How Do You Catch a Leprechaun?

This reference question came up several years ago when a local teacher used to send her students on a leprechaun hunt, but is still timely. “How do you catch a leprechaun?” The question had the Newton Falls Public Library staff thinking about how handy it would be to have a pot of gold.

Carol Rose’s book, page 196 of Spirits, fairies, gnomes, goblins: an encyclopedia of the little people, describes leprechauns as fairy shoemakers who like to play pranks on humans and have a reputation for guarding crocks of gold. In the book, Leprechauns and Irish Folklore by Mary Pope Osborne, they are described as the bankers and richest of the fairy folk, originally hiding their gold from the Vikings. It is an Irish legend that they hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows, keeping very busy always moving it around. If a leprechaun is captured, he will supposedly promise to give you his gold for setting him free. Once coins are given and he is free, the silver returns magically to his purse and the gold turns to ash. People will try to trap them in boxes in gardens. Beware that you don’t nab the wrong one; they have similar appearing cousins named clurichauns who move into homes, drink all the wine, and refuse to leave.

An online search revealed numerous suggestions for catching the tricky wee folk. Traps are baited with money, shoes to be repaired, or poteen, an Irish alcohol usually made from potatoes. Some suggest using nets to catch the leprechaun. Others fear that the expansion of cities is causing them to go underground, reducing the likelihood of seeing one. While many legends and tales speak of the unfortunate consequences that often resulted in capturing a leprechaun in the past, none of the sites tell of any recent, successful catches.

I Need Information About a Ford Car With a Model A Skin and a Pinto Engine

“I was telling friends of mine about a car that came out in the 1980’s. It had a Ford Model A skin and a Pinto engine. I believe it was built on a Ford production line. Can you help me find more information?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff had heard of classic auto reproductions, but not this particular one.

Our series of books about the history of the Ford Motor Company and its cars by Lorin Sorensen was published before 1980.  Not finding what we needed in the library’s print collection, we expanded the search to online. We searched www.ohioweblibrary.org and MasterFILE Premiere (EBSCOhost) for any full text articles on the subject. We extended to search engines, and found some promising leads.  www.RonSusser.com, an automobile sales site, and www.ConceptCarz.com include some history and wonderful photographs of the 1980 Shay Model A.

The best source of information was www.shayhistory.com. It includes history of the original Model A, the Shay, and the Shay Model A Roadster Publicity Brochures and Documents. The latter are very interesting to view. This site also has the Spring of 2002 term paper, History of Shay Motors by Nathan Shay, grandson of Harry Shay. Harry worked for General Motors before being employed by Ford.  The Model A & Model T Motor Car Reproduction Corporation was founded by Harry Shay in 1978.  Production began in 1979. He changed the company name to Shay Motors Corporation in 1980 and he worked out an arrangement with Ford who waived design patents and supplied the platforms. The cars were sold in Ford dealerships and warranted by them. They were built in a factory in Battle Creek Michigan and were made of fiberglass created from a mold of an original Model A. First built using the Pinto engine and drivetrain; when Pinto production ended, the switch was made to Fairmount parts. Unfortunately due to a multitude of reasons, the company went bankrupt in 1982.

I Need to Find the McCall's Cooking School Magazine's Beef Wellington Recipe

“I’m trying to help a lady who is looking for a recipe for Beef Wellington. It was originally printed in the 1970s or 1980s, in an issue the McCall's Cooking School Magazine. The ingredients include Madeira wine, pate, celery, carrots, garlic, and shallots, but not onions, and parchment paper not puff pastry. You cook the vegetables, chop them, wrap them in cheese cloth, and squeeze out the juice using the handle of a wooden spoon to twist the cloth. The juice is used in cooking; dispose of what remains in the cheese cloth. I’m not having any success. Can you help me?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff can sympathize with the frustration of trying to find that missing recipe.

There is not a single McCall’s cookbook on the seventeen shelves of cookbooks owned by the library, nor in our shared TiPL [Trumbull Independent Public Library Consortium] catalog. Our staff expanded the search online and found a couple of websites with similar recipes. At   www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#beefwellington we found Julia Child’s recipe. community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=104317 had Beef Wellington Without Fear. While both of these recipes had similarities to the one requested, neither was “the” recipe. Another website, www.chef.com has many of the McCall's Cooking School recipes, but not the one needed.

In our search, we discovered that it was published in 1984 and was subscription based. The purchaser received binders, and then periodically pages to insert.  We checked the Ohio Shares MORE statewide catalog for “McCall's Cooking School Magazine.”  We could not find the magazine, but we did find that the Ridgeway Branch of Ridgemont Public Library owns volumes 1 and 2 of the 3 volume McCall's Cooking School: step-by-step directions for mistake-proof recipes set. We contacted them and their librarian went to look for the item.  She returned our call with the sad news that there were 3 pages missing from the meat section of the loose leaf binders; one of which was the Beef Wellington Recipe.  

