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James Bernard Harkin

James B. Harkin (30 January 1875 – 27 January 1955), also known as the Father of National Parks, was a Canadian journalist turned bureaucrat with a passion for conservation but also widely renowned for his commodification of the Canadian landscape. Harkin began his career as a journalist under the umbrella of the Ottawa Journal and Montreal Herald, two conservative newspapers at the time, but soon through his persistence and prowess gained entry into civil service during his mid-twenties. Under the tutelage of some influential figures working for the Liberal Party of Canada, most notably Clifford Sifton and Frank Oliver, Harkin was able to acquire an appointment to be the first commissioner of the Dominion Parks Branch in 1911. During his career, Harkin oversaw the establishment of national parks that include Elk Island, Mount Revelstoke, Point Pelee, Kootenay, Wood Buffalo, Prince Albert, Riding Mountain, Georgian Bay Islands and Cape Breton Highlands.

On a fundamental level, Harkin's philosophy had two dominant components: the economic, which saw park lands in commercial terms, and the humanitarian which saw parks as being integral to the well-being of the human spirit on a physical, mental and moral level. In successfully bringing these two principles together in a symbiotic way, Harkin was able to facilitate the incredible growth of Canadian tourism and, at the same time, justify his conservationist goals.

With an economic philosophy on parks development, Harkin led the Parks Branch into the business of selling Canadian scenery to tourists. Harkin identified the emergence of the automobile as a key component in driving tourism to Canada's national parks. Some notable commercial achievements Harkin made included motor vehicle legislation that permitted vehicles to enter parks, improvements of existing roads through parks, and major highway projects that connected more visitors to parks. His parks promotion strategy, favourable motor vehicle regulations, and improvements in accessibility notably increased tourism to Canada's national parks from 100,000 in 1921 to 550,000 in 1928.

In 1935, following the rise of the Liberal Party, Parks Branch became consolidated with other departments and Harkin's career as commissioner came to an eventual end.

Starting in the 1970s, some years after Harkin's death, many critiques of Harkin that cast him in an unfavourable light started surfacing. In particular, Harkin's lack of knowledge of his duties as commissioner, his alleged over-dependence on his staff, and his desire to employ men under the market minimum wage were quite controversial. Moreover, the creation of the Wood Buffalo National Park sparked huge debate with local indigenous groups and the rippling effects of that debate are still being dealt with today.

Early life
James Bernard Harkin, nicknamed "Bunny", was born January 30, 1875, in the town of Vankleek Hill in eastern Ontario. His parents were Dr. William Harkin and Elizabeth (McDonnell). He was the fourth of five children born into a devout Catholic family but along with his brother William, Harkin was unconcerned with religious motivations. Their father, Dr. William Harkin, was a devout Catholic who was born to Irish Protestant immigrants in 1831 in Vanleek Hill where he became a schoolteacher and soon after went to study medicine at McGill University. Harkin's father died of a heart attack while speaking at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1881. His father was a staunch advocate for the Conservatives in which he held a seat in the Legislative Assembly for the district of Prescott.

After the death of his father, Harkin remained with his mother and sister until his high school years when he left to live with his brother who had become a doctor in Marquette, Michigan. Harkin was born into general affluence and a politically powerful family. Despite the passing of his father, Harkin's upbringing influenced his ability to forge the beginning of his career as a cub reporter with the Montreal Herald at age seventeen.

Political career
Harkin's route into a political career was generated mostly by his family, in which his father was a Conservative with a seat in the Legislative Assembly and his brother was a highly touted journalist for the Ottawa Journal. These early family influences would play a large role in the development of Harkin's political career and would shape his early affiliations. It was through the mentorship of his brother, William Harkin, that he gained employment with the Montreal Herald, but shortly afterwards with the Ottawa Journal under the guidance of P.D Ross. P.D Ross was the proprietor of the Ottawa Journal. He became an influential person in Harkin's career as he saw him develop his knack for clear, concise journalism. Ross recommended Harkin to the Liberal Party's Minister of Interior and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Clifford Sifton. This recommendation allowed Harkin to enter the government service in 1896 at the age of twenty-six.

Harkin's acceptance of this appointment by Clifford Sifton surprised many Conservatives that saw their leader, Sir Charles Tupper, defeated by Wilfrid Laurier in the same year as Harkin's appointment. The rise of the Liberal Party and Harkin's employment under them dictated much of his later appointments in which he worked tirelessly for Sifton until 1905, at which point Sifton fell out of favour with Wilfrid Laurier over educational rights. Frank Oliver was appointed as the new Minister of the Interior, and sought to be a supporter of parks and wildlife. Despite Oliver's distaste for Sifton, Harkin retained his position with Oliver and worked a further 6 years as Oliver's secretary until receiving an appointment to be the first commissioner of the Dominion Parks Branch in 1911.

Philosophy
On the one hand, Harkin's success and longevity as Parks Commissioner can be measured in economic terms, namely in tourism profits. However, Harkin's philosophy of preserving Canada's landscape for the sake of patriotic pride and physical, moral, and mental well-being is also evident and well-documented in his writings and departmental reports. In fact, some historians argue that it is in great part his ability to have both his commercial and preservationist goals merge and play off each other that determines his success as commissioner. But whether Harkin used commercial reasons of building national parks to justify the humanitarian reasons or vice versa is an open-ended question that some Harkin biographers continue to debate.

Economic value of parks
Harkin's success in securing appropriations to finance the building and expansion of national parks was largely due to his ability to convey the commercial value of dominion parks to Parliament. At the onset of his Parks Branch career, Harkin and his staff had sought to find out how much revenue was generated by tourism in both American states and European countries. His findings, which included tens of millions of dollars for just the American state of Maine, were astounding and he went on to publish a compiled report of tourist revenue figures for distribution to members of the House of Commons and Senate in 1913. It was in that context, Harkin believed, that the economic value of Canada's national parks was established and would come to later justify his many large expenditures for park development.

Humanitarian value of parks
In addition to Harkin's philosophy on the economic value of parks, Harkin also saw parks as being a way for Canadians to imbue the beauty of Canadian scenery in an accessible manner, be it by car or train to reach park grounds. But, as his annual reports as commissioner show, he also felt there was a higher purpose to exposing more individuals to Canada's scenic beauty beyond mere aesthetics. In Harkin's earlier years as Parks Commissioner, he expressed on many occasions that parks allowed for the fostering of what he coins the "play spirit", which is the rejuvenation of the human spirit from the daily stresses of life through outdoor recreation. This need not be physical recreational activity; however, breathing in fresh air and being within close proximity of nature is an important part of this rejuvenation process. This aspect of Harkin's philosophy in viewing parks as national recreational grounds for therapeutic and rejuvenating effects was in part due to the influence of American wilderness preservationists, John Muir and Henry David Thoreau, both of whom Harkin had quoted in his departmental reports.

With the onset of the First World War, Harkin's rejuvenation theory took on a more relevant form. In those years, Harkin wrote that parks were a medium through which Canadians could be in touch with their patriotic feelings, and that parks promoted the "virile and efficient manhood so noticeable in Canadian military training camps."

Also, in post-war years, Harkin's philosophy again adapted to the context in which he felt national parks were most needed. For many at the time, life consisted of long hours of laborious work in factories and living in big cities, which according to Harkin brought out the animal in man and deteriorated both the body and mind of the modern Canadian subject. But a feasible way to counteract these oppressive effects, Harkin wrote, was through the almost mystical rejuvenation that national park lands offered on a physical, mental, and even moral level. Despite appearing so though, Harkin's philosophy was not a critique of industrial life and urbanism. Rather, it was his belief that national parks were a way for civilization and economic growth in Canada to continue "with the worker escaping periodically to nature to be recharged" but with every intention of returning as a productive member of society.

Tourism
Harkin recognized that Canadian scenery was a natural resource that could not be exported. He led the Parks Branch into what some critics call the business of selling scenery, where foreign tourists were to be imported to enjoy Canada's natural resource. Harkin often described parks in economic terms. In the Parks Branch's first Annual Report, he stated the value of Canadian scenery at $13.88/acre, while wheat land was worth $4.91/acre. He recognized that unlike most natural resources, large sales of scenery could be sold in perpetuity without any decline in value or capital stock.

The National Parks of Canada were established largely to stimulate traffic on the Canadian Pacific Railway. The railway attracted tourists to Rocky Mountain National Park. Harkin further developed national parks with the goal of economic prosperity. Parks would increase tourism and profitability for the government, railroads, and small businesses. In order to garner political support for parks development, Harkin communicated the profitable opportunities they could provide Canada.

Initially, the Parks Branch focused on enticing foreign visitors to Canada. Canadian national parks were largely accessible by wealthy American tourists who stayed at hotels and travelled by railway: 95% of people travelling to Canada were American. Thus, Harkin's initial goal was to extend this flow of American tourists into Canada.

