The Pynchon-l Post Mark'd West

[Sherwood, Harrison]

It is not uncommon, when waiting at a traffic light next to some
depressing strip mall full of Southeast Asian lingerie importers and
decrepit head shops here in the sleepy little Washington, DC, suburb of
Fairfax, VA, for one's gaze to alight on one of those shotgun-spavined
and illegible roadside historical markers that commemorate some long-
and deservedly-forgotten event: "Chunkahominy Road: During the
disastrous Chaulmoogra Campaign of 1863, Colonel Rampant "Hap" Apathee
and the 19th Kewland Zouaves encamped at the Exxon on your right for
three days to "freshen up" before turning east on the northward
southwest push into Maryland, which resulted in the self-directed
enfilade historians have come to call 'The Nineteenth's Nervous
Breakdown.'"

Yesterday, as my gaze was occupied in just such a fashion at the corner
of Lee Highway and Main Street, it occurred to me that there might be
such a marker at the location of the Post Mark'd West. I've seen the
surveyor's map Andrew put up at http://www.cee.hw.ac.uk/~andrew/md.jpg,
and compared it to the ADC State Road Map of Maryland and Delaware.
Looks like either Route 896 (New London Road) or perhaps Route 72
(Possum Park Road), both northbound out of Newark, DE, might hit the
Spot.

Any Newarksters, Wilmingtonickals, Baltimorons or Philadaffies on the
List care to make a Saturday expedition of it and report back?
Preferably in an arch-n-breezy manner?

The Brood and I travel past that area from time to time on our annual
Calvary to visit in-laws in Brandywine, and I thought it would be a
giggle to raise a bumper or perhaps a toby and render a few choruses of
"To Anacreon in Heav'n" next to the Post Mark'd West. That is, until
local lawn forcement intercedes. I hear those Delaware troopers ain't
got no sense of humor. Trained by Jesuits, I'll warrant.

And while we're on the Topick, has anyone ever actually been able to
sing "To Anacreon in Heav'n" to the tune of the Natural Anthem? (Or I
guess that should really be the other way around...) I found the lyrix
once on the Net (alt.folklore.urban archives, I think?) and for the life
of me I couldn't make them scan. I'd be rushing lines to make 'em fit,
stretching out others in ridiculous melismas. I think somebody made the
whole thing up.

They _did_ fit the melody of "The Yellow Rose of Texas," interestingly
enough.

Harrison