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Being Frank virtually any time that you want. We think it's the intelligent thing
to do. We're taping just before the fourth of July. That will become
apparent why it's important in just a minute. Twenty ninth In the two hundred
and forty seven years since the Declaration of Independence was signed by fifty six in
trepid men. The fourth of July has been celebrated as the birth of ordination
with parades, patriotic concerts, barbecues, and of course spectacular fireworks. But
what was that very first Independence Day like, especially in the colonies, How
were they informed? How was the news received? Did people rejoice in their
new birth of freedom? Or did they fear the potential consequences? Well,
there are a few people who I can think of more qualified to answer those
questions than a man who runs the oldest tavern in America and a place that
was absolutely pivotal in the very creation of the United States, and himself a
tavern keeper. But he's another one of our renaissance men. He's a world
class rower, a motorcycle racer, a pilot, and a tavern keeper of
the seventy six House, which is certified as the oldest tavern in America.
Rob Norton, welcome back. You've been all once before. I'm being Frank,
welcome back again. Thank you. I'm so glad you invited me to
speak again, especially at you know, at this you know, pivotal day
in our nation's history. You know, Rob, we were, as I
will often do, we do a little preliminary interview in talking. And as
long as I've lived in this area, which is virtually my whole life sixty
plus years, and will leave it at that, it never ceases to amaze
me the amount of real history that's happened in a relatively American history that's happened
in a relatively small area, that being northern Bergen County and Rockland County,
which is the smallest county geographically in the state of New York outside of New
York City itself. And I'm amazed at you know, historic site after historic
site, and unfortunately often forgotten by history, and certainly your place, the
seventy six House right in the heart of Japan, New York is a crucial
site and dates back even we were discussed to the time of Jamestown and in
some cases some of Rockland County even before. Can you tell us a little
bit about the rich history that we can find in this area. Well absolutely,
you know, I like to talk about the Revolution as being three hundred
and fifteen miles of revolution, which is the length of the Hudson River Valley.
And have a straw or have a strewed it as it was called by
the Dutch was the site where thirty three sailors were put ashore in fifteen eighty
and these, of course thirty three sailors had native ladies who you know,
they created families with. And it was by the time Japan was settled a
second and even third generation of I guess you want to call them New Americans
or new New World Yeah, every world inhabitants, yes, yeah, exactly.
And when Japan was settled sixteen forty, as as kind of a ground
rule, you needed to have one generation of folks who created the town before
you got your patent. So in sixteen eighty six at the seventy sixth House,
you know, Japan got his patent. And being the oldest tavern in
America, this was kind of the capitol building for the Dutch colony of Orangetown,
which extended through what is now Bergen County up through Orange County. Of
course, Rocking County is a newer invention, and so much revolutionary war history
happened in this very location. Washington frequented the seventy sixth House many times.
It was then called me Bee's Tavern, and uh, he might have done
that because he liked the ale that Casparus maybe made for him, he actually
took that recipe back down to uh, you know, and and made it
in his own uh plantation and so forth. But um, you know what
happened here fundamentally is why we celebrate July fourth of the Orangetown Resolutions, which
were written, signed, and sent to the English on July fourth of seventeen
seventy four, which makes the year that we're actually celebrating the two hundred and
forty ninth year. I think, yes, your math is about as good
as mine, Rob, but yes, correct. But what's not funny.
