I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"Ashes of 140 Different Varieties" [BOSC]

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Lately, the news has been dominated by the ceasing of air traffic in and out of Europe, thanks to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland. Rather than some of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Volcanoes-Face-Mountains-Fire/dp/0500543402?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">lava-based eruptions</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0500543402" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> we regularly see in the Hawaiian islands, this series of events has resulted in millions of tons of volcanic ash.<br />
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We know that Sherlock Holmes was an expert on identifying ash - he tells Watson in <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Scarlet-Illustrated-Classics-Sherlock/dp/1402770820?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Study in Scarlet</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">: </span></b></i><br />
"I have made a special study of cigar ashes - in fact, I have written a monograph on the subject."<br />
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And then again in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Sherlock-Holmes-Boxed-Collection/dp/B000060MVK?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><i><b>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</b></i></a><i><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000060MVK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></i>, Holmes again shares his pride in his special powers:<br />
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I found the ash of a cigar, which my special knowledge of tobacco ashes enabled me to pronounce as an Indian cigar. I have, as you know, devoted some attention to this, and written a little monograph on the ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco.</blockquote>
No mention of his knowledge of volcanic ash, however.<br />
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In today's fast-paced technology-laden world, it's astounding that something so basic an primordial as a volcanic eruption could disrupt travel globally. It makes one wonder if it would be easier if we lived in the era of the transatlantic liner as the primary means of getting to and from Europe.<br />
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If you happen to be one of the many who are thus waylaid this week, we hope that you'll take the time to peruse the Canon - perhaps looking for your favorite mention of ashes. Then again, there are some <a href="http://ash-nyc.com/">ASHes of an entirely different variety</a> with whom you might enjoy spending some time...<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photo credit: </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sully_aka__wstera2/sets/72157623896525696/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">wstera2 (Flickr)</span></i></a>

"Ashes of 140 Different Varieties" [BOSC]

Lately, the news has been dominated by the ceasing of air traffic in and out of Europe, thanks to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajoku...

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Tom Stetak, BSI

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"dated from Cleveland" [STUD]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVlyfdRZClOR30-cp8gnarTDVhyphenhyphenlMN20X_mUyQdvT8pJSAIiYuOJ7SLVki_wgumiWUD3erm7edn5KI7klA67ENW_B-XDLlyoCw6PKFHgcUosXnmGCnftFB9eIaoH9RoYZqroo_xZ-l0Ul/s1600/tom+Stetak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVlyfdRZClOR30-cp8gnarTDVhyphenhyphenlMN20X_mUyQdvT8pJSAIiYuOJ7SLVki_wgumiWUD3erm7edn5KI7klA67ENW_B-XDLlyoCw6PKFHgcUosXnmGCnftFB9eIaoH9RoYZqroo_xZ-l0Ul/s320/tom+Stetak.jpg" /></a></div>
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Tom Stetak, BSI ("The Head of the Police at Cleveland") was one of a kind. While we didn't know him all that well, he left a distinct impression upon all who knew him. Tom passed away last week at the relatively young age of 60 after a brief illness.<br />
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Tom's look was the first thing that caught our attention at Baker Street Irregular functions - his bearded countenance made him look Amish in nature, and his restoration business seemed to be in line with that appearance as well.<br />
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But it was his sense of humor that really set him apart. At the BSI Dinner in 1997, he was one of the many who stood up to roast Tom Stix, Jr., the outgoing "Wiggins" of the organization. Stix was known for his frank personality - which, depending on his mood, could sometimes be barbed. But he could also be a very warm and caring individual as well. And Tom Stetak sensed  that. One of the lines from his roast went something like:<br />
<blockquote><i>     "Many people say that Tom Stix isn't emotional, but it just isn't true. Why, Tom has more emotion in his middle finger than I have in my whole body!"</i></blockquote><br />
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And then the whole room erupted in laughter, with the heartiest laugh coming from Tom Stix himself.<br />
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Tom Stetak was also part of the Florin Society - Irregulars with spouses who were also members of the BSI -  and he left his wife Ruthann. You can read <a href="https://archive.is/USflq">Tom's obituary here</a>.<br />
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If you have a memory of Tom, please consider leaving it in the comments section below.<br />
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--<br />
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Remembering Tom Stetak, BSI

"dated from Cleveland" [STUD] Tom Stetak, BSI ("The Head of the Police at Cleveland") was one of a kind. While we d...

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by Scott Monty

Baker Street Essays Newsletter Concerns Solar Pons

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"burn this letter' [HOUN]</h4>
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Over at <a href="http://solarpons.com/">SolarPons.com</a>, Bob Byrne has dedicated the site to introducing people to the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street. Created by August Derleth in the 1920s, it was a kind of natural extension of Conan Doyle's works. After Derleth's death, the pen was ably taken up by Basil Copper with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dossier-Solar-Pons-Academy-Mystery/dp/0897332520?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Dossier of Solar Pons</a>.<br />
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The reason we mention Mr. Byrne here is because he has produced a series of newsletters for Solar Pons enthusiasts as well as a more general Sherlockian newsletter called <b><i>Baker Street Essays</i></b>. We've provided the latest version embedded here for your consideration. You can flip through it, download it, share it, print it, etc.<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/29691469/Baker-Street-Essays-3" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Baker Street Essays 3 on Scribd">Baker Street Essays 3</a> <object data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" height="600" id="doc_348163711097835" name="doc_348163711097835" style="outline: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">  <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=29691469&access_key=key-o6ck91t5vgjirj7q2dy&page=1&viewMode=book"><embed id="doc_348163711097835" name="doc_348163711097835" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=29691469&access_key=key-o6ck91t5vgjirj7q2dy&page=1&viewMode=book" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="600" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed>  </object><br />
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And if you're interested in learning more <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dsolar%2520pons%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dstripbooks&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">about Solar Pons</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, you can click on this link for additional reading material.<br />
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Baker Street Essays Newsletter Concerns Solar Pons

"burn this letter' [HOUN] Over at SolarPons.com , Bob Byrne has dedicated the site to introducing people to the Sherlock Hol...

