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Date Posted: 17:58:04 06/17/09 Wed
Author: Mike Mullis 1968
Subject: Re: Tech Trivia Question No. 19
In reply to: Randall K. (Randy) Wilson (1970) 's message, "Tech Trivia Question No. 19" on 15:25:42 06/14/09 Sun

If you interpret my admittedly feeble forays into the world of humor as an attempt to derail your thread(s) or take a jab at you personally, I apologize. Obviously my sense of humor hasn't aged as well as the rest of me.

Head down to your favorite watering hole and have a beer on me. In the meantime I promise to keep my wit, good looks and charm to myself.

Mike Mullis

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Replies:

[> [> Re: Tech Trivia Question No. 19 -- Randall K. Wilson (1970), 18:04:35 06/17/09 Wed

MM, Ok, no on the contrary I've enjoyed your post. We are of the same kindred spirit more than you can imagine. I've not taken anything you have said personal, in fact I'm known to do some trolling myself on occasion...perhaps not on this site but others.

Please don't hold back on your version of "humor"....takes all kinds to make the world go round.

Randall K. Wilson
Class of 1970

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[> [> [> Re: Tech Trivia Question No. 19 **ANSWER** -- Randall K. (Randy) Wilson (1970), 03:21:44 06/20/09 Sat

Tech Triva Question N0. 19

THE ARSENAL CLOCK
--- A TECH RELIC

When Michigan Street was regarded as only a “country road”, in the early days of the Arsenal, the clock in the Arsenal Tower was the main timepiece of the east section of Indianapolis. (Records reveal a letter, written by a government official, concerning the purchase of the strip of land now known as the Arsenal Avenue in which Michigan Street was referred to as a “country road.”)

In the early days of the Arsenal Tech, according to an article in the Indianapolis Star, the residents of the vicinity still depended to a great extent on the pealing of the clock bell as is shown by letters received when the bell started ringing after it had been stopped by a “yellow hammer,” a little bird, which had become entangled in one of the wheels.

FEW CHANGES IN THE CLOCK

The “yellow hammer” may have mistaken the huge pendulum arm for the trunk of a tree. When the clock was started after many hours of searching for the mysterious trouble, one letter received said it was “like getting a letter from home” to hear the pealing of the bell again. At any rate, up to that time, this is the only occasion on which the clock refused to function as long as it was kept wound.

*Source October 19, 1939
(Excerpt)
Arsenal Cannon Newspaper
By John D. Williams

• In addition I found this history of the Yellowhammer interesting. It is the State bird of Alabama.
History: The common flicker is the State Bird of Alabama. Alabama has been known as the "Yellowhammer State" since the Civil War. The yellowhammer nickname was applied to the Confederate soldiers from Alabama when a company of young cavalry soldiers from Huntsville, under the command of Rev. D.C. Kelly, arrived at Hopkinsville, KY, where Gen. Forrest's troops were stationed. The officers and men of the Huntsville company wore fine, new uniforms, whereas the soldiers who had long been on the battlefields were dressed in faded, worn uniforms. On the sleeves, collars and coattails of the new calvary troop were bits of brilliant yellow cloth. As the company rode past Company A , Will Arnett cried out in greeting "Yellowhammer, Yellowhammer, flicker, flicker!" The greeting brought a roar of laughter from the men and from that moment the Huntsville soldiers were spoken of as the "yellowhammer company." The term quickly spread throughout the Confederate Army and all Alabama troops were referred to unofficially as the "Yellowhammers."
When the Confederate Veterans in Alabama were organized they took pride in being referred to as the "Yellowhammers" and wore a yellowhammer feather in their caps or lapels during reunions.
•

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