March 11, 2010 06:43 - William Arthur Cummings, Better Known as Candy Cummings
Ever heard of the New York Mutuals or the Baltimore Canaries? How about the Philadelphia White Stockings or the Hartford Dark Blues? There were also the Brooklyn Excelsiors and the Newark Eurekas.But we’ve all heard of the Cincinnati Reds? Right?
William Arthur Cummings played pitcher and outfielder for these baseball teams from 1872 to 1877. In 1939 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
While pitching for the Brooklyn Excelsiors, New Yorkers began calling him Candy. This was a Civil War era word that meant "superlative, the best of anything".
Candy Cummings courtesy WikipediaAs a pitcher, he is credited with inventing the curve bal. Most baseball historians credit Candy with the first ball to curve in flight and the first to use the pitch successfully under competitive conditions.
Until other pitchers and batters learned the curve ball, Candy was the most dominant pitcher in the country.
Candy gave all the credit for the curve ball to clam shells. When he was 14, while at a Brooklyn beach with his friends, they began throwing clam shells into the ocean. Being flat and circular, the shells made wide arcs while in flight. For over an hour the boys experimented with the mechanics of flight.
For four years, Cummings discovered he could make the baseball curve if he released the ball by rolling it off his second finger while violently twisting his wrist. This maximized the amount of spin on the ball.
By the age of 28, his arm was spent and his professional baseball days were over. He returned to his home town of Ware, Massachusetts, and studied to become a painter and paper-hanger.
When Candy retired he became the first president of the newly formed International Association for Professional Base Ball Players.
With a name like Cumming, Candy had to have had Scottish ancestry. There are seven Cumming related tartans. Some are Comyn tartans.
Comyn Cumming Tartan WR288
Comyn Cumming Tartan WR288Cumming of Glenorchy Clan Tartan WR507
Cumming of Glenorchy Clan Tartan WR507Cumming Clan Tartan WR508
Cumming Clan Tartan WR508Comyn MacAulay Tartan WR1157
Comyn MacAulay Tartan WR1157Cumming Comyn Clan Tartan WR1158
Though the origins of this tartan are unknown, it was worn by John, Lord of Badenoch - the Red Comyn, who fought Robert the Bruce for the Scottish throne, and died in the attempt. The Comyns of Altyre became Chiefs of the Clan.
Cumming Comyn Clan Tartan WR1158
Cumming and Glenorchy Clan Tartan WR1902
Also a district tartan worn by the Cummings or Comyns who once owned the thirteenth century Inverlochy Castle at Fort William
Cumming and Glenorchy Clan Tartan WR1902Comyn Cumming Buchanan WR2012 Tartan
Comyn Cumming Buchanan Tartan WR2012
March 10, 2010 05:59 - The Candy Man of Lockerbie Square
So, where in the world is Lockerbie Square? How about Indianapolis, Indiana.And who was the Candy Man? Have you ever read the poem Little Orphan Annie?
James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier Poet, was the author. He began his career writing verse in an Indiana dialect for local newspapers. Most of his 1000 poems are humorous or sentimental. And half are written in the local Indiana dialect.
Riley’s big break came with The Old Swimming Hole and ’Leven More Poems in 1883. In 1893, while visiting Indianapolis, he settled in the Lockerbie neighborhood.
Riley never married, nor had any children of his own, though he wrote verse for children. Riley lived in the Lockerbie District for over twenty years. And the children knew him as the Candy Man, as he gave candy to the local children on his regular walks through the district. I doubt if many even knew he wrote some the poems they learned at school.
Oh, to be remembered as someone who brought joy to children with a regular treat of candy, when he had traveled the country reading his poetry, been presented to the President of the United States, and won medals for his poetry. Not as bad remembrance for one of America’s great poets.
