Although over a quarter of a century has gone by, the bitter memory of the Treaty Oak’s poisoning still lingers in the minds of many Texans. Few recall, however, the dark motives of the man convicted of the crime.

The Treaty Oak is the lone surviving member of the Council Oaks, a grove where folklore holds that Stephen F. Austin met with Comanche and Tonkawa tribes to negotiate the first boundary treaty of Texas. The 600-year-old live oak is a belove Austin landmark. Before the poisoning, its branches spread some 130-feet wide.

John Giedraitis, at that time the arborist for the City of Austin, discovered dead grass under the tree in spring, 1989. After heavy rains caused the poison to penetrate the oak, leaves yellowed and sailed to the ground. Something was terribly wrong. Soon the malevolent cause of the tree’s illness was discovered, a revelation that shocked the Lone Star State.

When news of the poisoning spread throughout Austin, residents were outraged. The tree was a treasured part of the region’s history: Before European-Americans settled the land around it, the tree was revered in Tejas, Apache, and Comanche culture. A plaque beneath the site tells the (unsubstantiated) story of Texas settler Stephen F. Austin negotiating a border treaty with Native Americans on that very spot in the 1830s.

In an attempt to save the dying tree’s life, the city launched a full-blown recovery campaign. The contaminated soil was replaced with fresh dirt and the damaged roots were treated with sugar. A sprinkler system was installed in Treaty Oak Park to provide the tree a steady supply of revitalizing spring water. Other efforts were less practical: a Dallas-based psychic named Sharon Capehart tried healing the tree by transferring energy into it. (In the process, she allegedly discovered that its spirit had once belonged to an ancient Egyptian woman named Alexandria.) Without any supposed psychic gifts or tree expertise to offer, some Austin citizens responded with good vibes.

Texans from far and wide arrived to pay their respects to the dying tree. Around its thick trunk, they left notes and gifts, as well as prayers for the tree’s recovery. The experts were unanimous: none of them believed there was any hope for the Treaty Oak. Billionaire Ross Perot sent Austin a blank check. The city would spend $250,000 in an attempt to save the tree, using radical, desperate methods.

As the public processed the shock and grief, the Austin police worked to nab the perpetrator. On June 29, 1989—a few months after the crime had been committed—they arrested their primary suspect: a 45-year-old local named Paul Stedman Cullen. He was convicted on a second-degree criminal mischief charge nearly a year later. His motive?

Cullen poisoned the tree as part of a mystic ritual. “Prosecutors said he used the herbicide in an occult ritual to kill his love for his counselor at a methadone clinic, protect her from another man, and pay back the state for outdoor work he was forced to do while he was in prison,” The New York Times reported in 1990.

Before pouring the Velpar on the oak’s roots, Cullen had placed objects that belonged to his counselor in a circle around the trunk. He told an acquaintance that every time he passed the tree and saw it dying he would “see his love for the counselor dying.” The jury had the option to sentence him to life in prison, but in the end they settled on a sentence of nine years (which he served a third of) and a $1000 fine.

Witness Cindy Blanco testified that Cullen owned books on witchcraft and that he’d told her he had placed items belonging to the counselor around the oak’s roots before pouring the herbicide. When Cullen drove past the dying tree, Blanco claimed, it was as though he were watching his own unrequited love slowly perishing.

Cullen maintained his innocence and claimed the media was setting him up. His attorney made the case that Cullen had lied to Blanco in an attempt to appear impressive. The defendant faced the stark possibility of a life sentence.

The jury faced a difficult decision. They understood that a man’s life is worth more than any tree, even if the man in question is a criminal. Yet at the same time, the jury acknowledged a serious and disturbing crime had been committed and justice must be served. In May 1990, the jury gave Cullen a nine-year sentence and a fine of $1,000. He would serve only three years.

Perhaps prayers are stronger than black magic. In the end, the Treaty Oak survived. Though now a third of its original size, the oak is going strong and managed to produce acorns in 1997 for the first time since the poisoning. The Treaty Oak outlived Cullen, who passed away in 2001 at the age of only 57.

Please note – everything in this article pertains to a NORMAL, average pregnancy, with NO complications.

In 1980, I was pregnant with my second child and, like the vast majority of people, I trusted my doctor. I had some minor morning sickness and he gave me a prescription for Bendectin, the only approved drug available in the US at that time. The nausea disappeared within a few weeks, so I never took it.

