21 May 2007

Vol I Issue X ~ 21 May 2007


* * *


CONTENTS:

  1. Statement by Mrs.Junie Ginsburg
  2. Letter from the Editor
  3. May Town Hall Meeting Minutes
  4. Babbage-Lovelace Park
  5. New Babbage Canal Steam Boat Race!
  6. Prominent Men & Women Of The Day
  7. Literary Corner
  8. Events & Announcements
  9. Classified Advertisements
  10. New Babbage and Steampunk FAQ
  11. Contact, Circulation, and other Essential Information for the Reader

___________________________________________________________________________


STATEMENT BY MRS. JUNIE GINSBURG


New Babbage is growing in new directions, and so is this paper. Effective as of this issue, The New Babbage Cog is now the property of New Babbage. Personally, getting the paper up and running was a fantastic challenge, and reader response was overwhelmingly positive. As gratifying as it is to work on a successful project, however, there are several others to which I'd like to direct my attention, primarily growing the business that I run with my husband. And so I leave the readership of the Cog in the capable hands of Mayor Shaunathan Sprocket, as the new owner of the paper, and Miss Eggberta Echegaray as it's new Editor In Chief. I have full confidence in their ability to deliver an informative and entertaining read to the New Babbage community. All my best wishes and thanks to all of the readers who helped get The New Babbage Cog off the ground! Please continue to give your support to the paper as it continues to grow and evolve along with New Babbage.









In your service,

Mrs. Junie Ginsburg


___________________________________________________________________________


LETTER FROM THE EDITOR


Dear Fellow New Babbagers,


On behalf of Mayor Sprocket and myself, we would like to graciously thank Mrs.Ginsburg, for starting The New Babbage Cog from the ground up, and for her service as Editor in Chief. As the newspaper falls onto public domain, Mrs.Ginsburg has provided us with an excellent platform to continue on from. We bid Mrs.Ginsburg a fond farewell from her role, and wish her and Mr.Ginsburg the best of luck with

their business endeavors. As for myself, it is with a humble honour, that I publicly take over the role of Editor in Chief for The New Babbage Cog. With my former tenure with assisting Mrs.Ginsburg, I have gained excellent publishing experience, and it is my hope, that I will be able to undertake the role as Editor in Chief, as ambivalent as Mrs.Ginsburg has proven. A new location for the The New Babbage Cog building is in the works, but you can find the temporary location at “The Willow Tea Room. For now, the newspaper will be published on a monthly basis, until the roles of an Editorial Assistant, and volunteer freelance writers/photographers are filled. Then the issues will progress back to being distributed bi-weekly or weekly, depending on how much information is collected.










At your service,

Miss Eggberta Echegaray


__________________________________________________________________


May Town Hall Meeting Minutes



May 5, 2007- 1pm - 2:30pm SL time

Attendees: Intolerable Ginsburg, Pumpkin Tripsa, Daequix Scarborough,Solivar Scarbough, Reitsuki Kojima, Suhpen Paravane, Pizzini Mayo, Arthur Conan Doyle, Salazar Jack, Primate Champollion, Arabella Steadham, Cyn Peccable, Pizzini Mayo, Erehwon Yoshikawa, Ordinal Malaprop, Khashai Steinbeck, Eggberta Echegaray.


The Canal District Sim



The canal district sim has been ordered and should be delivered by Linden Labs, either Monday May 7th or Tuesday May 8th. Once the sim arrives, it will be locked down and available only to an access list for about 24-48 hours, so that Mayor Sprocket can do the terraforming. The row houses for the Sim are 90% complete and should be ready on time.


New Babbage Train



Mr. Kojima has been in charge of making New Babbage’s train for the industrial district. Once the train is complete, it will get scripted, and the first rail line will run from the canal district to the stockyard. The train should run twice an hour, more or less. Mr Kojima states that there will be only one passenger car, however...with envisioning the seating, perhaps a half dozen to a dozen passengers will be able to ride it. Mayor Sprocket added, that cars should be dependant on lag, prims available, and scripting limitations and the train will have a derez function. The goal is to have each sim accessible by train but travelers may need to transfer over to another train, depending on where you're going. The Mayor is hoping in the future, that a train will eventually be able to travel by an underwater tunnel, to an undersea complex which will be the next planned sim.


