For decades parents have threatened naughty children with the dreaded possibility that on Christmas day, they'd wake up to find their stocking stuffed with lumps of coal, rather than the usual wealth of candy, toys and other such spoils.
Who knows how many moms and dads have been fed up enough to in fact follow through with the fossil fuel punishment; my guess is very few. This year, however, it looks like there might be a spike in the Milwaukee area.
The thing is, the kids will probably love it.
The Milwaukee Public Museum's Titanic exhibit is offering up real pieces of coal from the legendary ship that came to its untimely end in 1912. Available in the museum's gift shop, the coal gifts range in price from $14.99 to $349.99, and come in loose pieces, jewelry and large chunks framed in a shadow box.
When Titanic left on its maiden voyage it carried 6,000 tons of coal, which was used to power the 29 boilers and for cooking. Now, history buffs can own a part of the story.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
