Rose-ringed parakeet

The rose-ringed parakeet ("Psittacula krameri"), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ranges in Africa and the Indian Subcontinent, and is now introduced into many other parts of the world where feral populations have established themselves and are bred for the exotic pet trade.
One of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats, it has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonised a number of cities around the world, including Northern and Western Europe. These parakeets have also proven themselves capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range, and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe. The species is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because its population appears to be increasing, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range.
Taxonomy.
Four subspecies are recognised, though they differ little:
The Indian subspecies are both larger than the African subspecies.
The genus name "Psittacula" is a diminutive of Latin "psittacus", "parrot", and the specific "krameri" commemorates the Austrian naturalist Wilhelm Heinrich Kramer.
Description.
The rose-ringed parakeet is sexually dimorphic. The adult male sports a red and black neck ring, and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings, or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green colour in the wild, and captive bred ringnecks have multiple colour mutations which include turquoise, cinnamon, olive, white, blue, violet, grey and yellow. Rose-ringed parakeets measure on average in length, including the tail feathers, a large portion of their total length. Their average single-wing length is about . In the wild, this is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. Captive individuals can be taught to speak. They are a herbivorous and non-migratory species.
Distribution.
Since the 19th century, the rose-ringed parakeet has successfully colonised many other countries. It breeds further north than any other parrot species. It has established itself on a large scale in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and especially the UK. See Feral Birds section below.
Ecology and behaviour.
Diet.
In the wild, rose-ringed parakeets usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds. Wild flocks also fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards, causing extensive damage. Feral parakeets will regularly visit gardens and other locations near human habitation, taking food from bird feeders.
In India, they feed on cereal grains, and during winter also on pigeon peas. In Egypt during the spring, they feed on mulberry and in summer they feed on dates and nest inside palm trees and eat from sunflower and corn fields.
In captivity, rose-ringed parakeets will take a large variety of food and can be fed on a number of fruits, vegetables, pellets, seeds, and even small amounts of cooked meat for protein. Oils, salts, chocolate, alcohol, and other preservatives should be avoided.
Reproduction.
In north-west India, Indian rose-ringed parakeets form pairs from September to December. They do not have life mates and often breed with another partner during the following breeding season. During this cold season, they select and defend nest sites, thus avoiding competition for sites with other birds. Feeding on winter pea crops provides the female with nutrients necessary for egg production. From April to June, they care for their young. Fledglings are ready to leave the nest before monsoon.
Aviculture.
Rose-ringed parakeets are popular as pets and they have a long history in aviculture. The ancient Greeks kept the Indian subspecies "P. krameri manillensis", and the ancient Romans kept the African subspecies "P. krameri krameri". Colour mutations of the Indian rose-ringed parakeet subspecies have become widely available in recent years. A blue colour morph mutation of the rose-ringed parakeet is also commonly kept in aviculture. Birds that display this mutation have solid light blue feathers instead of green, and lack the rings of their normal counterparts.
Mimicry.
Both males and females have the ability to mimic human speech. First, the bird listens to its surroundings, and then it copies the voice of the human speaker. Some people hand-raise rose-ringed parakeet chicks for this purpose. Such parrots then become quite tame and receptive to learning.
Feral birds.
A popular pet, the rose-ringed parakeet has been released in a wide range of cities around the world, giving it an environment with few predators where their preferred diet of seeds, nuts, fruits, and berries is available from suburban gardens and bird feeders. Its adaptations to cold winters in the Himalayan foothills allow it to easily withstand European winter conditions. It has established feral populations in a number of European cities, South Africa and Japan. There are also apparently stable populations in the US (Florida, California and Hawaii) and small self-sustaining populations in Ankara, İzmir, İstanbul (concentrated in parks), Tunis, Tripoli and Tehran (concentrated in the north side of the city). It is also found throughout Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. A small number of escaped birds are present in Australia.
The European populations became established during the mid-to-late 20th century. There is a burgeoning population of feral parakeets in Great Britain which is centred around suburban London and the Home Counties of South-East England. Parakeet numbers have been highest in the south-west of London, although the population has since spread rapidly, and large flocks of birds can be observed in places such as Crystal Palace Park, Battersea Park, Buckhurst Hill, Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common, Greenwich Park, and Hampstead Heath, as well as Surrey and Berkshire. Feral parakeets have also been observed in Abbey Wood, Bostall Heath, Bostall Woods and Plumstead Common. The winter of 2006 had three separate roosts of about 6000 birds around London. A smaller population occurs around Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate, Kent. There is also an established population to the North East of London in Essex at Loughton and Theydon Bois by Epping Forest. Elsewhere in Britain, smaller feral populations have become established from time to time throughout the Midlands, Northern England and even as far north as Edinburgh). It has been suggested that feral parrots could endanger populations of native British birds, and that the rose-ringed parakeet could even be culled as a result, although this is not currently recommended by conservation organisations. A major agricultural pest in locations such as India, as of 2011 the rose-ringed parakeet population was growing rapidly, but is generally limited to urban areas in southern England
A Europe-wide count was held in 2015 and found 85,220 Rose-ringed parakeets in 10 European countries.
In the Netherlands, the feral population in the four largest urban areas (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and especially in The Hague) was estimated at 10,000 birds in 2010, almost double the number of birds estimated in 2004. There also exists a feral population in Belgium, with as many as 5,000 pairs estimated in Brussels. These originate from an original population that was set free in 1974 by the owner of the Meli Zoo and Attraction Park near the Atomium who wanted to make Brussels more colourful. In Germany, these birds are found along the Rhine in all major urban areas such as Cologne, Düsseldorf (about 800 birds), Bonn, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg and Speyer, Wiesbaden and Mainz, and Worms. Other populations are found around Paris, Rome — notably in the gardens of the Palatine Hill, the trees of the Trastevere and Janiculum and at Villa Borghese, in the Orto Botanico di Palermo in Palermo, in Genoa, in Barcelona and in Lisbon.
The specimens in these naturalised populations often represent intra-specific hybrids, originally between varying numbers (according to locality) of the subspecies "manillensis", "borealis", and/or (to a lesser extent) "krameri" along with some inter-specific hybrids with naturalised "Psittacula eupatria" (Alexandrine parakeet).
Where introduced, rose-ringed parakeets may affect native biodiversity and human economy and wellness.
Rose-ringed parakeets are a direct threat to populations of Europe’s largest bat, the greater noctule, as parakeets compete with the bats for nesting sites, and will attack and kill adults before colonising their habitat.
In the United Kingdom and especially within London, parakeets face predation by native birds of prey and owls, including the Peregrine falcon ("Falco peregrinus"), Eurasian hobby ("F. subbuteo") and Tawny owl ("Strix aluco").
There is a breeding population on Madeira Island, Portugal.
There is a feral population of the birds in Japan. In the 1960s many Japanese people became pet owners for the first time and the parakeet was widely imported as a pet. Some escaped or were released and formed populations around the country. By the 1980s groups could be found in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Niigata and Kyushu. Some groups since died out, but as of 2009 there was a large population residing at the Tokyo Institute of Technology's main campus at Ookayama, along with small groups in Maebashi and Chiba city.
Feral ring-necked parakeets have sporadically been observed around New Zealand, and are treated as a major potential threat to the country's native bird populations due to their potential to outcompete native parakeet species, and introduce diseases.


