Lewis's journal of May 20, 1805, decribes a "handsome river" which the capatins named Sacagawea, or Bird Woman's River.
May 20th. The large creek which we passed..we Call Blowing fly Creek, from the emence quantities of those insects which geather on our meat in such nombers that we are obledged to brush them off what we eate. John Ordway.
May 30th. Many circumstances indicate our near approach to a country whos climate differs considerably from that in which we have been for many months. [Clark names the Judith River in honor of a young girl back in Virginia he hoped to one day be his wife] The air of the open country is asstonishingly dry as well as pure. I found by several expeeriments that a table spoon of water exposed to the air in a saucer would evaporate in 36 hours...My inkstand so frequently becoming dry put me on this experiment. I also observed the well seasoned case of my sextant shrunk considerably and the joints opened. Meriwether Lewis.
May 31st. We passed some very curious cliffs and rocky peaks, in a long range. Some of them 200 feet high and not more than eigth fett thick. They seem as if built by the hand of man, and are so numerous that they appear like the ruins of an acinet city. Patrick Gass.
May 31st. In maney places...we observe on either Side of the river extraodanary walls of a black Semented Stone which appear to be regularly placed one Stone on the other..[T]hose walls Commence at the waters edge & in Some places meet at right angles. William Clark.
May 31st. The hills and river Cliffs which we passed today exhibit a most romantic appearance...The bluffs of the river rise to the hight of from 2 to 300 feet and in most places nearly perpendicular; they are formed of remarkable white sandstone...
The water in the course of time in decending from those hills and plains on either side of the river has trickled down the soft sand clifts and woarn it into a thousand grotesque figures, which with the help of a little immagination...are made to represnt eligant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, having their parapets well stocked with statuary... Meriwether Lewis.
______________________________________
Many of the brothers have made this trip from Ft. Benton passed Judith Landing and further south on the Upper Missouri, reading what has been stated almost 200 years before brings back fond memories of this land and what we have all seen - then and now.
If you have never made this trip please write it down as a "must adventure to do", if you don't canoe (best way to see it) there are float trips available. Be sure to ask the US Forest Service for use of their "Guide Book" while making the trip, it really adds to the river with history and pictures, like Bodimer's, etc. painted in the early 1800's, and the landscape hasn't changed that much. Believe me you'll remember this water venture for years, period or not take a camera and a note pad - you'll make good use of both.
Buck Conner
Baker Party/Colorado
Aux Ailments de Pays!
Signup for your free USWEST.mail Email account http://www.uswestmail.net
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: 31 May 1999 15:57:52 -0700
From: <buck.conner@uswestmail.net>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Memorial Day 1999 / look back to 1805
Thank you for the comments, I try and hit all the Holidays with what was happening with the Corps of Discovery, some of their days aren't that much different than our today. Enjoying each others company and thankful for what they have.
Later
Buck Conner
dba/Clark & Sons Mercantile
> On Mon, 31 May 1999, Laura Rugel Glise wrote:
>
> Thank you Mr. Conner, I always enjoy your posts and your web site.
>
> Laura Glise
> Atlanta
Signup for your free USWEST.mail Email account http://www.uswestmail.net
------------------------------
Date: 31 May 1999 16:09:22 -0700
From: <turtle@uswestmail.net>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Memorial Day 1999 / look back to 1805
Buck,
Just got in and checked the mail, was at my VFW Post after the parade, and we were wondering if you would send mail about L&C and the group. Several of us have saved all your posting for the holidays, we really do enjoy them and wanted to tell you to keep them coming, the 4th of July should be very interesting back then.
Thanks for the effort, we seem to forget to let you guys know how much good you do with these interesting posting, plus a funny remark now and then makes it light reading.
Turtle
PA Colonies
__________________
> On Mon, 31 May 1999, buck.conner@uswestmail.net wrote:
>
> Good Morning and Good Memorial Day,
>
>
>
> By the way being Memorial Day 1999, Let's take a look at what our forefather's were up to on the Upper Missouri 1805.
> Lewis's journal of May 20, 1805, decribes a "handsome river" which the capatins named Sacagawea, or Bird Woman's River.
>
>
>
> May 20th. The large creek which we passed..we Call Blowing fly Creek, from the emence quantities of those insects which geather on our meat in such nombers that we are obledged to brush them off what we eate. John Ordway.