But what's uh, what I think a lot of listeners should should like look
into, is how the story of our American revolution um, which I call
our War of revolution, and not particularly our War of Independence, which I
believe was really the War of eighteen twelve, but our War of Revolution,
which defined so much of who we are today, really started, you know,
many years before our Declaration of Dependence written by Jefferson. Now that document
wasn't really even fully signed. And that story I got in fourth grade was
a kind of a not a twist of the truth, but a little like
a massaging of the truth, making it, yeah, because tell you to
the First World War is that Americans really didn't embrace the English. In fact,
a lot of folks in the colonies could not get over some of the
things that happened during our revolution, and so they saw and I hate the
terms soffered the narrative, but that's exactly what or what happened. And what
happened was that they needed to make it seem like two guys kicking sand at
one another, U two brothers in a sand box. And that really was
uh, not really the case, um, but it elevated in many cases
the English colonies and made places like Boston and they and the stories of what
happened in Boston very much more aggrandized, while the stories that happened in the
Dutch and German colonies, whether we'ren't really German colons, but you know,
areas that were settled by those folks a little bit less important. And of
course Japan is very Dutch or you know all the you know Japan, it's
Japan like Japan, not tapping um. And I always have to remind you
of that, but so much more sophisticated in English. If you say,
but you know the you know, so the story of our revolution really was
a little twisted. Now for instance, like the Baylor massacre, you know,
which was a real event, but the Bailor massacre which happened in Japan
right at the intersection was Old Japan and Rivervale Road. Now, they rounded
up all of the dragoons, Baylor's dragoons and every other mail over the edge
at thirteen and they bayoneted them in front of their families and threw them in
the water supply. Now that's a massacre. The Boston massacre, you know,
the story of that is a little less poignant given the concentration. So
uh, you know, of that kind of negativity. So um, you
know, when we're talking about like the changing of the narrative, that's really
important. I mean, for many years, July fourth was really celebrated because
of what happened here in Japan. And you know that's not to take anything
away from the Declaration of Independence, which is one of the most beautiful documents
ever written. One of my most famous or one of my favorite quotes is
from John F. Kennedy when he was talking to when he was a new
president. He had everybody invited to the White House and he said, this
is the assemblage of the most brilliant minds in the world, and together this
is an amazing group of intellect. But the most important mind that was ever
sitting at this table was when Jefferson ate here alone. Now that was a
very bad paraphrasing, but I love that quote, Like, you know,
it's like when Jefferson sat here alone eating, there was more intellect at this
dining table then all the heads of state, you know, Rob, I
think it's important we give people a little context, because you know, we're
doing it locally, but the program does stream beyond where exactly where Japan is.
It's about what twenty five thirty miles from midtown Manhattan, so it's it's
it's in many ways geographically very close to New York cities, but in so
many ways is so spiritually different, if you will, in a way.
I mean, it's the downtown where the seventy six houses is still you can
vision what it might have been like in seventeen seventy six, and there's literally
just one traffic's like literally in the downtown. So it's a twenty little hamlet,
but had an overgrown importance in the role in this country, and I'm
just amazed why that isn't more known. As you mentioned, the Baylor massacre
is barely known even here, and a tremendous amount of history that happen and
in the entire area and Japan in particular, is largely overlooked, and I
don't understand why, because it is so rich, so important, and so
interesting. So there are three main events that happened in the seventy success which
I shake my head at, not understanding why they are not more well known.
The first is, of course, the Orangetown Resolutions. The second is
Major andres Not only is it incarceration, but then his trial and eventual execution,
which Washington orchestrated not as a kangaroo trial, but very very circumspectly.
And he wanted to have Major Andre treated as a normal person, as a
commoner, and a commoner who had been caught spying would be executed by hanging.
But you could not execute an aristocrat by hanging unless he freely admitted that
he was spying. So when pressed, that is what he admitted to,
and that, you know, really changed the scope of a war of independence.
And of course, on May third, seventeen eighty three. Washington met
here after three days of arguments at the Dwin House just down the street,
and you know, stir gay Carlton handed him the plans of the British evacuation
and said, very carefully, on behalf of the Parliament, you were no
longer to be governed for a short time by the British Empire. It wasn't
like you're free and independent. But the two of them got together in a
coach and traveled down to what we now called Pierremont used to be called Japan
by the sea and the sloop of War. The vultures saluted America with a
seventeen gun salute. And if you want a little humorous side note, like
when I mentioned that to historians of note, I said, well, why
do you think it was a seventeen gun salute? The ones I consider,
you know, maybe they were phoning it in a little said wow, well
there were thirteen colonies and two of this and two of that. And then
the smart guys always say, well, you know, at the end of
the war, that's all the powder they had left on the boat. So
I like that answer better. But you know, there were so many historic
figures and interesting characters who sticks out in your mind among the Dennisons, if
you will, the seventy six house and of that time. Is there any
any particular individual personality that sticks out in your mind that we should know more
about. Well, I mean, Hamilton lived here for almost three years on
and off, because he was a brilliant person, and I have a lot
of respect for his intellect. And he came from a very small isld Nebust,
which is off the coast of Saint Kitts. I've been there many times.
