From: owner-hist_text-digest@lists.xmission.com (hist_text-digest) To: hist_text-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: hist_text-digest V1 #120 Reply-To: hist_text Sender: owner-hist_text-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-hist_text-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk hist_text-digest Wednesday, August 5 1998 Volume 01 : Number 120 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 01:23:12 EDT From: Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Buffalo Meat and Shooting Events in addition to the other great suggestions: spaghetti works great, and is quite a challenge; also playing cards turned on edge can get men to swearin' too. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 23:38:24 -0600 (MDT) From: earlalan@srv.net (Allen Hall) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Free trappers vs company men Henry, At the 1832 Rendezvous, held in Pierre's Hole there were 15 free trappers led by a man named Sinclair. It seems everyone else there were company men. Based on this, it appears that in that time frame, free trappers were a minority. Allen Hall in Fort Hall country >Has anyone out there ever come across or done research on the proportion of >free trappers vs company men during the Rendezvous period of the fur trade? >A question was posed to me regarding which were the more numerous. I >couldn't say, except that for there to have been more free trappers, there >would have to be thousands of them, given the size of those company >brigades. Anyone out there have a clue. > >TIA, >HBC > >***************************************** >Henry B. Crawford Curator of History >mxhbc@ttacs.ttu.edu Museum of Texas Tech University >806/742-2442 Box 43191 >FAX 742-1136 Lubbock, TX 79409-3191 > WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum >****** Living History . . . Because it's there! ******* > > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 03 Aug 1998 22:54:38 -0700 From: Frank Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Buffalo Meat and Shooting Events Here's one probably all know about...take a double blade ax and sink 'er into a round. knock the handle out and put a target of some kind on each side. If you're lucky, your ball will split even and break both targets. Now the blade sunk vertical ain't too hard but horizontal can be a might tuff! No fair turning your shootin' iron sideways either! WAGH! Medicine Bear RR1LA@aol.com wrote: > in addition to the other great suggestions: spaghetti works great, and is > quite a challenge; also playing cards turned on edge can get men to swearin' > too. > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 21:50:27 +0000 From: randybublitz@juno.com (RANDAL J BUBLITZ) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Glass Mountain The glass mountain was a large obsidian deosit Hardtack _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 06:27:34 -0600 From: "Lanney Ratcliff" Subject: MtMan-List: Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 07:30:38 -0500 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0016_01BDBF79.C71608E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable For those interested, USGS geodata files can be downloaded free from the = internet at: http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/ndcdb/html Gecko Software sells LANDGRAB 98 USGS File Translation Package to create = a basemap or a digital terrain model for any location in the U.S. within = 30 minutes for $159.95. http://www.gecko-sw.com Free software and trialware of the can be downloaded from Rockware, an = earthscience software supplier at: www.rockware.com The trialware programs are fully functional software that expire after = a certain time period, enabling you to try our all its features. When = the program expires, simply contact Rockware for an unlocking code which = they will trade for your payment. The Rockware catalog also lists a program called TruFlite for Windows 3D = Terrain Visualization,$295, claiming the power of workstation graphics = on your PC. It apparantly will print a near photographic quality 3D = image of whatever terrain you select. The Gecko looks like it will = print a very good image, but it does not have the photographic quality = of the other. I'm only looking at images in the Rockware catalog, not = at any images on my monitor so download the trialware and see for = yourself. I hope this information proves useful to somebody. Lanney Ratcliff - ------=_NextPart_000_0016_01BDBF79.C71608E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
For those interested, USGS geodata = files can be=20 downloaded free from the internet at:
http://edcwww.cr.usg= s.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/ndcdb/htm= l
Gecko Software sells LANDGRAB 98 = USGS File=20 Translation Package to create a basemap or a digital terrain model for = any=20 location in the U.S. within 30 minutes for $159.95.
http://www.gecko-sw.com
=
Free software and trialware of the = can be=20 downloaded from Rockware, an earthscience software supplier = at:
www.rockware.com
 The trialware programs are = fully=20 functional software that expire after a certain time period, enabling = you to try=20 our all its features.  When the program expires, simply contact = Rockware=20 for an unlocking code which they will trade for your = payment.