I enjoyed reading the “rags,” like the Enquirer, where I read an article that claimed Bendectin was causing birth defects. My doctor insisted it was quite safe. In 1983, after losing a birth defect lawsuit, the manufacturer pulled it from the shelves. It was never proven that Bendectin caused birth defects. However, here is the bottom line: drugs are NOT good during a normal pregnancy!!! Link to a 1983 NY Times article, if you’re interested.

Stuck at home, by myself, with no vehicle, I worked on my Bengal tiger latch-hook wall hanging and read books about pregnancy and childbirth. I discovered something called “Natural Childbirth.” Our God does NOT make mistakes and, in the normal course of events, nature provides mechanisms to lessen or eliminate what many consider “problems” in labor and delivery.

For example, the requirement to remain flat on your back and not being allowed to get up and walk around – this puts pressure on a major artery and eliminates the effects of normal gravity; the proscription against eating or drinking – this simply makes it easier for the doctors to guard against vomiting and aspiration of fluids; routine enemas – most women will naturally void their bowls during early labor; shaving the pubic hair – again, this is for the convenience of the doctors; an episiotomy – given no other complications (as in my case), the vaginal opening will gradually stretch during labor due to the pressure from above; the claim that drugs do not cross the placental barrier – not true.

In early March, I was one month out from my due date and we went to “Orientation to Labor and Delivery” at Walter-Reed. The Captain giving the class started listing all these drugs you can have during labor, such as getting an epidural, which entails injecting a numbing drug directly into your spinal cord. Yes, this blocks the pain but it also, to a certain extent, removes your ability to push during contractions. She claimed that these drugs did not cross the placental barrier, which I knew for a fact was not true.

Well, she did NOT like that! She got all huffy and said, “Well, if you don’t like the way we run things at WR, you can take it up with the General who runs the hospital.” We immediately got up and left the class and were directed to the Public Affairs office, where the Colonel told us they could not FORCE us to do anything we didn’t want – he advised waiting and coming to the hospital at the last minute.

This experience prompted me to search for alternatives and I found a book at the library about Home Birth. Stop and think for a minute – where is THE worst place to be when it comes to germs? That’s right – A HOSPITAL!!!! Your body, and therefore your baby, is already acclimated to the germs within your own home. Yes, when complications arise, chances are not good. However, if you live close to a hospital in case of an emergency….

I was able to find a local group in Arlington called “Family Birth Associates” and we began our journey…….but we had to move fast. Time was running out……stay tuned for the rest of the story…….

The debate of “cats vs. dogs” is an argument as old as time. Rarely will you find someone who likes both equally. Dog people are very passionate about their pups and cat people are very passionate about their felines. However, sometimes it feels like the cat people are a minority in a majorly dog-loving-world. And when things pop up like a 2017 study in the journal Society & Animals that shows human parents feel more empathy for puppies than they do for babies, it’s hard to say dogs haven’t won the cat vs. dog debate… But, have they?

Cats, as anyone who has one will tell you, are better than dogs in every conceivable way. They’re softer, sweeter, and smarter. They’re quieter and cleaner. They’re masters of both the art of lazy lounging and the one of skillful hunting (of rodents). Plus, once upon a time, we used to revere them as gods. And this all isn’t just one cat lover’s opinion—there’s science and data to back it up. Yes, you may have heard that dogs are man’s best friends, but here are all of the reasons why cats actually make for far better pals.

Owning a cat might make you more intelligent.

Next time someone asks you to defend why cats are better than dogs, lob this fun little fact at them: Cat people are smarter than dog people. According to 2017 research published in the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, self-identified cat lovers tended to have higher intelligence than dog lovers do. (We are less outgoing, though.)

They splash less.

As a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University revealed in 2010, cats drink water far more efficiently than dogs do. When a cat takes a drink, its tongue doesn’t actually pierce the water’s surface; it forms a funnel that lifts water up for a splash-free drink, getting in four laps per second. A dog, on the other hand, will sloppily crash its tongue into the water bowl like a cannonball. It’s scientific proof that cats rule and dogs drool—literally.

They’re cheaper.

According to the Animal Humane Society, average adoption fees for kittens and cats start at $32 and can run as high as $270. For dogs and puppies, however, fees start at $115, but go all the way up to $660! Adopting a cat is just more cost-efficient.

They love humans more than food.

