Big Book Journey
Chapter 1 - Bill's Story pages 1 - 16
What Does That Mean?

On this walk through the first chapter of the Big Book I determined not to make the end of the chapter the goal, but instead take time to explore, kick over rocks, wander off the the trail, and ponder on what I would discover. The explorations included phrases and word meanings common in the 1930's but not so much today. This led to the story behind the story, which presented a better appreciation of the individuals and events of the era when the book was writen. An academic understanding will not bring change in my life but my honesty, open mindedness, and willingness will.

The following resources were used:

• Quotes from the Big Book are from the public domain version, in the United States, of the 2^nd edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. This is accessible at 12step.org
• Sentence diagramming, to determine the word usage within the sentence, was performed by CoreNLP at corenlp.run.
• Definitions used are from the Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language 1930 Edition
• An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a symbolic meaning different from the literal interpretation of the words. For idioms not listed in the 1930 Webster's Dictionary the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms was used.
• 164 and More - a Concordance of the Big Book and the 12 & 12 was used to refer to the multiple instances word use within the book. A hardcopy version is available for purchase and also a free on-line version.
• Most historical information was gleaned from:
  "Bill W." by Robert Thomsen (1975)
  "Bill W." by Francis Hartigan (2000)
  "The Lois Wilson Story" by William Borchert (2005)
  "Writing the Big Book" by William Schaberg(2019)

Historical Background for the first part of Chapter 1

On June 28th of 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated. This one act resulted in a series of events that started WWI. That fall Bill Wilson, of Dorset, Vermont, became a student at Norwich University. Norwich was a small military college in Northfield Vermont and Bill began his college education with the intent of studying Engineering. That summer in Dorset, Bill met Lois Burnham, a Brooklyn lady spending the summer at her families summer home in Manchester, Vermont. Their relationship outlived the summer, and bloomed over the next years with many visits and letters. Bill returned to school, where he struggled with subjects, but excelled in his military subjects. Lois began teaching at a school in New Jersey owned by her aunt.

As events unfolded in Europe and various countries entered the war, the United States initially observed from a distance and hesitated to get involved. Germany implemented a maritime blockade of Britain, allowing only one U.S. ship to safe passage to England each week. The turning point in U.S. public opinion came when a secret encoded telegram from Germany to Mexico. This telegram, now known as the Zimmermann Telegram, was decoded and then published in the United States. In the message Mexico was promised the territories of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if they agreed to ally with Germany in the conflict. This revelation sparked widespread fear across the U.S. In response, President Wilson called a special session of Congress. The session resulted in the United States formally declaring war on Germany. On April 6, 1917, the U.S. joined the Allied forces against Germany.

In response to the national crisis, Norwich University canceled all academic classes, directing cadets to focus entirely on military drills. Within a few weeks, many cadets, including Bill, volunteered to join the army. The Norwich men were organized into a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) unit and were immediately sent to Plattsburgh, New York, for training. After completing their training, Bill had the opportunity to choose his branch of service from four options. He selected the Coast Artillery and departed that night for Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he underwent eight weeks of field artillery training. Upon completing the training, 22-year-old Bill earned the rank of Second Lieutenant. His next duty station was Fort Rodman in Massachusetts. At Fort Rodman, the affluent Grinnell family hosted weekend events for soldiers at their estate in New Bedford. Bill later recalled these gatherings as the place where he discovered that Bronx Cocktails helped alleviate his chronic social anxiety.

Bill and Lois planned to get married in February, but they decided to change the date due to increasing rumors about his impending deployment to Europe. The couple was married in a small ceremony at the Swedenborgian Church in Brooklyn, on January 24, 1918. Lois had grown up in this church, her grandfather a respected Swedenborgian minister and author. The couple made a brief trip to Boston to visit his mother and sister. Back in New Bedford, Bill rented an apartment outside the base for Lois and himself. In April, his unit transferred to Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island, marking the beginning of his journey to war.

Troops stationed at Fort Adams were waiting for the ships that would transport them from Boston to Europe. Since Bill was required to live on the base, Lois rented a room at a nearby boarding house. Bill and Lois devised a code in his letters to her, when he signed the letter Billy, she would know he was still in a safe location. On July 18, the ship named Lancashire departed from Boston Harbor bound for Southampton, England. Lois returned to Brooklyn while Bill's 66th Battalion Coastal Artillery Corps Battery C was sent to camp just outside of Winchester, England, waiting for it's journey to France. The unit was held longer than the rest of the Battalion, due to an epidemic within the camp. This delay allowed Bill a pass to explore Winchester.