Drum (tobacco)

Drum is a Dutch brand of fine-cut handrolling tobacco, or shag, introduced in 1956. It was originally produced and distributed by the Douwe Egberts corporation. Douwe Egberts was purchased by the Sara Lee Corporation, which sold Drum to Imperial Brands, the current British producer.
After Douwe Egberts discontinued Drum in the USA, Republic Tobacco of Glenview, Illinois, began making its own version of Drum for distribution in the United States, usually sold accompanied by a package of JOB rolling papers. Both versions are considered "halfzware" (Dutch for "half-strength") type tobaccos, although the flavors and cuts are not the same due to different methods of curing. Halfzware usually indicates a combination of dark Kentucky burley and bright Virginia tobaccos. Imperial also produces Drum in gold (blonde) and light (mild) varieties. Drum's main competitor in the US is Bali Shag rolling tobacco.
The two versions of Drum are made in different locations and have different sensory properties. European Drum is barrel-cured in the Netherlands using a centuries-old process, whereas the American version is made at the Top Tobacco factory in North Carolina.
Outside the US.
Drum is worldwide the #1 brand for shag tobacco. Before Sara Lee sold their Drum and Van Nelle tobacco section to Imperial the main factories for Drum were Drachten and Joure. The factory in Drachten was closed directly after the move to Imperial in 1989 and IT decided to further integrate the production within "Douwe Egberts / Van Nelle" (DEVN) which also had production facilities in the nearby Joure (30 km) and Meppel (60 km). IT invested 22 million guilders (€10 million) in new machinery for the remaining locations. Drum Tobacco is also produced outside the Netherlands in several factories of the Imperial Tobacco group.
Papers.
Unlike in the US, shag-tobacco, including Drum does not include rolling papers. An exception to this is Ireland: when you buy a pouch (12.5 or 25 gram) it comes without papers, but when you buy a box containing a paper wrapper with 12.5 gram tobacco it comes with papers; while box including papers is cheaper than the pouch without. But the type of tobacco in the pouch is different: the cut is rougher and is not as dry as the "wrapper". You get Job papers in the United States in 25g pouches.
United Kingdom.
Before Douwe Egberts introduced Drum in the UK there was an active gray market and Drum had a large market-share: as the tobacco prices were once much higher in the UK than on the European mainland, there were many people who traveled to (mainly) Belgium or France by ferry to import alcohol and tobacco. Although this is still going on, the price differences from 10 years ago have decreased. However, rolling tobacco is still around a third of the price in Belgium as it is in the UK, and smuggling continues. When Douwe Egberts was ready to introduce Drum they faced some legal problems, forcing them to change the brand name to Duma, and was struggling to get a foothold on the UK duty-paid market
Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, Drum is the #2 selling brand of shag-tobacco, just below Van Nelle, which is also a brand of Imperial Tobacco. Smoking shag tobacco used to be more popular in the Netherlands than smoking ready-made cigarettes. In 1989, the 'market share' of shag-tobacco was 53%, but decreased to 42% in 2010.
The main reason for the popularity is the price. A typical cigarette contains less than 1 gram of tobacco. A pouch of 40-42.5 grams is about the same price as a box of 19-20 cigarettes, so the cost of a self-rolled cigarette is half the price of a ready-made cigarette. Many people also put much less tobacco in a self-rolled cigarette. The taxes on tobacco, however, are mainly based on the weight of tobacco, so the margins for the producer are lower on shag than on ready-made cigarettes.
Even in countries where the price of shag tobacco is much higher, people may smoke shag to save money by putting less tobacco in each cigarette.
European Blends.
As the original terms "half-zwaar" (medium strong) and "mild" can't be used anymore due to European rules the different blends are now referenced by their color. Not all blends are available in each country.


Robert S. Houston

Robert Samuel Houston (August 7, 1820 – January 5, 1902) was an American stonecutter and dairy farmer from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, who spent two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, almost twenty years apart.
Background.
Houston was born in Charlemont, Massachusetts on August 7, 1820. He received a common school education, and became a stonecutter. He married Lucy M. Stone of Whately, Massachusetts on January 24, 1849. He worked for one employer in Meriden, Connecticut from 1851 until moving to Wisconsin in September 1857, eventually settling on a farm in Pleasant Prairie, where he took up dairy farming, selling butter and cheese (winning medals with both); and raised hay, corn and oats. He died of edema in Milwaukee on January 5, 1902.
Public office.
Houston served as chairman of the town board for the town of Pleasant Prairie, and as treasurer of his local school district.
He was first elected to the Assembly in 1873 to represent Kenosha County as a member of the Liberal Reform Party, a short-lived coalition of Democrats, reform and Liberal Republicans, and Grangers formed in 1873, which secured the election of one Governor of Wisconsin and a number of state legislators. He drew 1,005 votes to 777 for Republican former state senator Francis Paddock (Republican incumbent Asahel Farr was not a candidate). He was assigned to the standing committee on railroads. He did not seek re-election, and was succeeded by Republican Rouse Simmons.
He was elected again to the Assembly in 1890 for a two-year term, this time as a Democrat, with 1,597 votes to 1,453 for Republican J. Cavanaugh (Republican incumbent Dwight Burgess was not a candidate). He was assigned to the committee on agriculture. He did not seek re-election, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat Daniel A. Mahoney.


Francis in the Haunted House

Francis in the Haunted House is a 1956 American black-and-white comedy film from Universal-International, produced by Robert Arthur, directed by Charles Lamont, that stars Mickey Rooney and Virginia Welles.
This is the seventh and final film in Universal-International Francis the Talking Mule series, notably without series director Arthur Lubin, star Donald O'Connor, or Francis' voice actor Chill Wills.
Plot.
Francis witnesses a murder and then befriends bumbling reporter David Prescott (Mickey Rooney), who may be next in line. With Francis' help and guidance, Prescott uncovers a mystery involving murder, an inheritance, and a spooky old mansion on the edge of town.
Production.
This seventh and final entry in the Francis the Talking Mule series was made without most of the key creative personnel from the earlier films. Leonard Maltin, in his "Movie Guide", quotes Donald O'Connor on quitting the series: "When you've made six pictures and the mule still gets more fan mail than you do..." Director Lubin and Chill Wills were also absent, replaced respectively by Charles Lamont and voice actor Paul Frees, who did a close approximation of Wills' voice as Francis.
Mickey Rooney replaced Donald O'Connor as a new but similar character, David Prescott. According to his autobiography, Rooney was originally considered for a United Artists "Francis" feature film with his company Rooney Inc optioning and then turning down the property before Universal acquired the rights.
Rooney's casting was announced in January 1956.
Charles Lamont was announced as the film's director some weeks later.
Chill Wills wanted more money than Universal were willing to play, so the studio auditioned various voice actor replacements, including Mel Blanc, before settling on Paul Frees.
The film made no attempt at explaining why Francis left original sidekick Peter Stirling. In the script Francis says he decided to befriend reporter Prescott because "I once lived on a farm owned by Prescott's uncle and wanted to protect his nephew out of respect for the deceased." With the original elements missing, the film, a standard tale of fake ghosts and gangsters, was poorly received; it was widely reviewed as the weakest entry in the series.
Home media.
The original film, "Francis" (1950), was released in 1978 as one of the first-ever titles in the new LaserDisc format, DiscoVision Catalog #22-003. It was then re-issued on LaserDisc in May 1994 by MCA/Universal Home Video (Catalog #: 42024) as part of an Encore Edition Double Feature with "Francis Goes to the Races" (1951).
The first two Francis films were released again in 2004 by Universal Pictures on Region 1 and Region 4 DVD, along with the next two in the series, as "The Adventures of Francis the Talking Mule Vol. 1". Several years later, Universal released all 7 Francis films as a set on three Region 1 and Region 4 DVDs, "Francis The Talking Mule: The Complete Collection."


George W. Meggers

George W. Meggers (May 15, 1888 – March 21, 1969) was an American farmer and politician.
Born in the town of Larrabee, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, Meggers was a dairy farmer. He also owned a resort and was in the banking business. Meggers served on the Waupaca County Board of Supervisors. He served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1923 to 1927 on the Progressive ticket. Meggers also served on the Clintonville, Wisconsin, common council and was mayor. Meggers died in Clintonville, Wisconsin.


