Friday, April 29, 2016

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for April 29, 2016


My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Family History Blogging: Leaping into the Online World by Lynn Palermo, author of The Armchair Genealogist
  2. My Grandmother on the S.S. Nea Hellas by Carol Kostakos Petranek, author of Spartan Roots
  3. Five Keys to Leaving a Visual Legacy for Future Generations by Andrew and Rachel Niesen for FamilySearch Blog
  4. Century Old Chautauqua Friendship Comes Full Circle by Patricia Desmond Biallas, author of GeneaJourneys
  5. Using AncestryDNA as Research Guidance by Marian Pierre-Louis, author of Marian’s Roots & Rambles
  6. How to Preserve Family Photos AND How to Preserve Your Genealogy Research by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  7. Learning About The Census by Emily Kowalski Schroeder, author of Growing Little Leaves
  8. Were You in the Newspaper and You Didn't Even Know It? by Dana Leeds, author of The Enthusiastic Genealogist
  9. Visiting Prussia for the Time-Traveling Genealogy Blog Party by Nancy Loe, author of Sassy Jane Genealogy
  10. 4 Easy Ways to Label Family Photos by Denise May Levenick for Ancestry Blog
  11. Protect Your Family Photos & A Giveaway! AND Top 10 Resources to Help Date Your Old Photographs by Lisa Lisson, author of Are You My Cousin?
  12. School+Genealogy: Our Civil War Ancestors by Melissa Corn Finlay, author of The Finlay Family
  13. Texas Land Records and Taxes by Christine Manczuk, author of Ancestry Island
  14. Stories and Leaves: A Ward Family History Tree by Devon Lee for Family Locket
  15. free family tree (free download) by Allison Kimball, author of simple inspiration


RootsTech 2016 ~

This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contribution to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Jana’s Place

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Ebenezer's Paper Was Published



Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster

In a previous post, I shared the exciting discovery that my maternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster, invented a dehorning chute. He was granted a patent for his invention on April 15, 1890.

While doing a search for Ebenezer on Google, I was excited to find a paper that was written by him. It was published in the Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture published in 1890.1

This publication and Ebenezer's paper can be found in Google Books by clicking HERE. In this publication, Ebenezer's paper was introduced as follows:
"The next subject to enlist attention was a paper from the veteran dehorner E. P. C. Webster, of Marysville, which paper will be found on the following page."
The title of Ebenezer's paper was Should Dairy Cattle Be Dehorned?

Here are screenshots of the paper. A transcription follows.

Page 1

Page 2

Transcript of Ebenezer's Paper.


Should Dairy Cattle Be Dehorned?
By Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster

Should dairy cattle be dehorned? Yes; why not? I suppose the subject of dehorning is at the present time receiving as much attention as any subject pertaining to our stock industry. I have no doubt there has been some bungling work done, and that there has been some very unfavorable reports circulated. But it is essentially true that those reports are either false or the fruits of imperfect work. Either the operator did not know where and how to cut, or he did not hold the subject in a proper manner to perform the operation. But I am thoroughly convinced that the loss reported from dehorning has been greatly overdrawn.
            It is hardly possible that an intelligent man at the present time needs any time or space to prove to him that dehorning pays; so I will speak mostly on the manner of performing the operation. I was very ignorant on the subject when I began to dehorn cattle. All I knew was that I wanted to rid my cattle of the miserable horns. I commenced as low as anyone, and have studies up and practiced, until today it is a wonder to me how I ever dehorned so many cattle under such unfavorable circumstances. But such seemed to be the necessities of the case, that I had to do it some way. As I always was very careful, I happened not to kill any animal up to this time, not out of 30,000. I consider that very remarkable—almost a miracle. I have found that experience and some knowledge of cow anatomy is a great help, and the more experience the better. Some good common sense will do no hurt.
            Before a man commences he should know what he wants to do, and how to do it, and the reasons why.
            I believe in specialists as applied to dehorning, the same as any other profession, on the principle that the more a man does in a certain line the more expert he becomes. And the more he as to do the better instruments and appliances he can afford to have.
            I cannot believe Mr. Haaff’s plan, “every man his own dehorner,” is conducive to the best results, for this reason, that if every man bought his book and studied and followed it, by the time he got his own cattle dehorned he would only then be a beginner. The consequence would be the cattle would all be dehorned by beginners, and in the nature of things, no one would be as well pleased in the end as though he had hired a specialist with all the improved appliances to come and do his work at ten cents per head. I take this ground, and here I stand firm on the principle that no man can strike it right every time without some practice. And then he must have some way to hold his subject, so that a good surgical operation can be performed, knowing first where to cut, then being able to do it as exact as a carpenter saws to the scribe, so that he may not only gain the maximum speed, but reduce the pain to the minimum. Mr. Haaff, the great originator, has told the people that the horns can be removed, and fought it through on that line. But how to do it practically and satisfactorily, has been left to your humble servant.
            He says, cut down at the matrix. I take exceptions right at this point. Cut the bone off at the matrix or above it, and there we are very liable to have trouble as a result. In the first place, a long, tedious sore, because the matrix, in trying to throw off a bony cap to cover the cavity, and the skin at the same time is trying to grow over it. And here an inflammation is set up by the contending forces of nature, which extends through nervous sympathy to all the adjoining structures. So, as a consequence, the animal’s jaws will be sore, the sides of its neck will be sore; in short, all the muscles to which the fifth pair of nerves ramify will be sore.
            But if the matrix be dissected out clean, there is no longer a cartilaginous ridge for the skin to raise up over. There is no attempt at bony growth, but the skin grows right over the wound in a healthy animal, at the rate of about an eighth of an inch daily, and heals over as smooth and with as little suppuration as any common wound, until the flesh meets and there is scarcely a scar left to mark the spot. Then in that case we have a perfectly symmetrical head instead of a broad, square-topped head with stubs on each side, which not only look ugly, but strengthen the skull and increase the tendency to butt a thing that otherwise never would be attempted. Another thing, cutting too far out results in excessive bleeding in some cases, because outside of the matrix the blood flows through bony channels and the saw does not stop them, but behind the matrix those blood vessels are in the flesh and the mangling tendency of the saw closes them. The saw should be so constructed that the horn can be taken off with the greatest ease and the fewest strokes; should be long enough to give a good natural-stroke motion to the arm. It should have a strong steel back, with handle set low, so that the cutting edge is on a line with the forearm, and wide enough between back and blade to allow it to curve out at the proper time, so as not to sever the vein that runs across the ear.
            As for its being cruel, I say if the animal is properly held and the operation properly done, it is humane in the highest sense. There are many painful operations inflicted on our animals that are vastly more severe than dehorning, but such are the customs and necessities that we don’t stop to ask whether or not they are painful. Dehorning will become as general as castration all over the world in time, and the people will become so used to muleys that horns won’t be fashionable and won’t look well. Then the cry of cruelty will have been forgotten. Painful or not, we should dehorn. Better hurt 20,000 cattle than to have one person killed. This reminds me that I dehorned a Jersey bull that had hooked a woman in the mouth, knocking out six front teeth and tearing her cheek open to the ear. Then there are other minor reasons for dehorning. (1) The saving of a vast amount of loss of stock. (2) The saving of time and space in handling and housing. (3) The great saving of feed.
            It has been said that dehorning would injure the milk and butter qualities of the cow and her progeny. That is something that has no foundation for argument. You might as well say that the dismemberment of a hoof or tail or an ear would affect the milk-producing functions. People ought to take a common sense view of such things. I can say that I have lived with dehorned cattle for four years, and I know that my cows never did do as well when they had horns as they have since dehorning.
            Here are the words of Mr. Huse, of Manhattan: “My cows are Shorthorns. If any differences, they give more milk than they did before. If I was milking a hundred cows I would dehorn them by all means. I consider dehorning a great kindness.”
            Mr. I. N. Coard, Pawnee City, Neb., says: “Dehorning did not injure my cows in the least. It is the kindest act that can be performed in cattle.”
            Clarence F. Hunt, Superintendent for the dairy department of the Windsor farm, Denver, Colorado, says: “Dehorning is here to stay. We milk now one hundred cows, consisting of full-blood Holsteins, Jerseys and Swiss, and grades of all breeds. Since dehorning they have done better than before.”
            Alden E. True, of Paxico, says: “Dehorning did not injure the milk qualities of my cows in the least; I think dehorning cannot interfere in that direction. I regard dehorning as a great benefit to cattle-raisers and dealers. It is a kind of work that has a right way to be done, and I am sorry to say that there are many cattle that show conclusively that there is a wrong way.”
            H. M. Kirkpatrick, Exchange, Kansas City, says: “I am greatly pleased with the results. It did not interfere in the least with the milk. Of mine, some were fresh, some were strippers, some within a few days of calving. Some were pure-bred Holsteins and Jerseys. Not one lost a calf or a feed. It is a satisfaction now to see them feeding together like so many sheep, none fearing former bosses.”
            Various gentlemen, well qualified to form an intelligent opinion, have expressed themselves in explicit terms, signifying that dehorning has not and cannot injure the milking qualities of milch cows, while many have reported a considerable improvement. Personally, I do not consider the horns as having any bearing on the question. In my opinion, the improvement came from the fact of the cows becoming more docile, in consequence of being dehorned.
            Governor Hoard’s theory on the nervous temperament is unsupported by any facts.
            The best age to dehorn cattle is from six months to a year old, and the time that I would advise is any time when there is no danger of being fly-blown. I never knew of cold weather producing any bad effect. Rich breeders who have specially fine herds may have good and valid reasons for not dehorning, and in that special domain I do not wish to be considered an aggressor.

