Elephant on Parade

New York, New York - On this day in 1796 Jacob Crowninshield's ship, the America, docked in New York today. Aboard his ship was Big Bett, an elephant from Bengal, India. Big Bett was the first elephant brought into the United States. Crowninshield sold the elephant to Hakaliah Bailey (early Barnum & Bailey relative). The elephant summered with keepers exhibiting it from coast and wintered in Bailey's barn in Somers, New York.

Crowninshield had purchased the Pachyderm in India and spent a mere $450.00 to bring the two-year old to America. He first exhibited the elephant on April 23, 1796 at Beaver St. and Broadway. Big Bett was viewed in Baltimore for 50 cents and later in Philadelphia for only a quarter. The admission was again 50 cents in Boston in July, 1797 heralded in the paper with "The elephant is just arrived in town and may be seen at Mr. Valentine's, Market Square... The greatest natural curiosity ever presented to the public. He so far surpassed all description that has ever been given him that we shall not attempt it here. Admittance half a dollar." The price didn't last for it was dropped to a quarter after a few days of disappointing attendance at the exhibit.

The last known exhibit of the elephant was in July, 1918 in York, Pennsylvania.

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New Corkscrew Poster

Wirtz, Virginia - The Daily Screw has received a complimentary copy of Randall Ladnier's new poster entitled French Country Corkscrews: Handcarved Horn & Bone Handles. The poster is a giant size 27" x 39". The photos are so clear that you feel you can reach right out and grab one of those corkscrews to open your favorite bottle of wine. It's a grand assortment of 35 examples of this field of corkscrews - sure to be the envy of all corkscrew collectors. For further information contact Randall at rladnier@comcast.net

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The Daily Screw Most Wanted

Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Yesterday Alf Erickson's Corkscrew-Balloon website featured Pen Pals. In his research he found a Prison Pen Pal who has a collection that Alf thought would be of great interest to The Daily Screw readers and felt her story best told here. She was born in 1975 and was convicted of forgery and grand theft. Her scheduled release date is January 30, 2004. She writes:

Yes, I am an inmate now, but would prefer to be mating with you. My personal hobby is collecting antique corkscrews of which I have more than 600 of them including the rare Pitt's Patent. I am outgoing, open minded, full of dreams and ambition, and will one day take the world by my hands and turn it into something wonderful! Though, I don't want to do this alone, I am looking for an intelligent, older, sophisticated in his own way, supportive man to accompany me on our journey. I hope you are my soulmate, my missing piece, my sexual creature, to tame my heart and capture my soul. My time in here is short, but our love could last forever. Maybe you're the right one for me. I need support while biding my time - letters, stamps, visits, money, pictures, phone calls, and the company of an interesting, caring man. If you are ready for a wonderful life, full of fantasy fulfillment, please write me . . . our future depends on it! Yours Truly,

Marcie Hamilton # N-05314, Lowell Correctional Institution - Dorm J-3201, P.O. Box 147, Lowell, FL 32663 USA

Editor's Note: If you should form a relationship with Marcie and perhaps one day merge collections, please give The Daily Screw a follow-up story.

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