1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosity is a production 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: open book, all of these amazing tales are right there 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: the Cabinet of Curiosities. We never really know how the 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: people in our lives will affect us later on. As kids, 8 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: we pick up things from parents and siblings, aunts and uncles, 9 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: and even our grandparents. Whether it's a love of old movies, 10 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: or the way we hold a pencil or how we 11 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: say certain words. Our families and friends leave their marks 12 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: on us in so many ways, and for the more 13 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: artistic of us, they become fodder for our creative endeavors. 14 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: That's what happened to Elsie Seeger. Seeger was born in 15 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: the small town of Chester, Illinois eight His father worked 16 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: as a handyman, and when Elsie was older, he often 17 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: brought him along on the jobs. When he wasn't painting 18 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: houses or hanging wallpaper. However, the young Seeger could be 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: found playing the drums, which made him popular with local 20 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: theaters and movie houses in need of musical support. His 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: early days were spent a company in vaudeville acts, until 22 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: he eventually took a job running the projector at the 23 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: Chester Opera House. The owner of the Opera House was 24 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: a man named William Schuchert, who often sent Seager out 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: to fetch him hamburgers at meal times. Meanwhile, there was 26 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: a local general store run by Dora Pascal, whose tall 27 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,639 Speaker 1: and lanky frame loomed over her customers, her hair tied 28 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: in a loose bun that fell at the nape of 29 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: her neck. All of these individuals left a lasting impression 30 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: on Sieger, but perhaps none more than Frank Feigel. Figel 31 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: was known by his nickname Rocky due to his prominent 32 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: jawline and muscular stature. Rocky lived with his mother and 33 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: didn't have many friends. He fought a lot and was 34 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: not one to shy away from a brawl. He also 35 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: spent most of his time in the town's bars. Rocky 36 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: didn't have a steady income, instead choosing to do odd 37 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: jobs around Chester as a day laborer. Given his shaky 38 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: employment history and love of drinking, he earned a less 39 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: than flattering reputation as a bum, but he wasn't afraid 40 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: of anything. According to a story by his nephew, Rocky 41 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: once entered a saloon where two Ruffians had a rule 42 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: for anyone coming in. The customer either had to buy 43 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: the whole bar around of drinks or put on the 44 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: gloves and fight one of the thugs. So Rocky put 45 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: on the gloves. The next thing everyone knew, the bruiser 46 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,839 Speaker 1: was on the floor, with Rocky standing over him victorious. 47 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: But he wasn't always fighting. Despite his sour demeanor, he 48 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: often made time to help the kids in town, especially 49 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: the meek ones who were getting picked on by bullies. 50 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: He would offer candy or coins to the ones in need. 51 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: Even though he was tough on the outside, he had 52 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: a heart of gold on the inside. Rocky could be 53 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: easily identified by a few trademark characteristics too. For one, 54 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: he always had a corn cob pipe sticking out of 55 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: his mouth. He'd also lost one of his eyes, which 56 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: led him to squint on one side. Rocky was quite 57 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: a character and affected everyone he met, for better or 58 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: for worse. Elzie Seger certainly remembered him when he finally 59 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: left Chester for a job in the big city. Seger 60 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: had started taking correspondence courses at eighteen years old with 61 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: a dream of becoming a cartoonist. After spending a number 62 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: of years in Chicago working for The Herald and the 63 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: Chicago Evening American, he moved out to New York. He 64 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: took a job at King Features Syndicate, a content distribution 65 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: company that put comic strips in papers all over the country. 66 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: Among his first creations at the new job was a 67 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: strip called Bull Theater. It introduced characters that were literally 68 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: drawn from Seeger's own life, including a tall, thin woman 69 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: with her hair in a loose bun named Olive Oil, 70 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: reminiscent of Chester General store owner Dora Pascal. Eventually, William 71 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: Shooker to the Hamburger, loving Chester Opera house owner who 72 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: had employed Seeger as a teen, also made an appearance. 73 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: He became j Wellington Wimpy who would gladly pay you 74 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: Tuesday or a Hamburger today. And finally there was Rocky, 75 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: the brawling, toughest nails outsider with one good eye who 76 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: always had a pipe in his mouth. Although he never 77 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,679 Speaker 1: worked on the water. His headstone said everything you needed 78 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: to know about him. Frank Rocky Figel inspiration for Popeye. 