1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. It's a nightly ritual for pretty much everyone. 7 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: Check your phone or your alarm clock to make sure 8 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: that it's set to wake you up in time for 9 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: you to make it to school or work. After all, 10 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: we have places to be in thanks to do right. 11 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: But what about the world before alarm clocks, in places 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: where roosters weren't exactly cocka doodle doing their job to 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: wake us up with the sun. How did everyone make 14 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: it to work on time back then? Well, the answer 15 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: to that question lies with a long forgotten occupation and 16 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: with one of the biggest names in that field, generally speaking. 17 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: To be the muse of someone's picture book, you had 18 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: to have done something pretty noteworthy, something perhaps inspiring or educational, 19 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: or unlike anything anyone else had done before. And for 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:19,559 Speaker 1: the most part, you could say all of those things 21 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: about Mary Smith, a Londoner who did something pretty remarkable. 22 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: Between nineteen o one and nineteen eighteen. Mary was a 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: knocker upper whose job description can probably be inferred from 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: the title. Generally, they would go door to door throughout London, 25 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: making sure people were up in time for work, sort 26 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: of like a living alarm clock, and each knocker upper 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: had their own territory a lot like a paper boy 28 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: would today. Mary Smith, however, was something of an innovator. 29 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: You see, knocker uppers used to well knock on doors 30 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: in the morning, but the populace complained that morning door 31 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: knocks were just too frightening to startling. It bothered the kids, 32 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: they said, so the knocker uppers looked for new ways 33 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: to do their job. Some used a long stick, often 34 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: ten to fifteen feet long. Rather than rap on the door, 35 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: the knocker upper would use that long pole to tap 36 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: on the bedroom window of the person inside, because apparently 37 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: a tap on the second floor bedroom window is a 38 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: lot less frightening than a knock at the front door. 39 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: But Mary Smith did something else, something that sounds further 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: fun actually. Instead of knocking on doors or tapping on 41 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 1: windows with long sticks, Mary Smith used something with a 42 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: much farther reach a pea shooter. So much like the 43 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: kids in lunch rooms firing spit loads with the straw, 44 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: Mary would fire hardened peas at the windows of those 45 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: she was hired awake. It's the stuff of picture books, 46 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: the story of Mary Smith who goes about her territory 47 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: in East London waking customers who paid her roughly sixpence 48 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: a week, earning her keep one p at a time. 49 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: And if you want to know just how important knock 50 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: her upping was at the time, consider that Robert Paul, 51 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,399 Speaker 1: the man who was one the first to discover Jack 52 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: the rippers first victim, on reporting his findings to the police, 53 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: was told that it should in no way interfere with 54 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: Roberts knocker upper duties. After all, what is the most 55 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: notorious killer in the world Compared to the fears of 56 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: missing work. As time often does, this particular profession faded away. 57 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: By the nineteen forties and fifties. There were very few 58 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: knocker uppers left in London as electricity spread along with 59 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: more affordable alarm clocks. A century old profession had walked 60 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: its final steps, tapped its last windows, and fired its 61 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: last piece. Despite being passed down from generation to generation. 62 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: There just wasn't any need for them anymore. But Mary 63 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: Smith's legacy lived on for a while. She made such 64 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: an impact with her profession that her daughter followed in 65 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: her footsteps, literally and figuratively. Her daughter, also named Mary, 66 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: would be one of the last knocker uppers in London. 67 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: So the next time your alarm buzzes or your favorite 68 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: song wakes you, just imagine it could be the sound 69 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: of tapping or the ricochein of a pe shot by 70 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: a kindly old woman standing outside on the streets near 71 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: your home. You know, easy peas. The military isn't for everyone. 72 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: The United States Marine Corps even says so much in 73 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: their recruiting slogan they are the few the proud. But 74 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: war changes people. The danger, that sense that one's life 75 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: could end in a split second brings something out in 76 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: a soldier. In April of ninety two, a number of 77 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: Polish soldiers had just been released from Soviet prison camps. 78 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: They were traveling through Iran on their way to Alexandria, Egypt, 79 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: where they would board ships back to Europe to assist 80 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: the Allies. It was during this journey when they met 81 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: a young Iranian boy and his friend. The soldiers would 82 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: have passed them by, but one of the civilians traveling 83 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: with them saw something special in the boy's friend. She 84 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: thought it best to bring him along, asking one of 85 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: the lieutenants to help her secure passage for him. No 86 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: one knew his name, though, and it appeared as though 87 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: his mother had been killed, so the troops named him Voytech, 88 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: meaning joyous soldier or happy warrior. But Votech wouldn't eat 89 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: at first, probably from the stress of losing his mom 90 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: and now joining up with a bunch of strangers, but 91 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: they managed to get him to drink condensed milk from 92 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: an old vodka bottle. Over time, they spoiled him, treating 93 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: him like one of their own children, perhaps out of 94 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: a deep seated longing for the children they had or 95 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: lost back home. It didn't take long, however, for Voytech 96 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: to become one of the guys. When offered a cigarette, 97 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: he would take a drag. They also gave him beer, 98 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: and he would drink it all and then stare down 99 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: at the opening of the bottle looking for more. The 100 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: soldiers didn't only feed him garbage, though, he ate fruits, honey, marmalade, 101 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: and syrups as well, and in the morning they'd give 102 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: him coffee, which he very much enjoyed. At night, he 103 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: would snuggle up with the soldiers to keep warm, and 104 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: during the day they'd play and wrestle together to pass 105 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: the time. Votech quickly assimilated to military life and wanted 106 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: to do everything his older friends were doing. As he grew, 107 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: he would stand tall and salute them. He even learned 108 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: how to turn on the communal showers, although that got 109 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: him in trouble because they were rationing water at the time. 110 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 1: After reaching Egypt, the men traveled to Italy to fight 111 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: alongside the British. There was just one problem though. Votech 112 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: wasn't allowed to go with them as he wasn't a soldier. 113 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: Unwilling to let him go, they drafted him into the 114 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: Polish Army, where he became an official member of the 115 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: twenty second Artillery Supply Company. Private Voitech had his own 116 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: serial number and rank, as well as a paybook in 117 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: which he could document his rate of pay and other 118 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: important details during his time in the military, and he 119 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 1: quickly proved himself to be an essential asset to the war, 120 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: demonstrating his utility at the Battle of Monte Casino. In 121 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: four he was only a few years old, but he 122 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: had ballooned to a whopping two hundred pounds. At his size, 123 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 1: he was able to carry crates of artillery shells weighing 124 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: a hundred pounds each. In fact, he was so strong 125 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: he could lift ammo boxes that normally required three or 126 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: four men to handle, moving them with ease to wherever 127 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: they needed to go, and his service during Monte Casino 128 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: helped him achieve the rank of corporal. He was a 129 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: hero to his fellow soldiers and everyone back in Poland, 130 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: so much so that the twenty second Artillery Support Company 131 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: changed their insignia to an image of Voitech carrying an 132 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: AMMO shell Sadly, he passed away in nineteen sixty three, 133 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: but he was honored with statues all over Poland, as 134 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: well as in Scotland, where he was stationed briefly. But 135 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: if you visit the statues expecting to see the metal 136 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: effigy of a large war ravaged child, you'd be mistaken. 137 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: Voitech wasn't a person, you see. He was a bear. 138 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 139 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 140 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 141 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Mankey in partnership 142 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show 143 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television 144 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: show and you can learn all about it over at 145 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: the World of Lore dot com. And until next time, 146 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: stay curious. Ye