Is Sherlock Holmes a winter sport?

This may be question I should be asking myself more than anything since my output on this blog seems to have been somewhat lacking over this past summer.

Be that as it may, the question still seems to need to be asked; "Do we spend more time with Holmes in the cooler months than we do in the summer?"

If this were a question about beer I could easily explain my preference for one type over another as the seasons change.

The one summer, a couple of summers ago, when I found my Sherlockian output steady throughout the year was when Brad offered up the Sherlockian summer reading list.
I had a purpose, without even thinking about it, for continuing my Sherlockian reading through the warmer months.

But over all, I  believe my reading of Holmes usually drops off during the summer.
I am not sure why, but I have a couple of theories.
I find reading Holmes, for me, a very atmospheric pursuit. The mood has to be right, my surroundings have to be comfortable and I have to at least imagine that it would be nice sitting near a fireplace reading. And since I am more of a wine drinker in the winter than summer, a nice glass of a dry red doesn't hurt either.

The Canon of Sherlock Holmes of course is not with out it's stories set in a sweltering heat wave that neither Holmes nor Watson seems to relish. Several stories suggest that it is uncomfortable in Baker St. in a London summer.

But for the most part I imagine Holmes and Watson walking about their business always wearing some sort of a jacket (which is not unusual in England at that time all year round) and often times with an outer coat over it. And of course, always a hat.

I want my stories to not only have a briskness in adventure but also in temperature.
I want Holmes and Watson using the fire place in 221b and I want a chill wind blowing across Dartmoor. And let's not forget "a lonely hansom splashes through the rain. . .". Who wants to imagine it being all hot and humid and rainy when the hansom comes along?

In a real quick survey (the chronology you chose to use my differ slightly) of the Canon I found 27 stories took place between June and Sept.
We could argue what months should be included as the warmer months, but even adding May we only come up with 3 more stories in the Canon that could be placed in, for arguments sake, summer.
So, using this as the bases for my discussion, over half of the Canon takes place in 'cooler' months.
And that's good enough for me.

How about you, when do you get more of less involved with the Canon of Sherlock Holmes?

For many a newer Sherlockian their reading trends could be spurred by the time of year new video media is released. Most TV shows come out in the fall or early winter. And most big movies come out around Thanksgiving and Christmas ( not including what are known as summer block-busters. Both RDJ films came out in winter, but Mr. Holmes did come out in July but to not as big a release and it's premier was in Feb. 2015 with the DVD release coming in Nov. 2015).

But having been a Sherlockian for a very long time I have found these releases have not effected my reading habits.

So, this evening I am going to go home and dust the pollen of my bookshelf, pick up a couple of bottles of a dry red and move my reading chair closer to the fire.

Question about the Gloria Scott

A couple of days ago I posted about starting what I am calling "Mr. Fosters Opus". An in depth, I hope, research project into a Sherlockian topic I find interesting.

In that post I stated that if while doing my research I came up with a few unrelated discussion points I would post them as they came up.

So here goes. . .

Chronologically most all Sherlockians list GLOR as the first story in the Canon of Sherlock Holmes.
And it is true that it is the first 'case' Holmes was involved in where he actually believed he had found his calling. Taking place many years before he comes to know Watson, the story is basically about Holmes understanding the value of his skills and how he can apply them.

But if we are to actually look at this 'case' chronologically,  placing it at the beginning of any book where the stories are in some kind of, well, chronological order would be an error.

By placing it first we are forgetting that the discussion between Holmes and Watson takes place many years after Holmes travels with his friend Trevor for a summer break.

Going by a few of the introductory paragraphs we are led to believe Holmes and Watson have known each other for a while.

Do we bother to place other cases else where in the order because some other case is mentioned within?

We are completely, at least to my knowledge, forgetting the discussion about when this conversation took place around the fire that winters night.

And so it begins - Mr. Fosters Opus

All my ducks are in a row, and needed supplies are on hand.

The research has begun.

I am using the Baring-Gould because I have several of the one time $19.95 books on hand and had always planned on one of them being sacrificed for research.

Yellow highlighter is for one research project, and blue for another.
Who knows, other colors may be added.

February reading list - short for a short month.

BERY
MISS
ABBE

FIVE - a mini HOUN? A review of The Five Orange Pips for discussion.

If I could imagine for myself an evening sitting by a fire enjoying a book it would be just about as Watson describes it in the beginning of this tale.

"Sherlock sat moodily at one side of the fireplace cross-indexing his records of crime, while I at the other was deep in one of Clark Russell’s fine sea- stories until the howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with the text, and the splash of the rain to lengthen out into the long swash of the sea waves. "


What bibliophile amongst us does in at some time envision being able to just sit by gas lamp somewhere and enjoy a favorite beverage, a book and a fireplace. And to have Mother Nature giving sound effects while you read, WOW!
We sit and read in so many uncomfortable and uninviting places, and if we are lucky, sometimes we get to sit and read in ideal conditions.

And also learn a little bit about Watson's reading tastes when he has some free time, Clark Russell.

A nod to Watson or Doyle's love of travel and adventure perhaps. Or was this reading material a statement on Watson's concern for the common man?

We learn of at least six unwritten cases that we will never hear about.

Watson is still married but on his own again.

We learn of how many time Holmes considers that he was beaten and by whom (I am sure the number increase by one after this case.)


There are also some similarities to the HOUN.

Both involve men who came by unexpected inheritance.
Both involve events from someones past and carry over into other generations.
Both have outcomes that are not clearly established and are left in vague conclusion.
Both have the 'client' placed in danger, one with a said outcome.
Both have men who for a period of time are in mortal fear for their lives.

Did Holmes learn from this case the importance of needing to send Watson to keep an eye on Sir Henry. It would seem Sir Henry would have been a little more capable of taking care of himself then Mr. Openshaw would have been. Holmes in some way must of felt responsible for Openshaw's death.

We also once again see the fascination with American history by the literary agent and how he was up  on current affairs.