>
>
>
> May 30th. Many circumstances indicate our near approach to a country whos climate differs considerably from that in which we have been for many months. [Clark names the Judith River in honor of a young girl back in Virginia he hoped to one day be his wife] The air of the open country is asstonishingly dry as well as pure. I found by several expeeriments that a table spoon of water exposed to the air in a saucer would evaporate in 36 hours...My inkstand so frequently becoming dry put me on this experiment. I also observed the well seasoned case of my sextant shrunk considerably and the joints opened. Meriwether Lewis.
>
>
>
> May 31st. We passed some very curious cliffs and rocky peaks, in a long range. Some of them 200 feet high and not more than eigth fett thick. They seem as if built by the hand of man, and are so numerous that they appear like the ruins of an acinet city. Patrick Gass.
>
>
>
> May 31st. In maney places...we observe on either Side of the river extraodanary walls of a black Semented Stone which appear to be regularly placed one Stone on the other..[T]hose walls Commence at the waters edge & in Some places meet at right angles. William Clark.
>
>
>
> May 31st. The hills and river Cliffs which we passed today exhibit a most romantic appearance...The bluffs of the river rise to the hight of from 2 to 300 feet and in most places nearly perpendicular; they are formed of remarkable white sandstone...
>
>
>
> The water in the course of time in decending from those hills and plains on either side of the river has trickled down the soft sand clifts and woarn it into a thousand grotesque figures, which with the help of a little immagination...are made to represnt eligant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, having their parapets well stocked with statuary... Meriwether Lewis.
>
> ______________________________________
>
>
>
> Many of the brothers have made this trip from Ft. Benton passed Judith Landing and further south on the Upper Missouri, reading what has been stated almost 200 years before brings back fond memories of this land and what we have all seen - then and now.
>
>
>
> If you have never made this trip please write it down as a "must adventure to do", if you don't canoe (best way to see it) there are float trips available. Be sure to ask the US Forest Service for use of their "Guide Book" while making the trip, it really adds to the river with history and pictures, like Bodimer's, etc. painted in the early 1800's, and the landscape hasn't changed that much. Believe me you'll remember this water venture for years, period or not take a camera and a note pad - you'll make good use of both.
>
>
>
> Buck Conner
>
> Baker Party/Colorado
>
> Aux Ailments de Pays!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Signup for your free USWEST.mail Email account http://www.uswestmail.net
Signup for your free USWEST.mail Email account http://www.uswestmail.net
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 22:03:22 -0700
From: "John Hunt" <jhunt1@one.net>
Subject: MtMan-List: correct eyeglasses
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
- ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BEABB1.663716C0
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charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Laura Rugel Glise
Laura and others who might want correct eye wear (originals) try this
site. They are pricey, but you get what you pay for. Originals are as close
to correct as we will ever get. I bought a pair and they are as represented.
There are also some tinted ones
http://www.metiques.com/catalog/antiques.html
Big John Southwest Ohio
jhunt1@one.net
- ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BEABB1.663716C0
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name="Ed Welch's Antiques - Catalog, Maine Antique Dealer Directory.url"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
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filename="Ed Welch's Antiques - Catalog, Maine Antique Dealer Directory.url"
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/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 02:55:47 EDT
From: NaugaMok@aol.com
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Flint shotgun "kits"
In a message dated 99-05-28 20:08:03 EDT, you write:
<< steve lodding is, IIRC, connected with JP Gunstocks in Nevada. >>
Steve Lodding IS NOT in any way connected to JP Gunstocks. That comment
would get you kicked out of the Lodding & McClenehan shop!!! Years ago,
Keith McClenehan & Jim Searles were building together, but Keith didn't like
the way Jim was doing things -- like attaching the thimbles through the
stocks, to the barrels with screws & not pinning the traditional way. Their
parting of the ways was probably 15 years ago when Jim started JP, & Keith
partnered up with Steve & started Battle Born Enterprises, which about 3
years ago became Lodding & McClenehan. Steve has NEVER been associated with
JP except to fix JP's screw ups in the Lodding & McClenehan shop.