Xylophilus ampelinus

Xylophilus ampelinus (syn. "Xanthomonas ampelina" and "Erwinia vitivora") is a species of proteobacteria, many of which cause plant diseases. It is available from the NCPPB in the United Kingdom and other international culture collections such as ICMP in New Zealand, and LMG in Belgium.
"Xylophilus ampelinus" was known as "Xanthomonas ampelina" until it was renamed in 1969 by C.G. Panagopoulos. The type strain was isolated on 5 March 1966 by C.G. Panagopoulos from grape vine ("Vitis vinifera var. Sultana") in Greece and was deposited into the NCPPB in 1968 from where it has been distributed to other culture collections for research and diagnostic reference material. Published references to the organism currently include "Panagopoulos, C.G. 1969. Annls. Inst. Phytopath. Benaki. N.S. 9: 59".
"Xylophilus ampelinus" is a rod-shaped bacterium that is considered slow growing at ambient temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius. It is gram negative and develops round, yellow colonies when grown on nutrient agar and after extended growth, becomes filamentous. The bacterium is catalase positive, Kovacs negative, urease positive, produced H2S from cysteine, and did not produce acid from any carbohydrate media.
Hosts and Symptoms.
"X. ampelinus" is only known to infect a singular species and related subspecies of grapevine, "Vitis vinifera", which is native to the near east and has since spread across the globe to produce wine. Symptoms typically manifest 3-4 weeks in shoots and stems and in 10-14 days on leaves. This disease displays multiple symptoms depending on the location on the plant. On plant shoots, symptoms begin to appear in spring through June and first appear on the lower nodes of growth, before spreading upward along the shoot. The symptoms appear as red/brown streaks initially, before progressing into cracks in the woody structure and cankers,7. After this, shoots wilt and dry up, before eventually dying back; cross sections of stems show signs of a brownish mucus in the inner tissues. If infected post leaf growth, leaves typically show symptoms of chlorosis, angular red/brown lesions, and in some cases signs of bacterial ooze may be seen around these lesions. If infection occurs post bud break and flowers are present, these will typically develop a black color before dying and falling to the ground. Root symptoms are rare and typically manifest as general stunting of the plant shoots.
Importance and Economic Impact.
This pathogen has the potential to severely affect grape crops; the highest valued fruit crop across the globe due to the booming wine industry, which currently contributes $220 billion to the US economy alone. All "V. vinifera" subspecies are at risk of infection, with most of the geographic spread contained to South Africa, Greece, Turkey, and France. In infected vineyards, fruit harvest losses have been reported as high as 70% of typical yield. This illustrates the massive damage that "X. ampelinus" has the potential to cause grape growers not only in Europe, but to all areas practicing viticulture. The EPPO categorizes "X. ampelinus" as a quarantine A2 organism as its potential international spread and limited efficient control routes can lead to significant economic losses in previously unaffected regions.
Disease Cycle.
The complete life cycle of "X. ampelinus" has yet to be fully described, however, continued research into infection steps is being undertaken. It is believed the bacteria overwinters in fallen grapes from the previous harvest, as well as remaining dormant and protected within the woody tissues of the vines. In a 2003 study by Grall et al., they discovered that depending on the mode of primary infection, different symptoms and disease spread was observed. If infected via a wound, similar to a pruning cut, infection occurred in the xylem tissues and was unable to spread upward throughout the plant and instead only infected nodes below the wound. It was found that if applied via foliar sprays, the bacterium would infiltrate the leaves and young shoots and spread to all areas of the vine, resulting in complete inoculation. Method of inoculation also caused different symptom displays. Wound only infection resulted in stem cankers and cracks, mostly resulting from hyperplasia of xylem and cambium tissues within the stem; very limited leaf lesions were observed. However, if sprayed on the plants, symptoms were systemic; visible stem cankers and cracks, leaf lesions, chlorosis, wilting, and eventually necrotic tissue.
Management.
Although current research is limited on the effects of chemical controls, historical studies have found no chemicals to be effective in eliminating or controlling the spread or infection of "X. ampelinus". There have been anecdotal reports of a copper-based spray limiting spread within vineyards in South Africa, but these claims have not been substantiated with study. Cultural control via proper viticulture practices in the field are the only proven effective control measures. Any infected plant tissues should be burned, pruning should be done in dry environments with clean tools that are regularly disinfected, and avoidance of mass irrigation use is also recommended. It was also noted that most infection spread is local within a vineyard via natural water and wind action, however spread across great distances is possible if infected cuttings are distributed inadvertently. The bacteria can stay latent within stem tissues for up to 2 years and grafting infected stocks into healthy plants can result in new infection. Vine tissue taken from regions with known history of infection should be tested via ELISA or PCR to ensure pathogen free tissue and reduce the spread of the bacteria. Direct inoculation of the bacteria via environmental factors, irrigation, or plant grafting are the only known vectors of "X. ampelinus", making control a relatively straightforward matter.
Environment.
"X. ampelinus" prefers humid and wet conditions which favor its spread from vine to vine within the vineyard. For this reason, it is recommended pruning be done on calm dry days to reduce possibility of transmission via tools. The bacteria can survive temps down to freezing for short periods of time and does not exhibit any natural heat restrictions to growth; thus, the pathogen's geographic distribution tends to be focused around temperate regions such as Greece, France, Germany, Turkey, and some areas of South Africa.


Brookside Mills

Brookside Mills was a textile manufacturing company that operated in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company's Second Creek factory was the city's largest employer in the early 1900s. Brookside Village, a neighborhood in North Knoxville, was originally developed to house many of the factory's workers. The company closed in 1956.
History.
After the Civil War, Knoxville grew to become the third largest wholesaling center in the southeastern United States. In the 1870s and 1880s, wholesale company owners began reinvesting their profits in other industries, helping to build the city's first large-scale textile factories. Knoxville Woolen Mills, the city's first major textile manufacturer, was founded in 1884.
Brookside Mills was organized in November 1885, with $150,000 in initial capital. The following year, the company erected its two-story factory along Second Creek, on what was then the city's northwest periphery. The factory was initially by , and contained 6,000 spindles and 176 looms. W. R. Tuttle, who had helped establish the Knoxville Iron Company in the late 1860s, was chosen as Brookside's first president.
In 1895, Brookside raised its operating capital to $500,000, and overhauled its Second Creek mill. The factory was extended from 210 feet to , and a new weaving building was built adjacent to the main factory. The number of spindles was increased to 21,000, and the number of looms was increased to 650, quadrupling the mill's output from 3 million yards of fabric per year to 12 million. After Tuttle left in 1898, James Maynard, son of former congressman Horace Maynard, was named president.
By the early 1900s, the textile industry had become Knoxville's largest employer. While Knoxville Woolen Mills had the larger factory, Brookside's 1,200 employees represented the city's largest workforce. The father of movie director Clarence Brown was general manager of the Brookside Mills in the first decade of the 20th century. Photographer Lewis Hine visited Brookside Mills in 1910 as part of his assignment as an investigative photographer documenting the working conditions of child workers for the National Child Labor Committee. Several of his photographs of Brookside's youthful workers survive.
After World War II increasing foreign competition and the high costs of modernization doomed the city's textile factories. After Cherokee Mills and Venus Hosiery closed in 1954, the city offered Brookside $350,000 in tax incentives to keep its factory open. The company cut salaries and gradually reduced its workforce before finally shutting down in 1956.
Mill site.
Weaving operations continued in some form at the Brookside factory until 1969. In 1996 the buildings were demolished. The site remained vacant until recent years when Holston Gases built a facility on the site.
The lot is located at 523 West Baxter Avenue adjacent to the intersection of Baxter Avenue and Interstate 275.
In October 2011, Holston Gases announced their intention to move their Knoxville gas facility to the former Brookside Mills site. The $10 million project is forecast to produce between 20 and 30 new jobs. This business is now in operation.


Bulbophyllum hirsutiusculum

Bulbophyllum hirsutiusculum is a species of orchid in the genus "Bulbophyllum". It is critically endangered and may be extinct as a result of illegal collection for ornamental use and subsistence woodgathering.