Over the years, cats have earned a bad rap for being cold and distant. “They only love you because you feed them,” dog owners often tell cat owners. There’s also the persistent rumor that—were you to die—a cat wouldn’t care at all, and would, in fact, eat your deceased remains to survive. But research indicates all of this thinking is just plain hooey. According to a 2017 study in Behavioural Processes, cats prefer human interaction to all other stimuli, including food, toys, and catnip. Can you say the same for dogs? We think not.

Their love is more meaningful than a dog’s.

Dogs, it often appears, love everyone. Cats, on the other hand, are more standoffish when meeting someone new. (Centuries of domesticity still can’t eliminate the innate caution of a stealthy predator, it seems.) When a dog showers you in affection, it may be nice, but you know that everyone else is getting the same treatment. When a cat warms up to you, though, you feel special and unique—like you’ve earned it. And, as we just learned from that Behavioural Processes study, no, it’s not just because of the food.

They take up less space.

On average, Pets WebMD says a domestic cat will usually weigh around 10 pounds. Dogs, of course, have more variables—there are hundreds of different breeds—but, the American Kennel Club clocks a medium-sized dogs, on average, at about 50 pounds. As far as who takes up more of your well-earned space, it’s not rocket science.

They live longer.

Need another big reason why cats are better than dogs? They live a lot longer. In fact, Pet WebMD says a domesticated cat, on average, will live anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Dogs, on the other hand? Depending on size, eight to 11.

They’re not as smelly as dogs.

If you want to conjure some instant revulsion, just think of the words “wet” and “dog.” You know exactly what odious scent I’m talking about, and you know just as well that few things offend the olfactory nerves as much as a the aroma of a damp dog. Cats don’t ever reek like that.

They sleep a lot.

Fact: Animals are at their cutest when sound asleep. And cats sleep anywhere from 12 to 16 hours per day, which means you have more than half of your waking hours to snap some serious aww-inducing Instagram pics. And, frankly, we should take a note from this behavior because we could all stand to sleep a few hours more each day.

They’re expert hunters.

Before you judge a cat’s sleeping habits, know that these long hours are borne less out of laziness and more out of evolutionary coding. Cats are natural predators; unlike other mammals, who may have foraged for food, felines had to hunt, which meant spending large chunks of the day asleep, conserving energy to chase down their next meal. This is also why much of that 12-to-16-hour period is spent in a light doze. Before domesticity came into play, felines had to sleep lightly, in case prey—or a more dangerous predator—stepped on their turf. (That’s also why we call a “catnap” a catnap.)

Their centuries-long history of hunting has carried into the modern day. According to a 2013 study published in Biological Conservation, domesticated house cats are responsible for the deaths of 2.9 billion rodents and birds every year. This is all to say: Your cat is basically a terminator with fur, and we’d be overrun with rodents if not for their valiant effort regulate the vermin population.

They’re better for the environment.

You may assume all of this wanton death leaves a negative impact on the environment, but ecosystems are well-adjusted by now. In fact, it’s not cats but dogs that aren’t so great for the planet. According to research conducted by New Zealand researchers in 2009, dogs have about 2.1 times the environmental impact of an SUV. Talk about a serious carbon paw print!

You don’t have to walk them.

Whenever dogs need to relieve themselves, you have to take them outside. Yes, you can train them to need this only at certain hours of the day, but still, it’s a pain. Cats will just tend to a litter box on their own volition. A cat and its owner mostly stay out of each other’s bathroom business—and that’s truly one of the sweetest reasons why cats are better than dogs.

And some of them can even use a toilet!

It’s not just a Meet the Parents storyline. It’s a true story. You’ll have to start the training early, though—when they’re about three or four months old.

They clean themselves.

Cats don’t require regular grooming sessions like dogs do. The tongue of a cat is barbed in a way that removes dirt and grime from fur with startling efficiency. Cats literally lick themselves clean, another practical reason why they are better than dogs.

Once upon a time, they were gods.

As early as 3,000 B.C.E., felines were worshipped as deities. The Egyptian goddess Bastet—of war, protection, or the moon, depending on the dynasty—is among the first. Her sister in folklore, Sekhmet, the warrior goddess of healing or the hunt (again, depending on the dynasty), was thought to have blown Egypt into existence with her breath. Oh, and there’s also a little thing you maybe have heard of called The Sphinx.

