Two Boston Beauties: Rare Vintage Raleighs

Today I visited the bicycle collector Neal Lerner and photographed some of his beautiful bikes. I am posting pictures of these two in particular - not only because they are rare and stunning, but because the owner is offering them for sale [note: both bicycles are now sold].Here is more about the bicycles, for your viewing pleasure and for longevity:



The loop-frame bicycle is a 1938 Raleigh Lady's Tourist.This model was the predecessor to the DL-1. The frame is 22" with 28" wheels. It is a similar bicycle to the one I wrote about here; only this one is in ridable condition.



The main difference between the earlier Tourist and the later DL-1, is that the older bicycles are not quite as long - meaning that there is less distance between the saddle and handlebars. At the same time, they look "taller" than the DL-1, because the head tube extends quite a bit higher. Another difference, is that the older Tourists have a lugged connector between the downtube and the "loop" top tube which is absent from the later DL-1 model.



The handlebars on these older models are quite short and narrow - which makes sense, because of how closely the rider is seated to the bars.



The bicycle is in ridable condition androlls surprisingly nicely (I've ridden it for a short distance).The shifting needs to be worked on (the gears slip) and the rod brakes need to be adjusted, but it is a stable and buttery-smooth ride. Sadly, there is a piece missing from the rear of the chaincase; it is so difficult to find these chaincases intact. The shifter, saddle and grips are replacements and are not original to the 1938 model.



Being from the WWII period, this bicycle has some "blackout" components - including the headbadge.



The second bicycle in the pictures is one I'd never heard of before: It is a 1948 Raleigh Dawn Tourist. The Dawn Tourist was apparently the predecessor to the Sports.It was lighter and more agile than the original Tourist, and featured a straight step-through frame instead of a loop frame. The frame size of this bike is 21" with 26" wheels.



Unlike the later Sports, the Dawn had rod brakes, just like the Tourist did. However, its handlebars were wider and had considerably more "sweep".



The seat-cluster of the Dawn looks just like that of the later Sports (whereas the seat clusters of the original Tourist and the later DL-1 were bolted together).



The rear fender with original glass reflector are in very clean condition on this bicycle. These reflectors are highly thought after (both of the bicycles pictured have them).



The middle bit is missing from the original full chaincase, but otherwise it is intact.



"The all-steel bicycle" is written on the downtube. The pain on this bicycle is in very nice, even glossy, condition throughout.



It is rare to see even one of these bicycles "in the wild", let alone two - so I felt privileged to take these pictures before these beauties go to new homes. Hope you enjoyed the show and tell.

Moose Cow and Calf

So I went to check on Loon nest #2 again yesterday, still no babies and I didn't feel like sitting there and watching the nest (which I've already spent more than enough time doing!), so I went up to the Pigeon River to spend some time in my kayak. I spent almost 4 hours on the river, and it ended up being time well spent because part way through that time I ran into this Moose Cow and Calf, which made for a great picture! After making this photo they ran off into the woods, so I continued down the river and about a mile later there they were again! I noticed them earlier the second time, and tried sneaking up on them along the edge of the river. I was upwind, however, and before I could get close enough to get good shots they were gone into the woods. I'm grateful that I was able to get this nice shot of them, though! I love how they are both checking me out with their ears pointed towards me :-)


Evening cloud bank over the Pigeon River
After photographing the Moose Cow and Calf I was treated to an incredible display of clouds over the river. This is what the scene looked like about 45 minutes before sunset. Once the sun started to hit the horizon, these same clouds were lit up with all kinds of amazing colors. Between the Moose and the clouds, it was an unforgettable evening on the river!

Death Valley :: Desert Flowers #1

Wild Flowers

Two different white wild flowers that we have in our yard. These guys are some of the few that really seem to like the dry sandy soil we have.

Wild Lupine

Here is a close up of the wild lupine flowers that bloom in the mountains.

Way too long, lots of climbing

All is good on Mount Rainier these days (despite my inability to update this blog!) Climbers have been scaling up and down the mountain by a variety of different routes over the past two weeks. One of the most impressive ascents was by a team of climbers who pushed their way up Ptarmigan Ridge after a long march.