Advertising Program


A few shop keepers have been asking about open advertising in New Babbage. The Mayor states that no advertisement will be placed out in New Babbage without his consent. However, he does recognize the need for advertising both for a fun and theme factor as well as a necessary part of business. The first advertisement to be publicly hosted in the Sim was awarded pro bono to Mr. Doyle's group, as they were hosting an event for charity. The normal policy is as follows, there is a lot of wall space in the sim for bills, so any advertisement should be given to Mayor Sprocket, as a poster style texture with full permission. Then the poster will then be plastered at traffic points throughout the Sim, keeping in theme and adding to atmosphere. The Mayor stressed, that he reserves the right to keep the poster up after it's time has expired and plaster more bills over it, to eventually make his own textures out of them, to add to the Sim’s atmosphere. Cost for this service will be set at the next town hall meeting but is currently negotiable. To cost to post an advertisement billing will be once per week. If an advertiser wishes to protect the ad from being plastered over, after the time has expired, Mayor Sprocket reserves the right to put a new bill up over it. The Mayor also pointed out, that New Babbage residents are free to advertise on their own plot of land, within reason and also allowed to make deals with other residents, within reason. The Mayor stressed, that he reserves the right with oversight, to make sure that all advertisement billings are viable to the theme of the Sim.


Relay for life



There is a Relay for Life kiosk set up for donations in the Town Hall. The official walk-a-thon event will be held over the weekend of July 27th, July 28th and July 29th.The SLRFL organizers have granted half a sim to New Babbage, to help design a build, which will be place out alongside the track. The theme for this year’s walkathon event is “Quest for a Cure”. During the weekend event, a camp site will be set up, where New Babbage participants can rest, and a booth will be set up to raise money. Pumpkin Trispa will be in charge of the build design alongside the walkathon track, so please contact him if you wish to contribute to the build.


For more information about SLRFL copy and past the link for the website:


http://www.cancer.org/docroot/GI/content/GI_1_8_Second_Life_Relay.asp



Texture Library


There will be a separate meeting to discuss the texture and object library. Mayor Sprocket will put out a notice.


New Babbage Stock Yard



The New Babbage Community Stockyard (The Stockyard) has re-opened. To build in the Stockyard, one must contact Mr.Jack, to join the group “New Babbage Community Stockyard”. All New Babbage residents may enjoy instant membership. Non-residents must be sponsored by a New Babbage resident to join. The Stockyard is a Victorian-era industrial sandbox for the purposes of building and testing various steampunk-inspired gadgets, vehicles and structures and will be managed by Mr. Salazar Jack. Please direct all inquiries to him only. Future purposes may include using the Stockyard as a teaching and apprenticeship venue and are subject to revision. The Stockyard is comprised of two separate lots, owned by Mr. Thomas M Swindlehurst and Mr. Salazar Jack. These lots help support the pool of primitives available at the Undershaw Restoration Society Headquarters and the Kahruvel Steamworks. The spare prims at the Stockyard will be available for use by group members on a temporary basis. The number of prims available on any given day, may fluctuate between 200 and 900, depending on the number in use at the aforementioned parcels. Financial contributions are appreciated and go to support theUndershawRestoration Society in New Babbage and the Forest of Kahruvel on the Mainland. A donation box will be set up near the Stockyard gate.


---- end ----


Compiled and summarized by Eggberta Echegaray


***


BABBAGE-LOVELACE PARK


The day started off wonderful, not a cloud in the sky, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle welcomed residents of New Babbage, to the Grand Opening of The Babbage-Lovelace Park in the Canal District, statue unveiling and to celebrate Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 148th birthday.



