Babbs > Recent Status Updates

Reading at the recommendation of a friend, but it's already feeling repetitive. If I still drank, I could make a game out of taking a drink every time the author references 2 degrees, not as a reference point, because the comparisons between changes 0.5 degrees less or more are useful, but just the same "2 degrees is the standard" comment.

Seriously considering a DNF on this one. The writing style is overly simple and repetitive, and we bounce around so much with each chapter being a different "career woman", often without context, and the first few chapters for each introduction is also not chronological. While the title focuses on 5th avenue, the narrative has actually taken us to other major US cities, often, without explicitly stating the change

This one is going to take a while but so far it's both interesting and well written

I've read this in my mid-teens, late 20s, and now, the last year of my 30s, and it's been a different book each time. So glad I decided to pick this up again. I've got a pretty deep dislike for Frannie this go around, though her "things to remember" diary sections were especially nostalgic on this reread.

Favorite moment so far: a character describing walking in open air after spending their life in small domes and ships—no suit needed

This has been such an enjoyable listen! I'm definitely going to checkout others by this same individual.

I’m trying to read one story a night but it’s a little overwhelming. I’ll likely dip in and out of this over the next several months

Went back to the library before I could finish it so I’m on hold for a bit waiting my turn in line

This book really needed better focus, at least for my own enjoyment. It presents the information with such broad strokes trying to paint the environment for each outbreak, but isn’t linear in time, and often gets off topic. While it has had a few gems, it could also be topic fatigue on my part, making me enjoy this less than if it wasn’t a major reading binge in 2020

A good start but feels a little “class lecture” or overly leading for the reader for my tastes

A very powerful read thus far. I’m always amazed at the amount of history I’m unaware of, even after years of seeking knowledge to fill in holes, I’m often just left with more spaces I was ignorant to that require further reading. It looks like the early 1600s to mid 1700s require further exploration as, sadly, most of this has been new to me.

Every single time "offices" is written it is misspelled as "office s", which is at least once per page because of the topic of the book, and it's driving me nuts. This as well as other misspellings or conversion to ebook errors as well means this really needed an additional edit.

This has been an incredibly slow read for me, mostly because of recurrent confusion on my part, but I have also really enjoyed what I’ve read so far. Here is to hoping I can finally get it finished before years end

This has been excellent so far, and a great supplement/continuation to several of the books I recently finished.

"crime waves" and further exploration of why Chicago was not the place to be in this time period. Focuses on felony crimes and the increase in crime in certain areas due to a pull of police for anti-strike forces or to protect corporations

I really underestimated the "spitting" problem in the late 1800/early 1900's. This is the second or third book I've read recently about that period that has mentioned the issue and prevalence of public spitting

I'm gathering that Chicago was particularly horrible in the late 1800s to early 1900s. In 1950 nearly 50% had "special duty" assignments that were specific off duty work like security at a specific business, bribes or splitting of vice activity, and delivery of bribes. Patrolman pay was considered "base salary" to these additional sources of income

1910 Columbus, and 1913 Indianapolis police refused orders and mutinied. The significance of these police mutinies is not that they occurred but that there were only two in 40 years of strikebreaking activity. Physical force was ordered on not just those that were striking but on anyone in the area, including women observing the strike or trying to intervene

Police and their role in strikes: the Great Strike (1877), Haymarket (1886), Homestead (1892), Pullman (1894), Lawrence (1912), Paterson (1913), Chicago had 92 in 1904

John T Janssen, Milwaukee's third police chief in 1888 and stayed in office for 33 years

Restructure of the Buffalo police force by William S. Bull in 1894 (ending political appointments, use of the signal system, improved work hours with a three shift/8hr system) followed by Mike Regan who was anti-immigrant and anti-working class.

Commissioners in the 1890s were considered part time, but received ~3x the pay of a full-time patrolman--$2500 vs $900 ($1000 for a Sgt). The board met 2-3x/wk or 100-150/yr.

For a fee of $25 in 1881 (two weeks wages for a labor) a police call box could be installed in any residence or store and 400 were purchased in Chicago. This service rendered to the wealthy and to businessmen clearly shows the class bias of this innovation.

The "golden rule" book was tried in a dozen cities between 1907-1914, allowing petty offenders to go free. Though it was promoted as a working-class measure, it also increased police efficiency by avoiding "wasteful" arrests and allowing patrolmen to concentrate on social control. Turn-over also decreased from pre and post 1900, meaning more officers were long-term

.. at least 70% of America's cities w/ a population of 20,000 or more in 1850 saw major disorders between 1830 and 1865, totaling 80 major riots. The complex reasons for these riots are rooted in changing class relations of the period.

The expansion occured partially by the merger of existing night watch, constabulary forces, city marshal's officers, creating a unified day-to-night force staffed by full-time officers. This started pre-civil war (expansion 1865-1900 per the previous passage) frequent reorganization occured through 1915

A drastic change in resources and municipal growth from the end of the civil war to 1900. Departments pre-war were only a few dozen men but by 1900 many police departments numbered 500 to 1000 men, or in some cases even more. In 1905 urban public expenditure was second (14.2%, minus corrections) only to education (24%)

"The increasing isolation of the police institution from other public institutions put police officers outside the normal measures of public control that might have restrained them. These processes [...], reflect the special importance of the police in the class struggle."