Henry W. Sage

Henry Williams Sage (January 31, 1814 – September 18, 1897) was a wealthy New York State businessman, philanthropist, and early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University.
Early life.
Sage was born in Middletown, Connecticut on January 31, 1814. He was the son of Charles and Sally (née Williams) Sage. He spent part of his early childhood in Bristol, Connecticut before moving to Ithaca, New York in 1827.
Two uncles, Timothy S. Williams and Josiah B. Williams, were New York State Senators from the Ithaca area.
Career.
After briefly studying medicine at Ithaca under Dr. Austin Church, he began work for his uncles' forwarding firm, with a line of barges on the Erie Canal, which he took over by 1837. In 1847, he was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Whig.
In 1854, he purchased a tract of land at Bell Ewart on Lake Simcoe, 51 miles north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was soon processing timber on a large scale. From that point, the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad (see Northern Railway of Canada) carried the lumber to its wharves in Toronto, offering Sage a reduced rate for a specified number of carloads per month. The lumber was shipped across Lake Ontario to Sage's wholesale lumber yards at Albany, New York. He did not own the timber lands on Lake Simcoe, but rather purchased logs from farmers eager to clear their lands.
Moving to Brooklyn in 1857, he became active in the Plymouth Congregational Church, where the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (son of Lyman Beecher and brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe) was pastor. He would later endow the Lyman Beecher Lectureship on Preaching at Yale Divinity School.
About this time he was also purchasing lumber in Michigan, as the Ontario supply began to wane. In 1863, he became a business partner with John McGraw. The two founded the town of Wenona, Michigan (named for the mother of Hiawatha and now part of Bay City) in 1864. The two earned a fortune in lumber and land in Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York.
In 1865, Sage purchased timber berths in Oakley township, Muskoka, necessary to keep the Bell Ewart mill running. The construction of a canal was required to run the logs from the Black River to Lake Couchiching. With previous experience on the New York State Assembly and legislation involving improvements to the Erie Canal, he attracted the interest of other Lake Simcoe lumbermen to form the Rama Timber Transport Company in 1868. The canal to divert the logs into Lake Couchiching opened in 1869, later that year Sage sold the Bell Ewart mill and associated timber berths to Messrs. Silliman and Beecher. Young Harry Beecher was a nephew of Sage's pastor, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.
He funded construction of what is now the Sage Library of the Bay County Library System in Michigan in 1884. It was designed by Cornell architecture professor Charles Babcock in the French Château-style, and is today a historical landmark.
Involvement with Cornell.
Henry Sage attended the inauguration of Cornell University on October 7, 1868. On this occasion Sage was introduced to Andrew Dickson White by their mutual friend John McGraw. As recounted by White in his "Autobiography," Sage told White, "I believe you are right in regard to admitting women ... when you are ready to move in the matter, let me know." Within a year, White had admitted Cornell's first female student, but since the University had only all-male dormitories, she was forced to rent a room in downtown Ithaca. This required a steep climb several times per day, which became treacherous in winter. White went to ask Sage for assistance, and Sage responded with an offer of $250,000 to build a women's college.
In 1870, Sage was elected to the Board of Trustees of Cornell University, and elected president of the Board in 1875. At his direction, the University resisted selling its Wisconsin land grants in the aftermath of the Panic of 1873, earning millions of dollars for the university's endowment.
An avowed supporter of equal access to higher education, he established Sage College for Women, Cornell's first residence for female students (today known as Sage Hall and home to the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management). He also built Sage Chapel, the first non-denominational house of worship at a US university (and later endowed by his son Dean Sage); Sage House, now home to the Cornell University Press; the Sage Infirmary, now known as Schuyler House; and Stimson Hall, original home of the Cornell Medical College in Ithaca. He endowed the Susan Linn Sage School of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences, named after his wife.
Sage's most notable contribution was the construction of the University Library (since 1962, Uris Library). Jennie McGraw, who had inherited his partner John's fortune in 1877, and died of tuberculosis shortly after marrying University Librarian Daniel Willard Fiske. She bequeathed $1 million to build a library, but Fiske sued to break the will, sparking what became known as The Great Will Case. The United States Supreme Court ruled in Fiske's favor in 1890.
Infuriated by the decision, Sage donated funds for the construction of the Library himself, including a large plaque memorializing his indignation:
Cornell's graduate student fellowship, known as the SAGE fellowship, is being named in honor of Sage. The Sage Fellowship covers tuition and provide a stipend for living expenses.
Personal life.
On September 1, 1840, Sage was married to Susan Elizabeth Linn, the daughter of William Linn and granddaughter of Rev. William Linn who served as the first Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives in 1789. Together, they were the parents of:
His wife was killed in 1885 when she was thrown from her carriage in Ithaca. Sage died in Ithaca, New York on September 18, 1897.
Descendants.
His grandson Dean, named after the son, became president of Presbyterian Hospital in 1922, which affiliated with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1924. Presbyterian merged with New York Hospital, affiliated with what is now the Weill Cornell Medical College, in 1996.
Another grandson, Henry M. Sage (1868–1933), was a New York State senator and owned an estate in Menands, New York.


Heidal cheese

Heidal cheese ( or simply "heidal") is a Norwegian brunost.
The cheese is named after the parish of Heidal in the northern part of the Gudbrand Valley. It is dark brown. Heidal cheese is a molded cheese that was first produced at one of the many farms in Heidal. The cheese is currently produced by the Tine company and by the local Heidal Cheese Factory in Heidal.


