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304
More Carvings From “Dear Old Blighty” −by Marcus Hunt ... 11/06  
303
What Color is that Elephant – White??!! −by Bill Fivaz ... 11/06  
302
“Thirty Years Too Late” −by Dr. Richard Cannon ... 11/06  
301
  Carving Chips.....   • Contemporary Whimsy Bottle Artists •  
  300  
300
Carl Worner, Folk Artist Extraordinaire −by Susan D. Jones ... 11/06  
299
 Maurice W. Graham  ~ “Steam Train Maury” 
 ... 11/06  
298
Railroad Folklore Through Storytelling and Song −by Bill Morris ... 11/06  
297
Hobos Travel to the Temecula Valley Wine Country −by Stephen D. Cox ... 11/06  
296
  Carving Chips.....   • 1.3 Megapixel Microscope Camera •  
295
  Carving Chips.....   • Clearing Off My Desk Before My Texas Trip •  
294
It's All Greek to Me! ~ “Graecum est; non potest legi ... 11/06  
293
  Advertisement.....   • Wiseman Hobos On Their Way To Orlando!   Heritage Auction Galleries  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
292
How to Grade Circulated Buffalo Nickels −by Amanda ... 10/06  
291
“Inunnguaq” to be carved in gold! −by V-Dubya ... 10/06  
290
  OHNS Membership Medals Program is Now Over! −by Rollie Taylor ... 10/06  
289
  Carving Chips.....   • Ojos de Oro from Steve Ellsworth  
288
  Monte Holm Equipment Evaluation −by Wasatch Railroad Contractors ... 10/06  
287
  Monte Holm Dead at 89 −by Matthew Weaver ... 10/06  
286
  “Marianne” National Symbol of France −by Nicolas Maier ... 10/06  
285
  Ray Castro's Latest Carvings are Really the “Cat's Meow” ... 10/06  
284
  The Size or Scale of Railroad Models ... 10/06  
282
  Heritage to Offer Troy Wiseman and Norm Talbert Hobo Nickels ... 10/06  
281
  “Freddy the Pig” is Moving to the Kansa Territories ... 10/06  
280
  Recent Sales of Carved Nickels ~ October 2006 ... 10/06  
279
  What was a nickel actually worth when it was being carved? −by Verne R. Walrafen ... 10/06  
278
  Carving Chips.....   • More “Real People” Carvings by Veteran Engraver Steve Ellsworth  
277
  Carving Chips.....   • Art, Candace and Ralph are Working on a “Schnozz” Article for BoTales  
276
  Letter to “Life in These United States” Editor, Reader's Digest −by Margaret E. Giltner ... 10/06  
275
  Self Styled Hobo King Was Native Of County −by Jack Kennelty ... 10/06  
274
  Carving Chips.....   • Elmer's Hoboes File Inventory •  
273
  Small Traveling Exhibits −by American Numismatic Association ... 10/06  
272
  Carving Chips.....   • Photos That Found Their Way To V-Dubya's Desk  
271
  Carving Chips.....   • The Golden Boys Fresh From Las Vegas •  
Continue reading older OHNS NEWS items in our SCRAPBOOK    
Most photographs can be left-clicked on to view an enlargement.
304 
25 November 2006
  More Carvings From “Dear Old Blighty”   −by Marcus Hunt
Click to view an enlargement of 'Marcus Hunt #6.'Click to view an enlargement of 'Marcus Hunt #8.'Click to view an enlargement of 'Marcus Hunt #9.'Click to view an enlargement of 'Marcus Hunt #10.'Click to view an enlargement of 'Marcus Hunt #11.'
Click to view an enlargement of 'Marcus Hunt #7.'
    Here's my “No.7” which
 I sold privately. I called him
 “Ugly Mug” and I must admit
 I've really tried to up the
 quality. Looking at the photo
 there are a few things I'd sort
 out before photographing it.

