Sweet Songstress of the Pacific Coast.
I admit, my mind did some quick matrixing, but by no mistake did I recognize the young adult face of the little girl that was shown in the photo with Jonathan Rupp sitting on the porch. I held the card up close to Ozzy and asked, “Could this be the same girl, and she is all grown up?”
“I do believe it could be.”
“Have you ever heard of Ella Dazi?” I asked Ozzy.
“No. At least not that I can remember. It’s an unusual name. I’m pretty sure that had I ever heard of it, especially in connection with Rupp, I’d remember.”
I turned back around to return the single card to the table, and at the moment, the door opened, it was Daniel.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked.
Ozzy was quick to answer, “Yes. Daniel can you tell us anything about this photo?” Ozzy reached over and picked up the photo. He handed it to Daniel.
Daniel reversed the photo. “There’s an index tab here. I can run this through our computer and get whatever information we have on it. I’ll be right back.” He left the room.
I now had my back to the table. I feigned tiredness, gave a deep sigh and took a step back to lean on the table. Then with my left arm resting behind me, for support, I snatched the loose card of Ella Dazi and with Ozzy’s attention still focused on objects at the other end of the table, I turned quarter profile wise and slipped the card into my blazer pocket. I turned to face Ozzy, and said, “For now, regardless of the information Daniel can, or cannot, provide about the photo, let’s not say anything about the Ella songstress card, okay?”
My question did not spark Ozzy’s interest, he nodded and mumbled “Sure. It’s getting late, we should leave soon, okay?”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
Daniel came back. Holding the framed photo up, facing me, he said, “Our documentation states the three people are identified as Mary Templeton, the woman who was a foster mother to Jonathan Rupp, after the shipwreck. Next to her is Jonathan Rupp, and the little girl is named Ella, his daughter. The photo was taken on the porch of the Templeton residence, here in Crescent City, circa 1875. Here, I printed this up for you.”
Daniel handed to me a one-sheet page of notes. “Oh, and that address, that is the Templeton residence, it was one of the few historic homes that survived the storms through the years, it sets on higher ground, a little further from the coastline than most of the other historic homes.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Do you know about Mary Templeton, was she married?”
“She was, though at the time of that photo she was a widow. Her husband was Peter Templeton. He was a master artist, quite successful for that era. He taught Jonathan Rupp the trade.”
“I see. And the little girl, Ella, was Rupp married?”
“Not that I or the museum staff has evidence of. Honestly, the little girl is a mystery to us. I must say, it is not the least unusual to not have documentation on children, that photo is the only photo known to exist of her. Given the era, it’s not at all as it is today, children, even school children would not have had photos taken of them, then. Also, keep in mind that Crescent City was not a major city for family life. It was a rough-hewn town comprised of mining entertainment, lumber commerce and shipyards… all these elements lent to the unsavory lifestyle of the harbor docks. Anything else I may help with?”
Ozzy took that as the opportune moment to say our thanks and take our leave. He gave Daniel a big bear hug and told him he’d been of great assistance. Daniel saw us to the door.
After we got in the car and Ozzy started the engine, he leaned over and said to me, “Be sure to buckle up, it’s a lovely fall afternoon and just in case you want to roll down your window, I wouldn’t want that card you liberated to slip out of your pocket and fly out the window.”
“Rats! I thought I had been sly about it. I suppose now, you’ll report
I admit, my mind did some quick matrixing, but by no mistake did I recognize the young adult face of the little girl that was shown in the photo with Jonathan Rupp sitting on the porch. I held the card up close to Ozzy and asked, “Could this be the same girl, and she is all grown up?”
“I do believe it could be.”
“Have you ever heard of Ella Dazi?” I asked Ozzy.
“No. At least not that I can remember. It’s an unusual name. I’m pretty sure that had I ever heard of it, especially in connection with Rupp, I’d remember.”
I turned back around to return the single card to the table, and at the moment, the door opened, it was Daniel.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked.
Ozzy was quick to answer, “Yes. Daniel can you tell us anything about this photo?” Ozzy reached over and picked up the photo. He handed it to Daniel.
Daniel reversed the photo. “There’s an index tab here. I can run this through our computer and get whatever information we have on it. I’ll be right back.” He left the room.
I now had my back to the table. I feigned tiredness, gave a deep sigh and took a step back to lean on the table. Then with my left arm resting behind me, for support, I snatched the loose card of Ella Dazi and with Ozzy’s attention still focused on objects at the other end of the table, I turned quarter profile wise and slipped the card into my blazer pocket. I turned to face Ozzy, and said, “For now, regardless of the information Daniel can, or cannot, provide about the photo, let’s not say anything about the Ella songstress card, okay?”
My question did not spark Ozzy’s interest, he nodded and mumbled “Sure. It’s getting late, we should leave soon, okay?”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
Daniel came back. Holding the framed photo up, facing me, he said, “Our documentation states the three people are identified as Mary Templeton, the woman who was a foster mother to Jonathan Rupp, after the shipwreck. Next to her is Jonathan Rupp, and the little girl is named Ella, his daughter. The photo was taken on the porch of the Templeton residence, here in Crescent City, circa 1875. Here, I printed this up for you.”
Daniel handed to me a one-sheet page of notes. “Oh, and that address, that is the Templeton residence, it was one of the few historic homes that survived the storms through the years, it sets on higher ground, a little further from the coastline than most of the other historic homes.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Do you know about Mary Templeton, was she married?”
“She was, though at the time of that photo she was a widow. Her husband was Peter Templeton. He was a master artist, quite successful for that era. He taught Jonathan Rupp the trade.”
“I see. And the little girl, Ella, was Rupp married?”
“Not that I or the museum staff has evidence of. Honestly, the little girl is a mystery to us. I must say, it is not the least unusual to not have documentation on children, that photo is the only photo known to exist of her. Given the era, it’s not at all as it is today, children, even school children would not have had photos taken of them, then. Also, keep in mind that Crescent City was not a major city for family life. It was a rough-hewn town comprised of mining entertainment, lumber commerce and shipyards… all these elements lent to the unsavory lifestyle of the harbor docks. Anything else I may help with?”
Ozzy took that as the opportune moment to say our thanks and take our leave. He gave Daniel a big bear hug and told him he’d been of great assistance. Daniel saw us to the door.
After we got in the car and Ozzy started the engine, he leaned over and said to me, “Be sure to buckle up, it’s a lovely fall afternoon and just in case you want to roll down your window, I wouldn’t want that card you liberated to slip out of your pocket and fly out the window.”
“Rats! I thought I had been sly about it. I suppose now, you’ll report
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