The Rockware catalog also lists a program called = TruFlite for=20 Windows 3D Terrain Visualization,$295, claiming the power of workstation = graphics on your PC.  It apparantly will print a near photographic = quality=20 3D image of whatever terrain you select.  The Gecko looks like it = will=20 print a very good image, but it does not have the photographic quality = of the=20 other.  I'm only looking at images in the Rockware catalog, not at = any=20 images on my monitor so download the trialware and see for=20 yourself.
I hope this information proves useful to=20 somebody.
Lanney Ratcliff
- ------=_NextPart_000_0016_01BDBF79.C71608E0-- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 15:31:11 -0500 From: John Kramer Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Re: My reason for being on this list There is more than one telling of the tale. John... At 12:43 PM 8/3/98 +0000, you wrote: > > >John Kramer wrote: > >> Primary reason the Mormons burned his fort down was so they could control the >> western emigrant trade, folks stopped and bought supplies from him= because the >> stories were better and his knowledge and information invaluable.=A0 He= must >> have >> done something right.=A0 Brigham wanted his business. >> > >I agree with what you said about Jim except for the above statement.=A0 The Mormons >had already bought the post Jim and had built on to it, before the post was burn. >The reason the post was burn, was for fear of the U.S. Army (Johnson Army)= on >route to Utah, as messages told to wipe out the Mormons. > >Forrest #1691 >=20 John T. Kramer, maker of:=A0 Kramer's Best Antique Improver >>>It makes wood wonderful<<< =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 >>>As good as old!<<< mail to: =20 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 15:23:13 -0500 From: Bishnow Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Buffalo Meat and Shooting Events pwjones@onr.com wrote: > > Regard to the List: > > Having just returned from the Canoe Trip From Hell, I have decided my > remaining energy and ask two questions at the same time. > > First, however, thank you to everyone who sent me information or opinions > about painting a poly canoe. It was useful. > > Second, if I had tried to paint the canoe, this weekend would have > "antiqued" it to death. Only 10 to 13 miles, at least two of which was > dragging or carrying canoes over rocks or shallows. A joy as the weight was > unusual as we took a great deal of water due to the weather. 103 degrees > actual temperature. The owner of the property where we started stated > several matters which should have given us a clue. {{{{Dam (our unexpected > takeout as everyone was in a state of collaspe) is "Oh, bout ten or so miles > or so. Never been that far down river. Suspect you will do a little > walking. Don't expect no breeze between the steep banks."}}}}} > > The only point he was accurate on pertained to the breeze, and then only to > a degree. As we melted, searching of a snippet of shade, we needed a > breeze or three to cool the sweat. When we did hit water, and I mean where > it was of a depth where a paddle stroke would make the canoe go forward, the > wind was strong in our faces." > > Mother Jones raised a fool. > > Questions: > > Where can I purchase fresh buffalo meat which can be delivered via air for a > rendezvous? What cuts do you recommend? > > Can you give me some suggestions for shooting events that are not, I repeat > not, related to paper targets? The more historically correct, or unusal the > better. > > Thanks again. I love this list. > > Mother Jones' Better Forgotten Son > Paul W. Jones > pwjones@onr.com and to think I missed the canoe trip to take my family on vacation. It was a hard choice, go to the coast or a canoe trip. my wife won the battle. I was wondering how the trip went Snakeshot #1593 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 15:30:13 -0500 From: Bishnow Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Buffalo Meat and Shooting Events pwjones@onr.com wrote: > > Boys: Think meat and more importantly, paperless shooting targets and > contests. Do not, I repeat, do not spread that bloody poem. Friendship and > Brotherhood has its limits. Besides,I am "saved" as this weekend gave me > the John Wayne experience of drinking out of a hoof print. Paul > > >Lanny, > > I thinks I got a copy of that bee-ute-e-ful tome around here some wheres.. > >Reckon it oughta be shared with the list?? > >Dennis > > > >>Pablo, ol' sod > >>Sorry fer yer troubles but at least ye warn't sleepin' with no grizzly > >bars. > >>I betcha ye wuz moppin' yore head with a blue hankie, too. Reckon ye could > >>run me up a copy of thet real purty poem again? I cain't find mine > >>ennywhar. BEST LAUGH I'VE HAD IN A WHILE. SNAKESHOT#1593 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 11:19:22 -0600 From: agottfre@telusplanet.net (Angela Gottfred) Subject: MtMan-List: Re: My reason for being on this list Welcome, Susan! I think, if your husband is interested, he could make a fine trader-explorer. It's a little-known