Renovo at 150 – The Pajama Quest of 1923

The Pajama Quest of 1923

by Lou Bernard

My son, Paul Matthew, is very anti-bedtime. At twenty months old, it’s his only real political position: Abolish bedtime. He is a sweet, happy, giggling little boy until about eight PM rolls around, and then he becomes a holy terror in an effort to avoid everything that comes after putting on his pajamas.

And I explain to him, patiently, how important pajamas are in Clinton County. In Renovo, back in 1923, they almost brought the United States Marines to a screeching halt.

It was November 15, 1923. The Marines were going from Quantico, Virginia to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and they were being transported by train. You would think that this big, taxpayer-funded event almost had to be some sort of vital, national defense operation. But you’d be wrong: The Marines were going to play football against the Michigan Wolverines.

The guy in charge of this operation was Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby, a tough, hardheaded guy. The kind of guy who gets to a position of responsibility in the military. Denby had once solved a mail theft problem by sending Marines with the mail, and announcing that if any mail was stolen, he’d better find a dead Marine somewhere around, by god.

The train stopped in Renovo for the night, with plans to press on in the morning. Everyone was settling down for bed, and Denby went to unpack. And that was when he discovered that he’d forgotten his pajamas.

You wouldn’t think this would be much of a crisis. My toddler son would just fall asleep in a shirt and diaper, but then again, my toddler son is not currently the Secretary of the Navy. Hell, I’ve gone on trips and forgotten my entire family, and not reacted as vehemently as Denby did.

The article in the Record later said,”When the trains carrying the Marines to Ann Arbor stopped at Renovo the other evening, Secretary of the Navy Denby discovered he had left home and forgot to pack his pajamas. As it was approaching bedtime something had to be done.”

Denby absolutely refused to fall asleep without his pajamas. He sent his assistant and some of the Marines to find some, or else. But all the clothing stores in Renovo hhas already closed for the evening. We can only breathe a huge sigh of relief that Denby remembered his toothbrush, or who knows what might have happened? So the United States government had Marines running all over Renovo, checking to see what shops might still be open, in search of pajamas. Isn’t that GREAT? Why has nobody made a movie about this?

Fortunately for the security of our nation (and the football game) Denby’s assistant managed to track down William Noll, who was part owner of Noll And Kelley, clothing dealers. Noll had begun his career in auto sales, but fortunately for the nation and its football game, he had gone into clothing instead.

The Marines got Noll up, and with some difficulty, explained the situation. Noll was happy to open his store, and give Denby a good pair of pajamas to sleep in. The Record reported,”All of the clothing stores in Renovo were closed at the time, but the fortunate hunter happened to find Mr. Noll of the firm of Noll & Kelley, who obliged by furnishing the necessary wardrobe articles. Sec. Denby now sleeps in a suit of Renovo’s best pajamas.”

Problem solved, and the train continued on in the morning. Everything got back to normal, and presumably Denby kept the pajamas for a while. Noll passed away in 1954, and his obituary tragically does not reflect the fact that he once saved the United States military with a pair of pajamas.

Or maybe the Marines just don’t like to talk about that day. They lost the football game, too, twenty-six to six. I can see how they might not want to remember it.