A Fortean of unknown significance.
Werner Lutz Janney was born 19 October 1912 and raised in Loudon County, Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia, where he received both a Bachelor’s degree and a master’s, his thesis titled “The Gnomic Quality in the Plays of Chapman.” There he started a Quaker study group. In 1941, he was at the University of Michigan, doing graduate work.
His name appears only once in the Fortean Society Magazine. The 9th issue, dated Spring 1944, carried word that conscientious objectors were publishing newsletters from their camps and distributing them. Thayer was a dogged defender of CO’s, and often advertised their writings. The short column, labelled “Conchies Publish,” read,
“The Conscientious Objectors of Civilian Public Service Camp 37 issue a magazine too. It’s called ‘Sage Opiñion” and the August, 1943, issue is fairly dominated by the work of W. L. Janney, C.O., M.F.S. . . . Membership in the Fortean Society is open to all Conscientious Objectors who may wish to join us, the dues being waived while they are prisoners.”
Thayer’s write-up had a couple of mistakes. The newsletter was actually titled “Sage O’Piñon” (formerly “The Mono Log”). Second, the issue was not “fairly dominated” by Janney. He had two pieces in it, totaling a little more than a page, out of an issue 12 pages long. The first was a friendly poke at the American Friends Service Committee—friendly because he was Quaker himself, after all. The second was a humorous run-down of one of the camp’s extensions, called Dog Patch, where a forest fire crew was stationed.
Curious to discover the connection between Janney and the Fortean Society, I read through the rest of the issues, scanned by the wonderful Peace Collection at Swarthmore College. Janney’s name only appears once more, in the May 1944 issue. He penned another humor piece, classifying the campers, as they called themselves, into three types, “the slap-happies,” who were eager self-improvers; the “free souls,” who adjusted themselves to life in the camp without ever becoming overly fond of it; and the “punch drunks,” who were always complaining. The articles reveal a little something of Janney: he was fond of joking. His nickname was apparently Casey. And he was also called “Doc,” which may have referred to his receiving a doctorate degree, but if he did finish his Ph.D., I’ve been unable to find it.
Unfortunately, none of the articles reveal anything vaguely Fortean, beyond a general disdain for institutions and rule-makers, but even that is tempered by an obvious affection for his fellow campers. The article most likely to connect to Fort was his second, the run-down of life in Dog Patch, in which, among other topics, he discussed the favorite reading material (religion, philosophy, and superman comics), as well as intellectual enthusiasms and hobbies of the fire fighters. Not a mention of Fort or any vaguely Fortean author.
So, it’s a mystery: how did Janney even hear of the Fortean Society, let alone become a member? What did he think of Fort?
Werner Lutz Janney was born 19 October 1912 and raised in Loudon County, Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia, where he received both a Bachelor’s degree and a master’s, his thesis titled “The Gnomic Quality in the Plays of Chapman.” There he started a Quaker study group. In 1941, he was at the University of Michigan, doing graduate work.
His name appears only once in the Fortean Society Magazine. The 9th issue, dated Spring 1944, carried word that conscientious objectors were publishing newsletters from their camps and distributing them. Thayer was a dogged defender of CO’s, and often advertised their writings. The short column, labelled “Conchies Publish,” read,
“The Conscientious Objectors of Civilian Public Service Camp 37 issue a magazine too. It’s called ‘Sage Opiñion” and the August, 1943, issue is fairly dominated by the work of W. L. Janney, C.O., M.F.S. . . . Membership in the Fortean Society is open to all Conscientious Objectors who may wish to join us, the dues being waived while they are prisoners.”
Thayer’s write-up had a couple of mistakes. The newsletter was actually titled “Sage O’Piñon” (formerly “The Mono Log”). Second, the issue was not “fairly dominated” by Janney. He had two pieces in it, totaling a little more than a page, out of an issue 12 pages long. The first was a friendly poke at the American Friends Service Committee—friendly because he was Quaker himself, after all. The second was a humorous run-down of one of the camp’s extensions, called Dog Patch, where a forest fire crew was stationed.
Curious to discover the connection between Janney and the Fortean Society, I read through the rest of the issues, scanned by the wonderful Peace Collection at Swarthmore College. Janney’s name only appears once more, in the May 1944 issue. He penned another humor piece, classifying the campers, as they called themselves, into three types, “the slap-happies,” who were eager self-improvers; the “free souls,” who adjusted themselves to life in the camp without ever becoming overly fond of it; and the “punch drunks,” who were always complaining. The articles reveal a little something of Janney: he was fond of joking. His nickname was apparently Casey. And he was also called “Doc,” which may have referred to his receiving a doctorate degree, but if he did finish his Ph.D., I’ve been unable to find it.
Unfortunately, none of the articles reveal anything vaguely Fortean, beyond a general disdain for institutions and rule-makers, but even that is tempered by an obvious affection for his fellow campers. The article most likely to connect to Fort was his second, the run-down of life in Dog Patch, in which, among other topics, he discussed the favorite reading material (religion, philosophy, and superman comics), as well as intellectual enthusiasms and hobbies of the fire fighters. Not a mention of Fort or any vaguely Fortean author.
So, it’s a mystery: how did Janney even hear of the Fortean Society, let alone become a member? What did he think of Fort?