By the 1920s, the Parks Branch shifted their focus and began targeting Canadians. Formerly, critics argued that the government was subsidizing parks for wealthy foreigners. Harkin suggested that the automobile now made it logistically and financially possible for more middle-class Canadian tourists to access the national parks. Parks located near cities were now widely accessible, allowing workers to spend weekends camping or fishing. The Parks Branch began promoting parks as attractive tourism that heals and invigorates the hardworking business man. Responding to the increased use of automobiles, Harkin redefined the Branch's goals from servicing a foreign and local "recreationist" to the broader "Canadian".

Harkin relied on free publicity to promote tourism. The Parks Branch Annual Report outlined the commercial and humanitarian benefits of parks. These mandatory publications were sent to Members of Parliament and newspapers across Canada. They became the Parks Branch's initial marketing tool. In the 1920s, Harkin appointed Mabel Williams to author guidebooks and literature that promoted parks as a Canadian birthright that made one physically stronger, psychologically renewed, and spiritually fulfilled. With increased tourism, the Branch could afford printing the guidebooks. Their spending in the government printing department jumped from $2000 to almost $13,000 in one year. The Parks Branch created a Publicity Division to promote Canada's parks through guidebooks, lectures, slide presentations, and motion pictures. This successful division would later form the Canadian Government Travel Bureau and National Film Board of Canada.

Challenges
Harkin faced challenges that constricted the Parks Branch's potential for success. In 1914, the National Parks budget was 0.5% of the total federal budget. The popularity of automobiles lead to a decline in railroad support for parks development. From 1915 to 1947, average annual expenditures slid to 0.28% of the federal budget, demonstrating the effects of lost railroad support. Harkin convinced politicians that creating parks would gain the support of constituents through increased enjoyment from park's amenities. As such, he attempted to increase the Parks Branch budget through two allies: politicians seeking park and road development for constituents and small businesses that would benefit from tourism. This was not powerful enough to keep the budget afloat.

Automobiles and road development
Harkin made an impact on Canadian tourism through changing automobile regulations and increasing road development to parks. In 1905, the Federal Government passed legislation banning the use of automobiles on any road near or within prescribed limits of Banff National Park. Parks had previously been reserved for the exclusive use of railway travelers to protect the railroad monopoly and interests. Harkin held no ties to the railroad industry or those businesses that benefited from their protection. He viewed the predominant usage of automobiles as an opportunity for national park's to gain commercial success. In 1911, Harkin cancelled the prohibition on automobiles in parks and introduced motor vehicle legislation: 25 cent registration and speed limits (8 MPH in townsites; 15 MPH elsewhere). This was not an open invitation to motorists as strict limitations still existed: cars had to travel from Calgary on the Calgary-Banff Coach Road and strictly follow Banff Avenue and Spray Avenue to the CPR's Banff Springs Hotel. In 1913, Harkin allowed automobiles to visit golf courses and private homes. He introduced a $5 annual license and a $1 single trip fee for using cars within parks. By 1915, these regulations extended to include all national parks. In 1919, he increased the speed limit to 25 MPH.

Harkin identified road development as another measure to increase the profitability of tourism and national parks. His goal was to make the scenery of the Canadian Rockies accessible to automobile traffic through first class motor roads into and through parks. With adequate roads through mountains, there would be increased traffic and significant spending from auto-tourists. The Calgary-Banff Coach Road, completed in 1911, absorbed a significant portion of the Parks budget for years. With no allegiance to the railroad and its dependants, Harkin increased road development and continued to increase accessibility of automobiles into parks. Under Harkin's tenure as commissioner, major roads such as the Banff-Windermere Highway, Edmonton-Jasper-Banff Highway, and the Kicking Horse Trail were built. By 1930, around 400 miles of parks roads were built, with 145 miles servicing the Rocky Mountain Parks.

After World War I, low priced automobiles and suitable roads made parks more accessible. Automobiles increased Canadian attendance to national parks: 100,000 in 1921, 250,000 in 1925, and 550,000 in 1928. This stimulated business for small tourist shops, service stations, grocery stores, and motels along Canadian highways. The small business sector in Canada grew with the increased tourism to national parks.

Wood Buffalo National Park
As a result of Harkin's contribution, the Wood Buffalo National Park was established on December 18, 1922. The park was created to protect the last remaining herds of bison in northern Canada during the early 1900s. Today, the park is known for its preservation of the bison that reside there. The park was initially created by Harkin and his branch members to protect the existing habitat of about 1500 Wood Buffalo. During the early 1830s, there were millions of bison. However, the progress to civilization and modernity created a decline in the bison population from the estimated 40 million in 1830 to less than 1000 by 1900. Today, the land consists of 44,807 square kilometers and is located in northern Alberta, with overlaps into the Northwest Territories. The land serves as the largest free-roaming and self-regulated bison herd park in the world and the world's only natural nesting site of the whooping crane. The whooping crane is officially classified as an endangered species. In 1941, there were 15 and with the assistance of the park, the population increased to 133 by 1994. The whooping crane is the tallest North American bird, with a height of about 1.5 metres. Whooping crane have white colored bodies with black wing tips, face, and legs. The landscape of this natural park can be divided into four primary sections, each with its own unique geological features, wildlife habitats, and vegetation. Some of which include the Caribou, Birch Uplands, the Alberta plateau, Slave River Lowlands, and the Peace-Athabasca Delta.

Migratory Birds Convention Act
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was first passed in 1916, and sought to preserve migrating birds from extinction as a result of slaughter by suppliers to the milliner's trade, market hunters, and spring shootings. In response, the Canadian government suggested to draft a similar bill to protect and preserve the birds. In August 1917, the legislation was established by Harkin and the government. It was a landmark in the evolution of the Canadian government's role in wildlife protection. It created greater clarification of the government's responsibilities for wildlife and established the emergence of a wildlife protective policy for Canada. The goal of this new conservation act was to protect and regulate the excessive practice of bird hunting. With the Migratory Birds Convention Act, Harkin was able to achieve his goal of receiving complete authority for game protection in Canada. The act led to boundary revisions of Rocky Mountain Park and the re-inclusion of the Kananaskis Valley, which Harkin believed was necessary to protect game.

Pronghorn Project
The pronghorn antelope was another large Canadian mammal believed to be on the verge of extinction. In 1910, the pronghorn antelope was moved from the Banff Paddock into Wood Buffalo National Park. Harkin believed the animal would benefit in a new protected park area. In March 1912, the park reported the presence of fourteen antelope. However, the effort was unsuccessful as the pronghorn antelope population decreased due to a lack of proper diet. In 1915, Harkin continued to play an essential role in antelope preservation near the village of Nemiskam, Alberta, where about 200 starving antelope were found in a ranch near the village of Foremost. The antelope were removed and sent to a reserved area of Maple Creek, where sufficient food and resources were available. On December 18, 1915, Minister William James Roche approved the formal reservation of seven square miles of land and established the Nemiskam National Antelope Reserve. In 1917, the American Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund recognized Canada as the first country to create a fenced preserve for antelope. In 2012, the pronghorn antelope can be found in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Controversy
Before the 1970s, Harkin was viewed as a visionary conservationist and creator of Canada's national park system. Since then, many critiques of Harkin have cast him in a darker light. When Harkin was appointed National Parks Branch Commissioner in 1911, he had to juggle the twin policy of advocating conservatism while encouraging tourism to the parks, which brought forth controversy to Harkin's role as commissioner. When Harkin accepted the job, he admitted that he knew little about parks in general or what was expected of him in his role as commissioner. Many biographers have written about Harkin's work, but his life is based on a very thin collection of sources, leading to skepticism about his duty and achievements as commissioner. Harkin's personal archival papers say little about his involvement with the national parks; they focus almost entirely on his notes and correspondence on Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s expedition to the Arctic in 1921. The limited information about Harkin's life has led biographers to create several sizable assumptions about him, one being that everything written by Harkin is credited to him alone. Parks Branch papers show that what is attributed to Harkin was actually first drafted by others, especially his assistant, F.H.H. Williamson. Harkin also adapted many of his policies from the American National Park Service, because of the familiarity of geographic location and goal at improving the development of the parks through tourism.

1922 Wood Buffalo National Park
One of the first controversies that Harkin was involved in was the Parks Branch's first attempt to create a wood bison sanctuary. The disagreement proved to create tensions within the federal government and also started the theory that local indigenous peoples were to blame for the decrease in the population of buffalo. The tension between the Indian Affairs Department and wildlife conservationists was very evident at the National Conference on Conservation of Game, Fur-Bearing Animals, and other Wild Life held in February 1919. The beginning of the conference began with Arthur Meighen, then Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, emphasizing the complete dependence that the northern Native people have on wildlife, and how prohibiting the Native from hunting buffalo would greatly and negatively affect their livelihood. Harkin stated his own views and discussed how wildlife preserves prohibiting Indigenous peoples from hunting was crucial for conservation. He argued that indigenous peoples should respect this, since they have wholesome respect for park boundaries. Wood Buffalo National Park was created in 1922 to help preserve the five hundred buffalo that were found south of the Great Slave Lake in Northern Alberta. Indigenous groups that lived in the area protested the creation of the Wood Buffalo National Park up until its establishment and continued after in hopes of gaining back their sovereignty and their right to hunt on their traditional territories. The creation of the park led to a dramatic increase of law enforcement and administrative personnel on indigenous lands, which allowed the federal government to administer a system of wildlife regulations that would include punishments of fines, jail terms, and hard labor if indigenous persons were to stray from the law.