And to be a young person and to travel all the way to this
new world and to do what he did, and he did a lot of
good and he did also a lot of bad. You know, I'm not
fun of the First Bank of America, for instance, but that's a whole
nother story for another time. Um. But while he was here, he
recognized that Manhattan Island has no water supply. It's built on bedrock. So
he, you know, was you know, one of the creators of you
know, why Manhattan Island has a water supply today, which I think is
kind of I'm a history buff myself, and who would have thought of that
as a young No, he wasn't young while he was still young. I
mean, he's younger than us when he discovered this, like you know,
a way to you know, um, you know, create a situation for
himself, which which is why he spent a lot of time in Japan used
this tavern in particular, which is great. But what it's it's a perfect
segue. I say that. Well, I also like just to you know,
just a you know, it grandized that whole station about you know,
who was here. I'm in in the war documents that Nathaniel Green penned,
he used to sketch the fireplace which is Delf tile, and he would like
make little drawings of that actual Delf tile in the margins while he was ruminating.
And Nathani Green, who's a very young man, was actually a very
good uh you know general, and uh you know, he used to sit
right in front of that fireplace, which it's the same exact fireplace, the
same exactly the same exact everything, and it's it really you know, it
kind of makes a difference. It's really cool. Well, I'll be I
personally, I you know again, people say, oh, you're making a
commercial for the Severason No about thirty seven years but it doesn't for itself be
that as it may. The reality is you can't sit there and not feel
the spirits, the ghost, the spirit of Andre, the spirit of Green,
the spirit of Washington, because so much of it remains the same.
If you allow yourself to feel the spirits, there's there's still there and it's
quite a remarkable experience with that in mind. And we talked about some of
the famous people there. But I'm sure as a tavern, as in many
small European hamlets, particularly in the north of you or of the Ireland,
et cetera, the public house, the tavern is the center of life for
so many people. So what was that like in Japan? Did people come
in for a pint? Was it only the aristocracy? What was it actually
not that? I mean there was no aristocracy, um, I mean there
were several important families, the blowbouts, the Herrings, the Maybe's maybe he's
actually owned this tavern. It was called Maybe's tavern, uh. And it
wasn't called the tavern for a very specific reason. By the way, it
wasn't called the public house because you know, the user or tavern which is
tavarnol, which is actually a Tyrolean word which has nothing to do with actually
the English, which you know, they never ever called it a pub,
which it always fascinates me that the irissue or very um let's say, anti
English, at some point in their past, uh still use the word pub.
And I'm like, you could use a lot of different language to describe
where you go have a cocktail. But that being said the Dutch town fathers
and so forth, I certainly lost my train of thought here. Sorry.
I told as a center of life, the center of life in the small
village for everyone. So in the tavern you did all your business. If
you needed to sell a cow, this is where you came. If you
were doing something that had to do with the law or politics, that was
handled actually in the church, which was diagonally across the street. Now,
what's also interesting is that you know bars are actually called bars because of this
bar which is in the tavern here. Because when people woke up in the
sixteen seventeen hundreds, they didn't have availability of fresh drinking water, so you
would take your beer and pour it into your water to disinfect it, and
that was called small beer. Now you would drink that old day, so
by dinner time you would move on to apple Jack, which is an American
version of Calvados. And you would drink Madeira, which is a fortified wine
because you know, regular wines would not transport well in sailing ships. Of
course, there was poured as well, and Jerez, which is you know,
the English couldn't pronounce, so they call it sherry. So those were
the three fortified wines. And that's what you would, you know, drink.
