NEW WAS PUBLICATION.... A HEALING BY JESUS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD, (A NOVELLA)  BY RON MILLER, WAS SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 18,  120 LAKEWOOD DRIVE, HOLLISTER, MO. 40 PAGES, ILLUSTRATED.  $25.00 PLUS $5.00 S&H (in U.S)....$10.00 S&H IN OTHER COUNTRIES.  Make checks out to Ron Miller.  This story is historical fiction, but much research went into this.   It is a novella.  It was a great experience for your writer emersed in  Biblical days.  The more I got into it the more real it all became.  What an experience! Historical fiction I believe is the best time machine we will ever attain. The study of archaeology itself is a great time machine, but historical fiction adds much more color and human drama - including romance, all of which can't be totally seen in even the finest sifting screen  - it's endless what can be done.  I must caution atheists never to attempt a historical fiction story on the Bible. "The Truth will set you free!" This took me a little over a year to write.  I can't believe it took this long! Dates, names, correct chronology, geography, etc., etc.  And, strangely, one personal problem after another descended on me while writing this. The Evil One tried desperately to get me to give up the project.  This probably sounds ridiculous, but have never encountered so many roadblocks on a project. What a battle!  I developed a  severe back problem  - crippling - but while writing about Jesus and all His healings, it disappeared in two weeks! I was so emmersed in all the true spiritual reality I forgot all about it, and, then, lo, it dawned on me that it was gone!  This personal story is as interesting as the written piece!  My main objective - as any of my works and as usual the helping of archaeology - is to help people and promote ultimate anthropology, which is the Bible. The Evil One definitely doesn't like it.      I commenced this story here on this site in the Spiritual Healing Reasearch Dept, WAS, one of our sections.  It began to grow, and finally I took it off the site and worked on it on Microsoft Word.  So, if the reader is interested in taking a "time machine" journey back to the days of Jesus and His followers and some of His patients and other followers and enemies, I believe you will like. (entered Jan. 17, 2010, RM).  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NORWAY'S CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN CULTURE. THE FINDING OF A MANUSCRIPT OF A TALK GIVEN BY THE LATE DR. MYKING MEHUS. ALSO, FOLLOWING WILL BE NOTES ON ANCIENT NORSE EXPLORATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA. IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE MORE MATERIAL ON OTHER PEOPLES OF THE NORTH (THIS IS A "WORK IN PROGRESS", SOME OF WHICH IS BEING GATHERED OFF LINE). What a great surprise when I found a manuscript of a talk given by the late Dr. Myking Mehus to the Taneycomo Chapter DAR, Monday, October 20th, 1975, Home of Mrs. K.M. Rinehart, Branson, Missouri. I found this item going through a box of clippings and other items in our WAS Information Center here at Hollister, close to Branson. My Mom, the late Nadine Miller was a member of the DAR and a Regeant, possibly when Myking gave his talk. In any case, she obtained this copy and gave it to me, and it didn't get filed. But, what a breath of fresh air - especially today with all of the bad news - to find something about the Norwegians with great character. The world can learn much from them! Our family knew the Mehus family very well. Jewel Ross Mehus, his wife, wrote a column in the Branson Beacon, co-founded by my parents. Myking and Jewell owned The Old Shepherd's Bookshop west of Branson in the Shepherd of the Hills country. If I was in need of a book such as Boswell's Life of Johnson, and if he didn't have it, Myking would faithfully track it down. He had been in charge of Veteran affairs in Kansas City in WW II. They were great people, and through them I became interested in Norway. They travelled back to the old country faithfully almost every year, and when we would visit their bookshop-home on west hwy 76 - we would eat great cheeze and they would tell stories of their latest trip. Dr. Mehus was what the Ozarkians call "a goer." He really got around and at age 91 then! His wife attributed all that energy to his taking a spoonful of honey every now and then. I have a hunch that he also just had a love of life. Of course, being in archaeology I was also interested in the old Norse in America (I had corresponded with archaeologist Tom Lee of Laval Univ.,Montreal, who had explored Norse sites on Hudson Bay), but it was also interesting to learn of recent history and culture of the Norwegians. The Mehus, as my parents, fell in love with the Ozarks Mountains here in the central U.S. (an area as big as France) and just moved down. They brought much great old Norwegian culture with them. Following is the talk. The original type is very weak. Hopefully, I get the spellings right and a few words I had to fill in. If not, maybe some Norwegian out there will correct me. NORWAY'S CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN CULTURE BY DR. MYKING MEHUS On Monday, October 13, Jewell and I attended in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the landing of the first emigrant from Norway to the U.S. That evening there was a banquet in honor of King Olaf of Norway at the Leamington Hotel, Minneapolis. There were 920 present to greet the King. King Olaf came to America to visit and to honor the first Norwegian emigrants to the U.S. These emigrants left Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 1825 and landed in New York City on Oct. 15. Forty-five passengers and a crew of seven made up the group. On the voyage a baby was born, bringing the total to 53. They crossed the ocean in the sloop, "Restoration." Therefore, they were later called, "Sloopers." On Sunday, October 12, Thor Heyerdahl, the Norwegian who sailed across the widest part of the Atlantic Ocean, 3,970 miles, on a papyrus raft in 1970, addressed us in the Minneapolis Auditorium. Heyerdahl reviewed the New World expeditions of Leif Erickson. According to Heyerdahl these expeditions aided Christopher Columbus more than four centuries later. He pointed out that Columbus knew of the Viking trips and based his charting to India on that background. Heyerdahl said that both Erickson and Columbus figure importantly in Western discovery and American history. He added: "It would be as unfair to discredit Leif Erickson's discovery as being a pagan Viking fairy tale, as it would be to deny that the voyages of Columbus changed the world more than any other event in post-Christian times." Norway has given a higher percentage of its population to the making of our country than any other nation except Ireland. The early emigrants from rockbound Norway were primarily land-seekers --- the fewer rocks the better. They settled across the vast and fertile plains of the middle West. Norway is surprisingly large for its population. Its area is nearly 125,000 square miles. Among American states only Alaska, Texas and California are larger. Its mountains and fjords make it one of the great scenic countries of the world, but they leave only three percent of the land tillable, with another seven per cent availabe as pasture, and 20% as forest. In 1825, when emigration to the U.S. began, Norway sustained a population of only about a million people. Today, in spite of the drain of emigration, Norway has grown to four million, thanks to the development of modern industry and larger cities. The Norwegian Merchant Marine is today the fourth largest in the world. In the Middle Ages the Vikings were ferocious sea robbers. In the Church of England Prayer Book of that time we find this prayer: "Oh, Good Lord, deliver us from the wrath of the Vikings. They were my ancestors. Yet, a few years ago when Dr. John Iae, Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Kansas, spent a summer in the Scandinavian countries, he told me on his return: "Norway is the most civilized country in the world today." Franklin D. Roosevelt, in speaking of Norway said: "Respected by all. And feared by none." In the 1840's nearly a thousand Norwegians a year emigrated to the U.S./, while in the fifties an average of more than 4,000 left each year. By the outbreak of the Civil War, nearly 70,000 Norwegians had entered the U.S. The Norwegian emigration reached its climax in 1883 when more than 28,000 Norwegians left their homes to come to the U.S. During the century of migration at least 800,000 Norwegians emigrated to the U.S. With their descendants they today number at least three million American citizens. The Norwegian emigrants came endowed with deep religious convictions and immediately established churches in the communities where they settled. Religious services were in the Norwegian language in my youth. Today they all use the English language. (To be continued) This part entered Feb. 23, 2009. - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Mehus talk continued) The Norwegian emigrants did not build parochial schools for their children, but were strong supporters of the American Public Schools. The Norwegian emigrant came with high moral principles which they inculcated into their children. There are practically no criminals among the Norwegians in our country. There are no gangsters nor dope peddlers. A Mayor of Kansas City told me some years ago "We have never had a Scandinavian name on the Police blotters of Kansas City." There are no slums in the Norwegian areas of our big cities. There is no abject poverty. The great majority belong to the substantial middle class, with comfortable homes, good food, and decent clothing. They are industrious, ambitious, and thrifty. Along with their deep interest in religion, the Norwegian emigrant established and supported church colleges as they believed firmly in the value of education. Among the Norwegian Lutheran colleges are: Augsburg College, Minneapolis; St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; Luthern College, Decorab, Iowa; Red Wing Seminary, Red Wing, Minnesota; Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota; Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington; and Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Payul, Minnesota. An organization that promotes contributions to church colleges said that the alumni of Augsburg College had the highest per capita contribution of any church college in the U.S. The Norwegian emigrants attended good schools in Norway, so they were interested in reading. More than 600 newspapers did appear among the Norwegian emigrants, although most of them were short lived. Many became substantial and influential newspapers. The first one and one of the most influential was the Scandinavian, founded in 1866 in Chicago. It took a Republican position politically and exerted great influence on the voting habits of the Norwegians. In 1874 a consistently non-political newspaper was launched in Decorab, Iowa -- The Decorab Posten. When I was a youngster in North Dakota my father read this paper religiously every weak. Other Norwegian newspapers were The Nordiske Tidende, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Western Viking, Seattle; Minneapolis Tidende, Minnesota; Posten, Minneapolis..and Vinland, Chicago. There were also several magazines on a high cultural level. The Norwegian emigrants organized many cultural societies, such as Mutual Aid Societies, temperance lodges, workingman's organizations, literary societies, dramatic societies, sports clubs, singing societies, and young people's societies. The Sons of Norway is a mutual aid society and fraternal lodge that remains strong with 300 lodges and 90,000 members. A characteristically Norwegian-American type of organization is the bygde lag or old home society, which bring together immigrants from particular communities in Norway. The first one was organized in 1902 in Minneapolis. By 1930 there were 50 such societies with 75,000 members. Meetings are held annually, and they are like old settler's picnics in drawing together people from all over the United States whose roots are found in a particular valley or community in the old country. Many of them had the publication of historical magazines in which the history of their members is recorded for posterity. Hallinglaget is the name of the lag for Hallingdal, Norway, where my parents were born. Last year 100 of our members chartered a plane for Norway and spent a month in Hallingdal visiting friends and relatives. I was President of the HALLINGLAGET for five years (1965-70). Formerly our meetings were conducted entirely in the Norwegian language, but today both languages are used. This past summer 200 Mailings came from Hallingdal to attend our convention and to visit friends and relatives for a month. One of my cousins and his son spent two weeks with us here in the Ozarks. He spoke to our Rotary Club and was very well received. In nearly every urban settlement of Norwegians we have the Men's Chorus groups and Women's Chorus groups. At our festivities in Minneapolis last weak we had both the Men's and the Women's groups sing for us. It was stirring to hear them sing the old familiar Norwegian songs. Special Historical days are sponsored by Norwegians. These include the 17th of May which is Norway's Independence Day and is equivalent to our fourth of July. Leif Erickaeh Day on Oct. 9 was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1964. In Minneapolis a Norway Day in Minnehaha Park is an annual summer event. The Norwegian immigrants developed a lively literature, mostly in Norwegian from 1874 to 1925. The climax came with the work of Ole E. Rolvang whose novels of pioneer life, especially GIANTS IN THE EARTH (Norwegian original, 1924; English translation, 1927) won him fame in Norway and America and in other countries as one of the best portrayers of pioneer life in America. Rolvaag was profoundly concerned with the spiritual experiences of immigration and the importance of preserving the roots of one's traditions. Among those Norwegian immigrants many wrote books telling of their experiences in the new land. Their books today, we consider Americana giving us our best history of many sections of the U.S. One of Rolvaag's greatest concerns was that an adequate historical record should be kept of the contributions that Norwegian men and women had made in America. He was therefore zealous in the organization of a Norwegian Historical Association in 1925 on the occasion of the greatest celebration ever held for Norwegians in America, the Norse-American Centennial in Minneapolis, to which President Calvin Coolidge came, among many other prominent men. A special American postage stamp was issued. It developed a magnificent series of publications that stand as a monument, not only to the Norwegian pioneer, but to the distinction scholarship achieved by many of their descendents.. It developed the Norwegian American Museum at Luther College, Decorab, Iowa and the Archives of the Historical Society at St. Olaf College. Professorships in Norwegian were established at the University of Wisconsin in 1875, at the University of Minnesota in 1883, at the University of North Dakota in 1891, and at the University of Washington in 1912. After 1900 a number of High Schools, expecially in Minnesota, adopted Norwegian as a foreign language option in their curricula. When I taught my first year of High School in Fesendan, North Dakota in the fall of 1916, I taught classes in English, German, and Norwegian. Norwegians and the descendants of Norwegians have given of their talents and energies to the building of America, without being among the most spectacular or glorious groups. Their achievements have been more solid than dramatic, but even so they do have a number of famous names to their credit. Ernest O. Lawrence, a physicist of Norwegian background, won a Nobel Prize in 1939 for his invention of the cyclotron and was a key figure in the wartime Manhattan project, which developed the atomic bomb. Norwegian engineers designed the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels and the New York City Subway systems, as well as major buildings, like the Flat Iron and the Continental and Commercial national Bank in Chicago, and the bridge over the Chicago River. Thorstein and Oswald Veblen grew to prominence in the academic world -- Thorstein as a philosopher and economist and Oswald as a Mathetician at the Institue for Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey. Among the famous in sports we mention Sonje Heinie from Norway who won gold medals in three Olympic Games before turnining professional in the U.S. in 1936, starring in Hollywood films and her own ice shows. The Norwegian sportsman whose career won the hearts of more Americans than any other was Notre Dame's wonder coach, Knute Rockne (1888-1931). His use of the forward pass and the backfield shift changed the nature of football and helped make it the tremendously popular spor it is today. A Norwegian whose name is well known here in the Ozarks is Ole Evinrude, who emigrated at the age of five and as a self-taught mechanical engineer developed the idea of the outborard motor to the point where it has been said he "freed America from the need of rowing." Most of the Norwegian emigrants were Republicans from the time of Lincoln on, and their typical representative was Senator Knute Nelsonof Minnesota (1843-1923), where he successively became the first congressman (1883); Governor (1892) and U.S. Senator (1895) of Norwegian birth or extraction. He was a Senator for nearly 30 years, playing an inportant role as a moderately conservative, stablilizing force in Am erican politics. After him, many have followed in his footsteps; Norwegians had experience in politics before emigration, having lived under a democratic government, and they took to it readily in this country. Among the more spectacular politicians was the half-Norwegian Farmer-Labor Governor of Minnesota, Floyd R. Olson, whose brilliant career was cut short by his death in 1936. Although the majority of Norwegians were Republicans, most of them were reform-minded and some of them played leading roles in progressive movements. They formed the backbone of Senator Lafolette's Progressive Republicans in Wisconsin, of the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota and of the Non-Partisan League of North Dakota. In later generations noted public leaders of Norwegian descent have been the late Chief Justice Earl Warren, Senator and former Vice-President Hubert Humphrey whose mother was born in Norway, and Senator Henry Jackson, whose parents came from Norway. We can also mention Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota; Congressman Andrew Volstead of Minnesota, U.S. Senator Asle J. Cronne, North Dakota, Warren Magnusson of Washington, and Edward Thye of Minnesota. Journalism is one of the handmaidens of politics. One of the founders of the Republican paper, Scandinavian, was Iver Lawson, a wealthy man, whose son, Victor F. Lawson (1850-1925) became a power in American journalism as the publisher of the Chicago Daily News, a founder and President of the Associated Press, and the father of the Postel Savings Bank. A more radical role was played by William T. Evjue of Madison, Wisconsin whose Capitol Times was nationally famous as the hard hitting organ of the LaFolette Progressive Movement. Eric Severeid is a well known and highly respected T.V. Commentator and reporter. His roots go back to a North Dakota family of Norwegians. He was born a few miles from my home in North Dakota. In Music we have Ole Bull, famous Norwegian violinist. Then we have the Metropolitan Opera performers of Wagner by Olive Fremate (1868-1951) and Kirsten Flagstadt (1895-1962). One who created a nationally famous musical organization was "The music Master of the Middle West," F. Melius Christensen (1871-1955). He brought a capella singing to a new pitch of perfection in his St. Olaf College Choir. Under his two sons the tradition is being continued at St. Olaf and Concordia Colleges. Christensen was also a prolific composer of church music. In painting the outstanding Norwegian has been Jonas Lie (1880-1940). A most typical Norwegian art is rose maling or rose painting, which enjoyed a popular revial thanks to the work of Per Lysne (1879-1947) of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Norwegians in America have often considered it part of their mission to bring what they could of the best qualities and products of the old to their new homeland. This has been a major purpose in the teaching of Norwegian language, literature, history, and the arts in colleges and universities. This teaching has beern going on for more than a century and promises to continue. The teachers of Norwegian have found strength in joining with teachers of Swedish, Danish, and Icelandic in an organization known as the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study (founded in 1910), which publishes a quarterly magazine called SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES. There is also a more popular one called the American Scandinavian Review, a quarterly which brings well-illustrated articles about Scandinavian affairs, plus news from the Scandinavian countries. This is published by a private Foundation in New York, called the American Scandinavian Foundation (founded in 1909), which is active in providing scholarships for student exchange between Scandinavia and the U.S., as well as publishing translations of Scandinavian classics. Since World War II there has also been an American summer school (known since 1960 as the International Summer School) at the University of Oslo, where many Americans have gone for the summer to learn about Norway and Norwegian culture. In this and other ways a constant contact is still maintained between the daughters and sons of Norway and their cousins in the land of their ancestors. The Norwegian emigrants loved their ancestral home in Norway, they took pride in their ancient heritage, yet they recognized in America the chance for a better life and they appreciated that too. Without sorrowing too much they kept their love for things past, along with thankfulness for the new. The Norwegian emigrant brought to America not only their full share of skills in engineering and business and education, but they brought also more than the usual quota of moral concern and sense of community responsibility. In numbers the Norwegian-Americans were large in proportion to the population of Norway. They were small proportionally in the population of the U.S., but it is a parent that they have been of great consequence in the building of America. End (entered Feb 23, 2009) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VIKINGS IN ANCIENT AMERICA BY RON MILLER Vikings in ancient America is one of the most interesting subjects in archaeology. There is plenty of solid evidence that the Norse were in North America. Some finds are still undergoing scientific scrutiny, but, nevertheless, there are many other finds that present irrefutable evidence that they were here...and that they beat Columbus over the Great Pond. I can't say if they made it down to Central and South America. They were great sea explorers for sure. I don't recall hearing or reading about any such evidence. I do need to go through the back issues of Egerton Sykes old publications NEW WORLD ANTIQUITY. He was absolutely fearless in presenting any evidence of ancient contact with the New World. For instance, I do recall that he ran a paper on "The Flo People" a term coined by "The Old Sarge" of the Firelands Museum, in Ohio. He believed that people who made Solutrian type points just may very well have come over the top of the earth on ice flos - and this would be before the so-called Bering Strait contact that's in all the books. But you never hear about the "Flo People" idea. But, it is fascinating that the old Norse Sagas proved correct with findings at L'Anse Aux Meadows in New Foundland. Tom Lee of Laval University explored the Hudson Bay area and found an old, Norse, Long House. They are very distinctive semi-subterranean lodges that were long shaped. And outside were found distinctive Eider Duck stone traps. He also found a Hammer of Thor along the shore of Hudson Bay. The Hammer of Thor is a single, verticle, stone piece with a stone cross piece on top. It took a lot of muscle no doubt to get this structure erected. His explorations of old Norse sites can be found in issues of his own publication: THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF CANADA. We have a number of these issues here at our WAS Information Center. He also had some journals with Norse reports; the journals were associated with Laval. We have a few of those also. I do remember that in the Laval journals, he had site ink drawings and photos of the Long House excavations. He was a very meticulous archaeologist. He was with the Natl. Museum of Canada at one time, but got into scholarly battles with the establishment over his Shequianda site finds (old cobble tool, chopper type finds, below a glacier...so determined by geologists). These finds were dated at 20,000 years. This really shook the foundations of archaeology. Anyway, he moved on to Laval. He had a very good friend there, Dr. Rouseau, the noted ethno-botanist. Rouseau and I corresponded re. vegetal finds in Ozarks Bluff-dweller rock shelters. In fact he had done an important experiment with the giant Ragweed, seeds of which were found in the shelters. He sent us a copy of his report. And, Tom and I corresponded a lot too. In fact, I contributed several papers to his journal. But, I never hear much about Tom's Hudson Bay finds, at least down here in the U.S. I do remember seeing an article on his findings in a Canadian paper - in the feature section. We have the copy here. This is very good Norse information, and I hope Tom's finds haven't been lost in scholarly fighting. There is a controversial find: "The Kensington Rune Stone," Kensington, Minn. This was mentioned in old history books, I would say pre-1940s. It just so happened that my old dig boss one time, the late Dr. Waldo Wedel of the Smithsonian was the one sent by the Smithsonian to Kensington to check out the stone. He told us about this at our camp along the Missouri River. He flew up there and examined the stone carefully, but said that he didn't believe that the stone was authentic. He said that the folks thereabout were very very nice to him. They gave him food stuffs to take back on the plane. Anyway, this brings up the subject of runestones in North America. Barry Fell of Harvard and Gloria Farley of Oklahoma really got into this subject deeply. Fell had a journal on the subject. And, not all rune stones were in the Norse category...some they believed came from the Mediterranian and other old world areas. Their work is very controversial. One of the most interesting Norse runes still debated on this very day, is The Heavener Rune Stone of Heavener, Oklahoma. There is a striking landmark, Poteau Mtn. near Heavener, and rises out of the prairie. It has been the site of a number of airplane accidents. The Heavener Rune Stone is located up on this mtn. Dad and I stopped by one time to have a look. It is housed in a chain link cage. I must say that if it is a mod, it is a very good one. I don't believe most of the archaeologists in Oklahoma believe it is authentic. Nevertheless, there are cryptogram theories and other theories about it. Many believe that it is authentic. There is a phenomenon found on the upper Missouri River that is a real head-scratcher and may very well pertain to old Norse explorations. Early explorers found blue eyes amongst the Mandans - who lived then and still do in what is now North Dakota. I would think that would be a very interesting subject for the modern geneticists if they haven't already studied it. Incidentally, the Arickira in South Dakota moved up close to the Mandan. Their village that we excavated had been decimated by small pox, and they migrated north. The Hidatsa also had a village close to the Mandans. It was here that Lewis and Clark spent a winter at Ft. Mandan - across the river and they found Sacajaweia. She had been a captive of the Hidatsa but had been won in a gambling game by a French trader. The famed Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, had some great adventures floating and sailing on balsa wood rafts across the Atlantic and Pacific. We have one of his books but do need to get all of his works. He threw a great deal of light on all the transmigration studies. There have been recreations of Viking Long Ships and recreations of voyages. Scientists at the Bog Section of the Danish National Museum have much information on all this. J. Troells-Smith is no longer there. I had his publication on the Muljberg Dwelling Place, and wrote him about it. And subsequently learned much about the Bog Section. They have a Viking Long Ship there. They are experts at preserving old wood, in case you find something. And the researchers at Oslo and Copenhagen I know could help much if anyone is interested in doing further research. In conclusion, I personally wouldn't let any controversy on the subject of the Norse in America side track you from research. Keep your eyes and minds open. Keep studying questionable finds. Look out around that area for something else...maybe some non-runestone clue. Look for those long house sites - maybe a depression in the soil...and stones forming an Eider duck trap. Look for a Hammer of Thor that might have toppled? Leichens covering possible engraved marks should not be scrapped off. Leichens can be used for dating. Don't mark on them with chalk. Gloria Farley wrote an article on what to do if you find a rune stone...and we ran in our WAS Newsletter. She said that one possibility if you want to record is put a piece of tin foil over engravings and gently press...but don't harm the indentation. So, is it possible that besides L'Anse Aux Meadows and the Hudson Bay finds, could the Norse have made it over to the Headwaters of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and headed south...and, then, maybe, came up some of the tributaries of those rivers? And who knows, maybe even headed farther south! Yes, I know this is getting into the stuff of Novels. But there is nothing wrong with such thinking (working theories are very legitimate in science)to help keep those eyes and minds open..and, if something is found, backed up with science. It is so easy to miss something odd out of context. I know that the Vikings in the central part of the continent would have had a very hard row to hoe, because, for one thing, North America for the most part was a war culture...as the Vikings in Vineland found out dealing with the frenzied Skraelings. It would have been a miracle if they got by other Skraelings. On the other hand, the Lewis and Clark expedition found a peace lady Sacajawea. An expedition with a woman along could not be warlike. But, this is theoretical and a long shot. But who knows? The story of the old Norse in America I have a hunch is just beginning. Entered Feb. 27, 2009 - Ron Miller - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HOPE & THE HEALERS OF MOUNT PELION...A New WAS Book. We are happy to announce publication of a new book: Hope & The Healers of Mount Pelion. Following is the fact sheet that goes out to retailers and publications: - - - - - - - - - - - - Hope and the Healers of Mount Pelion, the Mythological Greek healing team, to the rescue of Mankind today. These fun, helful characters, fortunately, and just in time, have been resurrected by writer, artist Ron Miller to help a world beleagured by many problems. This greatest first responder team of all time consists of little Hope, who had been left in Pandora's infamous box. All the evil insects had been turned loose when curious Pandora had lifted the lid to peek in. She slammed the lid shut but not in time; all the evils escaped! Hope was still trapped in the box, but finally got Pandora's attention and got out to help humankind. Other great healers of the Pantheon are Asklepios, patron god of ancient physicians, Chiron the wisest of the Centaurs who had taught Asklepios the healing arts, Epione, wife of Asklepios. Her specialty is soothing pain. The daughters of Asklepios, Hygeia, Iaso and Panacea also help greatly as do their brothers. Bolt, Chiron's guard dog, who had protected the babe Asklepios, is a great help and wonderful healer. The ancients well knew the magic healing powers of dogs and other pets. Blackie the Raven, the goat and harmless snake are also helpful Ron Miller, Founder and Director of the World Archaeological Society has put together a collection of stories he wrote about the adventures of the above characters. They helped during the tsunami, and also help combat the problem of abused animals. They all had a rip-roaring adventure finding and saving, "The Lost Statue of Jesus, (they consider Jesus the greatest of the healers, because He only used Spiritual methods). Then, add to the fun, some little characters called: "Hopeful Helpers," were created to help Hope; there's lots of misery out there. Also, Hope helped much in the miraculous healing of the soldier. Hope, of course, is indomitable. She absolutely won't accept any negative thinking. "Hope makes Polyanna look like a pessimist!" Know anyone who is ill or having a problem of some sort and needs Hope? This book would make a swell gift...or for just fun reading for anyone. 15 illustrations, 111 pages. Price: $25.00. If ordered, add $5.00 for S&H. Make checks payable to Ron Miller. Write: Ron Miller, WAS, 120 Lakewood Drive, Hollister, MO 65672. Ph. 417 334 2377. E-mail: ronwriterartist@aol.com. For more information about the WAS and Ron see: www.worldarchaeologicalsociety.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VIOLENCE CONTROL AND IRRADICATION THEREOF WORLDWIDE - IDEAS. I was just reading Manjo's book: THE HEALING HAND (A history of medicine)and in particular about the old Roman physician Galen. Galen from Pergamon, became physician to the gladiators. It was a grizzly business trying to patch up the severe wounds of the fighters. He was interested in anatomy. And, he also worked on and studied anatomy of animals; many were involved in the "games." The writer, Manjo, delved into the world of violence on the human mind, the minds of spectators. They were programmed from youth for violence. At arenas in North Africa some spectators would go out and eat exposed parts of livers of killed gladiators (It was thought to be medicinal). Then, the writer pointed out violence and deaths in US. of football players; deaths are quite high. Very few seem to really notice. The other day on the TV news was a visual of a pedestrian getting hit by a car and others just ignoring him, letting him lay there! People are desensitized. The opposite of civilized. So, we have to commence de-programming, re-sensitizing people...and this especially goes for the Middle East - programmed big time for violence. Good people must first set up strong lines of defensive protection. Have more police at ball games. Have stronger lines of defense in war torn countries. Then, do more actions for peace. Begin saturating area with psychological civilized action. Pour on the good. Control violence in movies and media. The news media must report, of course, but overpower bad with good. Why show garbage in the living rooms? Don't dwell on violence for money sake. Many movie producers take advantage of violence culture. Have more quality shows. More creative plots. Robert Louis Stvenson pointed out that it takes more creativity to have good action stories. He could have reported the filth of the Spanish Main; the pirates were some of the grossest people on earth. But, Stevenson would use great creativity and make once filthy ditties acceptable "for a mother to read to her babe in her lap." Why settle for fourth rate entertainment? So, don't put up any more with lazy, greedy networks and film companies. Have classes on this. Show how spectators of old Roman arenas were brain-washed "programmed" for violence, and how hard it is to irradicate (there are still bull fights and running of bulls in Spain..killings on our "arena highways" with flimsy cars...riots at games). Do as with little kids; replace something or object unwanted with something better...distract. Good people are going to have to do this; stand up to the programmed and greedy. It will take a lot of courage to break out of de-sensitivity. (entered here June 8, '08 - Ron) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GAS PROBLEM IN U.S.A. COULD LEAD TO RADICAL DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE. Many foreigners who are paying more for gas than U.S. look in dismay at American's complaining at having to pay higher prices, which is not nearly as high as there. Foreigners need to know that part of the problem is the vast geographical distances involved here in the USA. For example, the Ozarks Mountains region in the central U.S. where the WAS is located is as big as the country of France. Many commuters have to travel a long way to work or visit relatives. I have a hunch that if radical new motors aren't developed and fast, that there is going to have to be a radical demographic centralizing in various areas of population. And, these areas are going to have to figure out how to be self-sufficient. As it is, every area in the country is dependent on products that have to be transported long distances. So, there is going to have to be major social surgery. And to add to complications, there are major water problems in much of the country. I think we are doing o.k. on water here in the Ozarks, as we have had a lot of rain lately, but the western U.S. and southeastern U.S. are having problems. All kinds of social economic problems will follow - if this centralization in various areas happens. In antiquity, people moved to Rome, and they just imploded in many ways. Much of the problem now is politics, and I'll show you why. Do you remember the late Dennis Weaver - "Chester" of Gunsmoke? He was from nearby Joplin, Missouri. He formed an environmental group (I'm trying to find the name of the group). He and his org. did much research on new kinds of autos - and this was years ago. That group knows all about new vehicle possibilities...but do you ever hear about it? How can all this good stuff get through the drain clog of politics? It's abysmal. A lot of it has to do with just plain character, and shaking off shackles of political views...and courage to plunge ahead and not be so fearful of rocking the boat. Sometimes money is the problem. Politicians are bought off by lobbyists...or maybe own certain stock...or have "friends." Our politicians are very fearful of doing what they should. They are extremely insecure...and their character quotient is minus 8. There are some prospective leaders now running for office that assure us they will shake things up, but don't hold your breath. Meanwhile, just as a contingency,(in fashion of G-4 in the military) it might not be a bad idea to think what we are going to do with limited transportation - quite a problem in our wide open spaces. Your writer has brought this up before in a newspaper column and notes on this site. Lots of luck. IDEA FOR ARCHAEOLOGISTS - HELPING ID PROJECTILE POINTS The latest issue of Insight from the Smithsonian has an article about a new electronic device for identifying plants by leaf shape. There is a little device with a screen that also has a camera. A picture is taken of some leaf that needs to be identified. The device, programmed with a multitude of leaf shapes, can then identify the plant. So, why couldn't this same thing be done with projectile points? If it hasn't already been done. - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LINCOLN AND CIVIL WAR CELEBRATIONS ON HORIZON FOR USA. First, the bicentennial of the birth of Pres. Abraham Lincoln will be in 2009. Second, 2011 will be the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Just imagine all the re-enactments that will take place around the country! We learned of these events in Sandy Brue's recent article "Preparing for a National Celebration of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial," in CAM: The Journal of Heritage Mgt., National Park Serv. Winter '08 issue. Both of these great milestones will be super celebrations, so, everyone connected with the WAS get those articles ready. We will do special commemorative publications on each. We are presently putting the final touches on our Lewis & Clark bicentennial contribution. Part of it is running now on this site - the Sacajawea story...or the Lost Journal of Sacajawea. This and the first part (the story of the lower Missouri R. in antiquity...comments on some interesting sites the expedition passed) were first published as a series in my weekly newspaper column. Dr. Carl Chapman of Mizzou would often round up several of us students on weekends and go out and explore mounds along the river and help excavate at Graham Cave. This site turned out to be a landmark project and a state monument. Also inspiring at that time was Dr. John Neihardt who recorded and edited the classic Black Elk Speaks. He taught at Mizzou. He and I passed each other and said "Hi" every day on the marble steps of Jesse Hall, the big domed bldg. on campus. I would often stand outside the door of his class and listen to him read his epic poems, "The Mtn. Men," and others with his profound sounding voice. The janitor would be there too leaning on his mop in a bucket. And maybe there would be another student or two...we were standins...as opposed to sitins. We are really getting into the west and the great western feeling and thinking here in Missouri, land of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis...and Independence Mo. where the old wagon trains would make the final jump off into their great adventures. Much here too about the Civil War and Lincoln. My Great Great Grandfather William Davidson was a good friend of Lincolns and both served in the Ill. Assembly. Lincoln would visit sometimes for months at a time at the Davidson Home at Carmi. When Lincoln became President he asked William to be a cabinet member - he was offered any of the cabinet positions he wanted but preferred he take the finance opening. This was turned down, because, I think William was a Whig and also I don't believe he was feeling too well. He would eventually return to his old home country Louisville, Ky. Little Aunt Alice was tossed by Lincln into the air. Joshua Speed, Lincoln's business partner would become her guardian. She would spend the war in the Convent of the Visitation in St. Louis (one of her Aunts, a nun, named Wilson, was one of the founders). She received battlefield letters from her brother Henry who was a Major in the Union. I have two of them. He led the charge thru Hoover's Gap Tenn, spearheading Rosencran's Army. She would later marry Paul Shipman, Ed. of the Louisville Courrier Journal and he would go on to become the Sec'y of the National Democratic Party. They were good friends of Mary Lincoln. I have two pieces of furniture that Alice and Paul brought back from their tour of Europe. A neice has her dress she wore when presented to the Queen. I have her memoir articles and one by Paul appearing in the Beverly, N.J. Banner (no longer in existence). I also have a picture of the Davidson Home at Carmi. One of the brothers Charles moved to Neosho, Mo. One of his daughters was Georgina Elizabeth Rice Harrod, your writer's Grandmother. The children went to school with artist Thomas Hart Benton. Then, Benton and she would talk old times when he would visit the Miller home south of Hollister. He and Dad were well aquainted as Dad was also an artist and taught at a nearby college. Then, Benton would go on to float and draw his beloved Buffalo River in Ark. (see my article on Benton in the Oct. 9, 1985 issue of the Christian Science Monitor). Also, a side connection. Dr. George Washington Carver attended a little school in Neosho - one of the few surviving Lincoln Schools. It had become encapsulated in another little house - entombed in a way - and only recently discovered...a great historical discovery for America. Local Neosho writer/historian Kay Hively can give you details on the little school house. The Natl. Park Service. with the Park's nearby George Washington Carver Birthplace Monument at Diamond, Missouri, and Park archaeologists and architects are working on restoring. As a member of the Carver Birthplace Assoc. I took a tour of the little school given by the Center gave. There was a meeting beforehand. Everyone was amazed that 70 or so students were crammed in this little school! Fascinating. And Aunt Maria's house was close by. She helped young George greatly. He was on his own, and beginning one of the greatest educational odysses in the history of America. The Center, by the way, promotes his creative- hands- on- teaching methods which is now upping test scores in over 40 school districts. Here is the answer to America's educational problems! Carver was one of the world's greatest educators. You have heard of the peanut and sweet potato connections, but wait until the world finds out about the educational connection. Carver's methods are also the answer to Africa's problems. It's exciting!! Lana Henry, Chief Ranger at the Carver Monument deserves much credit for her educational work. She is the one to contact for further information. But, lots of Lincoln time history to add to our project. Also, we have much on the civil war too. See: picture and article on the Ritchey Mansion (two battles fought there), in our Home section of this site. If you have any items, keep us in mind. But, back to the Lincoln and Civil War events coming up. (I digressed slightly...but there are so many fascinating connections here!). Sandy Brue's article appeared in the Volume 5, Number 1, Winter 2008 issue of CAM. Thanks. Ron, Mar. 24, 2008. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NEW WAS PUBLICATION AVAILABLE: THE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE BRANSON-HOLLISTER, MISSOURI AREA; With Thoughts on Archaeology as Part of the Environmental Picture; And Archaeoturism - Putting Antiquity to Work Today. By Ron S. Miller, WAS Special Publication No. 16. WAS Publications. 117 p. Price: 25.00 plus 5.00 S&H in US. 25.00 plus 10.00 S&H all other countries. Make checks or money orders payable to Ron Miller. Mail to Ron Miller, WAS, 120 Lakewood Drive, Hollister, MO 65672. We ran out of the first printing and now getting out the 2nd run, and also squeezing in a couple more illustrations, so, allow a little extra time for mailing. Who would have ever thought that a kid with a fanatical interest in archaeology and loving to surface collect artifacts, often with his father, would have been doing this, right in the middle of what was to become one of the biggest boom towns in the world...Branson. Then, during much of the booming, I wrote a weekly newspaper column...plus continued work with the WAS, which I founded in 1971. The environmental problems have been massive what with all the lakes, rivers, woods, wildlife hereabouts. I served as a member of the Branson Environmental Board (set up by the Mo. Dept. of Nat. Res) and had the opportunity to follow along on the environmental things and all the great work of the Mo. DNR and other organizations. And, of course, archaeology is one of those environmental ingredients we must protect. On top of this, there is much great cultural anthropology involved. This is great old Ozarks culture country (forget about the dumb hillbilly sterreotype; this is a very rich culture (Margaret Mead would have loved I am sure); talk about cultural conflicts! And add the migrant worker element, retired people moving in, the theatre culture (50 theatres and more theatre seats than Broadway), the massivie tourist culture with millions of visitors pouring in each year (7 or 8 million last year)...and also the growing meeting industry culture. A new big Hilton Hotel Convention Ctr. and Branson Landing complex just built on the Branson Lake Front...and on top of a long winding bottomland field - with great archaeological possibilities (but for the most part the bulldozers won out, although, there was some spotty tests). The 200 yr old Liberty Tree lost its battle with "progress." It has been pretty traumatic at times. Anyway, I put in a lot of memories of the tourist things, and arrowhead- hunting days. I have a drawing of a big fist pick found along Long Creek. I can't wait for European archaeologists familiar with Abbevillian gravel finds to see this. Unfortunately, I don't have a date; the Ozark residual soil is not the greatest for dating. Then, I was fortunate as a student to have been on several Univ. of Mo. archaeology surveys of the Table Rock and Pomme de Terre basins. The late Carl Chapman was Director. I helped at the famed Rice Shelter excavation (type site for 3 points). Bob Bray wrote the Rice Report. He and I were classmates...as was Dick Marshall a grad student who also helped much researching the area. I thought I would include some of the dig memories. A lot of interesting things happen on digs that don't usually get in the formal reports. As the reader may know, the mighty Osage ruled this area - a vast area of the Ozarks really - when the first white men arrived - so, I have researched much on the Osage. I reconstructed an Osage village. They were really into religion big time. Groups of Osage would come down to the area from their main village near Nevada, Mo. and hunt in the area. They loved to camp at the mouth of Swan Crk. near present day Forsyth (a beautiful spot with a big high bluff). The Osage were remarkable physical specimens...many men 7 feet tall...and also many women 6 feet. They were something else and smart...and got the usual shaft from the white man..plus his diseases. But you can almost hear the wailing and cries to mighty Wakonda as the Osage prayed three times a day...pouring out their devotion. The story of the Osage alone is a great chapter of American history. Then, of course, many tribes pushed out of the east by the white glacier lived here for a while in the Ozarks, the Delaware, Shawnee and others. Then, add countless other cultures for thousands of years with only names assigned by archaeologists. And, all happening right square in the middle of the U.S. - a very strategic criss-cross location (as pointed out by Chapman). Lots to still study...if the bulldozers don't get there first. Ron - Mar. 6, 2008 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ECONOMIC MESS NOT GOOD FOR ARCHAEOLOGY. The late Dan Josselyn, Editor of STONES & BONES, newsletter of the Alabama Archaeological Society, said that "archaeology is one of the poorer sciences." I'm afraid so. The present economic mess is not helping matters any. To add to the problem, a lot of new archaeological techniques are very costly. To make matters still worse, the population explosion globally keeps exploding, and humanity keeps creeping, scraping and covering over the land - and many ancient sites in the creeping process. We are the creeping culture, amorphous as a blind amoeba. It really can't see where it is going. It is as plain as an amoeba; all the strip malls look the same. If you have seen one you have seen them all. And amoebas don't think. They just bulge along. Another loss is that as time marches on there is the usual, natural, weathering away - erosion - of antiquities, the nation's heirlooms. Archaeologists are always working against the relentless clock. The bulldozers are cranking up. The dam is being built. The bank door is closing. The state will be freezing university funds any minute. Hurry hurry hurry before the moguls stop the funds right in the middle of the archaeological procedure...the patient has just barely been opened! The patient is dieing! But no digitalis or shock pads! And, here come the vulture pot-hunters to feed on the body. They will trample on the body while they feed. More on this particular loss. I wouldn't be surprised if the underground pot-hunters, indiscriminate diggers and dealers aren't working away more than ever. They really need the cash now in hard times. They are always operating...as are the fakers. All they have is an object, and as pack rats, carry the object away to their nests. The real prize - the story about the object told from much associated clues- is lost. The object itself is now out-of- context - lost in a limbo of ignorance forever. Right now the country is broke. Still, there is a lot that can be done by conscientious archaeology folks. Education about archaeology should be at the top of the list. One of the best things that could be done to raise cultural awareness is for the next President to appoint a new cabinet post...Sec'y of Culture ...a great educational, high type, cultural statement! Wouldn't that be great!! In this category include all the arts suffering greatly right now; art is being cut back in schools in favor of math and science. Math and science are great - archaeology is a science and an art too, there is much art.  but Horrors...the loss of art in culture! And also going down the tube is gym...in an overweight society! More horrors! Who is running things in our moronocracy anyway?! The Greeks loved high type cultural things - drama, law, debate, art, dance, music, sports. One of their rules was "a sound mind in a sound body." A little more on education. If people appreciate the story of the past, they are more apt to save this story. And, of course, this story is crucial for the present and future. Cicero said that all three are necessary...they are a continuum.  So,have a Sec'y of Culture, and, of course, include archaeology/anthropology (sciences), and art history and regular history, all the arts, dance, music, drama, etc.  Advanced civilization must be taught. Many wonder why we are still down on the lower rung of the civilized ladder what with prison's bulging, other countries ahead of us in many ways...greed and jungle Darwinism becoming religion. No high ethics. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the problem today. We can't get enough of the civilized things. The idea is to move up the civilized ladder, not fall back down into a pit of ignorance. Going back down would be de-evolution (what we are doing). I'm thinking seriously of nominating our government for the Darwin Awards! One thing that would be very important is to get cultural minded people in as many top positions as possible...both in Washington and the media. Screen elected officials for culture - every bit as much as for political ideas. Am sure the Founders would approve. Another factor, universities and colleges are having budget problems, and so are states...and museums and libraries. Education things are being cut. Grad students need projects. Basic field archaeology is needed, so, things can be studied back in the library, lab and armchairs. Then, there must be preservation...monuments out in the field, museum items, etc. This is a big field; methods take a lot of study and $$$. And "rust and moth corrupt." Meanwhile, the nation's heirlooms are going down the tube. We know some are out there and need saving and studying, but some we don't know...and need to find. It takes a lot of basic searching...the British call it "Prospection" in archaeology. There is need for a lot of wheels, gas, tents, time, publication funds. Then, all the information must be put on paper and plastic. I keep sounding like a broken record, but once the antiquities and knowledge about them are gone, they are gone forever. Clues to great mysteries about the past are being lost forever as we speak. Saving all the heirlooms and knowledge about them is a great responsibility for all citizens...and especially not easy when there are economic problems. RM Entered Feb. 18, 2008, touched up Feb 24. touched up Mar. 1, 2008. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PRECIOUS MOMENTS CENTER, CARTHAGE, MO., A LOVING PLACE. Your writer had the great experience of visiting the Precious Moments Center, near Carthage, Missouri. This was several years ago. I wrote an article on the visit, although didn't quite get it finished. But, here lately, the national and international news has been so gloomy that something uplifting, healing and loving is definitely in order. I thought of this article and visit, got the article out, touched it up, and herewith present it for the first time. Collectors worldwide go bananas over these cute little Precious Moments characters. The Creator, Sam J. Butcher produces new fun variations of the little figuriens. Then, after so long the moulds are broken adding to the value of those still out there. Carthage is not too far from our WAS office here at Hollister. I had heard about the Center for a long time, and finally stopped by, and glad I did. What a shot in the arm! The place is a real spirit-lifter. The Public Relations Manager Lynn Iliff Onstot gave me a much appreciated tour. We're interested in art and art history here at the WAS. The Precious Moments Center is one big art exhibit with the little characters everywhere, and, there is even a likeness of the Sistine Chapel with Precious Moments murals on the ceiling painted by Butcher himself, a modern Michaelangelo. We are also interested in biblical archaeology, and the little characters have a biblical background. We are interested in anthropology, the study of Man, and the Center is quite a people place, and through biblical things the connection between God and His love for humanity is vividly seen. Sam Butcher himself is a very biblical, spiritual man. You can feel his care and love shining through all over the place. Precious Moments is a wonderful adventure in many ways for everyone of all ages. Ron Miller A VISIT TO THE PRECIOUS MOMENTS CENTER, CARTHAGE, MO. I needed that, a visit to the Precious Moments Center at Carthage, Missouri. The famous little characters with teardrop eyes that collectors love are all over the beautiful, spacious grounds. You see them in sculpted forms in fountains, along walkways, helpfully holding signs and in murals on the walls and the ceiling too in the Precious Moments Chapel. You see them in a beautiful, large arrangement "The Precious Moments Fountain of Angels" the centerpiece of a wonderful healing program of enormous fountains shooting into the air sometimes as geysers sometimes as big sprays, all lighted with colors and choreographed from a sound studio. The background music was recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. This show is in a colossal auditorium whose ceiling is higher than the highest seventy-five foot geyser. There are also backlighted effects on a gigantic screen. At one point near the end of the program, one sees a figure of Jesus coming toward the audience and then opening his arms in a gesture of Love. The entire Precious Moments Center is in fact a gesture of Love, the creation of artist Sam J. Butcher. In a non-denominational way, he wants to help people spiritually. Everything has a biblical connection. Murals in the Chapel show parables and stages of the Creation (the first day of Creation shows little Precious Moments characters with flashlights. Very creative!). "Little figurines may have tears now, but not in Heaven." There is mega-hope here and all over the grounds. People love it; they need this spirituality. And really this is "what the world needs now" as the song goes. In Butcher's early days, he was having a very hard time -- a classic struggling artist with a large family. He worked as a janitor to supplement his income as a chalk artist for a religious organization. With the help of a minister named Royal Blue, Butcher had a spiritual awakening. His cute little figures that he had been drawing on cards and giving to friends were transformed to figurines with major help from Eugene Freedman of the Enesco Group, Inc. The very first selection of figurines was a big success. Collectors grabbed them up like candy, and Precious Moments was on its way. Butcher had a dream for a chapel filled with Precious Moments art. He wanted to give spiritually to people. But he didn't know exactly where to put the chapel. He did know there would be rolling hills and streams about. Then, on a cross country car trip from Arizona to Michigan he found exactly what he was looking for near Carthage, Missouri. Carthage is one of those All American type cities, lying on the edge "the foothills" of the Ozarks Mountains of the central U.S. The city is famous for grand old homes of the Queen Anne Style architecture...and also agriculture, a marble quarry and down home people. A little way to the north is the famous farm of Gene Poirot who took a run down farm and turned it into an Eden. See his book "Our Margin of Life." (this should be first on the environmental reading list right now!). A little way south of Carthage is Diamond or Diamond Grove, Missouri the birthplace of another famous agriculturist George Washington Carver. Today his birth site is the George Washington Carver National Monument operated by the National Park Service of the Dept. of the Interior. Butcher loved the site near Carthage. There was even a cave on the place. With the success of the figurines, Butcher could travel. He was greatly inspired by his visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Italy. The Docent at the Precious Moments Chapel told me that the Chapel is about the same size as the Sistine Chapel. Butcher worked sometimes as Michaelangelo on his back, when painting Precious Moments Angels on the ceiling. On the big center piece mural "Heaven," covering the front wall of the Chapel, Butcher painted some little precious moments figurines representing children he knew who had passed away. One wanted to be a cowboy and wore a cowboy hat, another had a ball cap and had wanted to be a ball player. In the center of this big mural, he painted a rather small figure of Jesus and his followers. Butcher had not realized that this Jesus was right in the middle until he got back in the balcony at the far end and could see that Jesus was definitely the center of interest. In the balcony, by the way, one can see panels of the stages of Creation. Another wall shows parables of the Bible, and all the figures, of course, are Precious Moments figures. Also, there are many large stained glass windows in the wings of the Chapel, and, again, they all have the famous childlike figures. The massive front doors were hand carved from Phillipine Mahogany by Butcher and an assistant. (thanks to the Docent for information). I like the artist's slection of pastel colors. They are very pleasing. Another highlight of the Precious Moments complex is the Precious Moments Victorian Wedding Island. Many couples are married here. There is a church with spire that Butcher brought in from nearby Stotts City, Missouri. It has the original pews. The Chapel has been restored beautifully and really sparkles. There is a little house nearby for the Bridesmaids. There is plenty of room in closets for dresses. And, when the wedding is over, the reception is held in one of those glorious Queen Anne Style mansions. Butcher had one moved from Carthage. They had to cut it in half to transport it to the wedding island. The reception is held in the ballroom. There is a private dining room, a piano room and upstairs is the homeymoon suite. there is a beautiful breakfast room with long white curtains where the couple can dine and look out over the water with geese along the shore. A bride specialist lady takes care of every detail. Butcher, with his special artist's touch and extraordinary care and thinking about couples (more love), saw to every detail. Furniture, drapes and other household items in the wedding home were carefully researched and brought in. All the work, study, love and time that has gone into all this is truly amazing. The beautiful grounds that seem to go on endlessly are a remarkable feature. Families were having picnics on grass amongst trees. Peaceful and idylic. Nearby is a special RV Park for visitors. They have their own Club House. There is a restaurant and a studio, which is a museum, a history of Precious Moments and containing much about the Butcher family and friends. A favorite place is the gift shop where visitors find it hard to resist buying some of those little Precious Moments characters and memorabilia. Some collectors are thinking, "If I buy that unique little character, someday it will be discontinued and the cast broken, and I will have an extra special little treasure!" Although, some collectors probably just buy them because they love and enjoy them so and will pass them along as heirlooms - little lovelooms - to their family. And, of course, they make great gifts for Christmas or anytime of the year. There were mini-buses and golf carts available and more highlights than I can recount. I should mention one last feature. The employes are so eager to help that it is remarkable. All the employees there should be entered in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most friendly and helpful employees. Visitors from all over the world enjoy the Precious Moments Center and all the great reflections of God Love and healing found there. For more information see their web site: www.preciousmoments.com Ron Miller. Article posted Feb. 9th, 2008. - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE GREATEST ART CONTEST IN THE WORLD? There have been many art contests. There are art shows held all the time with "Best of Show," and blue ribbons and purchase prizes awarded. There have been highly competitive art contests that aren't so obvious. Michaelangelo worked away on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, while below, around the corner, Raphael was painting a mural masterpiece. There had to have been much competition there. Architects pit their renderings and models of structures against one another when making presentations to customers. But, perhaps the greatest art contest happened in antiquity in the 5th century B.C. The story of this contest was told by Kristen Hileman one of the Curators of the Smithsonian's Hirshborn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Topper Sherwod in an article "'The Cinema Effect': moving image as fine art"... appearing in INSIDE Smithsonian Research, Winter '08, tells the story. The contest was held at Ephesus along the coast of Asia Minor. The contestants, rivals, proposed that each do a painting, and see which was the best. Zeuxis pulled back the cloth covering of his work, a highly realistic painting of grapes. They were so realistic, in fact, that birds tried to eat the fruit! Zeuxis, confidently, commanded Parrhasius to pull back the cloth or covering of his work. Parrhasius told Zeuxis that there was no curtain, only a picture of a curtain that was, in fact, his painting! Parrhasius won! Item entered Jan. 26, 2008 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE CITY BENEATH ALEXANDRIA. Smithsonian researchers have found that Alexander the Great really added to an ancient city, probably called: "Rhakotis" already 7,000 years old, when he built Alexandria. And, researchers have found that much of that Alexandria today really lies beneath the harbor. How much of the old city sunk is not known for sure. There is one theory that there was just too much weight on the soil. In any case, it is said that much research is needed. Underwater archaeologists have found much stone work. Also, researchers have sunk 18 foot cores in the harbor and brought up basalt pieces that had to have come from stones that were brought down from far up the Nile. There is also a lot of dark organic matter that is probably human refuse. They also found a lot of traces of lead; Greeks used much lead. A picture of a reconstruction of the old harbor of Alexandria shows a great harbor with the famed wonder of the world, The Lighthouse of Alexandria with smoke coming out of the top. There were protective walls out a way, and ships came through entrances by the great lighthouse. The waters inside the harbor must have been very calm. The reconstructive painting shows the harbor 2000 years ago. The harbor looks to be an engineering marvel. See: article "Beneath Egypt's ancient city of Alexandria, evidence of an even older city is revealed," by Alan Cutler, Insight, Winter 2008. Reconstructive painting by IEASM in Bernand and Goddio, 2002. Entered Jan. 26, 2008 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Here is another one of my weekly columns - Tues, Nov. 16, 1999, appearing as usual on the Opinion Page of the Branson(Mo) Daily News. I'm fortunate that I live close to Branson the year round Vet Center of the Universe. Vets pour in all year round for various memorial events and to visit museums and go to the many shows. This is the most vet friendly area you can imagine. There is a year round org. The Vets Task Force with a full time Director and Board. There is a new Viet Nam Vet recognition week in the spring. Local and visiting stars and celebs help out. Native Americans help. Tony Orlando, the yellow ribbon guy who really started it all when he opened the doors free to vets at his Yellow Ribbon Theatre is always around and has a special show Vets Homecoming week - the big week leading up to Vets Day. It's all very exciting. I don't know if the folks on the coasts have any idea what is going on out here but it is stupendous. CLOSE CALLS AND OTHER WAR STORIES Harry Ripley of Joplin, an engineer officer was telling me about some of his adventures in WW II. This was at the Korean War vets table at the Grand Country Mall Vet's Registration Hq. Branson during A Veteran's Homecoming '99. Harry said he was standing in front of a 3,000 gallon water tank when "...a Messerschmidt came over the trees strafing. Two cannon shells went between my legs...and hit the water tank behind! This is how I knew exactly where the shells went." Also, he said, "I was riding in a Jeep when a German 88 shell knocked our vehicle off the road. We hit a tree, and I flew head first through the windshield - saved by my steel pot." Clyde G. Fruth of the Norwestern, Illinois Korean War Vets Association told us of a soldier inKorea who was shot at and the bullet went through his helmet and circled around between the helmet and helmet liner. He knew it circled two and one half times because the path of the bullet could be traced on the steel pot. Clyde is going to send me some information on another story and I will run it sometime. I knew by the famed combat infantryman's badge - the long blue badge with the rifle - on his cap that Joseph Reis of Omaha, Neb. had been in the thick of it. He was one of our soldiers stationed in Japan when war broke out in Korea. His outfit was rushed to Pusan on the southern tip of South Korea. He said, "I'll never forget going over on a Japanese hospital ship." His outfit was M Co. 34th Infantry Reg., 24th Div. He said "I was at Taejon when General Dean got captured. I saw him the night he got captured - nothing was going on...but the next day we came under terrific fire and lost half of the division. They (North Koreans) had T-34 tanks and started raising...... Reis was in an 81 mm. mortar company. "The North Koreans mingled back through our lines and blocked the road. My unit went around through hills, and I got out." He said "we didn't have the right kind of armor-piercing shells...and we were understrength in the first place." Clarence Suttar of Millstadt, Ill., was a member of the 32nd Division in WWII, the outfit that liberated Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters where he would make his famous return. He said they didn't get any resistance at MacArthur's headquarters, which was "intact" and had been used by the Japanese. However, they ran into stiff resistance on hills 106-107 and 108 not far away. he was among 40 who came under fire from |"knee mortars." He was among six wounded. He said that the U.S. was "run back off hill 106. Some U.S. soldiers were killed." He was sent to a hospital, but had to return to duty, even though his foot was badly swollen. They found a job for him in the 5th Air Force military police. After the signing of the Japanese surrender on the Battleship Missouri,his outfit got the orders to immediately go ashore and secure the big Japanese air base nearby. He said they found 20 zeros protected in dikes ready to attack our invasion force. He said women began bringing in and turning over weapons to them. "The women were prepared to use it all on us. The women and children were ready to fight for their husbands - to give their lives." Four 20X20 tents were filled with weapons. This was "close to where soldiers would have landed." They "never would have survived. They were determined." Clarence wanted people to know this story. He also saw Hiroshima and Nagasaki right after the blasts. He said "statues, monuments and buildings were black as coal." A submariner named Kembal from near Austin, Texas told vet friend Jim Hoy and I some tales just after the parade. He said his sub commander was the son of a famous admiral. The son shot 10 torpedoes at a Japanese tanker and missed all shots. He contacted his famous dad in Hawaii and saidthat the torpedoes they were sending were duds. The father replied: "son, you've got to hit the ship before you can sink it." Another time their captain took the sub in close to shore and shelled a target with a deck gun. This alerted Japanese planes that came after them. But since they were in shallow water they couldn't dive. He said they barely escaped. Another story he told was about the U.S. sub in the Pacific fleet that came in close to the enemy port. They fired a torpedo at a docked ship. The torpedo missed but went on to hit a pier of a railroad trestle just as a Japanese train was going over...and they sunk a train! Entered on this site, Nov. 2nd, 2007 - Ron Miller - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------- - - - - - (now, something totally different!) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD. A TRUE STORY...AND AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL/ANTHROPOLOGICAL/ART HISTORICAL BOOK REVIEW AT THE SAME TIME! There she was, just getting out of the passenger side of the pickup that had pulled into a diagonal space at nearby Branson with its millions of tourists each year here in the Ozarks Mountains of the central U.S. Then, she came walking down the sidewalk toward me. She was drop dead gorgeous as the saying goes. No question, she was a traffic stopper, a head-turner. She was an Amish girl, one of the branches of the "Plain People." But she wasn't plain - far from it! In today's age of show-all-the-skin you can, with exposure carefully revealing tattoos, and with colored hair, spiked with waxy preparations, as eerie stalacmites in a cave....and rings in the face and elsewhere on the body as pirates of the Spanish Main, and manners as alley cats (not all, fortunately, but many...and many of those in the roll model category)...a museum of space creatures...believe you me, the Amish girl was a breath of fresh air. She made my day. Her dress was made of a light blue print, simple cloth, and handmade. She probably made it herself, although she may have had help, because it was so well tailored. The dress was long - below her knees. She was tall and thin and wore round, plain rim glasses. Her hair was light blond. She had a crisp, freshly pressed, clean look. And the most extraordinary feature about her was that on her head she wore the most interesting white cloth cap. This cap fascinated me, because, amazingly, it just so happened that a few days before, we had received a beautiful scholarly book in the mail for review: VIKING AGE HEADCOVERINGS FROM DUBLIN BY ELIZABETH WINCOTT HECKETT, National Museum of Ireland, Medieval Dublin Excavations, 1962-81, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 2003. The book is distributed by the International Specialized Book Services, Inc., 920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300 503.287.3093, Portland, Oregon. 97213-3789 (800.944.6190). Archaeologists found five types of caps and head scarves. One especially, tied under the chin with strings, reminded me of the cap worn by the "plain girl." Most of the Ireland Viking caps were made of wool and made locally, but there were also a few made of silk. The old trade routes are known in northern Europe. Silk might have come from Byzantium and maybe even Baghdad or China, over the famous old Silk Road. The caps go back to the 10th or 11th century A.D. They were excellent seamstresses. They knew "hemmed rolled hem, rolled-edge whipping, folded hem, corner neatly mitred, flat-fell seam, edges double-folded down and secured by hemming (then, opened out flat), and pieces joined by oversewing selvedges." The wool was woven on simple rectangular looms. Weaver's tools have been found. They knew about intricate edging and tassels. While these European caps were used in a 200 year period, it is obvious to me that they lingered on up through history to the time of the plain people, and then found their way over here to America (unless a phenomenon the anthropologists call "independent development"). By the way, the hooded bonnet sold in local Ozarks shops today may be a modification of the Norse caps, with a large visor. Your writer is just theorizing. These bonnets are very functional, and no doubt go far back into history...probably to colonial America and perhaps even over the sea? The caps, scarves and headbands found in Ireland were very light and wouldn't have been practical for everyday use. The fine headware was something for going to town and dressing up. I will venture a guess that the plain girls here do the same thing. My late Father, Steve Miller, all-round artist and teacher said that the greatest art is simplicity (that simplicity is really not easy to achieve). I don't know of a better example of this old art rule than "the most beautiful girl" and all of the work and centuries of tradition that have gone into such a work of art. Move over Nefertiti for the Amish girl with the little cap that may very well be a Norse cap? Entered here Oct. 20th, 2007 - RM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ARCHAEOLOGICL DISASTER IN THE WORKS IN MID-UNITED STATES. Officials are planning to build a big landfill right next to the fabulous, ancient, Cahokia, American Indian Complex, Cahokia, Illinois. This is across the river from St. Louis and north aways. This is highly disrespectful of the native Americans. For our readers from around the globe who may not have seen this site, it is spectacuar with giant temple mounds of the Mississippi Culture. Scholars believe that the religion of this culture was passed along to the Osage Indians who ruled a vast area - bigger than France - in what is present day Missouri, part of Kansas, part of Oklahoma and all the way to the Arkansas River in Arkansas. The biggest mound "Monks Mound" will amaze you. I hiked up to the top one time. It's a pretty good hike. I have heard that the base dimension is larger than the base of the great pyramid of Egypt. Just think, the Indians hauled in all of that dirt! And the dirt for all the other temple mounds there. Just think of the global outcry if a landfill should be built next to the pyramids of Egypt! Also of interest, the Mississippi Culture received art influence, and maybe influence in oher ways, from Meso-America. It shows in art carvings on shell. This Mississippi Culture is found throughout the S/E. DeSoto encountered the last of it, and wrecked havoc with it. This grand old culture has been hit so hard by the white man, that surely this proposed insult of the landfill can be avoided. All help in battling the landfill will be appreciated by many. An item on this problem was noticed in the latest issue of the Missouri Archae. Soc. Newsletter. RM Sept. 29, 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GROWING WEIGHT PROBLEM IN AMERICA AND ENGLAND; AN IDEA AS TO THE CAUSE...Not too many calories...but two few micro-nutrients/trace elements...the soil being mined of such nutrients. Being deprived of micro-nutrients the body craves them...but reaches out and fills up with the bad things. I just had an idea this evening after dinner. Dinner was a steamed meal of vegetables with a turkey polish sausage tossed in. One of the vegetables was a sliced turnip. But, I was very disappointed, because the turnip was tasteless. Usually turnips are very tasty...or ones I remember in my memory bank. It could be my taste buds have become worn a bit, although some of the vegetables were very tasty. Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks, and I was carried back to Dr. William Albrecht's Soils class at Mizzou. This was an elective class - I could pick any one I wanted, so, I picked Soils I taught by Dr. Albrecht, Head of the Dept. Dr. Albrecht was very famous in agricultural circles. As Dr. George Washington Carver did in the South, building up soils there, Dr. Albrecht did the same thing for mid-western soils. They sold crop rotation. And, both of them were soils anthropologists. They were very concerned about people in connection with soils. Carver had his degree in soils micro-organisms from Iowa State, and Albrecht had studied the soils of the world. I recall one time our family lived in an apartment on Wilson St. in Columbia, and it was exactly opposite Sanborne Research Field where Dr. Albrecht and his students with their clip boards did research on little plots. I used to watch them. By the way, it was in this research field that Dr. Albrecht dug up a shovel full of earth in which was found the Golden Mould, the anti-biotic Aureomycin. The former head of the soils dept. actually found the mould in this sample in his new lab at a university up north. But, lots of interesting soils things going on, and I had all this in the back of my mind, plus the thought that since I would be excavating in the soil in arcaeology, this course would have to help. It was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Dr. Albrecht was an out-of-the-box thinker far ahead of his time...and still is far ahead. I suddenly found myself in a great world of anthropology and top creative science like you wouldn't believe. The first thing he said the first day was: "I intend to make you think!" Then, here came nutritional soils anthropology far and wide. Also, on that first day, he quoted his favorite quote from the bible..."Look ye unto the rock from whence ye are hewn." That's it, bang! Look to the rock with all those minerals and trace elements. That's where we come from! Of course, besides this literal use, he may very well have also meant a spiritual application as well. We do come from the Spirit first and foremost (created in God's (spiritual) image and likeness...for God is a spiirit...Genesis). By the way, the spiritual is even beyond the material soils elements and would be even more helpful. Albrecht told much about the fantastic wonderland in the soil of micro-organisms and micro-nutrients. He said the sea contains all of these trace elements...even traces of microscopic gold. We studied how the rocks break down into these tiny particles...and how they are mixed and moved around by nature. He told about how he and his students had done experiments growing tomatoes and found that the tomatoes they grew, if grown on poor soils, didn't even have the nutrients of the parent seed! He said that the soil is mined unmercifully, and only the big three fertilizers nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are put back. So, this produces a product you can see sell and eat, but actually lacking in nutrients. He said that we are fortunate having a great transportation system that can bring vegetables (grown on different soils) from far and wide. This mixing is good, but I am now wondering if all soils are being mined unmercifully? The population is so numerically big now...and still growing that the food demands are enormous. And more and more big corporations are taking over the growing of food. The little family farmers are vanishing. They care more about building up the soil so that they can pass good soil on down the family line. They know every foot of every acre. Alarmingly, in archaeology the same thing can be seen in ancient Rome. Big operations took over small farms, and the small farmers had to move to the cities where it became "bread and circuses." We need to monitor the farm operation situation and the nutrition situation very closely, or it could be the beginning of the end. I also recall reading a paper written by an anthropologist doing research on primitive agriculture in South America. He said it was found that soil fertility on basic slash and burn plots played out after four years. Then, of course, the farmer just moved on to another plot. And, I imagine the fertility would be a little different in different plots. But, today, if only "the big three" fertilizers are going back in, some of the trace elements might not last too long. Common trace elements as iron might last a little longer. But, I definitely would look into this other realm of soil fertility. So, what happens if people are being deprived of trace elements...even tiny gold particles...and their bodies are craving these nutrients, so, they eat more and more of not only foods that are lacking in trace elements but loaded with calories, starch, fat - just bulk and weight producers - and various strange chemicals (from the field and the factory) ...and the ones from the factory that looks like a toxic gobbeldygook circus on the label..and many of the chemicals aren't even listed. They (we) are on a vicious treadmill. In the "Household Hazardous Waste" day long seminar I took, we learned about Alarm Words on cleaning products. We learned that the fewer chemicals listed the better and, of course, no alarm words. So, read those labels. Organic foods come closer to having more trace elements, if the soil has a lot of organic material, and even some extra bone meal, kelp (from the rich sea), etc. added. We need to look at all the ingredients going into the soil today. They should be on labels too. And no signal alarm words that can't be explained. The government requires manufacturers of cleaning products to have a sheet available that explains all these words. You have to send for it. And now just when we need sea food with all those great trace elements from the sea, we find it has mercury and no telling what else?! Also, sea food is getting very expensive, maybe the reason why not as many trace elements are getting in people's diet. Sea food needs to be cleaned up and less costly. The percent of mercury in food should also be on labels. That might discourage people from eating altogether, but it should be done. That will help the powers that be to actually do something. Organic food is also more expensive. Countries should get those filters on smokestacks fast...yesterday...not just for anti-global warming purposes, but to get better nutrition to people of the world. I would say that the weight problem, and probably many medical problems as well, are not caused by calories by themselves, and lack of will power, and poor parental judgement, but the root cause is lack of trace elements...and what causes this. In closing, Dr. Albrecht told of cows, who would be standing in what would look like lush grass, but sticking their heads through the fence to feed on some grass on the other side, grass that might not look too great, but had the nutrients that the cow needed. Amazingly, the cows knew!! Entered on this site, Sept. 18, 2007 - Ron M. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TERRORISM PROBLEM COULD ALSO BE LACK OF GOOD NUTRITION!! THE ABOVE THOUGHTS ON NUTRITION, SOILS ANTHROPOLOGY AND DR. ALBRECHT'S TEACHING have led me to apply all this to the terrorism problem. Lack of trace elements and other good nutrition in the diet of terrorists just might be the cause of the whole cursed problem. Consider this; one of the examples that Dr. Albrecht, Head of the Soils Dept. Mizzou, gave in class as to the effect of nutrients on people was this observation: He said that if you will notice, the fish in the rich delta country of the Mississippi River, are non- aggressive catfish...whereas the fish off the shores of Florida, with sandy shores, are sharks! All the rich soil of the mid-west U.S. washes down the river to the delta. And, of course, our soil here in the mid-west U.S. is some of the best in the world. This soil is priceless and it is washing away...but this is another story. If someway we could get good nutrient packed food, food that hasn't been mined by repeated crops with minimal nutrient replacement (big three chemicals only)...to the hyper-aggressive people, it just might have a major positive effect on the peace effort. Also, if any negotiations are done, make sure that a big dinner is served first. And also make sure that that food at the negotiation session itself comes from good trace element rich soil. So, besides labeling food "organic" how about labeling it "organic and trace-element approved." It would solve many problems. Entered Sept. 19, 2007 RM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE (WE HOPE IT IS TO BEE) A POSSIBLE ANSWER TO THE DECLINE OF BEES. As if society isn't faced with enough major problems, here we are faced with still another one...and this could be the biggest one of all. Our bee friends are dieing! We need the bees to polinate the crops. Scientists are working feverishly to find out why? According to a recent article in TIME there are three major cause theories: A Virus... Parasites...Pesticides. There are pros and cons to each theory. I have another theory to add to the research. When I was a kid I helped the grownups rob bee trees here in the Ozarks Mountains of Missouri. I was mainly their water hauler. I would take a bucket, go down to the creek and bring it back to them. It was very hot - in mid-summer and they needed water to cool off. The method for finding these trees was to put something sweet in a pan, sugar water or something. The bee would come to the pan, then, shoot off in the famous "bee line" to the hive - probably in a hollow tree trunk. Then, the bee-robbers would have to cut the tree down and hack open the trunk with axes. It was incredibly hard work. Anyway, the thought struck me that if the bees were somehow thrown off their bee line, their little directional mechanisms were thrown out of whack, that might be the answer. And the reason for their being thrown off just might be all the electronic "vibes" going back and forth in the atmosphere. We've got cell phone "vibes", TV-Radio land vibes as well as these vibes going back and forth to satellites. Just imagine the delicate nature of the bees mechanisms...and it might just be more delicate than we have any idea. Anyway, this is just a working theory. It would need some lab testing, if it hasn't already been done. Entered Sept. 19th, 2007 - RM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ANNOUNCEMENT: UPCOMING CONFERENCE ON THE HOLOCAUST IN THE UKRAINE; NEW RESOURCES AND PERSPECTIVES. WILL BE HELD IN PARIS, Oct. 1, 2007 - Oct 2, 2007. One of the sessions is: "Where Archaeology and Mass Murder Meet. The Mogila Popowa Excavation of summer of 1943," Martin Eickhoff. Netherlands Institute for War Documentation, Amsterdam. 11:30 a.m. - 1:15 pm Edward J. Safra Auditorium Tues. Oct. 2 Conf. location 2nd Day: Memorial de la Shoah 17 rue Geoffroy 1' Asnier 75004 Paris Metro: St-Paul or Pont Marie RER: Chatelet les Halles Buses: 67, 69, 76, 96, Balabus For Reservations contact: Valerie.ezra@memorialdelashoah.org or call: 33 (0) 1 53 01 17 15 (some other sessions will be held at the Sarbonne). Info. taddled from: Center for Holocaust Studies Newsletter, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. www.ushmm.org entered on this site: Sept. 18, 2007 RM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Monumental project of science in the works: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE The Encyclopedia of Life is really exciting for anthropology and other fields connected to biology. As the reader probably knows, and mentioned on this site, anthropology (the study of humans..or Man if you will) is divided into two main branches - biology and culture. And, then, archaeology one of the five main sub-branches, or "tools" for studying Man, is deeply involved in many aspects of Life (note: most American archaeologists studying American archaeology use this anthropological approach, but not all. Then, of course, there are various types of archaeology). Anyway, plant and animal remains at the dig tell much. What did the ancients eat? When did they commence domesticating certain animals? Pollen grains are great clues. Native Americans had animal totems. Another of the 5 main sub-branches of anthropology here in the Americas is biological anthropology or physical anthropology. All of life is fascinating, and knowledge of life is helpful in many practical ways. Dr. George Washington Carver explored Carver Creek, near Diamond, Missouri, when he was a child, and this was a life wonderland. This would help him in many ways with his great discoveries years later. But he observed life in a scientific way, and this is what many scientists are doing now and will be doing with the new encyclopedia "observing" and getting it all down for humanity - the priceless record and story of life. What a monumental project, and it will be ongoing. Just think of all the species of life - over 1.8 million. We take off our WAS hat to all the scientists involved in the project and to the organizations backing the project. According to a news item in Inside Smithsonian Research, the backing organizations are: The Field Museum, Harvard University, The Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian, Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass...and also the Biodiversity Heritage Library. And, since the project is going to be on the internet, everyone will be able to check in. See: www.eol.org. Aristotle, Darwin, Carver, and all the rest would be amazed. RM - entered July 30, 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPEAKING OF LIFE...the above cited publication INSIDE SMITHSONIAN RESEARCH has an article: "Population decline in North American bird species follows West Nile Virus." by John Gibbon (Summer 2007 Issue). This is very worrisome as we are losing our great old bird friends such as Robin (Red Breast), Blue Jay, house wren, Eastern bluebird, Crow, Tufted Titmouse and the Black-capped Chickadee. The West Nile Virus is a "pathogen". The writer points out that the West Nile Virus shows how easy it is for another pathogen such as Avian Influenza to enter our ecosystem also. He says that wildlife trade is a good way for these pathogens to travel around the globe and says banning such trade should be considered in the western hemisphere. RM - entered July 30, 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Still on the great subject of Life, and to give readers a little idea of why archaeologists are concerned with life. Field archaeologists often go out in the boondocks and live in tents, old trailers and abandoned farm houses. And they get very close to nature. In fact, they even become part of it. As they excavate they get a good feeling of what the ancients delt with. I know that up in South Dakota we were fascinated with large ant hills of both red and black ants. These little archaeologist ants would bring up tiny white trade beads, which could be seen in their ant hills along with other tiny sand grits, etc. There were snakes all over the place...both poisonous and non-poisonous. One of the student shovelhands kept a bullsnake as a pet. Once as we were all sitting out front of tent row at night singing folk songs (he and his wife had brought along a great folk song book), the dumb bull snake vomited on him. Groan. Another time, he was holding a non-poisonous snake behind the head, and sitting in the passenger side of the carryall truck. Another shovel hand came up to look at it - real close - and the snake lunged out and bit him right on the nose. Non-poisonous snakes have tiny little sharp teeth - and the wound commenced gushing blood. I was standing a couple of feet away looking at this. The poor guy panicked. I got him to lay down on the cook tent floor, wiped the blood away and poured on the iodine. What a mess. Then, we heard the music of coyotes at night just as the Native Americans. One night a coyote chased a rabbit through camp. I went fishing right there at the mouth of the Cheyenne River that emptied into the mighty Missouri. I caught a big catfish and turtle; many ancients did the same thing. Excavating a bell-shaped casche pit one time I found the vertebra of a giant catfish. A pro fisherman visiting that day, said that it had to be from a 100 pounder! The archaeologists aren't just looking for artifacts. They are very important true, but the main thing is using all the various clues to tell the story of the ancients. Food can tell about the large food economy picture. And the shaman chewed on the plant snake root for a mild anesthesia prior to his arrow-swallowing routine. Humans, up at the top of the eco-system, better study, protect and appreciate all of the life around them or they (we) may very well end up down in the eco-system pits chewing on snakeroot to dull the pain...if there is any snakeroot left! Rm - entered July 30th, 2007. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Timothy Anderson, age 8 of Milwaukie, Oregon, is interested in ancient Egypt and would appreciate anyone sending him information on the subject. Timothy's Mom tells me that Timothy is disabled. She said that even a folder would be appreciated. Send items to: Timothy Anderson, c/o Samantha Wattenburg 12854 S/E 24th Ave. Milwaukie, Oregon 97222 Item posted, June 5, 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CREDIT CARD DEBT IN ANCIENT ATHENS; HOW DID THE ATHENIANS HANDLE IT? I keep telling kids they better study history and prehistory, but, they make a face like they are taking sulfur and molasses...and say "why study that old dumb stuff?" Here's why...and a good example: The ancient, fledgling, Athenian democracy found themselves with a terrible problem. Many citizens were so far in debt that the rich "holders of the notes," were foreclosing on them...and actually making them slaves!!! And, here were all these citizens becoming slaves. And, in a democracy you have to have free citizens to participate (every individual is important in a democracy). What in the world were they all going to do? Either they were all going to become a slaveocracy...or a bankingocracy if you will ...or a democracy! A great turning point in history was taking place. Yet, human necessity marched on. People desperately needed basic things. They really weren't stupid money-handlers. The problem was really the system. So, what did they do? It was agreed by the council, that drastic measures were needed for a drastic situation. They ruled that for a while they would call in a man named Solon to straighten out the mess. Now, what would he do? It was radical surgery time for the Athenians. Solon absolved all debt and freed those in debt. Can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth of the big money-operators!! You could hear their cries of anguish all across the peninsula. Yes, the problem in Athens was so similar to today's "credit card debt." I was reminded of this today, when a news item came in from the Kansas City (Mo.) Star about rising credit card debt. A survey was conducted and 13% of population owe "more than $25,000. And 64% owe under $10,000. The money big shots will, of course, blame poor money-handling of the citizens, and there no doubt is a certain percentage of that. But, here it all is, written in the scrolls of history...it's no isolated situation today. It's human nature to try and survive. The problem really is the system that allows bleeding the free citizens dry. Galloping inflation. Galloping medical costs. Galloping greed. Lowering of wages...etc., etc. And, now the citizens are slaves all over again. And, I doubt if our "council" Congress has the courage to call in another Solon. If they don't, they will have to absolve debt someway, because you can't have a free society with free individuals to maintain it, and at the same time be slaves to a big operation(s) above. Good luck, and I hope more will read history. One last note. Our society needs big business, because it is a money-generating machine, however, this machine needs to be controlled. The demos rules in a democracy. RM - June 2nd, 2007. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Memorial Day Verse..."The Hall of Heroes." I wrote the following verse for my weekly column...and wanted to share for this Memorial Day, May 28. This particular column was about the many veterans events all year round in the Branson (MO) area. The date the verse first appeared was Nov. 8 (just before Veterans Day, Nov. 11), 2005, Branson Daily News. The Hall of Heroes There stands a monument for our country. It's the grandest structure of all Built by millions of U.S. Veterans A magnificent heroic hall. It's dedicated to all Americans A reminder of freedom's cost So that no one will ever forget All the veterans and civilians lost. Yes, civilians are also builders Of this grand heroic hall All family, factory and helpful folks The battle has taken them all. Each person placed a brick of steel That shines and glitters bright With actions never forgotten In freedom's long hard fight. Also remembered are the rights for all To be protected at any cost By the alert, the brave, defenders strong That our laws will never be lost. "Vets hate war!" is carved in marble "If possible avoid such woe... But aggressors breed at a dangerous rate And it's strength that defeats the foe." So, as we cheer for the veterans builders Of the glittering heroes' hall We know they'll be honored forever And we sharply salute them all. RM May 25th, 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TURKEY WINS OUR WORLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION AWARD FOR THE SPECIAL CATEGORY OF TV AD. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY, TOURISM BUREAU AND AD PEOPLE FOR A GREAT TV AD WITH A VERY CREATIVE HANDLING OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF THEIR COUNTRY. The ad commences with a girl whose image phases into an ancient mosaic portrait of the same girl. The mosaic then phases into a picture of an ancient stone statue with the same basic features of the girl. The government of Turkey is now also running a second TV ad with pictures of antiquity. The basic idea in this one is the man and woman travelling to Turkey. The second ad is very good too, but the first one with the girl's portrait being transformed wins the prize. This is very creative. Our hats are off to all involved, ad people, Tourist Bureau and Government. Keep up the great work! Sincerely, Ron Miller, Dir., WAS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HOT NEWS!!! CHILI PEPPER'S USE VERY ANCIENT IN LATIN AMERICA. Smithsonian lady archaeobotanist Linda Perry makes important discovery using relatively new method of vegetable, starch particle dating, which had been discovered by an Australian archaeologist Tom Loy in 1994. Loy had found vegetable starch particles embedded in an ancient artifact (a stone tool that was 28,000 years old). Perry and colleagues had been intrigued by microfossil starch partlcles from Latin America. It dawned on her that these particles that are very hardy and tenacious down through the ages might just be from peppers? Sure enough, they were pepper starch particles. The particles were associated with artifacts that were dated. The oldest peppers so far come from Ecuador and date back 6,100 years. One site in Peru reveals that peppers there date back 4,000 years. They are still looking for the origen center. And finds, so far, are apparently in Latin America, but it will be interesting to know when chili peppers diffused up into the southwest U.S.A., and who knows, spreading out even farther? And, who knows, hot peppers might have come up from the islands into the southeast U.S.A.? No doubt now, archaeologists far and wide are looking at artifacts in a totally new light, looking for those microscopic starch grains...and not only of peppers but other vegetables as well. Starch grain dating is a major development in archaeology. Finds from our Ozark, dry rockshelters become especially important. This is very exciting. Delores Piperno, of the Natural History Museum and also working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst. and Perry wrote an article on the subject, which appeared in "a recent issue of Science." My source is an article "Chili pepper starch grains linked to ancient settlement sites across the Americas," by Donald Smith in INSIDE Smithsonian Research, No. 16, Spring 2007. Best - Ron Miller. Entered here May 8th, 2007. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTE: I just discovered that Deborah Pearsal, professor of anthropology at the Univ. of Mo., Columbia was a co-discoverer of the antiquity of chili-peppers in Latin America. She also co-wrote the article in Science (Feb. 16th 2007 issue). Linda Perry of the Smithsonian was "lead investigator." See. short article "Some liked it hot," in "Around the Columns" of MIZZOU, Summer 2007 issue. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HOLOCAUST DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE. Everybody get ready. This is a big deal...The Days of Remembrance of the horrific Holocaust. Note: April 15th, 2007 and lasting a week. Our U.S. Congress set up the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. and also established "The Days of Remembrance." According to the website: www.ushmm.org. 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust and one million of these were children. The theme of this years Days of Remembrance is "Children in Crisis, Voices from the Holocaust." Visit the web site and get ideas for what you can do. We have to do everything possible to be sure and remember the terrible Holocaust tragedy. And look around us today. We see the same tin-horn, hateful, braggadosia, ego, rabble-rousers, proclaiming their same old party line of hate/fear/misery. When I was a kid in WWII, and years leading up to WWII, I vividly remember news reels in movie theatres (our TV then), and the pompous rantings of Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Poor dumb people were mesmerized by their rantings. This, of course, led to the horror of WWII. And, the amazing thing is, today I look on the TV screen and see the very same ranting, pompous, ego-maniac characters - with the very same body language and aggressive natures... ...leading the beatdown masses on. Plain and simple, we can't let history repeat itself, and must work hard to battle such forces of evil. And one of the best ways to battle is to show people today what such hatefulness and war-mongering leads too...countless deaths and untold misery. The Holocaust web site runs a line which I will taddle: "The first to perish were the children...From these a new dawn might have arisen." Yitzhak Katzenelsen, Yiddish Poet. The Museum has pictures of little kids in Poland lined up to go to the concentration camp. And, when the Nazis invaded Poland, living conditions were terrible for residents of the Jewish ghetto, and many passed away there and in the uprising. Obviously, we study lots of history and prehistory here at the WAS, and, hopefully, we learn from the studies. But, the particular era of WWII and the Holocaust is one of the times that we absolutely must focus in on and get these lessons out there, and also never forget all the millions of people who suffered. We'll battle the tyrants with truth. Incredibly, some today don't believe that the Holocaust ever happened! What massive denial. Hate, obviously is like opium and dulls the senses. We hope all the churches, businesses, homes, schools and organizations will participate in "Days of Remembrance." See our section Race and Cultural Relations on this web site with thoughts on prejudice that, hopefully, will help. RM - Mar. 22, 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IRAN AND OTHER EASTERN COUNTRIES VS. THE WEST. KIPLING WAS WRONG WHEN HE SAID "EAST IS EAST AND WEST IS WEST AND NEITHER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET." THE EAST AND THE WEST HAS ALREADY MET LONG AGO AND IS INEXTRICABLY AND INEXORABLY LOCKED TOGETHER IN SOMETHING VERY GOOD AND UNIVERSAL...WHETHER THE FIGHTERS ON BOTH SIDES REALIZE IT OR NOT. THIS TREMENDOUS BOND IS LANGUAGE. AND LANGUAGE IS SO POWERFUL THAT IT ALMOST HAS RELIGIOUS QUALITIES. IT GOES ON AND ON BEYOND OUR LIVES AND OTHER PARTS OF CULTURE. THIS WAS POINTED OUT BY THE LATE OLD LINGUIST MAX MULLER. HE SAID THAT ALL THE FIGHTERS SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT HOW CLOSE THEY ARE RELATED WITH THE POWERFUL, LANGUAGE, BONDING INGREDIENT. IF HOSTILES TODAY WOULD GO BACK AND STUDY THE OLD SANSKRIT OF THE EAST IN INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES (INFLUENCED BY THE ANCIENT INDO-EUROPEAN) AND THEN COMPARE WITH LANGUAGES OF EUROPE TODAY THEY WOULD BE AMAZED. WORD ROOTS DON'T LIE. MULLER ALSO POINTED OUT THAT WHEN EUROPE WAS STILL IN A CAVE MAN STATE, THE PEOPLE OF THE SANSKRIT EAST WERE HIGHLY CIVILIZED. ANTHROPOLOGISTS KNOW THE TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE IN CULTURE. IN FACT, ANTHROPOLOGY HAS ADOPTED LANGUAGE STUDIES AS ONE OF ITS FIVE MAIN TOOLS FOR THE STUDY OF MAN. OTHER MAIN BRANCHES ARE BIOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGY, CULTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY. THEN, OF COURSE, THERE ARE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF SUB-BRANCHES...MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, POLITICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, ETC., ETC. BUT, LANGUAGE IS ONE OF THOSE POWERFUL HUMAN GLUES THAT CANNOT BE DENIED. HERE WE HAVE ALL THESE ANGRY, AGGRESSIVE, PEOPLE SHOUTING "WAR, WAR, WAR...KILL, KILL, KILL"...and "WE CAN NEVER GET TOGETHER...WE ARE SO DIFFERENT...AND THE OTHER PERSON IS SO INFERIOR (STRANGE, THEY ARE ACTUALLY CALLING A BIG PART OF THE OTHER GUY - THEMSELVES - INFERIOR!)". JUST STOP HOSTILITIES FOR A WHILE AND EXAMINE THE LANGUAGE CONNECTION. IT IS FASCINATING. AGAIN, AS MULLER POINTED OUT, HUMANS AND MOST OF THEIR CULTURE ARE MATERIAL, BUT LANGUAGE HAS A SPIRITUAL QUALITY THAT GOES ON AND ON. AND, OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY OTHER CULTURAL SIMILARITIES...GREAT BONDS....SUCH AS THE WORSHIP OF ONE ALL POWERFUL DIETY. ANTHROPOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS STUDY A PHENOMENON CALLED..."THE PSYCHIC UNITY OF MANKIND" (IT'S FASCINATING WHEN ONE GETS INTO IT HOW MUCH UNIVERSAL THINKING/LOGIC AND COMMON NEEDS THERE ARE IN ALL CULTURES. THEN, THE ANTHROPOLOGIST USING ALL OF HIS OR HER STUDY TOOLS AS THE MATHEMATICIAN WHO CONSTANTLY WORKS TO FIND THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR, FINALLY DISCOVERS THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THERE ARE SURFACE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, BUT BASICALLY WE ALL HAVE SO MANY SIMILARITIES, THAT IT IS INCREDIBLY STUPID TO KEEP ON BASHING EACH OTHER. WHY NOT ENJOY AND BENEFIT FROM ALL THE SIMILARITIES AND GOOD THINGS OF ALL THE TREMENDOUS CULTURES? "ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE AND ELIMINATE THE NEGATIVE" AS THE OLD JOHNNY MERCER SONG GOES? THE EAST AND WEST HAS ALREADY MET (LANGUAGEWISE) AND IT WAS (IS) JUST FINE. THAT'S A GREAT START. RM - ENTERED MAR. 21, 2007 (AGAIN, SEE OUR SECTION RACE AND CULTURAL RELATIONS ON THIS SITE). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MEMORIAL PUBLICATION FOR ONE OF THE GREAT ARCHAEOLOGISTS, NINA NIKOLAEVNA GURINA (JUNE 17TH, 1909 - SEPT. 9TH, 1990). This, Gurina's last publication, is entitled: THE PETROGLYPHS AT CALMN-VARRE ON THE KOLA PENINSULA; ANALYSIS AND ANALOGIES. Archaeological Studies No. 6, The Institute of the History of Material Culture, The Russian Academy of Sciences. Guest editor, Anne Stalsberg. VITARK, Acta Archaeologica Nidrosiensia, NTNU, Norweigian University of Science and Technology, Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, Section of Archaeology. Taper Academic Press Trondheim, 2005. This is great that the publication was translated into English, and I am sure many are thankful. Editor Stalsberg explains about the "difficult economic situation" in the Soviet Union and the Norweigian University of Science and Technology publishing the work. Norwegians are good people and do good things. And our hats are off to all the fine scientists of Russia and Scandinavia. Gurina was a Russian archaeologist and specialized in the vast area of northern Russia, and especially northwestern Russia and northern Europe. She studied the Mesolithic and Neolithic, some of the very beginnings of civilization. This publication contains a memorial biography written by V.M Masson, N.D. Praslov, V.I. Timofeev. "She was the first to reconstruct the general pattern of the relation between concrete Late Stone Age communities in the forested zone and forest-steppe in the European part of the Soviet Union." The biographers went on to say that "N.N. Gurina made an exceptionally great contribution to the archaeological opening-up of the "white spots" in the extensive territories of the northwestern Soviet Union. Her studies led to the "seminal monograph "Ancient history of the North-western European part of the USSR." Gurina was a true field archaeologist leading many digs. One has to be a hardy soul to do this type of work and especially in the north country. I am just adding this observation. She was a prolific scholar too. The biographers also listed a bibliography of her works. Besides the scholarly works, she also wrote popular type material. While Looking over Gurina's life and works, I am constantly thinking...here's another Dame Kathleen Kenyon type - not that there can really be two of the same - but both are right up there in the top level of the "scientific dig." Both were field archaeologists, and both were very caring types wanting to get archaeology out to the people. I also thought, here's another Marie Wormington right out there in the field, eating it all up with much gusto - and doing great writing and all of them working so very hard. Gurina's report on the petroglyps at Calmn-Varre with all the little stick-figure-like characters of humans and reindeer would be of much interest to all the Baker Street Irregulars, and the many other groups that follow Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adventures of Sherlock Holmes. One of the adventures, and of particular interest here, is entitled: "The Adventures of the Dancing Men." Gurina as Holmes had to decode these strange little enigmatic figures. Both were great detectives. One of Gurina's descriptions says: "Figure 10: a little reindeer calf, perpendicularly under the belly of Figure 9. the calf is 11 cm long. 9 cm high, with a large head. The ears are not separated; the four legs clearly separated." " Figure 11: a double circle, diameter 7.5 cm, 15 cm south of Figure 10. Obviously a solar symbol, indicating the season of calving, i.e. the spring." This is a very significant work. There are many scholars interested in petroglyphs. Also it is a good publication to study methodology. Copies of this publication can be obtained from: International Specialized Book Services, 920 NE 58th Av., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786. www.isbs.com Email:info@isbs.com. Price: $67.00 Ron Miller, Mar/14/07 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -VALENTINE'S DAY STORY - A LITTLE LATE - BUT LOVE IS ALWAYS A GOOD STORY. THIS PARTICULAR LOVE STORY JUST MAY BE THE GREATEST LOVE STORY OF ALL TIME, WITH THE EXCEPTION, OF COURSE, OF ADAM AND EVE. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT ONE IS A BUMMER. THIS STORY IS GOOD. YOU MIGHT ASK, WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH ARCHAEOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY & ART HISTORY? A LOT, BELIEVE ME. WE ARE INTERESTED IN LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS AND MUSEOLOGY AND THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH A LIBRARY AND MUSEUM. ALSO, NO MATTER WHAT THE CULTURE, WHAT THE LANGUAGE, LOVE IS THE UNIVERSAL INGREDIENT THAT "MAKES THE WORLD GO 'ROUND." ANTHROPOLOGISTS (STUDENTS OF HUMANS), IN FACT, SHOULD HAVE A SPECIAL DEPARTMENT AND JUST CALL IT "LOVE."....AND MAYBE EVEN CHANGE ANTHROPOLOGY TO LOVEOLOGY - IT'S THAT IMPORTANT, UNIVERSAL AND INGRAINED IN ALL CULTURE. To give you a little background about how I managed to discover a story about love, my Mom and I had taken my niece Susan over to Baylor University at Waco, Texas. Susan's twin sis Julie was also attending. Anyway, we were looking around the beautiful campus. First, we saw the two Baylor Bears in a zoolike area. Some rich alumnus had contributed these live animals. One picked up a tire (on a chain) and holding it out in front of him squeezed the tire edges together (talk about power!). Holy cats! the strongest wrestler couldn't do that! What a toy...a tire! Susan said we also had to see the Armstrong Browning Library and Museum, a large, grey, marble building. What would this be? Have you ever heard of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning? Elizabeth and Robert were two of the greatest British poets of all time. And, Elizabeth wrote the fabulous collection of love stories (for Robert in 1850) entitled: "Sonnets from the Portuguese." Remember: "How do I love thee; let me count the ways." Just imagine all the copies of this one that have been given to lovers down through the years! And, of course, Robert himself was a great poet...famous for "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", "Rabbi Ben Ezra", and many, many more. At first, the story was a very sad situation. Elizabeth was confined to home. Her parents were very controlling. She had witnessed the death of her young brother, which was very traumatic. Nevertheless, in this pitiful, confined existance, Elizabeth wrote beautiful verse, and she greatly adimired a fellow out there named Browning also writing verse. He was a very nice understanding person. To make a long story short, Robert, who admired her too, wrote her a letter. Love was really blossoming now. Yet, Elizabeth's parents, especially her father, squeezed the dreery tentacles of control even tighter. "No man was going to get my poor frail daughter...she just couldn't take it out there...so, get lost! (|I'm parapharasing a lot). But true love wasn't to be denied! Robert and Elizabeth eloped to Paris and got married! Horrors! But talk about a healing tonic! Put love at the top of the list! The two loving, romantic poets had a ball, and before long they moved to a villa in Florence, Italy, home of many great artists of the Renaissance. This place was absolutely a dream home. Their love flourished and grew. I am sure some stuffy, modern, relationship therapists would caution with a frown... be careful of all that "superficial" romantic love, for there is a thing called: "reality." You've got to get real. But, I hate to tell any kill joys that Robert and Elizabeth's romantic type love worked great! They continued to write their all time great poetry - and shared this love with all of us today and countless future generations. One of the greatest of the appreciators of Robert and Elizabeth and their works was Dr. A.J. Armstrong, Chairman of the English Department at Baylor, University at Waco. He collected items about these great poets, and told students all about them. The collection grew and grew. At first, the items were housed in the Carroll Library. Later, after fund- raising a big library/museum was constructed. The Armstrong Browning Library today has the greatest collection of Browning material in the world. Incidentally, Dr. Armstrong wrote a very helpful little book entitled: "Meeting the Crises of Life," a lecture. Kids of all ages will like this. This publication is made available by "The Baylor Browning Guardian Angels." You might want to write the museum and see about obtaining a copy. As we were going around the Library/Museum in a little tour group we came to a beautiful little four-legged desk belonging to Elizabeth. A chill went up my back as I looked in wonder at this desk where Elizabeth wrote many of her classics. I just remained there a while as the tour group moved on. Well, I must be a true romantic, but also I appreciate "letters" too...and especially creativity. What a great reminder is Elizabeth's little desk about good things of life...of which love and dreaming has to be foremost. Sorry, realists, but that's the way it is. We need more of this kind of love in the world. Today, the Browning Library is a great place for scholars and visitors, and, yes, lovers and dreamers. If you get a chance, be sure and visit the Library...and see the Baylor Bears too! Ron Miller, Feb. 20, 2007. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MONA LISA HAS 3-D SCAN. THE FAMOUS PAINTING OF THE MONA LISA BY LEONARDO HAS BEEN SCANNED BY SCIENTISTS IN A 3-D WAY....AND GUESS WHAT? IT APPEARS THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT! THIS ITEM WAS IN THE LATEST CHAMP-ELYSEE MAGAZINE. WE KID YOU NOT! SCIENTISTS ARE REALLY GETTING GOOD AREN'T THEY - HA. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - EVER HEAR OF RUSSELL, MAJORS & WADDELL? THESE MEN WERE THREE OF THE GREATEST BUSINESSMEN IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. THEY PLAYED A TREMENDOUS PART IN OPENING UP THE WEST. THEY FOUNDED THE PONY EXPRESS. MAJORS HAD A BIG WAGON FREIGHT BUSINESS FROM WESTPORT LANDING ON THE MISSOURI RIVER (NOW KANSAS CITY) ALL THE WAY TO SANTA FE AND BACK ALONG THE FABLED SANTA FE TRAIL. AND, THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE KANSAS CITY STOCK YARDS, OF ENORMOUS IMPORTANCE WITH THE STOCK OF THE WEST BEING FUNNELED THERE. MAJORS WOULD LEAD MANY OF THE OLD WAGON TRAINS HIMSELF, AND TO GET MESSAGES TO VARIOUS PARTS OF TRAINS WOULD USE MOUNTED HORSEMEN. ONE OF THESE MESSENGERS WAS A YOUNG LAD NAMED "BILL CODY." (A FOLDER). CODY AS YOU KNOW WOULD LATER BECOME ONE OF THE PONY EXPRESS RIDERS AND GO ON TO GREAT FAME AS "BUFFALO BILL" AND FURTHER YET TO BUFFALO BILL CODY'S WILD WEST SHOW THAT TRAVELLED TO EUROPE. YOUR WRITER'S MOM, NADINE RICE MILLER RECALLED THAT HER DAD RITCHEY AT ONE OF THESE SHOWS AT JOPLIN, MISSOURI PICKED HER UP AND PUT HER ON BUFFALO BILL'S SADDLE. A LIFELONG THRILL. WHEN VISITING OVER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, YOUR WRITER AND COUSIN JONNA MILLER HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF VISITING THE MAJORS HOUSE IN KANSAS CITY. THE GRAND OLD ANTEBELLUM HOUSE IS ON STATE LINE. THE PLACE WASN'T OPEN, BUT FORTUNATELY A LADY CONNECTED WITH THE MAJOR'S ASSOCIATION WAS THERE AND LET US GO IN THE BARN, CLOSE TO THE HOUSE, WHERE THEY HAVE MANY INTERESTING DISPLAYS OF OLD TRAPPINGS, BUGGIES, ETC. FROM THE GREAT OLD DAYS. WE LEARNED THAT THE MAJORS HOUSE IS UNABLE TO OPEN DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS. I DON'T KNOW OF A BETTER CAUSE FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE THAN THE MAJORS HOUSE. NOT ONLY IS GREAT AMERICAN BUSINESS HISTORY INVOLVED BUT WONDERFUL HISTORY OF AMERICA. EVERYONE, AND ESPECIALLY SHOOL KIDS, SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MAJORS HOUSE AND RUSSELL, MAJORS & WADDELL. WHAT A GREAT ERA AND GREAT HISTORY. WHAT GREAT MENTORS FOR TODAY! I HOPE AMERICA NEVER LOOSES THIS GRAND OLD BUSINESS SPIRIT...AND THAT GOVERNMENT WON'T THROTTLE AND DISCOURAGE SUCH ENTERPRISE WITH SO MANY REGULATIONS. AND FOR THAT MATTER WON'T THROTTLE AND DISCOURAGE ANY INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS, NOT JUST THE BUSINESS PEOPLE. HERE'S THE ADDRESS: ALEXANDER MAJORS HISTORICAL HOUSE, 8201 State Line Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64114. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FROM KANSAS CITY/OVERLAND PARK I TRAVELLED ON TO FORT OSAGE, TEN MILES EAST OF K.C. AND ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. HOW EXCITING TO SEE THIS RECONSTRUCTED FORT FOUNDED BY CLARK IN 1808 AFTER THE FAMED LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNEY. LEWIS AND CLARK ACTUALLY NOTED THE GOOD LOCATION FOR A FORT OUTPOST, TRADING COMPANY. TWO DOCENTS WERE NOW ON DUTY. THEY WERE DRESSED IN CLOTHING OF THE DAY. I LEARNED MUCH FROM THEM FOR CONTINUING RESEARCH ON THE OSAGE AND OLDEN DAYS. AMONG OTHER THINGS, I'M RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF FOOD HERE IN THE MID-WEST (I HAVE ALREADY DONE 17 COLUMNS ON THE SUBJECT, AND THE PROJECT JUST KEEPS GROWING!). MORE LATER ON THIS PROJECT. FORT OSAGE IS A GREAT CHAPTER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. VISUALIZE 78 OR SO SOLDIERS MANNING THE LOG FORT WITH BLOCK HOUSES ON THE CORNERS. THERE WERE TINY GUN SLITS IN THE BLOCK HOUSES AND ALONG THE PALLISADE TYPE WALLS. THERE WERE PLATFORMS A FEW FEET HIGH ON INSIDE FOR THE SOLDIERS TO FIRE OUT. THIS FORT WAS BUILT MAINLY TO TRADE WITH THE MIGHTY OSAGE. THEY HAD THE VALUABLE FURS AND PROBABLY SOME OTHER THINGS SUCH AS VEGETABLES. THE LITTLE OSAGE SPLINTER GROUP CAMPED JUST TO THE WEST OF THE FORT AND THE BIG OSAGE, THE LARGER TRIBE CAMPED TO THE EAST. JUST IMAGINE THESE BIG PEOPLE, HUSKY WITH SOME SEVEN FEET TALL. THEY MUST HAVE TOWERED OVER THE WHITE TRADERS AND SOLDIERS. THE MAIN PLACE OF BUSINESS WAS THE FACTORY HOUSE. THE FACTORY SYSTEM OF TRADE WAS IN OPERATION. THERE WAS A WHITE FACTORY ALSO NEAR THE BIG OSAGE MAIN VILLAGE NORTHEAST OF PRESENT DAY NEVADA, MISSOURI. YOU CAN LOOK AROUND THE FACTORY BUILDING AT FORT OSAGE. THE LOFT WAS THE STORAGE AREA. THERE IS A FUR PROCESSING ROOM. ONE OF THE DOCENTS SHOWED AND TOLD ME HOW THEY TANNED DEER HIDES. THE BRITTLE HARD HIDE IS SOAKED IN 1/10 DEER BRAIN AND WATER. OUTSIDE IS A CONTRAPTION -A BENCH WITH A ROUNDED BLADE IN AN UPRIGHT. THIS WAS A HIDE- BREAKER. THE DOCENT SAID THE NATIVE AMERICANS ALSO USED FLINT TOOLS TO SCRAPE AND BREAK HIDES. THE OSAGE WERE SOMETHING ELSE - THE WARRIORS MOSTLY BALD WITH A ROACH TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE HEAD. SOME ANIMAL HAIRS WERE STUCK IN THAT. THEY HAD A SCALP LOCK DANGLING DOWN FROM ONE TEMPLE. SOME OF THE OSAGE - MOSTLY THE MEDICINE MEN AND WOMEN - HAD TATOOS. THE MARRIED WOMEN HAD THE TATOO OF A SPIDER ON THE BACK OF THEIR HAND. IT MUST HAVE BEEN EERIE WHEN THREE TIMES A DAY THE OSAGE WORSHIPPED WAKONDA. BEGINNING IN THE MORNING THEY WOULD WAIL, MOAN AND CRY OUTSIDE THEIR LODGES. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SOUND THAT ECHOED ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY (SEE MY SERIES OF COLUMNS IN THIS WEB SITE ON THE OSAGE) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FROM FT. OSAGE I CONTINUED WEST TO THE MISSOURI NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGE NEAR MIAMI, MISSOURI...AT VANMETER STATE PARK. AND THIS IS THE LOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI'S LYMAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTER. THE LATE BOB BRAY, AN OLD CLASSMATE AND EXCAVATION/RIVER BASIN SURVEY FRIEND, HAD BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE LYMAN CENTER FOR A LONG TIME. MANY THANKS TO CONNIE GRISIER, HISTORIC SITE SPECIALIST THERE AT THE MUSEUM/CENTER FOR VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION. CONNIE HAS DONE A PROGRAM ON "WHAT DID THE MISSOURI INDIANS EAT?" NEEDLESS TO SAY, WITH MY PROJECT ON FOOD OF THE MIDWEST HER PRINTED INFO ON INDIAN FOOD WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THE CENTER AND PARK IS RUN BY THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. AS YOU MAY KNOW, DOYLE CHILDERS IS HEAD OF THE DNR. DOYLE WAS OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR DOWN IN THE BRANSON AREA. I KNOW HIM WELL. WHEN A SENATOR, HE AND OUR REPRESENTATIVE MAYNERD WALLACE WERE PRESENT AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WHEN GOVERNOR HOLDEN PRESENTED YOUR WRITER WITH THE FIRST KOREAN WAR MEDAL AND MEDALLION, FOR HAVING DESIGNED THE MEDAL AND MEDALLION. THE MEDAL AND MEDALLION WERE GIVEN TO ALL MISSOURI KOREAN WAR VETS. THANKS MUCH TO THEN SEN. SARAH STEELMEN OF PULASKI CO. FOR GETTING THIS MEDAL BILL THROUGH FOR THE VETS. STEELMAN IS NOW OUR MO STATE TREASURER. SHE IS IN CHARGE OF OUR PURSE STRINGS! EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT HER I THINK OF THE OLD SAYING: "IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMETHING DONE, GET A WOMAN TO DO IT!" CHILDERS AND WALLACE ALSO INTRODUCED YOUR WRITER TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE. THEN, I GOT TO SIT DOWN ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. BROTHER-IN-LAW JIM HEWLETT WAS THERE TOO. QUITE AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. BUT MORE LATER ABOUT THAT. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I THEN TRAVELLED ON TO ARROW ROCK, MISSOURI ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER. THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING TOWN IN AMERICA. ALL THE OLD HOUSES THERE HAVE BEEN RESTORED. THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS A GREAT MUSEUM CENTER THERE AND ALSO RUNS THE OLD TAVERN. I WAS ESPECIALLY FASCINATED WITH THE GEORGE CALEB BINGHAM HOUSE. IT'S A LITTLE, RED, BRICK BEAUT. BINGHAM, OF COURSE, WAS ONE OF MISSOURI'S GREAT ARTISTS DOING PAINTINGS AROUND CIVIL WAR DAYS - MANY RIGHT THERE IN THAT LITTLE HOUSE. HE DID RIVER BOAT SCENES AND ORDER NO. 11, PAINTINGS SHOWN IN EVERY ART HISTORY CLASS IN AMERICA. HIS HOUSE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THE BLUFF. WHAT A GREAT VIEW. THE RIVER HAS CHANGED COURSE NOW. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT THE ENGINEERS HAVE HAD TO MAKE A MORE STRAIGHT CHANNEL ALL ALONG THE MISSIOURI AND KEEP IT DREDGED FOR RIVER TRAFFIC. I HAD A GREAT PICNIC DINNER CLOSE TO THE BINGHAM HOUSE. A LITTLE GRAVEL ROAD RUNS BY THE PLACE AND MAKES A LITTLE CIRCLE RIGHT BY A BRICK GAZEEBO WITH FOUR PICNIC TABLES INSIDE. I PULLED MY PICKUP RIGHT BY THE GAZEEBO, LOWERED THE TAILGATE FOR A TABLE. THE GAZEEBO IS LOCATED RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE BLUFF LOOKING DOWN ON THE MISSOURI RIVER BOTTOM, OR I SHOULD SAY A MARSH WITH TREES NOW AS THE CHANNEL HAS CHANGED. THE BINGHAM HOUSE WAS ABOUT 200 FEET BEHIND ME. IT WAS VERY PEACEFUL THERE. SOME TOURIST MAN QUICKLY LOOKED AT THE FRONT OF THE BINGHAM HOUSE AND LEFT. IT WAS GETTING LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND THERE WERE FEWER AND FEWER TOURIST WALKING ABOUT THE SPACIOUS GROUNDS. MY COUSIN JONNA HAD FILLED THE COOLER BOX WITH THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS. I MADE A HAM SANDWICH AND HAD A PIECE OF PECAN PIE. I WENT OVER AND READ THE INFORMATION PANEL - SLANTED ON A STAND - IN THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE DRIVE. I THOUGHT BACK TO DR. HOMER THOMAS' ART HISTORY CLASS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIZZOU AT COLUMBIA WHERE I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO BINGHAM. WHAT A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE, THEN AND NOW. I LOOKED AT SEVERAL BINGHAM PRINTS AT ARROW ROCK...AND BANG IT HIT ME AS I CAREFULLY STUDIED ALL THE ACTION SCENES WITH MANY PEOPLE ON THE STREETS. THOMAS HART BENTON HAD TO HAVE STUDIED BINGHAM'S WORK VERY CLOSELY! THERE IS A VERY SIMILAR MOVEMENT AND ACTION. BENTON ADDED ANOTHER TWIST TO THIS ACTION WITH HIS STAGGERED, OPPOSING, HALF-CIRCLE METHOD. DAD WOULD GET BENTON TO VISIT HIS ART CLASSES AT COFO, AND IT WAS THERE THAT HE EXPLAINED HIS METHOD. BUT JUST LOOK AT THOSE BINGHAM ACTION SCENES WITH PEOPLE DANCING AND MOVING AND THEN COMPARE WITH BENTON'S WORKS. I AM POSITIVE THERE IS SOME INFLUENCE THERE. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS DRS IN AMERICAN HISTORY LIVED HERE, DR. JOHN SAPPINGTON. HE TAUGHT PEOPLE OF THE WEST ABOUT QUININE TO TREAT MALARIA. HE ALSO WROTE THE FIRST MEDICAL BOOK WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE HOUSE BUILT IN HIS MEMORY. ACROSS THE RIVER IS THE BOONE SALT LICK FOUNDED BY DANIEL BOONE'S TWO SONS NATHAN AND DANIEL. THIS WAS A MAJOR ENTERPRISE AS SALT WAS A MUST FOR PRESERVATION OF FOOD AMONG OTHER USES. THERE IS A DIORAMA IN THE DNR CENTER/MUSEUM. BOB BRAY HELPED WITH THAT ACCORDING TO THE GENTLEMAN AT THE DESK. THE TOWN IS RUN BY FRIENDS OF ARROW ROCK. THE POPULATION IS ONLY 79 OR SO. THERE ARE ANTIQUE SHOPS AND BED AND BREAKFASTS. YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY BE AMAZED AT THE VARIETY AND COLORS OF THE ARCHITECTURE. SO MANY HOUSES TODAY ARE ALIKE. THIS IS AN ARCHITECT'S IDEA PARADISE. AND TO BACK TRACK A LITTLE, SO, IS FORT OSAGE. THE FACTORY HOUSE IS OLD FRENCH COLONIAL DESIGN. THE FIREPLACE SMOKE STACK ON THE OUTSIDE IS THE PRETTIEST CHIMNEY DESIGN I HAVE EVER SEEN WITH IT'S WIDE BASE, GRADUALLY TAPERING UP TO THE SQUARED OFF TOP. THE SANTA FE TRAIL RAN RIGHT BY ARROW ROCK. AND, OF COURSE, THEY ALSO HAD GREAT RIVER TRAFFIC. FORT OSAGE WAS ALSO ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL. AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, HERE CAME THE RAILROADS AND ARROW ROCK WENT DOWN HILL. YET, ARROW ROCK IS A GREAT MICROCOSIM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, FROZEN IN TIME. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I ALSO VISITED THE NATHAN BOONE HOME JUST NORTH OF SPRINGFIELD AT ASH GROVE. MORE ABOUT THIS LATER. THIS HOME IS ANOTHER MO DNR SITE. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The above notes were entered Nov. 27, '06. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE NATHAN BOONE HOME NEAR ASH GROVE (NOT FAR NORTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD)IS A BEAUTIFUL OLD PLACE SET IN A SPACIOUS FIELD. EMBARRASSINGLY, I WAS LATE, ARRIVING JUST AT CLOSING TIME. THIS WAS ONE OF THEIR BIG DAYS WITH DEMONSTRATIONS OF OLD TIMEY THINGS...AND NO DOUBT THE STAFF WAS ITCHING TO GET HOME...YET, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THEY WENT FAR AND ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY AND HELPED ME MUCH ANSWERING QUESTIONS....ON FOR AN EXTRA HOUR YET! THAT IS TRULY AMAZING, AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS SO MUCH TO DAVID ROGGENSEES, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGER, NANCY THEE, HISTORICAL INTERPRETER AND DAKOTA RUSSELL, HISTORIC INTERPRETER. HOW GREAT OF THEM TO HELP...AND REALLY GET A GOOD "WINDOW INTO THE PAST" AS THE SAYING GOES. NATHAN WAS VERY IMPORTANT IN MISSOURI. NOT ONLY DID HE AND HIS BROTHER DANIEL START THE FAMOUS BOONE'S LICK SALT CO. JUST ACROSS THE RIVER FROM ARROWROCK (DESCRIBED ABOVE) BUT HE WAS A MEMBER OF MISSOURI'S FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS THAT WAS ACTUALLY HELD AT ST. CHARLES. NATHAN'S ORIGINAL HOME IS IN ST. CHARLES AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE HOME THERE IS OWNED BY LINDENWOOD COLLEGE. THEN, NATHAN SERVED AT FORT GIBSON DURING THE WAR OF 1812. HE WAS A CAPTAIN OF THE MISSOURI RANGERS (WHAT A GREAT NAME FOR SOME MILITARY OUTFIT FROM MISSOURI TODAY). I HAVE A HUNCH THAT NATHAN VISITED FORT OSAGE. I BELIEVE HIS FATHER DANIEL ALSO VISITED THAT FAMOUS OLD TRADING POST - RIGHT ON THE FRONTIER ALONG WITH SOME OTHER FORTS PROTECTING OUR NEW LOUISIANA TERRITORY INTERESTS. IT WAS AN EXCITING TIME IN THE HISTORY OF MISSOURI AND OUR COUNTRY. NATHAN WAS ALSO A SURVEYOR AND LAID OUT FAMOUS OLD ROADS, AND ALSO MAPPED THE CHEROKEE AND CREEK NATION RESERVATIONS IN OKLAHOMA. LATER, NATHAN WAS A MAJOR IN THE FIRST DRAGOONS (1847). NATHAN AND HIS WIFE OLIVE HAD 14 CHILDREN. THEIR SONS HAD BEEN PLANNING A HOUSE FOR THE PARENTS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND, FINALLY, THE HOUSE NEAR ASH GROVE WAS BUILT IN 1856. THIS WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THE FAMED BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND MAIL WOULD FIRST ROLL OUT FOR SAN FRANCISCO - FROM THE END OF THE TRAIN LINE NEAR TIPTON, MO. - OUT OF ST. LOUIS...AND MEMPHIS. NATHAN AND OLIVE DIED HERE AND THEIR REMAINS LAID TO REST IN THE FAMILY CEMETERY. THIS HOUSE ORIGINALLY HAD A WALK WAY, BREEZEWAY IN THE CENTER. WHEN I WAS A KID, MY DAD AND I CAME ACROSS A CABIN OF THIS STYLE JUST NORTH OF BLUE EYE, MO. LATER THE BOONE HOUSE HAD THE CENTER OPEN AREA ENCLOSED. IT WAS MADE OF ASH LOGS (HARD AS ROCK!!!), AND THEN COVERED WITH WALNUT (ALSO HARD AS ROCK!!). LATER, IT WAS COVERED WITH CEDAR ANOTHER HARD WOOD THAT LASTS AND LASTS. THE INSIDE WALL SURFACE WAS PLASTER ON SLATS. SOME PLASTER HAS FALLEN OFF. HERE'S A GREAT CHANCE FOR SOME KINDLY SOUL TO CONTRIBUTE AND HELP RESTORE THE WALLS. I EVEN BET THAT THERE ARE SOME PLASTER EXPERTS STILL OUT THERE WHO WOULD KNOW HOW TO DO THIS AND COULD HELP? CHECK WITH THE STAFF. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER WAYS TO HELP OUT THERE. Ph. 417 751 3266...Address: 7850 N State Hwy. V. Ash Grove, MO 65604...or the Mo. DNR website: www.mostateparks.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - During my travels along the Missouri River I could begin to see, at more than any other time, what a big operation the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is. They not only have to keep their eyes open for pollution creeping here and there all over the state (and we live in an age of pollution!) but they administer the many state historical/prehistorical sites. People doing certain construction work must get permits from them. City well drillers must check with them. They have to monitor city sewer sytems and clean water sources for cities...endless complaints...with much checking of laws...and enforcement too. Doyle Childers, Head of the DNR and all the folks working in the Dept., really have their hands full. Our hats are off to them all! I'm sure they could use more tax reveune for their work. Of course, budgets are tight all over, but this work is so enormously important...our clean environment, taking care of our state's heirlooms (history and prehistory) - and, really, these sites are our country's heirlooms too. They are priceless. Then, Missouri has great mineral, land and other resources too...not to mention people resources...probably the most important resource of all. Also, while driving along the Missouri River bottoms, I marvelled at the rich dark alluvium/loess fields that stretched for miles and miles. What great wealth! This could be one of the main reasons for hostility towards the US in some places of the world. They have sand! I recall, an illustration of Dr. William Albrecht's in Soils class. He said, notice, the rich alluvium of the Mississippi Delta that produces peaceful catfish. Whereas, off the sandy beaches of Florida one finds sharks. Has anyone ever thought of nutrition as an answer to terrorism? But, our soil here in Missouri is fabulous. Of course, we do have the residual hardpan soil in the southern part, but we do have some great soil. Albrecht also said in class that wind blown loess particles coming in from the west are deposited on Missouri land - 1000 lbs. per acre per year. Here's a great treasure we receive free! The soil we used to excavate in the entrance of Graham Cave (now a state DNR administered site) had much loess in the entrance. It stacks up very well, and you can slice great verticle profiles - archaeological murals in the soil. Dr. Albrecht, by the way, helped discover the "Golden Mould" anti-biotic Aureomycin. The soils sample came out of a plot of Sandborne Field along Wilson St. in Columbia. We had an apt. at one time on Wilson St., and I used to watch he and his students with clipboards study the soil there. Then, later, what a thrill to take Soils I with Dr. Albrecht. What a soils-anthropological adventure. He was greatly interested in the overall picture of people/nutrition/lifestyles and soil. He had had travelled the world studying soils and helped with soils build up education, rotation, etc. here in the midwest in much the same way as Dr. Geo. Washington Carver helped the South. And both were from Missouri! The Mo. Conservation Commission is also interested in soils; the fields of conservation and DNR overlap in some areas. By the way Dr. Albrect and his good friend Gene Poirot a soils scientist environmental pioneer, helped much in getting the Missouri Conservation Commission off to a good start. And, just think of the great soil along the Mississippi River too. That soil helped support the big Mississippi Culture in upper antiquity. And the good soil of the foothills and plains helped support the seven foot tall Osage! Today, much of this soil helps feed the world. We are very very fortunate. (Nov. 30th, 2006). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MAY 14TH, IS MOTHER'S DAY. OUR NOMINATION FOR THE ALL TIME GREATEST MOM IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION - NEXT TO THE MOTHER OF JESUS - IS THE LATE EMMA WEDGEWOOD DARWIN, WIFE OF THE FAMOUS BIOLOGIST CHARLES DARWIN. SHE STUCK WITH HER BELOVED BIBLE AND CHRISTIANITY AND WITH ITS PRACTICAL SPIRITUAL HELP CHEERFULLY OVERCAME ALL OF HER HUSBAND'S AND COLLEAGUE'S ATHEISM. SHE ALSO FAITHFULLY NURSED HER HUSBAND THROUGH ALL OF HIS CONSTANT ILLNESSES THROUGH THEIR MARRIAGE. EMMA ALSO TOOK CARE OF THEIR TEN CHILDREN. SHE WAS A GREAT HOSTESS EVEN TO THE ATHEIST GROUPIES. NONE OF THE ATHEISTS COULD PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER AND SEE THE WONDERFUL RESULTS OF WHICH THEY WERE BENEFITING - SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF CHRISTIANITY - RIGHT UNDER THEIR NOSES. IT WAS TRULY THE INDUSTRIAL AGE IN FULL SWING - THE INDUSTRIAL AGE OF EGO (SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST EGO). EMMA HAD EVOLVED TO A HIGHER PLANE OF STUDY INTO THE REALM OF GOD/LOVE/SPIRIT... TRUE "LIFE" OF WHICH JESUS SPOKE. NOTE THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SMALL L OF LIFE OF WHICH HER HUSBAND AND HIS COLLEAGUES WERE ENGAGED...AND THE CAPITAL L OF LIFE IN WHICH SHE WAS ENGAGED. SHE WAS A QUANTUM DISTANCE AHEAD OF CHARLES. OUR HATS THEREFORE ARE OFF TO EMMA WEDGEWOOD DARWIN. THIS GREATEST OF ALL MOMS (NEXT TO MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS) WILL HAUNT THE DARWINIANS FOREVER. SHE ACTUALLY PROVED THE BIBLE CORRECT WITH ALL HER GOOD CHRISTIAN ACTIONS AND THAT THERE IS TRULY A GOD. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<>LATEST MEMBERSHIP INFO: Yearly membership costs: $16.00 U.S., $20.00 all other countries. See: WAS Aims on this site for more information. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Submissions welcome Have a paper, news item or other item? Send it to us. No guarantees that it will be run on our web site or the paper version, but we will look it over. Please enclose a stamped self-addressed return envelope, otherwise we can't return. If a short item, you might want to enclose in an e-mail. Write: ronwriterartist@aol.com. We can't pay, but if selected, it will be good exposure for you. The shorter the item the better. Send to: Ron S. Miller WAS, 120 Lakewood Drive, Hollister, MO. 65672 USA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - See: "More News" - button on bottom of page.	I wrote the following story about cameos for the W.A.S. Newsletter No. 19, July 14, 1978. I had the rare opportunity one time of being Curator of the Schmidt Cameo Collection in the Museum at the College of the Ozarks. Mr. Schmidt was a jeweler in St. Louis and had come from a long line of cameo artists at Idar Oberstein, Germany where a great cameo stone is found. This type of stone has that characteristic white and colored layers with which the cameo artists can paint. Of course, the stone - a form of agate - is very hard and diamond dust is required for cutting. It was a lot of fun working with the Schmidts and students when the Schmidts would visit usually bringing some new gem and perhaps a new book on cameos for the display and cameo library. I spent many hours reading these books and in some cases laboriously translating if in some foreign language. Mr. Schmidt would lecture us on how to spot fake cameos and about many intricacies of the art craft. The Schmidts were wonderful folks. We all became lost in a fascinating world of little gem art going back to ancient Greece and roots even older to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cameo & Intaglio Lore "The Gem of Gems" Beautiful in today's light from a treasure chest of old is a gem. Upon whose surface is carved An elegant, classic face in white. It is a cameo, a sculpted relief As fine as the great statues, Only diminutive in form, Requiring a special carving art. The background is reddish-brown Another, different, colored layer of the same stone Fused by nature to form banded chalcedony "sard." Two pigmented layers with which the cameo artist painted. The hard surface is only slightly glazed Well preserved in the Italic soil for two-thousand years. The features of the carving are striking... A beauty of Rome immortalized. RM There are very few art objects more fascinating and beautiful than cameos and their close relations intaglios. Perhaps you have an heirloom cameo or intaglio in the jewel box? If you do, take a break and go get it, and we will examine it together through our archaeological - gem - art - - historical microscope. There are some good ones, bad ones, old ones,new ones - even some fakes - and some exceptional, artistic treasures around - real objects of art with much historical value that some museums and collectors might like to have. The following thoughts about cameos may help you to better analyze your cameo or a prospective purchase...or if you do not have one, maybe even arouse a cameo-intaglio interest. Cameos are usually small capsulized sculptures in relief. A few cameos are large, plate size such as the famous Augustus Cameo. This "Gemma Augustea" is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. What a beauty this is with the Roman Emperors Augustus and Tiberius and other figures in white relief. Their garments, with flowing folds - transparent where the artist cut thinly to the next darker layer of stone - are unbelievably realistic. The design has been beautifully executed to fit within the irregular outer shape of the stone. Most cameos, however, are small, silver dollar size to the size of a dime or your little finger nail. The classic shape is oval, although some are rectangular or square with possible rounded corners. Cameos can be sculpted from a variety of materials such as stone, shell, glass and ivory. Josiah Wedgewood (1730 - 1795 made cameos out of his beautiful and famous white on "Jasper Ware" (blue being the most famous color). Some of his classic, cameo designs were exact reproductions of gems from antiquity. Not all were brooch cameos. They were mounted on bracelets, sword handles, toilet boxes, bell pulls, cloak pins, lamps, cabinets, etc. (see: Wedgewood and His Imitators, N. Hudson Moore, Fredrick A. Stokes Co., N.Y., 1909 pp. 56-58). One time, the late cameo collecctor, Edgar Schmidt examined a very dirty, inconspicuous cameo that a man had found on a downtown street of a large city. Using a toothbrush and some toothpaste (which contains a fine abrasive) he cleaned it and discovered a fabulous blue and white Josiah Wedgewood cameo set upon a beautiful, exquisitely crafted, gold mount. I should note that the setting or mount is a very important part of the cameo. Another time, Mr. Schmidt had a mysterious cameo in his big collection, and for a long time its material defied identification. It was a little figure in an oval, glass-covered case with an over-all height of about two inches. One day, his sharp jeweler's eye saw a tiny sliver of something in the bottom of the case that had fallen off of the main figure. He discovered that the sliver was wood, and the mystery of the material was solved. I should add that cameos made of wood are not very common. Cameos have also been made from the shimmering opal, pink coral (a very hard material that takes a high polish), hematite (fine grain iron ore that has a shiny, blue-black finish when polished, although some iron ore is red), turquoise, fine grain volcanic stone from the Naples, Vesuvius area and a few rare ones have even been made from diamonds...and the next hardest stone ruby. With reference to the volcanic stone, Mr. Schmidt told me that such volcanic stone used for cameos (and he has many such cameos in his collection) comes in different colors, each taking its delicate color from the color of the stone next to which the volcanic rests. The Naples area, by the way, is today one of the main cameo manufacturing areas of the world. (I have to stop here. The above is less than half of the article). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - News Item. May 28, '04. MEDAL FOR MISSOURI KOREAN WAR VETS DESIGNED BY RON MILLER. THE FIRST MEDAL PRESENTED BY GOV. BOB HOLDEN WAS AWARDED TO RON IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, JEFFERSON CITY, MAY 11, '04. PRESENT WERE GOV. HOLDEN, RON'S RELATIVES, GEN. SHULL, THE MO. ADJUTANT GENERAL, SEVERAL OFFICERS AND STAFF OF MO NATL. GUARD, SENATOR DOYLE CHILDERS (RON'S AREA), REP. MAYNARD WALLACE (RON'S AREA), SENATOR ANITA YECKEL OF ST. LOUIS, WHO HAD MUCH TO DO WITH THE PASSING OF THE MEDAL BILL. ALSO PRESENT WERE SOME OF THE VET'S COMMISSION AND MANY FROM THE PRESS. AFTER THE PRESENTATION AND INTERVIEWS RON WAS INTRODUCED TO THE HOUSE OF REPS BY MAYNERD WALLACE. REP. DENNIS WOODS ALSO FROM RON'S AREA, CAME UP IN THE GALLERY AND GAVE CONGRATULATIONS. THEN, IT WAS OVER TO THE SENATE WHERE SEN. DOYLE CHILDERS INTRODUCED HIM. THEN, RON HAD HIS PICTURE TAKEN WITH SENATOR SARAH STEELMAN IN FRONT OF LARGE PAINTING OF GENERAL JOHN J. "BLACKJACK" PERSHING (FROM MO). THIS WAS IN THE ANTE-ROOM JUST OFF THE SENATE FLOOR. SENATOR STEELMAN REPRESENTS PULASKI CO. AREA (INCLUDES FT. LEONARD WOOD) AND SHE ALSO PLAYED IMPORTANT PART IN CREATING THE MEDAL. THE AP SENT OUT THE STORY FAR AND WIDE, AND IT WAS RUN AS FAR AWAY AS SACRAMENTO, CA. RON AND FAMILY HAD A GREAT TIME VIEWING MURALS OF THOMAS HART BENTON IN THE GOVERNOR'S LOUNGE. BENTON WAS A FAMILY FRIEND HAVING GONE TO SCHOOL WITH RON'S GRANDMOTHER, GEORGINA ELIZABETH DAVIDSON AND HER SISTERS AND BROTHER AT NEOSHO. BENTON ALSO KNEW RON'S LATE DAD STEVE MILLER, ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE AT THE COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS. BENTON OFTEN STOPPED AT THE MILLER HOME ON TABLE ROCK LAKE.
Interesting AP report out from here in Missouri (Tuesday, March 23, 2004). An ancient bison skull "bison antiquus" the forerunner of the modern bison was found exposed on a sandbar on the Missouri River close to Jefferson City. It has been verified. The date "is between 13,500 and 14,000 years old." The skull of a modern bison measures about 24 inches wide, whereas the ancient bison measures 32 inches. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Note: Your writer has excavated modern bison skulls working as a shovelhand on a Smithsonian dig in northern plains (just north of Pierre, South Dakota). This was in the river basin salvage archaeology days when many dams were being built in the US. The Arickira so worshipped the bison that they would put the skulls on the roofs of their semi-subterranean lodges - conical/dome shaped roofs. These collapsed with time and left large dish like depressions. The skulls were found near the floor. We also found numerous bison scapulas they used as shovels. Much digging involved building these homes and also the big moat surrounding the village. Lewis and Clark recorded this particular village(at mouth of Cheyenne R.) as being in smoldering ruins. They had to move out probably because of small pox. The famous Folsom points were found in association with the ancient bison. That mattrix was dated at 10,000 years. Dr. Frank H.H. Roberts, Dir. of Archae. at the Smithsonian at that time verified the Folsom matrix. He later also excavated the Lindenmeyer site/Colorado. He was in charge of all the digs when I was helping out. Dr. Waldo Wedel was our particular Dig Director. Our tents and equipment had been used at the Lindenmeyer dig. It was exciting to get to meet Roberts when he came to visit. But back to bison. The ancient bison are at the heart of some fascinating scholarly history. Before the finding of the Folsom bison, many archaeologists believed that Man had just gone back 4,000 years or so. What a bomb shell when the Folsom find came to light back in the early 1920s. Much scholarly crow had to be eaten!!	The following writing is a column scheduled for publication shortly, but you get it first. It is about the study of language. Linguistics is one of the anthropologist's most important tools. It is right up there with the other man-study branches, cultural anthro., archaeology, biology, psychology...and I always add Theology. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Language is Civilization, Part II As strange as it may seem, one of the most useful building blocks in the Middle East just could be the study of language. At first, when we of the west look at that land and its people we shake our heads and say, "They are sooooo different!" We have nothing in common. Kipling said: "East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet." But Kipling didn't realize that east and west have already met. Many of the East and we are related in a great way with language! The old linguist Max Muller told the story about the British and their superior attitude when first going into India in the 1700s. They were revolted by the people - some very dark skinned; they had different ways and spoke a different language. The British noses were up in the air. But to their utter shock, the linguists discovered that their languages were related! This couldn't be, but the analysis of word roots didn't lie. And to rub salt in the British wound, it was discovered that the old language of India, Sanskrit, was older than their own! Yes, horrors, when England and the rest of Europe was in the Stone Age, people of India were civilized and enjoying a rich language. The Aryans of India were speaking Sanskrit in 1500 B.C. The Aryans, the light skinned people, had come out of central Europe. So, there was (is) a racial mixture in India of light and dark skin...and the same with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and other areas. Then, the Indo-European language would be influential in the languages of the ancient Greeks, Latins, Germans, French, Welsh, Russian, the Kurdish of northern Iraq, also that of Iran and Afghanistan and others. Even the Gypsys migrating into western Europe in 1200 brought elements of Indo-European language with roots of Sanskrit. But, back to the British in India and the Indians. They were all amazed to learn of their language connection, and it helped their situation greatly. Muller said of European countries in his day: "Whatever the so-called national antipathy between people speaking Slavonic and Teutonic and Romanic languages may be, they have now to learn a new lesson - a lesson that may bear good fruit in the future, namely, that these very Slavonic, Teutonic, and Romanic languages, which at present divide the people who speak them, belong to one and the same family and were once spoken by the common ancestors of these divided and sometimes hostile nations. Muller also noted that a people's language is vastly more important than color of skin, hair, eyes and shape of head, all of which will return to dust. Muller gave several examples how linguists trace word origins: "Thus birth was originally bhar, to bear, plus a demonstrative element ti, in English th, which localizes the act of bearing here and there. 'The Sanskrit bi-bhar-mi shows us the same root reduplicated, so as to express continuous action, and followed by m i as a personal demonstrative. Bearing-I comes to mean, I bear. 'The English bear-able is a compound of bear with the Roman suffix able, the Latin abilis, which expresses fitness." The above also illustrates another point Muller made about just how much word smithing, glueing parts of words together, and work and creativity went into the building up of language down through the ages. Yet, all of this hard work is just ignored by most people. This wonderful acomplishment of humanity, the most defining thing about humans, language, is just taken for granted. Muller said that English has the largest vocabulary and today it is the widest spoken language. It's fascinating, we not only speak the "King's English" but also a little bit of the Maharaja's Sanskrit of the ancient Hindi and Urdu! More next time about language. Ron Miller, Apr. 16, '04
George Caleb Bingham House Arrow Rock, Missouri Photo by Ron Miller Nov. 27th, 2006	Courthouse at Twilight Marshall, Missouri Town Square Photo by Ron Miller, Nov. 27, '06 Note: I was coming from Arrow Rock and going through Marshall, Mo. and the site of the courthouse at twilight with its American flag in lights on the front caught my eye. I stopped, and shot this picture...a classic American courthouse. Ron