The World Has Nacogdoches Texas To Thank For The Marx Brothers

Very early in the last century, some say it was 1907, some say it happened as late as 1917, but, regardless of the imprecision regarding the date, it is fairly universally acknowledged that an event occurred in Nacogdoches out in the Piney Woods Region of East Texas, that turned the Marx Brothers into their own special brand of improvised comic genius.

Before the Marx Brothers got to Texas they'd been just one more Vaudeville act, with their main focus being on music, with a few lame jokes thrown in.

And then in the middle of a matinee performance in the Nacogdoches Opera House and Theater, someone ran into the theater, interrupting the Marx Brothers performance, to shout the news that a runaway mule was rampaging down the street in front of the theater.

The theater emptied as the locals went to watch the spectacle of the runaway mule. The Marx Brothers followed. Eventually the locals made it back to their seats.

Groucho was now very grouchy. To vent his aggravation Groucho started making fun of Nacogdoches and its boorish, provincial people. Groucho had broken totally from their canned performance and was in full ad lib mode. The Marx Brothers as the world came to know them were born.

Groucho continued into his next song. A sentimental one that had previously contained one of their most important dramatic moments. But, this time Groucho changed the lyrics. He sang, "Nacogdoches is full of roaches." The aggravation diffused, and now having fun butchering one of their songs, at the next pause Groucho said, "The jack-ass is the finest flower of Tex-ass."

The Texans were not insulted, instead they loved it. The Marx Brothers were a hit. This event was so memorable, in Nagodoches history, that an historical marker, commemorating the start of the Marx Brothers, is in downtown Nacogdoches at the site of the opera house and theater.

In 1826 the Fredonia uprising rebelled against Mexico and set up the Republic of Fredonia in the territory surrounding Nacogdoches. Years later, in 1933, the Marx Brothers paid homage to Nacogdoches in their movie Duck Soup, naming the mythical kingdom in the movie, Freedonia.

Now, I have never found the Marx Brothers movies all that funny. And Groucho's adlibs that launched the Marx Brothers seem a bit mediocre to me. But, Groucho, later, solo, was very funny, like on You Bet Your Life, where his ad lib mastery was famously on display. And in interviews, like with Dick Cavett.

Groucho Marx was a very funny guy. And we have Texas to thank for aggravating Groucho enough to release his inner funny man.

Walking In The Village Creek Shade While Thinking About Going To Archer City, Nacogdoches & Over Nooksack Falls

When I felt the need to commune with nature today I opted for the shadiest nearby spot I know. That being Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

The temperature was in the high 90s. Even with the shade I got HOT and turned into a sweaty, wet mess, going through 4 bottles of water. All this HEAT is turning me into a very heavy drinker.

This morning I took a virtual trip out west, to Archer City, to check in on Larry McMurtry's Booked Up bookstore. Biggest used book store in the world in a little town that still looks like it did in The Last Picture Show.

When I was done looking at Archer City I headed back east, all the way, virtually, to Nacogdoches. I have had trouble spelling that town's name all day long.

Switching from Nacogdoches to up in Washington, I heard from my oldest sister yesterday. She told me about kayaking over in North Eastern Washington on the Pend Oreille River. And coming to a rapids section or two that made her nervous. I don't know if she knew there are a lot of waterfalls in that hilly/mountainous zone.

Anyway, hearing about kayaking some rapids triggered a recurring nightmare I've not had in awhile.

People in Texas don't have to worry about accidentally going over a waterfall. I think the state must have banned them like they did the Indians.

In Washington there are a lot of waterfalls. There is one called Nooksack Falls. On the Nooksack River. Most of the Nooksack's water comes from melting snow. Nooksack Falls is always running a lot of water. But when the snowmelt is strong, Nooksack Falls shakes the ground.

There are trails where you can hike down the face of the falls, well, along side of. This has also triggered my acrophobia. The Nooksack River narrows and begins moving very fast as it gets near the falls.

In my nightmare I am floating along on an inner tube. The river starts moving faster. I'd gotten in the river way above the falls. I'd planned to get out well before the falls. In my nightmare I realize I am nearing Nooksack Falls. I can hear the roar, the river picks up speed, I can not pull myself to safety on the big boulders lining both sides of the river. I then come to the point of no return, where I know I am going over the falls. I have hit the drop off point, I don't know how many times, in how many nightmares. I don't know what happens next, because I always wake up in a panic.

No one has ever survived going over Nooksack Falls. I'll see if I can find a picture. Found one, and a blurb from Wikipedia. "The water flows through a narrow valley and drops freely 88 feet into a deep rocky river canyon. The falls are viewable from the forested cover near the cliffs edge. The falls are a short 2/3 of a mile drive off the Mount Baker Highway."

Also in the Wikipedia article there are details of a power plant on Nooksack Falls. Operating to this day. My memory of Nooksack Falls goes back about as far as my memory goes and I remember no power plant, let alone the other buildings shown in a photo in the Wikipedia article.

I must look into this Nooksack Falls power plant mystery. It sounds like blogging fodder for my Washington blog.

In the meantime, it is a bit past 4, this Sunday afternoon, and I am so exhausted going to bed sounds tempting. Very very tired am I.