Unfoutunately, JP is still putting out some pretty sloppy work. For QUALITY
work ya gotta deal with Lodding & McClenehan. They'll treat you right -- JP
seems to care less once they have their money. I hate to bad rap a local
(for me) builder, but JP's quality sucks!!! I've asked Keith why all the
problems with JP's products because they use good quality parts & they build
a good looking gun. He just shrugs & says "Ya gotta put the parts together
right!" After examining several of their guns closely, I see a lot of little
things like burred screw heads, touch holes not quite in the right place,
hammers not quite aligned properly with frizzens, locks that feel like
they're full of gravel -- they seem to be missing the details that made the
difference between a gun that functions flawlessly & one that barely works at
all. I know of 8 people localy who've purchased guns from JP & they've ALL
had problems & wound up taking them to Lodding & McClenehan for repairs that
worked. Steve & Keith have had some problems too, but their main problem is
they build on such tight tollerances, over tightening a screw will affect the
gun's performance. Lodding & McClenehan send an instruftion pamphlet with
every gun they build telling the new owners to put the screws back so the
slots lign up exactly as they were when they recieved the gun. If this is
done, along with the standard proper care & cleaning, they have very little
trouble. Let me put it this way -- I'd never buy anything that JP sells, but
Steve just started on a rifle for me at the Lodding & McClenehan shop & my
wife shoots one of their pistols. Wonder if I show them this I'll get a
discount? I doubt it!! There may be some people out there who have had good
luck with JP's products -- I certainly hope so, but what I've stated here are
my personal opinions of their work from observing their guns on the shooting
courses. They look great, but don't usualy function nearly as well as I'd
expect for the price. T/C's & CVA's are much more reliable than what JP's
been putting out for about the last 5 or 6 years unless you can find a good
gunsmith to tune 'em up & correct all the little bugs.
Someone wanted the address for Lodding & McClenahan last week or so & I
couldn't put my hands on at that moment. It is:
Lodding & McClenahan
6510 W El Campo Grande
Las Vegas, NV 89130
Phone (702) 656-6085
The last time I was over there, Steve showed me a pair of smooth barrels & a
pair of locks. Who knows -- maybe he's thinking of building a double gun???
If he does, you can be sure it'll be a good one!
Noticed in the new Dixie catalog -- they carry double gun parts -- breech,
barrels, ribs -- didn' notice any stocks or furnature.
NM
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 03:09:54 EDT
From: RR1LA@aol.com
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Flint shotgun "kits"
<< The last time I was over there, Steve showed me a pair of smooth barrels &
a
pair of locks. Who knows -- maybe he's thinking of building a double gun???
If he does, you can be sure it'll be a good one!
>>
thanks NM; guess my IIRC wasn't correctly remembered <GGG> also, Steve is an
incredible scrimshand, too................. Barn
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1999 06:12:46 +0000
From: Laura Rugel Glise <lglise@bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 18:51:57 -0500
Glad you asked about the Chadron Museum, and, now that school is out, I
can address this issue at 6:30 a.m. EST.
I live in Atlanta and first journeyed to the Riverton, Wyoming 1838
Rendezvous reenactment three years ago. I was doing research on a
novel, historical fiction, pertaining to the beaver trade. The second
time I made the trip to Riverton, I stopped in Chadron. Whoa baby.
I had done enough research to know how much More I had to learn. I was
overwhelmed, and felt extremely pressured to get all the "details"
correct. I went to the museum by myself and spent four hours wandering
through the dimly lit halls, peering into each museum case like it was
Santa's workshop. It was wonderful. These are just a few of the things
I encountered that surprised me:
I had no idea what a carrot of tobacco looked like or
that dyed cotton plaids from Madras were trade goods or
what a Baidarka was (an enlarged kayak) or
what a bait box of cherry wood looked like.
I didn't know that Miles Standish, New York City, was the most famous
American trap maker before the Civil War. I didn't know that some
vermillion came from Holland. I didn't know there were wooden egg boxes
in the 1830s.
I saw double-edged pocket combs made of boxwood, horn and brass. I
learned Jim Bridger used an English rifle made by J. J. Henry in
Boulton, PA. I saw a red and blue Chief's coat (Hudson's Bay Company)
with one sleeve blue with a red cuff and the other sleeve red with a
blue cuff, a mirror image, with gold braid down the front panel and
buttons down the front. Gorgeous. I saw my first percussion rifle, .46
cal., by M. Dickson of Louisville, KY, and my first Deringer, Armstrong
Pattern, .47 cal.
I had the opportunity to meet Diane Chambers (Book of Buckskinning III
on beadwork) a couple of months ago. She told me that the museum let
her camp in their parking lot, and after museum hours, actually go into
the museum cases and count the rows of beads and made notes for articles
she wanted to reproduce.
If you ever needed a reason to go to Nebraska, this is it.
Laura Glise
Atlanta
"Any Friend that is in Need is Welcome to my India Weed."
