Jolt Country

The unexplained tradition began in 1949, a century after Poe's death, and has occurred on the author's birthday (January 19) of every year since. In the early hours of the morning on that date, a black-clad figure, presumed to be male, with a silver-tipped cane enters the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground in Baltimore, Maryland. The individual proceeds to Poe's grave, where he or she raises a cognac toast. Before departing, the Toaster leaves three red roses and a half-bottle of cognac on the grave. The roses are believed to represent Poe, his wife Virginia, and his mother-in-law Maria Clemm, all three of whom are interred at the site. The significance of the cognac itself is unknown, although a note was once left by Poe's grave stating it was for great respect for the family tradition the cognac is placed.[1] Many of the bottles left behind have been taken and stored by the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore.

The Toaster wears a black coat and hat, and obscures his or her face with a scarf or hood. A group of reporters and Poe enthusiasts are usually on hand to observe the event. Generally, none have attempted to interfere with the Toaster's entry, tribute or departure or to identify the individual out of respect for the tradition (and, perhaps, the mystery).

Man, I wish I had a secondary reason for visiting Baltimore, because I would certainly love to visit and see the Toaster.

I heard that he passed the job on to his oldest son when the original guy got too old to make the yearly pilgrimage. Why aren't there any real life mysteries anymore? I mean aside from bigfoot, loch ness and UFOs.


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AArdvark wrote:Why aren't there any real life mysteries anymore? I mean aside from bigfoot, loch ness and UFOs.

What really happened to Natalee Holloway??

Oh that's just a missing person deal. People do that thing all the time. I mean if she were to go missing every year for a couple decades, that would be something noteworthy. But only once, come on. Sure people have dug up info on the Poe Toaster guy but still, it's like groundhog day of the dead!

I guess the real lament is that there's no anonymity anymore.
Unless you're an internet poster myfacespacebook pedophile. And who would want to toast that?



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As usual, Flack nails it:

http://www.robohara.com/?p=2900

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:Man, I wish I had a secondary reason for visiting Baltimore, because I would certainly love to visit and see the Toaster.

How about two: The B&O Railroad Museum, which has a number of older railroad cars on display, and the Headquarters of Social Security so you can see the black hole where your FICA contribution goes.

I happen to like trains, plus, when I went to go see the B&O RRM, I was working for a subcontractor to the Federal Railroad Administration, the regulatory agency of the Department of Transportation that has responsibility over freight and passenger railroads EXCEPT for rail systems that operate on private track not part of the public rail system, like subways.

Back around the 1960s, there was a worry that having every government agency in Washington would decapitate the government if the Russians dropped the bomb on us, so a lot of agencies were moved out of the capitol. The U.S. Patent Office moved to Richmond; Social Security moved to Baltimore.

Years later, this policy was rescinded. The Patent Office - now the Patent & Trademark Office - moved back to Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington. It's now in Alexandria, about 5 miles outside Washington.

Social Security liked it in Baltimore; they never moved back.

I live in University Park, Maryland in Prince George's County, about 15 miles from the Patent Office and 4 Miles from Washington. Baltimore is 65 miles from me; the county seat of PG County is Upper Marlboro, about 12 miles away.

I can get to downtown Baltimore by public transportation faster than I can get to downtown Upper Marlboro. Not only that, I go to Upper Marlboro at least once a month, it takes a minimum of five hours to get there and back.

I've probably visited Baltimore about a half dozen times, it's an interesting place to visit.

One time I had to take a trip to Baltimore to submit an important document to a department of the office of the State Attorney General downtown. I took bus and train and bus there, dropped off papers and came back, in about 4 hours.

People are waiting for the Poe Toaster RIGHT NOW! Is he gonna come tonight??!

http://www.wbaltv.com/r/30246522/detail.html

I bet he just Fed-Ex-s the roses and cognac. That way he can avoid the crowds.

My guess is that it's over. If he hasn't showed up in the past two years after forty+ years of doing it....


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It is kind of sad. Perhaps they should just hold a candlelight vigil every year or something as a tribute instead of hoping for just one guy to do all the work.


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