The story is a little (very) disappointing for it's swift conclusion with no clear ending.

Brad's summer reading list number 21 - CROO - Victoria's Wars

"Oh, but the tattered web we weave."

It is not unusual to find in the Canon of Sherlock Holmes reference to men who have served in the military.

Matter of fact, that is how we first meet Watson. Watson introduces us to his world with an explanation of his time in service and how he comes to be in London.

In other stories Holmes is mentioned as deducing the appearance of a man by his military bearing.

And Watson's military 'bearing' is also mentioned in this story.

Most of the military adventures suggested in the Canon take place in far off exotic locations.

And if you think about it, it doesn't seem unusual.

During Victoria's reign the empire of Great Britain was at it largest and most extreme. It was the super  power that in just another fifty years would be taken over by the United States.
Britannia still ruled the waves, for better or worse.

Victoria's wars found British fighting men in conflicts all over the world; China, India and other Asian nations. Crimea, Russia, Afghanistan and many areas and countries in Africa. British service man fought in well over one hundred conflicts during Victoria's reign. (In a quick count I came up with 49 major battles. This count does not include small battles.)

Some great movies have come out of this time in British military history, "The Four Feathers", "Zulu" and "Zulu Dawn", among many others.
Most try to show the British soldier as brave and loyal and dependable. Fighting for Queen and country. We have come to expect that as the portrayal of the British soldier at this time.
Also at this time it was still common for officers to have purchased their commissions  This practice was not abolished till 1871.
The explanations behind the justification of purchased commissions is very interesting.

This does not however apply to our two protagonists in this story. Both start as humble soldiers, with one working his way up through the ranks. And with the outcome we find at the end of the case, maybe some of his methods were a little under-handed.


I would suggest that what is described in this story as the Siege at Bhurtee has some similarities to the actual Siege of Cawnpore. It is worth reading about.

Victoria's soldiers were involved in conflicts all over her realm and we should not find it unusual for some of those men to pop up in the Canon, good or bad.

One question: are there any Navy veterans mentioned in the Canon as part of any of the stories?
Not just nautical men, of which there are many, but actual British Navy veterans.

Okay, Brad, I am waiting for our next assignment.

Brad's summer reading list #18 - LAST - Holmes, once more unto the breach. . .

Chronologically the last Sherlock Holmes story.
Seven years after the next earlier case.
In LION's we get the impression, although infrequent, Holmes and Watson do keep in touch.
However in LAST we get the impression Holmes and Watson have not seen each other for more than the two years because Watson mentions that they heard that "he was living the life of a hermit among your bee's and your books" on the south downs. Was Holmes' journey into Altamont akin to the great hiatus, or had the communication between the two man become so sparse that the length of time was no longer unusual?
And why involve Watson anyway, just for a few hours a chauffeur?
So, as in LION, did Watson visit for the occasional week-end, and did these visit take place before Holmes found his little cottage and began his bee-keeping?
Holmes wrote (or at least published) LION's nine years after the publication of LAST. Was the author of  (playing the game and all) LAST just not familiar with the status of the relationship at this time.
I would think Holmes' memory, as written in LION would be the most accurate.

It is also interesting to note that both Holmes and Watson had chosen to become involved with the war effort.
Whatever happened to 221b? Holmes is returning to London, as is Martha (who it seems has to find her own way back), but not to Baker St., rather to the Claridge Hotel. Was the lease let go or sold when he (they) headed south? (And who ended up getting it? Did Mycroft keep it?)

The best image for me is imaging the two men back together again, once more involved in a case.
It doesn't sound like Holmes expect the two to keep working together for Watson was off to join his old service.

It would appear as if more than seven years had past since these two shared much time together. Both seemed comfortable in their new roles.

And when Watson said, "We heard of you living the life of a hermit. . .", was the 'we' intend to mean his wife and himself? Or was it a collective 'we' of all the 'old gang' near Baker St.

One argument was made about how Holmes' time with Von Bork's release was wasted since the German's would then find out that the information was useless. And that why would Holmes blow his cover when he could be used again.
It doesn't actually say Von Bork would be released. To me it reads more as a taunt, suggesting that Von Bork would not want to return to Von Herling because he life would have even less value when it was found out how bad he messed things up. His best options would be to make a deal with the British.
There is no indication (unless I missed it) that Von Bork would receive diplomatic immunity. It seems his cover is a hard drinking sportsman.
As far as Holmes blowing his cover, after two years playing the part, he was probably ready to move on to something else for the war effort.

Last doesn't really offer us much in the way of clues about Holmes and Watson, mostly contradictions if we are to look for anything at all.
But is fun to think about how the lives of these two have changed once Holmes retired. And it is a shame that it was never recorded when and why Holmes actually chose to retire.

NORW - Brad's summer reading list #17 - no bones about it.

The first image to come to mind for me when re-reading this tale was; Where is Watson at the time he put pen to paper to record this story of Sherlock Holmes?
He probably would have been in his fifties.
Was he still with Holmes? Was he married?
The publication date of this story is 1903. It is believed Watson was once again married in 1902. So it would seem he was happily sequestered in his home study when he recorded it.

Holmes at the time of this tale is recently back from his great hiatus. Watson has moved back in to Baker St., at Holmes' request. Holmes is however bored with the lack work for his singular talents. At one point he remarks how London once was the European capital of high crime, and he longs for those more active days.
It would be interesting, if records had been kept, to compare crime statistics for major European cities at this time.

Holmes has trouble hiding his glee when McFarlane shows up with what seems to be a case worthy of Holmes' abilities.
The following line reminds one of a small child trying to restrain his emotions after receiving good news; “Arrest you!” said Holmes. “This is really most grati—most interesting. On what charge do you expect to be arrested?”

As this summers reading has suggested (as does Bill Cochrans book), Holmes appears to have come back from his travels a much more easily satisfied man.