Below, is a transcript of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s speech:


"Welcome everyone. Thank you for coming. When I first heard about the Babbage Canal District, I went to my friend Ruby Flannagan and talked to he r about opening an Irish Pub. Although I was born in Scotland, my parents where from Ireland, so I got the best of both worlds. I learned what a proper pub was all about - lots of blarney, lots of Guinness, and lots of crack (humour). I knew that we were going to need a great deal of prims for all of that. My friend Salazar Jack taught me that one way to solve the prim problem was with a second property with little or nothing on it. Or with activity that was not at the same time as the Pub activity. So I bought a second plot. I did not want it to be another sandbox like the Stockyard, so I thought what we needed was a Public Park. There are two kinds of things that are being built here in Babbage. One is all those wonderful buildings and gadgets and gizmos and vehicles and furniture and clothing that you are all so good at. But another thing being built here is a sense of belonging -- a sense of community. As you all know, I can't build a box, but I thought I could help build a sense of community. This park is my little box of community. That means that this is your park. It's true that I pay the rent and make the rules, but it's very much your park as much as mine. Yes, there is going to be a donation box at the entrance, but it is not to make Lindens. It is to allow YOU to have a place for a conversation, a wedding, a birthday party, a snooze, a concert, an art show, a big roll out of that new line of steam powered submarines that can't all fit in your store at the same time. If you want to host an event here, contact me and I will put your event on the calendar. It is also going to be the home of the Babbage Croquet Club. This park is not a sandbox. No building. Sure, rez out your 5 story steam powered mouse catcher to show your friends. But, no building. Go to the Stockyard for that. So, this park needed a name. How about Babbage Park? And what is a park without a statue. Who of? I did an exhaustive search to find the best sculptor in all of Second Life. I'd like you to meet her. Meleni Fairymeadow. Let's show them what you created. "



"Charles Babbage, the creator of the first computer. You are probably asking yourself, what is that other statue? Of course it has to be the person who made the "difference engine" famous. The world's first computer programmer...Ada Lovelace Welcome to the Babbage-Lovelace Park."



"These statues are, what I hope to be the first in a series of Public Supported Art in New Babbage. When you donate in appreciation of your favorite statue, all proceeds will go to the next piece of public art in New Babbage."


-- End of Speech by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle --



Food, refreshments and a late night burst of fireworks ended the day’s event.Three cheers to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for his event efforts and providing the Babbage-Lovelace public park to our community. Donation boxes for the statues can be found inside the park, and a donation box for the park it’s self, can be found just outside the main gate. As of yesterday, Mr.Doyle reports that the donation to the public art statues in the park, honouring Charles Babbage is $L2019 and donations honouring the Ada Lovelace statue is $L1019. Grand Total $L3038. Thank you to everyone who donated!


Eggberta Echegaray


***


NEW BABBAGE CANAL STEAM BOAT RACE!




During a break from the day’s events in the newly opened Babbage-Lovelace Park, Miss Kaylee Frye organized The Canal District’s first steam boat race!




At the starting line, Mrs.Frye gave the commands, “Start your engines.” The smell of coal burning from the boats, and the emitting steam concentrated the air. The roar of the collective boat’s engines could be loudly heard all throughout New Babbage. Participants of the race waited eagerly at the starting line, to be sent off throughout the canals. Miss Frye yelled out, “Go!” and off we all went, charging the watery path to the finish line! There were some minor casualties, I being one when my boat launched it’s self up into the air, crashed and skidded along the ground! A couple of scraps and bruises manifested on my person, but only to honour the event.



At the finish line, a battle ensued, but there could only be one winner. First place went to Nux Chaplin, second place went to Garth Goode, and third place went to Salzar Jack.



Congratulations to you all who won and participated! Miss Frye did an outstanding job with the creation of the boats, and for organizing the event! Hopefully this event won’t be the last of kind!


Eggberta Echegaray



PROMINENT MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DAY


John L. Sullivan


Men may admire the manly art of self-defense as a means for protection against insolence or injury, but when two men meet, with smiles and hand-shaking, and then proceed to pummel each other's features beyond recognition, the science of pugilism becomes interesting only to those whose lower natures are strongly predominant.