***End of Paper***

It really is fascinating to read something written by an ancestor. I wouldn't have known anything about Ebenezer's paper if I hadn't searched for his name on Google.

So, here's a tip for my fellow genealogists: search for your ancestors on Google. Also, make sure to use name variations in your searches. Ebenezer was listed in this publication as E. P. C. Webster, not Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster. In a search using "Ebenezer P C Webster" this publication was not listed in the results. I'm not sure if this publication would have been listed in the search results if I hadn't searched for "E P C Webster."

Here's another tip. Search in Google Books for your ancestors too. You never know what you may find.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved



1 Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture. Topeka: Kansas Publishing House, 1890. E P C Webster, Page 47. Google Books. University of Michigan, 2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for April 22, 2016


NOTE: Fab Finds may be on hiatus next week. I’m in the midst of some rather large home improvement projects right now – tile and carpet installation, and fireplace remodel.

We have already had the tile replaced in our entry hall, as well as tile installed on our brick fireplace. New carpet will be installed the first week of May. There’s a lot of preparation that goes along with carpet installation, including removing all books from bookcases, removing and packing away items from the curio cabinet, clearing things out of closets, etc.

Also, we have a son who is getting married in June. Yay! I volunteered to make their wedding video. I’m in the process of gathering photos from digital files. I also still need to do a lot of scanning from photo albums for the video. Once that is finished, the happy couple will need to choose the photos they want in their video. I need to get my part of this project done soon so they have time to choose the photos in time for me to make the video. Whew!

So, with all of this in mind, I may or may not be able to publish my weekly Fab Finds post next week. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Kids can be genealogy teachers by Jana Greenhalgh, author of The Genealogy Kids
  2. Finished Family Line Questioned...Part II by Amie Bowser Tennant, author of My Kith N Kin
  3. Is There A Difference Between a Death Notice, an Obituary Notice and a Burial Notice? by Dawn Kogutkiewicz, author of The Other Side of Scarlet
  4. Minnesota Death Records by Nichelle Barra, author of Copper Leaf Genealogy
  5. 10 Easy Mother’s Day Gifts Using Old Family Photos by Nicole Dyer, author of Family Locket
  6. Something in the House to Eat by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  7. The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit by Lynn Palermo, author of The Armchair Genealogist
  8. The Importance of Recording Your History by Lori Samuelson, author of Genealogy At Heart
  9. EBAY SUCCESS – YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT I FOUND TODAY! by Linda Stufflebean, author of Empty Branches on the Family Tree
  10. The benefits of being a packrat… by fhtess65, author of writing my past
  11. The GenBlogParty Has Started! by Elizabeth O'Neal, author of LITTLE BYTES OF LIFE
  12. AncestryDNA alert by Judy G. Russell, author of The Legal Genealogist
  13. Moveable Feastdays in Norway by Martin Roe Eidhammer, author of Norwegian Genealogy and then some
  14. Success! Finding Wrongly Transcribed Names on Census Records AND Bandwagon: An Incredible Photo by Dana Leeds, author of The Enthusiastic Genealogist
  15. Family History: From Blog to Book by Lynn Palermo for MyCanvas Blog
  16. The Truth About Peanut Butter Cookies AND School Snack Picture: Family Collectibles Identified by Vera Marie Badertscher, author of Ancestors in Aprons
  17. Another interesting DNA dilemma by Michele Simmons Lewis, author of Ancestoring
  18. RootsMapper by Amberly, author of The Genealogy Girl
  19. Mother's Day Infographic by Janet Hovorka, author of Zap the Grandma Gap