Another incident on the first few pages of the story that I found interesting was how Holmes offered an asthmatic a cigarette.  Although definitely a no-no now a days, in Holmes time was it thought a cigarette would help ones breathing.   The following advertisements may suggest that that was indeed the case.  (And Watson doesn't admonish Holmes in any way for this suggestion.)

(But don't give it to kids under six.)

(see Cubeb)

              

The mystery itself is good, with a very good plot along with very good detective work. Lestrade is, as always, Lestrade.

And once again we get a fine example of how far forensics had or had no come at this time in Holmes life.

It is not uncommon in modern forensic science for the police to determine the types of bones found at a site by DNA, bone measurement and probably any number of other ways to tell one bone from another.

And it also is the case with the examination of the blood samples. It doesn't appear that there was a method yet that could determine the nature of the blood.

There were probably many naturalist in Europe at the time of this story that could identify different types of bones, but it doesn't seem to be the police forces practice to involve experts from other fields yet.

Watson may have been able to help, but he did not visit the bone site during the story.

I would have been a little worried about starting a fire in the house, but, after all, it was a fairly modern villa so probably it met up to some better fire standards than . .  let's say. . . something built during. . . Victorian times.

So. next time you are feeling under the weather. . . .

But make mine a Guinness!

LION - Brad's summer reading list # 16 - Holmes does community service and the other 'The Woman'.

Personally I think LION was written because Holmes was asked by some older women on some local board seeking stories by notable locals that could go into some local publication that was going to raise money for the lifeboat service or something like that. Instead of another cook book, these ladies were trying something different. And since Holmes seems in a very good frame of mind at this point in his life he thinks, "What the heck. I'll do it!"

We have to wonder if Holmes was toying with some of our conceptions of him as he wrote this story down.

We are often lead to believe that Holmes was loathe to leave his beloved London. And although many of his cases take him away from his home, he always seems to be in a hurry to return.
He has used fishing and other pursuits as a guise when it has helped in his 'cover story', but we don't really ever hear that the natural world holds much draw for him.
If we look at his personality we can however see where, to his scientific mind, the study of the natural world could hold much interest. But before this story it appeared that nature only held interest to him where it might apply to his chosen profession.

We learn that Holmes is now living in Sussex along the channel coast. High above the sea, near chalk cliffs.
He has a housekeeper with him which could or could not be Mrs. Hudson. We never really  know Mrs. Hudson's age, and she to may have longed for many years to escape London.

We learn that although Holmes keeps in touch with Watson, it is indeed rare and limited. We have to believe at this time that if Watson was indeed still unattached he would have followed Holmes to Sussex. Hopefully it means Watson is happily married or at least wanting to be near grand kids or somethin'.

The case itself is very unimportant, except to the dead man. With such knowledgeable people at 'The Gables", it seems rather remarkable that no one else figured out the origin of the criminal. (It took Holmes a week to come to his conclusions.)
Well, I guess the science master figured it out, but unfortunately he was the one that got killed.
At one point Holmes actually seems to over think the problem. Looking for a crime where none exists.

It is also interesting to note that there are two references to where Holmes 'stores' his knowledge, and once again both making reference to architectural images.
We have often, especially of late, heard of Holmes' 'brain attic' and also referenced his lumber-room. (Both references can be found in FIVE.)
In LION, when finally coming up with the answer to the mystery, Holmes makes first a comment about his brain being like a "crowded box-room" And later, just a paragraph or so away we hear he keeps his books and reference material in a "great garret room in his little house". Basically saying the very same thing as in FIVE but with two different phrases.

We also find a Holmes who can possibly out write Watson on the appearance and comportment of the fairer sex. Holmes himself says he is taken by the presences of Maud. Who would have though after all these years.

It is also interesting to note that when researching J. G. Wood and the book Holmes refers to we come up with lots of Sherlockian familiarities; Norwood, Croydon, St Barts, Boys own Magazine.
Watson, Holmes or the literary agent, either or all, could have known J. G. Wood, or at least been familiar with his work.

Perhaps the two greatest speculation that have come out of this story are; Where is the location of Holmes' retirement cottage? And why did Holmes wish to study bees?

Who could not like the man Holmes as become at this point in his life. Social, well respected and still very, very interesting.

As with all the cases, most of the fun is written between the lines. Where first this case may seem uninteresting, there is much to be gotten out of it.

NAVA - Brad's summer reading list #15 - Holmes and Brett at their best.

What's not to like about NAVA?

Holmes is at Baker St., and busy on a case and playing with his chemistry set.

Watson is married ( I like Watson being married) and living away from Baker St. with his wife. We assume it is Mary, but Watson never actually says as much.

And we learn a little about Watson's early days.
(Has anyone ever tried to peg down a location for where Percy and Lord Holdhurst came from and tried to make a connection to Watson's region?)

The case is interesting and involved, and the clues are fun to follow.

Holmes seems to be in very good spirits throughout and once again displays his sense of theatrics and humor.
And once again almost giving someone a heart attack.

We also get an insight into how many cases he has worked on and the nature of some of his clients.

We even get Holmes acknowledging the good traits of a women.

We get some wonderful quotable material.
We get the wonderful monologue about the nature of rose's and flowers, insight into Holmes views on board-schools and the social fabric of the future of England. And is Mrs. Hudson Scottish or is it just that her cooking skills are being compared to a Scotch woman's?

We have to kinda wonder where Mycroft was throughout this one
.
And we also have to wonder why more security wasn't allowed for with such an important document on the premises.

We once again get a nobleman with a weak chin, and a beautiful woman with lots of backbone.

You also have to wonder why on this occasion, when Holmes expected someone to break into the house, that had been shown to carry a sharp possible weapon, he did not have an armed Watson and a Lestrade type individual with him. (We know Lestrade always keeps something in his hip pocket.)
He felt it was needed in BLAC, so why not here.
Surely Percy could have been gotten out of the way into his old bedroom. Or was Holmes unsure of his plan and thought if it failed, the case most then be pursued in London? Or did they need to be nearer a hospital in case Percy did not survive the theatrics.
(Note in the picture on the right, where breakfast is being served. It is depicted as a table other than in the sitting rooms of Baker St., where we always assume Holmes and Watson took there meals. Paget depicted the table as one other than near the fireplace we are accustomed to imagining. No slipper on the mantel, which is referenced in this story. No pen knife affixing letters either. Platters on the mantel instead,  as you would expect in a more formal dining room. How interesting.)

