Howdy, Here's a little off-beat - August, 1849 - account from 49er Reuben Cole SHAW's journal: "We had excellent opportunities for the study of human nature and soon learned the character of the men composing our company, who, as a rule, proved to be moral, industrious, and agreeable, and yet we had among us the PRINCE OF CRANKS. He was a chronic grumbler and nothiing ever met his approval. He was always hungry and thirsty, forever tired and sleepy, to indolent to carry wood and water, and too lazy to wash himself or bathe the saddle-galls on his mules. "He would lie, cheat, and steal, shirk guard duty whenever he could frame an excuse, and was a regular all-around nuisance. He never looked on the bright side of anything, and had no eye for the beautiful unless it was cooked:-); he never saw a grand old mountain until he had thumped his head against it, and then cursed because it was in his way. "He could never understand how anything was to be gained by coming in contact with so much grandeur and ruggedness. On one occasion as we were about to encamp on the bank of a stream, in alighting from his mule he sprained an ankle. Seating himself on a rock and baring his foot, he called the doctor, who gave the foot a glance and said, "wash it," and then passed on. After washing his foot the Doctor was again consulted, who ordered him to wash the other foot. He obeyed the order, after which his hurt was properly cared for. "At another time, being remonstrated with for abusing his mule, he flew into a passion and threatened to "do up" the whole crowd, when the boys took him to the river, and I will venture the assertion that he never, living or dead, got a more thorough or lively bathing. Such men as HE should have been born too late to cross the plains in '49." Tempts you to wanta re-think reincarnation:-))) Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>