I scanned another book by Arch Merrill last week. This one is Shadows on the Wall. It was his 11th book. Part of these stories had appeared in his news paper column.

The stories in this book are from all over western New York. It starts out with the story of the seven Sutherland sisters that made a fortune selling hair care products only to see the business disappear when short hairstyles became popular.

There is a chapter on the Jerome family from New York that were the ancestors of Winston Churchill.

Edward Rulloff was both a criminal and scholar. Merrill calls him the “Fiend of the Finger Lakes.”

Rattlesnake Pete Gruber (right) was famous in Rochester for his museum and saloon. For fancy occasions Pete wore an outfit made from rattlesnake skins. Although the museum got split after Pete’s death, the Rochester Museum and Science Center has some article of his clothing including his hat, jacket and shoes made from rattlesnake skins. Pete’s hatband and a tie are currently for sale on eBay for $1225.