John L. Sullivan has a magnificent physique. He is as lithe and graceful as a tiger, and as merciless in his punishments. Boston claims the honor of Mr. Sullivan's citizenship, and Boston liberally swelled his banking account by patronizing liberally the elegant saloon of which he is the presiding genius. In 1888 he was presented to the Prince of Wales and other royal personages who had expressed a desire to meet this great pugilist. The prince took away the frigid air of newness form the acquaintance by saying that he felt as if he had known Sullivan for years; and John L. reciprocated by remarking that, next to Jem Smith [the English champion pugilist] Albert Edward was the man he had most wanted to see on coming to England. Then the prince looked Sullivan over carefully. Sullivan did ditto, and they again shook a shake of mutual satisfaction.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



* * *


Tired of checking the newspaper box for a new issue of the Cog? Join the New Babbage Cog,

and/or Babbage Blog group and receive new issues as soon as they come out!


* * *



LITERARY CORNER


In this issue, The New Babbage Cog presents Chapter 9 of Sir ArthurConan Doyle's "The Sign of The Four."


THE SIGN OF FOUR

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Chapter 9

A BREAK IN THE CHAIN


t was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened and refreshed. Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him, save that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book. He looked across at me, as I stirred, and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled. "You have slept soundly," he said. "I feared that our talk would wake you." "I heard nothing," I answered. "Have you had fresh news, then?" "Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed. I expected something definite by this time. Wiggins has just been up to report. He says that no trace can be found of the launch. It is a provoking check, for every hour is of importance." "Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now, and quite ready for another night's outing." "No, we can do nothing. We can only wait. If we go ourselves, the message might come in our absence, and delay be caused. You can do what you will, but I must remain on guard." "Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. Cecil Forrester. She asked me to, yesterday." "On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes, with the twinkle of a smile in his eyes. "Well, of course Miss Morstan too. They were anxious to hear what happened." "I would not tell them too much," said Holmes.


"Women are never to be entirely trusted,--not the best of them." I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment. "I shall be back in an hour or two," I remarked. "All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby, for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for him now." I took our mongrel accordingly, and left him, together with a half-sovereign, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane. At Camberwell I found Miss Morstan a little weary after her night's adventures, but very eager to hear the news. Mrs. Forrester, too, was full of curiosity. I told them all that we had done, suppressing, however, the more dreadful parts of the tragedy. Thus, although I spoke of Mr. Sholto's death, I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it. With all my omissions, however, there was enough to startle and amaze them. "It is a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester. "An injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian. They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl." "And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstan, with a bright glance at me.



"Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of this search. I don't think that you are nearly excited enough. Just imagine what it must be to be so rich, and to have the world at your feet!"

It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed no sign of elation at the prospect. On the contrary, she gave a toss of her proud head, as though the matter were one in which she took small interest. "It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious," she said. "Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindly and honorably throughout. It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge." It was evening before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by the time I reached home. My companion's book and pipe lay by his chair, but he had disappeared. I looked about in the hope of seeing a note, but there was none. "I suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone out," I said to Mrs. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds. "No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir," sinking her voice into an impressive whisper, "I am afraid for his health?" "Why so, Mrs. Hudson?" "Well, he's that strange, sir. After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down, until I was weary of the sound of his footstep. Then I heard him talking to himself and muttering, and every time the bell rang out he came on the stair head, with 'What is that, Mrs. Hudson?' And now he has slammed off to his room, but I can hear him walking away the same as ever. I hope he's not going to be ill, sir. I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine, but he turned on me, sir, with such a look that I don't know how ever I got out of the room."



