimes the wand was crafted from wood of the witch hazel tree. I have seen modern day rods made of metal.

Dowsing is said to have been mentioned in texts prior to 1518 when reportedly it can be found in the writings of Martin Luther (when he condemns its use), and it may have been used earlier on continents other than Europe.

My thanks to Kurious Kitty’s Kurio Kabinet for the inspiration, and for this poem:

Robert Frost Poem, “Two Tramps in Mud Time”
The water for which we may have to look
In summertime with a witching wand,
In every wheelrut’s now a brook,
In every print of a hoof a pond.
Be glad of water, but don’t forget
The lurking frost in the earth beneath
That will steal forth after the sun is set
And show on the water its crystal teeth.

Janice

*Additional Reading*

–American Society of Dowsers–

–Wikipedia: Dowsing (With Photograph)–

–The Divining Rod, A History of Water Witching–

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Ie Shima, Ernie Pyle, and a "Betty Bomber"

Posted on 28 July, 2008 by Janice Brown

Ie Shima (Island), Ernie Pyle, and a “Betty Bomber” have more in common that you might think.

During World War II, a New Hampshire native, Robert J. Manning of Manchester, was a member of the 413th FG, 21st Fight Squadron stationed at Ie Shima.  He flew aircraft in that squadron from this island off the coast of Okinawa in 1945, as a starting point to bomb the island of Hokkaido, Japan.

As I mentioned in a previous story, his commander was Harry Thyng. My cousin Bob Pynenburg says that our Uncle Bob said the flight from le Shima to Hokkaido was so long that he got cramps in his butt!

I found several photographs taken by my Uncle Bob and sent home to either his mother Addie Manning, or to his sister Mary (my mother).  Luckily for us, my mother saved everything (and I mean everything), especially photographs.

The first is a photograph taken from the water near Ie Shima. The second two are rare photographs showing the actual air strip and planes at Ie Shima, and then what I believe is the “end” of the airstrip showing wrecks of airplanes that didn’t make it.

Then here are two photographs of Ernie Pyle’s monument and burial place.  Ernie Pyle was a reporter for Scripps-Howard, and was much respected as he most frequently reported on the regular Joe, or combat infantryman.  In April of 1945 he was killed on Ie Shima by enemy fire.  At first buried here (and thus the monument), with a soldier on either side, his remains were later removed to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.  The Ernie Pyle monument is one of the few World War II memorials that still exist in Japan.

Robert Manning was also on the island on August 19th, 1945 when two Japanese military and diplomatic delegation left Japan on their way to meet with General MacArthur regarding surrender terms.  While on their way, on August 19th, they stopped on Ie Shima, when my uncle took this photograph of their airplane (called a “Betty” Bomber).

Janice

Posted in Irish in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Aviation, New Hampshire Men, Not New Hampshire | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lee New Hampshire's Physician, Dean, UNH Marine Docent, Historian and "Old Shoaler," Robert L. Tuttle, M.D. (1922-2004)

Posted on 26 July, 2008 by Janice Brown

Bob Tuttle's first visit to the Isles of Shoals, was in 1941.

He was a lowly UNH microbiology student who was helping to open the zoological laboratory for the summer. It became his favorite place on earth.

According to his obituary, Tuttle received a B.S. in biology in 1943 from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine with an M.D. in 1947. In 1950 he became an instructor of microbiology and immunology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C. He advanced to assistant professor, department chairman in 1954, associate professor, assistant dean and then academic dean in 1969.

He served as a Naval Reserve lieutenant in the Medical Corps at the Naval Medical Research Institute at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda MD, from 1952 to 1954.

He served as associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, from 1970 to 1975. He was dean there from 1975 to 1981. He was regional dean at Texas Tech University School of Medicine at El Paso from 1981 to 1984.

After retiring in 1984 he and his wife Dot moved to Lee, New Hampshire and he joined the UNH Marine Docent Program in 1986, choosing as his area of concentration the natural and human history of the Isles of Shoals.