Cheap labour
The development of parks across Canada was only possible because the male labourers were paid below market wage and had no other job opportunities. Thousands of men worked for the Parks Department from 1914 to 1915. These men included relief workers during the Great Depression and prisoners of both World Wars. Harkin was satisfied with his new work force because he was able to pay them twenty-five cents a day, while the daily wage in an isolated camp was two dollars. This labour wage differential caused a protest at Yoho Park, where the men refused to work as market wages had increased to twelve dollars a day while they continued to receive twenty-five cents. The situation escalated beyond Harkin's control and caused him to ask the Department of Defense to take over; the men responded by a failed attempt to dig their way out of the park and escape. Eventually, the camp was closed and the men were released.

In 1924, the mine at Brule in Jasper National Park was closed. Alberta asked Ottawa and the Parks Branch for aid to go towards the newly unemployed. Harkin responded by telling the park superintendent to provide groceries if conditions were desperate, but not cash as he did not want to encourage further demands. By 1929, the Jasper Parks superintendent was desperately seeking financial support and asked Harkin for $20,000 to go towards work-for-relief projects, but Harkin refused. The declining conditions in Jasper presaged the stock market crash in 1929. Crops began to fall and by 1933, one-fifth of the work force was unemployed while 15% of Canadians were on relief.

Also, in 1932, Harkin enforced the six-day work week because he felt the parks' workers would be more compliant when occupied. He stripped his workers of civil liberties including restrictions on alcohol consumption. Restrictions lead to protests from his workers. Harkin needed to gain control of the protests. He did this by enforcing a law that prohibited collective organizations and would fire any individual on strike.

title: James Bernard Harkin


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Morgan Turinui

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was KEEP. -Splash 02:00, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

Morgan Turinui
Vanity/non-entity. Paul Klenk 07:51, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep (for now). I don't know enough about Rugby to tell if the claims in the article are sufficient for notability or not, but he definitely has a large following according to Google.  Hopefully a Rugby fan can weigh in on this one...  Thatdog 07:59, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Keep. It has a strong grounds for being kept according to google.  Morgan Turinui played for his country in one of most prominant rugby nations.  That is worth noting.
 * Keep. Didn't have to look this one up. Known throughout the rugby playing world, which means he's known to more people for his sport than your average World Series player is for his. Grutness...  wha?  09:00, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong Keep Please don't nominate articles just because you have never heard of the subject. It shows a cultural bias. You have shown this with a number of nominations today--Porturology 10:30, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. I've also left a note on Talk:Rugby union, pointing here, for that pages editors' input, certainly not vanity nor non-entity. Alf 12:50, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong keep - he's an Australian international! That's notable. Article needs a bit of tidying up and I'm not sure about the copywrite status of the image but the artictle should stay. --LemonAndLime 13:58, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. Notable Australian rugby international. Capitalistroadster 19:16, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. I've seen many articles on more obscure topics than this.GordyB 21:12, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. Ditto most of above.--Finbarr Saunders 21:58, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong KeepA well known rugby international. Just because America doesn't play rugby doesn't mean the rest of the world wouldn't be interested.
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Talk:Delphine LaLaurie

Nice page
I was hoping someone else with more knowledge would fix it up! --Donnald 21:29, 3 September 2005
 * Entertaining story, but it would be nice to have some sources fo the information. Also, needs some more work on the grammar and some NPOV help. --Barista | a/k/a マイケル | T/C 07:52, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes... I made the page just so Delphine LaLaurie would exist within Wikipedia.

Hi i just wanted to add her maiden name is spelled McCarthy but pronounced m'carthy. it is a very old common Irish surname, can you change it in the article , interesting page would love to know more about her. Sarah in Ireland.

lalaurie story
In the book "Haunted America" by Michael Norman and Beth Scott, the Lalaurie story had been recounted.

Lalaurie research
I'm doing some research on Delphine Lalaurie (nee Macarty), and I'll update the entry with what I find.

--Brecluse 01:21, 7 February 2006 (UTC)

Laulaurie image
I'm wondering what the source of this image (Delphine Lalaurie image) is. It would be nice to actually verify that it is indeed Delphine.

--Brecluse 17:37, 3 March 2006 (UTC)

Papa La-Bas
The story is also told in John Dickson Carrs book "Papa La-Bas" (1968)

Clean up...
Could someone please "clean this up", I don't quite see what Wikipedia wants, and my entire original article has been removed... :-(

Fiction v. Fact
It's nice that you found another mention of it in the Papa La-Bas book, but this book is a work of fiction and not a reliable source. I am still planning on cleaning this up, but I've just not had time to do more research or updates. Maybe later this summer. Brecluse 17:14, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I think the claim about dead bodies being found in the flooring of the Lalaurie House is fiction, but I don't have a source. Anyone know for sure? Tulane97 14:59, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes the story about the 75 dead bodies found is completely false as is the legend that she performed medical experiments on the slaves.Please see the external link I have posted.

 * Madame Lalaurie has a descendant called the Revered Synthia Darkness? 87.224.74.143 (talk) 14:07, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Donnald: where did the image come from?
I first started to do research on Delphine Lalaurie 10+ years ago as an idea for a movie. Much of the story is shockingly true. In fact the true events that occurred are way beyond most people’s imagination! I also think that the bodies discovered years later is fiction. The horror found in the attic was so much worse than this page describes! As it turns out, Ted Bundy, Gacy, and Dahmer are just child’s play in comparison. Any movie made about Delphine Lalaurie would never be rated anything except X and would never even get off the ground! A word of warning to anyone researching Delphine Lalaurie, know that what you will find are things so disturbing you may wish to never know about, and you’ll never be able to forget.

I'd really like to verify the image is indeed Delphine (one of the things I'm sure Wikipedia wants), can you tell me where you got it? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

Brecluse 17:16, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * This website seems to verify it. --K e rowyn Leave a note 08:19, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually, it merely has the image as well, but it does not list a source that I can find, and without a source it isn't verifiable. I need the actual print material that this was taken from in order to verify it. Brecluse 00:03, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

 * I have read all the nineteenth century sources on this case available in the British Library (which turns out to have a pretty comprehensive selection of New Orleansiana) and none contain reproductions of this image, or any other claimed to represent Lalaurie. I think its provenance has to be rated extremely doubtful until someone can come forward with an exact source or reference to an archive holding. Mikedash (talk) 10:17, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

Madame LaLaurie
This article should be merged with the article on Madame LaLaurie.

Fact or Fiction?
Is the story factual? The external links were entirely worthless, and the only source mentioned is a book from 1921 (which, judging by the title, is by no means focused on this person and the story). If the story were true, surely police records etc. would support it, and there'd be a whole lot more about it. I've never read about this person in books dealing with serial killers (she certainly would qualify), and a Lousianan friend dismissed this entirely as "a ghost story." The article doesn't even attempt to address that the story is not verified and is generally regarded as fiction. --84.230.123.136 18:14, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

The Lalaurie story is difficult to verify, because even the newspaper articles of the time were sometimes embelished or even completely made up. I think we need a historian to tell us what is really known. Tulane97 18:30, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

Delphine Lalaurie did exist, and she did live at this residence on Royal, but as Tulane97 indicates it's hard to verify what is true and what is exaggerated or false. It's something I'm interested in pursuing, but location/time makes it hard. Brecluse 16:53, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

I have added an external link, pointing to a PDF of the edition where events are accounted for. Naturally, newspaper articles from that time period should be read with a critical eye. But at least it proves the incident is not a recent invention. The article in question is located at the top left of the PDF page. --80.203.143.201 16:40, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Well done, linking that newspaper article! A decapitation of most critical remarks above... Now let's find some info in police records re the event! And some info on the doctor, her husband.

Examining this story, for that is what it is, using sound logic pokes it full of holes through which its brains might be stirred, as the artcle says.

First of all: All of the victims died before they could be interviewed by anyone. This seems remarkably convenient that they were able to start a fire but were too weak to survive for long afterwards.

Second of all: The victims start a fire, in the place where they are in, to gain attention, even though they are restrained and are likely to be killed by this fire.

Third: The slaves were taken away once before, and yet said nothing of the basement torture chamber or murders etc.