   I always thought of Howard Hughes as being some kind of madman but after seeing the film “The Aviator” I realised just how much vision and foresight he had. It seems that often there are truly great men who border on madness and men who are mad that think they're great! I'm exploring different historical characters for carving. The first was Dick Turpin the 18th century highwayman followed by Howard Hughes. Ernest Hemmingway is next on my list. ~ Marcus

“ TAKE ME BACK TO DEAR OLD BLIGHTY ”
Take me back to dear old Blighty!
Put me on the train to London town!
Take me over there,
Drop me anywhere,
Liverpool, Leeds, or Birmingham, well I don't care!
I should love to see my best girl,
Cuddling up again we soon should be,
Whoa!
Tiddley iddley ighty,
Hurry me home to Blighty,
Blighty is the place for me!
{ WWI vintage song } 

   “Blighty” is a relic of British India. It comes from a Hindi word bilayati, foreign, which is related to the Arabic wilayat, a kingdom or province. Sir Henry Yule and Arthur C Burnell explained in their Anglo-Indian dictionary, Hobson-Jobson, published in 1886, that the word was used in the names of several kinds of exotic foreign things, especially those that the British had brought into the country, such as the tomato (bilayati baingan) and especially to soda-water, which was commonly called bilayati pani, or foreign water.
   Blighty was the inevitable British soldier’s corruption of it. But it only came into common use as a term for Britain at the beginning of the First World War in France about 1915. It turns up in popular songs There’s a ship that’s bound for Blighty, We wish we were in Blighty, and Take me back to dear old Blighty, put me on the train for London town, and in Wilfred Owen’s poems, as well as many other places. In modern Australian usage, Old has been added, as in Old Country and Old Dart, as a sentimental reference to Britain.

303 
23 November 2006
What Color is that Elephant – White??!!
−by Bill Fivaz
Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version
As most of us know, when evaluating a hobo nickel, the most important thing is eye appeal – how nice is the carving
and what is the subject.  Somewhat further down the line in importance is the date of the host coin.
Well, there is going to be a very interesting coin in the Heritage FUN auction in January in Orlando,
part of former member, now deceased, Norm Talbert’s collection.
Norm assembled a complete date set of hobo nickels, from 1913 to 1938 (actually, the last coin in the set is a “1938-S”,
a San Francisco mint coin with the date beautifully re-engraved to a “1938”).  Among the coins is the one shown here,
a crude punched carving on a 1918/7-D Overdate! Boy, you talk about a “white elephant”!
What are the chances of someone (obviously not a numismatist) picking up an overdate Buffalo Nickel and
punching the obverse to create this piece?  One thing it tells us is that it is not a modern work!
As I recall, the coin itself is a Fine coin with almost a full horn…probably about a $3000 item if it was not punched.
It will be interesting to see what the hammer price will be on this lot.  Stay tuned…film at 11!
Credit... “BoTales” • Auction Catalog #15 • Volume 15 • Issue No. 4 • Winter 2006
302 
22 November 2006
Dr. Cannon's bottle
Bottle sold on eBay Nov`06

THE MEDICINE CHEST   −by DR. RICHARD CANNON
The 'Hobo Medicine Manufacturing Company' of Beaumont, Texas
“Thirty Years Too Late”
      I own a machine made, corker, medicine bottle 8 1/4 inches tall, clear rectangular with rounded corners, and embossed Hobo Medicine / Registered / monogram / Trade Mark / Co. / Beaumont, Texas, that I really like. Beaumont is situated in southeast Texas about as close to Louisiana as it can get without being there.
      News of the Pure Food and Drugs Act of June 30, 1906, may not have reached Singer, Louisiana, when G.D. Horton and “a few others” organized the Hobo Medicine Manufacturing Company on February 22, 1913. At least, it didn't seem to worry them as they went forth with the trademark and formula to share a combination of magic herbs with the world. They name their product Hobo Kidney and Bladder Remedy. Singer, 40 miles north of Lake Charles and with a present population of 175, in 1917 had six buildings in the business section destroyed by fire. The “plant” of the Hobo Medicine Manufacturing Co. was among them.

Read the full version of... “Thirty Years Too Late”
{Archival copy} 
301 
  Carving Chips.....   • Contemporary Whimsy Bottle Artists •  
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          Scenes and Buildings in Bottles: “Carl Worner at Work”
          −by Bob Fredericks               Construction date− 2002

  Bob Fredericks, Contemporary Whimsy Bottle Artist  

   Another bottle by contemporary bottle artist, Bob Fredericks, this one shows a saloon scene with Carl Worner working on one of his bottles as various people watch. A dog sleeps on the floor, one man reads the paper, and another stands at the bar. The bartender is wiping the bar with a cloth. The caption “Carl Worner at Work” is part of the chip-carved canopy. It is signed and dated 2002.

Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version
Tools in Bottles: “Saw and Sawbuck”
    −by Russell Rowley               Construction date− 1977

  Russell Rowley, Contemporary Whimsy Bottle Artist  

   This is a contemporary whimsy bottle made by collector and whittler Russell Rowley from Washington state. The sawbuck and saw fill the space perfectly. It is signed and dated 1977.

300 
21 November 2006
Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version
“Saloon”
“Expert Shoemaker”
“Bread and Cake Baker”
“Shoe Repair Shop”
“Meat Market”
Carl Worner, Folk Artist Extraordinaire
Folk Art in Bottles” • Scenes by Carl Worner −by Susan D. Jones

   Carl Worner was born in Germany and came to the U.S. probably in the 1870's or 80s, first in the New York − Newark NJ area. He traveled everywhere, to Maryland, Pennsylvania, western New York, St. Louis, Wisconsin, and Illinois. He seemed to make the Chicago area his home base. He was a great whittler and took the European tradition of putting whittled crucifixion scenes in bottles, and adapted it to his American lifestyle. Wherever he traveled, he bartered his bottle scenes for food, clothes and lodging. He made scenes with bakeries, meat markets, shoe repair shops, families at the dinner table, clocks, and at least one office building, but his trademark bottle was a saloon scene in a bottle. The last known dated bottle is 1919, but we have no idea when or where he died. A psychic, holding one of his bottles, said he was murdered, but we've never found anything to prove or disprove that. If anyone ever heard anything about him, please contact me. ~ Susan Jones   Click to EMail this person sdjones@sdjones.net Click to EMail this person  

Table of Contents for Susan D. Jones' “Folk Art In Bottles”

   Carl Worner was a bottle-making wonder, and from what we can gather from people whose fathers and grandfathers met him, he was a man with a fondness for a good cigar and a drink. We have found many places where he has been, but we have precious few facts about Carl, the man.
   His art is very distinctive. His trademark bottle was a saloon scene, often with the saloonkeeper's name over the bar, featuring a mustached bartender standing in front of rows of bottles and signs advertising Cuban cigars. In front of the bar, he put a table and chairs when space permitted. Two men usually stood at the bar, with glasses of beer raised in toast to each other. Sometimes the men were sitting at the table, and when the bottle was large enough, there were men standing and sitting. In one bottle, he carved a woman sitting at a table. Almost always he put a sign in front of the entire scene with the phrase "Find the Missing Man," or "Find the 4 Man." This was a challenge to find another figure, but he had hidden the last man under the floor of the bar, in a cubbyhole meant to be the toilet. Even when there was no sign to find the missing man, he would hide a man under the floor.
   Besides saloon scenes, Worner carved shops and even some vignettes of family life around the dinner table. He made several crucifixion bottles (which seem to be early examples of his work), and he probably made a bottle containing a mantel clock. Only about a fourth of the known bottles are signed, and even fewer are dated.
   There are very few hard facts about his life.
   Presumably the earliest bottle we know of is signed along with "Hanau a Main," a city in Germany he may have been born in. He made another religious scene in a pharmacy bottle from a Norwalk, Connecticut, drugstore that went out of business in 1896. He claimed to be from "New York, San Francisco and Honolulu" in 1901, and "New York and Chicago, Ill." in another. He was a hobo in 1912 or 1913 when he came into the H. C. Meyers Saloon in Granite City, Illinois. He asked for an empty bottle and a cigar box and returned with the saloon bottle, which he presented to Mr. Meyers. And he showed Meyers how to present the "missing man" riddle so that the hidden cubbyhole was obscured by the holder's hand. Whether or not he had always been a hobo is just conjecture. But he certainly moved around!
   Worner made bottles for saloons and businesses in the St. Louis area, all around Chicago, north central Illinois, a town along the Erie Canal around Buffalo, NY, Havre-de-Grace MD, Reading and Wilkes-Barre PA, and Newark NJ. Another possibly came from Terre Haute, IN. Almost all of these places are near the coast, rivers, or canals. The earliest dated bottle is 1890 (not known from where), a bottle from the Chicago area is dated 1900, and the bottle from Maryland is dated 1901. The latest dated bottle is 1919, from Chicago. In an undated bottle, possibly from the 1920's, he put his street address in Chicago, a center-city neighborhood. By finding the saloons and business establishments themselves, it is possible to get a range of dates on some of the undated bottles. For example, the "M. Rummel Saloon" bottle was probably made for Michael Rummel of Newark, NJ, whose saloon was listed in the city directories there from 1911 to 1916.
   It can be assumed that Worner was born in a German-speaking country, probably in Hanau. In one of his saloon bottles hangs a poem written in German, which translates as "He who has not wine, women, beer and song is a poor man his whole life long." He also used the German words for "beer" and "wine" on bar signs in that bottle. Other bottles were signed "Carl Wörner" clearly with an umlaut over the "o," and one was additionally signed "Gemacht bei Hermann Domke, Bäkersgeselle," which translates as "made at the establishment of Hermann Domke, journeyman baker." That bottle is dated 1907. The 1890 bottle is signed "K. Worner," Karl being a common German spelling, but the 1901 bottle says "Chas." which is from English. It is doubtful that he ever became an American citizen.
   He made a Meat Market scene for a butcher in Chicago; the family still has the bottle. The story they associate with this treasure is that Worner made it for them at the Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) of 1893. The greatest number of his bottles have been found to come from Chicago and northern Illinois, including two which made reference to the coal industry. Perhaps he came to work in the coal mines, or perhaps he worked in shipping. Most of the places he made bottles were near water, either the ocean or rivers or canals. The Illinois coal country is connected to both the Great Lakes by river from Chicago, and to the Mississippi by canal to Molene. But the early Connecticut bottle may suggest that he came first to the east coast, worked around New York for a few years and went to Chicago to work building or servicing the Columbian Exposition. If he had a drinking problem, it could explain why he had only transient jobs and frequented so many saloons.
   Because nobody who knew him is still living, it makes the research difficult. Family traditions are usually based on facts, and a number of these bottles are still in the possession of the families for whom they were made by Worner. He seems to have moved around too quickly to have been listed in the directories of the cities where he patronized the bars, but he may yet be found in the U.S. census. This artist of great talent is also a man of mystery, and every new bit of information on his art shows us more about his wandering life.
Click to view enlarged version Click to view enlarged version
{Archival copy}