But even with all this great material to chose from, none of these are my favorite part of this story.

For me, as with many of the cases, it is the little references and objects peppered throughout that are a symbol of the contemporary time in which the tales were written. Objects we no longer have a use for or at least are not commonly referenced any more.

How often have to heard someone ask for char-slippers? And would we even know what to look for if they did?
Matter of fact, other than in cooking, do you ever use the word char?

Have you ever heated up something on a spirit-lamp? (Now, Watson said spirit-lamp, not spirit stove.) If you do a lot of camping you may have used a spirit stove, but they aren't called that much anymore. And the fuel you use is probably a little different
You don't have to ring a bell to get your coffee; no phones, no intercoms, no text message.

These are the types of reference I love in the stories. Things that make the atmosphere for me. Things I would love to put in my replica of 221b.

Like I said; What's not to like about NAVA.

DANC - Brad's summer reading list #14 - The Sherlockian two step.

The Adventure of the Dancing Men is not a story that I have a whole lot feeling about.

Lots of attempts have been made to finish out the complete alphabet using dancing men. Just search Google and see how many there are.

The story is similar to SECO in that a woman attempts to save the honor of her husband by making bad decisions. In both cases the women want us to believe that what ever is pursuing them from their past is not really all that bad, but bad enough to destroy the honor of their husbands.
One is willing to betray her country, the other destroy her marriage.
Yet neither one feels able to trust their spouses with the truth.

I believe in Brad's review of DANC, he argues that honor and loyalty were different beasts in Holmes times than they are now.
And for the most part I would have to agree, well at least the perception of what honor was suppose to be.

In DANC we do however have a women who has taken it upon herself to remove herself from an environment which she was loathe to, basically living in a den of thieves.
She has secured enough of her own funds to remove herself from Chicago and relocate to London, where either by social graces or monetary self-sufficiency (or both) able to participate in the London social scene at the Jubilee, which we have to assume is Victoria's Golden or Diamond Jubilee (1887 or 1897, which also helps date this story).
She is not a weak women. She was able to pick herself up and start a new life.
We could easily call her a Gold-digger, coming to London to find a wealthy man to settle with.
But, as with honor, times were different then and women were not suppose to make there own way (although many did) and events like the Jubilee were perfect times for finding perfect mates.
But she wasn't so secure in her independence as to be able to trust her husband with the total truth.
But we have come to believe, in the Canon, that this was just the way things were done.

It seems to have been a fine marriage up until the diminutive dancers started showing up.
But still she couldn't tell him the truth, even though it was tearing her marriage apart.
And we can't believe she didn't see that, "Oh, it's okay honey. I see you getting the strange messages and all. And you are sad all the time, and about to fall apart, but I trust you will solve this on your own and our marriage is just fine because I am a lonely country squire and don't have any other prospects."
Ya gotta wonder about the reasoning of people sometimes.

So my questions are; Was she doing it out of honor or was there more to her past than what she told her husband?

Given the information he had, should Holmes have acted earlier?

Does Watson ever figure out how Holmes does it?


Again, like Brad said, different times and all. . . .

We do find Holmes and Watson together in Baker St. And we once again get Watson astound with Holmes' abilities. (Did Watson ever learn how Holmes did it?)

Although a fun story, I think it is the mysterious dancing figures that has made this story so popular.
Has anyone ever done a dancing women code?

SECO - Brad's summer reading list #13 - The Second Stain - a couple of quivering stiff upper lips.

As is so true with many of Watson's works, it is the first paragraph that really grabs your attention.

We find out, that at the time of the writing down of this case, that Holmes is retired, no longer in London and seeking solitude to study and to bee-farm in Sussex.

We know at the time the case took place, Holmes and Watson were still together in Baker St; ". . . we found two visitors of European fame in our humble room. ..".

What is really fun to try to figure out in this case is the date and not many have come up with a great argument yet.

And Watson doesn't really help.

Several chronologist of the Canon place the date for this story in July of 1887 or 1888.
We do however have Watson himself stating in NAVA that the story took place in the July succeeding his marriage, which took place after SIGN which most people put in 1888, with two chronologist putting SIGN in the fall of that year. Which means SECO would have to be, if you are going with July, in July of 1889. But neither of the two I use most place SECO after SIGN.

Again Watson does not help us in stating they he still lives in Baker St. and that this case took place in the Autumn of the unnamed year.

So, which story do you believe and from where do you take your dates.

NAVA says; "The July which immediately succeeded my marriage was made memorable by three cases of interest." Of which he lists SECO as one.

SIGN of which most put in 1888 in the fall, which would place SECO in 1889, which only a few do, but if you use the other stories for dates, that is the only year it works.

And in SECO Watson says the story took place in the autumn of an unnamed year or decade.

By 1889 there had been two Prime Ministers who could have been  'twice Premier' by that time of the story.

So the exercise becomes one of which time to you believe Watson to be accurate and which facts do you question.

One problem with dating the story in July is that Watson states in SECO that the story took place in the autumn. If he was being vague about everything else about the story, year and decade, way not be vague about the season or the day.
Was it meant to be misleading?
Is there a reason the autumn and Tuesday are important?

We will probably never know when SECO actually took place, the best you can do is build an argument based on the most facts that actually fit your theory.
Was this 'episode', Watson's words, that has become known as SECO part of a more elaborate investigation that include the NAVA and un-documented 'The Tired Captain' (hence forth know as TIRE)?
We know two involve international intrigue. And with a somewhat military title of 'The Tired Captain', it to could spell international adventure.