Fourth: Slaves were expensive! And buying 12, much less 80 some, just to kill them, would be a monumentally large misallocation of funds. Also, if they were all kept chained, how did the mansion function without its servants? Ms LaLaurie must have found time to do the dishes, cook the meals, serve the food and take care of her children inbetween being a murderess.

Fifth: Slaves are not cattle. It is impercievable that 80 people could disappear slowly, and that no one would have a clue as to what was occuring, especially considering:

Sixth: The murder chamber was on the third floor, and was run supposedly by a lady. We must therefore understand that she disposed of the bodies by carrying them down three flights of stairs on her own. She would then have to wash off her bloody garments, all without being noticed. This is impossible, and yet its never indicated that she had an accomplice.

Seventh: Anyone imprisoned in the attic of a house in New Orleans for long would have likely died of heat exhaustion long before any tortures could be performed.

Eighth: Mme. LaLaurie was clearly not present to defend herself in any way, and it is absurd that the tale can continue without further input from her, or without word of her.

Ninth: After ten or so people are found brutally tortured in her home, she is allowed to wander off freely by the constablary.

Tenth: The article claims 75 corpses were found buried on the third floor. WHAT?

For these ten reasons I believe this article must be looked at as highly suspect, as must the legend in general. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.111.24.97 (talk) 01:02, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't know anything about this, but your arguments are not very hard to turn down...

nr1: The fire was started by those servants not victims to torture. The actions performed in the chamber was evident just by looking at the victims, so it would not be necessary to ask them about more than: "Who did this?", and did not take much effort to say: "Madame", before ones last breath. Those circumstances seem to be very unclear by the way, I agree with you there; what happened to the servants not subjected to torture? According to the story, they were several servants in the house performing normal servant-duties for her guests. Had they perhaps been changed the very same day? Had she had some kind of collapse and suddenly decided to make all her staff victims? Had she been out on a visit when the fire started perhaps, and was it the custom to chaine the "free" part of the staff while she was out? and what happened to those servants not tortured, not found in the chamber, afterwards? That isn't clear. Perhaps they were interwieved? But a slave would hardly be officially counted as a witness gainst his/her owner.

nr2: Again, the fire was started by those servants not victims of torture- and even restrained, they were desperate, or convinced that the fire department would be there in time.

nr3:Who knows? No one cared what slaves said, and perhaps they realised that.

nr4:A sadist would find the money well spent. And, again; she only selected a few of the servants to be taken to the torture chamber, while the majority of course functioned as servants- though for some reason, also the rest was changed to their work places at the night of the fire. Perhaps she wanted them to die?

nr5:Well, sure slaves weren't cattle, but for upperclass- people, one servant looks just as the next one. They are not recongisable as individuals. Besides, who is to say it weren't noticed?

nr6:No one believes that the rest of the house did not know, even though they may not have taken part in the actual torture. Slaves were of course used to carry out her orders and to carry the bodies, perhaps in fear of being victims themselwes- they were not considered accomplices, as they by law was merely expected to do what they were told. Personally, I wonder why the husband was never suspected. It all sounds like medical experiments to me.

nr7:I'm sure many did. Most victims found there was found dead. And why would she wait long? She could have done so directly after they were brought there.

nr8:I really don't understand that. Wether she was innocent or guilty, she would of course deny everything. After she eskaped from town - and i find the version that she left for Paris more realistic than the silly story about her becoming a woodo queen(!) in the outskirts of New Orleans- she would hardly wish to return, whatever stories told about here there.

nr9: The chronology of events during the night it was discovered does'nt seem very clear; they are several versions. Personally, I believe the version saying that she fled imediatly after they broke in to her home is most realistic, but, by all means- the legal situations was not clear either; "people"? They were slaves after all, and not considered as full worthy people, otherwise the wouldn't have been slaves.

nr10:I agree with you there. but as it say that was found so late in time, it should not be hard to verify. I am skeptic myself; how could they hide the stench of the corpses? Perhaps some sort of embalming? Perhaps the number was exaggerated, and it was in fact only ten or so; they had ben put there shortly before the night of the fire, when they were still alive, and as the house was empty for many years afterwards, no one woild have noticed the smell...but, as I say, I'm skeptic about that myself.

Anyway, I did this just for argument sake, I know nothing about this. As far as I know, she could have ben innocent, but the slaves found in her house that night must have ben injured in remarcable ways, why else would even slave owners have been so upset? Surely, something must have happened. The whole thing seems to have been swept under the carpet in a legal sence, so it's hard to tell what is true or not; sensationalism was able to run rampant.--85.226.235.208 (talk) 09:25, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Nicolas Cage
Actor Nicolas Cage has bought the LaLAurie Mansion. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 87.78.126.114 (talk) 09:23, 28 April 2007 (UTC).

 * The whole Nicholas Cage part needs to be rewritten. It looks to be plagiarised from newspaper/magazine article >.> Rogutaan (talk) 05:17, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

Why just Delphine?
Why is it just Delphine who is infamous for the treatment of the slaves etc in the house? Presumably her husband must have had a hand in it, or at least known about it?

 * I also think that would be interesting to know. Someone should insert exactly who did what, if there are any information about it.--85.226.235.206 (talk) 14:39, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

 * Yeah, the article says nothing on her husband Louis, even if he escaped when there was an angry mob. William Ortiz (talk) 05:47, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Auguste Macarty
I have found several sources on the net that suggests a Auguste Macarty was elected mayor in 1815. No 'Augustine' elected in 1812 is mentioned anywhere, as far as I can see. I have changed the article accordingly. 80.203.143.201 22:45, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

Earlier history
There is very little about her life before the 1830s. There should be at least the names of her first husbands, and more about her early life in general, if this is known. Are they, for example, any indications, perhaps gossip, that she did something like this when she was young? Are there any information about her parents, and if they did something similar? This would be interesting from a psycological point of view.--85.226.235.206 (talk) 14:44, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

The book I cited here does mention at least one of her earlier marriages, but again verifying the veracity of those mentions has proven to be difficult. I would be glad to dig up my old research and add it all though for further digging. Brecluse (talk) 20:11, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

 * Yes, I think that would be interesting and helpful, even if the verifying, as often with historical subjects, is difficult. I have found something myself which I added today regarding her first marriages. A source on the net say: She was born Marie Delphine, daughter of Louis Barthelemy Chevalier de Maccarthy. She was first married on June 11, 1800 to Don Ramon de Lopez y Angulo. When he died on March 26, 1804 in Havana, Cuba, she married Jean Blanque in 1808, who died in 1816. From there she married Dr. Lalaurie on June 12, 1825. I have inserted this as well as the source in the article. --85.226.235.206 (talk) 13:02, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Delphine's birthplace
The article does not state where she was born. Was it New Orleans or Haiti? It just says that her parents were members of the New Orleans community, but then it adds (almost casually) that they were killed in a slave uprising. Which slave uprising? Where and when? Loiusiana did not have many slave revolts, however, Haiti, as we all know, did.--jeanne (talk) 08:18, 14 October 2008 (UTC)

 * When I read this article last, I seem to remember that it did say that they were killed in a slave revolt in Haiti. Perhaps it was reverted, or I've read it somewhere else. Anywhay, that's what i seem to remember, though I can't say were I've read it if it wasn't here. my guess: the information about her earliest life seem unclear, so maybe the family either emigrated from Haiti during the revolt, or simply visited Haiti at the time of the revolt there. Only a guess! --85.226.47.188 (talk) 13:35, 6 November 2008 (UTC)

 * Yes, several sites on the net claim that her parents were killed in a slave revolt on Haiti. Here is one []. It seems as though her parents were visitng Haiti when this happened. Perhaps this had some effect in her view on slaves, who knows. --85.226.47.188 (talk) 15:00, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

