Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #57: Bloody Good, Diet Woes, Don't Call Me Sir, etc.

1. At my work we have something called compression therapy. You get wrapped up in these pads that squeeze your body stimulating the lymphatic system to get moving. It is great for your overall health. When you do this therapy it is 30 minutes you relax and then when the session is done someone comes in and unwraps you. If somebody has done the compression therapy enough they might feel comfortable enough to start unwrapping themselves to help. A person was doing that before I got in the room to assist them. It all seemed fine until I went back in to clean off the pads. It was then that I noticed the splatters of blood on different parts of the various pads. It looked like a crime scene. The worst part was there was another person set to use the compression therapy and as I wrapped them in the pads I kept noticing other drops of blood I had missed. I had no poker face and was horrified.

2. The only thing that could possibly rival the bloody good story above at work this week was the following. My boss got a great deal on a used mannequin. He intends to use it to display clothing featuring the business logo on it. Makes sense. The funny part was how it arrived. It was in pieces. So bringing in the top half and the arms was fine. However, nothing could prepare me for the sight of my boss walking in with this naked ass mannequin bottom up near his face. I couldn’t have written it any better. We ended up stashing it for a while in the compression therapy room but kept the door closed since it looked like we had killed and dismembered someone in there.

3. Only I could vacuum a room for several minutes not realizing the hose wasn’t attached. Granted I wondered why the vacuum had such terrible suction but it wasn’t until I turned around and saw the disconnected hose on the floor that it all made sense. I have said it a million times, I was born blond so don’t be shocked at stories like these.

4. I spent an evening tearing up an old carpet and then slicing it into strips with a box cutter. I was so focused on getting it done right after work that I didn’t bother to put any sort of mask on to protect me from dust. Eventually, I brought several contractor bags of rolled-up carpet slices outside. My body was exhausted from the workout. Then later on while relaxing not wearing a mask came back to haunt me as I got a major bloody nose from inhaling all of that dust and whatever else was underneath the carpet. Oh well, at least it got done.

Yeah, it was a little like this.

5. In the coming weeks I am shooting the scenes for my first acting gig. It’s funny because I made tons of skits as a kid with my camcorder and craft scripts for my podcast weekly yet trying to get lines I didn’t write memorized is really tough. I printed out all of my scenes and have had trouble getting the lines down. One solution I had was to print them out again, only in a much bigger font. It’s like speaking to a dog, and then saying the words again slower like that will suddenly make the dog understand you.

6. I could be on the strictest of diets but will never not be a sucker for a new flavor of Doritos. I have loved them since I was a kid and any time they release a new flavor I will try it. The latest proof of that is the Late Night Sizzlin’ Cheeseburger flavor. I definitely enjoy them. Every now and then some Doritos are okay, but when I see there are more flavors in this Late Night series that’s when the ominous music starts to play and I feel my pants begin to get tighter. Oh well, six-pack abs are overrated anyway, right?

Dangerously good.

7. Did my first real interior paint job this week. A subtle gray paint on half of my apartment. Luckily I wore clothes I was cool with throwing out because to no one’s surprise, I got paint all over me. Also, put in new flooring in the form of carpeted tiles. That was fun as well but hell on the knees. The room does look a lot better but my body needed a day to recover for sure.

8. I was under the impression on Instagram that once things you post on your story are gone (after 24 hours) nobody can see them except you in your own archives. This week I had some random person like a story of mine from 5 ½ years ago. Not sure how they got to see it. It was very creepy and suspicious that I immediately blocked them just to stop any weirdness before it really gets going. I mean you need to be a special kind of weirdo to deep dive someone’s IG story back more than 5 years.

9. This winter has been one long hibernation. It’s like I’ve done a lot of work, content-wise, but I feel like I’ve been holed up. I don’t know if it’s the cold. I don’t know if it’s being busy with work. I don’t know if I need a change physically to gain energy. Maybe it’s my diet being bad and my body doesn’t produce the energy from bad foods. One or all of these things need to change soon. This blah chapter feels like it’s run its course.

