ANNOUNCER: What were Benjamin Franklin's famous last words?

And what did Thomas Foster start in 1890 in response to the growing number of devastating mining accidents?

Find out as we all play The Pennsylvania Game.

[music playing] The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by Uni-Marts Inc. with stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia serving you with courtesy and convenience every day of the year.

Uni-Marts, more than a convenience store.

Now let's get the game started.

Here's the host of The Pennsylvania Game, the woman who says there's no such thing as a stupid question because she's the one asking them, Lynn Cullen.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

It is so much fun standing up there behind that pillar and watching the panel as they hear those tease questions, go huh?

Huh?

Let's meet these befuddled folks we're about to have some fun with.

Neal Zoren is the television and radio columnist for The Delaware County Daily Times.

And as such, he sees about 200 plays a year, 20 operas, 125 movies, 30 classical music concerts, and 30 dance programs, oy.

Please welcome, Neal Zoren.

[applause] And she is one of the voices of Pittsburgh and she does voice work for a number of ad agencies.

She's a country singer.

She's a songwriter.

She's a musician.

She's all sorts of stuff.

And she's wonderful and a good player, Carol Lee Espy.

[applause] Finally, Gary Crissman is WKSB KissFM morning show host in Williamsport, also owns his own video production company, and produces and stars in the Chrisman Live Show, a two and a half hour variety and comedy show, a busy gentleman who has taken time out to join us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

OK, let's get going.

Our first question is about last words.

ANNOUNCER: According to Walt Whitman, last words are valuable beyond measure.

Which of the following are the famous last words of statesman Benjamin Franklin?

A, "I am not the least afraid to die," B, "A dying man could do nothing easy," C, "My desire is to make what haste I may to be gone," or D, "I have a terrific headache."

LYNN CULLEN: I knew we'd like that one the best, but did Benjamin Franklin say them, "I have a terrific headache," or did he say one of the other three choices?

Please log your responses in and then I'm going to ask you to explain yourselves.

Neal Zoren, what did you choose?

I have a lot to say to explain myself.

I'm going with a terrific headache because he was a funny man.

He said things I mean he might not have been afraid to die, but-- and I know somebody said it so might as well have been banned.

Why not ban?

He did say a number of funny things.

OK, Carol?

I went with "A dying man can do nothing easy" because refrain from dying would be hard to do at dying so I went with that.

OK, good choice.

Gary?

I went with C because I think he was very philosophical right to the end.

LYNN CULLEN: Uh-huh.

And my desire is to make haste.

That's right.

Hmm, Well, I'll tell you what, one of them's right.

We'll find out which one.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is B.

"A dying man can do nothing easy" were the famous last words uttered by Ben Franklin to his daughter when she asked him to change position in bed.

Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at his home near market street in Philadelphia.

OK, to satisfy your curiosity, "I am not the least afraid to die" was said by Charles Darwin.

"My desire to make haste" was by Oliver Cromwell.

And "I have a terrific headache," Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

NEAL ZOREN: I knew it was somebody-- OK, OK, we'll move on to question number two.

ANNOUNCER: In 1991, the Philadelphia Electric Company spent $12 million on an unusual construction project at their hydroelectric plant on the Conowingo Dam.

What did they build?

A, canal to allow boat passage, B, a mineral extractor C, a fish lift, or D, a visitor's center and lookout deck.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, what did the ratepayers of Philadelphia Electric Company have to pay for this time, a canal, a mineral extractor, a fish lift, or a visitor center and a look out?

Look out, they're logging them in.

And Carol, what'd you choose?

I picked D, a visitor center and lookout deck.

They probably have concession stands with cheesesteaks too.

LYNN CULLEN: Well, if they're smart, they do, no doubt.

Gary?

I went with the same thing.

I think that probably they're spending more money to bring more people in for tourism so D is going to be the answer.

LYNN CULLEN: It's got to be the answer.

Neal, don't you think it's got to be the answer?

It's unanimous, exactly.

I think they can microwave those cheesesteaks without even having to get a machine.

LYNN CULLEN: Well, look at that, a unanimous panel we have, but do we have a correct panel?

Mm-hmm.

Let's find out.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C, a fish lift.

The Susquehanna River was once the largest shad spawning ground on the East coast.

Shad like salmon spawn in fresh water, but live as adults in the ocean.

At the turn of the century, four hydroelectric power dams that were built above the Chesapeake Bay barred shad from reaching their destination.

In 1991, a $12 million fish lift was built at the Conowingo Dam to allow passage of the migrating shad back up the river to their historic spawning grounds.

