Home  >> Stories  >> The Tale Spinner #2018-39

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IN THIS ISSUE

• In this Heroic Story, Ruth Edwards writes about a kind dentist
• Catherine Nesbitt shares the story of a stagecoach driver
• Barbara Wear forwards some facts about sugar consumption
• The editor quotes Snopes about an incorrect attribution
• Sites are suggested by Carol Hansen, Irene Harvalias, and Judith English

Ruth Edwards of Texas writes about being

RESTORED TO HEALTH

In 1951, when I was ten years old, my family moved to Japan for missionary work. We lived in the city of Mizuho, about three miles from Yokota Air Force Base.

My parents sent me to the school on the Air Force base, and because they weren´t military people, paid tuition. I was the only non-military student there, which often made me feel shy, because I was different.

One day when I was 12 years old, a dentist´s chair was moved into the school gym. All the kids in school had their teeth checked, one class at a time.

When it came my turn, I obediently sat in the chair. When I opened my mouth, the dentist took one look and asked me to sit to the side until he finished checking the rest of my class. He said he wanted to talk to me.

I was apprehensive at being set to one side. I watched and waited until the dentist came over to talk to me. He was in his early thirties, wore a doctor´s jacket over his Air Force uniform, and had a soft, kind smile on his face.

He sat down beside me and quietly asked why I hadn´t seen a dentist on the base earlier. I explained our situation. He nodded in understanding and asked for my parents´ contact information so he could speak to them.

I was nervous about having him speak to my parents. I knew he would tell my parents my teeth were in poor condition. I had already been to a local Japanese dentist who had put beautiful gold fillings in my teeth. Unfortunately, my mouth was full of decay and infection, including underneath the fillings. What a mess!

The Air Force dentist obtained permission from his commanding officer to bring me into the base dental office after hours, where, on his own time, he would fix my teeth.

The appointments began right away. There were 22 in all, two visits each week. The first appointments were surgical, because I had some badly abscessed teeth. I remember being nervous sitting in that dentist´s chair the first day, white paper bib pinned in place, looking up at the lights.

But the Air Force dentist was kind and gentle. He explained what he was going to do with such a calm demeanour that I felt calmer and trusted that he would take good care of me.

I remember how kind and compassionate he was. It must not have been easy to bring my mouth back to health, nor to give up so much personal time. But he did. He saved my teeth, which I still have 55 years later! Those infections, if untreated, could have become life threatening.

I wish I knew that dentist´s name. I would love to thank him for saving my teeth and possibly my life.

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Catherine Nesbitt forwards the story of

A FAMOUS STAGECOACH DRIVER

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Western stagecoach companies were big business in the latter half of the 19th century. In addition to passengers and freight, stages hauled gold and silver bullion, as well as mining company payrolls.

Stage robbery was a constant danger and bandits employed many strategies to ambush a stagecoach. Thieves rarely met with much resistance from stage drivers, since they had passenger safety foremost in mind. The gang was usually after the Wells Fargo money box with its valuable contents. Passengers were seldom hurt, but they were certainly relieved of their cash, watches, and jewelry.

Before the completion of the transcontinental railroad over Donner Pass in 1868, the only transportation through the Sierra was by stage. Rugged teamsters held rein over six wild-eyed horses as they tore along the precipitous mountain trails. The stagecoaches were driven by skilled and fearless men who pushed themselves and their spirited horses to the limit.

One of the most famous drivers was Charles Darkey Parkhurst, who had come west from New England in 1852 seeking his fortune in the Gold Rush. He spent 15 years running stages, sometimes partnering with Hank Monk, the celebrated driver from Carson City. Over the years, Pankhurst´s reputation as an expert whip grew. From 20 feet away he could slice open the end of an envelope or cut a cigar out of a man´s mouth. Parkhurst smoked cigars, chewed wads of tobacco, drank with the best of them, and exuded supreme confidence behind the reins. His judgment was sound and pleasant manners won him many friends.

One afternoon as Charley drove down from Carson Pass the lead horses veered off the road, and a wrenching jolt threw him from the rig. He hung on to the reins as the horses dragged him along on his stomach. Amazingly, Parkhurst managed to steer the frightened horses back onto the road and save all his grateful passengers.