Robert A. Long

Robert Alexander Long (17 December 1850 – 15 March 1934) was an American lumber baron, developer, investor, newspaper owner, and philanthropist. He lived most of his life in Kansas City, Missouri and founded Longview, Washington and Longville, Louisiana.
By 1906, Long owned of pine in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana and converted it into 61 lumberyards. As the timber land was deforested in Louisiana, he moved west to the state of Washington and bought of Douglas fir. There he became a pioneer in reforestation. Long eventually owned many acres of land and buildings, spanning the United States from Washington D.C. to the state of Washington.
Early years.
Long was born December 17, 1850, in Shelbyville, Kentucky, one of nine children born to Samuel M. Long and Margaret Kinkead White. His mother was a cousin of Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn and Luke P. Blackburn. Three of Long's older brothers, Thomas, E. S. and Belvard, served in the American Civil War but Robert was too young.
Long moved to Columbus, Kansas in 1873 where his uncle, C. J. White, was a banker. In 1874, Long met 19-year-old Martha Ellen Wilson. She was a Quaker and became a school teacher. After a year of courtship the two were married December 16, 1876. A son lived only a few weeks but the couple had two daughters. In 1879, Sally America Long (Ellis) was born, and in 1881 their youngest daughter, Loula Long (Combs; d. 1971) was born.
Career.
Long started a hay bale company along with his cousin Robert White and a friend, Victor B. Bell; the hay venture failed but the three were able to sell the lumber from the hay sheds. Seeing that lumber was in demand they order more lumber. Business was good and the partners opened more yards. In 1877 the youngest partner, Robert White, died and the remaining partners bought out his share. Robert and Victor formed the Long-Bell Lumber Company in Columbus, Kansas.
While in Columbus, he bought and developed a profitable coal mine with two shafts at Stone City. The location is found only on historical maps, as the town no longer exists today, but was just east of NW 40th street south of the junction of NW Meir road, which is northwest of Columbus.
Long-Bell Lumber Company.
In 1887, Robert A. Long and Victor Bell formed the Long-Bell Lumber Company in Columbus, Kansas. The headquarters was moved to Kansas City where it remained until sold.
In 1889, Samuel H. Wilson, Robert's brother-in-law, that began with the company in 1887, took over the retail department, a position he held until his death on October 20, 1903. In 1891, the capital stock was increased to $500,000. The Long-Bell Lumber Company was vertically integrated from the forest to the lumber yard and became the world's largest lumber company in the early 20th century.
Long-Bell Lumber Company filed for bankruptcy in 1934, then filed a reorganization plan in the Kansas City federal court in 1935, after Long's death.
Louisiana.
When the railroad entered Louisiana Robert Long was among the earliest to set up shop. He purchased land in many parts of the state to begin lumber harvesting to supply the needs of his giant lumber company.
In 1900, the Long-Bell Lumber Company organized the King-Ryder Lumber Company at Bon Ami, Louisiana. By 1904 the mill was producing 300,000 board feet of lumber daily which made it the largest in the area at the time. In 1903, Long-Bell organized the Hudson River Lumber Company in DeRidder and built a sprawling mill across the tracks from Washington street. Kansas City Southern Railroad and the Sante Fe Railway ran through Deridder.
On March 16, 1906, Long-Bell Company bought out two mills of the Bradley-Ramsey Lumber Company in Lake Charles. This included and 36 miles of the Lake Charles and Leesville railroad and was renamed the Lake Charles and Northern Railroad. This purchase included seven locomotives and 120 log cars and a total of 58.599 miles of tracks. The new rail formed part of the Atlantic System of the Southern Pacific Company. In October 1906, a new location (sections 25 and 30, township 5, of range 8 west) was cleared along the route for the "Longville Long Leaf Lumber Company" and town. The company built the three-story, 60-room "Southern Hotel", 163 cottages for workers, a large commissary with $30,000 worth of supplies, an elementary and high school, a complete machine shop, roundhouse, car repair shop, and blacksmith shop. There was also a two-story fire department building, providing around the clock service, that started with a horse-drawn wagon then a fire truck, the "First National Bank", a barbershop, and the "Dixie Theater.
Circa 1913, Long-Bell acquired the Ludington Lumber Company and transferred 3000 acres (for $157,000) to shore up the stumpage (uncut lumber) reserve. When the mill burned in 1920, there were an estimated 2500 residents in the town meaning it rivaled Fullerton. With the stumpage reserve dwindled the mill was not rebuilt so the town began to disappear. The planer was converted to a hardwood flooring mill, which was moved to DeRidder in 1927 when all operation at Longville ceased.
Unions.
Unions had been operating in many industries, such as the railroads and coal mines in the United States as early as 1870, and played an important part in securing a better working environment and pay. Coal miners benefited from unions because their work under ground was poorly ventilated causing Pneumoconiosis also known as black lung (and even referred to as P-45),] was a fact of life. Railroad worker unions succeeded in getting rid of the "old man-killer" link and pin coupler.
Union organization began at Carson, Louisiana, led by Arthur Lee Emerson and Jay Smith in December 1910. Other areas such as Lake Charles, Merryville, and Eastern Texas soon followed. They met in Alexandria in June 1911 to established the Brotherhood of Timber Workers (BTW). The "Southern Lumber Operators' Association" had been created by member mills in 1906 to stop any future union organizations. The association took immediately plans to include lockouts, importing strikebreakers, hiring the Burns agency, Pinkerton detectives, and other steps with the purpose of destroying the union.
John Henry Kirby, that owned the American Lumber Company in Merryville, Louisiana, did hire agents to infiltrate the union. Other mills either imported workers or closed mills. After the incident at Grabow suspected union workers were fired. There were no laws to protect unions such as the Erdman Act for interstate railroad workers. The cases of Allgeyer v. Louisiana (1897), and the landmark case of Lochner v. New York (1905), called the Lochner era that did acknowledge that states have certain "police powers", but effectively took away a lot of state control, resulting in more company allowed controls. It was not until 1955, ending the Lockner era.
Employees of many sawmills were required to sign yellow-dog contracts to prove loyalty to the company and agree not to join unions. The union office in Merryville was destroyed, and within three months union activities ceased.
C. B. Sweet, of the Long-Bell Mills, chose not to honor the lockout. Sweet already paid his employees in cash and made other concessions and there did not appear to be any union action directed at the Long-Bell company sawmills in Louisiana. This was not to be the case with the Longview, Washington sawmill and other areas of the country.
Washington.
He founded the city of Longview, Washington, a "planned city" built in 1923 near two of Long-Bell's lumber mills. He personally donated funds for the city's public library, first high school, train station, YMCA hall and its Hotel Monticello. The mills were advertised as the largest in the world.
A newspaper was planned along with the city and on January 27, 1923, the first issue of Longview News came off the press.
Long was the principal stockholder until his death on March 15, 1934, and in a family trust until 1947. In 1981 the paper won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Other businesses.
Long was an early investor in the Kansas City Southern Railroad, a source of transportation for his raw material and products. Longview Development Company was formed for handling real estate in Longview, Washington.
Structures affiliated with Long.
Corinthian Hall.
Long's home in Kansas City, named Corinthian Hall, was completed in 1911. The 72-room French Renaissance mansion, located on Gladstone Boulevard, was Kansas City's first million-dollar home, is now the Kansas City Museum. On November 14, 1980 the building was entered into the NRHP.
R. A. Long Building.
In 1907 the R.A. Long Building, a Beaux-Arts skyscraper in downtown Kansas City was built at 928 Grand Avenue. On January 8, 2003, the building was llisted in the NRHP.
Longview Farm.
Longview Farm was built in 1913-1914, in eastern Jackson County, on the outskirts of Kansas City. The farm had 42 buildings, 250 acres of clipped lawns, extensive flower beds, and four greenhouses; in later years fresh carnations and gardenias were shipped daily. Portions of the farm are now sites of Longview College and of Longview Lake. The farm was listed on the NRHP on October 24, 1985.
Liberty Memorial.
Long was a driving force behind the creation of Kansas City's Liberty Memorial, a World War I museum and monument. He was the president of the Liberty Memorial Association and a major contributor. In less than a year the organization collected $2,500,000. The monument was dedicated on November 11, 1926.
R.A. Long High School.
The R.A. Long High School was a gift to the city of Longview, Washington in 1923 from Robert Long. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic places. The school was one of several buildings that Long built from personal funds.
Associations.
Long was involved in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), as well as his family, until his death. Loula remained faithful to the Longview Chapel Christian church (Disciples of Christ) until she died and was celebrated as one of the longest attending members.
Long was active in several associations. Long was the president of the Southern Pine Association founded in 1915. The name was changed in 1970 to the Southern Forest Products Association with a division being the Southern Pine Council and is still active today. Long belonged to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association.
His other associations include:
Death and legacy.
Long died on March 15, 1934. In Longview, Washington, a bronze bust of Long, by Alonzo Victor Lewis, was placed in the renamed R. A. Long Park on August 24, 1946.
In 1956, International Paper Company (IP) purchased all remaining holdings of the Long-Bell Lumber Company and renamed it IP-Long-Bell. With the lumber depleted and the mill being antiquated, IP-Bell ceased operations in 1960 and the mills were dismantled and sold. Some of the giant old-growth beams were used to build Microsoft-founder Bill Gates’ mansion in Medina on Lake Washington.
The R. A. Long Historical Society was formed in 2006.


Siboney de Cuba

The Siboney de Cuba is a hybrid breed of cattle optimized for survival in harsh environments. They comprise 5/8 Holstein Friesian ("Bos taurus") and 3/8 Zebu (Bos indicus). As such, they are a true hybrid of two species - however, they are fertile (although they do not breed true).
The breed was originally created in the 1970s to improve the milk yields of the hardy but poor yielding zebu by incorporating genes from the more productive but also more frail Holstein. The result has been an economically viable (and even profitable) animal, incorporating resistance to tropical climatic stresses.