"I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs. Hudson," I answered. "I have seen him like this before. He has some small matter upon his mind which makes him restless." I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady, but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread, and knew how his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction. At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard, with a little fleck of feverish color upon either cheek. "You are knocking yourself up, old man," I remarked. "I heard you marching about in the night." "No, I could not sleep," he answered. "This infernal problem is consuming me. It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle, when all else had been overcome. I know the men, the launch, everything; and yet I can get no news. I have set other agencies at work, and used every means at my disposal. The whole river has been searched on either side, but there is no news, nor has Mrs. Smith heard of her husband. I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft. But there are objections to that." "Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent." "No, I think that may be dismissed. I had inquiries made, and there is a launch of that description." "Could it have gone up the river?"



"I have considered that possibility too, and there is a search- party who will work up as far as Richmond. If no news comes to- day, I shall start off myself to-morrow, and go for the men rather than the boat. But surely, surely, we shall hear something." We did not, however. Not a word came to us either from Wiggins or from the other agencies. There were articles in most of the papers upon the Norwood tragedy. They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. No fresh details were to be found, however, in any of them, save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day. I walked over to Camberwell in the evening to report our ill success to the ladies, and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose. He would hardly reply to my questions, and busied himself all evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involved much heating of retorts and distilling of vapors, ending at last in a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment.

Up to the small hours of the morning I could hear the clinking of his test-tubes which told me that he was still engaged in his malodorous experiment.



In the early dawn I woke with a start, and was surprised to find him standing by my bedside, clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket, and a coarse red scarf round his neck. "I am off down the river, Watson," said he. "I have been turning it over in my mind, and I can see only one way out of it. It is worth trying, at all events." "Surely I can come with you, then?" said I. "No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative. I am loath to go, for it is quite on the cards that some message may come during the day, though Wiggins was despondent about it last night. I want you to open all notes and telegrams, and to act on your own judgment if any news should come. Can I rely upon you?" "Most certainly." "I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me, for I can hardly tell yet where I may find myself. If I am in luck, however, I may not be gone so very long. I shall have news of some sort or other before I get back." I had heard nothing of him by breakfast-time. On opening the Standard, however, I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business. "With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy," it remarked, "we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex and mysterious than was originally supposed. Fresh evidence has shown that it is quite impossible that Mr. Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way concerned in the matter. He and the housekeeper, Mrs. Bernstone, were both released yesterday evening. It is believed, however, that the police have a clue as to the real culprits, and that it is being prosecuted by Mr. Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard, with all his well-known energy and sagacity. Further arrests may be expected at any moment."



"That is satisfactory so far as it goes," thought I. "Friend Sholto is safe, at any rate. I wonder what the fresh clue may be; though it seems to be a stereotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder." I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at that moment my eye caught an advertisement in the agony column. It ran in this way: "Lost.--Whereas Mordecai Smith, boatman, and his son, Jim, left Smith's Wharf at or about three o'clock last Tuesday morning in the steam launch Aurora, black with two red stripes, funnel black with a white band, the sum of five pounds will be paid to any one who can give information to Mrs. Smith, at Smith's Wharf, or at 221b Baker Street, as to the whereabouts of the said Mordecai Smith and the launch Aurora." This was clearly Holmes's doing. The Baker Street address was enough to prove that. It struck me as rather ingenious, because it might be read by the fugitives without their seeing in it more than the natural anxiety of a wife for her missing husband. It was a long day. Every time that a knock came to the door, or a sharp step passed in the street, I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. I tried to read, but my thoughts would wander off to our strange quest and to the ill-assorted and villainous pair whom we were pursuing. Could there be, I wondered, some radical flaw in my companion's reasoning. Might he be suffering from some huge self-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises? I had never known him to be wrong; and yet the keenest reasoner may occasionally be deceived. He was likely, I thought, to fall into error through the over-refinement of his logic,--his preference for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a plainer and more commonplace one lay ready to his hand.