fact that the early (1780's-1820's) explorers of the fur trade era did NOT work with a transit, rod & chain. Instead, they used a sextant to find their latitude & longitude by celestial navigation (then, it was called "practical astronomy"). You don't need a horrendously expensive sextant to get started on this; a plastic "lifeboat sextant" ($50-$100) and a bowl of water for an artificial horizon are enough to get going. The modern techniquest of celestial depend on having an accurate watch; however, Lewis & Clark, David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, & many other early explorers did not have an accurate watch (not invented yet!) so they had to use meridian altitudes and double altitudes to determine latitude, and lunar distances to determine longitude. The lunar distance method will work well with your husband's computer hobby, because lunar distance tables haven't been produced for almost 100 years; a computer program and almanac can be used to create lunar distance tables for modern navigators trying to use the lunar distance method. (BTW, it's fun to explain to folks that Local Mean Solar Time was what was on people's watches until the 1860's, and the time on the visitor's watch is _at least_ an hour off!) Why do I know so much about this stuff? My husband has done a lot of research & reenacting in this area. He has focussed on the work of David Thompson, but lots of explorers used the same methods and worked for fur trading companies such as the HBC and North West Company. Jeff has a great time creating his map of North America based solely on his historic navigational observations. For more info, see the web page www.telusplanet.net/public/gottfred/nwj.html and follow the links to the article on the navigational methods of David Thompson. Your humble & obedient servant, Angela Gottfred agottfre@telusplanet.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:32:43 EDT From: Subject: MtMan-List: RE: Mtn Man-List: Smoking Buffalo Sh*t Just want to be sure I'm 100% correct on this. I've never heard of this, but has anyone ever heard of Indians smoking buffalo dung. I know this was used as fuel in a fire in place of timber. However, I have this "know-it-all" at work who is positive that the Indians used to also smoke this in their pipes instead of, or included in, their Kinnikinik. Traphand Traphand@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:55:41 EDT From: Subject: Re: MtMan-List: RE: Mtn Man-List: Smoking Buffalo Sh*t can't imagine smoking it,and it's NOT an ingredient in kinnikinik but it sure does work great for fuel. don't think i'd wanna cook meat over an open flame with it though. also, cowpies work just as well at keepin' you warm in a pinch. PJ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 18:16:56 +0000 From: randybublitz@juno.com (RANDAL J BUBLITZ) Subject: MtMan-List: Re: Mtn Man-List: Smoking Buffalo Sh*t Traphand, I'll bet your friend watched the movie "the Mountain Men". There is a scene in the movie where they are smoking. Frapp=Brian Keith asks what they're smoking. The reply is Kinikkinik, he says 'tastes like buffler shit', reply II = It Is!..... this is paraphrased, of course, as I haven't seen the flick in quite some time. It is a reference to Kinikkinic being buffler sh*t, but as usual Hollywood is not a good reference.... Hardtack _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 20:39:12 -0500 From: John Kramer Subject: Re: MtMan-List: RE: Mtn Man-List: Smoking Buffalo Sh*t Road Apples John... At 08:32 PM 8/4/98 -0400, you wrote: >Just want to be sure I'm 100% correct on this.=A0=A0 I've never heard >of this,=A0 but has anyone ever heard of Indians smoking buffalo >dung.=A0=A0=A0 I know this was used as fuel in a fire in place of timber. >However,=A0 I have this "know-it-all"=A0 at work who is positive >that the Indians used to also smoke this in their pipes instead >of, or included in, their Kinnikinik. > >Traphand >Traphand@aol.com >=20 John T. Kramer, maker of:=A0 Kramer's Best Antique Improver >>>It makes wood wonderful<<< =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 >>>As good as old!<<< mail to: =20 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:06:46 -0600 From: jbrandl@wyoming.com (Joe Brandl) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Glass Mountain That mtn would probally be Obsedian Mtn in Yellowstone Joe Absaroka Western Designs and Tannery Call us about our professional home tanning kit-307-455-2440 Write for custom tanning prices We produce rawhide lampshades and carry a large selection of leather and hair on robes Fine lodgepole furniture, pillows, Indian reproductions, paintings, baskets check out our new web site: http://www.onpages.com/absaroka ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:09:58 -0600 From: jbrandl@wyoming.com (Joe Brandl) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: RE: Mtn Man-List: Smoking Buffalo Sh*t Actually a small amt was placed in some pipes before smoking. Sometimes before a buffalo hunt Joe Absaroka Western Designs and Tannery Call us about our professional home