Maths Homework

The Crank

Joshua Hernandez Berkey was born March 11, 1852 in Post Oak Springs, Tennessee. As a young child he was moved to Wisconsin. His father, Jacob Berkey was a showman and traveled extensively, taking Joshua on the road with him until his sudden death in 1871 at 47. Settling in Monroe, Wisconsin, Joshua became a pharmacist but over the several years, became interested in the temperance movement to restrict alcohol. In 1880, Joshua moved to Denver where he became interested in journalism. He liquidated his assets in 1883 and moved to Sumner County, Kansas where he bought a farm and started a temperance newspaper called The Crank.

The Crank was an odd publication. In its first issue, it talked about the Confederacy and France. It threatened people who didn't take out an ad in the paper. It seemed to try to mix legitimate news reporting with humor but it doesn't really come through. Supposedly, The Crank became a popular newspaper with decent circulation. Unable to publish a nationalized newspaper in a small town such as Geuda Springs, Berkey ended publication with the tenth issue with a promise to continue publishing in Kansas City. There's no evidence that happened but multiple Cranks began popping up across the country and the popularity of Berkey's original catapulted him into good standing with the anti-alcohol movement in the country so much so he began traveling the country giving lectures. He left Kansas in 1891 returning to Wisconsin and even running for governor there under the Prohibition Party in 1896.

logo to The Crank

Berkey continued to run unsuccessfully for offices in Wisconsin under the Prohibition ticket, losing each time. He was found drowned in a lake June 17, 1911 in Crystal Lake, Illinois, the circumstances of his death at 59 unknown.

Hail Wakansa!

Wakansa was possibly a misspelling for Wakarusa. In this Lawrence Journal article from May 24, 1888, it mentions Mr. and Mrs. Orr of Wakansa Township. If this is mentioning Mr. and Mrs. George Orr, they lived on a farm east of Lawrence along what is now 19th Street.

This article from the Western Call out of Beloit on August 1, 1879, mentions the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad laying track between Topeka and Wakansa. Again, it could be a misspelling as a town named Wakarusa is located in Shawnee County, which has a railroad connecting from Topeka.

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

Dick Tracy

You had him! You had Dick Tracy right where many only dreamed to have him and you get distracted by a bird?! You deserve that kick in the face.

The Born Loser

For the most part, you won't be using math--no offense to math teachers out there--except in very specific circumstances. The biggest is, of course, controlling your own finances and budgeting. Next will be figuring out percentages. Anything having to do with shapes probably won't get used unless you need to figure out the area of something. The biggest thing that math gives you is helping you problem solve, to go back and check your work to see if what you did was correct.

The Comics Kingdom website is down again. I don't know why because who would want the population of the world to miss out on this...

Wilbur Weston has just fallen to his death!! I know we should all be saddened by the death of this...well, I don't want to say beloved...character but let's just think of this as a new beginning. Besides, Wilbur was fated to die on a cruise and despite the gifting of a cat toy, Libby the Cat plays for keeps.

If you would like to support my writing or research, you can buy me a cup of coffee over on Ko-fi.