Doubt - No 13

Magazine Overview

This issue of DOUBT: THE FORTEAN SOCIETY MAGAZINE, identified as No. 13 and dated Winter 1943, is edited by Tiffany Thayer. The cover prominently displays a zoning map of Oclesby, Illinois, adopted October 4, 1943, with the magazine's title in bold black lettering.

Featured Articles and Content

Cartography and the Butterfly Projection The issue highlights a controversy in cartography, detailing the emergence of a new butterfly-shaped world map from Wayne University. The article notes the similarity to Bernard J. S. Cahill's earlier 'Butterfly Projection' and criticizes the Wayne University map for not acknowledging Cahill's work. It mentions Spencer A. Larsen and Dr. Floyd A. Stilgenbauer of Wayne University as proponents of the new map, while also noting that Cahill's projection had been published and available for years. The Society is working to ensure proper acknowledgment and royalties for Cahill's widow.

Scientific and Historical Commentary

The 'New Fortean Value': A significant feature introduces Ed Hand, City Clerk of Oglesby, Illinois, as a 'New Fortean Value'. The article celebrates Oglesby for being a debt-free municipality, attributing this financial health partly to Hand's influence as a Fortean. Hand has served as City Clerk for nearly 20 years, promoting probity and rectitude.

Indian Princes and Royal Expenditure: A lengthy section, 'The Truth About India', by Kanhayalal Gauba, details the excessive expenditures of Indian Maharajas. It contrasts their incomes with European monarchs and exposes how privy purses and palace expenses consume disproportionate shares of state revenues, often at the expense of public welfare departments like education and sanitation. The article cites specific examples from states like Bikaner, Indore, and Jamnagar, illustrating how palace costs, royal stables, and personal expenses far exceed allocations for public services.

Critique of Scientific Discovery: Swann Harding writes about the nature of scientific discovery, arguing that recorded history often presents a 'conventionally accepted fiction' rather than absolute truth. He suggests that scientific progress relies on temporary consensus and that discoveries are often disputed, with multiple individuals claiming credit or accusing others of theft. Harding posits that 'there are no final truths; there are even no final facts.'

Fortean Phenomena and Anecdotes:

• Unexplained Bullet Wounds: Several incidents are reported, including a .22 caliber bullet piercing Beth Dolores Dunn's thigh in Pasadena, Daniel Higgins discovering he was shot in the hand in Dorchester, Mass., and Mrs. Elizabeth Tortorice being shot in the leg in Kansas City. The lack of clear explanations for these 'bullets from nowhere' is noted.
• Unusual Events: The issue includes reports of a man with a bullet wound in his shoulder in Newark who couldn't explain it, and Robert Francis Curran being felled by shotgun blasts in Camden. A tragic incident in Redding, California, involved two young girls killed by a single bullet from an unattended rifle.
• Atmospheric and Astronomical Observations: An account from Jeffersontown, Kentucky, describes a beautiful, canteloupe-sized light in the sky that glowed and receded. The 'ADD BEE FILE' section includes an anecdote about bees retaliating against a traffic cop.
• Geological and Astronomical Data: The 'ORDER NOW' section features a diagram illustrating the obliquity curve during a cycle of 31,756 years, showing the commencement and termination of the last glacial period. It also includes reprinted material on Drayson's hypothesis about glacial periods and geological phenomena.
• Historical and Scientific Notes: The 'MORE NOTES of CHARLES FORT' section compiles dated entries of unusual events, including waterspouts, tornadoes, meteors, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and strange atmospheric phenomena from 1835.

Other Content:

• The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: The magazine addresses inquiries about 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion', stating that while often dismissed as a forgery, some of its statements reflect 'sound observation' regarding natural law, political freedom, and the relationship between capital and labor.
• Fortean Arts: The section promotes books by August Derleth, described as a significant figure in 'scientifiction'.
• Jail Death: A report on the death of J. P. Thomas, Jr., in Los Angeles, with parents alleging police brutality, adding Los Angeles to a list of cities with questionable police conditions.
• Where Honor Is Due: An editorial by Robert Cook from the Journal of Heredity is reprinted, discussing the nature of human institutions and the concept of 'time binding'.
• Leon Wilson Writes: A postscript from Leon Wilson proposes a universal time system.
• Those Chinese Eggs: A brief mention of eggs standing on end in China on the spring equinox.
• Prodigious: An eleven-year-old mathematical prodigy at Harvard and a four-and-a-half-year-old who discovered a new principle in physics are noted.
• Add Pyrotics: A reference to 'pyrotics', a term for people who burst into flame, with an example of a woman who burned to death in her 'fireproof' home.
• Gomer Moves Athens: A mention of Gomer Bath's column in Peoria, highlighting the city's strong contingent of Fortean Society members.
• Toast in Cyanide: A critical quote from the American Legion supporting compulsory military training is presented.
• Republican Tree: A brief note about an apple tree bearing a second crop in December.
• Henry Miller Joins: The writer Henry Miller is noted as having embraced Forteanism.
• Verbatim: A quote about the moon's rising time in Norway and Sweden.
• Hearst Has Heart: An editorial from the N.Y. Journal-American against vivisection is discussed.
• Page Nelly Blye: A reference to Nelly Blye's investigative journalism.
• On Cahill's Wings: A detailed discussion of the Cahill Butterfly Projection and its comparison to a new map by Wayne University.
• More Joquel II: A package of books received, including 'New Truths About Columbus' by Grace A. Fendler, which attempts to link Columbus to Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry, and Isaac Newton Vail's 'The Earth's Annular System'.
• Postwar Conscription: A commentary on the proposal for compulsory military service in the U.S.
• Chicago!: A report of abnormal noon darkness in Cook County, Illinois.
• Our Contemporary!: A critique of 'The New Yorker' magazine's editorial policies and content, noting its occasional Fortean leanings.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The editorial stance of DOUBT remains consistent with the Fortean tradition: a critical examination of established scientific, historical, and social narratives, a focus on unexplained phenomena, and a skepticism towards official explanations. The magazine champions independent thinking, challenges conventional wisdom, and highlights instances where official accounts appear incomplete or misleading. There's a recurring theme of questioning authority, whether governmental, scientific, or religious, and an emphasis on the value of individual observation and critical inquiry. The magazine also promotes books and ideas aligned with its Fortean perspective, encouraging members to engage with challenging material and contribute to the ongoing exploration of the unexplained.