MDDM: Chs 33 & 34 -- Notes and ( lots of) Questions

[Scott Badger]

Chapter 33

327.2 'Mary Janvier'  Merry January? Not unless you're sitting before a
roaring fire, pipe in one hand, mug of your favorite brew in the other...

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rebajames/rebathomas1.htmMary :
'Mary Janvier, married Joseph Hill, born in Philadelphia 1693, died
04/05/1762'  William Penn, New Castle, Presbyterians and some interesting
information on property rights of the time, but no mention of a coffee
house.

327.2 'Christiana Bridge'  Between New Castle and Newark, about 5 miles west
of New Castle.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rebajames/rebaisaac1.htm :
'ISAAC JANVIER, I, child of Thomas I and Sarah Janvier, was born in 1697 in
New Castle, Delaware.  He married REBECCA WELCH in Christiana Bridge County,
Delaware.

http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/history/timeline.html :
'September 3  Lord Howe's troops reached Pencador 4 miles east of Elk on
road to Christiana Bridge. Americans made a stand at the bridge, but
retreated to main body.

328.1 'In the Summer, toward Evening, Thunder-Gusts come slashing
down[...]whilst Ducks of all sorts, lounging in the Weather as if 'twere
sun-shine, fly into a frenzy at each blast of Lightning and Thunder, then,
immediately forgetting, settle back into their pluvial Comforts'  Dig that
'pluvial Comforts'! This passage echoes the atmosphere inside MJ's,
obviously, and, M&D's behavior while wintering at the Harlands, 'Apologize,
scream, apologize, scream'. The ability to forget/repeating history is one
of several threads that bind this chapter tightly to the next.

328.12 'Proprietarian politics'  OED - proprietarian: '1. ? An advocate or
supporter of proprietary government in the N. American colonies.'

OED - proprietary: '4. Amer. Hist. The grantee or owner, or one of the
grantees or owners, of any one of certain North American colonies: see B. 3.
Also lord proprietary.'

http://www.fee.org/freeman/99/9905/alexander.html :
'What individuals gained from holding property was not independence from
government, but rather independence from the swings and roundabouts of the
marketplace. With this independence, however, came a duty to use property to
further alleged societal interests. If one failed to properly use his
property, the state could compel him to act for the public good. This is the
"proprietarian" view of property.'

328.26 'a field of Duck-Green, not to mention reliable Magenta'  VERY
reliable.  Like the other obscure, and not so obscure, contemporary cameos -
Spock, Clinton, Peter Higgs, Pat O'Brien -, a nod to the writer, Thomas
Pynchon?

328.33 'Teutonical dispensation'??

329.4 '"Astronomer, if it pleases you", corrects Mr. Mason, without quite
considering.'  Why not "Surveyor,..."? Dixon seems to be enjoying a new
dispensation, himself.

329.35 'Succedaneum'  Substitute.

330.14 'Mechanics'  OED: 1. a. Pertaining to or involving manual labour or
skill. Now rare

330.15 'Wenches emerge[...]and in brogues thick as oatmeal recite their own
list of British sins.'  Irish? Scottish? Any particular sins?

330.18 'The attempt to relieve Fort Pitt continues'
http://www.fortpittmuseum.com/History.html :
'Though never attacked by the French, Native American forces from May 27 to
August 9, 1763 besieged Fort Pitt.'  But this is January...?

330.19 'massacres at Conestoga and Lancaster'
http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/FFchp5.html :
'On December 14, 1763, fifty-seven vigilantes from Paxton and Donegal, two
frontier towns, rode into Conestoga Manor, an Indian settlement, and killed
six of twenty Indians living there. Two weeks later, more than 200 "Paxton
Men" (as they were now called) invaded Lancaster, where the remaining
fourteen Conestoga Indians had been placed in a workhouse for their own
protection. Smashing in the workhouse door as the outnumbered local militia
looked on, the Paxton Men killed the rest of the Conestoga band, leaving the
bodies in a heap within sight of the places where the Anglo-Iroquois
alliance had been cemented less than two decades before.'

And so, Pitt's request, '"What about Indians?"', in absentia, is granted...

330.22 'Braddock's Defeat'
http://www.nationalcenter.org/Braddock'sDefeat.html (Washington's letter
home to mom)

For a more detailed version:
http://www.publicbookshelf.org/public_html/The_Great_Republic_By_the_Master_
Historians_Vol_I/generalbr_ei.html (WTW)

330.23 'The smell of a burn'd cabin grows familiar again, the smell of
things that are not suppos'd to be burn'd.'  ...and again...

