Atchison, Kansas
The New
"Tales From the Side of the Road"
by Jack Hayslett
jackhayslett@sbcglobal.net
Atchison's Online Journal
"Tales From the Side of the Road"
White
Elephant or Albatross
While the most honorable Council, Counsel, knowledgeable and onlookers of Atchison continue to battle with Nuns over what will be done with the Mount St. Scholastica Administration Building, it remains as what some call a "white elephant" or maybe even an "albatross" around the neck of the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in Atchison. But, is it a white elephant? The literal phrase "white elephant" is first found in the 1400's. It is from a story that the King of Siam (now Thailand) would punish disagreeable "courtiers" by giving them a sacred white elephant. No king could be without worthy courtiers with whom he could feel at his ease. Courtiers, like spies, bring the king information, too. The elephant could not be destroyed, disposed of or used for any kind of work, and the expense of caring for it would ruin the owner. Hmmm. Ruin the Sisters, probably not. But, a continual source of financial headaches would (will?) occur.
The figurative sense of this old cliche appeared in the mid 1800's as 'a valuable possession whose maintenance requires great expense that far outweighs the possession's worth to the owner. This is exactly what the Sisters encounter today. Derived senses are not always easily distinguishable, so we may include 'an unwanted possession that is difficult to dispose of' or 'a possession of little or questionable value' and 'a conspicuous failure to serve' to the list of reasons to get rid of it. To maintain some "order" within their "Order," the Sisters have addressed all of these issues and many more. Using the cliches we all seem to understand, try "walking a mile in their (the Sisters') shoes." Or, better yet, put yourself in their "Habit" and Pray for all of us who put our noses where they don't belong. Where were all the "do good-ers" who want to preserve the Atchison past in the past? "On again, off again?" They were there for the very usable Post Office in the 60's. But, where were they when we lost our Union Depot? Big mistake. Some alumnus of St. Benedict's saw the need to save the old Abbey, and he put up the big bucks to see that the "Freshman Hall" did not see the wrecking ball. Thus far, no "Mountie" has come up with a "Save the History" donation. Boy, did we all enjoy seeing the old Manglesdorf Tower fall in a cloud of dust, as did the grain elevators downtown. Tourist attraction status. Nobody wanted those left standing, did they? I remember great applause. No "boos" from anyone. Not the owners. Not the public. Not the historical preservationists. No save our history. Just pick and select what stays and what goes? The most photographed building in really old Atchison had to be the Dolan (McKelvey) Mercantile which stood at the "Gateway to the West" arrival point on the Missouri River, a riverboat landing and wharf and business area. At the railroad bridge. A proud past for this famous old business enterprise, it was sort of like the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. We would not want it to be gone and forgotten. But, this was in the way of "progress." Beautify Atchison and it's "historic" downtown monolithic "Mall." But, the Convent is the Mission "of" and "for" the Sisters. Not built by them to be an Atchison Historical Site, but to meet their needs for their Mission, education and pursuit of righteousness. Their needs have changed, just as our needs are ever changing. Some laws are or were made to protect us from ourselves. Other laws came from more sinister minds and for more devious reasons. Will the disposition (isn't that a strange lawyer-like word to use) of this issue be decided in court?
Who will decide if your property's future will be in your hands, or will not? Can you build a new house on your property where a once useful - now useless home was. Aha, the codes. "Albatross" comes from the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and is used to imply an "unpleasant and odious project" that spells the end of the person stuck with it, and gets passed around from unfortunate soul to unfortunate soul. In this case, from one generation of Monastic Sisters to their successors. "Albatross" comes from a Spanish word for "pelican", and it was regarded as bad luck to kill one of these birds. So, albatross is also an omen? Maybe. It's interesting that "Albatross" was once a man's slang for "wife," as it was like having a "millstone around his neck."
"White Elephant" or "Albatross," it's the Sisters' to live with now, I guess. In a more perfect world, only the good would survive. Conspiracy theories aside, where is the line between an individual's rights and the public rights drawn?