RootsTech 2016 ~

This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contribution to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Jana’s Place

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Alma Josefina Carlsson Has Been Found Too

In a previous post, I shared the exciting news that I found little Frans Gustaf Carlsson in a Sweden Household Examination Book. He was the son my 2nd great-granduncle and aunt, Carl Gustaf Carlsson and Anna Katarina Persdotter. I also mentioned in that post that I had also found a previously unknown to me daughter of Carl and Anna.

Today I'd like to share information about this daughter. Her name was Alma Josefina Carlsson.

I found her listed with her parents in this Sweden Household Examination Book from Lista, Sodermanland, Sweden for the years 1886 - 1890.1



Link to image above: Sweden Household Examination Book - Lista AI 19, 1886 - 1890

Here's a cropped view of the page.

Left side of page:


Right side of page:


This document gives us so much information. It states that Alma Josefina's birth date was 8 April 1887 and she was born in Lista, Sodermanland, Sweden.

Take a look at the line above Alma Josefina. Another sister named Alma is listed there - Alma Charlotta. Her name is crossed out, just like little Frans Gustaf Carlsson's name was crossed out in the document I shared in my previous post. This document states that Alma Charlotta was born on 23 December 1885 in Lista, Sodermanland, Sweden. It also states that she passed away on 2 October 1886 under the column "Dod."

I already had Alma Charlotta in my database, but not her sister Alma Josefina. So, this was a wonderful discovery for me.

I have found that it is very important to look through all of the years of the Sweden Household Examination Books for the families you are researching. They can contain a wealth of valuable information.

I was able to find my 2nd great-granduncle and aunt, Carl Gustaf Carlsson and Anna Katarina Persdotter, and their family in several Sweden Household Examination Books. In another one, I found additional information about Alma Josefina. I'll share that in a future post.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved



1 "Sweden Household Examination Books, 1880 - 1920," database, MyHeritage.com (www.myheritage.com : accessed 3 April 2016), Alma Josefina Carlsson, page 95; citing Lista, Sodermanlands, Sweden, Book Lista AI 19, 1886 - 1890, image provide by ArkivDigital.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

MyHeritage Launches New Community-Powered Q&A Hub

The following is a press release from MyHeritage ~


MyHeritage Community allows users to post requests for assistance with their family history research and receive help from the global 81-million-strong MyHeritage user community

TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah, April 19, 2016 — MyHeritage, the fastest-growing destination for discovering, preserving and sharing family history, announced today the launch of MyHeritage Community, a new online Q&A hub that fosters family history research collaboration. MyHeritage Community is built as an image-oriented forum integrated into the website for users to help one another solve genealogical challenges, such as translating documents, deciphering handwritten letters, identifying unknown people in photos and searching for elusive ancestors.

With more than 81 million users around the world registered on MyHeritage and 42 languages supported, MyHeritage Community is uniquely positioned to serve as a meeting place for people trying to solve genealogical mysteries, and other people willing to help them. Users looking for assistance can post requests in the MyHeritage Community to get expert genealogy advice or benefit from native language expertise and local geographic familiarity. For example: a user in the United States with roots in Germany can post an image of an ancestor’s handwritten letter written in Kurrent — old German handwriting — and ask for help deciphering it. Another user from Germany can then translate it and add first-hand information on the town from which the letter was posted.

Volunteerism is an important value in the world of genealogy. Since the recent release of the MyHeritage Community, inspiring cases of users helping other users continue to surface. Examples include a user who posted a request for information on her relatives from a specific region in Italy and received pinpointed advice down to the address of the relevant office to contact; a user who asked for a translation of a church certificate from Portuguese to English and received a full translation and in-depth explanation of the purpose and origin of the document; plus many more.

“My definition of a genealogist is someone who — after consuming most research directions for his/her own family — helps other people research their family tree, just because he/she loves it so much,” said MyHeritage founder and CEO, Gilad Japhet. “Many genealogists are generous with their time and knowledge, and eager to help others explore their family history. The new MyHeritage Community allows people to help each other, making our service even more useful and effective.”

