Beech Tree News Network

‘Goes around – Comes around:

            In 1867, then, U.S. Secretary of State, William Seward bought Alaska from Russia for 7 million dollars and some change.

            Some people thought Seward was crazy.  They called it ‘Seward’s folly” – what does the U.S. need with more land? They asked.

            Thirty years passed – people realized what a good bargain Seward had made when gold was discovered on Alaska’s Klondike River in 1897. Hundreds of prospectors found themselves rich. Then later came oil.

            Russian Prime Minister Putin said recently, had not the U.S. owned Alaska, then, Russia would have won the Cold War.

            U.S. Secretary of State, Seward came out smelling like a rose on another deal. His secretary laid a paper on his desk for him to sign. Without noticing what he had signed, it was for the U.S. purchase of Midway Island in the South Pacific, half-way between Hawaii and the Japanese Empire.

            The American Navy defeated the Japanese Navy at the battle of Midway in 1942 keeping Japan’s Navy from ever being a power in the South Pacific during the rest of World War II. Japan’s Navy was virtually destroyed at Midway, never to make a comeback.

            God’s hand was plain in all of this.

            Some things you may or may not have known about former U.S. Presidents in no particular order:

            Abe Lincoln’s wife was a, “hum-dinger.” It’s said she once hit him with a two-by-four. She about spent him into the Poor House.

            Andrew Johnson’s taught him to read.

            Ulysses S. Grant: A hard drinker. Was lurking in a hardware store when Lincoln appointed him Commander-in-chief of the Union Army at the start of the Civil War.

            Teddy Roosevelt: Entertained his kids by attaching a rope to a basket and pulling them up down form a second story White House window. A White House staff once said: “Teddy is about 5 years old.”

            Calvin Coolidge:  Was sworn in as U.S. President by his father, whom he was visiting at the time of Waman G. Harding’s sudden death. Coolidge’s father was a county magistrate.

             Franklin D. Roosevelt: Heavy smoker. Crippled from Polio at a young age. Died at 63.

            Henry Truman: Washed his own socks and underwear. Did not smoke. Liked bourbon and poker. Dropped two atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II.

             George Bush: Fighter pilot with an Air National Guard. Slept in his underwear. Brought his fishing plugs at Wal-Mart.

            Dwight D. Eisenhower; Four-pack a day smoker. After he was President, at a press Conference, if a reporter asked a question he didn’t like, he would say, “I don’t think much of the question,” he didn’t answer.

Kindest regards…