330.29 `their observatory on John Harland's Farm'
http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=9711&msg=21309&sort=date :
(The following is stolen from Monte Davis' 97' MDMD(11) Notes, though he
credits it to Andrew Dinn)  This is `31 miles W
of the S-most point in Philadelphia'. It also lies on the projection
of the N/S border between Maryland and Delaware, if you follow it N
across the Pennsylvania border. And given the definition of that
border it must lie 15 miles N of the intersection of the Delaware,
maryland and Pennsylvania borders. by my reckoning that puts Harland's
farm just about at the town of Doc Run.

This line introduces both the geometry of the borders and the
constraints imposed by royal grant and lie of land which resulted in
this geometry.  Here is how I have interpreted the mass of comments
scattered through the next few pages. It might be advisable to consult
a map of Pennsylvania, Maryland and delaware at this point. The
original idea was that Pennsylvania's Southern border would be the
40th parallel, an E-W line of 5 degrees in length. Delaware and
Maryland would be separated by a N/S line of about 80 miles in length.
Delaware was to be defined by a rectangle which would extend 12 miles
W and 80 or so miles S from New Castle. The E side of the rectangle
would extend to Delaware Bay. In order to give New Castle protection
on its N border a semicircle of 12 miles radius would sit atopthe
rectangle, centered on the New Castle court house.
In order for Pennsylvania to share a border with Delaware and Maryland
the 40th parallel would have to intersect either the N/S line or the
semicircle. Unfortunately, New Castle lies more than 12 miles south of
the fortieth parallel. If no change were made then Maryland would
extend across the top of Delaware, between it and Pennsylvania.
There are several solutions to this problem. One is to increase the
width of the semicircle until it reached the 40th parallel. But in
order to retain the regular geometry of Delaware this would mean
incrasing the width of the rectangle W of New castle by the same
amount, ceding a lot of Maryland territory to Delaware. Another is to
move the Maryland Pennsylvania border south until it intersects the
circle, increasing Penn land at Maryland's expense. The Penns appear
to have negotiated this solution with the border placed 15 miles south
of the southernmost point in Philadelphia. Our heroes located that
point in the last few chapters and have now marched W about 30 miles
until they are on the N/S line which will mark the Delaware/Maryland
border, although still 15 miles North of the E/W line. They march 15
miles S and arrive at the interscetion of their visto with the
Delaware/Maryland border. Looking E they can follow the line a mile or
so until it hits the semi-circle. It would have been very neat if the
E/W line went through New Castle itself. However, New Castle is about
18 miles south of Philadelphia.  So, the E/W line hits the semicircle
on the shoulder. The circle curves round S until it hits the N/S line
3 miles below the E/W line, where it's direction is N/S, touching the
line exactly level with New Castle.  Hence the Delaware/Maryland
border is called the tangent line - it forms a tangent to the
semicircle.

So, the 1 mile length from the crossing point to the shoulder of the
semicircle and the 3 mile length to the tangent point form two sides
of a wedge, the arc of the circle forming a third side. Strictly, this
wedge should belong to Maryland. It is greater than 12 miles from New
Castle and lies N of New Castle and more than 15 miles S of
Philadephia. However, the wedge appears to have been granted to
Delaware rather than Maryland.  As if the original rectangle topped by
the semicircle had another 3 mile strip placed on top, overlapping and
extending out beyond the semicircle on the W edge.

231.35 'The farmer can hear them at midnight, when a whisper will carry a
mile'  Due to the air being still, and also cooler (denser), right?

332.7 'the Stars travel in Arcs upon the Sky'  see:
http://www.wildrays.com/gallery/night/startrails/MWO.04.01.3.12.html

332.21 'read the Nonius'  OED: 'A contrivance for the graduation of
mathematical instruments, invented by Nuñez and described by him in his work
De Crepusculis (1542 a.d.). Often inaccurately used for the vernier, which
is an improved form of Nuñez’ instrument.'

http://www.aip.de/~ast/70cm/manual.html (too bad they don't say where the
spare key is hidden...)