During the 1850s, bands of surly highwaymen stalked the roads. These outlaws would level their shotguns at stage drivers and shout, "Throw down the gold box!" Charley Parkhurst had no patience with the crooks, despite their demands and threatening gestures. The most notorious road agent was nicknamed "Sugarfoot." When he and his gang accosted Charley´s stage, it was the last robbery the thief ever attempted. Charley cracked his whip defiantly, and when his horses bolted, he turned around and fired his revolver at the crooks. Sugarfoot was later found dead with a fatal bullet wound in his stomach. In appreciation of his bravery, Wells Fargo presented Parkhurst with a large watch and chain made of solid gold.

In 1865, Parkhurst grew tired of the demanding job of driving, and he opened his own stage station. He later sold the business and retired to a ranch near Soquel, Calif. The years slipped by and Charley died on Dec. 29, 1879, at the age of 67. A few days later, the Sacramento Daily Bee published his obituary. It read:

"On Sunday last, there died a person known as Charley Parkhurst, aged 67, who was well-known to old residents as a stage driver. He was, in early days, accounted one of the most expert manipulators of the reins who ever sat on the box of a coach. It was discovered when friendly hands were preparing him for his final rest, that Charley Parkhurst was unmistakably a well-developed woman!"

Once it was discovered that Charley was a woman, there were plenty of people to say they had always thought he wasn´t like other men. Even though he wore leather gloves summer and winter, many noticed that his hands were small and smooth. He slept in the stables with his beloved horses, and was never known to have had a girlfriend.

Charley never volunteered clues to her past. Loose-fitting clothing hid her femininity, and after a horse kicked her, an eye patch over one eye helped conceal her face. She weighed 175 pounds, could handle herself in a fistfight, and drank whiskey like one of the boys.

It turns out that Charley´s real name was Charlotte Parkhurst. Abandoned as a child, she was raised in a New Hampshire orphanage, unloved and surrounded by poverty. Charlotte ran away when she was 15 years old, and soon discovered that life in the working world was easier for men. So she decided to masquerade as one for the rest of her life.

The rest is history.

Well, almost. There is one last thing. On November 3, 1868, Charlotte Parkhurst cast her vote in the national election, dressed as a man. She became the first woman to vote in the United States, 52 years before Congress passed the 19th amendment giving American women the right to vote!

Marilyn Magid shares this chalkboard sign:

Barbara Wear forwards this advice about the use of

SUGAR

A spoonful of sugar? Americans are swallowing 22 teaspoons of sugar each day, and it´s time to cut way back, the American Heart Association says.

Most of that added sugar comes from soft drinks and candy - a whopping 355 calories and the equivalent of guzzling two cans of soda and eating a chocolate bar.

By comparison, most women should be getting no more than 6 teaspoons a day, or 100 calories, of added sugar - the sweeteners and syrups that are added to foods during processing, preparation, or at the table. For most men, the recommended limit is 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories, the heart group says.

The guidelines do not apply to naturally-occurring sugars like those found in fruit, vegetables, or dairy products.

Rachel K. Johnson, lead author of the statement published online Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, said it was time to give specific advice on how much added sugar Americans should be getting, not just advising moderation.

"Take a good hard look at your diet," said Johnson, professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington. "Figure out where the sources of added sugars are and think about how to cut back on that."

She said about 8 ounces of fruit-flavoured yogurt has about 6 teaspoons of added sugar; 8 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk has about 4 teaspoons; a cup of frosted whole grain cereal has about 3 teaspoons.

The biggest culprits for the glut of sugar? Soft drinks by far, followed by candy, cakes, cookies and pies.

With about 8 teaspoons of added sugar, a regular 12-ounce soft drink will put most women over the recommended daily limit.

Cutting back on sugar likely won´t be easy for many people, said Lona Sandon, a dietitian at Dallas´ University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

"I think it´s probably going to be a struggle for quite a few people," Sandon said.

Calculating one´s sugar intake can be tricky as the government doesn´t require labels to differentiate added sugars from naturally-occurring sugars, said Johnson. But she points out that the biggest sources, like regular soft drinks and sweets, are pretty obvious. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a database for the added sugar in some foods.

To check for added sugar, look for a variety of ingredients including sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice on the label.

The heart group didn´t recommend general limits for added sugar for children; a national health survey has shown that boys ages 14 to 18 consume an eye-popping 34 teaspoons of added sugar a day.