Yellowstone Park bison herd

The Yellowstone Park bison herd in Yellowstone National Park is probably the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States, estimated in 2020 to be 4,800 bison. The bison in the Yellowstone Park bison herd are American bison of the Plains bison subspecies. Yellowstone National Park may be the only location in the United States where free-ranging bison were never extirpated, since they continued to exist in the wild and were not reintroduced.
Name.
"Bison" in Yellowstone Park are perhaps more frequently called "buffalo" by park visitors. The term "buffalo" is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two "true buffalo", the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. However, "bison" is a Greek word meaning ox-like animal, while "buffalo" originated with the French fur trappers who called these massive beasts , meaning ox or bullock—so both names, "bison" and "buffalo", have a similar meaning. Though the name "Bison" might be considered to be more scientifically correct, as a result of standard usage the name "buffalo" is also considered correct and is listed in many dictionaries as an acceptable name for American Buffalo or bison. In reference to this animal, the term "buffalo", dates to 1635 in North American usage when the term was first recorded for the American mammal. It thus has a much longer history than the term "bison", which was first recorded in 1774. The American bison is very closely related to the wisent or European bison.
Ecology.
The Yellowstone Park bison herd is divided into two sub-herds that are mostly isolated from each other. The Northern Range herd which numbers approximately 2300 individuals ranges from the northern park entrance near Gardiner, Montana through the Blacktail Plateau and into the Lamar Valley. The Central Interior herd, which numbers approximately 1400 individuals, ranges from the Madison River valley into the Hayden Valley and Upper and Lower Geyser Basins.
Yellowstone National Park has large areas of alpine meadows and grass prairie and this provides a nearly optimum environment for American bison who live in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Their typical habitat is open or semi-open grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semi-arid lands and scrublands. Some lightly wooded areas are also known historically to have supported bison. Bison will also graze in hilly or mountainous areas where the slopes are not steep. Though bison are not particularly known as high altitude animals, members of the Yellowstone Park bison herd are frequently found at elevations above 8,000 feet (2,400 m) and a herd started with founder animals from Yellowstone, the Henry Mountains bison herd, is found on the plains around the Henry Mountains, Utah, as well as in mountain valleys of the Henry Mountains to an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
Bison are large herd animals that defend their young vigorously. American bison can run up to 35 miles per hour (55 km/h) and are surprising agile, in addition to their notable strength and irritable temperament. Significant apex predators that are found in Yellowstone National Park and may threaten bison include black bears, Grizzly bears and wolf packs. Other large mammals found in Yellowstone include moose, coyotes, bobcats, deer, pronghorn, elk, bighorn sheep, timber wolves, and bears. Timber wolves and bears are successful predators of bison, but bison meat is not a major component of their diet. Competitive pressure from the other large grazing mammals in Yellowstone Park may also help limit the number of bison in the herd, but this is not considered to have had a significant effect on bison numbers. Disease, including various viruses, parasites and brucellosis, have a greater effect on bison population. Hunting occurs when many of the bison leave the park during the winter, heading up into Montana, especially through the Lamar Valley. The State of Montana has authorized large buffalo hunts to eliminate the animals, because of concerns about spreading brucellosis to local domestic cattle.
Management.
American Bison once numbered in the millions, perhaps between 25 million and 60 million by some estimates, and they were possibly the most numerous large land animal on earth. However, by the late 1880s, they had been hunted to near extinction throughout North America. It appears that the Yellowstone Park bison herd was the last free-ranging bison herd in the United States and the only place where bison were not extirpated in the United States. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is descended from a remnant population of 23 individual bison that survived the mass slaughter of the 19th century by hiding out in the Pelican Valley of Yellowstone Park. To assist in the species' revival, in 1896, the United States government obtained one bull and seven cows from the Lincoln Park Zoo bison herd for Yellowstone. In 1902, a captive herd of 21 Goodnight plains bison was introduced to the park and then moved to the Lamar Valley and managed as livestock until the 1960s, when a policy of natural regulation was adopted by the park.
Over the years, the National Park Service and states bordering the park have implemented various plans to limit exposure of Yellowstone Bison to cattle herds outside the park. Efforts have including hunting, hazing Bison back into the park, vaccinations and exporting excess Bison to other locations. The most current effects are being considered by the Interagency Bison Management Plan—a cooperative, multi-agency effort that guides the management of bison and brucellosis in and around Yellowstone National Park. The National Park Service, USDA-Forest Service, USDA-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks adopted the first plan in 2000. Since 2009, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council, and the Nez Perce Tribe have participated in the planning. The plan is aimed at:
The most current planning is focused on keeping the Yellowstone Bison population at levels that limit migration outside the park. Methods include slaughter and export of excess bison to other suitable habitats. The National Park Service targets approximately 3,000 bison as the optimal herd size for the park. In 2016 the population had grown to approximately 5,500 animals. In the winters of 2016/2017 and 2019/2020 the park service reduced the herd size by at least 900 animals.
The bison at Yellowstone National Park have become the foundation animals for many other bison herds throughout the United States, such as the Henry Mountains bison herd and (partially) the Wind Cave bison herd, and several groups in the United States and Canada are making efforts to return bison to nature parks or reserves in parts of their previous natural range. Some large tracts of open range and natural habitat have been purchased by private individuals or groups to prepare for bison reintroduction.<ref name="MJ 2011/02"></ref>
Brucellosis.
Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions. Brucellosis occurs naturally in the Yellowstone Bison Herd and the normal winter migrations of bison outside the park have raised concerns that Brucellosis infected Bison may infect cattle. The United States government has programs to eradicate brucellosis in domestic livestock. Since 1934, an estimated $3.5 billion in federal, state, and private funds has been spent on brucellosis eradication in domestic livestock.
Genetics.
The Yellowstone Park bison herd is considered to be genetically pure, meaning that there is no evidence of significant hybridization between these bison and cattle.
Officially, the "American Buffalo" is classified by the United States Government as a type of cattle, and the government allows private herds to be managed as such. This is a reflection of the characteristics that bison share with cattle. Though the American bison ("Bison bison") is not only a separate species, but actually in a separate genus from domestic cattle ("Bos primigenius"), it clearly has a lot of genetic compatibility with the latter, and American bison can interbreed freely with cattle. Moreover, when they do interbreed, the crossbreeds tend to look very much like purebred bison, so appearance is completely unreliable as a means of determining what is a purebred bison and what is crossbred with cattle. Many ranchers have deliberately crossbred their cattle with bison, and it would also be expected that there could be some natural hybridization in areas where cattle and bison occur in the same range. Since cattle and bison eat similar food and tolerate similar conditions, they have often been in the same range together in the past, and opportunity for cross breeding may sometimes have been common.
In recent decades, tests were developed to determine the source of mitochondrial DNA in cattle and bison, and it was found that most private 'buffalo' herds were actually crossbred with cattle, and even most state and federal buffalo herds had some cattle DNA. With the advent of nuclear microsatellite DNA testing, the number of herds that identified to contain cattle genes has increased. Though approximately 500,000 bison exist on private ranches and in public herds, some people estimate that perhaps only 15,000 to 25,000 of these bison are pure rather than bison-cattle hybrids. "DNA from domestic cattle ("Bos taurus") has been detected in nearly all bison herds examined to date." Significant public bison herds that do not appear to have hybridized domestic cattle genes are the Yellowstone Park bison herd, the Henry Mountains bison herd (which was started with bison taken from Yellowstone Park), the Wind Cave bison herd and the Wood Buffalo National Park bison herd and subsidiary herds descended from it, in Canada.
A landmark study of bison genetics that was performed by James Derr of the Texas A&M University corroborated this. The Derr study was undertaken in an attempt to determine what genetic problems bison might face as they repopulate former areas, and it noted that bison were faring well, despite their apparent genetic bottleneck. One possible explanation for this might be the small amount of domestic cattle genes that are now in most bison populations, though this is not the only possible explanation for bison success.
In the study, cattle genes were also found in small amounts throughout most herds. "The hybridization experiments conducted by some of the owners of the five foundation herds of the late 1800s, have left a legacy of a small amount of cattle genetics in many of our existing bison herds." He also said, "All of the state owned bison herds tested (except for possibly one) contain animals with domestic cattle mtDNA." It appears that the one state herd that had no cattle genes was the Henry Mountains bison herd in the Henry Mountains of Utah, which were descended from transplanted animals from Yellowstone Park. It is unknown if the Book Cliffs extension of this herd in Central Utah is also free of hybridization; the extension involved mixing the founders with additional bison from another source.
There is currently no evidence of hybridization in the Yellowstone herd, however, some geneticists speculate that as genetic testing improves, it may be discovered that almost all bison have some genetic inheritance from domestic cattle.
A separate study by Wilson and Strobeck, published in "Genome", was done to define the relationships between different herds of bison in the United States and Canada, and to determine whether the bison at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada and the Yellowstone Park bison herd were possibly separate subspecies, and not Plains bison. Some people had suggested that the Yellowstone Park bison were actually either of the "B. b. athabascae" (wood buffalo) subspecies, or else that they were of an unspecified 'mountain' subspecies. In the study, it was determined that the Wood Buffalo park bison were actually cross breeds between plains bison and wood bison, but that their predominant genetic makeup was in fact that of the expected "wood buffalo" ("B. b. athabascae"). However, the Yellowstone Park bison herd were pure plains bison ("B. b. bison"), and not any of the other previously suggested subspecies.