Unfortunately, a dramatic and unexplained drop in the number of migrating shad may jeopardize plans to construct lifts at the other three dam sites located upstream.

So the fish are actually taken by truck.

I mean they're put in a truck because the other three don't have these lifts yet.

Can you imagine these poor fish are swimming, minding their own business, and all of a sudden, yank, they're in a lift, all of a sudden, yank, they're in a truck?

NEAL ZOREN: But at this one, they could be boiled already.

Hey, you, I need to know more about you, Neal Zoren.

Well, I mean you see all these things, but you also on the side somehow, got involved with Inside Edition and American Journal.

And as such, you met some interesting folks.

Give us a story.

Oh, well, I have a John Wayne Bobbitt story.

LYNN CULLEN: Oh, well, let's hear a John Wayne Bobbitt.

The man whose wife took their last name too literally.

And yeah.

OK, I'll stop that.

LYNN CULLEN: OK. What's your Bobbitt story?

I was interviewing him, or actually, Nancy Glass was interviewing him from for American Journal.

We were in his hotel room in Buffalo, and we were alone, and he was trying to make conversation.

And he said to me, how about those Bills?

And it was around the time the Super Bowl, but I, just being a television person, didn't get it.

And I said, oh, just sign them and put your room number.

We'll take care of the bills.

And then I looked around, he was wearing a football jacket.

And I said, oh, the team.

I hope they win.

I don't know who they're playing, but I hope they win.

Oh, my, my, my.

Carol, we won't touch any of that.

OK?

We won't.

Not with a 10-foot pole.

No.

LYNN CULLEN: So you know what I can't figure out.

You do voices.

You do all this stuff.

You write music.

And you go to Nashville.

I mean, is it your dream to be a country western singer?

Is that really what you're after?

No, just mostly writing.

Yeah.

LYNN CULLEN: You write so then-- You can only say I'll bless your heart so many times, you know, so I've been concentrating on the writing mostly.

LYNN CULLEN: And you pitch your stuff to-- Yeah.

A publisher and work with a publisher.

And then they hopefully, they pitch it to the singer to the artist.

Yeah.

Interesting.

Good luck to you.

CAROL LEE ESPY: Thanks.

Gary, what is this Chrisman Live Show?

We have a crazy morning show.

I get paid to get up at 4:30 in the morning and be nuts and we have a good time with that.

In about four years ago, we decided to take all the cast of characters from the show, put a band together, and put together a two and a half hour variety music comedy show that we do.

It's gone very well.

And a little plug-in, can we give the toll-free number?

Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

But are you doing well here now?

That's what I want to know.

I'm not doing real well.

I don't think so.

We better get to another question.

ANNOUNCER: Thomas J.

Foster, a printer by trade, was so upset with the growing number of accidents that occurred throughout the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania that in 1890, he started what?

A, the Pennsylvania State Police, B, National Association of Greeting Card Manufacturers, C, International Correspondence Schools, or D, Prudential Insurance Company?

LYNN CULLEN: What did Thomas Foster's concern foster, the state police, a greeting card manufacturers, correspondence school, or an insurance company?

Gary?

I'm going to go with the state police because I haven't-- I don't have a clue.

I do not-- LYNN CULLEN: I gave you a few.

What do you mean you don't have a clue?

All right.

He's the Pennsylvania State Police.

Neal?

I'm going with the state police too.

Although, I think it's nice to send greeting cards to people who are injured in accidents.

I can't imagine why-- LYNN CULLEN: Why you would, right.

Carol, you look confused.

Oh, I wanted to change my mind.

LYNN CULLEN: Too bad.

But I went with the piece of the rock, Prudential Insurance Company.

LYNN CULLEN: Well, that makes some sense.

Makes sense, but is it right?

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C, International Correspondence Schools or ICS.

After the Civil War, Thomas J.

Foster settled in Hazleton and worked as a printer.

In 1869, after the Avondale Mine disaster claimed 192 lives, he left his printing job to start the Shenandoah Herald Newspaper and set out to educate miners by publishing articles on mine safety.

The paper became so popular that in 1879, it was renamed The Mining Herald.

Finally, in 1885, legislation passed calling for regular mine inspections requiring mining foremen to pass an examination to become state certified.

Knowing that the workers couldn't afford to leave their jobs for training, Foster published the information they needed to in his paper, including old copies of the state exams complete with answers to help miners prepare for the test.

