By now, readers know I love esoteric books, such as those in previous musings - “The Book with Three Dust Jackets” and “Quirky Favourite – The Art of Window Dressing”. Well here are four more lovelies!
Annual Report of The Trustees and Medical Superintendent of the Prince Edward Island Hospital for the Insane; Charlottetown, P. E. Island, Canada; for the years – 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905.
This book is very fragile, in fact both covers have come away, but in this case it is a minor distraction. Strange coming from me – the lover of the pristine first edition! Inside the detached front cover is the stamp “Property 362.2 of Pg3 Legislative Library”. The book lists the following officers: Board of Trustees (six people); Visiting Medical Officer; and Resident Officers – Supervisor, Matron, Engineer and Baker and Store-Keeper. The book is full of tables and indices, including “Shewing the Station or Occupation of Patients” admitted each year, broken down between male and female. It is fascinating to read. How things have changed over the past 120 years! One would not see a title such as this coming out today.
Freewheelin Frank; Secretary of the Angels; As Told to Michael McClure; by Frank Reynolds; Grove Press, New York, 1967.
This is a no-holds barred description of the Hell’s Angels in the early days by one of the leaders of the pack. In fact, according to the blurb – this is the first book about the Hell’s Angels by a Hell’s Angel, telling in his own words: Why he is an Angel and How he came to be One; What the Angel Code is; and so on.
Oh, this reminds me of a personal story. I have a management consultant client in Toronto that often has staff fun days in the summer. One year, the staff was broken down into groups of about 8 people each. Each group was to pick a theme, and fun would be had on a harbour cruise boat. One group picked the Hell’s Angels. They created t-shirts with the famous insignia and as they waited for a taxi outside their office, a man stopped and said “you should not be doing this!” A short while later, the CEO received a cease and desist letter from a lawyer representing the Hell’s Angels, postmarked California. They ceased in a hurry!
Practical Notes on the Cyanide Process; by Francis L. Bosqui, Ph.B., Supt. Of the Standard Consolidated Mining Co.’s Cyanide Works, Bodie, Cal.; Illustrated; The Scientific Publishing Company, New York and London, 1899.
Another fun book! This one extolling the benefits of cyanide. Lots of nice pictures of mining processes. One of the photos shows a pretty pond of water next to the mine. Hmmm, what do we think 120 years later!
Why Accounting is Not Boring; by Mitchell L. Gold, C.A.; Purple Light Publishing, Toronto, 1976.
I cannot take credit for this little family favorite. I got it in my Christmas Stocking not long after it was published. Glenda, one of Santa’s elves, is the culprit! I opened the book looking for words of wisdom for a young accountant – but the book is full of blank pages!!!
So, over the years into this little volume goes cut-out accounting jokes! Although there are not
many….