So if you frank had a little too much that evening, they would
lower the bar and you were the guy that was lowering the bar, as
funny as that would be. And there were literally metal bars that would lower
down in the lock, not to stop people from stealing, because that was
really not a big issue, but it would be the end of the evening
cut off. That's it, and that's why. But that's why bars at
roll bars, which is an interesting Now, what about the food, rob
You mentioned that some of the drink that was popular. What about food?
What? What? What? What did you people eat at that time?
Well, of course people ate what was available, so we call it,
you know game now, but that was not game back then, okay,
I mean that was what you ate. It was what was readily available.
And like the whole uh idea of a pot pie is I think like kind
of funny because there was a big cauldron in front of the fireplace. None,
by the way, no cooking was done in a in a in a
tavern. All the cooking was done in an outbuilding. And even in Manhattan.
My dad owned Francis Tavern for instance, right, And they were all
built along the water because the kitchens were built off the end of a pier.
And when things got you know, because they would cook with you know,
animal fats and so on, and their fires were prevalent, they would
drop the pier off and dump it into the All the tavern you were kept
getting shorter and shorter, exactly, you got a lower Manhattan. There's like
you know, there's South Street, then there's Water Street, and then you
know, it keeps going. And the same as true with with with the
seventy six House. By the way, I must say it's called the seventy
six House, and I did not name it obviously, because this was the
first monument selected by the Department of the Interior. It's not a federal landmark.
It was was supposed to be a monument, okay, because they chose
this place, and like the designs of this place are actually in the Smithsonian.
Okay, so they like this was supposed to be like a monument like
the Washington Monument, not just a federal landmark. But when things got a
little hazy, as a prelude to as I mentioned, you know, changing
the narrative a little bit, this was just, you know, just was
just a federal landmark. And it's odd that, like it's a federal landmark,
but it you know, it shouldn't really be privately owned like it this
should be like coveted by our country, you know, so like if something
happens to me or some it'll continue being what it is, like a special
place, you know, and like you you know, I've really given like
my entire adult life to making sure this is like what it really ought to
be and what it has always been like when you come in here, you're
sitting underneath the original beams and flooring and so forth. But again I am
speaking very tangentially, so well, you know, it was it was a
question I had for a little later on in the program, but let's let's
do it now because it's appropriate at this point. What is the legacy of
the seventy six house. What what should people take from from it and from
preserving it as perfectly as you have, as painstakingly as you have. What
what what? What message should that send? And why is it important to
continue to preserve places like the seventy six house. Wof well, I can
give you an example which was fairly recent. I had a fellow who was
the doc and for what was called Treason House, and he came over um
and and handed me a piece of white marble, broken on one edge,
and I'm like, okay, thank you. What does this mean? He's
like, this is the last piece of Treason House, which is the house
that Major andre and Benedictonald met in Okay. And it was bulldozed without even
mentioning it to this dosin Okay. He went to work and it was disappeared
in dumpsters and gone, and he found this one last piece of white marble,
which he knew was part of the mantle over the fireplace. So I
now keep it over the mantle at the seventy six of the same mantle that
Nathaniel Greene actually looked at when he was ruminating over his war documents. And
you know, with a little sign on it and so forth. Buttery eyed
he handed it to me, So that was a big deal, you know.
And then I think, you know, the same thing could happen to
this, you know, important edifice of American history without without somebody or without
some more important uh you know, some sponsor or something. Yeah, yeah,
it's it's and this is you know, like I tell people, They're
like, oh, you know, it's a beautiful restaurant, and you must
enjoy yourself doing this, and I do. The better part of me is
uh feels like you know, I have you know, friends who are you
know, Uh, this isn't This is a lifestyle, not a living,
is what I tell folks. But that being said, um, it's it's
something that not everybody can handle or be drawn to, and it shouldn't be
up to any one individual to perpetuate it, which is has me a bit
frightened about the future. I hope that makes sense. Uh, certainly,
I hope it doesn't sound self aggrandizing because it's a bigger issue than anyone person.
