On This Day
1821 – The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire is publicly proclaimed.
The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire (Spanish: Acta de Independencia del Imperio Mexicano) is the document by which the Mexican Empire declared independence from the Spanish Empire. This founding document of the Mexican nation was drafted in the National Palace in Mexico City on September 28, 1821, by Juan José Espinosa de los Monteros, secretary of the Provisional Governmental Board.
Three copies of the act were executed. One was destroyed in a fire in 1909. The other two copies are in the Museo Historico de Acapulco Fuerte de San Diego in Acapulco and in the General Archive of the Nation in Mexico City.[1]
The document is 52.9 centimeters (20.8 in) wide and 71.8 centimeters (28.3 in) high.[2]
Born On This Day
1872 – Leon Leonwood Bean, American hunter, businessman, and author, founded L.L.Bean (d. 1967)
Leon Leonwood Bean (October 13, 1872 – February 5, 1967)[1] was an American inventor, author, outdoor enthusiast, and founder of the company L.L.Bean.
History
Bean was born in the town of Greenwood, Maine,[2] on October 13, 1872, to Benjamin Warren Bean and Sarah (Swett) Bean,[3] one of six sons. According to a grandson of Leon L. Bean, the latter’s middle name may have been originally “Linwood” and accidentally changed to “Leonwood”.[4] In fact, in the Freeport Town Clerk’s Report for the 1898–1899 period, a “Leon Linwood Bean” married a “Bertha Davis Porter” on September 28, 1898.[5]
Bean showed an early interest in business, earning his first money when he was nine years old. He learned that he could either attend the local fair or sell steel traps to his father, so he decided to sell the traps.[3] When Bean was 13 years old, he killed and sold his first deer. Bean’s schooling outside of public school included only one semester at Hebron Academy and a course in business at Kents Hill School.
Bean’s parents died four days apart when Bean was 12 years old. He subsequently moved to South Paris, Maine to stay with family.[6]
Foundation of L.L.Bean
Bean was an avid hunter and fisherman. In his outdoor activities, his boots would become soaked with water, so he set out to resolve this inconvenience and developed plans for a waterproof boot. The boot was a combination of lightweight leather for the upper part and rubber on the bottom.[3] He brought the plans to a cobbler and the first boots were made. Bean felt the boot produced to be of good quality, and obtained a list of non-resident Maine hunting license holders and prepared a descriptive mail order circular. He promised 100% money back for anyone who was unhappy with the boots. Because of this, Bean had to refund 90% of the costs of the first 100 sets of boots made, when the rubber on the bottom developed cracks.[3] He seemed not to mind returning the money, and the popularity of the boots was clear. In 1911, he took out a loan in the amount of US$400 and set off to Boston, where he offered the United States Rubber Company the remainder of his US$400 to produce a better quality boot for him. With the better quality boots available, Bean set up a boot shop in his brother’s basement in Freeport, Maine. His skills and trials as an entrepreneur, along with his promise to return 100% money back on all items, were detailed by many local and national newspapers of the time. By 1917, he had sold enough of his boots to buy a dedicated building for his shop on the main street of Freeport. In 1918, Bean realised the importance of patenting his invention. As the patent was granted, he moved on to inventing and improving more outdoor equipment and expanding his store to what L.L.Bean is today.[3]
As an author
Bean published a book in 1942, called Hunting, Fishing and Camping and an autobiography, in 1960, called My Story: the Autobiography of a Down-East Merchant.”[7][8]
Death and legacy
Bean died in Pompano Beach, Florida, on February 5, 1967, at the age of 94. He was buried in Webster Cemetery in Freeport, Maine. At the time of his death, the annual sales of his company were in the hundreds of millions. Company policy of giving 100% money back on returned products applied until February 9, 2018.[6][9]
Maine Medical Center has named one of its wings in his honor.[10] In addition, his portrait hangs in a ground-floor corridor at the hospital.
FYI
By Morwenna Del Mar, The Guardian: Christopher Eccleshall obituary
Jeremy Anderberg, Get Action: The 50 Best Jokes for Little Kids
A new special Rory Gallagher radio documentary, hosted by Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham, is airing on Planet Rock
Radio tomorrow (14th) at 9pm (UK time). Stream / listen in via https://planetradio.co.uk/planet-rock/
New York One Great Story: The Future of Real Estate in a City of Empty Office Buildings and more ->
STORIES OF THE FAR NORTH: Disaster Loomed
By Josh Jones, Open Culture: How Science Fiction Formed Jimi Hendrix
By Josh Jones, Open Culture: The Incredible Six-Octave Vocal Range of Opera-Singing Punk Diva Nina Hagen
By Josh Jones, Open Culture: 10,000 Vintage Recipe Books Are Now Digitized in The Internet Archive’s Cookbook & Home Economics Collection
Ideas
By Vicki Hurn: Under the Sea Decoration for Classroom/Playroom
I love the air born impressions!
Recipes
By MrErdreich: Age Old Pumpkin Bread
By Momos75: Laminated Potato Chips
By Diana Rattray, The Spruce Eats: Cabbage Dishes to Complete Your Meal
By Coreycampfire: Simple Spud Spinach Soup
By 22schmma: Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream! Using a Real Pumpkin!
A Taste of Alaska: Chocolate-Coconut Shake and the end of the Fall Leaves
E-book Deals:
The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!
Mystery & Thriller Most Wanted
Book Blogs & Websites:
Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?