10. Being called ‘sir’ by someone much younger is still a very weird thing. I don’t feel that old (most days) so I definitely don’t feel like being called ‘sir’ is warranted. But I’m also not going to be some mid-life crisis guy who corrects someone young who calls me sir. It actually shows respect for your *ugh* elders. I mean I call people much older than me sir. Wait, so I guess I’m much older than these people? Man, it’s time for a nap followed by dinner at 4pm.

I'm not this guy...yet.

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Pop's Pie Plant, Dennis Port

    There are some people who find success early and easily in life. There are some people who find it later. There are some people who do both. There are some people that are considered 'jacks of all trades.' There are some people who simply want to experience as much of life as they can in as many ways as they can. Then there are the exceedingly few who do all of the above. Such was the case of Edmund Augustus O'Brien, lovingly known as 'Pop.' A mainstay of Dennis Port by way of Canada Pop carved out a legacy on Cape Cod through his Pop's Pie Plant eatery. However that only scratches the surface of what he was all about. This is the story of a Renaissance man.

    The man to be known as 'Pop' was born on May 20, 1861 in the little town of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. It was a small town about thirty-miles north of Toronto. Young Edmund's life was normal and uneventful until the age of fourteen when he became a painting and paper hanging apprentice. After three years as an apprentice O'Brien left home and moved to the United States. He got a job as a carriage painter in Chicago at the age of seventeen. Only a year into his life in America painting buggies Edmund transitioned into working for a wholesale shoe store. A chance offer brought O'Brien to Massachusetts.

    Edmund was offered a job as a cutter in an overall, shirt, and pants company in Brockton. Though that endeavor ended sourly his new skills led him to a connection that brought a chance to help run an overall factory in South Dennis. His stay there was brief and in 1897 O'Brien built his own factory. The factory near Heir's Landing on Old Main Street in South Dennis gained a bit of notoriety in 1898 when it won bidding for a chance to supply clothing to soldiers going to fight in the Spanish-American War. 1,200 dozen flannel shirts were produced by O'Brien's factory for the war effort. Around this time O'Brien was married to Charlotte Ellis in 1902.

Edmund O'Brien and his Pie Plant in the 1930's. (Sturgis Library)

    A success in the clothing creation business Edmund's course was shifted by tragedy in 1904. Fire destroyed his factory leaving him broke and wondering what to do next. O'Brien chose to go back down a path he had dipped his toes in a few years earlier. In 1900 he had begun working in the poultry raising business with a man named Mr. Warren from Rhode Island. He had already proven himself handy in that area by building hen houses for some local residents in the years leading up to the turn of the 20th century. Though the first poultry experiment lasted barely a year Edmund took a chance on trying again. Now in his mid-40's it was time for a second brush with success.

    Edmund O'Brien dove headlong into the Cape Cod Poultry Association which had been formed in 1897. It led meetings in the fields of raising poultry and the superiority of the Cape's birds. His chickens and pigeons were routinely entered in local agricultural events in the years during and following his overall factory time. O'Brien also frequented poultry shows in Boston during this time garnering him respect locally in the industry.

Old Fashioned chicken pot pies (Avlxys/Wikimedia)

    The years of experience in the poultry industry crystallized in O'Brien's second brush with success. In 1931 at the age of seventy he took his love of the business along with his skill at cooking to establish his most well known creation Pop's Pie Plant. It began on Route 28 in Dennis Port but would later move to in front of his home at the corner of Upper County Road and Division Street on the Dennis-Harwich town line.

    The summer eatery took place inside a small wooden open-air building covered by a canvas tent. 'Pop' O'Brien concocted his own recipe of chicken pot pie along with chicken sandwiches and homemade gravy for hungry patrons. His enthusiasm and quick wit coupled with delicious food made Pop's Pie Plant a destination. Regular customers had standing orders with O'Brien for certain days of the week to ensure they got their fix of his cuisine.