These wonderful whimsy bottles are kissin' cousins to our Classic carved nickels.
Both were created by itinerate workers just trying to make ends meet.
We often mutter about how rare and expensive our Classic carved nickels are but
these bottled dioramas clearly took so much effort to construct that the artist
must not have created a huge body of work ...and... they are subject to attrition
since they are at risk of major damage under uncountable circumstances.
Just consider hauling these bottles around to shows and keeping them safe!
Count your blessings Hobo Nickel Collectors! ~ V-Dubya
Photo by Dick Sheehan
299 
18 November 2006

Click to view enlarged version
4-6-4 'Hudson' • Wabash Railroad • P1 Class • 'Wabash Cannonball' • Blue Scheme  Maurice W. Graham 
Steam Train Maury”
4-6-4 'Hudson' • Canadian Pacific Railway • H1d Class • 'Royal Hudson'
     Maurice W. Graham, 89, of Napoleon, OH and formerly of Toledo, OH passed away Saturday November 18, 2006 at the Northcrest Nursing Home. Maury was born to Carrie and Andrew Graham. He worked as a union cement mason and founded the cement mason school and was the instructor. He also taught the cement trade to members of the U.S. Army. He served as a medical technician in the U.S. Army during World War II. Maury helped to restore the first cement street in Bellefontaine, OH. He was an amateur wrestler and taught a wrestling class at the YMCA.
     Maury was a member of Local 886 for 65 years, Seventh Day Adventist church, VFW, and active in the Hoboes where he was elected King of the Hoboes for 5 years, and was named Patriarch of the Hoboes. He volunteered much of his time traveling across the country visiting several veterans hospitals cheering up patients. He also visited several penitentiaries motivating inmates to improve their behaviors. Further, Maury was "Santa Claus" for 30 years at Franklin Park Mall and many private parties throughout the Toledo area. He was voted #1 Santa Claus by the children in Toledo, OH.
     Maury had a strong love of country and nature. He was a strong advocate to keep America beautiful.
     Maury is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Wanda; daughters; Alice (Marvin) Spangler, Karen (Terry) Carson; grandchildren: Kimberly (Jack) Rice, Jeffrey (Connie) Spangler, Jill (Eric) Lawinsky, Laura Carson, Terry II (Natalie) Carson; great grandchildren: Jessica and Justin Rice, Nicholas, Andrew, and Hannah Spangler, Nathaniel and Ryan Lawinsky; and several nieces. Maury was proceeded in death by his parents, sisters: Alice Ritter and Lou Brand, brother: James Graham.
     Friends may call at the Walter Funeral Home, 4653 Glendale Ave., on Tuesday, November 21 from 2-8 p.m. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions are requested to the Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa.