333.33 'five shillings ev'ry day I work,- silver-, British, real as any
spade'  First the vegetable patch, now the farm...

http://www.mises.org/cil2ch33.asp :
'Locke began his analysis with the "state of nature"—not as an historical
hypothesis but as a logical construct—a world without government, to pene-
trate to the proper foundation of the state. In the state of nature, each
man as a natural fact has complete ownership or property over his own
person. These persons confront unused natural resources or "land," and they
are able to maintain and advance themselves by "mixing their labor with the
land." Through this mixing, the hitherto unowned and unused natural
resources become the property of the individual mixer. The individual
thereby acquires a property right not only in his own person but also in the
land that he has brought into use and transformed by his labor. [3] The
individual, then, may keep this property, exchange it for the property of
others, or bequeath it to his heirs. [4]He has the "natural right" to the
property and to defend it against invasion by others. The moral
justification for government, to Locke, was to defend these rights of
property. Should government fail to serve this function, and itself become
destructive of property rights, the people then have the right to revolt
against such government and to replace it with one that will defend their
rights.'

http://www.usda.gov/history2/text2.htm :
'17th century Farmers near water transportation grew some cash crops for
trade; farmers farther inland emphasized subsistence farming'

335.34 'an unceasing autumn-wind full of solutions'  See Mason's complaints
re. the Longitude Act and his duty as screener of the 'Suggestions, Schemes,
Rants, Sermons, full-length Books'(141.23) for Bradley.

336.10 'some of the other Fictions that govern'd that unhappy Monarch's
Life' ??

336.23 'acufloral Meditations' Needlepoint?
http://www.craftworldflorida.com/ncw/images/Image28.jpg

337.29 'then must there project a literal Sphere of power from the Spire
atop the State-House, whose intersection with the Earth is the Arc'  Why the
emphasis on "sphere"? Is Pynchon playing around with Gnostic planetary
spheres here?

338.15 'Don Vicente Lopez' ??

338.34 '"Sandwiches" made of entire Loaves stuff'd with fried Sausages and
green Peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, cheese melted ev'rywhere'  What one
might style, an hoagie...or maybe, a Philly cheese steak...or even, a
torpedo...


Chapter 34

341.1 '"What brought me here," Mason wrote in the Field-Record' and
(341.6)'"'Me,' notes Uncle Ives,"'my,'- sounds like Mason went by himself."'
And just after, the Rev'd mentions that he spoke to Dixon about the trip.
So, does the story related by Wicks come from Mason's field book, which he
is apparently reading from, or was it related to him by Dixon (tho' Wicks,
now, only 'presume[s]' that Dixon was actually there). The narration that we
get re. Mason's visit to the massacre site consists of nothing more than
what he tells Dixon, and it's Dixon's visit they we get in much greater and
more personal detail. I am the Onion...

341.13 'The Cross Keys'
http://www.bbonline.com/pa/allseasons/area.html : 'Intercourse was founded
in 1754 and was formerly called "Cross Keys" after an old tavern. It is
located on the Old Philadelphia Pike (Route 340).'

http://www.trader-skis.com/battlefields/main_eastern/cross_keys.htm :
'Moving up the Shenandoah Valley in pursuit of Jackson’s army, Maj. Gen.
John C. Frémont’s army encountered Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s division at
Cross Keys on June 8.  Brig.  Gen. Julius Stahel’s brigade, attacking on the
Union left, was stunned by a surprise volley from Trimble’s command and
driven back in confusion.'

342.18 'Jabez'
http://www.entourages.com/barbs/jabezprayer.htm :
'1 Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that
thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand
might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not
grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."'

342.18 '"I told ye the last time, that last time was the last time, Jabez,"
comes a Voice from a high Angle'  And He would certainly have the last
Word...

342.26 'Drummers'
OED : a. One who solicits custom or orders; a commercial traveller; cf. drum
v. 5 and 6 b. orig. U.S.
b. A thief (see quots.). slang.

A salesman or a con-artist.

342.30 '"Why aye, Right as a Right Angle, we're out here to ruffle up some
business[...]Friendly Business.'  ...and if you can't trust your
friends...Dixon's pitch is a Western staple.  See _Butch Cassidy & the
Sundance Kid_ and the bicycle peddler...

343.14 'Mr. Slough'  OED:2. A skin, caul, or membrane, enclosing or covering
the body or some part of it.
b. An enclosing or covering layer, coat, or sheath of some kind.
c. dial. The outer skin of certain fruits; a husk.

And later on we get, 'as Shifts and Back-shifts of Bugs pass to and fro,
inspecting [Dixon's] Mortal Envelope.'

343.30 'Oily Leon'  ??

343.31 'Frizzen and Flint'  Parts of a flint-lock gun.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/flintlock2.htm : 'The frizzen, which is the
piece of steel the flint strikes.'

343.32 'a big Hole in the Blanket'  Referring to 18th c Native American
family sleeping arrangements?