We contacted our patron. She explained that she is a “recipe hunter” who routinely searches for lost recipes.  She was contacted to search for this recipe. While she owns a huge collection of cookbooks and single recipes; she does not have this particular magazine. She is hoping that one of our patrons saved their issues of McCall’s Cooking School Magazine and would be willing to share the recipe with us. If you have or find this recipe, please contact Carol at the Newton Falls Public Library, 204 S. Canal St., Newton Falls, Ohio 44444, 330-872-1282, fax 330-872-9153, or email carolbaker@newtonfalls.org.

How do I Change a Lathe Belt?

“I need to find out how to change the belt for a six-inch on a Sears Craftsman metalworking lathe.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff was unfamiliar with this type of equipment, but lack of familiarity does not deter us from finding information.

Audel Machine Shop Basics by Rex Miller and Mark Richard Miller and Machinists Library by Rex Miller were given to the patron. He really needed a manual, so more information was required.

Although a lathe is a power tool; it does not have an engine, so we were unable to use the Small Engine Repair Reference Center database to which the library subscribes. We expanded our search to the Internet and discovered that Craftsman metalworking lathes were made by Atlas, also known as the “AA” Company. This gave us the name of the manufacturing company to search along with Craftsman. The website Rexonavn.Com has a selection of manuals in pdf [Portable Document Format files which look exactly like the original document]. Our patron printed the information he needed from the manual to replace the belt.

Is There a Limit To or a Cost Per Question?

“I see that your sign says ‘Question? Ask me!’ Is there a limit? How much does it cost for each question?” To our patron’s request, the Newton Falls Public Library staff member said, “There is no limit and there is no charge. In fact, when we are closed, if you have a question and Internet service, there are librarians available to assist you 24/7.”

Visit Ohio’s online reference service, the Ohio Web Library at http://www.ohioweblibrary.org/. Click on Librarians 24/7; it will take you to KnowItNow24/7. Librarians from public libraries, colleges and universities are available around the clock to assist you using online chat.

Also at Ohio Web Library are statewide databases on the following subject areas: Genealogy, Magazines and Newspapers, Reference and Research, Students and Homework, Books, Arts and Literature, Business and Government, History and Biography, Science, and Employment Resources and Practice Exams. Newton Falls Public Library has purchased these additional databases to assist their patrons: ALLDATA automotive diagnostic and repair information, Literary Reference Center Plus, Ohio Capitol Connection, and Small Engine Repair Reference Center.

To make searching easier for Ohioans, there is a link from the Ohio Web Library to the state’s Ohio Here to Help website. From this site there are links to assist individuals in finding information about Money, Food, Housing, Healthcare, Education and Training, and More including applications for benefits and services. Ohio Here to Help has the option for users to receive notifications about job openings, news, helpful links, reminders, and follow-up materials.

The staff understands that not everyone owns or feels comfortable with computers. For those not having a computer at home, the library has them available for patrons to use. For those who prefer a little less technology, we have staff willing to assist them in finding needed information.

How can I get a copy of my birth certificate?

A frequently asked question of the Newton Falls Public Library staff is “How can I get a copy of my birth certificate.” If the question is asked by a patron born in Trumbull County, Ohio it can be answered rather simply. The Trumbull County Health Department in Warren is the agency to contact. The cost is $23 for a certified copy of a birth certificate.

We thought the question would be a bit more complicated when patrons were born out-of-state. While looking for vital record sites for each of the states requested, our staff discovered the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. This has links to websites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, American Samoa, Canal Zone, Foreign or high-seas events, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. It also includes how to locate and request copies of death, marriage, and divorce records. There is usually a fee involved in getting copies of records. We did find that the fee listed on the CDC site for a Trumbull County birth certificate was not correct, and it wasn’t until we reached the county’s site that we found that the current cost is $23. We confirmed this by phoning the Health Department. Patrons should take care to be in contact with the correct agencies when making their requests and sending money.

Is This a Rug Hooking Tool?

“I found this when we were clearing out my great-grandparents' home. It looks like it may be some sort of a rug hooking tool, but I’ve never seen one like this before.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff confessed they had never seen anything like what that patron showed us. The flat tool is made of two pieces of wood connected by a C-shaped piece of flat metal. The pieces slide forward and back, bringing a needle like implement over a guide. There is a metal eye at the top, which we thought might help to guide the fabric.

First we looked at the books The Art of Rug Hooking and Creative Rug Hooking by Anne D. Mather. Since neither had a tool similar to our patron’s, we went online to see if we could find any information.

Searching the words “antique rug tools” we found the website The Rugmaker’s Homestead [www.netw.com/~rafter4/hooked.htm]. This site had information about rugs worked from the back side which may have been made with a tool such as this. Punched or shuttle and speed hooked rugs were made with tools that “were called 'speed hooks' and 'shuttle hooks', even though the tip of the tool is a needle, not a hook.” When we searched for images of “antique wooden punch rug tools”, we found photographs of similar tools. Now that our patron knows about the tool, she will have to decide if she wishes to learn to punch a rug.