MyHeritage Community is free, and is accessible at www.myheritage.com/community.

About MyHeritage


MyHeritage is the world's fastest-growing destination for discovering, preserving and sharing family history. As technology thought leaders, MyHeritage is transforming family history into an activity that’s accessible and instantly rewarding. Its global user community enjoys access to a massive library of historical records, the most internationally diverse collection of family trees and ground­breaking search and matching technologies. Trusted by millions of families, MyHeritage provides an easy way to share family stories, past and present, and treasure them for generations to come. MyHeritage is available in 42 languages. www.myheritage.com

Friday, April 15, 2016

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for April 15, 2016


My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Let’s Have a Blog Party! AND Join the April 2016 Genealogy Blog Party! by Elizabeth O'Neal, author of Little Bytes of Life
  2. Create Your Own . . . Clip Art by Susan Petersen, author of LongLostRelatives.net
  3. Military Monday - A different kind of summer soldier by Brandt Gibson, author of Brandt’s Rants
  4. Tombstone Tuesday Tip: Transcribe On Site AND Using the Notes Section on FamilySearch by Devon Noel Lee, author of A Patient Genealogist
  5. The power of the deadline by Janine Adams, author of Organize Your Family History
  6. Did Your Ancestor Have a Pet? by Lynn Palermo, author of The Armchair Genealogist
  7. Millennials Share Their Favorite FamilySearch Tools for Preserving Family Memories by Greg McMurdie for FamilySearch Blog
  8. FAMILY CHARTMASTERS • 7 GENERATIONS. by True Lewis, author of Notes To Myself
  9. I’m afraid of public speaking by Genealogy Jen, author of Repurposed Genealogy
  10. The Chiropodist Couple by Joanne Cowden, author of Researching Relatives
  11. One of the Best Boys I have Ever Known by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  12. Tuesday's Tip: They May Have Moved by Beth Gatlin, author of So Many Ancestors!
  13. I Wanted to Know More and I Found a lot from a Great Cemetery Database by Barbara Poole, author of Life From The Roots
  14. Creating a Memorial to Your Loved One – A Review of “Passed and Present” and Giveaway! by Diana Elder for Family Locket
  15. A Visit to an Alsatian Village by Melanie Frick, author of Homestead Genealogical Research
  16. Announcing the ISGS 2016 Ancestor Photo Contest by Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog
  17. How Endogamy Looks in Practice by Lara Diamond, author of Lara's Jewnealogy
  18. When You're Adopted, Which Ancestors Do You Choose? by Melyssa Webb, author of The Golden Age of Genealogy

RootsTech 2016 ~

This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contribution to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Jana’s Place

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Anyone in the Market for a Dehorning Chute?


Earlier this week, I shared the news that my 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster, was an inventor and that he was granted a patent. If you missed that post, you can read it by clicking HERE. This was such an exciting find! Definitely worthy of a genealogy happy dance!

As I did more research about my 2nd great-grandfather's patent, I found more interesting information related to his invention. One of the neat things I found was this advertisement. It was found in a couple different publications. The one I'm sharing today was found in The Advocate on the Chronicling America website.1


Transcript of Advertisement
THE GREAT WEBSTER DEHORNING MACHINE
Patent Claims Allowed Dec. 10 and Oct. 14, 1888.
The best invention in the world for catching and holding cattle to dehorn or brand. Write to E. P. C. WEBSTER, Marysville, Kansas, for his nicely illustrated Catalogue on dehorning, enclosing stamp. Agents wanted everywhere not occupied.

It's just so amazing to find an advertisement for Ebenezer's invention. I wonder how many people purchased his dehorning machine.

I have even more fascinating information about Ebenezer and his invention to share with you in upcoming posts.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved



1 "The Advocate. (Meriden, Kan.) 1889-1892," database, Chronicling America (www.chroniclingamerica.com : accessed 2016), The Great Webster Dehorning Machine, January 23, 1890, Chronicling America, Library of Congress.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

My Great-Great Grandpa's Patent

In yesterday's post, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster ~ Inventor of The Webster Dehorning Chute, I shared my excitement at discovering that my maternal 2nd great-grandfather was an inventor and was granted a patent.

I realized later that I didn't include Ebenezer's full patent in my post. I included images of his invention, but not the actual patent. So, today I'd like to share Ebenezer's patent. I've also included a transcription of Ebenezer's patent in case it's difficult to read it in the images below.






