History is a stern teacher. For if We learn not our lessons, We have to repeat them.
I research the pages of history for the doing of many things. How did the first peoples of an area do things, and why? I just finished reading an account of a man who traveled with 2 pack horses for two days to get to a mill to grind his corn. Two days out and two days back. In winter I might add. He forded a stream 18 times going out carrying the corn on his back to keep it dry , then took the horses across and reloaded them. He could not afford to lose either the corn or horses. The corn would feed his children till spring and those same horses would be hitched to his plow. The roads to be built in that area would not come for 40 years. China mart wouldn't come for another 200 + years. What drove the individual in this tale was that food was short and he could not afford to wait any longer or risk losing all he loved. His family survived until his return eating what We(the civilized) would call weeds that and chewing on leather to stave off hunger till the old man returned with his ground corn and a few trade items. With those few items and some powder and shot he was able to kill an Elk.
That elk dressed out at an estimated 500 lbs and had horns over 5 feet long and measured about 15 hands high. Imagine that.(one hand equals four inches, and the beast is measured from the ground to the top of the withers.)
Interestingly enough people hunted elk not far from where I sit writing this.
There are no elk to be seen here abouts outside of a zoo. Not since 1830 or so.
I respect all that the Man stood for and all that He accomplished. He didn't have the word can't in his vocabulary, Thats for sure. He also didn't know that he was not supposed to be able to accomplish all that he had.
The year was about 1790 or so.
Funny but his descendants still live to this day. See, He didn't make war with his neighbors the Seneca's. Rather he traded with them quite often. His family never again saw a year as bad as that first winter.
This is just one tale of many of the pioneer folk of western Pennsylvania.
We preppers talk alot.
But can we walk that walk?
How about a mile in that Mans boots as he forded freezing streams over and over in the dead of winter.
I salute his memory as I'm sure many of you will. Dragon
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6 comments:
True Grit
I admire this man, and I am preparing in the hope of avoiding his situation. But if worse comes to worse, I can do what is necessary. I've driven myself to do some pretty hard stuff. At work, I regularly have to drag a 10' beam trawl through waist deep water with mucky bottom, by hand, for miles. No easy feat. I shovel crap in the Texas heat for hours on end. I built my own garage, of my own design, with hand tools, and help from my Dad. I'll get by just fine.
All that I was trying to illustrate is:
Lessons can be learned where they may.
Ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things.
History may show you the way.
Every place has its smugglers dens or pirate coves, Indian caves or some other feature. Patton used old Roman roads to invade Europe.
I use old Indian trails to get around in the mountains.
Mayberry, That man was prepared and still found himself in dire straights. What I didn't write about was his shoes wearing out after one year or how he solved clothing his children. He had the best technology of his time. He faced adversity and overcame as I suspect you will. As I expect I will. Few of us have that spirit, the rest will be found wanting. Dragon
Why didn't he grind his own corn like the Indians did? Not only would it have been easier, it'd be fresher and healthier.
Oblio, there was little cash money at that time and grain was ground by a mill on the shares principle. The resulting ground product was then used at home and traded for whatever was needed... Later entries for this man and his family records that they used a stamp mill at home for their personal needs but that they still sent grain by pack horse to a mill for the bulk of production. I'm lead to understand that they learned to grind their own by the second year they were out. As to who or whom taught them is unrecorded.
Those people back there did what they had to do to stay alive. This little story is how one man made it. First observation: He WAS A MAN. The second observation; He made it. He survived and went on with life. How much more credit can you give a man? Nowdays the populace lays down and waits for the fedgov to come make it all better. And speaking of making it better, my stimulous check STILL ain't here. They are punishing me for not having an electronic account to send it to. Mean Michael!
Michael
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