So, pick your starting point and prove your argument. Well, at least as far as Watson will let you.

STUD - Brad's summer reading list - #12a - a look at the date - Once more this hallowed path we walk.

I am looking forward to Sherlock Peoria's take on STUD and I hope we get it today.
Brad is very involved with some other topics at the moment so I am not sure if that will happen or not.

When Brad several weeks ago posted his reading list he suggested that he believed the case, or at least the part concerning the meeting of Holmes and Watson,  to have taken place the weekend of July 16th, 1881.

But on further reading I can't say I agree with that. But I am looking forward to his explanation.

I noticed Baring-Gould placed the date for the case of STUD in March of 1881, probably because Watson says March 4th.. I have not read his reasons yet, nor have I looked at any other chronologies.


But let's look at what we know.
We know Watson took his degree in 1878.
Which left him plenty of time to get trained by the army and arrive in In Candahar (his spelling) in time for the Battle of Maiwand.
The Battle of Maiwand took place on the 27th of July 1881.
So, after the great effort by Murray, Watson was sent to Peshawar, where he 'rallied' to the point of being able to get around and do some walking.
At this point he contracted 'enteric' fever.

Watson only states that 'for months'  he despaired for his life, giving no actually length of time for his recovery.
That 'for months' can be taken several ways.

The easiest way out would to be to argue that what Watson actually meant was 'four' months, and the 'for' was just a mis-print. But like I said, that's the easy way out.

But let's look at a possible time for his recovery. I am not a doctor nor have I played one on TV, so most of this is just speculation.

After his shoulder injury he would probably be up walking long before the actual wound hailed.
So let's say about a month after being shoot Watson contracted that dreaded "curse of our Indian possessions".

At which point he was sent back to England.

So I guess at this point we have to decide what for us would be a reasonable time for "for months"
One modern estimation of how long typhoid fever will last without treatment is " a month or more".

Another states about two to four weeks.

We do however have to accept that Watson was in a somewhat debilitated state and was therefore weakened in constitution.

But given that, even if we give this period of time five months before he was finally sent home, that makes his arrival, after a month of travel,  December when he returns to Portsmouth.

He was obviously well on his way to recovery once he arrived for he than "gravitated" to London, and no mention of time spent in hospital once in London is mentioned.

He next states that he then spends some time in a private hotel in the Strand.

Again we have to decide what Watson means by his description of "some time". Do we assume "some time" is longer or shorter than "for months".

We know he had nine months to make a decision on his situation, but we also know he didn't wait that long.

However, if he did indeed wait almost nine months and we are using our earlier argument of his recovery and travel taking about six months, that wold place him meeting Holmes in August or September.

But it is Watson's statement "It was upon the 4th of March, as I have good reason to remember. . ." that throws, for me, off the argument that this first chapter took place in July. Unless you want to argue that the relationship took more that a few months to develop to the point of this narration, and that would take us into March of 1882.

Watson also states that it was only for the week or so that they had no callers, and not for several months.

So if we are to accept that this first chapter of STUD took place in July of 1881 or we accept that it took until March of 1882 for Watson to write "It was upon the 4th of March. . .", which means it took them almost a year to get to the point were Watson would know of Holmes' occupation.

And I don't accept that.
If we lengthen the time of Watson's recovery and assume that he took almost all of his allotted nine months before he realized he needed new 'digs' then we must put the line "It was upon the 4th or March. .. " in 1882. And I don't accept that either. That would mean Watson's recovery took almost two years or it took Holmes and Watson a very long time to get to know each others habits.

Watson is very specific on two important dates, three if you need to count the year he got his degree.
First the Battle of Maiwand, which we know took place in July of 1880.
Second is the line "4th of March".

Remember we are only arguing when the first chapter takes place, the meeting of Holmes and Watson.
If we accept Brad's Holmes and Watson meetings in July of 1881 we have to place the line "4th of March" in 1882, unless you believe Watson did  not mean the 4th of March.
Baring-Gould argues that STUD, the actual case took place in March of 1881, from Friday the 4th to Monday the 7th. He does not argue that they met in March.

If we except that the case took place in March of 1881 we have to also accept that they met a few weeks or so before March 4th, which would be late January or early February.

If you except July of 1881 as the date for the first chapter, one year after Watson's injury, you have to accept March of 1882 as the date of STUD. And neither Brad nor Baring-Gould place any cases in their chronologies of the Canon in 1882.

If you also accept July of 81 as the year and month of their meeting and you accept 1881 as the year of STUD than the date March 4th means nothing.
And I don't buy that.

Where Watson is for the most part specific, and he is three times in this story, we should accept that.
Later in chapter two we have a discussion between Holmes and Watson that could only take place between two individuals that do not yet know each other very well, which also helps place the first chapter before 1882.

The conversation is the one where Holmes finally explains his occupation to Watson and also Watson gets his first real education in Holmes' method. And at one point in this discourse Watson, to himself, states ' "This fellow is very clever, " I said to myself, "but he is certainly very conceited."

The only way I see that you could accept that this first chapter took place in July is to discard the 4th or March completely.

I am, however, going to take Watson at his word.

STUD, Walking on hallowed ground - Brad's summer reading list - #12 - A Study in Scarlet (STUD), Chapter One.

I can't imagine what it would be like to read this story, again, for the first time. (Well at least till my mind finishes going the way it seems to be going.)
I don't even think STUD was in the first collection of Sherlock Holmes stories I read.

Does it carry as much weight for those who are introduced to him in book form first (does that happen anymore?) as it does to us 'scholars' (I use the term weakly in my case) and fans, those of use who have traveled to Baker St. more than once?

Let's face it, most introductions to Holmes and Watson now probably take place through television or movies and perhaps fan fiction and pastiche.

Many probably picked up the books during the hiatus between seasons of 'Sherlock' ( is that 'media made' break now going to be considered the 'Second, Third, Fourth Great Hiatus?), which is fine. I have watched many shows that have interested me enough to go and read more about the subject. But it means we are no longer introduced to Holmes without any prior knowledge of what is or is not to come.