Historical accuracy
As always, the key to understanding a story is to go back to the original sources. These confirm some of the basics of the "legend", notably the alleged death of a slave girl who jumped from the roof, the setting of a fire by one of the slaves, the discovery of a number of maltreated slaves by rescuers, and Madame Lalaurie's flight. None of the ridiculously ludicrous allegations listed in the 'rumours' section are substantiated, however, and few can be traced to sources published any earlier than the late 1990s. This is not entirely surprising, as no nineteenth century newspaper would have published such lurid and suggestive details, and the 'facts', if real, would have had to come either from court papers or eyewitness testimony, neither of which have ever been shown to exist. I have added a brief corrective, but really this entire article needs rewriting to state the history clearly and to reduce the 'rumours' section to what it should be, a brief one or two line mention at the foot of the article. I would be more than happy for the main contributors to the article as it stands to take this on. Over to you, gentlemen and -women. Mikedash (talk) 10:07, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I have asked a question about this subject below (Question:"Why was people so upset? Why was the second time different?")--85.226.44.190 (talk) 09:06, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Citizenship
In 1775, New Orleans was part of New France, and not of the United States. Accordingly, she was born French (as much as a baby born today in French Guyana. He wasn't born in mainland France, but in France nonetheless, thereby making him a French citizen, and not a "South American"). She was not "american" (in the sense of the word as is used in Wikipedia). Please correct it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.45.180.152 (talk) 07:16, 8 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Actually, New Orleans was a part of Spain in 1763-1800. But otherwise you are correct. --85.226.44.74 (talk) 20:56, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Year of birth
In 1842, when she allegedgely died, she was sixty-something. So couldn't she be born anytime between 1772 and 1783? And be 60 or 69 year when she died?--85.226.44.74 (talk) 20:56, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Why were people so upset? Why was the second time different?
If everything about torture, murder, etc was all fantasy, and nothing else happened but some slaves being locked up in a room, then why was poeple so upset that she had to leave town? This was a slave society after all, surely it was not uncommon for slaves to be badly treated. So why was people so upset that she was nearly lynched? Would that not mean that the slaves was wounded in unusaul ways? Even if it was uncommon to go so far as to chain slaves, it is hard to imagine that this nearly led to a lynching in a slave society. In short; why was people upset to this degree? There must have been a reason. --85.226.45.227 (talk) 11:36, 7 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, why have this drawn attention at all? Why is it famous? Why did people even bother, if nothing unusual hapened? --85.226.46.215 (talk) 13:39, 10 April 2009 (UTC)

This is just sad. Slaves or not, laws in place to cease excessive torture and/or intentional murder of slaves have been in place on and off around the world since slavery has existed. Or did you NOT notice she had her slaves removed from her and she was fined a huge amount of money? This is indeed a place that enslaved people and did not consider them true humans, and yet she was bad enough for these people to think she was a psycho bitch. Learn some history. 143.238.218.76 (talk) 07:39, 11 April 2009 (UTC) Harlequin

 * There is no reason to be upset. You do not understand my point. Yes, I read the article, I read about the first fines, that is exactly why I have asked my question. This is just what I am talking about. Why was she just not punished the same way as she was the last time? Just as you say, she was given a fine and had her slaves taken from her the first time. Why was she just not given another fine and had the slaves removed from her again? Why was this time considered any different? The law is one thing, public oppinion another. I the law decided, she would perhaps have been given another fine. But people was upset enough to chase her out of town. Why did they not do this the first time? The assumption must be, that this was different, much worse; that she had done something uncommonly cruel. And yet, the article states that nothing else was discovered but some slaves locked up in a room; mistreated, yes, but not mutilated and tortured. This would have lead to another pair of fines and removal of slaves. But instead, she was nearly lynched. Why? This is a reasonable question, and nothing for you to lynch me about. I am from Europe and of course I know that this is a sensitive question in USA. If you are so superior to me in your knowledge in history, then perhaps you can explain this to me. --85.226.46.215 (talk) 10:35, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

 * To say that all of it is fantasy, will make it just as strange as saying that all wild theories about this case is true. The truth must surely be somewhere in the middle. Wether she really conducted medical experiments may well be untrue. But something terrible must have happened (more than what would otherwise be accepted in such a society) otherwise there would have been no reason what so ever for this case to have been known in history at all. Surely she was not the only slave owner to have broken the law (if this was truly the case) by looking her slaves up. It is important to learn how to conduct a discussion without being emotional. --85.226.44.190 (talk) 17:13, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

 * This is indeed an interesting question, which needs to be answered if one feels it is necessary to discover the truth about this case. It is, truly, contradictive to logic in many ways; if none of the torture etc happened, why have this case became known in history? If it did happen, then why does the article claim nothing happen more than (If I remember correctly) the locking up of slaves in a room? No matter what the law say, would this have been considered terrible by the majority in this society? This is contradicitve, and needs to be clearified. However, cases of this sort is usually controversial, and it is easier to let your emotions ran away with you than to discuss fats. It is not uncommon, that many feel that it is more important to distance yourself from things like this and state your opinions, and to present facts which supports this opinion such as: "She was a massmurderer who tortured and conducted medical expermients" or "She was the target of lies and propaganda and was in fact innocent" rather than to present and discuss facs wathever they may say. That was speaking in general about such cases. I myself have no idea wath is true about this case in particular. The facts about this case may also simply be unknown, or hard to look upon neautrally. It is also important to realise, that some things, sadly, may be simply be too sensitive to discuss for some, which may be sad, but something important to consider. Perhaps these contradictive facts will be clearifyed some day. Regards--Aciram (talk) 11:00, 18 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Answers aren't forthcoming not because of racial tensions but because the sole book about this event was written, as is stated in the article, by someone who appears to have written it to advance her tourism business. Newspaper sources from the 1800s show that the information in the book is incorrect.  Until more information on the event is discovered, these questions won't be answered, unfortunately.  This was a minor event two hundred years ago, which has become an urban legend because of a self-promoting book written in the last few years.  If that book hadn't been written, this article probably wouldn't even exist - as it is, the article is to a large degree a disproof of the book.  It's not that Americans don't want to look at this question because of racism or because of troubled history, it's that (1) it's a really minor event that was blown up into an imaginary grand guignol by a tourism promoter, and (2) since it was a minor event, there are no historical studies of it.  Flopsy Mopsy and Cottonmouth (talk) 04:14, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

Further debate re. historical accuracy
On 24 May editor Jlpavich added the following to the section "Historical accuracy":

 * "In Response to Above Claim: The New Orleans Bee did in fact report some of the crimes detailed above in it's edition on Friday April 11th 1834 (English edition).  A record of this can be viewed online through the Jefferson Parish Library Archives."

I have removed this to the talk page because the Bee of 11 April does not support any of the more lurid claims discussed. The paper for that date does contain a deposition made by an eye-witness, Judge Canonge, who reports on his entry to the Lalaurie mansion and the discovery of the imprisoned slaves. Canonge states simply: “One of the ngresses had an iron collar, very large and heavy, and was chained with heavy irons by the feet… [another] old negress was found who had a deep wound on her head." This edition of the paper is freely available online at http://nobee.jefferson.lib.la.us/Vol-009/index.html. The relevant pdf is number 0038. Mikedash (talk) 15:12, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

However, 0038 is the April 12 Bee, not April 11. One of the April 11 pages, pdf 0034 (1834-04-0034) (far left column) ... http://nobee.jefferson.lib.la.us/Vol-009/04_1834/1834_04_0034.pdf ... speaks of the incident. "upon entering one of the (apartments?) the most appalling spectacle met their eyes. Seven (?) slaves more or less horribly mutilated were seen suspended by the neck with their limbs apparently stretched and (torn?) from one extremity to the other.  Language is powerless and inadequate to give a proper conception of the horror which a scene like this must have inspired.  We shall not attempt it, but rather leave it to the reader's imagination to picture what it was.

The slaves were the property of a demon, in the shape of a woman, whom we mentioned in the beginning of this article. They had been confined by her for several months in the situation from which they had thus providentially been rescued and had been merely kept in existence in order to prolong their sufferings, and to make them taste all that the most refined cruelty could inflict."

Now, this in no way means that this story is true. Quite to the contrary, it sounds like something newspaper writers of the time commonly composed in order to sell papers. However, it does indicate that, at the time of the fire, there were rumors of mutilation and extreme cruelty. —Preceding unsigned comment added by V3rn3n (talk • contribs) 04:21, 19 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks for catching my error. There is however, all the difference in the world between a newspaper article describing slaves' limbs as "torn" and the grand guignol horrors supposedly perpetrated in the Lalaurie mansion. The section describing these was removed in March by another editor (making the article as it stands somewhat hard to comprehend, I have to say), but it read:

 * According to rumor, over a dozen disfigured and maimed slaves were manacled to the walls or floor. Several had allegedly been the subject of gruesome medical experiments.

 * The exact details are unclear; owing to the horrific nature of the crime, many details were either swept under the rug or embellished. Perhaps the most gruesome of Mme. LaLaurie's killings was discovered by a young pickpocket by the name of Christopher Knowles. Knowles had broken into the LaLaurie residence with intention of stealing jewelry and other valuables. He broke in through the window and on the floor he discovered a bucket filled with mutilated human genitalia. Next to the bucket was a body. The body appeared to have been force fed the contents of the bucket until he eventually died from choking. LaLaurie was even reported to have tortured and killed local activist Adam Wescount, reportedly gouging out his eyes and letting crows devour his remains. One man looked as though he had been victim of some bizarre makeshift sex change. Another one had a hole in his head where a stick had been inserted to "stir his brains". A woman was trapped inside a small cage where her arms and legs had been badly broken and then reset at odd angles, making her appear as some sort of "human crab." Another woman had her arms and legs removed and patches of her flesh had been sliced off in a circular motion to make her appear as a giant caterpillar. Some had their mouths stuffed with animal excrements, sewn shut, and had then starved to death. Others had their hands sewn to different parts of their bodies. One woman had her entrails pulled out and was secured to the floor by her own intestines. A small boy of about twelve had the flesh on half of his face peeled back, revealing muscle, veins, and so forth. The wound had since been infested with disease and insects. Two men were found to have had their tongues sewed together. One girl wore a suit made from the skin of several skinned slaves, the limbs of which were hacked and use to decorate the grand gore chamber. Most disturbing of all was an elderly man whose penis was cut into 5 equal strands, each of which was attached to a hook and the body hoist to the ceiling, with two candles placed in his eye sockets to form a macabre chandelier. Most of the victims were found dead. Those who were still alive begged to be put out of their misery and died shortly after.

