Henry « box » Brown

Henry « box » Brown :

On March 23, 1849, he mailed himself to the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society ( in Philadelphia ) into a wooden box, with only a small hole to breathe through, Brown stayed up in that box for 27 hours. When the abolitionists opened the box, Brown jumped out and exclaimed “How do you do, Gentlemen?” , it was there that the abolitionists coined (=called) him Henry "Box" Brown. Later he became famous as a magician in London.

What makes Henry "Box" Brown's story so interesting is not just the incredible fact that he shipped/sent himself to freedom through a wooden box, but that he was also a man of dubious (=douteux) character. Brown turned away from his enslaved past , including his family , in order to carve out (se tailler) a completely new identity.

He was a man who took courage and combined it with his imagination, creativity and ingenuity to survive.

His choices make for a very realistic, unsettling story that paints a picture of how desperate a human can be for freedom.

George Speck / Crum :

He was a Chef at Moon’s Lake House on Saragota lake.

It all began when a patron who ordered a plate of French-fried potatoes sent them back to Crum’s kitchen because he felt they were too thick and soft. Speck sliced the potatoes extra thin and dropped them in a frying pas, Chips were born ! Sadly, Speck never became rich of his invention.

But i found a second version of the story : Crum’s sister was peeling potatoes, and accidentally dropped a slice into a pan of hot fat. She took it out, and George came along and tasted it. He liked it, and wanted to make more.

It’s probably not true, but the important is that its amusing. I found the way crisps were invented really droll (=funny) and silly, i would never expect this famous dish to be cinvented that way !

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