344.19 'German of Mystickal Toilette'  Does "toilette" suggest, made up to
look like?...

344.26 '"Our Time is much more precious to us."[...]"twenty-four Hours of
Philadelphia Time"'  Otherwise known as a country-mile and a New York
minute. Lots of different perspectives on the pace and value of time, in
this case according to differing degrees of social/political controls and
supports.

345.2 'Stogie'
http://www.superiorcigars.com/cigarhist.htm : 'After the Revolutionary War,
tobacco factories sprang up in southern New England as well as Pennsylvania
and New York. The word "stogie" is derived from Conestoga, Pennyslvania.'

http://www2.humidor.nu/smokers_corner/history_of_cigars_eng.htm : 'The cigar
itself is thought not to have arrived until after 1762, when Israel Putnam,
later an American General in the Revolutionary war, returned from Cuba,
where he had been an officer in the British Army.'

A very hip place, this Dutch Rifle.

http://www.neptunecigar.com/allaboutcigars/cigarhistory.htm : 'The first
tobacco fields appeared in Virginia in 1612 and in Maryland in 1631, but the
crops were mostly used for pipe tobacco. We think that cigars first appeared
in America in 1762, when Israel Putnam came back from Cuba where he had
served under the British army. Back in Connecticut, he brought with him
cigars and a big quantity of tobacco. So, the first cigar manufacture
appeared in Hartford at the same time that tobacco from Cuba, now known as
Connecticut tobacco, was planted.'

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/history/series/hw/slavery/slaveryintro.htm :
'We may recall learning about the arrival of twenty "Negars" at Jamestown,
Virginia in 1619, where they were put to work growing tobacco. . . .'

345.6 'a Ring like a Length of Ribbon clos'd in a Circle, with a single
Twist in it'  A moebius loop of course...seems like a lot of work
for...While Dixon's interjection re. cigars may have succeeded at calming
things down at the DR, tobacco's ties and dependence to slavery adds another
twist to the formation of this new State.

345.13 'The only thing that has grown clearer is Jabez's motive in offering
to be their Guide.'  Free lunch?...

345.24 'Prester John'
http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~barilm/presjohn.html : 'Although this story has
several versions, its main theme is: Once upon a time, in a very remote land
there was a king who was not only a great king, but a Christian priest as
well. The name of that king was Prester John, and he ruled over 72
countries. His land was rich in silver and gold, and many wonderful
creatures lived there. That king wrote letters to several Popes in Rome,
telling them that he was a faithful Christian, and was acquainted with all
kinds of unknown beasts, such as: men with horns on their foreheads and
three eyes, women who fought while mounted on horses, men that lived 200
years, unicorns, etc'

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12400b.htm : 'The first authentic mention of
Prester John is to be found in the "Chronicle" of Otto, Bishop of Freising,
in 1145.'

345.33 'Gastrick Speech'  ??

346.25 'In Time, these People are able to forget ev'rything.'  A while back,
I heard someone on NPR use the phrase, "United States of Amnesia".

346.37 'Harlequin'
http://web.org.uk/picasso/harlequin.html : 'Picasso's best known alter ego
is the Harlequin, a mysterious character with classical origins who has long
been associated with the god Mercury and with Alchemy and the Underworld.
Harlequin's traditional capacities to become invisible and to travel to any
part of the world and to take on other forms were said to have been gifts
bestowed on him by Mercury. It was also said that the secrets of Alchemy
were to be found concealed within the Harlequinade.
Harlequin is also a established character of Punch and Judy theatre who in
his local forms of 'Christoforo' and 'Pulchinelli', was a popular feature of
Barcelona street life at the turn of century.'

OED: I. 1. a. A character in Italian comedy, subsequently in French light
comedy; in English pantomime a mute character supposed to be invisible to
the clown and pantaloon; he has many attributes of the clown (his rival in
the affections of Columbine) with the addition of mischievous intrigue; he
usually wears particoloured bespangled tights and a visor, and carries a
light ‘bat’ of lath as a magic wand.

II. 5. attrib. or as adj. Having the characteristics of a harlequin or of
his dress; burlesque, ludicrous; particoloured.

346.37 Punch'  OED: A. n. A name for a short fat man, or for anything short
and thick.

1. a. The name of the principal character, a grotesque hump-backed figure,
in the puppet-show called Punch and Judy.

347.4 'Duty-Station'  Military term for an assigned duty or place of duty.

347.19 'lightness premonitory to Flying'  Rapture??

347.33 'Protasia Wofte'  Protesting waif?...