 * Also discovered in the attic were teacups and saucers, encrusted with a "red substance." There were several bottles lying about with what was assumed to be the same red substance, later identified as blood.

 * Actually some press accounts from early 1834 are marginally more explicit than the Bee, though their reliability is difficult to ascertain. For example, the Religious Intelligencer of 10 May 1834 reports the discovery of

 * Seven poor unfortunate slaves... some chained to the floor, others with chains around their necks fastened to the ceiling, and one poor man upwards of sixty years of age chained hand and foot and made fast to the floor in a kneeling position. His head bore the appearance of having been beaten until it was broken, and the worms were actually seen to be making a feast of his brains!! A woman had her back literally cooked (if the expression may be used), with the lash; the very bones might be seen projecting through her skin!
 * Cited by Courtney Barker, Misrecognized: Looking at Images of Black Suffering and Death, unpublished PhD dissertation, Duke University, 2008, p.32.

 * There seems little doubt that even abuse of this sort would have been more than enough to cause Lalaurie to be described as "a demon, in the shape of a woman" by the New Orleans press. The more extreme tortures conjured up later would not have been necessary for a supposedly genteel female to be labelled in such a way.

 * Now, it's certainly true that mutilations of the sort described in the excised Wikipedia passage would hardly have been described in detail by an 1830s newspaper, even if they had occurred. The fact remains, however, that there is not even a whisper of any of this in any account published before 1949, and most of the details first made print in the 1990s. Some, including the material relating to "Christopher Knowles" and the (anatomically impossible) description of a corpse suspended from the ceiling by its mutilated penis are unique to Wikipedia, so far as my own, quite broad, reading in the subject shows. In which case, one has to ask, where did the information come from? I would submit that the answer: "From the imaginations of some sick puppies gorged on the modern glut of torture porn movies" is more likely the solution than: "From an untapped, but wholly accurate, oral tradition passed down faithfully in New Orleans from generation to generation of friends or relatives of original eyewitnesses, none of whom ever breathed a word about it for more than 150 years after the event." Mikedash (talk) 09:54, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

Picture
With some regret, I'm going to have to remove the portrait of Ms LaLaurie from the article, as it's tolerably clear from this site that it's still in copyright, and as it was painted within the last 20 years and can't therefore be claim to be an accurate representation of her, I'm not sure how it can be claimed to be fair use. - DustFormsWords (talk) 03:53, 13 December 2010 (UTC)

The Weekly World News...
... is not a reliable source. But it is oftimes a hilarious one. - DustFormsWords (talk) 00:13, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Allegations of cruelty to slaves
I'm putting many of the stories of LaLaurie's cruelty back into the article (the death of the young girl, etc). Originally they appeared here unsourced, and were removed as unverifiable. I've now traced them to Harriet Martineau, writing only four years after the Royal Street fire and recounting stories that were current in New Orleans at that time. I'm still not sure how reliable they are, but I'm being careful to say that they're Martineau's account as I reinstate them. Whether or not they're true, they originate from a contemporary source which is generally reliable in other areas, and there's no other contemporary source which directly contradicts them, so it seems to me they should be represented in the article. - DustFormsWords (talk) 01:25, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Consensus
I've added a consensus banner to the top of the page reflecting what I understand to be our consensus on portrait images of Delphine, and of the reliability of the major ghost-story-centric sources. The intention is to help new editors to not have to wade through the same morass we already have in discrediting these sources. Feel free to discuss here if anyone thinks that I've inaccurately portrayed editor consensus and I'll take it down. - 03:01, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Louisiana Vs. Louisiana, New Spain
Guessing from the fact that LaLaurie was born in 1775 and Louisiana was administered by the Spanish from 1762 to 1802 ¿shouldn't the article use contemporary names such as Nueva Orleans and Luisiana for her place of birth? Sincerely, --86.81.201.94 (talk) 23:22, 18 June 2015 (UTC)

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LaLaurie mansion history circular citation
The citation for the uses of the mansion after it was rebuilt in 1838 is a property listing that cites this very Wikipedia article as the source. However, in 2007, when this Wikipedia article was cited, it gave no citation for its information. I have not found a new source to replace this source, but a partial replacement source could be the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. Acadiansith (talk) 18:13, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Delphine LaLaurie


text:
User talk:Ben D.

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Andreas Hadik
Hello. I've listed Andreas Hadik on copyright problems because it is a copy of http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/thou/thou08.htm. Copyright violations are not allowed on Wikipedia. If you would like to write the article in your own words, please follow the instructions on the page. Zoe 08:14, August 28, 2005 (UTC)

Talmud
Worry do not about the guy ising the same address from your school. We know that anonymous ips are often used by many people. We only use the "notices" on the talk so we can keep track of addresses that vandalize persistently, but no harm was done anyway and it was a single ocurrence so don't pay much attention. -- ( ☺ drini ♫ | ☎ ) 23:12, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Welcome:
Welcome to Wikiproject Battles. I hope you enjoy the group.

If you need any questions answered, please feel free to post a question on the following's talk pages:

LordAmeth Kirill Lokshin Philip Baird Shearer R.D.H. (Ghost In The Machine) And of course, me.

Happy wiki-ing.

Spawn Man 08:55, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks on my User Page
Thanks, It was probably a sockpuppet of SPUI, he vandalized my page the other day. In gratitude, I want to award you the RickK Antivandalism Barnstar! Keep up the good work! Karmafist 17:30, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

you're welcome
... and I have no idea what he was trying to say. I laughed too. Antandrus (talk) 22:30, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for catching the guy creating all the camp articles
I've blocked him for 15 minutes, to give us time to clean up, and him time to read the warnings you and I gave him. JesseW, the juggling janitor 21:59, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Yowza
Hello! I saw you added a speedy deletion tag to the article Yowza. Unfortunately, the fact that the article is an advertisement generally doesn't mean that it can be speedied unless it meets another of the criteria for speedy deletion. I've listed the article over on AFD; feel free to add your vote. Quicksandish 05:40, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Thanks
I didn't catch that last vandalism from the anon user. Joyous (talk) 02:52, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

VfD Removal
Hi Ben D. A new user removed your submission for deletion of Truthkill immediately after you posted it. This same user has been voting to keep vanity band pages submitted by a recently banned user. Possible sockpuppet? Should the original page be put up for VfD? -- Corvus 17:30, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

WP:CP
Hi, you've reported copyright infringements to WP:CP in the last week, a new measure was recently passed to allow the speedy deltion of new pages that are cut and paste copyvios. Please follow these instructions if you come across this type of copyvio. Thanks. --nixie 00:17, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Jewna

 * My additions to Jewna is new information.--RobotF 11:34, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

no objections
no objections and I apologize for that it was a mistake on my part while I was in the process of deleting many copyrighted logos I also inadvertently removed Firefox logos as well (my brain must have needed to be defragged :) ), feel free to put the logo back on your page however please remember that things like the Opera logo and the Windows logo cannot be used as they are not licensed in a way that's compatible with wikipedia's copyright guidelines. Jtkiefer  T - 20:24, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Teleboards
Thank you for working on NP Patrol and for tagging potential CSD candidates. I notice that you tagged Teleboards, however this article does not really fit the nonsense CSD. Patent nonsense is more like random characters or really really unitelligible gibberish. In this case, I think that the article would better fit the article consisting only of an external link criteria. Please review Speedy deletion criteria, and continue to help us locate articles that need to be deleted, being sure to correctly tag each article with the appropriate CSD criteria. Thanks again for your contributions! Ëvilphoenix Burn! 01:17, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Again, check out the CSD criteria page I linked to. Specifically in this case, A3. Ëvilphoenix Burn! 01:32, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * That would have been fine. Most of the admins running CSD know the criteria by heart. Ëvilphoenix Burn! 01:46, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Who's vandalism
Thanks for the RV. It's sad, they could have just read the page for the answer :) «» Who ? ¿ ? meta  02:26, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

User talk:Admiral Roo
Umm, I don't think it is a good idea to request deletion of someone else's talk page. jni 08:05, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

WP:MIND
Hello. Round four of Wikipedia Mind Benders will open on Thursday, December 1. This round will be drastically different from round three; part one will consist of a creative project, and part two will be developed from there. The full details will be released when the round opens. Time and speed should not be major factors in this round; thus, there is no exact opening time for the round as speed will not factor into the scoring. Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note? ) 00:04, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