    Pop's Pie Plant was a one-man operation. O'Brien, armed with his drive and a pair of three-burner kerosene stoves, pumped out chicken pies on a scale that no one man should have been able to. For example, Pop told a group of enthralled listeners at a poultry meeting in Hyannis that during the 1937 season he sold 5,500 chicken pot pies, and by that point had estimated he had sold 30,000 since opening in 1931. He became a sought out spokesman for the local poultry industry with his advice inspiring others to start making their own fresh chicken pot pies. O'Brien did not fear creating his own competition though, he knew his establishment was one-of-a-kind.

    Throughout the 1940's Pop continued his tireless work at his Pie Plant while also keeping his fingers on the pulse of the local poultry and agricultural communities. It was said that the aroma of his food was akin to a 'pied piper' leading locals and visitors to his canvas-covered wonderland in search of sandwiches and pies. Now in his late-80's it seemed as though it might be time for a well-deserved retirement for Edmund, however he had one last chapter to write.

    O'Brien decided in his twilight years to try his hand at oil painting and hand-painted neckties. His oil painting in particular garnered him a modicum of success. In the spring of 1952 he began showcasing his artwork, described as the 'primitive style,' at local events like the West Dennis Garden Club County Fair. The height of Pop's painting prowess came when a piece of his artwork was featured at Jordan Marsh in Boston May 1952. This piece was eventually sold.

Part of a mural along Rt. 28 in Dennis Port.

    Upon his death on April 16, 1953 a few weeks shy of his 92nd birthday Edmund O'Brien was remembered as a man who found success in nearly everything he attempted. He sold clothing to the Army, sold paintings, and he sold tens of thousands of chicken pot pies to his loyal customers. Any one of those achievements would mark the peak of a person's life, Pop had all three. More than half a century after his last pot pie was sold Dennis Port looks very different. Gone are the meandering country roads beside which Pop plied his trade. However those who do remain that remember his talents see him as a Renaissance man. They also long for one more chicken pie from Pop's Pie Plant.

----------------------------------------------------

View my previous blog posts: 

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pilgrim Landing 400th Anniversary

In Their Footsteps: New England History - Wonderland Amusement Park, Revere, Ma.

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Man Behind the Long Point Cross

      Long Point in Provincetown is a sandy spit that makes up the ‘finger’ of the arm that is the shape of Cape Cod. It was once a thriving fishing community in the 19^th century. Over time as the fishing began to diminish the people and even some of the homes migrated across Provincetown Harbor to take up residence in the main part of town.

     In the present day Long Point is a beautiful hike. From Commercial Street it appears so close yet so far. The reality is that in order to get to the fingertip of Cape Cod it is a nearly 2 ½ mile walk across the West End Breakwater and sandy Long Point Beach. Once out in the solitude of Long Point it is a fascinating step back in time.

     Long Point Lighthouse is the centerpiece of the spit, the current tower was built in 1875 with the first lighthouse erected on the spot in 1827. The brick oil house still stands there as well. In addition to the lighthouse are a pair of earthen forts. Constructed due to fear of the Confederate Navy blockading the harbor during the Civil War the pair of forts never saw any action. They were nicknamed by the townspeople Fort Useless and Fort Ridiculous.

     The final piece of interesting history that sits out on Long Point is a large wooden cross. It is not visible with the naked eye until getting relatively close to the lighthouse and forts. On it is a nameplate engraved with the name Charles S. Darby. Who was Charles Darby? Why is there a cross bearing his name located on the isolated Long Point?

     Charles S. Darby was born in Washington D.C. on February 29, 1908, one of three brothers. He studied at the Corcoran Art School. After his studies began summering in Provincetown, a noted spot for artists, along with his friend Fritz Fuglister in the late 1920’s. The friends began their time there by occupying a dune shack at Race Point for the first few summers before returning to Washington D.C. for the winter. Darby and Fuglister briefly ran the Pelican Club in D.C. at the time.

