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Riverboat town
Nov 2, 2003
In Marietta, the old romantically and seamlessly blends with the new; it is a picture postcard of a town.
“America without its small towns is like India without its villages,” said Shiv, a US resident. We were driving over a bridge and into Marietta, Ohio. “It’s a combination of several factors - creativity and determination that makes the small American town survive, adapt to the 21st century while retaining its old world charm.” I was staring across the water.
There, as she came into view, it was like a dream come true. A beauty that took my breath away. A huge paddle-wheel churned the water foamy, pushing the big vessel close to the embankment. Giant smoke-stacks reached into the clouds The exterior resembled every paddle-wheel boat I had read about.
The Valley Gem Sternwheeler was painted a crimson, white and gold. On the promenade deck were people on holiday, drinks in hand, ladies with parasols, children with balloons and holding ice-cream cones, and photographers taking it all in. As I trained my Canon on them, they were shooting me!
It was a bright sunny June afternoon. We were standing at the confluence of two rivers, the Ohio and Muskingham, drinking in deeply this recreation of a by-gone era. The sternwheeler reminded me of Mark Twain - of Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, Peter tea cat...It seemed like I’d encounter them anytime now. Such was the setting.
For in Marietta the old, romantically and seamlessly blends with the new. ‘a picture postcard of a town’
As we walked, I noticed a horse drawn carriage on a brick-laid street. In fact, much of the town is full of gorgeous wide tree-lined brick streets - with quaint names: Putnam, Wooster, Scammet...
On store window sills, were assorted flowers in fall bloom. We passed by a florist where a sale was on: a dozen red roses was going for $45 (about Rs 187 each). “Next time you buy roses in Bangalore remember how lucky you guys there are, buying them so cheap!” joked Shiv.
Everywhere we went, we could see homes with flowers in their iridescent glory - roses, lilies, gerbera daisies, carnations, anthurium, and amaryllis. The reason for the abundant flowers and elegant gardens soon became apparent. We were bang in the middle of the ninth annual Marietta Garden Tour!
The verdant downtown, business and residential areas have architectural styles drawn from Europe. Buildings and homes, parks and commons along the river are more than a century old. Yet they had a freshly scrubbed look.
“Citizens can make all the difference,” said Shiv, explaining a unique American phenomenon, In small towns people zealously protect their heritage and respect their history. People just get involved in community work. A non-profit organization known as The Friends of Front Street, for instance, focuses on improving vitality, enhancement and beautification of the downtown.
“Marketing and leadership are the key components to keeping Marietta's downtown vital and successful,” says Michael Mullen, a Democratic mayoral candidate. Sharing his ideas, he said, “Events like the Walking Tour, programs on the Levee and other special events are crucial for the downtown.”
A Jewel Box of History
Around 1811, the first steamboats started appearing on America's rivers and Marietta became a major riverboat community, with busy steamboat building yards.
Marietta's history goes back to 1788 - when pioneers of the Ohio Company arrived in a flatboat from New England and established the city as a trading post and eventually made it the seat of government. Marietta takes its name from Marie Antoinette, the French Queen, who lent moral and other support to the Americans in their struggle for freedom from the British.
Descendants of the early arrivals went about adapting to their new homeland with zeal. They went about developing cities, embarking on commerce, setting up educational institutions, and erecting places of worship. Today Marietta unmistakably bears the imprint of its founders, the redoubtable Ohio Company's considerable body of work, while retaining its fighting edge in the competitive world.
Its young populace seems fully committed to upholding its Old World values. For instance, a calendar of annual events is prepared in advance. These programs include music - symphony orchestras, pop on the banks of the river, theatre, and other festivals, all celebrating the history and tradition of Marietta. On this, the Bicentennial year of the Ohio state, the riverboat town is rolling out its red-carpet. The modest town is decked up in its sprightly best. Will the past come thrilling alive? Will the present be exciting, fun-filled and memorable? In Marietta you can be sure of that. The magic of Marietta will linger on and on.
How to get there
By road: Marietta, is 120 miles from Columbus, 170 miles from Cleveland, 160 miles from Pittsburgh,
For visitors information visit:
www.mariettaohio.org
Kismet, 1943
Dec 25. 2003
Two lads skipped school to go to a film. When they returned home, a surprise was in store for them
In 1943, the blockbuster film, Kismet, opened in Bangalore city. Two of my elder cousins, then both 11, skipped school to see the Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz Shanti thriller on the first day, first show. They hotfooted it in the searing sun, from Cantonment to Prabhat talkies.
They sat wide-eyed in the front seats, taking in the scenes, not fully absorbing the dialogue or the plot. As many in our movie-mad joint family, they were enthralled by the music rather than the lyrics.
After the show, the duo raced back to the bungalow making it before dark. Wishing not to be caught they hoisted themselves over the back wall hidden by a bushy pomelo tree. But they landed bang next to where my mother was searching for them.
Expecting a sound tongue lashing or worse, they were taken aback by what she said, ‘’Why are you so late?’’ Before either of them could answer, she said, ‘’Just look at you. Sweaty and dirty. Go and clean up. We’re taking you to the pictures. Hurry. We’re already late.’’
Hardly believing their ears, they rushed into the house and in a thrice came running out. My young parents were already in the Fiat. Soon father shot out of the gate and pretty generally kept the accelerator down most of the way to the city.
My nervous mother was so busy telling father to drive carefully that she didn’t get around to asking the cousins what happened at school.
They reached Prabhat in record time. Cousin Vijay sat on one side of mother and Anand on the other. The cousins couldn't believe their luck. They exchanged knowing glances and smiled.
After the matinee, now the evening show. What luck. This was kismet. If they however let out that they had seen it earlier, they’d be in serious trouble. On the other hand, their youthful enthusiasm didn’t permit any such discretion.
As a result, every time a familiar scene flashed on the screen, Vijay tugged mother’s saree to tell her what would ensue. ‘’Auntie, that man will now light a cigarette!’’ Mother watched Ashok Kumar in a Fedora, take out a cigarette from a tin and light it. Amazed she turned to Vijay and asked, ‘’How did you know that?’’
Not to be outdone, Anand shook mother’s hand from the other side, ‘’That man is a pickpocket, auntie!’’ With her antenna up, she looked suspiciously at both of them. ‘’How do you know all this?’’ ‘’I just know,’’ Vijay said, and the cousins exchanged glances and suppressed their glee. Instead of questioning them farther and getting distracted from the movie, mother told them to remain silent.
When that failed, she pinched Vijay hard on his arm every time he tried to whisper something. This worked. The cousins remained silent. Mother found out why. The youngsters had fallen asleep during the latter part of the film.
“The next day, auntie started quizzing us,’’ Vijay recalls, “‘How did you know so much about Kismet?’ she asked sternly. We came clean and told her the truth. Whether that angered or amused her, we couldn’t make out.
Your mother was a strict one for studies but she was also a movie aficionado. Not wishing to take chances, Anand and I scooted from the room. I could see from the corner of my eye that she had a smile on her face.’’ Laughs 71-years old Vijay remembering the excitement and adventure of a day long gone.
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