Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, July 9, 1954, part 4

Compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff

-And Away We Go-
Southwestern Jewish Press, July 9, 1954, page 7

By Julia Kaufman

The problem of what to do with your two weeks’ vacation can be solved in a number of ways. Some prefer to take their vacation in one place to get plenty of rest, sun, sports and good food, others enjoy a cruise, but for those who like to cover ground and see many things and any places, there is nothing like a motor trip.  We chose the latter for ourselves, because we always wanted to see the great Northwest.

Our target was British Columbia, some 1600 miles from San Diego. This sort of a vacation is not inexpensive, but expenses can be controlled and it would be difficult to duplicate the value received in the amount of ground covered, places to be seen and experiences to be had.  Being practical, we took with us a set of Triple A Guide Books from the Automobile Club, advising where to stay, things to see and places to eat. Any motorist without this American “Baedeker” is missing a bet.

If possible, it is a good idea to plan your trip before you leave. Decide where you wish to go, pick out the high spots on the way, plan your mileage and make reservations wherever possible. You will find accommodations to suit every pocketbook if you plan ahead.  In the summer it is advisable to avoid midday travel. We preferred the early morning when the roads were clear and the air cool.  Your clothing should be as varied as the climate you intend to pass through.  We found our raincoats a boon on a rainy day and our heay jackets a comfort on the snow-covered mountain tops.

After an overnight stay at Paso Robles, we went to San Francisco to spend several days. The Bay City has loads to offer tourists from the Top of the Mark to the Sea Coast, with excellent restaurants with international flavor. From San Francisco, via Rt. 101, our trail lewd through the California Redwoods and Paul Bunyan Country with many State Parks and impressive groves of giant trees.  Our stopovers were Garberville, Calif., and the Grants Pass in Oregon on the Rogue River. The nest day we headed for Portland, this time on Rt. 99.  A must here is Scenic Route 30 along the Columbia River; a visit to the Bonneville Dam, where the salmon climb the ladders to be counted. From Portland we headed to Port Angeles, picking up Rt 101 at Shelton, Washington. From Port Angeles we ferried to Victoria, B.C, crossing the Straits of Juan de Fuca. In Victoria, after settling in our motel, we picked up a printed route from the information center, opposite the Empress Hotel, indicating the high spots to be seen. Be sure to see the Government Buildings at night outlined in lights. A tip to the women if you are interested in English china, silverware, linens, etc – don’t get there on a weekend.

We stayed here two days and proceeded to Sidney for a three hour ferry ride through the San Juan Islands to Anacortes. It was a very pleasant, scenic and restful trip. From Anacortes we traveled down Rt. 99, going through Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Portland. Then on Rt. 26 to Timberline Lodge, nestling 6000 ft. against Mt. Hood. Ski-lifts and the longest ride via cable car are there for your enjoyment.  Being surrounded by snow, above the clouds, was an unusual experience after leaving the green of summer below.  The lodge itself is very beautiful. Dale, the friendly and obliging young clerk, showed us the room where Franklin D. Roosevelt slept.

From Timberline, down Route 26 and 97, a side trip along Rt. 230, took us to Crater Lake. This trip will reward you with scenes of impressive beauty. The roads were banked with snow twenty to thirty feet high, with a magnificent view of the blue Crater Lake. We advise you not to plan a stop at the Hotel.  From our next stopover, Klamath Falls, we visited Mt. Shasta, where they boast the largest trout hatchery in the world. En route because of the extreme heat through the Sacramento valley, we stopped to swim and boat on Lake Shasta, ten miles from our motel in Redding.  The next morning we started very early to avoid the heat, drove along Rt. 99, picking up Rt. 40 into Oakland, and then on to Rt. 1010, by-passing San Francisco and arriving in Carmel about 2 p.m.  Two days of relaxation on the picturesque Carmel beach, with a visit to Monterey Bay and we were ready to head for home. We broke our trip with a stopover at Santa Barbara and reached home without being exhausted by the 4,000 mile trip. We hope you have as much fun as we did.

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A Lincoln Quiz
Southwestern Jewish Press, July 9, 1954, Page 8

By Bernard Postal

How much do you know about the personal and official relationships between Abraham Lincoln and the Jews of the U.S.”  About the colorful and incisive role played by American Jewry during the Civil War?  The answers to many provocative questions are given in a lively and informative quiz below.

Try it yourself, and see how much fun it can be to learn about American Jewry in the momentous days when the Great Emancipator was president of our country.

1.  What Southerner was generally considered the most prominent Jew in America during the period of the Civil War?

2.  To whom, among others, did Lincoln turn, when he sought to deny the baseless rumor that he was a member of the Know-Nothing Party, a mid-19th century anti-alien and anti-Catholic political party?

3.  What Jews served as delegates to the 1860 and 1864 Republican National Conventions at which Lincoln was nominated?

4.  What Jews were Lincoln presidential electors in 1860 and 1864?

5.  What Jews played important roles in the founding of the new Republican Party in 1856 and in Lincoln’s presidential campaign in 1860?