Yet, on the other hand, I had myself seen the evidence, and I had heard the reasons for his deductions. When I looked back on the long chain of curious circumstances, many of them trivial in themselves, but all tending in the same direction, I could not disguise from myself that even if Holmes's explanation were incorrect the true theory must be equally outre and startling. At three o'clock in the afternoon there was a loud peal at the bell, an authoritative voice in the hall, and, to my surprise, no less a person than Mr. Athelney Jones was shown up to me. Very different was he, however, from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense who had taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood. His expression was downcast, and his bearing meek and even apologetic. "Good-day, sir; good-day," said he. "Mr. Sherlock Holmes is out, I understand." "Yes, and I cannot be sure when he will be back. But perhaps you would care to wait. Take that chair and try one of these cigars." "Thank you; I don't mind if I do," said he, mopping his face with a red bandanna handkerchief. "And a whiskey-and-soda?"

"Well, half a glass. It is very hot for the time of year; and I have had a good deal to worry and try me. You know my theory about this Norwood case?" "I remember that you expressed one." "Well, I have been obliged to reconsider it. I had my net drawn tightly round Mr. Sholto, sir, when pop he went through a hole in the middle of it. He was able to prove an alibi which could not be shaken. From the time that he left his brother's room he was never out of sight of some one or other. So it could not be he who climbed over roofs and through trap-doors. It's a very dark case, and my professional credit is at stake. I should be very glad of a little assistance."



"We all need help sometimes," said I. "Your friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man, sir," said he, in a husky and confidential voice. "He's a man who is not to be beat. I have known that young man go into a good many cases, but I never saw the case yet that he could not throw a light upon. He is irregular in his methods, and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories, but, on the whole, I think he would have made a most promising officer, and I don't care who knows it. I have had a wire from him this morning, by which I understand that he has got some clue to this Sholto business. Here is the message." He took the telegram out of his pocket, and handed it to me. It was dated from Poplar at twelve o'clock. "Go to Baker Street at once," it said. "If I have not returned, wait for me. I am close on the track of the Sholto gang. You can come with us to- night if you want to be in at the finish."

"This sounds well. He has evidently picked up the scent again," said I."Ah, then he has been at fault too," exclaimed Jones, with evident satisfaction. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. Of course this may prove to be a false alarm; but it is my duty as an officer of the law to allow no chance to slip. But there is some one at the door. Perhaps this is he."A heavy step was heard ascending the stair, with a great wheezing and rattling as from a man who was sorely put to it for breath. Once or twice he stopped, as though the climb were too much for him, but at last he made his way to our door and entered. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which we had heard. He was an aged man, clad in seafaring garb, with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. His back was bowed, his knees were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asthmatic. As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his shoulders heaved in the effort to draw the air into his lungs. He had a colored scarf round his chin, and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes, overhung by bushy white brows, and long gray side-whiskers. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty.



"What is it, my man?" I asked. He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age. "Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he. "No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me any message you have for him." "It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he. "But I tell you that I am acting for him. Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?" "Yes. I knows well where it is. An' I knows where the men he is after are. An' I knows where the treasure is. I knows all about it." "Then tell me, and I shall let him know."

"It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated, with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man. "Well, you must wait for him." "No, no; I ain't goin' to lose a whole day to please no one. If Mr. Holmes ain't here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out for himself. I don't care about the look of either of you, and I won't tell a word." He shuffled towards the door, but Athelney Jones got in front of him. "Wait a bit, my friend," said he. "You have important information, and you must not walk off. We shall keep you, whether you like or not, until our friend returns." The old man made a little run towards the door, but, as Athelney Jones put his broad back up against it, he recognized the uselessness of resistance.

"Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried, stamping his stick. "I come here to see a gentleman, and you two, who I never saw in my life, seize me and treat me in this fashion!"