In August, Bill took a walk and found himself at the town's cathedral. As he walked down the aisle, he stood enveloped in a beam of colored light streaming through a stained glass window. Inspired by the beauty, he sat alone and experienced a profound sense of peace in the complete silence. As he was leaving the grounds, he paused to view the grave of the Hampshire Grenadier, with which he uses the inscription from to begin his story in Chapter One.⁵

During this time, Lois tried to join Bill in France, volunteering for a program the Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) organized to send women trained in occupational therapy to aid injured front-line U.S. troops. However, the Y.M.C.A. rejected Lois because they did not consider her childhood religious upbringing in the Swedishbortian community an acceptable Protestant denomination.

Battery C arrived at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France on 19 August 1918. They were assigned to Services of Supply and then moved on to Limoges, in west-central France, where they rejoined the rest of the 1st Battalion, which remained until the Armistice. By the time Bill had arrived in France, the war was winding down. His unit never saw combat but by he had become a heavy drinker. The regiment remained in France until it shipped back to the United States on March 8, 1919. The Battalion was demobilized at Camp Upton, on Long Island, New York, on March 29, 1919 and Bill was discharged. Upon discharge his men gave him a watch in appreciation of his leadership. He reunited with Lois at her family home at 128 Clinton Street in Brooklyn. ⁶

The Hampshire Grenadier

My attention was caught by a doggerel on an old tombstone:
"Here lies a Hampshire Grenadier
Who caught his death
Drinking cold small beer.
A good soldier is ne'er forgot
Whether he dieth by musket
Or by pot."
Ominous warning--which I failed to heed." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 1

A doggerel is a loose or irregular in measure verse - it this case the verse on the grave marker is hard to read in rhythmic way.

The Hampshire Grenadier

A grenadier was a soldier who carried and threw grenades. The Hampshire Grenadier refers to Thomas Thetcher. Notice his last name is similar to but not spelled the same as Bill's childhood friend Ebby Thatcher. His biography "Bill W." says the similarity between the names is what first drew Bill's attention to the marker. Thomas Thetcher n served in the North Hants Militia of Hampshire, England. This militia unit was only activated when the need arose, much like a state national guard unit is in the United States today. Research of North Hants Militia indicates it was not in an activated status when Thomas died on 12 May 1764. Thomas was 26 years old at the time of his death.

Bill's recall of the "doggerel" text on the marker varies from the actual gravestone. The actual inscription is:
Here sleeps in peace a Hampshire Grenadier,
Who caught his death by drinking cold small Beer,
Soldiers be wise from his untimely fall
And when ye’re hot drink Strong or none at all."
An Honest Soldier never is forgot
Whether he die by Musket or by Pot.

What is Small Beer? - In 1764 proper sanitation methods were not yet understood. A lack of clean drinking water in populated areas was rare in both England and Colonial America. Most drinking water was contaminated with cholera, typhoid, and other bacterial organisms. It was common to brew a beer with a low alcohol content as the substitute for contaminated drinking water. The brew was usually made at home, and referred to as Small Beer, as opposed to Strong Beer. When prepared correctly Small Beer would kill water-borne organisms but not make a person drunk. It was also consumed by children as the safe alternative to drinking possible contaminated water. Once clean drinking water did become available the drinking of Small Beer was no longer required to stay healthy and the practice gradually stopped. The original gravestone contains the warning, if you are thirsty make sure you drink "Strong beer". This refers to Beer with enough alcohol content that it could make you intoxicated, which ensured bacterial contamination was eliminated. We can guess from the gravestone text that Thomas drank beer that was too low in alcohol content, and contained bacterial contamination. This resulted in him contracting a bacterial infection which caused a high fever and ultimately his death. The last thought of the original verse states the memory of an honest soldier is not forgotten regardless of the cause of his death. The use of the word "pot" does not refer to modern slang for marijuana, but instead to the container holding the beer.

