Happy Thanksgiving (November 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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Happy Thanksgiving! The Horsetown Improvement Society is planning a Thanksgiving Dinner for the homeless. The main course will be an emu roasted in the Briggsville lime kiln. There is some controversy over recipes for stuffing. Would pine nuts work instead of chestnuts? Can acorn meal be used to thicken the gravy? Address all suggestions to the Society, "Attention: Gloria."

--BTW

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Note: This was an "inside" joke: Gloria Clark was the long-suffering wife of Dr. Gene Clark, who organized the Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve at the site of the first gold discovery in Shasta County. [MRW]

Pig (October 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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It seems that a farmer was taking a pig to the livestock exhibit at the fair when he had a fender bender and had to get his truck to the garage. Jack Haner happened to be passing by and he offered to take the pig on down to the fair. The very next day the farmer spotted the pig riding around with Jack and naturally asked what was going on. Well, it turned out that Jack and the pig had such a good time at the fair that they decided to take in a ball game the very next day. 

--BTW

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The Bridges of Shasta County (September 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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Well, it's been quite a summer. Way back in June, I decided that the 1996 Covered Wagon really needed an artistic photo essay on the bridges of Shasta County. So first crack out of the barrel, I strapped a camera around my neck and took off cruising around in my truck.

You know I had forgotten just how friendly people are. The first place I stopped to ask about picturesque old bridges, the lady couldn't think of any, but she asked me in for punch and cookies while she thought some more. Well, she never thought of any but we sure had a great time talking. 

I tried another place the next week and would you believe that almost the same exact thing happened. The lady there was very helpful and friendly. She couldn`t think of any old bridges, but her goodies were delicious.

Gosh, that's just the way it went all summer. I got acquainted with a whole bunch of real nice ladies who are just fascinated with old bridges and stuff. but I never got to take even one picture. Somewhere along  the way I misplaced my good sun hat and Hillary's camera. I think it was at that place where the lady baked some kind of herbs in her brownies. Gosh, I wish I could recall where that was. 

--BTW

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Curation (May 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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Among recent additions to our library is a collection of "Wanted" posters that were prominently displayed in post offices all over the country. This was a gift from an anonymous donor who stated that the collection included his ancestors for the last six generations.

In accordance with current museum conservation practice, the posters have been mounted on flypaper and sealed in Saran Wrap. They were then sorted in accordance with the various crimes committed. As a matter of interest, we have six boxes of cattle thieves, but only two of bigamists. This is an interesting commentary of what our forebears considered important enough to prosecute during the formative years of our country.

The collection is of significant value to genealogists. For example, on just one rainy afternoon your editor was able to document his family tree all the way back to colonial times. 

--BTW

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Hybridization, Part 2 (April 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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Awhile back one of our members, a noted authoress, mentioned that she had spotted what appeared to be a two-legged pig with feathers near the Whitmore Fire Hall. Right away I sensed that this was something out of the ordinary that might be interesting to our readers. So I made a point of discussing this with some of the naturalists from the Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve, and we uncovered a fascinating story.

Evidently Mother Nature has managed (Lord knows how) to breed a turkey with a wild boar. These beasts are quite shy and are rarely seen. However, during mating season they produce a distinctive call that has been compared to that of a coyote trapped in a washing machine. The "borkey's" main diet consists of digger pine cones and mashed acorns. The taste of the meat is difficult to describe; it has to be experienced.

These animals can be domesticated and raised just like any other livestock. But because they roost in trees, they have to be herded with a helicopter. Also one has to be very cautious when roping them. Early on there were some really bad accidents when the loop got caught in the rotor blades and the cowboys didn't think to let go. 

--BTW

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James McSheehy (March 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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Moving momentarily away from our area, I would like to share some remarks made by San Francisco Supervisor James McSheehy, circa 1918 to 1941. As McSheehy once said, "These are crouched in language which is perfectly oblivious."

"It has all the earmarks of an eyesore."

"You are putting the horse before the cart."

"Ladies, I have here some figures which you can carry in your heads, which I know are concrete."

"I may have been ill and unable to attend meetings, but no one has a right to say I've been incumbent."

Gosh, if James is till around, I wonder if he would like to write the newsletter.

--BTW

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Setting Fence Posts (February 1995)

This post is part of a series of editorials written by Bert Walsh during his tenure as president and past president of the Shasta Historical Society. Readers are advised that his humor is often irreverent and rarely politically correct. 

Click here for the table of contents for the entire collection of his editorials.

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Recently I had occasion to drive a row of metal fence posts into the ground. After the January rains this turned out to be easy work. However, digging holes for the corner posts was like trying to bail sludge with a round-point shovel. That job will have to wait 'til the ground firms up and then we can stretch the wire in July after the ground has set up like concrete. Whoever said that there is a time and place and season for everything really had it right--at least in regard to Shasta County soil conditions.

Maybe this also applies to what the Society does. Back in the 1970s whenever we received a request for information, it was brought up at a general meeting and someone would volunteer to come up with an answer-usually from memory. Today, we outfield one or two phone calls per day. About 20 or 30 people per month show up at the library with notebooks to do serious research, and Hazel McKim somehow manages to stay ahead of the questions that come in by mail. No doubt about it-there is increased public interest in local history, and we are at the right place with the right stuff at the right time. Now if we can continue to attract the right volunteers to help us do our thing, we may yet get organized.

--BTW

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