Way back when, long before the time of today’s conscious memory, an idea became the child of freedom and democracy. At its birth, on this day in 1776, they named her Independence. It was a hard pregnancy. The energy of violence was prevalent until the last British ships sailed out of New York Harbor. Then came the task of tolerance and the faith of forgiveness for 4-thousand, four hundred and 35 new American citizens died before the birth of Independence was possible. Independence was a…

Read More »

There was this guy named Bartholomew Masterson. He was born on a farm in Quebec, Canada. He was also known as William Barclay. He was a respected journalist and a leading authority on boxing. At one time in his life he was a deputy US Marshall for the southern district of New York, appointed by Teddy Roosevelt. In other times he had other careers. He was a buffalo hunter, an army scout, a saloon owner, and a professional gambler. Bartholomew or William Barclay went by…

Read More »