In Remembrance of Steam Train Maury ~ A Celebration of His Life
Click to view enlarged version

     Have you ever heard the phrase a person who wears many hats? Steam Train Maury Graham was a man who wore many hats in his life time. The phrase of wearing hats means he did several things. The reason I am mentioning this phrase is because seeing the hats on the casket made me think of the phrase.
     The lid of the casket had a Santa hat draped across the left hand corner because he loved playing Santa for thirty years. Leaning on the casket was his walking stick with his hobo hat hooked on it. Above his left hand was draped a Hobo neckerchief. He was a five times Hobo King and the Patriarch of the Hobos. He loved to ride the rails and he loved to tell stories of his experiences of riding the rails. An American Flag draped the bottom half of his casket and later covered his casket at the final service. Congress Lady Marcy Kaptur presented Wanda, his wife, at visitation a folded flag that was flown over the United States Capitol on November 20, 2006 the day “Steam Train Maury” Graham caught the Westbound. It was a presentation to the family of Maurice W. “Steamtrain Maury” Graham 1917 – 2006, King of the Hoboes and the real Santa Claus. The words on the certificate explained “other hats he wore” during his life time. Explorer, working man for community and country, patriot, World War II Army veteran, medic and healer, naturalist, woodsman, whose family extended beyond his own to embrace and our nation follower of roads not taken, asker of questions not asked, whole free and kind spirit enhanced and inspired countless people whose lives he touched personally.
Click to view enlarged version
     He was a husband for 69 years, father of two girls and grandfather to grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a Christian. He loved the Lord.
     On each side of the casket were several flowers and pictures of Steam Train Maury. The casket was a metallic light blue. On the light blue cover of the lid was a picture of a steam train with smoke coming out of the smokestack. Above the handle railing on the two sides were three close up pictures of a steam train. On the four corners of the casket were pictures of the same steam train.
     The service began with a tape being sung by Liberty Justice called “I Want to Ride a Freight Train to Heaven”. The closing song was the Lords Prayer. Pastor Roy Lawinsky of the Seventh Day Adventist Church opening statement after reading the Obituary was I have a relative married to a relative of Steamtrain. I wasn’t sure I wanted my family member married to a hobo. I read his book, Tales of Iron Road, Hobo Life of Maury Graham. After reading the book the pastor said, I wanted to know more about this man and his interesting life. The pastor read the eulogy written by his daughter, Alice.
     After the service the pall bearers carried the casket to the black hearse for the final ride of Steam Train Maury Graham where he will rest in peace at Restlawn Cemetery in Perrysburg Twp, Ohio. His last ride was a long one going several miles to the cemetery. The procession crossed two large train yards. At Restlawn Cemetery you could hear the whistles of the trains near by.
     As we entered the mausoleum two soldiers stood their as part of the military escort. Inside the mausoleum the casket was fully draped with the American Flag. A soldier marched to the head of the casket and gave a salute. He was joined by another soldier. After Taps were played they took the draped flag from the casket and folded it and presented it to Wanda, his wife.
Note card given out at the funeral home.
Bend In the Road
Sometimes we come to life’s crossroads
And we view what we think is the end.
But God has a much wider vision
And He knows that it’s only a bend...
The road will go on and get smoother
And after we’ve stopped for a rest,
The path that lies hidden beyond us
is often the path that is best.
So rest and relax and grow stronger,
Let go and let God share your load.
And have faith in a brighter tomorrow.
You’ve just come to a bend in the road.
The soldiers then marched out. This concluded the military services.
     A staff member of the funeral home stated the family invites the guests to dinner at Seventh-Day Adventist Church that the Grahams belonged too. A buffet table was set up with capacity of four serving lines. A delicious meal was enjoyed. This concluded the services for our friend Hobo King Patriarch (Father/Grandfather) of the hobos.
     Please remember Wanda, his loving wife, for 69 years. She too wore many hats being married to Steamtrain Maury. She was the lady behind the scenes: his private therapist during his stokes, his breadwinner paying the bills when he took off as a hobo, wife and mother of his two children, chauffer, Mrs. Santa, caregiver during his illnesses, military wife, and most of all his best friend.
     I have heard people remark over and over in the last few years; “I came to Britt because I read an article in Reader’s Digest and I wanted to meet this man.” Steamtrain was a human magnet that attracted people wanting to meet him or be around him. He touched lives.
     In 2006 at Britt I did a Wall to honor Vets. In 2007 at Britt I will do a wall, In Remembrance of Steam Train Maury – A Celebration of His Life. The tribute will be on the wall at the end of the Hobo Shelter at the Jungle. I will be asking for photos and information soon. Donations will be received at the wall for the new Hobo Museum in honor of Maurice W. “Steam Train Maury” Graham. All change and money collected this year for the Queens Drive will be in his honor.

