The Story for May 17, 2025

The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place / March 1927
from The Case-Book

Discussion Leader, David Hayes

Mr. Hayes offers these questions and directions to help us prepare for the May meeting.

The canonical story, The Shoscombe Old Place, is filled with opportunities to discuss the cultural environment in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson plied their craft. Please read the story, paying particular attention to the following:

This month’s story has something in common with our August story. Maybe more than one. What do you think?

Sir Robert Norberton is referred to as a Baronet. What is a Baronet, was Sir Robert one, and who do you know who could be one if his ancestors had not come to America?

There seems to be a lot of antisemitism in the story. Do you believe that Mr. Holmes was antisemitic? How about Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle? If they were, would it have mattered in Victorian England?

I’m looking forward to sharing with you, and learning from you.

One of the illustrations by Frederic Dorr Steele for Liberty Magazine, March 1927
which featured The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place.

Previously

January 18 - The Priory School <> Jeff Steward, Discussion Leader
February 15 <> Silver Blaze <> John Besser, Discussion Leader
March 19 <> Cancelled due to severe weather <> Rescheduled for May
April 19 <> The Beryl Coronet <> Drew Thomas, Discussion Leader

Looking Ahead

May 17 - Shoscombe Old Place (Led by David Hayes)

June 21 - The Boscombe Valley Mystery

July 19 - Summer Party at the Home of Tom & Wanda Vickstrom

August 16 - The Lion’s Mane

September 20 - His Last Bow

October 18 - The Striped Chest (The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia)

November 15 - The Blue Carbuncle

It was with profound sadness that we announced the passing our dear friend Gael Stahl this past September. A service of remembrance and celebration for Gael
was held at our January 2025 meeting.

He was our Final Problem, often the spark of creativity and progress for our Three Pipe Problem Scion Society. His enthusiasm and energy were never lacking until his health waned in the past few years.

Please see our 3PP Newsletter, 1st Quarter of 2024 for a special issue produced when we learned that Gael and SuSun were moving to Indianapolis, IN earlier this year.

More about Gael Stahl is on our Remembrance page.

When Gael’s health began to fail, he joined our monthly meetings via Zoom. I asked him to be prepared to read Vincent Starrett’s poem 221B to close our meetings. He was thrilled to do so. We are pleased to have this memory of Gael reading this famous Sherlockian benediction from a meeting in 2023.

221b
by Vincent Starrett

Here dwell together still two men of note

Who never lived and so can never die:

How very near they seem, yet how remote

That age before the world went all awry.

But still the game's afoot for those with ears

Attuned to catch the distant view-halloo:

England is England yet, for all our fears—

Only those things the heart believes are true.

A yellow fog swirls past the window-pane

As night descends upon this fabled street:

A lonely hansom splashes through the rain,

The ghostly gas lamps fail at twenty feet.

Here, though the world explode, these two survive,

And it is always eighteen ninety-five.

March 11, 1942