From this evolved what is today the oldest and largest home study school in the world, the International Correspondence Schools of Scranton Pennsylvania.

LYNN CULLEN: Hmm, interesting.

Here's how the score stands at this point.

Carol, you're in the lead with one correct answer.

What does that say?

I don't know.

Thank you.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, here is our first clue for the Mystery Pennsylvania.

Guess it right on this try, three points will be yours.

Born in Philadelphia in 1944, her musical gift became evident to all who heard her sing with South Philly's Beulah Baptist Church Choir.

Born in Philly 1944, she sang with South Philly's Beulah Baptist Church Choir.

Ooh, they think they know it.

Ooh, they think they know it.

Scribble away and direct your attention to the monitors for our next question.

ANNOUNCER: Between 1879 and 1889, Majolica pottery was manufactured by Griffen, Smith, Hill in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Once given away as gifts with grocery purchases, Majolica is now greatly prized by antique collectors.

Why did the factory close its doors in 1889?

A, the cost of sand skyrocketed, B, Mr Smith died, C, factory workers became ill from lead poisoning, or D, shopkeepers were delinquent in their payments causing bankruptcy?

LYNN CULLEN: Huh, why did that factory close its doors?

You figure that out?

They did.

And now Neal explain yourself.

I'm being too logical here, but I'm going to go with lead poisoning, even though I know in the 1890s, I probably would have just been getting new employees in that-- LYNN CULLEN: Yeah, right.

Throw those out and get some new ones.

--right?

Carol?

I went with lead poisoning.

And they took the pencils away.

LYNN CULLEN: Yes.

Stop eating the pencils.

LYNN CULLEN: Gary?

I would say lead poisoning too.

I went with the same, C. LYNN CULLEN: OK, unanimity of opinion here.

They're either all right or they're all wrong.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C. Griffen, Smith, Hill manufactured the lead glazed high relief pottery until 1889 when workers fell ill from lead poisoning.

The three kiln factory employed nearly 100 workers.

The women and children earned just $0.25 for a 10-hour day, the adult males, $1.

Typically made with beautifully colored fruit, vegetable, or animal motifs, the pottery was described as dazzling when it was shown in 1884 at the World's Industrial and Cotton Exposition in New Orleans.

Today, the pottery is greatly prized by collectors who buy pieces in the open antique market at prices starting at $100 an item.

So you has $0.25 a day for a 10-hour a day lead poisoning.

They had fires there.

Sounds like a great place to work, doesn't it?

Let's get another question.

ANNOUNCER: Dr. Holmes Morton of Strasburg, Pennsylvania received the 1993 Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism for his work with the children in Amish and Mennonite communities.

Does the award honor his pioneering work, A, helping teenagers avoid the temptations of modern society, B, treating children with genetic disorders, C, preserving Amish and Mennonite culture, or D, improving agricultural practices?

LYNN CULLEN: Why was Dr. Morton chosen to receive that award?

Carol?

I just hit any key.

Treating children with genetic disorders.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, sounds plausible.

Egg noodles something.

Egg noodle disease.

OK, Gary?

Let's go with D, improving agricultural practices.

Obviously, they all were involved in farming so let's take a guess at that.

LYNN CULLEN: Makes sense.

I'm going with B.

It's one of the few homogeneous cultures left in the world, the Amish culture, and there's probably a lot of inbreeding and genetic disorders.

LYNN CULLEN: Ooh, he sounds like he's being reasonable, rational.

It's a sure bet he's going to be wrong.

Let's get the answer.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is B. Dr. Holmes Morton, a Harvard trained pediatrician and director of the clinic for special children near Strasburg received the Albert Schweitzer prize for humanitarianism for his groundbreaking work with children who have maple syrup urine disease and other genetic disorders common within the Amish and Mennonite communities.

Dr. Morton has dedicated his life to working with the so-called Plain people who donated the land and built the clinic in support of his work in 1991.

We want to thank Violet Weber of Lancaster for sending us that question.

And she will get a year subscription to Pennsylvania Magazine as a result.

The score at this point, Carol still out in front by three, Neal closing in with two, and Gary bringing up the rear with one, but it's a tight game.

Here is our second clue for the Mystery Pennsylvanian.

In 1974, her Philadelphia-based group was the first Black band ever to play New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

Born in Philadelphia in 1944, her musical gift became evident to all who heard her sing with South Philly's Beulah Baptist Church Choir.

In '74, when she was 30 years old, her Philadelphia-based group was the first Black band ever to play New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

Who is this famous mysterious Pennsylvanian?