And certainly, yeah, I mean this needs to be preserved. This
is really where the revolution really happened. And sometimes that waxes and Waynes and
popularity. Well, let's let's go back to that, Rob. I think
it's a perfect moment to get back to that. It's July fourth, seventeen
seventy six, the document is signed. Obviously, there's no mass communication.
It wasn't like they go to Facebook or Twitter and let let the people in
the world know that they're now quote unquote liberated from the rule of Great Britain.
How was it communicated? How for how long did it take to be
announced in a place like Japan? And then from there what was the reaction
where people joyous, were they frightened? Were they apprehensive? So tell us
a little bit. But first of all, when did it probably reach and
how did it reach the seventy six House in Japan? In my opinion,
and again i'm you know, just one voice. Uh, you know.
In seventeen eighty three, May third, seventeen eighty three, there was a
very clear understanding between Sir Guy Carlton and Washington and documents that were assigned and
given to Washington about how the English were going to remove themselves from the colonies
in a very circumspect way, and that the dissemination of that particular idea did
take a while. I mean, you still had like always, I believe,
especially the colonies because you know, we're talking about folks on horseback.
But after that exact moment, it was pretty relevant to the immediate New York
area. That but and that's a that's a little sidestep, because Manhattan Island
was still had a very large British presence on it for a great deal of
time. Yes, but this is not something that the British Army did not
know about, you know what I'm saying, the British rule, uh,
and the governors of the states and uh, you know, because there were
British governors uh famously you know, Franklin's son. Is it? Is it
fair? Is it fair to say then at that particular moment, there was
really nothing more than a piece of paper actually since the since the British Army
was still pretty much pretty much in control. So it was in a certain
sense it might have been received as symbolic document rather than an actual doctor And
you mentioned absolute three. The actual removal of troops was the true independence,
if you will. This was a lot of people point to, like the
surrender of Cornwallis and I'm like, you know, that was a profound moment
in history. It made a lot of uh you know, uh, you
know, it was a you know, it was a profound moment in history
period. However, there were three British armies in the colonies. You know,
they could have said, hey, crush these people with the snap of
a finger, and that probably would have happened. You know, we were
not supposed to win the War of eighteen twelve. You know, that was
just an anomaly of history, you know. Uh, you know, it
can be pointed to if you if you want to believe in providence, like
you know, you know a lot of folks do, and I you know,
love to think of that being a real thing. That is a very
profound event because that was a war we should not have won. Uh and
we did. Okay, I'm sorry, I mean to finish, No,
not at all. I mean that. I mean that's what our you know,
our star spangled banner is not about the revolution. It's about the War
of eighteen twelve. Interesting, what do you think was ultimately the key to
success in the in the Revolutionary war at least anyway where we were should have
been squashed like a bug. And yet we suffered. But we you know
ultimately emerged victorious. What was there a single key where there are few?
What do you point it was a single key? Absolutely correct. It was
because the British had one battle strategy, which was to control the Hudson River
Valley, and the Racalcitrans and strength of the Dutch and other settlers of the
Hudson River Valley in small swarms would never allow the whole Hudson River Valley to
be completely controlled by the English. Washington had a great idea fortifying what we
now call West Point was called Fort Benedictoral Pryor. They dragged chains across which
were at that day and age extraordinarily hard to even make. They dragged them
from Greenwood Lake, can you know, very far areas and strung these chains
and things across the Hudson River. Became a gauntlet that the Brittish could never
conquer. It was a war of attrition, like some things that we suffered
as American soldiers in wars like Vietnam and things like that, where you can
never capture the whole You could capture a bunch of things, but you couldn't
capture the whole thing. And you could capture a city like Boston, and
then we would capture Fort tight Hondar Roga and bomb the hell out of Boston.
