SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 40
SECTION A
JULY 7, 2017
$1.00
Re-enactors fi nd connections,
lessons in Civil War stories
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Joe Cross stepped away
from his modern life and
comforts over the long Fourth
of July weekend to play the
role of a Confederate surgeon
at the Northwest Civl War
Council re-enactment, but
the things he's learned while
researching his role have had
far-reaching effects on his
personal life.
Cross joined a legion of
fellow history buffs for the
annual
re-enactments
at
Powerland Heritage Park in
Brooks July 1-4.
Last year, Cross had one
of his legs amputated and
struggled to adapt to his new
circumstances even with a
modern prosthetic.
“I was going through a
period where I thought I
should be walking by now, I
shouldn't have a problem,”
Cross, a Portland resident, said.
His
struggles
weren't
helped by a tidal wave of
media portrayals showing
athletes and military veterans
doing any number of things
on prosthetics not much
different from his. Then a
friend in the re-enactment
community brought him a
letter from a Civil War soldier
struggling with an amputation
and prosthetic, which, in
the 1860s, would have been
porcelain wrapped in rope and
strapped to the man's leg.
“I read his account and
realized I wasn't the fi rst one
to go through this. He picked
himself up and did it. It gave
me inspiration to keep going
and working at it. I still have
to use a walker to walk, but
this time last year I couldn't
even stand,” Cross said.
Cross has been taking
part in re-enactments for
more than 40 years and had
roles in Revolutionary War,
War of 1812 and medieval
productions, but the Civil War
is the one that keeps pulling
him back.
“I think it was the most
Volcanoes
bullpen
disappoints
PAGE A10
ABOVE: Joe Cross wuth some of the tools of hus trade as the Confederate surgeon un
the Northwest Cuvul War Councul re-enactments at Powerland Herutage Park (photo
by Eruc A. Howald). LEFT: Tum O'Neal crafts a puece of a Cumberland pontoon, a
foldung brudge (photo by Random Pendragon).
“ I thunk ut was the most
defi nung moment of thus
country. You wull have a
hard tume fi ndung a war as
devastatung as thus and yet
the natuon healed utself and
became one agaun.”
— Joe Cross
defi ning moment of this
country. You will have a
hard time fi nding a war as
devastating as this and yet
the nation healed itself and
became one again,” Cross said.
Crediting Abraham Lincoln
elicits a hiss and
jeer from a passing
Confederate
friend, but Cross is adamant.
“(Lincoln)
had
such
forethought
and
never
wavered from what he felt
needed to be done,” Cross said.
Cross started as infantry,
and worked his way up to
fi eld command and running
the artillery before strapping
on a bloody surgeon's apron
and beginning to assemble a
macabre collection of tools
used in the fi eld for everything
from fi rst aid to surgery.
While the tools look
Portable magic
What Keizerites are
reading this summer
With the lazy days of sum-
mer still ahead, Keizertimes
asked some of the city's local
dignitaries and public fi gures
which books were on their
nightstands this summer. If
you're looking for a good book
to curl up with in the sun, this
list has a wide array of starting
points.
JEFF AUVINEN, McNary
High School teacher/head
football coach
Recommendation: Unstop-
pable by Anthony Robles
It's the story of an amazing
young man and the challenges
that he faced growing up and
becoming an amazing wrestler
and national champion despite
being born with only one leg.
I heard him speak at the AVID
conference in Denver in 2015
and he was the most motivating
speaker that I have ever heard.
The book is not nearly as riv-
eting as his speech was, but it
is still an entertaining story, es-
pecially if you like sports and
wrestling.
D E B B I E
L O C K H A RT,
Keizer
Deputy
City Recorder
Recommenda-
tion: The Golem
and the Jinni, by
Helen Wecker
It is a fantasy/
historical fi ction
book that takes
place in old New
York’s tenements.
I loved the book
and was disap-
pointed to fi nd
that she has not
written any oth-
ers, but her web-
site says she's
working on a se-
quel.
Also recom-
mended: The Short
somewhat threatening, Cross
himself is a font of knowledge
regarding techniques of the
day and how each of the
implements was used. He
had several bundles of horse
hair on display that were used
for stitches. Surgeons of the
time boiled the hair which
strengthened it and gave it
elasticity.
“After a while, they realized
there were fewer infections
when they used the horse hair.
But it took them even longer
to realize it was because they
had sterilized it before use,”
Cross said.
Amid the knives and saws
are some more unusual items
like a large funnel used to
administer chloroform by
covering the nose and mouth.
Cherry City
Waxworks
now open
PAGE A2
Excahnge
student
heads home
PAGE A5
Please see WAR, Page A3
Drop by Matthew Fitzsimmons,
The Bill Hodges Trilogy (Mr. Mer-
cedes, Finders Keepers and End of
Watch) by Stephen King, and
The Client and The Juror by
John Grisham.
JEFF KUHNS, Keizer Dep-
uty Police Chief
Recommendation: How To
Be A Bawse – A Guide To Con-
quering Life by Lilly Singh
I read the book because my
son, Kyle, who lives and works
managing artists in Hollywood,
is the day-to-day manager for
Lilly who released her fi rst
Please see READING, Page A8
Knock Knock . Who’s there?
Hoopsters
in Spokane
PAGE A11
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