The Notorious Canary-Trainers
A Scion of the Baker Street Irregulars
for friends and fans of Sherlock Holmes
-- celebrating our 40th year!

AUGUST 2008: THE PROBLEM OF THOR BRIDGE
Thursday, Oct. 4, to Friday, Oct. 5, 1900

This account was first published in England's "The Strand" magazine in February and March 1922 with 7 illustrations by A. Gilbert, and in Hearst's International Magazine the same months, with 3 illustrations by G. Patrick Nelson. It now is found in the volume, "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes."

This case took place about four months after the case of "The Six Napoleons" which we studied at our July meeting.

Quotes to Note:

**(Watson to the reader) "Somewhere in the vaults of the bank of Cox and Co., at Charing Cross, there is a travel-worn and battered tin dispatch-box with my name, John H. Watson, M.D., Late Indian Army, painted upon the lid. It is crammed with papers, nearly all of which are records of cases to illustrate the curious problems which Mr. Sherlock Holmes had at various times to examine."

**(Holmes to Watson) "I can discover facts, Watson, but I cannot change them."

**(Neil Gibson to Holmes) "Well, if dollars make no difference to you, think of the reputation. If you pull this off every paper in England and America will be booming you. You'll be the talk of two continents." (Holmes in reply) "Thank you, Mr. Gibson, I do not think that I am in need of booming."

**(Holmes to Neil Gibson) "Some of you rich men have to be taught that all the world cannot be bribed into condoning your offences."

**"You've done yourself no good this morning, Mr. Holmes, for I have broken stronger men than you. No man ever crossed me and was the better for it." "So many have said so, and yet here I am," said Holmes, smiling.

To read the text of this story online, go to this Web site where you can choose a version which allows you to click on any highlighted word and find out all of its uses in other stories. Otherwise, go to Wikisource or The Sherlockian Net.

For a Wikipedia plot summary and related links, click here.

For questions to review after reading the story -- to test yourself on how well you have observed -- check out these links:

Hounds of the Internet

The Sherlockian Net

What else was happening in 1900? Click here to find out.

Our meeting was held at 3 p.m. Sunday, August 17, at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, West Towne and was the last at this location as we move in September to the Booked for Murder bookstore.

JULY 2008: THE SIX NAPOLEONS
Friday, June 8, to June 10, 1900

This account was first published in the United States in Collier's April 30, 1904, and in England's "The Strand" magazine the following month. It now may be found in the volume, "The Return of Sherlock Holmes."

This case took place about five months after that of "Charles Augustus Milverton" which we studied at our June meeting.

Quotes to Note:

**(Holmes) "You will remember, Watson, how the dreadful business of the Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter upon a hot day."

**"No. 131 was one of a row, all flat-chested, respectable, and most unromantic dwellings. As we drove up, we found the railings in front of the house lined by a curious crowd. Holmes whistled. 'By George! It's attempted murder at the least. Nothing less will hold the London message-boy. There's a deed of violence indicated in that fellow's round shoulders and outstretched neck'."

**"In rapid succession we passed through the fringe of fashionable London, hotel London, theatrical London, literary London, commercial London, and, finally, maritime London, till we came to a riverside city of a hundred thousand souls, where the tenement houses swelter and reek with the outcasts of Europe."

**"'The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it'."

**"It was at such moments that for an instant he (Sherlock Holmes) ceased to be a reasoning machine, and betrayed his human love for admiration and applause."

*(Lestrade to Holmes) "'We're not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow, there's not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn't be glad to shake you by the hand'."

To read the full text of this story online, go to this Web site where you can choose a version which allows you to click on any highlighted word and find out all of its uses in other stories. Otherwise, go to Wikisource or The Sherlockian Net.

For a Wikipedia plot summary and related links, click here.

For questions to review after reading the story -- to test yourself on how well you have observed -- check out these links:

Hounds of the Internet

The Sherlockian Net

What else was happening in 1900? Click here to find out.

Read the report on this meeting here.

For information on other Sherlock Holmes stories we've recently discussed, click here.

Our meeting was held at 3 p.m. July 20 at Barnes & Noble near the West Towne Shopping Center.