The May 5th opening went by without issue. Yeah, the parking lot filled and U.S. Rep Norm Dicks and U.S Rep Dave Reichart showed up to help swing the gate (TNT). But most folks seemed more focused on getting to the mountain... which brings us to the important topic at hand, what's been going on above 6K on Mt Rainier?

Recently, there has been a lot of skiing, boarding and climbing. Here is a pretty awesome shot by Rainier ski-fan Sky Sjue... These images are from his recent descent down the Fuhrer Thumb with climbing/ski partner Christophe. I think, btw, that this is a first ski descent of the Fuhrer Thumb. I bet Lowell Skoog will be interested. Anyway, the Fuhrer's Thumb is the "climber's left" variation on the Fuhrer Finger route, OR "climber's right" of the Wilson Headwall, i.e. STEEP!

There is quite a bit of snow to carve between 5K-10K for the skier/boarder. Keep in mind that the recent weather has been great which means that the snow is melting fast! More than snowmelt, however, make sure you consider the avalanche conditions if you're headed out into the backcountry. You should personally check the snow conditions and snowpack before jumping into anything hairy. There have been numerous reports of slide activity between 5K-11K on 30-45 degree slopes. Of course, bring your avalanche equipment (beacon, shovel, probe, etc) and reliable partners.

Not to be outdone, the climbers have been having a great time on Mt. Rainier too. Our Updated Route Conditions page is getting filled with all sorts of cool reports... So far, folks have successfully ascended Liberty Ridge, the Ingraham Glacier, Gibralter Ledges, Emmons Glacier, the Tahoma Glacier (more on those two later) and a few other lines to boot. As stated, we have a FANTASTIC report about Ptarmigan Ridge!

The Berlin Family :: Introduction to The Letters

John D. and Susannah (Huffman) Berlin are my 3rd Great Grandparents. I've been researching them, their children, and their descendants off-and-on for nearly twenty years.





John D. Berlin and Susannah (Hoffman) Berlin.Photographs from the Solomon Berlin Family Bible.In possession of Carolyn Gentzhorn Rensberger in 1997.

In 1995, while visiting the Public Library in Nappanee, Elkhart County, Indiana I “discovered” a collection of old letters that were on display. Somehow they had been overlooked on previous visits. These letters just happened to be from "my" family! Most of them were written to Elizabeth “Lizzie” Berlin Coppes, sister of my Great-Great Grandmother, Lovina (Berlin) Yarian.



There were thirty-five letters written, starting in 1862 and going through 1871, then there is a twenty-year gap with one letter from each of the years 1892 and 1895. The letters were donated to the Heritage Room of the Nappanee Public Library by Elizabeth's granddaughter, Helen Mutschler Chapman (1902-1990).



The Library allowed xeroxcopies of the letters to be made, and after a considerable amount of time spent in deciphering them, they were transcribed and posted on my (now defunct) website. I'm posting the transcriptions here on the blog so that they remain available to descendants as well as to other researchers. Images of the letters will not be included here due to the fact that many of the copies were of poor quality. And, also, although I did obtain permission to publish transcriptions of the letters, I never received permission to use images of them.



Every attempt was made to present the letters as they were written, including “errors” in spelling and grammar. However, some punctuation and many paragraphs breaks have been added to help improve readability. Many of the letters were one continuous sentence with little or no punctuation to separate thoughts, hopefully I've made the “breaks” at the right spot! The writers also often wrote in the margins in an attempt to use as much of the paper as possible. Some of the letters were very difficult to decipher.



There are several letters written by soldiers on the front lines during the civil war that describe the war as well as the tedium and boredom of waiting for something to happen.



The letters from one sibling to another are much like those you would write today to a family member (that is, if you still write letters, lol). They tell of deaths and births of family, friends, and neighbors; of the general day-to-day events of life, of joy and of grief. They provide a brief glimpse into the hardships of life in the mid-1800s yet they remind us that those things that are important to us were just as important to them.



What struck me was that “home” was where their parents were! For example, Sarah (Berlin) Greene remained in Portage County, Ohio when her parents and several siblings moved to Elkhart County, Indiana and several times she addresses letters to “Friends at Home” and other times says she would like to “visit family at home”.



(Links will be added as the two items below are published.)



A list of the people mentioned in the letters as well as some information about each of them can be found in The Cast of Characters.



A List of the Letters includes the date of the letter, the location where it was written, who wrote the letter and to whom it was sent.