Then the English fled and they went down to New York. I mean,
you could never capture the whole Hudson River valley, and that really,
I mean they believe that they capture the Hudson River Valley, everyone north of
the Hudson River would just naturally join with Canada, and everybody south they could
deal with at their own due leisure. I mean, we had, you
know, a substantial number off of Sandy Hook, which is outside New York,
just down in Jersey, waiting there in grand vessels, waiting to just
assault up the huts. And you know this military might. You had how
and his brother How, you know, like two brothers, you know,
and you had this great military force, but you couldn't take it all at
one time. And when you took a little bit, you lost it when
you tried to take another bit. And I think that's why the revolution just
became untenable. Plus, like General Howe, who was an interesting person to
look at, he was not really behind the revel The idea of fighting the
colonists and the English were kind of at an age in their philosophical evolution where
they wanted to be um uh. They wanted to be more oh gosh,
how do I say this with a little bit more a plumb um. They
wanted to understand kind of a social democracy more than uh uh like for instance,
you know, God forbid, this was a different uh government that was
our leadership at that time. You know, if it was a more uh
uh stalwarth uh direct. I don't know how to put it more uh.
You know, if I was just reading a book about like if this was
like a Russian oligarchy, it was, it was a like you know,
I'm you know, so it it was like more of a uh brutal uh
type of um dictatorial. Yeah, it would not have this revolution would have
would have not have happened. But remember our revolution was not the end of
things. It spawned so much more. Yes, which is why I think
America is revered to this day. I mean, not every revolution has the
same touchstones to what our revolution was about, but they all do hearken to
that kind of uh I believe kind of a moral libertarian idea. But that's
you know, let's not get into that. Well. I want to talk.
I want to talk a little bit about that. You know, the
promise that was promised in the declaration you mentioned one of the most beautiful documents
ever written, ever written. And it's so beautiful. It's beautifully written.
And not only that, it's there's there's nothing in it that anybody can really
contradict. You can't say that's not true. You can say yeah, yeah,
hold that thought. I want to I want to get into it in
some detail. I want to give it all the way first, little teas
here. I want to do it after the break. We'll take a quick
break here when we come back. And I do want to have a good,
robust discussion about that and if we're really fulfilling the ideals that are expressed
in a declaration of independence, and I want to I want to share a
story with you that I think you'll appreciate. But let's take a quick break
first. My guest is Rob Norton, as he calls himself, the tavern
keeper of the seventy six House, America's oldest tavern into Pan New York.
He is so much more. We're talking about the American Revolution, the first
fourth of July and so much more. This is being Frank I'm your host,
Frank Lebono, will be right back after these brief commercial messages. Please
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we'd like to thank you for joining us here on the Intelligent Conversation Podcast.
My guest tonight is the Tavern Keeper, the owner and proprietor and historian from
the seventy six House, America's oldest tavern located in a very historic to pan
New York. Rob. Before you left for the break, we started talking
a little bit about America as both an ideal and an idea, one that
was and still emulated by many countries. And I've used the story before,
but I think it's as appropriate here. I was working a gig years ago
when I had to deal with a European reporter, a young woman from Portugal,
and in between live shots, I was working for CBS News at the
time, and in between live shots, we were talking a little bit and
she was expressing what America meant to her. It was at the time when
Trump was Donald Trump was starting to make inroads and eventually was elected President of
the United States, and she was somewhat concerned where America might change. And
she used the terms she said, you know, we you know what's Portugal's
a small country. You know, great tourism, great beaches, good food
and wine, etc. But we're not really big players on the world stage.
We count on the United States to be that shining city on the hill.
You may think it's silly, but we don't. And I think all
of that that shining city on the hill concept lies within the Declaration of Independence?
Are we living in? Are we there? Are we getting there?
Can we get there? Oh? You said one thing when you first began
about It's an ideal and an idea, and they're not mutually exclusive, obviously,
And what Jefferson put together is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of what
the perfect i dia and ideal of human nature should possess as a way to
govern and move politically through the world. And like the person that you were
talking through from Portugal, yes, part of what she was telling you I
believe, and this is just what I'm taking from your words, is that
you know this is this, you know, statue of liberty. Instead of
holding a torch, she's having her two hands out with this diamond of perfection
in front of her. But the other half of what she's saying is America
has also been a protector for a lot of that uh uh enjoyment or that
other nations have. Uh. And uh that comes at a cost to American
citizens as well. Uh you know, uh, and that's a cost that's
freely given. Um. What we're what I'm worried about is like getting to
a point where we uh don't embrace what the Declaration of Independence really embodies.