Transcription of Ebenezer's Patent

Ebenezer P. C. Webster, Of Marysville, Kansas.

Dehorning Apparatus.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,478, dated April 15, 1890.
Application filed May 22, 1888. Renewed August 21, 1889. Serial No. 321,457. (No Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBENEZER P. C. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marysville, in the county of Marshall and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dehorning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.
            This invention relates to improvements in dehorning apparatus for holding cattle during the operation of dehorning them and to prevent them from injuring themselves by falling down after their heads have been tied up in position for the dehorning operation.
            The prime object of this invention is to have a chute for holding the animal not only against the possibility of falling or lying down, but also holding its head immovably in the most advantageous position for dehorning. Another object is to have the chute of such a character that animals of all sizes may be held thereby without alteration thereto and from which the animal may escape by walking out the front end after being dehorned instead of backing out, as has heretofore been necessary. A further object is to combine with such a chute a halter of peculiar form and a windlass, also attached to the chute, by means of which the animal’s head may be immovably held at an angle to its body and in the best position for the successful performance of the dehorning operation. I attain these objects by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which –
            Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a dehorning apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective view thereof; Fig. 3, a front elevation, parts being broken away; Fig. 4, a transverse vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 5, a detail perspective of a part of one of the stanchions, showing my halter attached thereto.
            Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.
            Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the upper cross-timbers, B the lower cross-timbers, and C the vertical standards, of my chute, there being preferably three of each of the cross-bars and six of the standards, each pair of cross-bars being united by a pair of standards and the entire frame connected and held together by means of longitudinal side timbers D, attached to the standards, and the floor-board E, attached to the lower cross-bars, so that the whole constitutes the stationary frame of my chute, having a generally rectangular shape; but I may here state that the frame of the chute may be constructed in any convenient manner so long as it forms a support for the operative parts thereof, the main object being to provide a strong and simple structure in which to drive and hold the cattle. This chute is permanently boarded up between the two rear standards on each side thereof, as shown at F, so as to form a closed passage leading to the movable side portions of the chute in which the cattle are held during the operation of dehorning. These movable portions or wings consist of two pairs of vertical bars G, pivoted at their lower ends, as shown at H, to the front pair of the lower cross-bars and connected by short longitudinal bars I and boarded up between them, as shown, so as to form close frames occupying the entire space between the front and middle pair of standards. Below the center or about the lower line of the body of an ordinary-sized animal these movable sides incline inwardly toward each other – that is, toward the center of the chute—leaving a narrower space between the sides at the bottom or level with the floor E than at the top, the boards of these movable sides being preferably laid vertical, so as to prevent the animals catching their feet in the cracks thereof.
            Journaled between the front and middle upper cross-bars, at the center of length thereof and extending longitudinally of the chute, is a shaft J, to which is secured, near the ends thereof, one end of ropes or cords K, the opposite ends of which are attached to the upper ends of the vertical bars G of the movable sides, while near one end of the shaft is mounted thereon a ratchet-wheel L, with which engages a spring-actuated pawl M, pivoted to a stationary portion of the frame, the forward end of said shaft being provided with radial spokes N, a pilot-wheel, crank-arm, or any other device by which said shaft may be rotated. By rotating this shaft the upper ends of the movable sides may be drawn toward each other, swinging on their pivots, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 2, and will be locked in any adjusted position by the spring-actuated pawl, which latter, however, may be disengaged and the parts returned to their normal position whenever it is desired to release the animal.
            At the forward end of the machine, between the front pair of cross-bars, extend vertical stanchions O P, the one O being fixed and the one P hinged or pivotally connected at the lower end thereof, as shown at Q, to the lower cross-bar or floor of the chute, while the upper end thereof projects into an oblong groove in the upper cross-bar, where it engages one end of a notched lever or latch-bar R, pivoted in said cross-bar, the outer end of which projects beyond the cross-bar within easy reach of the operator, so that it may be depressed and the opposite end elevated, so as to release the end of the said stanchion and permit it to swing down on its pivot. The said latch-lever is spring actuated, so that the notched end thereof has always a tendency to remain in engagement with the end of the stanchion when elevated, and the notches or teeth therein are so inclined as to permit the insertion of the stanchion without manipulating the lever, but which will lock the stanchion in any position to which it is moved after being engaged thereby. It is between these stanchions that the neck of the animal is held during the operation of dehorning, the adjustment to the necks of animals varying in thickness and its removal out of the path of the animal, so that the latter after being operated upon may pass out of the forward end of the chute instead of being backed out, as would otherwise be necessary, the said pivoted stanchion being preferably located in the center of the chute, while the fixed stanchion is located to one side thereof, and will therefore not interfere with the exit of the animal.