"You will be none the worse," I said. "We shall recompense you for the loss of your time. Sit over here on the sofa, and you will not have long to wait." He came across sullenly enough, and seated himself with his face resting on his hands. Jones and I resumed our cigars and our talk. Suddenly, however, Holmes's voice broke in upon us. "I think that you might offer me a cigar too," he said. We both started in our chairs. There was Holmes sitting close to us with an air of quiet amusement. "Holmes!" I exclaimed. "You here! But where is the old man?" "Here is the old man," said he, holding out a heap of white hair. "Here he is,--wig, whiskers, eyebrows, and all. I thought my disguise was pretty good, but I hardly expected that it would stand that test." "Ah, You rogue!" cried Jones, highly delighted. "You would have made an actor, and a rare one. You had the proper workhouse cough, and those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week. I thought I knew the glint of your eye, though. You didn't get away from us so easily, You see.""I have been working in that get-up all day," said he, lighting his cigar. "You see, a good many of the criminal classes begin to know me,--especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguise like this. You got my wire?""Yes; that was what brought me here." "How has your case prospered?" "It has all come to nothing. I have had to release two of my prisoners, and there is no evidence against the other two." "Never mind. We shall give you two others in the place of them. But you must put yourself under my orders. You are welcome to all the official credit, but you must act on the line that I point out. Is that agreed?"


"Entirely, if you will help me to the men." "Well, then, in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat-- a steam launch--to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock." "That is easily managed. There is always one about there; but I can step across the road and telephone to make sure." "Then I shall want two stanch men, in case of resistance." "There will be two or three in the boat. What else?" "When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. I think that it would be a pleasure to my friend here to take the box round to the young lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs. Let her be the first to open it.--Eh, Watson?" "It would be a great pleasure to me." "Rather an irregular proceeding," said Jones, shaking his head. "However, the whole thing is irregular, and I suppose we must wink at it. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to the authorities until after the official investigation." "Certainly. That is easily managed. One other point. I should much like to have a few details about this matter from the lips of Jonathan Small himself. You know I like to work the detail of my cases out. There is no objection to my having an unofficial interview with him, either here in my rooms or elsewhere, as long as he is efficiently guarded?" "Well, you are master of the situation. I have had no proof yet of the existence of this Jonathan Small. However, if you can catch him I don't see how I can refuse you an interview with him." "That is understood, then?" "Perfectly. Is there anything else?" "Only that I insist upon your dining with us. It will be ready in half an hour. I have oysters and a brace of grouse, with something a little choice in white wines.--Watson, you have never yet recognized my merits as a housekeeper."



***



EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS


***


Put your event and/or announcement here!


***



CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS



HELP WANTED: EDITORIAL ASSISTANT FOR THE NEW BABBAGE COG

The chosen E.A candidate will gain experience with all aspects of publishing by assisting the Editor in Chief, with the administration of planning and production of The New Babbage Cog.


Typical work activities will include:

Support and assist the Editor in Chief with all activities leading to the monthly publication.

Liaison with freelance writers, and photographers.

Research, organize, write own articles adhering to deadlines

Contribution of ideas and stories

Help to organize, copy and paste text and images to the out of world Babbage Blog Payment of the role will depend on Advertising revenues submitted to The New Babbage Cog.


VOLUNTEER FREELANCE REPORTERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS

Reporters/Photographers are needed to cover stories for the New Babbage Cog. Need steampunk stories directly related to the New Babbage sims, her residents and aethernet steampunk websites of interest.

Typical work activities will include:

Research, organize, write own articles adhering to deadlines

Contribution of ideas and stories

Most photographs are in sepia, please keep that in mind when submitting snapshots


Content ideas:

Architecture of New Babbage

Business Owner’s Spotlight

Inventors Corner

Special New Babbage Event coverage

New Babbage stories

Aethernet Steampunk culture: Steampunk movie, music, book, clubs reviews, websites of interest.


Please write a short email summary, explaining your affiliation and knowledge about the Steampunk culture and the New Babbage Sims. Submit your email to Miss Eggberta Echegaray at newbabbage@gmail.com. I will review your emails, and conduct in world interviews, on Saturday’s and Sunday’s at my tea shoppe, until the roles are filled.


* * *


NEW BABBAGE AND STEAMPUNK FAQ


Q. What is New Babbage?


A. New Babbage is a planned group of themed sims designed to promote a steampunk aesthetic.

------------------------

Q. What is Babbage Square?


A. The first, and to date the only, of the planned New Babbage sims is Babbage Square. New Babbage can be thought of as the "city," while Babbage Square is its first "region."