He conducted tours, presented slide/talk programs and served as guest lecturer on the Isles of Shoals. He was the founding president of the Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association from 1992 to 1994.  One of the programs he represented as part of the adult education program was “A Garden Is a Sea of Flowers,” which taught about the life of Celia Thaxter through the history of her island garden on Appledore.

He was a member, consultant and chairman of several medical groups and committees. He died at his home in Lee, New Hampshire at the age of 82.  He was a 12th generation Tuttle, in direct line from Simon Toothill of Ringstead England and New Haven Connecticut.

Janice

P.S.: He was my distant cousin directly through the Tuttle line.

–Requiem For A Lost Shoaler (SeacostNH.com)–

–Obituary of Dr. Robert L. “Bob” Tuttle (UNH)–

**TUTTLE FAMILY GENEALOGY**

Simon Tuttle/Tootill (1560-1630) & Isabel Wells (c1585-?) of Ringstead, Northampton England and New Haven CT
William Tuttle (c1609-1673) & Elizabeth ?Matthews (c1608-1684) of New Haven CT
John Tuttle (?-1683) & Catherine Lane (?) of New Haven CT
John Tuttle (1657-c1743) & Mary Burroughs (1672-1759) of New Haven CT
Daniel Tuttle (c1702-1756) & Sarah Comstock (c1703-?) of New Haven CT
Joseph Tuttle (1737-1819) & Mary Fuller (1742-?) of CT and NH

*Seventh generation*
Joseph Tuttle, son of Joseph & Mary (Fuller) Tuttle was b. 17 Aug 1762 in Hebron, CT and d. 14 July 1836 in Dummerston, Windham Co. VT. He m. 5 March 1788 in Woodstock CT to Ann White, dau of Joseph & Elizabeth (Dwelly) White. She b. 10 Apr 1760 in Lebanon CT. They resided in Connecticut, Winchester NH, and Vermont.
Children of Joseph & Ann (White) Tuttle:
1. +Daniel F. Tuttle, b. 21 March 1789 Winchester NH
2. Joel White Tuttle, b. 23 Aug 1791 Winchester NH; m. Martha Barnes; 8 children: Charles Augustus, Hiram, Louisa, ch, Joel White, Persis Adelaide, Martha A., Mary Lucinda.
3. James W. Tuttle, b. 23 Aug 1793 Winchester NH
4. Benjamin Tuttle, b. 8 Feb 1796 Winchester NH
5. Cornelius W. Tuttle, b. 4 Aug 1799 Winchester NH; m. Mary Barnes; 2 ch, John William and Mary A.

*Eighth Generation*
Daniel F. Tuttle, son of Joseph & Ann (White) Tuttle, was b. 21 March 1789 in Winchester, Cheshire Co. NH and d. 1879 in Winchester NH. He m. 16 July 1815 in Winchester NH to Harriet Cook, dau of Francis & Ruth (Berse) Cook of Kingston MA and Winchester NH. She was b. abt 1795 and d. 26 March 1837 in Winchester NH. According to “Gazeteer of Cheshire County N.H., 1736-1885,” page 544, they located in the eastern part of Winchester, and had 8 children. He was a blacksmith, Democrat in politics, Unitarian in religion.
http://content.ancestry.com/browse/bookview.aspx?dbid=23947&iid=dvm_LocHist009284-00369-0&desc=Daniel+Tuttle&rc=1114%2c2285%2c1344%2c2346%3b1323%2c2280%2c1547%2c2346
http://books.google.com/books?id=ByzhgLUOIRIC&pg=RA1-PA215&dq=Winchester+NH+Tuttle
—————
U.S. Census > 1860 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Cheshire > Winchester
Daniel Tuttle 68 M Blacksmith 20 Conn
—————
Children of Daniel F. & Harriet (Cook) Tuttle:
1. Sophronia Tuttle, b. 11 Sep 1815; m. Edmund Doolittle, res. Winchester NH.
2. Celuria W. Tuttle, b. 12 Feb 1817; m. 1836 to Henry Proctor Barrett. He was b. 1812 in West Brookfield MA. Resided West Brookfield MA; 7 children: Jabeth C., Harriet C., Marie S., Ruth E., Daniel P., Laura, and Henry W.
3. Cornelius O/W Tuttle, b. abt 1819-20 NH
4. Judith Tuttle, b. 24 March 1822 NH
5. John Tuttle, b. 26 Dec 1825 NH; married Mary Jackson, resided with her father a few years and followed his trade as carpenter and manufacturer of lumber. He later bought the farm later owned by Elijah Baker, about a mile northwest of Winchester village, and engaged in farming. He was selectman six years. He died at his home in 1860, aged sixty-one years. She
6. Francis Tuttle, b. 19 Aug 1828 NH
7. Relief Tuttle, b. abt 1830