Um, And I'm fearful of that. I don't know what your thoughts are
on in your mind? What what what do you feel? If you can
simplify and apsoulte, however, you try to shoot and it's obviously a very
esoteric concept to try. That's problematic. You know what's most what's most important?
What is the most important? As a tavern keeper, I try to
be a political and if a group of very left wing folks want to have
a meeting here, I'm happy to welcome them. And if a group of
very right wing folks want to meet here. And I don't believe in this
country we need to really worry about whether you're left or right or whether what
your politics are. I think we should all just be Americans. And that's
what the Declaration Independence says. And you know, we're all created equal under
God right, And that's an important concept, Like it doesn't mean like that
one person is better than another, but it also means that, Uh well,
I started this conversation by saying, like I should not give political I
am and I and I don't. I don't like like to dive into like
a political diatribe, but like there's no reason for Republicans and Democrats and politicians
shouldn't get into politics to be politicians. They should get into politics because they
want to give back to this country. That's how this was all designed to
be. Okay, you can say whatever you want to be say about Trump,
and uh you know, I'm like, uh you know, I'm on
neither side of defense. I just don't like politicians to be politicians. I
don't like folks that go to law school to become a mayor, to become
a senator, to become a president. Like I want people to join government
because they want to give back, because they feel I have a very dear
friend. Okay. He had a tough young life and he was working in
a factory, and the factory offered anybody a position to go to school and
better themselves. And he became a fellow who developed computer programming for a computer
for banks, and he owns that little niche market and he's a multi multi
multimillionaire. And he showed me a check the other day that he was happy
to send to the government for two million dollars, and I was like,
wow. He was like, I'm happy to pay this income tax because without
the government helping me, I would just be making bolts in a factory.
Okay. True, Or I can tell you his name after that, they
don't. I don't understand. But that's the kind of person you want a
government, a person who's like grateful. We should all be grateful, okay
for the experience we have here. Like, spend a lot of time somewhere
else, okay, and you're happy to be an American, Okay. Spend
too much time in an environment where people are negative, and you're going to
be negative. It's just the way life is. But Jefferson's document is a
governing document. It's not just a document. It wasn't really even written to
send to England, Okay, it wasn't. It was like we got these
great stories in fourth grade and all that stuff. The back of the two
dollar bill is a complete illusion that never really happened. New York didn't even
get a copy. They didn't even show up to Continental Congress. I don't
know, perhaps a waxing poetic. I probably shouldn't have done this, Like
no, Rob, it's just so honest. But that's what I'm always hoping.
That's what the show is about people. This is intelligent conversation, and
it is I think that's I know, that's what you're talking about. We
need to have dialogue. We need to have conversations, dialogue. It doesn't
have to be no one's right or wrong, but everybody has to be civil.
