Happy New Year! I wish you a very
Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2014.
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| The First Emperor of the United States |
Welcome to a new year of St Paul’s Club
blog or the SPCB, if you will. The main
aim of this blog and its posts (as articles are called in internet “speak”) is
to entertain in an irreverent way or educate, and if not that, at least spread
some illumination on little known facts.
To this end, there will be a
weekly post on either the Club, subjects of interest to the membership (namely
golf, bridge, wine and cars), business or some entertaining information. Any and all help in fulfilling this commitment
would be appreciated. Given that this is a new year, a
quiet point of reflection seems like an appropriate place to commence this
blog.
As we all know, St Paul’s Club was first open in 1859, but what else
happened this year? Did you know that in this year
the U.S. had an emperor and originated a book on etiquette?
Also in this year:
- Ground was broken for the Suez canal,
- Queen Victoria made Queensland into a separate colony,
- The first Dog Show was held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and
- Petroleum was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania giving our American cousins the world's first successful oil well.
You can find out more about some
of the events of this year below.
On 2nd January 1859,
Erastus Beadle published the “The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette for Ladies
and Gentlemen”.
The introduction starts: 'That man is a gentleman!"
How the heart opens to let him in, without any further commendation! He may be
wise, and rich, and remarked for his genius; but if he be not a true gentleman,
his gifts will not avail to make him a favourite and a desirable companion.
"That woman is a lady!"
"What matter, then, if she is not clad in silks, or is not beautiful of
form or feature? She has the key which unlocks all hearts for her, for to be a
lady, implies high qualities and gracious gifts of soul.
The book then proceeds to give
advice on entrance into society, general observances for visits, the formula of
introductions, dress and ornaments, on cleanliness and fastidiousness and balls
and evening receptions. It also includes
information on the correct etiquette for the card and chess table and the politeness
of business.
Here is a sprinkling of
quotations:
“It is rare to meet with persons
who can converse agreeably; and yet how many kinds of talkers there are in the
world. “
“An invitation to a dance should
be given at least a week beforehand. A
lady sometimes requires time to prepare her toilet.”
“At a ball, avoid seeking the
same partner (other than your lady en charge) in the dance too often; you will excite
remark, and will expose yourself to the charge of partiality or perhaps of
coquetry.”
“In playing cards, you will
sometimes see one partner reproach another sharply for unskilful play; thus
convicting himself of being more unskilled in the science of
good-breeding. The man who utters noisy
complaints about his luck, or manifests unseemly joy at winning a game, raising
his voice to a high key on all occasions, is so ignorant as to be unworthy of
admission into a drawing-room.”
“On marriage, the real honeymoon should
last through life and will, if the pair is properly mated. Therefore, let the
choice be made in no haste and passion and blindness, but in deliberation and
calm exercise of judgment”.
If you would like to read a copy
of this publication, you can download a pdf of it for free at https://ia600406.us.archive.org/1/items/beadlesdimebooko00bead/beadlesdimebooko00bead.pdf.
On Tuesday 21st June
in the Franco-Austrian War the Battle of Solférino was fought. It resulted in
the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Sardinian Army
under Victor Emmanuel II (together known as the Franco-Sardinian Alliance)
against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz Joseph I. It was the last major
battle in world history where all the armies were under the personal command of
their monarchs.
This battle would have a
long-term effect on the future conduct of military actions. Jean-Henri Dunant,
who witnessed the aftermath of the battle in person, was motivated by the
horrific suffering of wounded soldiers left on the battlefield to begin a
campaign that would eventually result in the Geneva Conventions and the
establishment of the International Red Cross.
On Monday 11th July A
Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was published. Starting with the immortal line “It was the
best of times, it was the worst of times…”, the book went on to sell well over
200 million copies ranking it among the most famous works in the history of
fictional literature
Also this year, British
naturalist Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, a book which argues
that organisms gradually evolve through natural selection which immediately
sold out its initial print run.
And finally onto the Emperor of the United States that I mentioned at
the start…
On Saturday 17th September, Joshua
A. Norton of San Francisco, California, declared himself Emperor Norton I of
the United States. Although he had no
political power, and his influence extended only so far as he was humoured by
those around him, he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency
issued in his name was honoured in the establishments he frequented.
Norton spent his days inspecting
San Francisco's streets in an elaborate blue uniform with gold-plated
epaulettes, given to him by officers of the United States Army post at the
Presidio of San Francisco. He also wore a beaver hat decorated with a peacock
feather and a rosette. He frequently
enhanced this regal posture with a cane or umbrella. During his inspections,
Norton would examine the condition of the sidewalks and cable cars, the state
of repair of public property, and the appearance of police officers. Norton would also frequently give lengthy
philosophical expositions on a variety of topics to anyone within earshot.
During one of his inspections
Norton is said to have performed one of his most famous acts of diplomacy.
During the 1860s and 1870s, there were occasional anti-Chinese demonstrations
in the poorer districts of San Francisco. Riots, sometimes resulting in fatalities,
took place. During one incident, Norton allegedly positioned himself between
the rioters and their Chinese targets; with a bowed head, he started reciting
the Lord's Prayer repeatedly until the rioters dispersed without incident.
Norton was loved and revered by
the citizens of San Francisco. Although penniless, he regularly ate at the
finest restaurants in San Francisco; restaurateurs took it upon themselves to
add brass plaques in their entrances declaring "by Appointment to his
Imperial Majesty, Emperor Norton I of the United States."
Norton's self-penned Imperial seals of
approval were prized and a substantial boost to trade. No play or musical
performance in San Francisco would dare to open without reserving balcony seats
for Norton.
Norton did receive some official tokens
of recognition for his position. The 1870 U.S. census lists Joshua Norton as 50
years old and residing at 624 Commercial Street; his occupation was listed as
Emporer [sic]. Norton also issued his
own money to pay for his debts, and it became an accepted local currency in San
Francisco. These notes came in denominations between fifty cents and ten
dollars; the few surviving notes are collector's items. The city of San
Francisco also honored Norton. When his uniform began to look shabby, the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors bought him a suitably regal replacement. Norton
sent a gracious thank you note and issued a "patent of nobility in
perpetuity" for each supervisor.
The day after his death on
January 8th, 1880, the San Francisco Chronicle published his
obituary on its front page under the headline "Le Roi est Mort"
("The King is Dead")
Norton's funeral on Sunday,
January 10, was solemn, mournful, and large. Paying their respects were members
of "...all classes from capitalists to the pauper, the clergyman to the
pickpocket, well-dressed ladies and those whose garb and bearing hinted of the
social outcast." Some accounts say as many as 30,000 people lined the
streets, and that the funeral cortège was two miles (3 km) long. San
Francisco's total population at the time was 230,000. Norton was buried in the
Masonic Cemetery, at the expense of the City of San Francisco.
I hope you enjoyed this first
post and look forward to next week’s.
Have a great week.