Curzon Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne

Curzon Mill, later known as Alger Mill was a cotton spinning mill in the Hurst district of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in England. It was built between 1899 and 1902 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham. It was a sister mill to the Atlas Mill. It was sold to the Alger Spinning Co. Ltd in 1911, and closed in 1942. It was then used as a cigarette factory by the J.A. Pattreiouex company until 1966, and then sold to the Qualitex company for the production of artificial fibres. It was still spinning artificial fibres in the 1990s and was demolished in 1994; the site being used for a housing estate.
Location.
Curzon Mill was built on Cedar Street, Hurst.
History.
The Minerva Spinning Company Limited was registered in 1891 to build the Minerva Mill at Whitelands. The directors were Messrs Barlow, Marland, Coop, Newton, Pollitt and Pownall; they were later referred to as the Ashton syndicate. In 1891, they built the Rock Mill, and in 1898 built Atlas Mill. Curzon Mill built between 1899 and 1902 was their fourth mill and a sister mill to the Atlas mill. It was registered as the Curzon Mill Co. Ltd, with a capital of GBP70,000. Tudor Mill, Cedar Mill and finally the Texas Mill followed.
The cotton industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The great war of 1914–1918 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets. The Ashton syndicate sold the mill to the Alger Spinning Company Limited in 1911, and the mill was renamed the Alger Mill. The Alger Spinning Co was liquidated in 1941.
Architecture.
This was a Sydney Stott building. It was four storeys high built on a basement from engineering brick. The large windows were in groups of three, and there was white tile decoration. It had a Hotel-de-Ville style water tower. The six bay engine house, boiler house and chimney were to the north-west
Power.
The steam engine was by George Saxon & Co, of Openshaw. It was 1200 hp horizontal triple expansion four cylinder engine, that ran the forty ton flywheel at 60rpm.
There were two 37in diameter low pressure cylinders (LP), an intermediate (IP) of 32in and a high pressure (HP) of 20in. They had a 60in stroke. They had Corliss valves and the airpumps were driven from each crosshead. The boiler operated at 160 psi. The flywheel was 26 ft in diameter and was grooved for 28 ropes.
Equipment.
All the mule frames and equipment was by Hetherington and Sons Ltd. There were 77,184 mule spindles spinning fine counts of twists and weft from Egyptian cotton. By 1911 it was spinning medium counts of American.
Usage.
Curzon Mill was used for spinning fine counts of twists and weft from Egyptian cotton. In 1911 it was spinning medium counts of American cotton.
Notable events/media.
In 1904 there was a lengthy and acrimonious strike at Curzon Mill. The causes and settlement are unclear, but because of the friction and a depression in the market, the directors failed to pay a dividend to the shareholders for half-year ending 24 September 1904. Two possible causes could have been the directors employing 'non-union labour', or tension between management and the spinners and the cardroom operatives. At any rate, the trouble moved onto the street and many women were arrested and bound over to keep the peace for 'shouting'. Commenting on the settlement, the mayor, Alderman Shaw, whose efforts paved the way for a settlement said "Both sides have given way a little, but neither cares to admit it."


Angkor Silk Farm


American Spinning Company Mill No. 2

The American Spinning Company Mill No. 2 is a historic mill complex at 300 Hammett Street, in a pocket of unincorporated Greenville County, South Carolina surrounded on three sides by the city of Greenville. It is a five-story brick building, to which a number of warehouse buildings and other additions were made. It was built in 1901-02, as part of a major expansion to the American Spinning Company's Mill No. 1, which originally stood just south of Hammett Street. It was built by Oscar Sampson, a Boston textile manufacturer to a design by the industrial design firm Lockwood and Greene, and is one of thirteen early 20th-century mills surviving in the Greenville area. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Its major tenant now is the Victor Mill Company, a furniture maker.


List of individual pigs

This is a list of notable pigs.
General.
Arnold.
Arnold was the Ziffels' pet pig on the TV sitcom Green Acres. He would perform anthropomorphic activities such as coming uninvited into the Douglas home, turning on the television and watching while sitting in a chair.
Khanzir.
Khanzir is a male pig who, in May 2009, attracted international attention as the "only pig in Afghanistan".
King Neptune.
King Neptune (May 16, 1942 – May 14, 1950) was a Hereford swine used by a United States Navy recruiter to raise $19 million in war bonds for the construction of between 1942 and 1946. At least two monuments have been erected in honor of this pig and his handlers.
Learned pig.
In 1784-5 an unnamed pig was exhibited in London under the title The Learned Pig. The pig was said to be able to spell words and solve arithmetical problems. Later Learned Pigs were exhibited under the name Toby, and were said to be able to read minds.
Maude.
Maude was a pet owned by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and his family during his presidency (1901-1909).
Max.
Max was the Vietnamese potbellied pig pet of George Clooney, often referred to as "Max the star" by Clooney. The pig shared Clooney's Hollywood Hills home, also Clooney's bed, and frequently made cameos in interviews, mostly because of his size. Max died in 2006.
Pigasus.
Pigasus was a tongue-in-cheek candidate for President of the United States run by the Yippies at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Snobben.
Snobben was a Norwegian pet pig that received national attention when the owner's car was stolen in 2001, with the pet pig inside. The car was found five days later, with the pig in good shape. At the time Snobben was already known locally in Oslo, where he during the late 1990s was often seen doing the groceries alone at Majorstuen.
The Tamworth Two.
The Tamworth Two, named Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Pig, were two Tamworth Ginger pigs who escaped while being unloaded from a lorry at an abattoir in the English town of Malmesbury, Wiltshire in January 1998. The pigs were on the run for over a week, and the search for them caused a huge media sensation, as well as immense public interest, both in Britain and abroad.
Thunder and Bolt.
Thunder and Bolt are a pair of certified therapy animals, raised by a 10 year old girl, who have garnered national attention in the US for visiting hospitals and nursing homes.
Tirpitz.
Tirpitz was a pig captured from the German Navy after a naval skirmish following the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914. He subsequently became the mascot of the cruiser HMS "Glasgow".
Unnamed pig.
In 1859, an unnamed British-owned pig wandered into Lyman Cutlar's potato patch on San Juan Island,
Washington, and was shot, thus setting off a (small) cold war known as the Pig War.
Large pigs.
This is a list of pigs that are notable for their abnormally large size.
Curly Boy.
In March 1901, an article appeared in the Rushville, Illinois newspaper, the Rushville Times, telling of the slaughter of a 1,255 pound hog. This article was later printed in the Schuyler County, Illinois historical newsletter The Schuylerite 14:1 (Spring 1985):
"Curly Boy Slaughtered
The above caption may appear misleading and cause the TIMES readers to think there has been a slaughter of a tow-headed boy, but it was meant to tell of the death of Samuel A. Stephen's big hog in Chicago. Mr. Stephens shipped the 1,255 pound porker from here last week and he reached Chicago safely. All along the way, whenever the train stopped, there gathered a crowd of persons to see the hog. At the Union Stock Yards in Chicago he attracted not a little attention and drew a crowd like a monkey show in the country. At the packing house where he was killed, the foreman ordered the butchers to hang him up on cattle chains, as the regular hog chains were not made for such as he. His skin was carefully removed and was turned over to a taxidermist, who will cure it and mount the animal in a life size position."
Monster Pig.
Monster Pig is the name of a large hog killed on May 3, 2007, by an eleven-year-old boy, Jamison Stone in a low fence enclosure within the larger 2,500 acre (10 km²) commercial hunting preserve called Lost Creek Plantation, outside Anniston, Alabama. According to the hunters (there were no independent witnesses) the pig weighed 1,051 lb (477 kg). Claims of the authenticity and allegations of the kill being a canned hunt have disputed the claim. Shortly after the story and allegations broke the origin of the hog was traced back to a local farm who had originally named the animal "Fred."
Hogzilla.
Hogzilla is the name given to a wild hog that was shot and killed in Alapaha, Georgia, on June 17, 2004, by Chris Griffin on Ken Holyoak's farm and hunting reserve. Alleged to be 12 feet (3.6 m) long and to weigh 1,000 pounds (450 kg), scientists confirmed that Hogzilla actually weighed 800 pounds (360 kg) and was between 7.5 and 8 feet (2.25 and 2.4 m) long.
Coursey hog.
On January 5, 2007, a 1,100 lb (500 kg) feral hog was shot in Fayetteville, Georgia. The shooter was William "Bill" Coursey, who hung the specimen from a tree in his yard. Neighbours reported that the animal had been seen in the neighborhood several times over the preceding days. A spokesperson from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said that large boars and feral hogs were common in southern Georgia, but that no records are kept on them. The media latched on to the notion that this animal rivals the size of Hogzilla.
Hog Kong.
Hog Kong was an estimated 1,140 lb (517 kg) wild hog killed in August 2004 by Larry Earley at his farm near Leesburg, Florida, using a Smith & Wesson Model 29.
Big Bill.
The world record for the heaviest pig so far is held by Big Bill, owned by Elias Buford Butler of Jackson, Tennessee. It was a Poland China breed of hog that tipped the scales at 2,552 lb (1,157 kg) in 1933. Bill was due to be exhibited at the Chicago World Fair when he broke a leg and had to be put down. At about this point in time, the trend in hog production began to shift to hogs that were much trimmer and very lean.
Ton Pig.
Ton Pig was a domestic hog from China owned by Xu Changjin that weighed in at 1,984 pounds (900 kg). Ton died from lack of mobility because of obesity on February 4, 2004. It was sent to the Liaoning Agriculture Museum in Shenyang, for display.
Big Norm.
Big Norm was owned by Robert Peterson. Even though fed on regular hog feed, Norm grew to large proportions estimated at 1600 lb (730 kg). Big Norm died of apparent heart failure in 2008.