Well, I always say I'm right, some people are wrong, but
that's that's that's my problem. Of course, up getting Rob, I really
like to thank you for being frank, and of course you're intelligent. Conversation,
always terrific and always so much more to talk about when you come back
again, of course it will, but I hope I didn't like you know
and get off the rails too much. Always fascinating during the commercial break when
you had to run and put out some fires at the rest, I gave
away. I gave away a trade secret. And Neil and I are engineer
Neil Richter who we're going to talk to in just a minute, which is
saying, you know, how fascinating. We know we both grew up here,
and we know we're pretty good with the local history. We enjoy it,
and yet every time we talk to you we learn more. It's just
extraordinary. How thing the first bombing in the United States, the monument to
Major Andre on the top of the Hill after the War of eighteen twelve,
after he was exhumed, right right hated the English so much that the locals
bombed the monument that the English put up a great story. Well, you'll
be back. We'll have to do more Andrea stories in October on the anniversary
of anniverse. Terrible thing to save his execution, but so many stories to
tell him. We've only scratched the service. There's so many more. And
in his execution it reshaped really the world because he was the first aristocrat executed
by colonists, and he was executed as if he was a commoner. Yeah,
and that undermined the social structure of the colonies. Yeah, very very
very important. That's something everybody needs to learn in fourth grade. Well,
well, well we'll help, we'll try. We'll get too many pleasure and
Neil got to stop down for a bite to eat. That's great. So
that's yes, that voice there he is the dulceted Tones. You recognize him
from all the ads on my program. There he is. So before we
close, and Neil'm gonna talk to you just a second, Rob, thank
you again. I want to live. You'll appreciate this is from doctor Franklin.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve
neither liberty nor safe or safety. Yeah, that's the brilliant doctor, Doctor
Franklin. Speaking of brilliant, let's hear from Neil Richtor. Neil, you're
gonna introduce our song from one of your incarnations, machinations. The Bag Daddy
os with Ken round one of my one of my favorite bands, certainly at
least a name, but also in music. The Bag Daddy's got a great
summer to first, tell us a little bit about me. Well, thank
you, thank you, Frankie. Yeah, Ken and I actually founded the
band The Bag Daddy. I was back in nineteen ninety two. I think
as a member, I've been in and out. I've going on hiatus,
come back, taking a little more time off, and currently I've been back
in the band for about the past six months now. This particular song I
wasn't present for when it was recorded, so it's not me playing on the
track, but I think I remember actually playing it live. And it's called
Here it Comes the Coney Island Cyclone. Now, of course it refers to
the legendary roller coaster on Coney Island, and I know it well. I
grew up every summer at my grandmother's house in Coney Island. I know the
Cyclone quite well, and it's right there next to the Nathan His hot Dog
stand. And now it was again I didn't play on the song, but
I actually played with a band in Coney Island a couple of different times,
and I've actually played in a different band at a benefit type thing in the
Cyclones Stadium the Brooklyn Cyclones Minor League baseball teams, yeah, affiliates I think
of the Mets, and they had, you know, a benefit thing.
I got to actually play inside the stadium. So I do have a connection
to Coney Island and this song. But with the Fourth of July weekend coming
up or you know, extended weekend, I guess it's on a Tuesday,
I believe this year. But a lot of people take Monday off and make
it a nice four day weekend. I recommend it highly. But anyway,
I agree with you. You know, but this is a fun song.
You know you can take medicine for for hiatus. By the way, so
I've heard you know, I'll have to I'll have to go down to I
hear it's all the counter now right, we got to go. No,
we're just about at a time, so why don't you kick us off with
with Coney Island deal and we'll say good night and thanks to all our view
our listeners. I almost in viewers, caught myself the nickod time go ahead
and ye okay, we're gonna hear the bad daddios. And here it comes,
the Coney Island cyclone. Hey, everybody, have a happy and safe
Fourth of July. Thanks everybody, we'll see you next week. Hear it
calls, we've been around. Then hear it calls you are my best friend.
Here it comes faster than the star that bears his name. Hearing calls,
I can't wait to ride. Hear it calls, you can't run,
you get d Hear it calls scream something. Thank you all sane. I
can't be changed down. The summertime is here. I can't it not my
lord from my eyes up in there and ride a cooney on inside. Come
here, he calls you by trendling. Here he calls my mad sin.
Here he calls reach me out that I can close my eyes. Hearing calls
in backing. See here, it calls, I feel like such a freak.
Hear it, cause, however, come says these nice I am a
potion of my vault, since I wis by himself all right until I'm olden
clons quick clans for real. I haven't coneana cyclone. You don't ride the
coneyanand cyclo. Here it calls, I want to ride again. Here it
calls I never right Here, it calls not too minute, friends like this
sisst Here it calls I can't tell my Here it calls the classics. Never
joh. Here it comes feel the through with the baturn twist d I a
love time with umberies that will lost as long the greatest rid for that's one
of this song. I love that Cone Allen's cycling. I love that Cone
Allen's sidle. Here it comes here, it comes here, it comes here,
It comes here it comes here. It comes here. It comes here,
it comes here, it comes here, it comes This is Hudson River
Radio dot com.