            On the fixed stanchion is sleeved a ring a, free to slide up and down thereon, to which is secured one end of my improved halter, which consists of a looped rope or strap b, both ends of which are attached to said ring, and are connected near the ends thereof by the cross-pieces c d, the looped end of said halter being passed around a loose vertical roller e, journaled to one of the forward standards and hooked over pins f or some projections upon a windlass g, journaled in a supplemental frame h, hinged to the said front standard, the journal of said windlass being provided at its outer end with a crank-handle I, by means of which the windlass is operated. This windlass is designed to be adjustable in its bearings, so as to operate on cattle of different heights, and for that reason the supplemental frame is provided at each side thereof with journal-plates j k therefor, the former being provided with a vertical series of sockets into which the end of the journal of the windlass projects, while the latter is provided with a corresponding series of half-bearings or hooks into which the opposite end of the journal may be inserted without the necessity of removing the crank-handle. The nose of the animal is inserted into the space l, between the ends of the loop b and the cross-piece c, while the cross-piece d lies across the brow of the animal below the horns, the loop end being then brought across the top of the animal’s head and caught on the hooks f upon the windlass, and the slack in the loop taken up thereby, so as to draw the animal’s head to one side and in a slightly-inclined position, as shown by the position of the halter in Fig. 2, in which position it is impossible for the animal to move its head, the windlass, ring, and the fixed stanchion serving to immovably hold him in the desired position. The supplemental frame, in which the windlass is journaled, is hinged to the standards in such manner that when not in use it may be folded back out of the way; but when thrown forward in position for use it will be as firmly held as if rigidly secured to the standard.
            In the practical use of my apparatus the animal is driven into the chute from the rear end thereof, while the adjustable sides are extended in their normal position and the hinged stanchion drawn to one side, so as to permit the passage of the animal’s head through the forward end of the apparatus, after which the stanchion is brought up into position and adjusted so as to fit the size of its neck and firmly locked in that position, after which, by means of the shaft J, the adjustable sides of the chute are brought together until they bear snugly against the sides of the animal, in which position they are likewise locked by the pawl and ratchet, as before described, after which the head of the animal is inserted into the halter and the looped end thereof attached to the windlass, when, by operating the latter, the animal’s head will be drawn to one side and in a slightly-inclined position and there firmly held during the dehorning operation.
            By the use of my chute not only is the animal prevented from injuring or in any manner interfering with the work of the operator, but it is so securely held in position that it cannot hurt itself by falling or being thrown down while its head is tied up in position for dehorning, which frequently happens with the old methods of securing the animal and generally results in the permanent injury, if not death, of the animal by breaking its leg or neck. In conclusion, I may state that this chute is of a size which may be readily placed upon the body of a wagon for transportation; or the bottom cross-bars may be provided with axles for mounting the structure upon wheels, from which it may be removed when in operation, while still another, but not so convenient, construction might be formed by mortising and bolting the joints in such manner as to make the parts readily detachable and what is commonly known as “knockdown frame.”
            Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is –
1. In a dehorning apparatus, the open-ended chute and the adjustable sides thereof, in combination with a fixed vertical stanchion in the forward end thereof to one side of the center, an opposing movable stanchion pivoted at its lower end to the center of the forward end of the chute, a socket for the upper end of said stanchion, and a notched lever for locking said end in the socket, whereby after the dehorning operation the movable stanchion may fall and an animal be permitted to pass out through the forward end of the chute, substantially as described.
2. In a dehorning apparatus, the open-ended chute and a pair of vertical stanchions at the forward end thereof, one of said stanchions being fixed and the other adjustable, in combination with a halter having a ring attached thereto and sliding upon the fixed stanchion, and a windlass, also secured to said chute to one side of the stanchions, upon which to wind the free end of said halter, whereby the animal’s head may be firmly held at an angle to its body, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a dehorning apparatus, the chute, the fixed stanchion O, and the adjustable hinged stanchion P in combination with the halter having the ring a, loop b, and cross-pieces c d, substantially as described.
4. In a dehorning apparatus, the chute, the movable sides thereof pivoted at the lower  edges to the chute, a shaft journaled in said chute above and midway between said sides, cross-pieces connecting the upper edges of said movable sides and the shaft, a ratchet-wheel mounted on said shaft, and a spring-actuated pawl engaging said wheel, in combination with a pair of stanchions at the forward end of said chute, one of said stanchions being fixed and the other adjustable, a halter attached to and sliding upon the fixed stanchion, and a windlass, also secured to said chute to one side of the stanchion, upon which to wind the free end of said halter, substantially as described.
5. In a dehorning apparatus, the chute, the hinged movable sides thereof, a shaft J, ropes K, connecting said sides and shaft, ratchet-wheel L upon the said shaft, pawl M, engaging said wheel, fixed stanchion O, an adjustable hinged stanchion P, and notched lever R, in combination with the halter having a ring a, sliding on a fixed stanchion, loop b, and cross-pieces c d, hinged frame h, adjustable windlass g, and journal-plates j k, and the roller e, secured to the chute-frame between said windlass and the stanchions, substantially as described.