P.S. Please add Mind Benders/to do to your watchlist to receive further announcements; the NotificationBot is currently down and all notifications will be placed on that page. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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funny user page.
"This page has been vandalized 6 times." :)) funny, i wanted to change 6 to 7 :)
 * I try. :) Ben D. 03:02, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

WikiProject Military history: Coordinator elections
--Loopy e 04:55, 23 January 2006 (UTC)

Military history WikiProject Newsletter, Issue I
delivered by Loopy e 04:38, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 13:09, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 13:33, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

You're invited! Wiki Loves Pride in Indianapolis
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title: User talk:Ben D.


text:
User:Cactus.man/Sandbox

-- Cactus.man  ✍

148 Chars

-- Cactus.man   ✍

177 Chars

-- Cactus.man   ✍

-- Cactus.man   ✍

Art, architecture, and archaeology

Archaeology
Archaeology ♦ Egyptian pyramids

Architecture
Hawaiian architecture ♦ Kitchen

Art
Carolingian Gospel Book (British Library, MS Add. 11848) ♦ Drawing

Biology and medicine

Animals and plants (living and extinct)
Ammonite ♦ Atlantic herring

Biographies of biologists and medical scientists
Darwin, Charles ♦ Dawkins, Richard

Biology
Arp2/3 complex ♦ Bacteria

Smiley Template
or just, since no parameter defaults in a smile.

To get a tongue smiley, for example, do or. Rest of examples can be found in code, but heck, I'll document it anyway.

Other invocations/tranclusions:

colon/apostrophe/closeParen :'( - for a crying image. colon/capitalD :D - for an emoticon for a delighted emoticon.  colon/openParen :( gives semicolon/closeParen ;) gives eight/hyphen/closeParen 8-) gives semicolon/capitalD ;D gives colon/capitalS colon/lowerS colon/question :S :s, and :? gives openParen/idea/closeParen (idea) gives colon/capitalP colon/lowerP :P and :p gives

WikiStress

title: User:Cactus.man/Sandbox


text:
.470 Capstick

The .470 Capstick is a rifle cartridge created by Col. Arthur B Alphin from A-Square in 1990, named after writer and hunter Peter Hathaway Capstick. It is based on a .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and necked to accept a .475 inch (12 mm) bullet. With 500 grain (32 g) bullets, it can achieve 2400 feet per second (730 m/s) muzzle velocity from a 26" barrel.

Overview
Although it is not very flat shooting because of slow velocities, it is flat enough for use out to 250 yards (230 m). It transmits an extreme amount of power at over 6,000 ft·lbf (8,000 J) and is designed for use on dangerous game out to 200 yd. Like other large cartridges, the high energy performance is accompanied by a large amount of recoil.

The Capstick is very similar in dimension to the .470 Ackley, but where the Ackley uses a 600 gr bullet, the Capstick uses a lighter 500 gr bullet for a better trajectory.

The cartridge
The .470 Capstick is a belted magnum with the same rim and belt size as a .375 H&H. The case has a length of 2.800 in, and the overall cartridge length is 3.65 in. A cartridge drawing is shown below for dimensions.

The .470 Capstick will fit in the same length action as the .375 H&H Magnum and .458 Lott. Actually the .458 Lott is a good measuring stick for the .470 Capstick. The Capstick has a bullet that has 7% more cross sectional area than the .458 Lott, which, in theory, would result in more shock transfer to game and a larger wound channel.. As for powder capacity and velocity, they are similar, with the .470 Capstick having a slight edge in powder capacity and therefore a slight edge in theoretical velocity. However, for field use the .470 Capstick and .458 Lott should have identical performance because the differences between them are rather small.

That being said, the differences in field results between the .458 Winchester Magnum and the .470 Nitro Express should be nonexistent, because both push a 500 gr bullet at 2150 ft/s But some people have noted an observable difference in the way shot game behaves with those two cartridges, possibly due to the greater cross sectional area of the .474 in bullet. If desired, the .470 Capstick can be used to create a ballistic twin to the .470 Nitro Express, pushing a 500 gr bullet at 2150 ft/s while generating low pressure.

For those who remember the .475 Ackley, it is similar to the .470 Capstick, except that the Capstick has a ghost shoulder which allows the cartridge to achieve excellent accuracy. Use of a ghost shoulder, rather than a continuous taper on the case wall, helps the cartridge to line up concentrically with the bore axis, contributing to accuracy.

Although it is possible to use 600 gr bullets in the .470 Capstick cartridge, the powder capacity is not sufficient to push 600 gr at anything near 2300 ft/s without high pressure, so this is not the best bullet weight for the Capstick. 500 gr bullets seem to be the best all-around compromise. With full power loads, recoil is significant but not difficult to control or become accustomed to. Recoil from the cast lead bullet load shown below is almost nonexistent. For plinking or light game hunting, 400 gr pistol bullets are a candidate, but they generate almost as much recoil as 500 gr bullets. The advantage of 400 gr bullets is that they are inexpensive and will open up quickly on light game. In my rifle they also tend to hit at least 6 in higher than the 500 gr bullets, creating an inconvenience for the hunter who wishes to use both bullets on the same hunting excursion.

The rifles
Currently factory rifles in .470 Capstick are available from A-Square, from the Winchester Custom Shop and from Fuchs Fine Guns. However, that short list should not disappoint the reader because there are many options for building a nice custom rifle in .470 Capstick. Any action that can handle the .375 H&H Magnum is a suitable candidate.

The easiest conversion is a CZ550 that came from the factory in .375 H&H Magnum, .458 Winchester Magnum or .458 Lott. All that has to be done is to replace the barrel with another in .470 Capstick. Barrels are available from Lothar-Walther and Pac-Nor. A 2nd recoil lug must be added to the underside of the barrel and inletted into the forearm of the stock. The 2nd recoil lug will spread recoil that the stock is exposed to, across a wider surface area to avoid splitting the stock. Glass or steel bedding is recommended. Some minor polishing or adjusting of the ramp and rails may be needed, and then the rifle is ready to shoot. The advantage of the CZ550 conversion is that they typically hold 5 rounds in the magazine box plus one in the chamber, and very little work is usually needed to get them to feed.

A Winchester Model 70 Classic (claw extractor) can also easily be converted to .470 Capstick. In addition to the steps above, the magazine box spring must also be replaced with one that has a traditional Z-shape instead of the curly-Q style that the factory provides. The Winchester conversion may only hold 2 cartridges in the magazine box, unless you purchase an extra deep magazine box and bottom metal from Sunny Hill, Williams Firearms, Jim Wisner or Ted Blackburn. Use of an extra deep magazine box necessitates replacement of the stock with another stock having greater depth of wood. Alternatively, it may be possible to fit 3 rounds in a model 70 conversion with the factory magazine box if the follower is replaced with one having a lower profile, or if the follower is milled to shorten it.

Another option is to rebuild a surplus military Mauser 98 action to be a .470 Capstick dangerous game rifle. This is a very involved project and includes replacing the magazine box/bottom metal, spring and follower and opening up the receiver to match it. Further, some machining of the new magazine box may be needed, since no one makes a magazine box expressly intended to hold 4 rounds of .470 Capstick. Proper feeding is not easy to accomplish and requires a big bore expert.

The stepped feed rails plus a modified feed ramp, achieve smooth feeding of flat nosed solid bullets in this rifle. Any of these routes can result in a very functional and very accurate dangerous game rifle. Frankly speaking, there are not a lot of gunsmiths who know how to get a big bore to feed properly, making the CZ550 conversion very attractive because there is so little to do.

In the field
The .470 Capstick is designed for use as a dangerous game cartridge but it has proven very useful on light game as well. The key is to select a bullet suitable for the game. If a bullet designed for use on cape buffalo is used on whitetails, it undoubtedly will not expand. For light game, Hawk bullets which expand quickly or 400 gr pistol bullets may be best. When the .470 Capstick is loaded with a 500 gr bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2300 ft/s and sighted in 3 in high at 100 yd, it is only about a foot low at 300 yd, giving it more effective range than many cartridges which are popular for deer and elk hunting.

Another consideration in choosing a bullet for hunting is the velocity window of the bullet. For example, the 500 gr Woodleigh soft point is designed to expand at .470 Nitro Express velocities (2150 fps), and if pushed to the 2400 ft/s potential of the .470 Capstick, the Woodleigh will tend to expand very quickly and sacrifice penetration. The Woodleigh soft nose was designed to expand at the lower velocities of the .470 Nitro Express, and the fact that it held together at all in the .470 Capstick is testimony to the Woodleigh's toughness. Penetration was just over 3 ft.

title: .470 Capstick


text:
User talk:Jryall

Untagged image
An image you uploaded, Image:City of langley coat of arms.jpg, was tagged with the coatofarms copyright tag. This tag was deleted because it does not actually specify the copyright status of the image. The image may need a more accurate copyright tag, or it may need to be deleted. If the image portrays a seal or emblem, it should be tagged as seal. If you have any questions, ask them at Media copyright questions. -- 15:15, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:Jryall


text:
Mentha requienii

Mentha requienii, or Corsican mint, is an herb and species of mint, native to Corsica, Sardinia, and Montecristo Island, and naturalized in Portugal and in the British Isles. It is a very low-growing species with bright green leaves and a strong minty aroma.