     The young artists immediately began assimilating into their new surroundings. Darby and Fuglister dipped their toes into the vibrant art community studying under E. Ambrose Webster. Webster, an iconic Provincetown landscape painter, ran his Summer School of Painting on Bradford Street from 1900 until his death in 1935.

Darby became a member of the Provincetown Art Association and soon his paintings and personality made him a well known resident of the community. He was by all accounts a handsome and quite humorous man. He also became a member of The Beachcombers. The group, started in 1916, is a social and professional club specifically for painters, etchers, poets, playwrights, and others. They held popular annual parties and events of which Darby was frequently involved.

     After Webster’s death Darby began using the Isaac Henry Caliga studio on Conant Street for his work. A skilled billiard and chess player Darby received exposure by advancing far in the Cape Cod Chess tournament of 1937. His greatest achievement in art would come shortly before an even greater call for his country.

Untitled painting by Charles Darby
(Provincetown Art Association and Museum)

     In 1941 Darby moved his work from the Caliga studio to a studio on East Bradford Street. There he crafted a painting of Long Point Lighthouse that was featured in unique shows of both young and older artists put on by the Provincetown Art Association. Darby’s work received praise from visitors with one critic saying his painting ‘made the show.’ He also became an able-bodied member of the Beachcombers, giving him full voting rights on club happenings. Darby to his credit though remained humble, despite some saying he bordered on genius, he claimed to not understand what quality he possessed that attracted people to himself and his work.

     In December 1941 the United States was thrust into World War II after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Charles Darby was enlisted in the Air Force and ended up training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was sent to Europe in 1943. Throughout the war the local newspapers would give updates on their men overseas with Darby frequently pining over missing his adoptive home of Provincetown.

     Darby helped storm the beaches at Normandy and eventually rose to the rank of Staff Sargent by 1944. He was a radio operator and member of the 435^th Troop Carrier Group based in England. A transport plane he was on was shot down over the Netherlands in October 1944. Darby was able to bail out however he died a few weeks later in a hospital in Brighton, England from the burns he sustained on October 17, 1944 at the age of 36. In 1946 he would be posthumously awarded the prestigious Air Medal for his merit and valor during the war.

     Provincetown mourned the loss of a beloved and talented adopted son. Those who knew him wished to honor him and sought to do so. A motion to name the intersection of Commercial Street and Bangs Street, at the Provincetown Art Association, Charles S. Darby Square was approved. The Beachcombers looked to remember their former member as well.

     In June 1946 was decided to create a rustic 10-foot tall cross from driftwood and place it on the west side of the Provincetown Art Association. Noted bronze sculptor Bill Boogar designed a plaque which included words from Darby’s father William. The inscription read: “To Charles S. Darby, Gallant Soldier, Feb. 29, 1908 – October 17, 1944. This cross is placed in memory by his friends The Beachcombers.” It was dedicated on October 26, 1946. Famed ‘Vagabond Poet’ Harry Kemp wrote a piece dedicated to Charles Darby in October 1956 entitled The Good Fellow.

     The cross remained on the grounds of the Provincetown Art Association until the summer of 1960. After the bronze plaque was stolen it was decided to move the cross to a spot far more difficult to reach and deface, the dunes near Long Point Lighthouse. The cross is adorned today with a worn American flag and a much simpler plaque: “Charles S. Darby ‘Gallant Solider’ Killed In Action October 17, 1944” An understated memorial for an understated man that managed to leave a large impact on his beloved Provincetown.

-------------------------------------

My 5th book, Cape Cod Nights, is on sale at Amazon.com and through Arcadia Publishing



View my previous blog posts: Historic Nightlife of Cape Cod: Rainbow Ballroom and Rollerdome

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - SS James Longstreet Cape Cod's Target Ship

                              

Photo Prints available here: Smug Mug.com

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com