In conclusion, Bill did not understand the actually meaning of the inscription. His interpretation sent him a warning of the danger of his acquired drinking habits. So why does Bill's version of the epitaph differ from the original? We can only speculate. In the biographies "Bill W.", it places his visit to Winchester Cathedral to a day in August 1918. Small cameras were not yet available, so it was unlikely Bill would have taken a photo. He may have been relying on his memory or he may have intentionally altered the verse to better fit his writing purpose and style.

"I took a night law course, and obtained employment as investigator for a surety company" ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 2

In this sentence investigator and surety are used as a noun. ²

A surety company is a business that issues bonds (insurance) to ensure that a third party (the principal) will fulfill its obligations. For example, when a city puts out a bid for a water treatment facility, the city requires the contractor (the principal) to purchase a surety bond (insurance) before starting the project. This bond (insurance) gives the city a guarantee they will be reimbursed (by the surety company) for any damages they incur if the contractor fails to complete the project in accordance with the terms of the contract.

Returning from World War I, Bill secured a job as an investigator for the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company (USF&G), an insurance company which issued guaranty bonds. Bill investigated claims that were suspected as fraudulent. At the same time, he attended night law classes at the Brooklyn School of Law. He did complete the law course but never practiced law. ⁶

"We had long talks when I would still her forebodings by telling her that men of genius conceived their best projects when drunk; that the most majestic constructions philosophic thought were so derived." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 2

In this sentence forebodings, men, and genius are used as nouns. The words majestic and philosophic are used as adjectives. The word constructions is used as a plural noun. ²

The phrase "man of genius" refers to a person with extraordinary intellectual power.

"The phrase majestic constructions of philosophic thought" refers to grand, complex, and impressive philosophical ideas or theories that are considered to be highly developed, profound, and intellectually awe-inspiring, often signifying a significant advancement or landmark in the field of philosophy. ⁷

The inviting maelstrom of Wall Street had me in its grip." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 2

In this sentence maelstrom is used as a noun. ²

Wall Street is a street in New York City that is the financial center of the United States. The term "Wall Street" is used as a symbolic term for the US financial industry.

Out of this ally of drink and speculation, I commenced to forge the weapon that one day would turn in its flight like a boomerang and all but cut me to ribbons." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 2

In this sentence ally, boomerang, and ribbons are used as nouns, the word forge is used as a verb. ²

The symbolism of a boomerang originates from Bill's childhood experience of designing and learning to throw one. He crafted the boomerang using the wood from the headboard of his bed, which delighted his grandfather but not so much his grandmother. ⁶

It went into certain securities, then cheap and rather unpopular." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 2

In this sentence securities is used as a noun. ²

A security is a financial instrument or certificate that has monetary value and can be traded. Examples are bonds, stocks, notes, etc...

The great boom of the late twenties was seething and swelling." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In this sentence boom is used as a noun. Seething and swelling are both used as verbs. ²

"The great boom of the late twenties" refers to the decade of the "Roaring Twenties". This is a period that began after the end of World War I and concluded with the onset of the Great Depression. During these years, the populations of American cities outgrew the agricultural population, automobiles replaced horses as the main mode of transportation. The period is remembered for it's optimism, prosperity, the birth of jazz, and the widespread defiance of alcohol prohibition. Furthermore, the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote for the first time in the United States.

The exercise of an option brought in more money, leaving us with a profit of several thousand dollars for that year." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In this sentence option is used as a noun. ²

A stock option is not a share of stock. Instead, it is an agreement allowing the holder of the option to purchase stock shares at a predetermined price and by a specified date.

Everyone spent in thousands and chattered in millions." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In this sentence chattered is used as a verb. ²

Scoffers could scoff and be damned." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In this sentence scoffers is used as a noun, scoff is used as a verb. ²

I made a host of fair-weather friends." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In this sentence fair is used as an adjective, and weather is used as a noun. ²

The remonstrances of my friends terminated in a row and I became a lone wolf." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In this sentence fair is used as an adjective, and weather is used as a noun. ²

The idiom "lone wolf" originates from wolf behavior, it refers to an animal that acts independently or generally lives or spends time alone instead of with a group. A lone wolf in winter hunts and fends for itself. See see lone wolf trait. ⁴ Webster's definition states lone is from the word alone, then refers to the word solitary, meaning isolation. The disease of alcoholism isolates those engulfed by it.