Description
Corsican mint is one of the smallest members of the mint family. It grows to 3–10 cm tall, with small oval leaves 2–7 mm long and tiny mauve flowers in July and August that are insect pollinated. It has a strong aroma of peppermint.

Distribution
Corsican mint is native to Corsica, Sardinia and the Montecristo island. It has become naturalised in other parts of the world and is regarded as an invasive species in south eastern United States.

Use in the garden
Mentha requienii can be used in landscaping as a bedding plant, giving out a desirable mint smell when trodden on. Because it can indeed be walked upon without dying, it is sometimes used to line walkways, growing between stepping stones. Unlike most other cultivated mints, this plant stays diminutive and thrives in shady garden areas. However, if given too much moisture the leaves will rot. The best way to avoid this is to let the plant dry out between waterings, but not too much, because it is drought-sensitive. Baby's tears is used as a substitute in areas where Corsican mint is too fragile.

Corsican mint, along with pennyroyal, is thought to be one of the best mints to grow as a companion to brassica plants like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, et cetera. It repels certain pest insects, in part by obscuring the smell of the crop to be protected, and may also enhance flavor.

Use in the kitchen
This plant is also used in cuisine, most famously as the flavoring in crème de menthe. It is sometimes said to have a scent similar to pennyroyal.

Other uses
In traditional medicine this plant has been used as an antiseptic, a carminative and a febrifuge. The smell of mint is disliked by rats and mice and this plant has been used for strewing on the floor to deter rodents.

title: Mentha requienii


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Request-A-Song.com

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was DELETE. Paul August ☎ 03:38, September 6, 2005 (UTC)

Request-A-Song.com and related pages

 * This is a blanket nomination for the article along with its armada of redirects, RAS 2002, RAS 2003, RAS 2004, RAS 2005, Best Of Request - Vol. 1 (October 2002 - March 2003), Hollow Earth Productions, Benj Edwards, Jeremy Edwards (musician), and anything else contributed by user:Docarnold; with the exception of explodingdog, which I'm explicitly ignoring.

Spam. And on a professional scale: the article was created on April 14 and a handful of gratuitous links to it were added shortly afterwards. In short, Request-A-Song.com are a band who fail WP:MUSIC, named after a website which fails WP:WEB. Delete all. Flowerparty talk 07:56, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment. I have made intial editor aware of VfD and pointed them here, no vote as yet, will wade through each individually. Alf 12:55, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete all - self-promotion of someone's pet project - releases on their own "label", lots of MP3s, and no evidence of notability. CDC   (talk)  18:08, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete all, vanity, advertising. Dpbsmith (talk) 20:32, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete all, vanity, no Alexa rank. Andrew pmk | Talk 22:03, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * speedy delete __earth 04:58, August 29, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete all.  ral  315  17:38, August 29, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. BodyTag 10:08, 31 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. per Flowerparty. explodingalf 15:11, 2 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. Sorry, but this is ridiculous. The article was neither spam nor vanity.  Read my comments on the discussion page.  docarnold 02:42 14 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.


text:
Beatrisa Liang

Beatrisa "Bebe" Liang (born March 31, 1988) is an American retired figure skater. She is the 2006 Four Continents bronze medalist, 2006 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, and 2007 U.S. national pewter medalist.

Career
Liang was coached by Tiffany Chin for ten years until 2004.

Making her senior national debut, Liang placed sixth at the 2001 U.S. Championships, at the age of thirteen. She was assigned to the 2002 World Junior Championships and placed fourth. The following season, Liang won a pair of silver medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and qualified for the JGP Final, where she placed fourth. She finished sixth at the 2003 World Junior Championships.

Liang debuted on the senior Grand Prix series in the 2003–04 season, placing fourth at the 2003 Trophée Lalique and fifth at the 2003 Cup of Russia.

In 2004, Liang changed coaches to Christy Ness in Oakland, California, commuting five hours each day. She placed fifth at the 2005 U.S. Championships and was assigned to the 2005 Four Continents Championships where she placed seventh.

In May 2005, Liang changed coaches to Frank Carroll and Ken Congemi at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. She won bronze at the 2005 Nebelhorn Trophy and placed fourth at the 2005 Skate America. After another fifth-place finish at the U.S. Championships, Liang was sent to the 2006 Four Continents Championships and won the bronze medal. She was one of four figure skaters featured on the 2006 TLC series Ice Diaries.

In the 2006–07 season, Liang won gold at the 2006 Nebelhorn Trophy and pewter at the 2007 U.S. Championships. The following season, she came in fifth nationally, eleventh at Four Continents, and tenth in her only appearance at the senior World Championships.

Liang retired from competition in 2010.

She is currently the head coach for the Los Angeles Ice Theater Junior Team, previously coaching the Novice Team. She led the Novice team to two National silver medals and 8th place at the 2015 Nations Cup and the Junior team to a pewter medal at the 2016 National Theater on Ice Championships.

Personal life
Liang is also a pianist. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a B.S. in kinesiology and an option in exercise science. She is also a part of C.O.S.M.I.C dance crew. She excels in many genres of dance: ballet, modern, hip hop and contemporary.

Competitive highlights
GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

title: Beatrisa Liang


text:
Superman Escape

Superman Escape is an Intamin Accelerator Coaster at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The ride opened on Boxing Day (26 December), 2005. It is the fourth roller coaster in the theme park. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in two seconds.

Construction and opening
By June 2005, construction was well under-way for Superman Escape with the area cleared ready for the ride. The ride caused the removal of the Movie Magic Special Effects Show and the Looney Tunes Musical Revue (the latter of which was relocated to the Show Stage). By August 2005, the launch track was constructed in addition to support for the ride's first element, a top hat. At this time 43 pieces of track still remained to be constructed. During August the top hat was constructed as well as the first of two camel humps. By mid September the second camel hump was constructed. With the roller coaster's construction completed in October, the focus turned to theming and landscaping before the ride's official opening on 26 December 2005.

Marketing
During construction the ride was heavily marketed in print, television, radio, online, in-park and outdoor advertising. Warner Bros. Movie World launched teaser campaign entitled 01002. This line referred to the launch: 0 to 100 km/h in 2 seconds. A competition was run to determine who could decipher this code first. In-park advertising consisted of banners which read "It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! Launching December 2005.".

Characteristics
Superman Escape is an Accelerator Coaster manufactured by Intamin, a Swiss roller coaster firm. As with all Accelerator Coasters, the ride features a hydraulic launch.

Trains
In peak periods, Superman Escape operates with two trains. A single train features five cars, each seating riders in two rows of two. The trains are of an open design and feature over the shoulder restraints. When operating with both trains, the ride's capacity is 480 riders per hour.

Statistics
Superman Escape features 760 m of track. The initial launch sees riders accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2 seconds. The ride reaches a height of 40 m with riders experiencing 3.2 times the force of gravity. A single cycle of the ride takes approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds.

Theme
As the name suggests, Superman Escape is themed after DC Comics' Superman character. The ride is located within a superhero hub at Warner Bros. Movie World which encompasses a variety of rides including Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy, Batwing Spaceshot, Green Lantern Coaster, and Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D. The theming in the show building prior to Superman Escape's launch was developed by local Gold Coast firm, FX Illusions.

Ride experience
The ride starts in a MRT (Metropolis Rapid Transit) subway station. Warnings of tremors make it essential to move to the next station. This move is done via a typical tyre drive system. Many special effects follow such as gas mains bursting, a pumping station blowing resulting in a flood and collapsing walls. Then a blue streak is seen followed by Superman saying "Don't worry folks, there's only one way out of this mess. Heads back. I'll push you out of here. Fast. Superman fast." This line is followed by the main 100 km/h launch. The train launches up the ride's top hat, followed by a heavily banked turn to the right. The train then speeds up and over the first camel hump before briefly entering the second story of the ride's station building for a sharp left hand turn. Upon exiting the building riders enter the second camel hump, which creates a headchopper effect with the first. The third banked turn wraps in parallel to the first, but crosses over it and into the brake run. At this point riders will hear John Williams' famous score from Superman. There was a gift shop after the ride where people could buy Superman merchandise and on-ride photos, however this has been replaced by automated photo booths where riders can save the photos and have them printed at the Photo Booth in the park.

title: Superman Escape