*Ninth Generation*
Cornelius Osmer Tuttle, son of Daniel F. & Harriet (Cook) Tuttle, was b. abt 1820 in NH and d. after 1920 in Keene NH. He married Arville Whitcomb Hunt, a descendant of Jonas Hunt and Philemon Whitcomb. She b. 1825. In 1850 and 1860 living in Winchester, Cheshire Co. NH.
———–
U.S. Census > 1850 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Cheshire > Winchester
Amos Hunt 65 M Farmer 4500 NH
Mrs. A. Hunt 60 F NH
Emily Hunt 37 F NH
Arvilla Hunt 22 F NH
———–
U.S. Census > 1870 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Cheshire > Winchester
Tuttle, Cornelius 50 M W Farmer 3000/1000 NH
Tuttle, Arvilla W. 45 F W Keeping House NH
Tuttle, Herbert F.W. 12 M W at school NH
Tuttle, Fanny A 11 F W at school NH
Tuttle, Homer W. 9 M W at school NH
Tuttle, Emily L. 7 F W at school NH
Hunt, Abel 71 M W active merchant 300/800 NH
Tuttle, Daniel F. 78 M W no occupation NH
—living next door—-
Tuttle, Edwin C. 22 M W day laborer NH
Tuttle, Abbie F. 17 F W keeping House Mass
———–
Children of Cornelius O. & Arvilla W. (Hunt) Tuttle:
1. Herbert “Fred” F.W. Tuttle, b. abt 1857
2. Fanny/Fannie Arvilla Tuttle, b. 4 January 1859 Winchester NH; she m. 5 March 1882 in Keene NH to John Davis Frink. He was b. 1 Dec 1852 in Chicopee MA. They resided in Springfield MA, he was a locomotive engineer on the Boston & Maine Railroad. They had one child, Lotta Amelia Frink, b. 5 Dec 1882 in Winchester NH and d. 24 Apr 1889 in Springfield MA
3. +Homer Wilton Tuttle, b. 19 Sep 1860 Winchester NH
4. Emily L. Tuttle, b. abt 1863 in Winchester NH. She married George Webster Oakes.

*Tenth Generation*
Homer Wilton Tuttle, son of Cornelius & Arvilla W. (Hunt) Tuttle, b. 19 Sep 1860 in Winchester NH, d. after 1920 in Keene NH. He married 30 Dec 1890 in Hinsdale, Cheshire Co NH to Stella Irene May Raymond, dau of Solomon White & Hannah Laura (Hastings) Raymond. She b. 21 Aug 1870 in Keene, Cheshire Co NH and d. 2 Dec 1916 in Keene NH. They resided in Keene NH (1910) and in Boston MA (1920) [see History of Town of Sullivan NH for Hastings Line] He was a box maker.
———————————-
WINCHESTER NH DIRECTORY
Tuttle, Homer W. box maker, emp. of Winchester Box Mfg; house Main
Tuttle, Fred H. box maker, emp. of Winchester Box Mfg; house Main cor. Maple ave.
———————————-
U.S. Census > 1910 United States Federal Census > New Hampshire > Cheshire > Keene Ward 2 > District 38
Tuttle, Homer W. Head M W 48 m1x 19 yrs NH NH NH Foreman, Box Factory
Tuttle, Stella R. wife F W 39 m1x 19 yrs 2 ch 1 living NH NH NH no occupation
Tuttle, Glenn R. son M W 18 single NH NH NH Driver, market farm
———————————-
Children of Homer W. &  Stella I.M. (Raymond) Tuttle:
1. +Glenn Raymond Tuttle, b. 20 October 1891 in Winchester NH.
2. Leah Arvilla Tuttle, b. 8 Jan 1894 in Winchester NH and d. 1 July 1906 in Keene NH