Tomorrow, another Candy Man…
March 9, 2010 06:36 - Scottish Sweets ~ Sources
There are probably many more online Scottish Sweets sources, these are the ones located so far. When you get to the sites that have really broad selections, take the time to browse their other candies, as you may find something more to your liking. Also check to see if larger quantities are available in the sweets you select.British Candy ~ for small packages of Love Hearts, perfect little wedding favors. The messages are available by the jar. If you’re considering a Candy Bar, the jar can even be personalized.
British Sweets ~ for McCowan’s Vimto Bon Bons, the raspberry, black currant, and grape chews.
Keep It Sweet ~ offers little pyramids of Love Hearts.
Ma Cameron’s is one source of Scottish sweeties, specializing in traditional, popular favorites. The company has packaging appropriate for weddings. Located in Sterling, they cater to ex-patriates. Though listed as an online source, I’ve yet to find a URL address.
Mrs. O’Malley’s, though located in Northern Ireland, they’ve a wide variety of appropriate sweets.
Scottish Gourmet USA ~ a source for Hawick Balls in the argyle tins with the gold horseman.
Vermont Country Store. Though the acorn candy seems to be seasonal, they also have other interesting candies. A partial listing is marzipan fruits, milk chocolate pansies, Peppermint Pigs, Pollen Drops, and Licorice Scotties. Though not candies, they also carry pickled walnuts, which is a British Christmas tradition, and Daisy Shortbread Cookies. In contemporary times, Shortbread is used in the Scottish tradition of Bannocks.
Sweet Junkie has a broad line of traditional Scottish sweets.
Sweetie World ~ is another source of Scottish confections, with a wide variety of sweets available in tubs and jars, making for a lower cost per piece.
Coming tomorrow, the Candy Man of Lockerbie Square…
March 8, 2010 07:13 - Soor Plooms and a Complete List of Sweets Posted
Oh my, one of the most interesting of the sweeties got left out ~ Soor Plooms.Soor Plooms ~ a sharp flavored sweet first made in 1337 in Galashiels, Scotland. An English raiding party was overwhelmed and killed by local men. The English had been eating unripe plums and were somewhat incapacitated.
Soor Plooms have been featured in the Oor Willie and The Broons cartoons. The October 23, 2010 article features an Oor Willie cartoon.
Not surprisingly, "Soor Plooms" is the town motto for Galashields. There is also a Border pipe tune, from the 1700’s, called Soor Plooms of Galashiels.
Gibbs Soor Plooms courtesy Sweetie WorldWith the Scottish Sweets covering so many days, here’s a listing of all the sweets posted ~
February 18th
- Acorns
- Berwick Cockles
- Black-strippit Ba’s
- Buchanan’s Italian Creams
February 19th
- Butternuts
- Chocolate Lime Satins
- Cheugh Jeans
- Cinnamon Balls
February 22nd ~
- Clove Rock
- Coconut Mushrooms
- Coulter’s Candy, Coltart’s Candy, Bonfire Toffee
- Curly-andras
February 23rd
- Dandelion and Burdock Balls
- Dandelion and Burdock Pips
- Edinburgh Rock, Edinburgh Castle Rock
- Fried Eggs
- Friendship Rings
- Fruit Rounders
- Giant Apples
- Giant Strawberries
February 24th
- Giant Pink and White Mice
- Granny Sookers
- Hawick Balls
February 25th
- Heart Throbs
- Jethart Snails
- Lemon Rock
- Licorice Satins
- Love Hearts
- Lucky Tatties
- Milk Shakes
February 26th
- Mixed Boilings
- Moffat Toffee
- Oddfellows
- Pan Drops
- Petticoat Tails
March 2rd
Pollen Drops
Puff CandyMarch 3rd
- Rhubarb and Custard
- Rhubarb Rock
- Saltire Rock
- Sherbet Straws
March 4th
- Starrie Rock, Star Rock, Starrie
- Sugar Mice
- Sugar Pebbles
March 5th
- Tablet
- Toffee Doodles
- Vimto McCowin’s Bon Bons
March 8th
Coming tomorrow, a list of sources for the sweets…
