Saratoga News

Columns

Stereopticon

This is 'Jeopardy', but with a Saratoga theme

By Willys Peck

It had been quite a long time since Sam--Subliminal Argumentative Mouthing, my acronymic inner self--had intruded on my consciousness, but it was hardly surprising when he did. Sam's appearances always coincide with my desperate search for a column topic, and this time he was right on point.

"Take the hint, Sonny Boy," said Sam. "You can't think of anything new to write about because you've already exhausted the supply of topics. Throw in the towel. Quit. Resign. Neither of your readers will miss you."

I had to admit Sam was making sense. I couldn't think of a topic for my upcoming column. I was putting my whole future with this newspaper in jeopardy. Then it struck me--Jeopardy! My own favorite TV quiz show. Why not put the whole column in that format? Give a list of answers, then another list of the questions pertaining to those answers, and let the reader pick the right question.

"I've got it, I've got it!" I said to Sam, who by now had taken the hint and retreated to my subconscious.

OK, folks, here are the answers on Saratoga history. Now all you have to do is match each one up with the correct question.

Answers

1. Duval

2. Azule

3. Congress Junction

4. San Jose-Los Gatos Interurban Railway Co.

5. Congress Hall

6. "A drunk from Saratoga"

7. Lumber Street

8. Paul Masson

9. Charles Maclay

10. Arroyo Quito, Campbell Creek

11. Bank Mills

12. Sons of Temperance Hall, 1854

Readers' questions

What was the town's name after McCartysville and before Saratoga?

Who was the vintner whose birth date was later than the date over the entrance to his winery?

What was one newspaper's description of "the last word in drunkenness?"

What was the middle name of Sen. James D. Phelan?

What was the initial name of the Peninsular Railway?

What was the initial name of Big Basin Way?

What were the two earlier names of Saratoga Creek?

What was the name of the railroad stop as the line crossed Saratoga Avenue?

Who was the politician who changed the town's name to Bank Mills?

What was the name of the railroad crossing on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road?

What was the name of Saratoga's first luxury hotel?

What was the name of the building that housed Saratoga's first school in 1854?

Well, so much for Jeopardy, both capitalized and lower-case. I regard Alex Trebek as the smoothest emcee in the business, and I find myself able to answer maybe one in 50 of those questions. I wish both my readers better success here.