79 00:04:44,480 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: The sailor man. Before the days of jeep p s 80 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: it road maps, travelers needed another way to know where 81 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: they were and where they were going. Compasses helped, the 82 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: rising and setting of the sun did too, but the 83 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: Native Americans came up with a brand new way. They 84 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: used the help of nature to carve out their own 85 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: trail markers. You see, when trees are saplings, they can 86 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: be bent in specific ways without causing the tree any 87 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: long term damage or ill effects. These shapes will be 88 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: retained as they grow, leaving the landscape with mature trees 89 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: bent at odd angles and into strange shapes. Some trees 90 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: were tied down by rocks, way down with dirt, or 91 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: carved in particular patterns, all with the same idea in mind. 92 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 1: When you see the tree bent in a ninety degree angle, 93 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: you know where you were and where to go next. 94 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: This method does, not, however, describe the mysterious nature of 95 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: all bent trees. If you were to visit the small 96 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: town of Graffino in poland take an hour walk to 97 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: the south, passing through a regular looking pine forest, you 98 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: would come into a grove that defined explanation, a grove 99 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: that looks something out of a fairy tale, maybe even 100 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: a horror story, the layer of some kind of nether 101 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: world monster. And while most fairy tales have a meaning 102 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: and most mystical lands have a purpose, whatever purpose this 103 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: grove had is still unknown. It's a four acre grove 104 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: of four hundred trees, all pines, all planted in nine 105 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: except unlike their neighbors, all four hundred of these trees, 106 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: as the name of the forest suggests, are crooked, almost 107 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: all identically. So they are so uniform, in fact, that 108 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: to describe one tree is to describe all of the 109 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: trees in this particular grove. Just above the ground, the 110 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: tree bends sharply, almost exactly, at a ninety degree angle 111 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: and aims to the north. A gentle curve takes the 112 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: trunk upward and then back toward the original center, before 113 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: straightening out and heading for the sky. It looks like 114 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: a land of giant wooden fish hooks, or of backward jay's, 115 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: depending on which way you're looking at them, or of 116 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: a side down question marks. Now, many have looked at 117 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: this forest and assumed that had human origins. After all, 118 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: if Native Americans can bend in shape trees, why couldn't 119 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: the Polish but Native Americans bent and shaped one tree 120 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: every so often to mark a trail or point towards water. 121 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: Never four hundred trees all at once, all together, all 122 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: exactly the same. Another theory is that whoever planted this 123 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: forest bent the wood in this way to make it 124 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: easier to fashion into furniture or boats. After all, boats 125 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: are curved vessels, and perhaps precurved wood made for a 126 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: more workable material. But if that's the case, whatever happened 127 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: to the plan, Why were no trees cut down to 128 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: serve this purpose? And why was there no record of 129 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: such forethought? Still, another theory is that a heavy snowstorm 130 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: blanketed the area soon after being planted, forcing the trees 131 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: to push sideways underneath the snow until it melted, at 132 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: which point they broke upwards and then curved act towards 133 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: the sun. But there is no record of such a snowstorm, 134 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: nor an explanation as to why the neighboring trees grew 135 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: up just fine. And one last theory, because it's just 136 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: too fun not to mention, that a unique gravitational effect 137 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: pulled at the trees in this area, maybe or maybe not, 138 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: because of an alien spacecraft. Whatever, the case, you would 139 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: be happy to know that all four trees are perfectly healthy. 140 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: They all reach up to fifty ft tall, as a 141 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: good pine tree is known to do, and if nothing else, 142 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: it provides for an excellent photo opportunity for tourists who 143 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: are eager to post a unique picture on social media, 144 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: because there's nothing quite like a grove of crooked trees 145 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: to get likes and followers. Just be sure to use 146 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: the hashtag curious. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour 147 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 148 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 149 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey 150 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 151 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, 152 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: and television show, and you can learn all about it 153 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: over at the World of Lore dot com. And until 154 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.