"We went at once to the country, my wife to applaud while I started out to overtake Walter Hagen." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 3

In 1929 Bill and Lois returned to Vermont. Concerned about his drinking and increasing bouts of depression, he took up golf in an attempt to improve his health. Bill played every day at the Ekwanok Country Club in Manchester, sometimes three rounds a day. Growing up nearby, Bill was very familiar with the 18-hole course. Todd Lincoln, the son of President Abraham Lincoln, served as the club's long-time president, making it a popular meeting place for the elite residents of Manchester. ⁶

Walter Charles Hagen (1892-1969) was a world recognized professional golfer, his records have only been surpassed by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Raised in Rochester, New York, Walter started as a child to work as a caddy at the local golf course to earn money for his large family. By his mid-teens he had become an expert golfer and was giving paid lessons to the club members. At 1913 U.S. Open other professional golfers told him to step aside and that he could practice after they were through. By the end of the tournament they knew who he was as he placed fourth. The next year, 1914, he won the U.S. Open. Walter went on to win tournaments and exhibition matches around the world. He designed a matched sets of golf clubs for Wilson Sports, which was the first set of affordable clubs available to the general public. He became the first professional golfer to become a millionaire, which might have encouraged Bill Wilson's golf aspirations. He is still recognized as the "Father of Professional Golf". Walter in later life battled throat cancer for a few years, he lost the battle with it in 1967 at the age of 76. Readers of the 1939 published Big Book would have immediately recognized the name Walter Hagen.

It was fun to carom around the exclusive course which had inspired such awe in me as a lad." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 4

In this sentence carom is used as noun. ²

In golf, a carom is when a ball caroms off the fairway and into the rough.

I acquired the impeccable coat of tan one sees upon the well-to-do." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 4

In this sentence impeccable is used as an adjective. ²

The local banker watched me whirl fat checks in and out of his till with amused skepticism." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 4

In this sentence whirl, till, and skepticism are used as nouns. Amused is used as an adjective. ²

In the late summer of 1929 Bill became uneasy with the swinging movements in stock. At the time he was holding close to the majority shares in Penick & Ford. Deciding it was time to sell some, he and Lois returned to New York. Consulting with a few men, he considered experts, they convinced him there was still time before the market would peak. He changed his decision and held his P&F shares.

"The ticker still clattered. I was staring at an inch of the tape which bore the inscription XYZ-32." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 4

This passage has two items to be defined. The ticker and XYZ-32

Thomas Edison, in 1870, invented the Stock Ticker. This machine, attached to telegraph lines, printed the current price of trading stocks. The "ticker" printed a stock symbol with its then current price on a paper ribbon. The paper ribbon was called "ticker tape". Before Edison's invention to receive information transmitted over the telegraph lines a telegraph operator would listen to a series of clicks, sent in Morris Code, and then wrote each letter as it was sent. Commonly there was a 15 to 20 minute delay. This was a tedious process which required a trained operator and was time consuming. Edison's ticker, used a code developed by him, which allowed a single character to be sent in one second. Edison tickers, provided the current prices. The machines were typically placed in Stock exchanges, large investment firms, private investors offices, and hotel lobbies. In larger environments clerks would read the ticker and post the information on a large chalk board for all to see.

XYZ-32 - each company that traded stock was designated with a symbol, still known as a stock ticker. Bill substituted XYZ for the actual company, Penick & Ford Ltd., whose ticker symbol at the time was PKF (Bill used the actual ticker symbol in the original draft manuscript of the Big Book, but it was changed to XYZ before the first printing). In 1929, Penick & Ford produced starch for the food, textile, and paper industries, as well as Brer Rabbit Molasses, Vermont Maid Syrup, and My-T-Fine Desserts. The company is still active today under the name Penford Products Company. On October 23, 1929, the stock of P&F plummeted. The following day, known as Black Thursday, over thirteen million shares of common stock were sold in a panic. Despite the turmoil, speculators believed the worst was over, and Bill held on to his stocks.

On the night of October 29th, Bill was drinking at a Manhattan hotel bar, after the market had closed. About eight p.m., although dunk, he made his way to a nearby brokerage firm, there he found the ticker still printing. He searched the tape for PKF and found it had lost almost half its value from the morning. Even though drunk he realized that impact this meant to his investments. At the end of the 31st P&F was trading at $38. The high for the year had been $60.87. Within a few weeks an estimated 30-billion was lost in the U.S.. These events marked the end of the Roaring Twenties, replaced by the Great Depression.