tanning kit-307-455-2440 Write for custom tanning prices We produce rawhide lampshades and carry a large selection of leather and hair on robes Fine lodgepole furniture, pillows, Indian reproductions, paintings, baskets check out our new web site: http://www.onpages.com/absaroka ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 22:17:43 EDT From: Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Glass Mountain In a message dated 8/4/98 7:10:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, jbrandl@wyoming.com writes: << That mtn would probally be Obsedian Mtn in Yellowstone Joe >> Thanx, Joe and all who answered about Glass Mountain. The way I figger it, Old Gabe warn't really lyin' it war jest his way of remembering landmarks. Tom Laidlaw ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 23:15:05 -0400 From: deforge1@wesnet.com (Dennis Miles) Subject: MtMan-List: Ladle Lanny, This doesn't belong here, but I am too sorry to go downstairs to get your private address.... Yr iron pretty is winging it's way to the Rep. of Texas as we speak.... Dennis "Abair ach beagan is abair gu math e" DOUBLE EDGE FORGE Period Knives & Iron Accouterments http://www.wesnet.com/deforge1 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 23:31:44 EDT From: Subject: MtMan-List: games for the youngins I need a good resource and/or several suggestions for games. I'm looking for games which might be played at a rendezvous or such. Age range: 1st grade through high school (of course, they wouldn't all compete together). All boys. Thanks in advance for all yer help. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 01:40:31 EDT From: Subject: Re: MtMan-List: games for the youngins There is a game of rolling large wooden hoops with a stick (for speed, distance); nine pins (bowling); another where you use a stick to both toss and catch a weighted set of bags connected by a rope (can't remember the name), a number of board games such as Pente' (also called five-in-a-row). If I can think of others, I will forward the info. Also have seen pick-up-sticks and jacks type games in primitive versions. Hope this is of some help. PJ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 23:21:08 +0000 From: randybublitz@juno.com (RANDAL J BUBLITZ) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: games for the youngins DPCRN, I know that kids love flangin' sticks, ie Archery. A bow and some arrows goes a long way with juveniles, even us old ones. Sack races, 3 legged races, wheel barrow races, etc... provide alot of amusement for youngster and spectator as well. Hardtack _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 23:47:33 -0700 (PDT) From: zaslow Subject: Re: MtMan-List: games for the youngins Check out the "Book of Buckskinning V" Pages 197-228. The chapter is "Games, Sports & Other Amusements" by George D. Glenn. It has a lot of games, some which would be appropriate for this age group. Hope this helps. Best Regards, Jerry (Meriwether) Zaslow #1488 ________________________________________________________________________________ At 11:31 PM 8/4/98 EDT, you wrote: >I need a good resource and/or several suggestions for games. I'm looking for >games which might be played at a rendezvous or such. Age range: 1st grade >through high school (of course, they wouldn't all compete together). All >boys. Thanks in advance for all yer help. > > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 01:28:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Lee Newbill Subject: MtMan-List: The Northwest Company Hallo the Camp! I'd like to thank those that responded for help on books for the NWC.... especially Jeff Powers and Jim Hardee, I managed to find; The Oregon Country Under the Union Jack (Payette) The Northwest Company (Davidson) The Northwest Company (Campbell) The Savage Country (O'Meare) and a unexpected gem in the form of a 1934 Master's Thesis by a Jean Nielsen, titled "The Operations of British Fur Trading Companies In Idaho"... very cool stuff. I have my reading material for the next month or so, so shouldna bother anyone for a while As a postscript, the book on the NWC by Davidson... was first stamped as checked out in 1919... talk about holding a piece of history. Regards Lee Newbill Viola, Idaho email at lnewbill@uidaho.edu Keeper of the "Buckskins & Blackpowder!" Webpage http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/7186 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 08:37:36 EDT From: Subject: Re: MtMan-List: games for the youngins DPCRN: In a message dated 98-08-04 23:34:54 EDT, you write: << I need a good resource and/or several suggestions for games. I'm looking for games which might be played at a rendezvous or such. Age range: 1st grade through high school >> One of the things I find with kids is that they grow so fast we often do not recognise them year to year. A close friend came up with one game this past year that was fun for the kids and helped the adults relearn each kids face and who they belonged to. He set up a bead savanger hunt with about a third of the adults in camp involved (of course