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by Scott Monty

The Constitution and Buy-Laws of the Baker Street Irregulars

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<span style="text-align: start;">"a curious constitution" [SIGN]</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWOlNfmLcaWFvD05MXCsHSkM_7PHouqnsvKB7vTBDkV3NVjOIFr5fK3rzSv5E_GKzc-GKtNxyDWvh_2Q-wnRlt7wZTxKtB5kKGaq9rdDfgDdkak2ocd1YhV0udvqW-0ORiKa8Vprhf5lH/s1600/BSI+Constitution+and+Buy+Laws.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BSI Constitution and Buy Laws - inscribed to Christopher Morley from Vincent Starrett" border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWOlNfmLcaWFvD05MXCsHSkM_7PHouqnsvKB7vTBDkV3NVjOIFr5fK3rzSv5E_GKzc-GKtNxyDWvh_2Q-wnRlt7wZTxKtB5kKGaq9rdDfgDdkak2ocd1YhV0udvqW-0ORiKa8Vprhf5lH/s1600/BSI+Constitution+and+Buy+Laws.jpg" title="Cover - BSI Constitution and Buy Laws - to Chris Morley from Vincent Starrett" width="640" /></a></div>
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We've had the pleasure of sharing many of the goings-on of the annual <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars Weekend</a> previously. If you'd like to read up on past goings-on, please take a look at the Topics section at the bottom of our home page and select the year you're interested in (BSI2011, BSI2010, etc.).<br />
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But one of the things we haven't had the opportunity to cover here is the origin and text of the BSI's Constitution and Buy-Laws (yes, that's the correct spelling - as far as the BSI is concerned). The document is referenced throughout the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3DBAker%2520Street%2520Irregulars%2520history%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BSI Archival Series</a><img border="0" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" /> and was first presented to the public in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Profile-Gaslight-Irregular-private-Sherlock/dp/B000BB7JPC?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Profile By Gaslight: An Irregular reader about the private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i></a> by Edgar W. Smith, longtime leader of the BSI and editor of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/"><i>Baker Street Journal</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Davis" target="_blank">Elmer Davis, BSI</a> ("A Case of Identity") wrote the BSI Constitution and Buy-Laws around the time of the founding of the Baker Street Irregulars in 1934, to document the tongue-in-cheek attitude that pervaded the BSI (and still pervades it to this day). Each year at the BSI Dinner, a member reads the document to the assembled crowd and in unison, we all chant the fifth buy-law together.<br />
Here we present the Constitution and Buy-Laws of the Baker Street Irregulars in its entirety:<br />
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The Constitution and Buy-Laws of the Baker Street Irregulars</h3>
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Article I </h4>
The name of the society shall be the Baker Street Irregulars.<br />
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Article II </h4>
Its purpose shall be the study of the Sacred Writings.<br />
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Article III </h4>
All persons shall be eligible for membership who pass an examination in the Sacred Writings set by officers of the society, and who are considered otherwise suitable.<br />
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Article IV </h4>
The officers shall be: a Gasogene, a Tantalus, and a Commissionaire. <br />
   The duties of the Gasogene shall be those commonly performed by a President. <br />
   The duties of the Tantalus shall be those commonly performed by a Secretary. <br />
   The duties of the Commissionaire shall be to telephone down for ice, White Rock, and whatever else may be required and available; to conduct all negotiations with waiters; and to assess the members pro rata for the cost of same.<br />
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The BSI Buy-laws</h4>
<ol>
<li>An annual meeting shall be held on January 6th, at which the canonical toasts shall be drunk; after which the members shall drink at will.</li>
<li>The current round shall be bought by any member who fails to identify, by title of story and context, and quotation from the Sacred Writings submitted by any other member.</li>
<ol>
<li>Qualification A. If two or more members fail so to identify, a round shall be bought by each of those so failing.</li>
<li>Qualification B. If the submitter of the quotation, upon challenge, fails to identify it correctly, he shall buy the round</li>
</ol>
<li>Special meetings may be called at any time or any place by any one of three members, two of whom shall constitute a quorum.</li>
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<li>Qualification A. If said two people are of opposite sexes, they shall use care in selecting the place of meeting, to avoid misinterpretation (or interpretation either, for that matter).</li>
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<li>All other business shall be left for the monthly meetings.</li>
<li>There shall be no monthly meetings.</li>
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Canonical Toasts</h4>
The obligatory canonical toasts are typically as follows: to the Woman, Irene Adler; the Master, the Doctor and, of course, long suffering Mrs. Hudson. These are always followed by toasts of varying propriety to the more colorful characters of the Canon and often the less fortunate fellow Irregulars.<br />
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<i>Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43021516@N06/4193747314/in/set-72157623020493356/" target="_blank">Toronto Public Library Special Collections</a> (Flickr)</i><br />
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