The next morning Bill called an old customer in Montreal Canada. The markets in Canada had not reacted as strongly as in the US. Within a few weeks, the Montreal brokerage firm Greenshields & Company offered Bill a job. By the middle of November Bill and Lois were living in Montreal. This job lasted through the fall of 1930 when the company fired him for his many alcohol inspired escapades.

"Next morning I telephoned a friend in Montreal. He had plenty of money left and thought I had better go to Canada. By the following spring we were living in our accustomed style. I felt like Napoleon returning from Elba. No St. Helena for me!" ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 4

In case you're not familiar with Napoleon's history, here's a brief summary to provide context for Bill's statement: Napoleon Bonaparte (1768-1821) was a renowned military leader who expanded the reach of France as an Emperor. Historians disagree on the exact number of his wins vs losses but the scoreboard of history approximates he won 70 battles and lost 10 during his career. These included his famous march across the French Alps in winter. After many conquests, he led a campaign with 600,000 troops into Russia. Upon reaching Moscow, they found the city abandoned and mostly destroyed. Facing the harsh Russian winter, Napoleon returned to France with fewer than 10,000 soldiers. The defeat came as a low point in his life, he attempted suicide on the return journey to Paris but the poison he carried for this use had lost most of its potency which left him with a painful failed attempt.

By March 1814, Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain all saw him as a treat to their security and took proactive action by forming a coalition to defeat him. As the allies surrounded Paris, Napoleon countered by positioning his troops for a rear attack. His plan was thwarted when Paris City Officials quickly negotiated a treaty with the foreign armies. The treaty exiled Napoleon to the French-owned island of Elba, located 6 miles off the coast of Tuscany, Italy. His stay on Elba consisted of 300 days of plotting his return to France. He put together a small fleet and set sail for France. His coup failed with his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 by the British Army.

At his surrender to the British Army he requested exile to America. Instead he was sent to the British-ruled island of Saint Helena. St Helena is located over 1,200 miles west of the coast of Africa. The hope he would be far enough away from France to foil any future coups. Napoleon spent his remaining years on the island. Succumbing to stomach cancer, he died in 1821. His body was exhumed by the French Government in 1840 and entombed in Paris.

In this statement, Bill Wilson, was stating he thought he was escaping the results of the U.S. market crash. Escaping to Canada, and would soon be returned to his former financial status, he would not be defeated as Napoleon had been. But his drinking caught up with him, shortly after his arrival. The company he for fired him for his drinking antics. Returning to Brooklyn, his only option was to move in with his in-laws. In reality he did end up defeated like Napoleon. ⁶

"I became an unwelcome hanger-on at brokerage places." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 5

In this sentence hanger-on is used as a noun. ²

"Bathtub" gin, two bottles a day, and often three, got to be routine." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 5

The term Bathtub gin is not included in the 1930 edition of Webster's Dictionary.
Any alcoholic drink that is made by an amateur at home or in makeshift conditions. Refers to the use of bathtubs in creating illegal alcohol (most often gin, hence the name) during the prohibition years in the US. from the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms

"prodigious"
"Then I went on a prodigious bender, and that chance vanished." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 5

In this sentence prodigious is used as an adjective. ²

"My brother-in-law is a physician, and through his kindness and that of my mother I was placed in a nationally-known hospital for the mental and physical rehabilitation of alcoholics. Under the so-called belladonna treatment my brain cleared. Hydrotherapy and mild exercise helped much. Best of all, I met a kind doctor who explained that though certainly selfish and foolish, I had been seriously ill, bodily and mentally." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 7

In this sentence prodigious is used as an adjective. ²

"My brother-in-law is a physician, and through his kindness and that of my mother I was placed in a nationally-known hospital for the mental and physical rehabilitation of alcoholics." ¹
Bill had only one sibling, a sister. Dorothy was married to Dr. Leonard Strong, a physician who practiced in Manhattan. His mother, Dr Emily Ella Griffith-Strobell, also contributed towards his treatment at Towns Hospital in Manhattan.