the kids did not know which third). The object was to complete a friendship necklace of beads but to get a bead the kid had to go into a camp and introduce themselves by name, parents and camp and POLITELY ask if they might be in the right camp to obtain a bead. The prize was of course the bead necklace that they collected. Kids loved it and we adults sure did meet/re-meet a lot of polite nice kids. Another fun time for younger kids is a candy or bead toss. Take several straw bales and scatter them about. Then with the kids gathered round throw handfuls of beads and candy (hard wrapped) into the straw. Don't make the beads too small or it is frustrating for the little ones. As a variation we sometimes load them into a morter with 30 grains or less of powder and fire them down range for the kids to retrieve. If you intend to do this experiment before the event with powder charges. Nothing worse then blowing all the beads up in front of a lot of excited kids. Home made bean bags are great for keep away. Use squares of scrap material sewn up with good old dryed beans or peas inside. Make and fly kites. Stiks, string, paper or silk like material and paste. This is for the older kids. Three legged races. If it is really hot, have the kids run a gauntlet with everyone on the edge armed with a cup of cool water. To make it more fun have each kid try to get from one end to the other with a hard boiled egg balanced on a spoon. Fastest time with egg in tact wins. For the older kids a draughts tournament, remember it was not called checkers in our time period. If you have anyplace to fish, a fishing contest based on most caught is fun. If you can get willow branches for poles with sinew for line, corks for bobbers and hooks you have a primative setup that the kids can keep and reuse. One word of advice if you think you will have a lot of kids or a lot of little ones, order in barbless hooks. With a lot of kids someone will hook themselves, or their parent, and it is not fun for the kid. Most any bait shop can order them in for you if you give them some advanced notice. Thats a few, I look forward to the other replies as our club can always use more and new games for the kids as well. Your humble servant C.T. Oakes ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 07:01:56 -0700 From: Dennis Fisher Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Glass Mountain Tom wrote: > I'm also reading about Glass Mountain in California. That, too is obsidian. I've been to the one in California, it is located near Mammoth Lakes. It is an obsidian dome that is about five hundred feet high and a mile or so around. I had hoped to lay in a good supply of obsidian for making arrowheads but the quality of the obsidian was not very good, it had a lot of impurities in it. Dennis ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 09:34:36 -0600 (CST) From: mxhbc@TTACS.TTU.EDU (Henry B. Crawford) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: RE: Mtn Man-List: Smoking Buffalo Sh*t >Actually a small amt was placed in some pipes before smoking. Sometimes >before a buffalo hunt >Joe > Joe, If you could name a reference source on that we'd all feel a lot better. HBC ***************************************** Henry B. Crawford Curator of History mxhbc@ttacs.ttu.edu Museum of Texas Tech University 806/742-2442 Box 43191 FAX 742-1136 Lubbock, TX 79409-3191 WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum ****** Living History . . . Because it's there! ******* ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 10:40:33 -0400 From: hawknest4@juno.com (Michael Pierce) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: games for the youngins the foxfire books would also be a good place to look don't have mine handy but know one of them has what she wants in the games or recreation area---they are printed by bantom doubleday dell publishing group, 666 fifth avenue, new york, new york 10103 "Hawk" Michael Pierce 854 Glenfield Dr. Palm Harbor, florida 34684 1-(813) 771-1815 E-MAIL ADDRESS: HAWKNEST4@juno.com On Tue, 4 Aug 1998 23:47:33 -0700 (PDT) zaslow writes: >Check out the "Book of Buckskinning V" Pages 197-228. The chapter is >"Games, Sports & Other Amusements" by George D. Glenn. It has a lot >of >games, some which would be appropriate for this age group. > >Hope this helps. > >Best Regards, > >Jerry (Meriwether) Zaslow #1488 >________________________________________________________________________________ > >At 11:31 PM 8/4/98 EDT, you wrote: >>I need a good resource and/or several suggestions for games. I'm >looking for >>games which might be played at a rendezvous or such. Age range: 1st >grade >>through high school (of course, they wouldn't all compete together). >All >>boys. Thanks in advance for all yer help. >> >> > > > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 14:47:11 -0600 (CST) From: mxhbc@TTACS.TTU.EDU (Henry B. Crawford) Subject: MtMan-List: Watches (aka My reason for being on this list) In a reply to Susan regarding an explorer impression, Angela wrote "...however, Lewis & Clark, David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie, >Simon Fraser, & many other early explorers did not have an accurate watch >(not invented yet!) so they had to use meridian altitudes and double >altitudes to determine latitude, and lunar distances to determine longitude. This is most interesting. We take pocket watches for granted at events, but the statement raises a couple of questions in my mind. 1. When was the pocket watch invented? 