                        EBENEZER P. C. WEBSTER.
Witnesses:
            GEO. T. SMITH,
            W. A. CALDERHEAD.


I definitely have more fascinating finds relating to Ebenezer's patent. I'll share those in future posts.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Monday, April 11, 2016

Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster ~ Inventor of The Webster Dehorning Chute



Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster

This past weekend has been very exciting for me. I've found some fascinating and previously unknown information about my maternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster.

While researching Ebenezer on the MyHeritage website, I decided to click on the Books and Publications collection. Results that I'd never seen before were listed.

In two of these results, Ebenezer was mentioned in the book The True Republican, Illustrated Edition, of Marysville, and Marshall County, Kansas, 1890. The first mention showed Ebenezer in a list of prominent citizens in Marshall County, Kansas.1



The second mention was this paragraph on Page 42.2


The paragraph transcription is as follows:
E. P. C. Webster is patentee of the Webster dehorning chute. There are a large number of these chutes in use all over the west, and are an invaluable acquisition to a stock farm. It is a machine that all ranches should possess. Mr. Webster is a thorough business man and an energetic, honorable citizen.
Wow! I love this paragraph. It's so cool to learn that Ebenezer was well-thought of in the community. And that first sentence was a real eye-opener. Ebenezer had a patent? I did a Google search, and yes, Ebenezer was granted a patent. There it is listed at the top of my search results in the screenshot below.


Clicking on that link gave me the following page.


This page included information about Ebenezer's patent. The patent was filed on May 22, 1888 and granted on April 15, 1890. Up in the top right side of the page are two buttons, one to view the patent as a PDF file and one to download it as a PDF file.

Images of Ebenezer's patent are also included. 



It's so cool to see Ebenezer's signature under Inventor on each of these pages. Ebenezer wasn't the only inventor in the family. His son, Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster, (my great-grandfather, aka "The Traveling Dentist" here on my blog), was also an inventor. I shared that discovery in my blog post Talented Tuesday - My Great-Grandpa Was An Inventor? 

I've learned so much more about Ebenezer and his invention, The Webster Dehorning Chute, this past weekend. I'll share those discoveries in future posts.

By the way, did you know that Google has a patent search? Yep. Perhaps your ancestor was granted a patent too. To search the patents on Google, click HERE.



Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved




1 Runneals, Clark. "The True Republican, Illustrated Edition, of Marysville, and Marshall County, Kansas, 1890 - Compilation of Published Sources - MyHeritage." The True Republican, Illustrated Edition, of Marysville, and Marshall County, Kansas, 1890 - Compilation of Published Sources - MyHeritage. Ebenezer P. C. Webster, Page 21. Web. (Accessed 9 Apr. 2016)


2 Runneals, Clark. "The True Republican, Illustrated Edition, of Marysville, and Marshall County, Kansas, 1890 - Compilation of Published Sources - MyHeritage." The True Republican, Illustrated Edition, of Marysville, and Marshall County, Kansas, 1890 - Compilation of Published Sources - MyHeritage. Ebenezer P. C. Webster, Page 42. Web. (Accessed 9 Apr. 2016)

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