Under the so-called belladonna treatment my brain cleared. ¹
The Belladonna Treatment was developed by Charles Towns and was the primary therapy used at his hospital in Manhattan. This treatment involved a regimen of herbs, mercury, and castor oil, administered hourly for several days to detoxify active alcoholics and drug addicts. One of the key components of the treatment was the plant Belladonna, commonly known as Deadly Nightshade. For more details about the Belladonna Treatment used at Towns Hospital, please refer to the history section of this website. - Towns Hospital

"Hydrotherapy and mild exercise helped much." ¹

Best of all, I met a kind doctor who explained that though certainly selfish and foolish, I had been seriously ill, bodily and mentally." ²
The kind doctor is Dr. Silkworth, the author of the Big Book chapter "The Doctor's Opinion"

"For three or four months the goose hung high." ¹ Big Book - Bill's Story - page 7

The term goose hung high is not included in the 1930 edition of Webster's Dictionary.
old-fashioned- Things are or will be very pleasant, desirable, or merry; everything is looking up. An allusion to the notion that geese fly higher during pleasant weather. ⁴ from the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms

Canada geese fly at an altitude of 3,000 feet for migration flight. A species from Central Asia, the Bar-headed goose, migrates from India through the Himalayan range to their nesting grounds at Tibet. They have been documented as flying as high as 29,000 feet. Geese adjust their flying altitudes to fly above weather patterns. In comparison most commercial airlines cruise around 35,000 feet, helicopters between 1,000 to 5,000 feet, and hot air balloons as high as 3,000 feet.

"My weary and despairing wife was informed that it would all end with heart failure during delirium tremens, or I would develop a wet brain, perhaps within a year." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 7

Delirium Tremens (DT's) - a severe form of alcohol withdrawal

Wet Brain - the refers to Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, sometimes referred to alcohol dementia. Usually caused by excess alcohol consumption results in a severe deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1). Symptoms include delusions, vision problems, memory loss, visual hallucinations, hallucinations auditory, muscle spasms and tremors. Wet Brain has two stages. Wernicke Syndrome is often overlooked because the symptoms are mistaken as just heavy alcohol consumption. If caught early in the stage and alcohol use is terminated, it can be reversed. If excess consumption continues over time it will progress into Korsakoff Syndrome, where the symptoms become irreversible and fatal.

"insidious"

"Then came the insidious insanity of that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 8;
In this sentence insidious is used as an adjective. ²

Following are the details of the incident Bill refers to in this sentence. By Armistice Day, November 12, 1934, Bill had been dry for weeks, having been through the treatment at Towns Hospital. Armistice Day was a holiday, now known as Veterans Day, that honored WWI veterans. Bill decided to use the holiday to play a few rounds of golf on Staten Island. Having taken the ferry from Brooklyn, he boarded a bus for the final leg of his journey. The bus broke down on the way. Waiting for the replacement bus, he walked to a nearby cafe for something to eat. A fellow passenger offered to buy him a drink. Bill told the man why he could no longer drink. A few hours later, in the golf course club, a waiter walked by his table offering free scotch in celebration of Armistice Day. As Bill reached for the glass, his companion commented, "Man, you would be insane to drink that after the story you told me." Bill replied, "I am," and downed the drink. Bill did not play any golf that day; instead was found by Lois the next morning sleeping in the vestibule of the brownstone on 182 Clinton Street on her way out to work. The all too familiar cycle began again, which ended with another stay at Towns Hospital. This incident proved what Bill was to later write about in the Big Book: self-knowledge does not have the power to keep a person sober. The details of this incident are in the book Bill W. by Robert Thomsen. ⁶

as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside

I could almost hear the sound of the preacher's voice as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside; there was that proffered temperance pledge I never signed; my grandfather's good natured contempt of some church fold and their doings; his insistence that the spheres really had their music; but his denial of the preacher's right to tell him how he must listen; his fearlessness as he spoke of these things just before he died; these recollections welled up from the past.

proffered refers to something that was offered to or presented to someone.

proffered temperance pledge

I could almost hear the sound of the preacher's voice as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside; there was that proffered temperance pledge I never signed; my grandfather's good natured contempt of some church fold and their doings; his insistence that the spheres really had their music; but his denial of the preacher's right to tell him how he must listen; his fearlessness as he spoke of these things just before he died; these recollections welled up from the past.

proffered refers to something that was offered to or presented to someone.

temperance - is the moderation of behavior. This Big Book sentence refers to not drinking any alcohol.