And it doesn't seem the impact of this first chapter, the chapter where John Watson first meets Sherlock Holmes, had very much effect on the readers in 1887. The story was not a run away hit or an over night success. It was, however, a successful beginning. First published in 1887, it would take three more years for another story to take place, SIGN. Holmes popularity would not really take off until Watson's (Doyle's) association with the Strand Magazine in the form of short stories.

It probably wasn't till men and women started to meet and talk after several cases had been adapted to publication form that the importance of this meeting was heralded as a memorable moment.

While most Sherlockians achingly wait for a really good period adaption of this first meeting (there may have been one that I missed) to be put on film, the first readers of STUD did not realize how important this meeting was because they had no idea that such an intensive scrutiny of the chronology would follow. As far as they knew, this would be a 'one of'. They didn't know 60 cases would follow. Did we know Harry Potter would be so big when exploring the first book? Or James Bond?

It could probably be argued that this first chapter can never be read by anyone the first time and be judged fairly for that first reading anymore. Let's face it, it will indeed be rare for someone to discover Sherlock Holmes with out having met him somewhere else first.

I know I didn't.
I first met Holmes as played by Rathbone. And then again only many years later sitting in an old logging camp in Maine around the fire. But even then I knew Holmes and Watson pretty well before I read the book. And this most important introduction was not included.

Can we revel in the importance of this chapter without taking it as part of the whole?

I argue we can only do that after we know what the whole is, or at least most of the sixty stories.
It is in "Playing the Game" that the weight of this chapter really becomes important.
It is the starting point of all that follows. And what a great start it is.

But it is now hard to imagine this meeting for the first time. My head is already filled with all I know about the two men.
Benedict Cumberbatch's image is standing at the table in the laboratory ( I think he would have been great in a traditional meeting of the two). (And yes, I would have loved to see him do this chapter in a period correct presentation.)
Perhaps the best way we can look at this chapter now is as if it where the pilot episode of an upcoming TV show. Networks know they have to come up with something that really grabs our attention and makes us want to come back. Would this 'episode' have made you want to come back?

And even that isn't fair to readers past because we know, as with most pilots, that at least several more episode's are going to follow. Readers of STUD did not know if that was going to happen or not.

I think, if done as an episode to an upcoming season,  STUD carries enough dramatic weight to warrant visiting the new show again next week.
Did readers in 1887 become so intrigued by these two characters that they hoped 'the season' would continue with new 'episodes'? Was there fan speculation about what was going to happen next?
I don't know.
I don't believe it had the same bang as the first episode of, oh, so many years ago now,'Sherlock'.

I don't know that I agree with Brad's placing this chapter in June, I have to do more research on that.
Watson does give the impression when he says, "It is upon the 4th of March, as I have good reason to remember. . . .", that he had only been with Holmes for a few weeks or at the most a few months when he sits down to write what would be in chapter two. And when Watson is usually that specific, I tend to take him at his word.

No, I can't imagine reading this chapter, again, for the very first time and getting out of it what I do now.
But I am okay with that for the very same reason I don't recommend new readers reading the books in any annotated version for the first time; The discovery that is Holmes and Watson needs to come slowly and be enjoyed. It is only by going over and over these stories with what we learn from our own 'research' and the research of others that we begin to form a solid, for ourselves, image of these two.

And that's why I am enjoying Brad's reading suggestions so much. It makes me reread them and come up some thing I believe worthy of the discussion.

Thanks Brad.

Brad's summer reading list - #10 - Gloria Scott (GLOR) - Not a luxury cruise at all.

There are several good points worth discussing in GLOR.

The one point picked up most of all, usually, is the information that is provided about a younger Sherlock Holmes and his time before Baker St. His college years.
We learn of his studies, or lack there of.
We learn of his interest in the martial skills of boxing and fencing.
We learn that indeed Sherlock did form a friendship, again with a person very much not like himself, and seemingly very much like Watson. (Read Brad's take on this relationship at Sherlock Peoria.)
And we also learn that Sherlock was in tune with the feelings of this friend when we realize that he shorten his vacation because he felt his presences seemed to put a burden on the young master of the house.

But for me the story once again is in the surroundings and not the case.
And with most stories I like to chose some thing within the 'stage props' to focus on.

It is quite evident that Watson (Doyle) was very up on his knowledge of nautical terms and meanings.
We know Watson took at least one long sea voyage, We also know Doyle served on a ship as ships doctor.
And we know both men were astute observers and would have picked up a good deal more knowledge than most.
Several cases of Holmes involve adventures that took place aboard ship, or at least required long sea voyages at one point or another.
The one thing that jumped out for we on the re-reading of GLOR was the words 'picking my salt meat out of the harness cask'. More specifically 'harness cask'.
That's not a phrase you are going to hear on a modern cruise ship, that's for sure.
Imagine if you will, in your work environment, having each meal during your working hours being placed in a large tub in the middle of the work room floor. And it is from this tub you get your food. Most often hard biscuits and salted meat. Then imagine if you will doing this for two years or longer. And said food would not have been in a zip-lock bag. No nice igloo cooler.

The image to the left shows the ships cooper 'coopering' the harness cask.

A ships coopers job was maintaining the barrels used on a ship.

What warrants thinking about here is the conditions of sailors at this time in history. It was a very hard life, with much risk to the individual.

This cask would have been lashed down in some way to prevent it moving or spilling in rough seas.
And there would have been a very specialized knot or hitch for holding that barrel down.

Check out this wonderful book about knots and see how many are no longer used. (and rope is made out of different materials now, so many of these knots are no longer usable. Nylon and hemp do not react the same way, so can not be used in all cases the same way.)

Like the food served to the crew, water would have been obtained the same way, a mutual barrel.

Coopers, like so many other jobs casually described in the Canon are jobs that either no longer exist or are at least rare.