Hugs,   Mama Jo – Hobo Queen 2003/2004
298 
18 November 2006
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Steel Rails Hummin'
Bill & Kristin Morris
Daddy, What's a Train?
Bill Morris
Not Your Regular Cup of Tea
~•~•~•~•~   Railroad Folklore Through Storytelling and SongClick to visit Bill and Kristin's website   ~•~•~•~•~
Generic 4-4-0 'American Standard' • Undecorated   ~·~·~·~·~   Bill and Kristin Morris Click to visit Bill and Kristin's website   ~·~·~·~·~   Hobo Bill & KristinClick to visit Bill and Kristin's website   ~·~·~·~·~     Generic 2-6-0 'Mogul' • Undecorated

Rhythm of the Rails
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Speaker, author, illustrator, singer/songwriter and dinosaur sculptor! • Buddy Davis • Henpeck, Ohio
−by Buddy Davis
     The Railroad brought dramatic change to America and American society. People and goods were transported over long distances with ease and speed. The lines of communication made a gigantic leap in sophistication as telegraph wires followed the tracks. This mode of travel, transport and communication played a major role in the industrial revolution.
     Using songs, stories and a variety of period instruments, such as banjo, harmonica, guitar and washboard, Bill and Kristin lead the audience on an enriching and enjoyable journey through the history of the Railroad in America. The show touches on the railroad's beginnings on Christmas day in 1830, when the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company began the first steam-powered railroad to operate commercially, and spans to the present day when even diesel power is being replaced with electromagnets and wind tunnels.
     The main focus of the presentation is on steam power and the period of the late 1890s to the 1950s when steam engine were replace with diesel power. This was and remains today the most colorful period when the railroads were competing with each other to win the mail contracts by employing daredevil engineers (called Hoggers) like Casey Jones and Steve Brody. This was the period of train wrecks, robbers and hobos.
     “One of my earliest memories is the sound of the pulp-wood train as it blew for the crossing not far from my home. Living at the head of a cove, I could hear the sound travel up to the house as if a speaker was aimed in our direction. Investigating that sound became imperative, and the first time I lay in the honeysuckle and watched that train come by, I was hooked. By the time I was eight I was already singing train songs and trying to emulate the sound of the whistle on my harmonica. I stayed down at the tracks so much my grandmother started calling me "Railroad Bill." We moved to Asheville when I was nine and lived on a hill right above the Southern Rail yards. I began my hobo days at thirteen when a friend and I hopped a freight and rode to Knoxville, TN., where we got caught by railroad bulls and sent back home. From that time up until the present day I've gotten to know a lot of hobos, engineers, conductors and railroad people and along the way a lot of railroad songs and stories.” ~ Bill Morris
     Kristin Morris sings lead vocals, plays guitar and washboard as well as vocal harmonies as accompaniment to the music in this program. She also tells stories of her first train ride in Texas where if you flushed the commode you could watch the tracks go by underneath the train.
~·~·~·~·~   Lord Ketzal’s Gift of Gold Click to read Kristin's tale ~ A Traditional Maya Tale by Kristin   ~·~·~·~·~
4-6-0 'Ten Wheeler' • Canadian Pacific Railway • D-10 Class ~·~·~·~·~   ...OLD PAP... Click to read Bill's story ~ A Story by Bill   ~·~·~·~·~ 2-8-0 'Consolidation' • Alaska Railroad • Ex-US Army • S160 Class

297 
16 November 2006
Hobos Travel to the Temecula Valley Wine Country”     −by Stephen D. Cox