While you're pondering, perplexed, we'll move on.

ANNOUNCER: In all, there are 67 counties in Pennsylvania, including the consolidated city county of Philadelphia.

Of those 67 counties, how many were named after United States presidents?

A, four, B, six, C, nine, or D, 11.

LYNN CULLEN: Yeah.

Well, start count 'em up.

Let's see, Eisenhower County, Truman County.

Gary, did you vote?

Did you guess, I mean?

Did I guess?

I know you guessed.

Gary, what'd you guess?

Let's go with four.

LYNN CULLEN: Let's go with four, which is to say, let's go with A, OK. OK. NEAL ZOREN: I also went with four because I think most of them were named before the presidents were elected.

LYNN CULLEN: Well, that's probably true.

How smart of you.

Carol's impressed.

Yeah, it's not wrong, though.

I went with nine.

Nine.

OK, you have a C there.

So we've got two-- uh-oh.

GARY CRISSMAN: I think I threw up the wrong number.

LYNN CULLEN: Yes, you did.

You have a B. OK. And we'll have to go with B rather than A. OK, so we got an A, a B, and a C. Let's see.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, four.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe counties are all named after US presidents.

Washington County was established in 1781, Adams in 1800, Jefferson in 1804, and Monroe in 1836.

OK, just four.

I would have thought there were more too.

Hmm.

I'll know-- well, I'll tell you what.

There are more questions.

That much, I'm sure of.

Let's go right to the next.

ANNOUNCER: Ski Demski a native of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania is arguably America's biggest patriot as he holds the Guinness record for A, baking the world's largest apple pie, B, being the nation's most decorated war veteran, C, owning the world's largest flag, or D, being the largest individual donor to the Statue of Liberty Preservation fund?

LYNN CULLEN: Ski Demski, who bears a striking resemblance to Santa Claus is what?

I mean, why is-- Neal?

That's what I thought.

I thought it was a Christmas picture.

LYNN CULLEN: Yeah.

It's Easter time.

What are we doing with Christmas-- LYNN CULLEN: Well, there he is.

Anyway, I'm going to say we're owning the world's largest flag because it said patriotic and the apple pie would be hard to eat.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, world's largest flag.

I went with D, being the largest individual donor.

And I don't know.

Do they mean by weight or dollar amount?

LYNN CULLEN: He did look a little plump.

I don't know.

GARY CRISSMAN: What was that blue thing on his shoulder?

LYNN CULLEN: Gary?

He looked like the type of guy who would spend a lot of time developing the world's largest flag so I went with C. LYNN CULLEN: OK, he did sort of look like that, didn't he?

Let's find out.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C, owning the world's largest flag.

1992, Ski Demski commissioned a Pottstown Flag Company to stitch together a 505 by 255 foot version of Old Glory.

Demski took delivery of the flag on Flag Day 1992 and unfurled it for the first time on Flag Day 1993 in front of the Washington Monument.

Spread out end to end, the nylon flag covers more than two football fields and weighs one and a half tons.

Demski who paid $43,000 for the flag, supplies big flags for such major sporting events as the Super Bowl and the holiday.

It took 505 people to unfurl that flag.

And they did it in just 30 seconds.

200 of them were underneath.

Can you-- being underneath this huge thing hoping they didn't drop it.

Ay-yi-yi.

Let's get another question.

ANNOUNCER: In 1886, the budding confectioner Milton S. Hershey finally got his big break, a huge order from an English importer.

Was the order for A, chocolate-covered caramels, B, chocolate ice cream, C, chocolate candy bars, or D, chocolate-covered peanuts?

LYNN CULLEN: Well, they're all chocolate-covered, but what was under the chocolate, caramel, ice cream, candy bars, or peanuts?

I suspect you're going to have to guess on this one as well.

Peanuts.

Big D, peanuts.

LYNN CULLEN: Carol, peanuts?

Yeah, yeah.

LYNN CULLEN: Peanuts, sure.

Gary?

Peanuts.

LYNN CULLEN: Peanuts.

Peanuts, it is.

LYNN CULLEN: Peanuts, it is.

Neal?

I went with candy bars because that's what Milton Hershey is known for and the ice cream would have melted by the time it got to England.

That's true.

That was-- boy, this guy thinks.

I'll tell you.

We are going to be able to have you back here again, thinking like that.

Let's get the answer.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, chocolate-covered caramels.

The company that took Milton S. Hershey nearly a decade to get off the ground celebrated its 100th birthday in 1994 and owes its sweet success to the popularity of its chocolate-covered caramels.