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jun 1999 14:16:33 -0700
From: <buck.conner@uswestmail.net>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 18:51:57 -0500
For 25 years several of us from a muzzleloading club (The Buckhorn Skinners) from CO would go to the museum before the tourist season and make a second trip after that season. Charley Hanson would line us up with rooms at the Best Western, and we would do 2 1/2 to 3 day periods taking pictures, taking notes or listening to Charley tell us about different items. We never left without dropping up to several hundred dollars (a piece at times) on items that were extras that the museum had for sale.
We have given labor when they tore down the Safeway Store in town and gave the blocks to the museum, to helping clean cases or whatever the Hanson's needed. Charley would call a few weeks before we were due to go up and have me buy nails, brass screws or whatever he was in need of and save him the shipping. Below I enclosed a tribute that was in the AMM Journal after Mr. Hanson's passing.
A friend to all that met him
Friend to all that met him and a personal friend for over 25 years, Charles E. Hanson, Jr. has passed away as of Wednesday the 4th of February, 1998.
A native of Nebraska, an engineer, a spokesman, writer, museum director and so on, you just read his tribute, nice words but words are hard to come to mind in trying to explain the feeling one feels for someone like Charles E. Hanson, Jr. He was not only a friend to us all, but someone we looked up to, a man that would help when one needed questions answered and always able to smile even though he was
down physically or mentally.
I first met Charley in the mid 60Æs at the ôAntique Gun Collectors Showö at Colfax and Broadway in Denver, CO in the old VFW Hall, he was talking to Jack Lewis, a world known antique gun collector and
trader from Ohio. I had known Jack from a few years before, as my father was really into pre Civil War items and had dealings with Mr. Lewis several times. They were discussing a gatling gun at the door into the hall, it was serial number NO. 1 , in new condition and just a beauty per Charley. He stroked that gun like it was one of his kids, Jack introduced me to Mr. Hanson and that was the being of a long friendship.
Over the years as time would allow with work and home life, I would call and have Charley make a reservation for a few nights at a friendÆs motel then slip away to Chadron and walk back into a different time zone. The Fur Trade was alive and well at Charley and MarieÆs house, sometimes a few friends would tag along or my Dad, sometimes I would make the trip from Denver alone. Either way the closer I got the faster I would drive, wanting as much time as possible to spend freezing my feet in mid winter looking at the many items on display, really didnÆt matter which case we were viewing, just being there was the best part. Charley would come out of the office and ask us to come in and get warm, no heat in the building other than his office when the museum was closed to the public.
We would sit around him and ask questions and he would disappear for a moment then return with a book for reference and we would discuss the subject for hours. Then as our voices got softer with lack of
moisture, Marie would appear from no wear, carrying a coffee pot, cups and home made pumpkin bread, or pumpkin cookies, or pumpkin rolls or pumpkin ............. whatever. She would tell us each time that this happened, that living in this country, the only thing she could grow was pumpkins and more pumpkins. ôMarie could make anything one can think of with pumpkinö Charley would say as we all agreed, and damn good too. We knew she was having fun with us, we had been there enough to see the period garden and other projects these two had tried in that ground.
Over the years I have called on Charley for information on articles that I would be writing or to get his opinion on how to make something, or the availability of an item for such and such or a place and time.
He was always there with an answer and if he did not know, would do a little digging in his wonderful library and send you the information. He provided this type of service for thousands of students of the fur
trade over the years, and half the time never even got a ôthank youö. We used to tell him to charge for his knowledge or his resources, he would just laugh and say something like ôI enjoy helpingö or ôI donÆt want to turn anyone awayö. The cost of postage alone would make most people stop the service, but Charley and Marie would just keep going ahead with doing their thing and never complain.
In the 70Æs when the Wounded Knee problem started to the north of Chadron, word got out after several of the kids from the reservation took items from their museum and sold them for booze on the west coast. They were going to come down to the Museum of the Fur Trade and do the same thing, the town folks got ready to defend the Museum until the National Guard got the OK to get involved.
I was up at the Museum the next week, back in the library with Charley. Down one aisle was an old 92 Winchester leaning against the shelves, Charley remarked it was loaded as were several others within the building. He was ready to handle what needed to be done, if needed. I bet those kids would have had more than ôwounded kneesö if they came into CharlieÆs place and started trouble, that old boy would have filled their shorts with some hot lead from one of those old 44/40Æs.
Seems everytime we were at Charley and MarieÆs, they would have a fur trade story or two to tell us, their research never ended and some of the funny stories are priceless that they could tell, I will give you a few examples.