Click to view enlarged versionClick to view enlarged versionClick to view enlarged version
The inaugural meeting of The Original Hobo Wine Society featuring “The Winoboettes”.
4-8-4 'Northern' • Union Pacific Railroad • FEF3 Class • Greyhound Livery

4-8-4 'Northern' • Reading Railroad • 2100 Series • Iron Horse Rambles Livery

     Traveling 60 miles north of San Diego lies the heart of Southern California’s wine region. Rolling hills covered with vineyards, views reaching to 11,000 foot high mountains, air swept by ocean breezes, and world class wine makes for an exciting place to visit.
     On short notice, I hooked up with noted Hobo Nickel Collector and Engraver, Owen, aka Septictankhank, Covert. Together with our Ladies, we shared a day tasting wines in Temecula.
     First, it was Pat&Oscar’s on the Pond for lunch. With a wonderful view, we had more ribs and salad than we could eat.
     At Thornton Winery’s well appointed tasting room, we each ordered a different flight of wines, totaling 16 samples of wine. Amidst lively conversation, we proceeded to play musical chairs until the tasting was completed.
     A visit to Historic Old Town Temecula and a stroll along the quaint streets filled with art galleries, antique shops and the city’s historic treasures completed the afternoon. For a treat, we finished the day with a Marie Calendar’s, Chocolate Satin Pie. Although our visit was short, it was filled with Great Food, Great Fun and more importantly... Great Friendship!

296 
  Carving Chips.....   • 1.3 Megapixel Microscope Camera •  
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This little microscope camera certainly is simple to use! It's totally controlled with software on your computer... once you have
the microscope focused on whatever detail you want to capture. I was hoping for a camera that would capture an entire carved nickel but my microscope is too powerful for that purpose. I've been told that I can purchase different objective lenses but that'll take some consideration. My first trial photographs apparently were taken using the “video” option in the software rather than the “still” option which captures images at dramatically higher resolutions for sharper images. The next hurtle to clear is providing lighting from “10 and 2” so one's eyes can differentiate between incuse (the “SE”) and raised (the “05”) details. ~ V-Dubya
Click to view enlarged version Postscript... 16 November 2006
Steve Ellsworth had more success using this great little camera with his microscope because he had lower power .3x and .5x objective lenses.
Lighting is still a challenge as you can tell here but these S.L.E. “Raven” carving photos are significantly better than anything my scanner can produce and the photos he sent me were HUGE (super high resolution.)
Investigating coin photography will continue! Here is an interesting link to an extended discussion on: “Coin Photography & Lighting...”. ~ V-Dubya
295 
  Carving Chips.....   • Clearing Off My Desk Before My Texas Trip •  
Bob Shamey
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Spring 2006 BoTales Auction Catalog Is Progressing!
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Steve Cox
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294 
2 November 2006
 It's All Greek to Me!  ~  “Graecum est; non potest legi” Click to read full descriptions of all of these piedonaldwalrafen@shaw.caces  
These Greek busts would look really COOL carved on nickels!                      Check out: APOLLONIANS Click to visit this “Great Britain” eBay Shop  
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Athena
566-514BC
Athena
465-443BC
Dionysos
461-430BC
Apollo
461-413BC
Hermes
450-400BC
Hermes
450-400BC
Apollo
424-358BC
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Hera
421-402BC
Arethusa This is a mirror image of actual coin
413-357BC
Dionysos This is a mirror image of actual coin
411-350BC
Athena This is a mirror image of actual coin
400-338BC
Apollo This is a mirror image of actual coin
370BC
Persephone This is a mirror image of actual coin
369-338BC
Zeus
359-336BC
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Demeter This is a mirror image of actual coin
346-338BC
Heracles
336-323BC
Alexander
323-291BC
Athena
310-266BC
King Areus This is a mirror image of actual coin
310-266BC
Poseidon
277-239BC
Helios
230-205BC
This is a mirror image of actual coin” ~ These images do not accurately represent the originals because I mirrored them to show all busts facing to the right.
Also... these photos are of reproductions coins and not original specimens. ~ V-Dubya
293 
  Advertisement.....   • Wiseman Hobos On Their Way To Orlando!   Heritage Auction Galleries

Wiseman Hobos On Their Way To Orlando!
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Heritage has enjoyed the privilege of auctioning important parts of the incredible collections of U.S. coins and paper money assembled by Troy Wiseman. The vast majority of Mr. Wiseman’s extraordinary collection of tokens and medals were sold in our September Long Beach Signature Auction, but he saved his outstanding Hobo Nickel Collection for the January 2007 FUN – as a special treat for members of the Original Hobo Nickel Society! This is one of the finest sets ever offered, and includes both classic and modern examples; many are accompanied by OHNS certificates. Prepare yourselves for an incredible viewing opportunity of the Troy Wiseman and Norm Talbert Hobo Nickel collections, and a chance to add some wonderful pieces to your own collection.

