10-22-2016, 01:17 AM
Interesting stuff ......thanks Spankster.
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Daily Curiosities/Obscure Facts
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A Fun and Informative Disarray of Factoids Daily--or Semi Daily--Various Sources:
10-30-2016 People see stars when they hit their heads because the brain cells responsible for vision suffer a jolt. (Doesn't explain why "stars", I think it mainly means spots of light, IMO--Spank.) Brain is the reason you don’t notice you’re blinking. When a person blinks, their brain kicks in to keep the world illuminated. That’s roughly 20,000 times a day. Humans can get unconscious if the blood supply for brain is stopped for 8 to 10 seconds. (Which is why MMA fighters tap out so quick in a match. You can stay conscious much longer with a lack of oxygen, but it only takes a short time for lack of blood--Spank.) Supplies For A Trip On The Oregon Trail: I roughly followed the Oregon Trail in my RV from "Three Islands State Park" in Idaho, to the Western Coast. Many pioneers gathered in Independence, Mo, and made their way to Three Islands. Three Islands in fact has three small islands in the middle of the Snake River, which you had to cross to continue your journey. The fabled "Conestoga" wagon used to cover earlier Eastern movement had to be re-signed to cover the rough trail of the Oregon trail, resulting in a shorter, sturdier wagon called the "Prarie Scooner." Many people died making this initial crossing. The following is a list of suggested items you'd need to even consider success. What is suggested to take to make the trek on the Oregon Trail, from "Blazing A Wagon Trail To Oregon" by Lloyd W. Coffman: For a family of three, one year, with oxen team: 3 rifles 3 pairs of pistols 5 lbs. tea 50 lbs. salt and pepper 824 lbs. flour 725 lbs. bacon 160 lbs. lard 135 lbs. dried fruit 30 lbs. lead 100 lbs coffee Later guide books suggested 100 pounds of beans. And more of everything that would last that was edible. An extra horse or ox would add to your chances, and oxen were the choice over mules and horses because they were more docile, less prone to wander off, and better eating in a pinch. In 1843, that amounted to $385.00, lots of cash at the time, so the push West was more for the middle class. Once there, you would be faced with trading posts designed for fur trappers, and usually they didn't stock the provisions to restock. Not for the faint of heart.
10-31-2016, 04:21 AM
(10-31-2016, 04:07 AM)Runabout Wrote: god, that's almost 1/2 of lard per day! I can hear my arteries closing just thinking about it Right on Runabout, but that was of course for three. I think probably for flatbread, biscuit. And you'd be burning a lot of it off just to beat the weather, the breakdowns, etc. Spank
10-31-2016, 06:00 PM
I guess and flapjacks, dumplings, pie crusts Posters back East made it sound like foraging and hunting along the trail would be a piece of cake, but turned out there was very little game along the trail itself. The posters were usually put up by merchandisers trying to encourage and provision the daunting trip. This was roughly 30 years--the list--before newspaper mogul Horace Greeley advised people to Go "West", and by then the trail was littered with sewing machines, heirlooms, and other treasures pioneers had to jettison to get unstuck from the mud that creeped up to the hubs as the prairies storms hit.
Spank 
10-31-2016, 06:31 PM
Hi Spankster.
Interesting reading.....
10-31-2016, 08:02 PM
"I thought you said you were going to pack the baking powder!'
"No dammit, you said you were getting the baking powder." Uh oh. Spank
Hello I am unable to see any graphics
11-06-2016, 02:46 AM
Hmmmm wonder what is going on Spanky?
11-08-2016, 11:23 AM
Spanky sometimes I will post a picture with the links as to where it is and if it get removed from the internet then it can drop off at places it is posted too, such as here.
What do you think? Gues you will just have to keep going, starting again, I hope.....  Have a good day Spankster |
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