Best/Finest Police in the World (1874); Remembering Rima; Daily Candy

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

REMEMBERING RIMA
  
This is horrible news. I didn't even know that Rima had been ill.
  
I saw her just one time, in 1999 at the DSNA meeting in Berkeley. I always 
thought that I'd see her again sometime. I enjoyed her posts here on ADS-L.
    
She seemed like a happy, pleasant spirit.
  
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COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC
  
I'll never match my friend Tyler Cowen at these things (he's been to 60 
countries!), but here goes:
  
WHERE DID BARRY POPIK GO FOR DIINNER LAST NIGHT?--Boi (Food of Vietnam), East 
44th Street between Third and Second Avenues. It opened November 2003 and was 
reviewed by William Grimes in December 2003. Boy, it's good.
www.boi-restaurant.com
  
WHAT ABOUT EARLIER THIS WEEK?--Hummus, St. Marks Place between First Avenue 
and Avenue A. It opened about three weeks ago. Try the Hummus Full. If you 
don't like hummus, you can order SPAM--but they don't have SPAM. They have hummus.
  
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DAILY CANDY
  
What on earth is the Daily Candy doing gettting a free ad in Sunday's New 
York Times Magazine's "On Language: column?
  
The Daily Candy? That piece of crap about where to shop? Who even knows if 
the stores don't pay Daily Candy for the buzz?
  
Yes, the Daily Candy has had a few lexicon roundups. I've mentioned them in 
this space several times before. They're totally lame. That qualifies the Daily 
Candy for an "On Language" spot, over Fred Shapiro or me? Or Larry Horn?
  
"Mouse potato." That's new for 2004?
  
"Gu." Geographically undesirable.  I must have heard that TWENTY FIVE YEARS 
AGO! Also, it's not "goo." It's "Gee You." Like "G.Q."  Never "goo!"
  
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BEST/FINEST POLICE IN THE WORLD
  
I was re-reading the DAILY GRAPHIC (from 1873) for the Republican Elephant 
and Democratic Donkey, but I got tired and library time expired when I was in 
August 1874. Maybe again next Saturday I'll have a whole, entire, free day 
without parking tickets to finish this.
  
"Finest Police in the World" was allegedly spoken by Police Chief George 
Matsell, but no one has been able to find the quotation for Fred Shapiro use. I've 
now located a pretty close time range for it, and it appears that it's "BEST 
police in the world." I hadn't looked for "best" while searching for "finest."
  
The NYPD will never give me anything for this work, of course. If anyone asks 
you about the origin, say that "the Finest" comes from whores.
  
  
27 March 1874, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 200:
"THE MODEL POLICEMAN."
Police brutality us shown. The phrase is not here in this cartoon.
  
6 April 1874, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 272:
"OUR POLICE."
More police brutality is shown. Again, the phrase is not here, probably 
because it did not exist.
  
13 July 1874, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 86:
(Police Officer:--ed.)
GIVE US OUR PAY
WE ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD
  
President Matsell as he appeared airing his new office before Capt. Gunner.
Part of the "best force in the world."
  

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) 
Thieves and Beggars.
New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Aug 7, 1870. p. 4 (1 
page)    
When we consider that this great army of criminals is continually preying 
upon society, and as continually being hunted by a large body of the 
best-organized Police in the world, it is a little singular that the ranks are constantly 
swelling rather than diminishing.
(London--ed.)
    
 
A POLICEMAN OUT FOR A HOLIDAY.
New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Sep 28, 1874. p. 2 (1 
page) 
To the Editor of the New-York Times:
Seeing that you have taken an interest in behalf of the rank and file of the 
Police Department, I venture to address this note to you. After the issuing of 
that tyrannical order of the President of the so-styled best Police force in 
the world, I will give you my first and last day's experience, hoping you will 
published it for the benefit of the public, and let them know what we have 
got to contend with in case we go out with our families.
  
I started from an up-town street neat Seventh avenue, with my family; 
destination Central Park; my child on my arms, I, of course, in full uniform. First 
greeting, by twenty youngsters, with a bonfire in full blast, "Cheese it, Cop!" 
"Cheese it, Cop!" scampering off. (...)
        
OLD SALTS" WATCH.
New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Dec 19, 1874. p. 5 (1 
page):
Hon. Thomas G. Alvord, member of Assembly from Onondaga County and 
Ex-Lieutenant Governor fo the State, lost his gold watch in a Broadway stage on 
Wednesday last. Capt. Irving, of the Detective Squad, was notified and began working 
around to recover his property. The watch was a present from the members of the 
Legislature of 1870, and was valued at $500. Yesterday afternoon a 
well-dressed young man called at the Metropolitan Hotel, and left a package for Mr. 
Alvord. The package contained the watch, which had the ring twisted out of it in 
the most approve fashion. Mr. Alvord last night said, "The New-York Police are 
the finest Police in the world."
  
MASQUERADES.
New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Feb 26, 1875. p. 6 (1 
page):
The best organized Police force in the world, and the most rigid regulations 
with regard to costumes, were of small avail.
(Paris--ed.)
     
14 July 1875, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 8: ...”the finest Police force in the World.
”
(New York--ed.)
  
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FATHER KNICKERBOCKER
  
This symbol of New York City (our Uncle Sam, if you will), has been 
completely forgotten. The words and phrases index to Irving Lewis Allen's CITY IN SLANG 
(1993) includes neither "Father Knickerbocker" nor even "Knickerbocker." Here 
are some cartoon representations.
    
  
4 October 1873, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 665:
(Caption--ed.)
Father Knickerbocker--...
  
24 October 1873, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 801:
OUR LOCAL POLITICIANS SHEARING FATHER KNICKERBOCKER'S LITTLE SHEEP.
  
28 October 1873, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 825:
FATHER KNICKERBOCKER AS MACBETH.
  
18 November 1873,  THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 113:
FATHER KNICKERBOCKER GIVES A MAGIC LANTERN HINT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF WHAT 
MIGHT HAPPEN.
    
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WATERED STOCKS
  
Again, my work on financial terms was posted on ADS-L in 1998. It's all 
unavailable or destroyed completely. I don't know what the HDAS will have, but this 
may be useful.
    
  
24 September 1873, THE DAILY GRAPHIC (NY), pg. 593:
AQUA IMPURA FOR WATERING STOCKS.