A Count or Duke that came over from Europe to hunt in the New World, he had as the first thing on his schedule, hire a guide, experienced in the wilderness and able to handle a party of gentlemen on a hunt, a
person was found and a deal was made. In the arrangement the guide was to receive a trade gun for part of his payment, the agreement was completed and the local got his smoothbore.
Before leaving the guide had a sight-in for his employers and a chance to try his new gun. To make the story short, he finds his trade gun does not shoot to point of aim, removes the barrel wraps it in a blanket and puts one end in the crouch of a tree and leans on it a touch. He then assembles his gun, while his employers watch in disbelief, this is repeated several times until it shoots to his satisfaction. Near the end of the hunting trip the guide has out shot his employers and one gentlemen tries to trade the guide out of the smoothbore.
╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖
Another story told of a English trader, who would make his rounds to different Indian villages on the Canadian border near Montreal and down to Rochester, N.Y, visiting each settlement about every other
year as a normal practice. One of his trade items, guns, along with the usual other trade goods, picked up from sources in Canada.
As time pasted on, replacement arms were always needed, missions where being set up and Indians were being taught to read and more trade was going on with others in the area. On one of his visits to a village he found that only a few guns were needed and the trade went poorly, upon looking around he discovered a young Indian was reading a paper on the repairs of a lock and had the needed parts for the repair in a small kit supplied by another trader. Up to this point selling arms was considered not dangerous, because they would break and be thrown away, but now with the knowledge to repair them, there is danger with the natives having arms. ôGod what have we done, created demonsö, was this gentlemenÆs first remark about his find..
╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖╖
The stories that friends of these two could tell would fill this issue and several others, may God take care of Marie, we know heÆs already looking out for Charley and like mentioned before.
If you close your eyes and let your mind wonder, you too may see what many can invision, a camp fire with figures sitting around, a closer look at this scene the faces become clearer and right in the middle sits Charley asking questions, taking notes and living on every word of passed adventures as names of men and their deeds come together.
God Bless both of you.
ôWaughö
Buck Conner
AMM Baker Party,/CO
________________________________________________
> On Mon, 31 May 1999, Laura Rugel Glise wrote:
>
> Glad you asked about the Chadron Museum, and, now that school is out, I
> can address this issue at 6:30 a.m. EST.
>
> I live in Atlanta and first journeyed to the Riverton, Wyoming 1838
> Rendezvous reenactment three years ago. I was doing research on a
> novel, historical fiction, pertaining to the beaver trade. The second
> time I made the trip to Riverton, I stopped in Chadron. Whoa baby.
>
> I had done enough research to know how much More I had to learn. I was
> overwhelmed, and felt extremely pressured to get all the "details"
> correct. I went to the museum by myself and spent four hours wandering
> through the dimly lit halls, peering into each museum case like it was
> Santa's workshop. It was wonderful. These are just a few of the things
> I encountered that surprised me:
>
> I had no idea what a carrot of tobacco looked like or
> that dyed cotton plaids from Madras were trade goods or
> what a Baidarka was (an enlarged kayak) or
> what a bait box of cherry wood looked like.
>
> I didn't know that Miles Standish, New York City, was the most famous
> American trap maker before the Civil War. I didn't know that some
> vermillion came from Holland. I didn't know there were wooden egg boxes
> in the 1830s.
>
> I saw double-edged pocket combs made of boxwood, horn and brass. I
> learned Jim Bridger used an English rifle made by J. J. Henry in
> Boulton, PA. I saw a red and blue Chief's coat (Hudson's Bay Company)
> with one sleeve blue with a red cuff and the other sleeve red with a
> blue cuff, a mirror image, with gold braid down the front panel and
> buttons down the front. Gorgeous. I saw my first percussion rifle, .46
> cal., by M. Dickson of Louisville, KY, and my first Deringer, Armstrong
> Pattern, .47 cal.
>
> I had the opportunity to meet Diane Chambers (Book of Buckskinning III
> on beadwork) a couple of months ago. She told me that the museum let
> her camp in their parking lot, and after museum hours, actually go into
> the museum cases and count the rows of beads and made notes for articles
> she wanted to reproduce.
>
> If you ever needed a reason to go to Nebraska, this is it.
>
> Laura Glise
> Atlanta
>
> "Any Friend that is in Need is Welcome to my India Weed."
Signup for your free USWEST.mail Email account http://www.uswestmail.net
------------------------------
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