Time & Again

Ask and Ye Shall Receive: A while back, a bemused reader saw an odd sign near the Kingdome that read "Buffalo Sanitary Wipers," and wondered how literally the sign should be interpreted. Another woman who had just moved here from the Midwest thought Seattleites had very really different ideas about buffaloes. "In Kansas, we just let them rub their butts on the grass," she said. The company, as it turns out, is a Seattle institution that dates back to the 1920s and is still very much in business. Larry Benezra, president and a member of the founding family's fourth generation, said the company recycles clothes obtained through charitable institutions, and either ships them off to Third World countries or cleans them to make industrial wiping rags sold to anyone in need of heavy-duty cloths, including paint shops and mechanics. That may explain the sanitary wipers, but not even Benezra can explain the buffalo. "My great-grandfather wasn't from Buffalo (N.Y.), and as far as I know he didn't have any fetishes or anything," he said. Benezra guesses that his great-grandfather chose the animal as a symbol of strength. But because of the constant ribbing and curiosity over the company's original name, Benezra usually prefers the company's corporate name: Buffalo Industries. "The original name requires too long a discussion at cocktail parties," he said. -- The Clap Museum: A little harder to track down was the fate of a "clap museum" that was once at Cherry and First. Caroline Perrault referred us to a 1972 book titled "Seattle," by Nard Jones, which had some answers. The museum once housed naked male and female wax figures that demonstrated the progressive ravages of venereal disease. Jones wrote: "I shudder now to think of their effect on the guilty sailor or landlubber. If they were sufficiently impressed, the doctor's office was conveniently at the back of museum for a free examination and diagnosis. I do not know what his treatments cost, but the traffic was good and he was reputed to have amassed great wealth over many years - until the medical association and the public-health people got around to putting him out of business." A caller to this column, however, had heard that after the clap museum was sold, it moved to Honolulu. And boyhood in Seattle was never the same again. -- Decorating in the '90s: In a breathless Spiegel press release, we learned of the emerging new themes in home decor, as selected by the Spiegel Creative Committee. To explore the trends that shape the lives of consumers, this year the committee posed five questions: "Who am I? What Do I Believe? What is My Role? Where Can I Hide?" and "Where are We Going?" These, they concluded, are some of the hot themes for 1995, followed by a brief description: Crossover Decorating ("Spiegel explores the breakdown of roles through androgyny and chameleon design"), Romantic Illusion ("Play a role, hide or escape fear through fantasy"), Re-inventing Tradition (What is modern now? Tradition: a tradition we've never seen before"), The Simple Life (Spiegel takes us back to our roots: cooking, gardening, hobbies and innocence") and Earthly Goods (`"he Zen aesthetic finds its way into our homes"). The release concludes with these words: `"n a world that is constantly changing, the Spiegel Creative Committee has its hands full. The committee has completed its findings for fall of 1995 and has begun research for 1996." We wait with bated breath.

Time & Again is written and compiled by Scene reporter Ferdinand M. de Leon. To reach him with your contributions, write (Time & Again c/o Scene, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111), or call (464-8474), fax (464-2239) or use e-mail (fdel-new@seatimes.com). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Follow your nose

We all know about the aroma of Tacoma, but what about the scents of Seattle? What smell most defines this place for you? If you were asked to describe your hometown not by its appearance but by its smells, what fragrances and odors would leap to your mind? What scents are powerful enough to stir memories? Try out the new Time & Again phone line: 464-8474. Or, for other options, see the end of the column.

Mysterious Odors: Meanwhile, a woman who used to commute downtown on an Aurora Avenue bus says that for at least the past two years she's noticed an unpleasant, hard-to-describe smell in an area just north of downtown, just before you'd spot the Elephant Car Wash sign. Her granddaughter has also smelled it, so she said she's not the only one who has noticed it. What, she asks, is it?? Anyone know?