Sandon said that parents can help lower that sugar intake by getting soda out of the house, looking at how much sugar is in their kids´ cereal, and substituting snacks like cookies with popcorn.

Johnson concedes that sugar does play an important role in enhancing the taste of food, adding: "If you feel like, ´I just can´t live with this low amount of sugar in my diet,´ then what you need to do is up your energy needs."

In other words, she said, get moving. A man in his early 20s who walks more than three miles a day could consume about 288 calories, or about 18 teaspoons, of added sugar.

The statement says data indicates added sugar is contributing to Americans consuming too many discretionary calories - the number of calories remaining after a person eats the foods needed to meet nutrient requirements.

"We know for sure that if you are consuming excessive amounts of added sugar, you will add calories, which leads to weight gain, or you will displace other essential nutrients," she said.

On average, most women need about 1,800 calories a day and most men need about 2,200, Johnson said.

If someone drinks their daily calorie needs in soft drinks, they will be maintaining their weight, but won´t be getting any nutrients, she said.

Wahida Karmally, nutrition director at Columbia University´s Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, said that with these guidelines, it´s important to remember overall moderation. Some people, for instance, might be doing fine in their sugar consumption but are overdoing it on fat.

"I don´t want people to go back thinking if I just cut back on teaspoons of sugar I´m going to be very healthy," she said.

FROM THE EDITOR´S DESKTOP

In a recent Spinner, I included an essay which claimed that the US should be thankful for having a neighbour like Canada, attributed to Judge Robert Meadows of Florida. Snopes´ "Daily Debunker," which I heartily recommend, reveals that the essay was actually written by Bruce Linder of Portland, Oregon.

Snopes said: Lindner´s original post is nearly identical to the viral version incorrectly attributed to Meadows, with the notable exception of the closing line. The original version written by Lindner ended with a dig at conservative politicians and their perceived allegiance to Don and Vlad (President Trump and Vladimir Putin):

"On behalf of an embarrassed nation, people of Canada, I apologize for this idiotic and wholly unnecessary attack. Please leave the back channels open. We the People of the progressive persuasion stand with you. The people of the conservative persuasion stand with Don and Vlad."

Snopes goes on to say that Linder´s post was shared more than 70,000 times, and his name remained attached to the post for at least a month. As his writing was copied and pasted by various Facebook users, however, the text was eventually stripped of mention of its original author. It´s unclear how Judge Meadows´ name became associated with this text, but by September 2018 this piece was nearly always introduced with the statement that it was written by a judge in Florida.

A few weeks after Lindner´s post went viral, he returned to Facebook to post a brief follow-up message about the reach of his original piece:

"Interesting stats: Since my Canadian outreach post of June 7th, which took off like a scared bunny on June 9th, I´ve received over 500 friendship requests, maybe a fifth of which have Canadian flag icons.

"It´s now been shared over 62,000 times, with overwhelming support for its contents. Wish I could accept you all, but I´m full up.

"Clearly, the Canadian populace needed reassurance. It would be nice if more folks with actual authority and gravitas within our government would step forward to refute Trump´s lies. Preferable Schumer, Pelosi, etc. Thus far, the best pushback yet came from Sen. John McCain on June 9th:

"To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro-globalization, and supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn´t."

P.S.: If you wish to receive Snopes´ Daily Debunker, click here: https://bit.ly/2Qcj8cB

SUGGESTED SITES

Carol Hansen forwards a link to a Guardian article about the 300 new words that have been added to the Scrabble dictionary. It´s hard to believe they accepted some of these words:

Irene Harvalias posted a warning on Facebook about the danger of measles to children, and urged parents to have their children vaccinated against this potentially dangerous disease:

Judith English sends the URL for a 30-day time-lapse at sea, through thunderstorms, torrential rain, and busy traffic:

For vegetarians, this video shows Mark Wilson on a quest to hunt down the best-tasting veggie burger:

In this TED talk, Dan Phillips describes how he builds houses that are made from 70-80% recycled materials:

Again on the subject of building with recycled material, this video shows houses, churches, schools, and even water tanks made from plastic bottles that would otherwise be thrown away:

CARP is sponsoring a petition to politicians to protect the pensions of workers after Sears paid creditors instead of workers. To sign this petition, click on

A traffic sign encouraging "Silly walks" at a road crossing leads to a hilarious hidden camera video: