Post by doubs43 on Jul 27, 2007 20:40:20 GMT -5
This picture, taken in 1972 by my father, shows an 1858 Remington New Army .44 caliber cap & ball revolver on two mill burr stones.
The revolver, a transition piece between the original 1858 Remington and the New Army Model with characteristics of both, has been in the family since the Depression when my grandfather paid $2.25 for it. It had been used in the American Civil War by a Union officer in the Maryland Guard. Sometime after the war he shot himself with it. It was last fired back in the late 1950's when I loaded it and shot it. It now resides in my gun safe.
The large burr stones were used in the family mill to grind grain into meal or flour. They were probably removed from service when the mill power source was changed from water wheel to diesel engine. They sat in the mill for many years until my father found a new use for them
Our house was the last one on the East end of town and we were having a problem with people using our drive to turn around, resulting in ruts being cut in the lawn. My father brought the stones from the mill and placed them at just the right place for careless drivers missing the driveway to run into the stones. The stones weigh many hundreds of pounds and running into them was guaranteed to damage your car or truck. Problem solved. They remained in place for several years and my mother even planted flowers in the hole. Then my father realized that they were valuable to collectors and worried that someone would steal them some night. They are now behind the house, presently owned by my Nephew, and out of sight.
The picture was taken with an Exakta RTL-1000 on Plus-X film rated at ISO 160. Lens was likely a 50mm f/3.5 Tessar.
Walker
The revolver, a transition piece between the original 1858 Remington and the New Army Model with characteristics of both, has been in the family since the Depression when my grandfather paid $2.25 for it. It had been used in the American Civil War by a Union officer in the Maryland Guard. Sometime after the war he shot himself with it. It was last fired back in the late 1950's when I loaded it and shot it. It now resides in my gun safe.
The large burr stones were used in the family mill to grind grain into meal or flour. They were probably removed from service when the mill power source was changed from water wheel to diesel engine. They sat in the mill for many years until my father found a new use for them
Our house was the last one on the East end of town and we were having a problem with people using our drive to turn around, resulting in ruts being cut in the lawn. My father brought the stones from the mill and placed them at just the right place for careless drivers missing the driveway to run into the stones. The stones weigh many hundreds of pounds and running into them was guaranteed to damage your car or truck. Problem solved. They remained in place for several years and my mother even planted flowers in the hole. Then my father realized that they were valuable to collectors and worried that someone would steal them some night. They are now behind the house, presently owned by my Nephew, and out of sight.
The picture was taken with an Exakta RTL-1000 on Plus-X film rated at ISO 160. Lens was likely a 50mm f/3.5 Tessar.
Walker