But feline worship isn’t relegated to Ancient Egyptian culture. There’s also Dawon, the Hindu sacred tigress; Barong Ket, the Balinese “king of spirits;” and the entire pantheon of jaguar gods of the pre-Columbian Mayan era. In other words: Your cat may have descended from a deity. Whether you believe in that sort of thing or not, though, it can’t hurt to treat the little fella as such.

https://bestlifeonline.com/cats-vs-dogs/

In 1936, Chief (or Nip), the veteran fire dog of Brooklyn’s Engine Company No. 203, won four medals of honor for heroism from the following agencies:

• New York Women’s League for Animals
• Dog’s World International
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• New York Anti-Vivisection Society

https://i.imgur.com/wO3uk77.png

During his years of service with the engine company, Chief/Nip had demonstrated many acts of bravery and heroism. He rode with the company to every fire, and was always the first to leap off the fire engine and run into the burning buildings to scout for victims. Whenever he found a human in need of help, the brave fire dog would bark until the firemen responded.

I’m sure the fireman rewarded him with extra food or treats every time he saved someone, but Chief/Nip was never rewarded with medals for saving a human mother or child. He was awarded the medals for saving a cat. (And he didn’t even like cats.)

On November 10, 1936, a fire broke out in the basement of a four-story brick apartment building at 308 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights. It quickly spread to the upper floors through a dumb-waiter shaft.

https://i.imgur.com/RC4zGuO.jpg

Ten people were in the building when Adela Gomez, 17, ran into the hallway on the second floor and screamed after smelling smoke. John Bermudez, 16, was with his mother, his 18-year-old sister Anna, his 12-year-old brother Joseph, and his sister-in-law and her baby in their top-floor apartment when they heard the commotion.

As the family started to descend the stairs, John noticed a cat running in the opposite direction toward the top floor. (Some reports say the cat was named Carlotta and belonged to John; other reports say the cat was named Fluffy and belonged to Mrs. Andrea Gomez on the second floor). John was determined to run after the cat and save it. John’s mother protested, but the “invincible” teenager darted upstairs as his family made their way safely to the street.

When the firemen of Engine Company No. 203 arrived on the scene, they found John unconscious on the stairway between the third and fourth floors. They took him to the street, where a rescue squad tried to revive him for nearly an hour without success (I’m not sure why they didn’t transport him to a hospital).

https://i.imgur.com/P0RSLnd.jpg

Soon after the firemen brought John out of the building, Chief/Nip emerged from the building, a little bit singed, with the cat in his jaws. The cat had lost a few of its nine lives, but somehow it was revived.

The rescue at 308 Hicks Street wasn’t the first time the company’s fire dog had saved a cat. Only a few months before, he had put his disdain for felines aside to do his duty and rescue a litter of five kittens from a burning store at Hicks and Union Streets.

Chief/Nip’s Life as a Fire Dog

Taken in as a stray one winter night in 1929, Chief/Nip served 10 years with Engine Company No. 203. During that time, he received numerous injuries from broken glass and falling debris, burns from scalding water, and bruises from falling off the fire engine. He also had some wonderful times, especially during the summer months when he got to live with one of the firemen in his home on Long Island.

https://i.imgur.com/jbpNVPu.png

Chief/Nip could recognize all the bells and signals, and he knew exactly which signal meant his company was responding to a call (he never made a mistake). On the fire scenes, Chief/Nip would superintend the firefighters and alert them if he knew something was wrong. If the hoses ever splashed his way, Chief/Nip would nestle under a fireman’s coat.

Chief/Nip Answers His Last Call

Although Chief/Nip was a 16-year-old senior citizen in 1939, he probably had a few more good years left as an active fire dog when his life was abruptly ended on November 9, 1939. While playing out in front of the firehouse, Chief/Nip was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

People in the street called out for help, and a group of children followed the fire dog into the firehouse and told Lt. Matthew F. Rogers that it had been hit by a car that kept going. Instead of waiting for help to come, Chief/Nip dragged himself back inside and tried to jump up on the fire engine seat. Missing the seat, he landed on the running board, where he curled up and died.

https://i.imgur.com/EowwCMc.jpg

The members of Engine Company No. 203 kept him in a place of honor at the firehouse until the company disbanded in 1974.

A Brief History of the Brooklyn Fire Department and Engine Company No. 203 @ link:

https://hatchingcatnyc.com/2017/10/28/fire-dog-brooklyn-engine-203/