One interesting bit of research I did once, based on a Canonical reference, was how Holmes was able to describe peoples occupations by what they were wearing. A butcher say would wear a different type of apron than say a baker. A sail maker would wear a different type of glove compared to a press operator.

How many modern occupations now a days are recognizable by clothes or uniforms. Some still, but not as many. (Some time, when sitting in a bar at happy hour, make a game with a friend out of trying to figure out what people do by how they are dressed.)

Another interesting thing about the words 'harness-cask' is to wonder how many of our modern terms will be around in fifty or a hundred years. How many readers of our modern mysteries will know the a word, say, like eight track or CD.

Most of us Sherlockians would love to decorate a room in our homes to look like 221b Baker St. with what to us are antiques, but to Watson would have been modern conveniences and decor.

So much about the research into the Canon becomes more than just finding out facts, it becomes a history lesson. And in doing that research for ourselves, we preserve a little bit of knowledge for the next generation.

One other point I would like you to consider is; How many of the wealthy men involved in the cases of Sherlock Holmes gained there wealth after or being involved in some crime?

Brad's summer reading list - #9 - ENGI - No longer two thumbs up.

The Engineers Thumb is one of my favorites.
Not because the case is all that great, after all, the only thing Holmes really did was figure out how far from town the house was. And even that required no extra energy from Holmes, because the fire proved to be the last pin needed on the map.
And if we really think about it, that is the only thing nearing a deduction that takes place in the whole story.
We had no parlor tricks as Holmes explains to Watson or Lestrade how such-and-such on a you-know-what, means that you-know-who did you-know-what.
There was not gathering of evidence or days of pursuing small leads.
The case is like Watson said, included for it's grotesque nature and not deductive puzzle.

Watson is not at Baker St. and is happily married to Mary, but Mary once again does not make an appearance and has no dialog.
He is doing well, and can afford a maid.
He keeps in contact with Holmes, but has his own life.
I love the fact that Holmes and Watson like bacon and eggs for breakfast. Well, we at least hope so, for that's what they got.
Mrs. Hudson is not mentioned, but we assume she is the one who cooked said breakfast.
The client seems to have a little more back bone than some we've seen.
And there are a few similarities to GREE. And HOUN as far as it goes with a woman trying to warn off one of our leads.

The thing I really like about ENGI is how there is so much other stuff you can investigate in the story.
And, as is important to me. . . . there is a beer connection.
And, almost as important, there is a personal connection to Queen Victoria, or at least her comfort, and it may even be argued, her privacy.

If you have followed this blog at all, you know finding a connection between Holmes and Watson and beer is important to me.

So, the case involves a young engineer who is hired to inspect an Hydraulic Machine, but comes to realize he has been lied to about the use for the machine.
And while trying to escape receives a grim wound. The reason Watson becomes involved, and then Sherlock.

But how you ask. . . "Does all this have to do with beer, Queen Victoria's comfort and privacy?"

Well, it all comes down to the reason young Mr. Hatherley became involved.
The hydraulic machine.

One of the founding fathers of Hydraulic Engineering and the Hydraulic Press was an Englishman named Joseph Bramah (1748-1814), a Yorkshire man.

Now, not being an engineer, I don't know if society could live without hydraulic machines or not.
But being a beer drinker, I know we can not live without the 'beer engine'.
It may be argued that the beer engine has done more (good or bad) for English society than the hydraulic press could ever do.
The beer engine is the device that allows beer to be drawn from it's cask and up and out to a glass. Joseph Bramah was important in the improvement of that device.
As if this man has not done enough to help in the creation of the Victorian world we love about Sherlock Holmes he does not rest on his laurels.

Nope. Just like the rest of us, he chooses to rest, at least from a period of time each day, on another part of his anatomy.
You see, Mr. Bramah was also an important mover in the world of toilets. He did not invent the flap that is now so common in commodes, but he did make it more common for his countrymen. No longer were our seats freezing in colder weather.
How, pray tell, does this involve the Queen?
Well, some of the water closets he helped develop were installed in the Queens estate at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. And they are still working to this day.
And if the Queen ever felt insecure about her privacy in the water closet she could have also installed a lock from Bramah's lock company.

What could be asked more of a man than to have helped in delivery of beer, relief from it's consumption and the possibility of privacy while doing so?

Like so many other cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, there are clues buried within.

Cheers!

As if we need reminding, our reading list for Dec.

1889 - BLUE - Dec 27th.

Oct. reading - a busy month by anyone's standards

Chris Miller

RESI - 1881
NOBL - 1887
HOUN - 1889
REDH - 1890
VEIL - 1896
THOR - 1899
                                                     

Baring-Gould

MUSG - 1879
RESI - 1886
NOBL - 1886
SECO - 1886
IDEN - 1887
REDH - 1887
VEIL - 1896
THOR - 1900

Reading list for August

I am again using two sources, Sherlock Peoria and Chris J Miller's list. If you have other lists, please let me know and I will use them, perhaps.

Here goes.

Sherlock Peoria                                      Story                          C. Miller

30th, 1887                                        CROO                          Summer 1888
30th, 1889                                        CARD                          Poss. 1882
1st,   1894                                        NORW                         1895
20th, 1898                                        RETI                            Summer 1898
2nd, 1914                                         LAST                           1914


That's a lot of reading for this month. Get busy.

Helpful and interesting. . .