------------------------

Q. What is "steampunk?"


A. Steampunk is a genre of speculative fiction, usually science fiction, that explores the question of how past eras, particularly the Victorian period, would have looked if more modern technology had existed usingonly the tools at theirdisposal. Thus the steampunk aesthetic often makes use of wood, brass, iron, and steam-powered engines to construct fantastic machines that never were.


Please see the steampunk Wikipedia entry:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk


------------------------

Q. Is New Babbage for role-players?


A. New Babbage is for anyone interested in steampunk ideas. Although many residents dress and role-play the part, all are welcome to participate in the activities here (period attire not required), and are encouraged to explore the technology made available to us in SL New Babbagers are builders, scripters, and texture artists, curious and experimental by nature, come together to invent, create, and commune.


____________________________________________________________


CONTACT, CIRCULATION, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL

INFORMATION FOR THE READER


Editor in Chief: Miss Eggberta Echegaray

***

Ethics Statement:


THIS IS A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER, NOT A VEHICLE FOR EXPOSE. All reporters for The New Babbage Cog are obligated to inform potential interviewees when they are gathering data for a report on our behalf, or clearly identify themselves as a TNBC journalist. This is a community paper, not a vehicle for expose; all investigative reporting must be above-the-board. Deception is against the intended spirit of community embraced by this paper and will not be tolerated. If a citizen encounters an aggressive reporter claiming to work on behalf of The New Babbage Cog, they are urged to report same to the Editor.


Contact:


-- Visit us:

Temporary location: The Willow Tea Room Lot # 20 New Babbage Cultural District


-- Drop a notecard:

Notecard communications can be sent to Miss Eggberta Echegaray


-- IM:

You may contact Miss Eggberta Echegaray by IM with any newspaper business.


-- Aethernet mail:

Messages sent to newbabbage@gmail.com will be fielded or redirected as necessary by Miss Eggberta Echegaray.

Circulation:


The New Babbage Cog is circulated in three ways:


1. new issues are sent automatically to subscribers of the New Babbage Cog group.


2. Issues are available from a paper boxes at the following locations:


-- Babbage Square telehub

-- Willow Tea Room

-- Undershaw Restoration Society



Back Issues:


All back issues of The New Babbage Cog will be available free of charge. They can be found in the Willow Tea Room on the first floor.


Submissions:


Volunteer freelance and column writers are welcome to propose stories. The New Babbage Cog also welcomes news tips, reports, and story ideas from interested parties. Please see our contact information above.


Advertising:


Advertising should be germane to subjects of greatest import to residents of New Babbage. Although our sensibilities are quite modern and liberal, The New Babbage Cog reserves the right to determine an ad's fitness for inclusion based on its pertinence to steampunk, Victoriana, retrotech, industry, anachronism, and other related concepts.


Advertising is L$50 to New Babbage citizens and L$100 for out-of-towners, per listing, per issue. For both residents and non-residents, space is limited to 500 characters per listing. Each ad may include one embedded texture and one landmark. File attachments must be delivered at the time of ad reservation. Please see our contact information above to inquire.


Errata:


[There are no errors known to be in need of correction at this time. The New Babbage Cog is obliged to anyone who sends notification of a mistake, so that rectifications might be swiftly published.]


Copyright Disclaimer:


As of the 21st of May, 2007, The Second Life in world note card publication date, of this issue of The New Babbage Cog, and it's intellectual property, are owned by the contributors to the newspaper and will also be publicly owned by the City-State of New Babbage, which at the time of it's printing, was under the care of Mayor Shaunathan Sprocket. The in world newspaper operations will now be handled and maintained by Miss Eggberta Echegaray, who exercises editorial control. Opinions and content published in the Cog do not necessarily reflect those of the former New Babbage Mayor's Office.


Copyright 2007 of the Common Era

The New Babbage Cog

~~ Relata Refero ~~