It was also nearly 100 years ago in 1906 that the Pennsylvania town of Derry Church was renamed Hershey in honor of the nation's leading chocolate manufacturer.

[music playing] She has been called the Queen of Rock and Soul and the Judy Garland of Pop Soul.

Space Queen.

Oh.

LYNN CULLEN: Sexy space queen costumes, Queen of Rock and Soul, Judy garland of Pop Soul, born in Philly, Beulah Baptist Church Choir, New York's Metropolitan Opera House, she played.

OK. And I'm afraid the time of reckoning is upon us.

Neal, let's turn this around and see what you've done.

Well, I went with Patti LaBelle.

And then I changed her because I thought the Metropolitan Opera House would want somebody a little classier to Clara Ward.

Although, I thought Clara Ward was born more in 1914 than 1944.

And I went back to Patti LaBelle because the space suit.

OK, well, if it's Patti LaBelle, you'll get three points because you got her on the first one.

And this is up your alley, come to think of it.

Carol, Carol?

Whitney Houston, then I went 1944-- not-- so-- then I thought maybe Aretha Franklin.

And-- but I don't think she was born in Philadelphia.

And then Patti LaBelle because she used to wear the big-- her hair, actually, she did the thing with her hair.

LYNN CULLEN: You got it.

Yeah.

OK, we've got two Patti LaBelle's.

Gary?

Let's make it three Patti LaBelle's.

And I chose Patti the first time because Aretha is about 52.

She was born-- she would be a little older.

So Patti would be 50.

And it sounded like Patti LaBelle.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, OK. And I've been told, by the way, if it is Patti LaBelle, you only get one point because you switched.

Oh, my gosh.

Well, let's see if he gets three, or if he gets one, or if he gets any.

(SINGING) How I miss my ex I mean it ANNOUNCER: Patti LaBelle was born Patricia Holt and raised in Philadelphia.

At age 13, she began singing with South Philly's Beulah Baptist Church Choir where she sometimes sings to this day.

She launched her professional career in 1961 when she joined an all woman trio the Bluebelles.

The group was the first all Black rock band to play New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

LaBelle became famous for her out of this world hairstyles and for popularizing those sexy space queen costumes.

She is often referred to as the Judy Garland of Pop Soul because of her spiritual rendition of "Over the Rainbow" which has been part of her repertoire for more than 20 years.

In 1977, LaBelle launched a successful solo singing career and also made a name for herself in the small screen with guest appearances on everything from Sesame Street and The Doctors to the starring role in her own TV series Out All Night.

Patti LaBelle.

A famous Pennsylvanian.

All right.

Patti LaBelle, it was.

And I'll tell you what.

We ended up with a tie score and a very tight game.

Two gentlemen had five points.

Carol, nothing to be embarrassed.

You have four.

I'm so ashamed.

Neal and Gary are going to share this with.

You're robbing us blind.

One of you-- you can fight over these.

I'm not sure how this is going to be yet.

One of you is going to have accommodations for two at Accommodations Bed and Breakfast of State College overlooking Mount Nittany and Spring Creek, caters to the business traveler.

The other is going to get the deluxe barn basket which, Gary, I think you've got there from Tate Farm.

That's a collection of fruit, shrub drinks, raspberry teriyaki sauce, and fruit preserves, it says right here.

You were great.

I want to thank you so much.

And you know what?

If you want a chance at a Pennsylvania Magazine subscription, and you've got a good question for us, we'd love to have it.

Will you send it into us?

Here's where you do that.

Send your question to The Pennsylvania Game, 214 Wagner Annex University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802.

And we'll be very grateful.

And as I said, we'll give you a subscription to Pennsylvania Magazine.

Hope you all had a good time.

NEAL ZOREN: Wonderful time.

Well, you were wonderful.

We knew you would be.

That's why we asked you.

Thank you so much, a wonderful panel.

You-- you, you, audience, you were wonderful so you give yourself a big, big, big applause.

You knew I was going to say that.

A hug, give yourselves a hug if you want.

And thank you.

Thank you very much for joining us.

And I certainly hope you'll join us again when we do it again, that is, play The Pennsylvania Game.

ANNOUNCER: The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by Uni-Marts Inc. with stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia serving you with courtesy and convenience every day of the year.

Uni-Marts more than a convenience store.

SPEAKER: Meals and lodging for contestants of The Pennsylvania Game provided by the Nittany Lion Inn located on Penn State's University Park Campus.

[music playing]