*Eleventh Generation*
Glenn Raymond Tuttle, son of Homer W. & Stella I.M. (Raymond) Tuttle, was b. 20 October 1891 in Winchester NH. He married about 1920 to Adah B. –. She was b. abt 1887 in NH.  [Adah Loveland, dau of Pascal & Lucy Loveland of Gilsum NH]
————————————
U.S. Census > 1930 United States Federal Census > Massachusetts > Essex > Swampscott > District 278
Tuttle, Glenn R. Head M W 39 married at age 28 NH NH NH manager General Store [b abt 1891]
Tuttle, Adah B. wife F W 43 married at age 33 NH NH NH no occupation [b abt 1887] [married abt 1920]
Payne, Madeline L. niece F W 28 married 26 NH NH NH waitress, hotel
Tuttle, Robert L. son M W 7 single MA NH NH
————————————
WWI Draft Registration, 1917-1918
Glenn Raymond Tuttle
born 20 October 1891 in Winchester NH
Res. 52 Spring Street, Keene NH
occupation: assistant Supt, Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
———————————-
March 4, 1974, Portsmouth Herald
OBITUARY–YORK (ME)–Mrs. Hazel M. Meyer, 69, of 282 York St., died Sunday in a local hospital after a short illness.  She was born in Bridgeport, Conn., May 18, 1904, the daughter of William F. and Ella (Seeley) Mueller. Mrs. Meyer was the widow of Herbert W. Meyer, who died in 1953.  She was a member of the Yorksters, Kings Daughters and the Women's League of York. Survivors include a son, Herbert W. Meyer Jr., two daughters, Mrs. Robert Tuttle of Houston, Tex., and Mrs. Arlene Vartko of Monroe, Conn.; 19 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
———————————-
Child of Glenn R. & Adah B. (?) Tuttle:
1. +Robert L. Tuttle, born in Boston, Mass., on July 26, 1922; m. 1942 to Dorothy Meyer, dau of Herbert W. & Hazel (Mueller) Meyer.  She died in 2000. He died Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 at his home in Lee, NH.  They had no children.

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The Sugar Baby: The Day World War II Was Funny

Posted on 24 July, 2008 by Janice Brown

Most of the time the soldiers and sailors who participated in World War II led serious lives.  After all they were away from their families and loved ones, and most were in danger of losing their lives.  At the same time, it was important to keep up their morale, and that of their families back home.

I found these two photographs in one of my mother's albums.  My father is prominently pictured in each of them, and so no doubt he mailed them home to Mom during World War II. The first photograph depicts my father as a sugar baby (he's the little bearded baby on the right with the cigarette in his mouth). 

In this second photograph, he is apparently an Asian prince garbed in silks.  My dad always did love hats, so no wonder he looks so happy in the photo (he is 2nd from the right).

I haven't been able to locate any additional photographs similar to this one, although no doubt other navy personnel had them taken. My father was a bit of a scamp–he so loved to laugh.  For most of the war my father was clean shaven, and so it is very possible that this photograph was taken at the end of the war, at least a year after August 1945.