temperance pledge - In the early 19th century, temperance societies in the United States began asking people to sign pledges to abstain from alcohol. These pledges were central to the temperance movement, rooted in Protestant churches, and aimed to reduce drunkenness and its social consequences. In the early days of the movement, people might pledge to stop drinking hard liquor like whiskey and gin, but later, it became more common to pledge to abstain from all alcohol, or "teetotalism." Many Temperance organizations formed, but the Anti-Saloon League (ASL) became the most influential in writing and passing the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which outlawed alcohol. Deeply influenced by religious ideas, the ASL was founded in 1893 and, by the early 1900s, was the leading organization lobbying for the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The League in each state county by county. By 1913, over half of the United States was dry. From 1920 to 1933, called the Prohibition era, the making, transport, selling, and consumption of alcohol was prohibited in the U.S. as stipulated by the 18th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The public outcry led to the passing of the Volstead Act which created the 21st Amendment to repeal the 18th Amendment. Each state must ratify a Constitutional Amendment before it becomes law. On December 5, 1933, Utah ratified the Amendment, and Prohibition ended.

Music of the Spheres
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 10

"I could almost hear the sound of the preacher's voice as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside; there was that proffered temperance pledge I never signed; my grandfather's good natured contempt of some church fold and their doings; his insistence that the spheres really had their music; but his denial of the preacher's right to tell him how he must listen; his fearlessness as he spoke of these things just before he died; these recollections welled up from the past."¹

Bill Wilson in his story is recalling the thoughts he had as he listened to Ebby tell his story. His mind goes to grandfather, Gardner Fayette Griffith, who raised him. Bill's grandfather believed the spheres really had their music"
- What is this music of the spheres?

"Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes."
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 12

"insidious"

"One poor chap committed suicide in my home. He could not, or would not see our way of life." ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 16;
Here is the incident Bill is referring to in this sentence. The year is 1937. Bill had already met Dr. Bob in Akron, he was now back in Brooklyn. Bill and Lois were attending Oxford Group weekly meetings. They were even hosting one on Tuesday night meeting at their home on Clinton Street. This group was composed of men Bill had worked with at Towns Hospital. The Tuesday night meeting focused on alcoholics, some were even living with Bill and Lois. Some would stay with Bill and Lois, the number of men living at their house would fluctuate as they came, left, and reappeared. In October Bill borrowed a car and he and Lois went to Baltimore for the weekend to visit Fitz Mayo and his wife. There were a few men staying at the house on Clinton Street so Bill asked Bill C., one of the regulars, to be in charge of the house for the weekend. Lois decided to stayed a few extra days and Bill returned home on Monday night. When he opened the front door he smelled natural gas. In the kitchen he found the body of Bill C., with his head inside the oven. Police said he had been dead hours before Bill discovered him. ⁶

"obstinacy, sensitiveness, and prejudice"

"Besides a seeming inability to accept much on faith, we often found ourselves handicapped by obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice." ¹
Big Book - We Agnostics - page 47 - 48, In this sentence obstinacy, sensitiveness, and prejudice are each used as a noun. ²

Big Book Quote" ¹
Big Book - Bill's Story - page 2

Rev. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick

Liberty Magazine, Fulton Oursler, Morris Markey
"In the fall of 1939 Fulton Oursler, the editor of Liberty, printed a piece in his magazine..." Big Book - Forward to the 2nd Edition - page xviii

John D. Rockefeller Jr.
"..., John D. Rockefeller, JR. gave a dinner for many of his friends..." Big Book - Forward to the 2nd Edition - page xviii

John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960) - John Jr. is the only son of John D. Rockefeller. John Sr. and his younger brother William founded Standard Oil, in 1870. John Sr. became the richest person in America in 1913 when his personal wealth reached over $900 million, and in 1916 became the first American billionaire. John Jr. attended Brown University, a Baptist founded school. After graduation he became a director of Standard Oil. Jr. became best known for his philanthropy, donating over $537 million over his life time. During the depression he developed Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. He funded the reconstruction of historic Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and museums in many National Parks. Junior himself was a lifelong teetotaler but became convinced that prohibition needed to be repealed. He was instrumental in the repeal of the 18th Amendment which ended prohibition.