Credit where credit is due. . .

publication order of Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

(BCA) = Beeton's Christmas Annual (LMM) = Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (TSM) = The Strand Magazine

___

(HW) = Harper's Weekly (M) = McClure's (C) = Collier's

___

(AM) = American Magazine (HIM) = Hearst's International Magazine (L) = Liberty

	first publication dates	titles of stories	codes	narrator	action
01	1887 Nov (BCA)	A Study in Scarlet	STUD	Watson
02	1890 Feb (LMM)	The Sign of Four	SIGN	Watson
03	1891 Jul (TSM)	1. A Scandal in Bohemia	SCAN	Watson	1888
04	1891 Aug (TSM)	2. The Red-Headed League	REDH	Watson	1890
05	1891 Sep (TSM)	3. A Case of Identity	IDEN	Watson
06	1891 Oct (TSM)	4. The Boscombe Valley Mystery	BOSC	Watson
07	1891 Nov (TSM)	5. The Five Orange Pips	FIVE	Watson	1887
08	1891 Dec (TSM)	6. The Man with the Twisted Lip	TWIS	Watson	1889
09	1892 Jan (TSM)	7. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle	BLUE	Watson
10	1892 Feb (TSM)	8. The Adventure of the Speckled Band	SPEC	Watson	1883
11	1892 Mar (TSM)	9. The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb	ENGR	Watson	1889
12	1892 Apr (TSM)	10. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor	NOBL	Watson
13	1892 May (TSM)	11. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet	BERY	Watson
14	1892 Jun (TSM)	12. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches	COPP	Watson
15	1892 Dec (TSM) (HW)	13. The Adventure of Silver Blaze	SILV	Watson
16	1893 Jan (TSM) (HW)	14. The Adventure of the Cardboard Box	CARD	Watson
17	1893 Feb (TSM) (HW)	15. The Adventure of the Yellow Face	YELL	Watson
18	1893 Mar (TSM) (HW)	16. The Adventure of the Stock-Broker's Clerk	STOC	Watson
19	1893 Apr (TSM) (HW)	17. The Adventure of the "Gloria Scott"	GLOR	Watson
20	1893 May (TSM) (HW)	18. The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual	MUSG	Watson
21	1893 Jun (TSM) (HW)	19. The Adventure of the Reigate Squires	REIG	Watson	1887
22	1893 Jul (TSM) (HW)	20. The Adventure of the Crooked Man	CROO	Watson
23	1893 Aug (TSM) (HW)	21. The Adventure of the Resident Patient	RESI	Watson
24	1893 Sep (TSM) (HW)	22. The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter	GREE	Watson
25	1893 Oct, Nov (TSM) (HW)	23. The Adventure of the Naval Treaty	NAVA	Watson
26	1893 Dec (TSM) (M)	24. The Adventure of the Final Problem	FINA	Watson	1891
27	1901 Aug — 1902 Apr (TSM)	The Hound of the Baskervilles	HOUN	Watson
28	1903 Sep (C) (TSM)	1. The Adventure of the Empty House	EMPT	Watson	1894
29	1903 Oct (C) (TSM)	2. The Adventure of the Norwood Builder	NORW	Watson
30	1903 Dec (C) (TSM)	3. The Adventure of the Dancing Men	DANC	Watson
31	1903 Dec (C) (TSM)	4. The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist	SOLI	Watson	1895
32	1904 Jan (C) (TSM)	5. The Adventure of the Priory School	PRIO	Watson
33	1904 Feb (C) (TSM)	6. The Adventure of Black Peter	BLAC	Watson	1895
34	1904 Mar (C) (TSM)	7. The Adventure of Charles Augustus MiIverton	CHAS	Watson
35	1904 Apr (C) (TSM)	8. The Adventure of the Six Napoleons	SIXN	Watson
36	1904 Jun (TSM) (C)	9. The Adventure of the Three Students	3STU	Watson	1895
37	1904 Jul (TSM) (C)	10. The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez	GOLD	Watson	1894
38	1904 Aug (TSM) (C)	11. The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter	MISS	Watson
39	1904 Sep (TSM) (C)	12. The Adventure of the Abbey Grange	ABBE	Watson	1897
40	1904 Dec (TSM) (C)	13. The Adventure of the Second Stain	SECO	Watson
41	1908 Aug (C) (TSM)	The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge	WIST	Watson	1892
42	1908 Dec (TSM) (C)	The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans	BRUC	Watson	1895
43	1910 Dec (TSM)	The Adventure of the Devil's Foot	DEVI	Watson	1897
44	1911 Mar, Apr (TSM)	The Adventure of the Red Circle	REDC	Watson
45	1911 Dec (TSM) (AM)	The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax	LADY	Watson
46	1913 Nov (C) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Dying Detective	DYIN	Watson
47	1914 Sep — 1915 May (TSM)	The Valley of Fear	VALL	Watson
48	1917 Sep (TSM) (C)	His Last Bow	LAST	Anonym	1914
49	1921 Oct (TSM) (HIM)	The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone	MAZA	Anonym
50	1922 Feb, Mar (TSM) (HIM)	The Problem of Thor Bridge	THOR	Watson
51	1923 Mar (TSM) (HIM)	The Adventure of the Creeping Man	CREE	Watson	1903
52	1924 Jan (TSM) (HIM)	The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire	SUSS	Watson
53	1924 Oct (C) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Three Garridebs	3GAR	Watson	1902
54	1924 Nov (C) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Illustrious Client	ILLU	Watson	1902
55	1926 Sep (L) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Three Gables	3GAB	Watson
56	1926 Oct (L) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier	BLAN	Holmes	1903
57	1926 Nov (L) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Lion's Mane	LION	Holmes	1907
58	1926 Dec (L) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Retired Colourman	RETI	Watson	1898
59	1927 Jan (L) (TSM)	The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger	VEIL	Watson	1896
60	1927 Mar (L) (TSM)	The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place	SHOS	Watson

The first publication dates refer to the first or only magazine listed for each story. Where a second magazine is listed, publication dates can range from the same month to several months later. As is shown, of the 60 stories, 58 of them appeared in The Strand Magazine.Titles with a blue background appeared in The Strand Magazine as Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Titles with a green background appeared in The Strand Magazine as The Return of Sherlock Holmes. The date of 1892 given by Watson for WIST conflicts with what is told in EMPT.In THOR, the next published story after the two narrated anonymously, Watson claimed authorship of them: "In some I was myself concerned and can speak as an eye-witness, while in others I was either not present or played so small a part that they could only be told as by a third person."