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The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

  March 25, 1911 fell on a Saturday.   It was also business as usual at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory located in the top three floors of the Asch building on the corner of Greene Street and Washington Place in Manhattan.   The floors were ostensibly reached by four elevators, but since only one of them worked, most of the 600 workers that filed into the cramped rows of sewing machines on the factory floors used the two flights of stairs to get to their station on time.   One of those stairs was promptly locked from outside once the last girl started up the stairs.   The other set of stairs had a door that opened to the inside to slow down the number of workers who could leave, allowing managers to make sure they did not leave early or with contraband fabric.    The workers were all teenager immigrant girls. They generally did not speak English.   The girls were young because the lighting was bad and good eyesight was essential. Being immigrant...
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Lessons From the Donner-Reed Party

  On April 16, 1846, nine covered wagons left Springfield, Illinois on the 2500 mile trek to California.   Almost half of the 87 men, women and children of the Donner-Reed party were doomed before the first revolution of the wheels.   The group of emigrants was led by James Fraser Reed.   He was influenced in his decisions by a book, The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California, written by Landsford W. Hastings.   The book touted a new route, referred to as the, “Hastings’ Cutoff.”   This route was supposed to save almost 400 miles and be over easy terrain.   In fact, the route had never been traveled, by Hastings.   His book was a fraud—a moral if not a legal crime—and he misled his readers intentionally.               Certainly, some of the blame falls on Donner and Reed.   Common sense should tell us that a route 400 miles shorter and easier than the one currently being use...
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St. Olaf’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Bad Press

  I know I missed St. Patrick's Day by a hair, but this is still one of my favorite columns.      I once taught with a great woman who was Irish to the core.   She had asked me when I was going to put up my St. Patrick’s Day decorations and, was appalled when I asked her when St. Patrick’s Day was.   I knew it was coming up in March, but could never remember the date.   Everyone agreed that not being Irish didn’t make up for my blatant ignorance.               This brings to mind a much larger question.   Why does the whole country celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (March 17, as it turns out) but nobody celebrates St. Olaf’s Day (July 29)?   I am mostly Norwegian (though on St. Patrick’s Day I am allowed to be Irish through the use of large amounts of green and/or beer).   I know a little about St. Patrick, and a great deal more about St. Olaf and I can think of no reason for...
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Trump Plans to Gut the Gold Reserves to Create a Cryptocurrency

   Trump and Musk plan to use the gold in Fort Knox to leverage crypto, a move that enriches, three groups: Musk (of course), Venezuela (and it drug lords) and Trump’s sons. This will bring some glee to the crypto-crazies and among the ever-hopeful, but intellectually challenged devotees, thereof.    Here are some things that all of you need to know.   Crypto is nothing more than the 21st Century’s version of Amway.   They just substituted block chains for circles.   Other than that, it’s the same old schtick.   It is a curiosity to me that people who have never taken a class in economics are sure they have a good bead on how to beat the system.   They think that people who play by the rules are suckers.   The smart people (like them—right?) use the odd hustle that plays the system and earns them easy money.   These are the same people who loudly sing the blues when the “con” turns out to be on them. There is a saying amo...
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