John Jr. invested in many companies. He became a director of U.S. Steel. His career was not without controversy. Owning the controlling interest in the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) he became involved in the Colorado Coal Field War in 1913. The event began when the United Mine Workers of America Union declared a strike against CF&I. CF&I brought in non-Union replacement miners and hired it's own private security force. The striking miners with their families were protesting and camping outside the company facilities in Ludlow, Colorado. The strike turned violent when the private security guards attacked the strikers. This resulted in the death of 20 people. The dead included men, women, and even some children. In response the governor activated the Colorado National Guard. This erupted into nine days of violence between the Colorado National Guard, the striking miners, the scabs (replacement miners), and the company security force. Newspapers reported the event as "The Ludlow Massacre". John Jr. was accused by many for ordering the attack and publicly attacked for his Christian faith. Jr. traveled to Ludlow, met with the families and saw the deplorable conditions in which they lived. As a result he resigned from the CF&I board and focused on family philanthropy projects.

When the article about AA appeared in Liberty Magazine, John Jr. became aware of AA. In February 1940 John Jr. he hosted a dinner for some of his friends and invited Bill Wilson and other members of AA to tell their stories. The night of the dinner John Jr. was ill so the dinner was hosted by his son Nelson. At the end of the dinner Nelson announced that instead of donations they felt that AA needed to become a self-supporting movement. He did buy 400 copies of the Big Book and send them out to friends with handwritten notes. Rockefeller also placed $5,000 in the treasury of Riverside Church (the church pastored by Harry Fosdick) to provide temporary financial support for Dr. Bob and Bill Wilson, during the early stages of AA. The Rockefeller's also later loaned the Alcoholic Foundation enough money to buy back the shares sold by Works Publishing to finance the writing and printing of the Big Book. This loan made AA the owner of it's own Big Book. note - the copyright for the 1939 first edition of the Big Book expired in 1967 and the book became public domain. The copyright for the second edition expired in 1983. The failure of AA to file paperwork to renew the copyrights was not discovered for many years. The third and fourth editions remain under copyright world-wide to AA World Services.

"Then Jack Alexander wrote a feature article in the Saturday Evening Post ...." Big Book - Forward to the 2nd Edition - page xviii

Jack Alexander (1902-1975) The March 1st 1941 edition of the Saturday Evening Post featured an article "Alcoholics Anonymous" by Jack Alexander. The magazine had a circulation of over 3 million readers at that time and this edition became the first exposure the majority of Americans learned of the existence of AA. Jack later wrote a follow-up article "The Drunkard's Best Friend" which appeared in the April 1st 1950 edition.

Footnotes for page

• ¹Quotes from the Big Book on listed on this page are from the public domain version, in the United States, of the 2^nd edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Accessible at 12step.org
• ²Sentence diagramming, to determine the word usage within the sentence, was performed by CoreNLP at corenlp.run.
• ³Definitions used are from the Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language 1930 Edition
• ⁴An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a symbolic meaning different from the literal interpretation of the words. Over time, the meaning of an idiom can change or become outdated as its original historical context is forgotten by newer generations. For example, the idiom "grasping at straws" describes a desperate attempt to achieve something with very little chance of success. Originally, "straws" referred to the reeds that grow at the edges of a body of water—something a drowning person might try to grab onto in an effort to save themselves. For idioms not listed in the 1930 Webster's Dictionary the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms was used.
• ⁵WWI history of the 66th Battalion Battery C from Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950 Part I, Coast Artillery Regiments 1-196 by William C. Gaines
• ⁶Historical events taken from the books "Bill W." by Robert Thomsen (1975), and "Bill W." by Francis Hartigan (2000).
• ⁷ phrase meaning from Google AI search.

Reference for the 8 Parts of Speech Reference

There are eight parts of speech in the English language. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.

1. Noun - the name of a person, place, thing, or idea. a thing (book), a person (Noah Webster), an animal (cat), a place (Omaha), a quality (softness), an idea (justice), or an action (yodeling)
2. Pronoun - used in place of a noun - any of a small set of words (such as I, she, he, you, it, we, or they) in a language that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases and whose referents are named or understood in the context.
3. Verb - expresses action or being - jump... is... write... become - The verb in a sentence expresses action or being.
4. Adjective - modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. pretty... old... blue... smart (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)
5. Adverb - modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. gently... extremely... carefully... well - An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.
6. Preposition placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. by... with.... about... until - (by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow) A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb.
7. Conjunction - joins words, phrases, or clauses. and... but... or... while... because - A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
8. Interjection - used to express emotion. Oh!... Wow!... Oops! - An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.