For more information, visit HA.com or www.hobonickels.org/news.htm.
The catalog will be pasted online at HA.com during December 2006.
  To receive a complimentary book or catalog of your choice, register online  
at HA.com/BT5617 or call 866-835-3243 and mention reference #BT5617
The World's #1 Numismatic Auctioneer
HERITAGE Auction Galleries
Annual Sales Exceeding $500 Million • 250,000 Online Registered Bidder-Members
800-872-6467 Ext. 222 • or visit HA.com
214-528-3500 • FAX: 214-443-8425 • e-mail: Consign@HA.com
HERITAGE NUMISMATIC AUCTIONS, INC. / CURRENCY AUCTIONS OF AMERICA
Auctioneers: Samuel Foose: Texas 00011727; Jim Fitzgerald: Texas Associate 16130;
Mike Sadler: Texas Associate 16129; Scott Peterson: Texas 00013256; Robert Korver: Texas 13754.
This auction held subject to a 15% buyer's premium
Heritage is supporting OHNS financially in return for placing advertising in “BoTales” and on our website. Be sure to tell them “Thank you!” ~ V-Dubya
292 
27 October 2006
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  “Quirky Buffaloes, a collection of Buffalo Nickels by date and mintmark” −by Amanda    
How to Grade Circulated Buffalo Nickels  
Buffalo nickels are very tricky little coins to grade, MS especially, as the Mint practice of the time was to use the dies as long as possible. But worn pieces are difficult, too, for much of the same reasons. One commonly held notion is that in order to be VF, a coin must have a full horn. This is not true. There are some coins that are certainly MS that don't even have a full horn! I am going to delineate most of the circulated grades and point out why the coins grade as they do.
AU-55 Click to view an enlargement of this photograph. AU-55
1913 P Type One
On this coin, you can see wear on the high points of the design, the buffalo's head, shoulder and flank and the Indian's cheek. Still a nice amount of mint lustre. The strike on this is a little soft, as you do not see the usual definition common to Type Ones.
{Archival copy} 
  Read Amanda's complete “Quirky Buffaloes” Grading webpage at  
291 
26 October 2006
Inunnguaq” to be carved in gold!
The inuksuk...is a metaphor. It reminds [the elders] of the time when people were attached to the land by an unbroken
thread of reference, when they created great dancing circles, built fish weirs, placed huge inuksuit on hilltops,
made traps to catch the most cunning animals, and communicated by rearranging or shaping fragments of the landscape.”

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Judith Varney Burch “Arctic Inuit Art” −by Norman E. Hallendy
 
   Inuksuit are among the most important objects created by the Inuit who were the first people to inhabit portions of Alaska, Arctic Canada, and Greenland. The term Inuksuk (the singular of Inuksuit) means “to act in the capacity of a human.” It is an extension of Inuk, meaning “a human being.”
   These stone figures were placed on the temporal and spiritual landscapes. Among many practical functions, they were employed as hunting and navigation aids, coordination points, indicators, and message centers. The Inuit also constructed a stone figure called an Inunnguaq which means “in the likeness of a human.” In addition to their earthly functions, certain Inuksuk-like figures had spiritual connotations, and were objects of veneration, often marking the threshold of the spiritual landscape of the Inummariit -- the Inuit who knew how to survive on the land living in their traditional way.

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   Alex Janvier portrays the white buffalo coming alive and leaping into action. The four cardinal points are marked with stylized teepee pegs joined by sixteen stones -- another important symbol of spiritual renewal. The “heartline” shows that the buffalo has life. The lines in the background suggest water, the source of life.
   With such a fantastic buffalo on the reverse... this gold piece cries out to me to have an “Inunnguaq” or an “Inuksuk” carved on the obverse. I will let you know when I manage to pull this one off! ~ V-Dubya

 “Inukshuk”... from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  
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290 
25 October 2006
OHNS Membership Medals Program is Now Over !