2. When did they become common enough to be carried by the average Joe explorer or trader across the rockies? In addition, who was likely to have a watch and who was not? Cheers, HBC ***************************************** Henry B. Crawford Curator of History mxhbc@ttacs.ttu.edu Museum of Texas Tech University 806/742-2442 Box 43191 FAX 742-1136 Lubbock, TX 79409-3191 WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum ****** Living History . . . Because it's there! ******* ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 14:54:26 -0600 (CST) From: mxhbc@TTACS.TTU.EDU (Henry B. Crawford) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: The Northwest Company > >and a unexpected gem in the form of a 1934 Master's Thesis by a Jean >Nielsen, titled "The Operations of British Fur Trading Companies In >Idaho"... very cool stuff. > Say, what university was that thesis written at? (please excuse the preposition at the end of the sentence) BTW, Lee, Nice website. It's been a while since I saw it, and It looks different somehow. Have you made changes? You have a nice family, too. Cheers, HBC ***************************************** Henry B. Crawford Curator of History mxhbc@ttacs.ttu.edu Museum of Texas Tech University 806/742-2442 Box 43191 FAX 742-1136 Lubbock, TX 79409-3191 WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum ****** Living History . . . Because it's there! ******* ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 14:33:41 -0600 From: "Sickler, Louis L" Subject: MtMan-List: buffalo powder horns Ho the List Here's a question I've had on my mind..... I have read a lot about engraving LIGHT-COLORED powder horns and rubbing in ink to darken the lines. What about black buffalo powder horns ? Is white ink period, acceptable, or what. I haven't seen any examples or descriptions. I'd kind of like to try engraving my horn, but don't want to mess it up with something out of period. Engraved lines by themselves don't show up too well. Any ideas ??? Red Coyote ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:46:47 +0000 From: andersons@mcn.net (Norman Anderson) Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Watches In responding to Angela's post, Henry wrote: >This is most interesting. We take pocket watches for granted at events, >but the statement raises a couple of questions in my mind. > >1. When was the pocket watch invented? > >2. When did they become common enough to be carried by the average Joe >explorer or trader across the rockies? > >In addition, who was likely to have a watch and who was not? According to Richard Platt in The Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions, Christiaan Huygens of Holland developed a spring-driven pocket watch in 1675. It was supposed to be accurate within 2 minutes a day. In the same book, Platt states that in 1759 John Harrison of England won a prize dating back 45 years for developing a marine chronometer that was accurate to within 30 seconds a year. In 1803 Meriwether Lewis paid $250 for a chronometer (the distinction being its second hand) to take on his expedition. "she rested on her back, in a small case prepared for her, suspended by an universal joint." This would be like what was carried in naval vessels so the captain could accurately determine longitude. Before Lewis left, he had it calibrated by Andrew Ellicott over 14 days who found it 15.6 seconds slow per day. (Moulton, v. 2, p 412) Once it was placed on a keelboat and subsequent smaller craft as the expedition proceeded west, it did not maintain its accuracy, and occasional lapses in winding didn't help any. Both Lewis and Clark carried watches; according to Donald Jackson, the watch Lewis carried may be at the University of Missouri. Both mention them getting wet on occasion. I haven't found whether anyone else on the expedition carried a watch, but Clark has the striking habit when writing in the journals of mentioning time. "I directed Sergt. Pryor and Shields each of them good judges of timber to proceed on down the river Six or 8 miles and examine the bottoms if any larger trees than those near which we are encamped can be found and return before twelve oClock." (Moulton, v. 8, p 208) That doesn't prove anyone else had a watch, but it's an interesting and regularly repeated precision for any waking hour. Hope this is a step toward answering those questions. Respectfully, Norman Anderson ------------------------------ End of hist_text-digest V1 #120 ******************************* - To unsubscribe to hist_text-digest, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe hist_text-digest" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.