Janice

*Additional Reading*

-Strategic Perfection and the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides)-

–If WWII was an RTS (Real Time Strategy Game)–

-It never happened, But if It Had–

Posted in Humor, Military of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Men | Leave a comment

"Your Dog In A Canoe? Barking Up the Northeast Passage," by B. Elwin Sherman

Posted on 22 July, 2008 by Janice Brown
Yes, even on a river expedition, it's not only possible to end up where you

started, it's what happens anytime you go anywhere in New England by land or

sea, because you're already where you're going before you leave, even though you

can't get there from here.

 
That's why you should start somewhere else in the first place:
 
The Northeast Passage.
 
Here, in nautical dog miles, it's possible to connect New Hampshire with

itself via the Connecticut River.  It requires flatbottom watercraft canine

ballast, an unintentional near drowning that your dog will interpret as a new

game of super-fetch, and the finer points of dogpaddling your way to the nearest

sandbar without spilling your beer.

 
What's the first rule in canoeing with your dog?
 
NEVER canoe with your dog.
 
If you're determined to scuttle that advice, I can only offer you the

following guide and my deepest sympathies at the outset.  Do pick a stretch

of the New Hampshire/Vermont fluvial border that offers an historic, built-in

fond recollection, like the Windsor-Cornish Covered Bridge.  You'll need

this watermark to neutralize the horror years hence, when you tell your

grandchildren of your perilous river expedition with Tippy.

 
Ready?
 
NEVER take a canoe trip with a dog named “Tippy.”  No sense in flying

in the face of prophecy.

 
There's a reason that a dog, when riding in an automobile, sticks his head

out the window.  This goes double when applied to travel over water in a

canoe, as his head, body, legs and tail are all now sticking out a big

window.  It's a sensory overload, and your dog needs boundaries, especially

when he's being moved artificially on fluid space.

 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe on a “windy” day in New Hampshire.  The

resulting fourteen consecutive revolutions you'll perform without advancing one

ripple on your journey will create a new game of splash & fetch that you'll

be hard-pressed to recreate in your backyard pool.

 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe from the leeward side.  In fact, never

put your dog in a canoe from the windward side.  I'd suggest tethering him

to the bathtub for short periods prior to your trip.  This will acclimatize

him for the approaching granddaddy of all head-out-the-window rides.

 
When you arrive and are about to put-in, avoid letting him board anywhere

near the stern (more on this later).  Remember, the stern is the back of

the canoe.  It will be the end facing forward for most of your trip

downriver (See: New Hampshire, Windy Day).

 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe before you get in.  If you're dumb

enough to do this, (and we all know you are because you're out there canoeing in

a Yankee typhoon) don't compound the error by entering with one foot on the bank

and one foot in the canoe.

 
This will result in the inevitable “Wishbone Dunk & Groin Pull,” and

will forever adversely affect your ability to squat.

 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe, and then paddle without squatting. 

Yes, you may assume a semblance of sitting, but don't put your full weight on

the seat.  You must maintain a constant scrunch, leaning forward enough to

balance on the balls of your feet, ready to pounce.

 
Dogs don't know how to trim ship.
 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe and pounce.
 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe with anything that doesn't float.  This

includes any valued personal items heavier than air.

 
NEVER put your dog in a canoe without sitting him in the bow. 

Remember, the bow is the front of the canoe.  It will be the end facing

backward for most of your trip upriver.  There are two reasons for putting

your dog in front:

 
1.  Dogs, unlike humans, are equally content and adept at seeing

either where they've been or where they're going.

 
2.  If you put him in the stern with you, the combined ballast of

idiot canoe pilot, clawing dog and cooler of beer, will lift the bow into an

angle that will aggravate your groin pull, dunk & send all your floatable

provisions into Vermont, and prompt any onshore onlookers to wonder why a

vertical canoe is going past them the wrong way under the world's longest

two-span covered wooden bridge.

 
In New Hampshire, it's the only time you'll get there from

here.
 

 

* * * * *
Syndicated humor columnist B. Elwin Sherman is trying to stay

dry somewhere in the North Country.  You may reach him via his website at:

elwinshumor.com.  Copyright 2008 B. Elwin Sherman.  All rights

reserved.  Used here with permission.
* * * * *

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