The
Eclectic
Newsletter
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Today’s topics include an island and a language. Strange things abound!
That said, let’s dive into the odd and obscure.
Is it Bullying? Pushing Around an Island.
Photo: John Buvala
It’s 1923. A large swamp in Wisconsin has been flooded to create the Chippewa Flowage.
Now known as Lake Chippewa, this locale has a unique feature.
You see, peat bogs that rose to the surface after the flooding started growing other plants from seeds brought in by birds 🐦⬛ and wind 🍃.
One particular bog is the largest at approximately 40 acres and has fully mature trees.
Unfortunately, this bog moves around the lake because the trees catch the wind like sails on a boat.
While this might seem to be nothing more than an interesting phenomenon, it becomes a problem when the bog island 🏝️ blocks water access to a bridge 🌉 connecting the East and West sides of the lake.
Causing the locals to take matters into their own hands, so to speak.
Dozens of boaters team up nearly every year to move the island away from the bridge.
It takes a well-coordinated effort to move such a massive floating structure, sometimes as many as 25 boats.
Magical things happen when we all work together!
Universal Language… Since 1887!
Many people have struggled with learning languages for international travel 🧳✈️.
Wouldn’t it be great if one language was understood the world over?
A Polish ophthalmologist thought so… in 1887.
He and his wife created a language now known as Esperanto.
Dr. Zamenhof hoped his new language could connect people worldwide 🌐 through an enriched communication ability.
Since it was not based on an established language already in use, it could be a second language for everyone, simplifying global interactions.
It gained popularity, and in 1905, global conventions were held for Esperantists. Around 1908, some countries, including the Republic of China, began teaching it.
The Universal Esperanto Association was headquartered in Switzerland during World War One.
The League of Nations (the precursor to the United Nations) considered a proposal for Esperanto to be used in international relations.
During the Depression of the 1930s, however, nationalism in various countries and the Nazi movement speakers of Esperanto were vilified, arrested, and even imprisoned.
It’s difficult to say how many people have learned Esperanto today. Duolingo offers Esperanto in its language catalog.
There are 16 grammatical rules with no exceptions. Its phonetics are constant, and there are no irregular verbs.
Best of all, the stress is always placed on the second to last syllable. No guessing how to pronounce words!
You can even get a college degree in the language in China, Poland, and The Netherlands.