6.  Who transmitted to the world Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation?

7.  When did Lincoln scotch an official attempt at anti-Semitism?

8.  Who was Lincoln’s foot doctor?

9.  What Jewess was one of the first of her sex to be appointed to a Federal position by Lincoln?

10.  What Jewish physician was at Lincoln’s death bed?

11.  Who were among the first contributors to the fund for the Lincoln monument in Springfield. Illinois?

12.  Who helped Lincoln’s widow to get a government pension?

13.  Who designed the Lincoln penny?

Answers

1.  Judah P. Benjamin was Attorney General and later Secretary of War and Secretary of State in the Confederacy.

2.  In a letter to his personal friend, Abraham Jonas, dated July 21, 1860, Lincoln explained in full his position on the Know-Nothing Party after his alleged membership in the party threatened to become a political issue in the 1860 presidential campaign.

3.  Moritz Pinner of St. Louis and Lewis N. Dembitz of Louisville, an uncle of Louis D. Brandeis, were Lincoln delegates to the 1860 Republican National Convention, and Maier Hirsch of Salem, Oregon, voted for Lincoln’s renomination in 1864.

4.  Sigismund Kaufmann of New York was a Lincoln presidential elector in 1860, and Abram J. Dittenhoefer, also of New York had a similar post in 1864.

5.  Abraham Jonas of Illinois; Moritz Pinner of St Louis; Abraham B. Arnold of Maryland; Abraham Kohn, Illinois; Abraham Dittenhoefer and Sigismund Kaufmann, New York; Moses Aaron Dropsie, Philadelphia; Edward Kanter, Michigan, and Moses Naar, New Jersey.

6.  Edward Rosewater, War Department telegrapher, later founder and editor of the Omaha Bee, tapped out from War Department telegraph office in Washington the text of the famous proclamatijonon January 1, 1863.

7.  He countermanded the notorious Order No. 11 issued by General Ulysses S. Grant on December 17, 1862 which excluded all Jews as a class from the Department of Tennessee.  Lincoln repealed Grant’s order in a note written on January 3, 1863, after Cesar Kaskel of Paducah, Kentucky, called the matter to his attention.

8.  Dr. Isachar Zacharie, a Jewish chiropodist from England, who became very friendly with Lincoln.

9.  Mrs. Abraham Jonas, widow of Lincoln’s friend, Abraham Jonas, who was appointed post mistress of Quincy, Ill., in 1864 to fill out her husband’s unexpired term.

10.  Mr. C.H. Liebermann, a Washington D.C. physician, who was one of the nine medical men at Lincoln’s death-bed. His portrait is among the 47 persons in Chappel’s famous painting, “The Last Hours of Lincoln.”

11.  Julius Hammerslough, of Springfield, Ill., who was an old friend of Lincoln, was designated by the national Lincoln monument committee as a special agent to raise funds among Jews. The official minutes of the Lincoln Monument Association of Springfield record among the very first contributors to the fund “The Hebrew citizens of Alton, Ill.,” followed shortly thereafter by the Hebrew Congregation of Philadelphia.

12.  Henry and Joseph Seligman, two brothers, befriended Lincoln’s family after Lincoln’s death and aroused interest that led to the granting of a pension to Mrs. Lincoln.

13.  Victor David Brenner, an American artist, designed the Lincoln penny, the first coin to bear the head of a President, which was issued August 2, 1909.  Brenner’s initials, VDB, appeared on the pennies and still can be seen with a magnifying glass near the penny’s rim, under Lincoln’s shoulder.

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John Carter Concert at Calif. Western On July 11th
Southwestern Jewish Press, July 9, 1954, Page 8

John Carter, brilliant young American tenor who will be presented by California Western University on July 11, at 3;00 p.m. in the Greek Theatre, finds that singing is “doing what comes naturally.”

Assisting Mr. Carter will be Robert MacDonald, pianist, and music instructor at the university; Pauline Hughes, violinist; Margery Hart, cellist.  Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Hart are both San Diego residents.

The concert is presented as a part of the Festival of the Arts program at the University. Admission for the concert is $1.00. Tickets may be obtained at the Palmer Box Office, University Office or at the Greek Theatre box office preceding the concert.

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Welcome Mat Out For Newcomers
Southwestern Jewish Press, July 9, 1954, Page 8  

With the publication of the Fund-Federation Brochure titled “Welcome Neighbor to San Diego,” the latest project of the Federation was under way, according to Carl M. Esenoff, President.

Published by the San Diego Federation of Jewish Agencies and the United Jewish Fund, the cover of the book depicts a descriptive map of San Diego County.  Contained in the brochure is a letter welcoming the newcomer to San Diego and offering him the community’s hand in friendship.

Other pages, in the eight page booklet, include a directory of the local  Jewish Community agencies; the houses of worship in San Diego; and a listing of national organizations having local branches in this community.  There is also a separate page for the serviceman and his family telling the work of the USO-Jewish Welfare Board.

Victor Schulman and his co-chairman, Mrs. Berg, stated that the second step in this hospitality project would be to create a committee which would call on new Jewish residents of our community, welcoming them and making them feel at home. The Brochure would be used by the hospitality committee for that purpose.

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“Adventures in Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our indexed “Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” series will be a regular feature until we run out of history.