Sancho Panza (brand)

Sancho Panza is the name of a premium cigar brand in Cuba dating from 1848, and still produced there for Habanos S.A., the Cuban state-owned tobacco company.
History.
Named for the rustic squire to Don Quixote in Miguel de Cervantes' 1605 novel of the same name, the name "Sancho Panza" was first used for a Havana cigar in 1848, when the "marca" of "Sancho Panza" was registered by Don Emilio Ohmsted. The original factory was located at 48 Angeles St. in Havana. Sometime during the 1880s, the brand was acquired by Ramon Allones and in 1940 was purchased by the Rey Del Mundo Cigar Co. The Sancho Panza factory and its assets were nationalized by the Cuban government on September 15, 1960.
Products.
Today, all Cuban-production Sancho Panza cigars are completely handmade ("totalmente a mano") from long-filler tobacco ("Tripa Larga") sourced from the Vuelta Abajo (Pinar del Río) region of Cuba. The brand is known for the larger sizes in its range, including the enormous "Sanchos" and the figurado "Belicosos". Sancho Panza cigars are medium-bodied, using a blend known for its distinctive, sometimes salty taste that appeals to some Havana aficionados.
Non-Cuban production.
In the U.S.A, the Sancho Panza trademark was registered in 1981 by Villazon & Company, and the trademark was later acquired by the General Cigar Company. General Cigar markets a line of Honduran cigars with the Sancho Panza brand name incorporating a Honduran or Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and binder.
Cuban handmade vitolas.
The range of sizes produced by Habanos S.A. today comprises several vitolas including the "Molinos" or 'mill', which is a Cervantes size.
Length: 116 mm (4 5/8") Ring Gauge: 40 (15.88 mm)
Length: 140 mm (5 1/2") Ring Gauge: 52 (20.64 mm)
Length: 142 mm (5 5/8") Ring Gauge: 42 (16.67 mm)
Length: 178 mm (7") Ring Gauge: 47 (18.65 mm)
Length: 165 mm (6 1/2") Ring Gauge: 42 (16.67 mm)
Length: 129 mm (5 1/8") Ring Gauge: 42 (16.67 mm)
Length: 235 mm (9 1/4") Ring Gauge: 47 (18.65 mm)
Source: Habanos S.A.


Wannalancit Mills

The Wannalancit Mills (formerly the Suffolk Mills) in Lowell, Massachusetts is an early American cotton mill, parts of which date to the 1830s at the earliest. Its namesake is a corruption of Wonalancet, a sachem or sagamore of the Penacook Native American tribe. Today the complex is home to office space, conference center, and university research facilities.
History.
Operations.
In 1830, the Suffolk Textile Company was established. Running off of hydropower and later steam power, the mill's buildings were soon built during the mass building mills in the city. During the Civil War, the mill was closed and rebuilt. In 1926, the Suffolk Mills were sold. The New England textile industry was in decline by World War I and collapsed after World War II yet the mill hung on. In 1950, the Wannalancit Textile Company moved into the mills, renaming them. In 1969, Colombian workers were brought in since they were used to the poor working conditions and knew how to operate textile machinery. The mills finally closed in 1981.
Reuse.
Today, the Wannalancit Mills are an example of adaptive re-use as they contain offices. Part of the mills are owned by the University of Massachusetts Lowell as well as Farley White Interests, a Boston-based real estate investment and development company. Farley White purchased 75% of the complex in 1998 and began a significant renovation and re-tenanting campaign. This effort culminated in the repointing of the property's smokestack. In 2000, the owners of the mill utilized their smokestack for the city's largest Christmas tree, reaching 256 feet in height. Yearly lighting costs are around $30,000. In 2010, the "tree" wasn't put up as owners cited costs of lighting to be a determining cause. since that year the lighting has reappeared. In years when the lights are up, the tree uses 5,440 green bulbs placed on 32 cables anchored to a 102-foot diameter base. A 19-foot star is placed on top of the tree.
Today the Mill is home to over 50 commercial tenants working in research, social services, environmental studies and communications product development.


Gray horse

A gray horse (or grey horse) has a coat color characterized by progressive depigmentation of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike some equine dilution genes and some other genes that lead to depigmentation, gray does not affect skin or eye color. Gray horses may be born any base color, depending on other color genes present. White hairs begin to appear at or shortly after birth and become progressively more prevalent as the horse ages as white hairs become intermingled with hairs of other colors. Graying can occur at different rates—very quickly on one horse and very slowly on another. As adults, most gray horses eventually become completely white, though some retain intermixed light and dark hairs.
The stages of graying vary widely. Some horses develop a dappled pattern for a period of time, others resemble a roan with more uniform intermixing of light and dark hairs. As they age, some gray horses, particularly those heterozygous for the gray gene, may develop pigmented speckles in addition to a white coat, a pattern colloquially called a “fleabitten gray.”
Gray horses appear in many breeds, though the color is most commonly seen in breeds descended from Arabian ancestors. Some breeds that have large numbers of gray-colored horses include the Thoroughbred, the Arabian, the American Quarter Horse and the Welsh pony. Breeds with a very high prevalence of gray include the Percheron, the Andalusian, and the Lipizzaner.
People who are unfamiliar with horses may refer to gray horses as "white". However, a gray horse whose hair coat is completely "white" will still have black skin (except under markings that were white at birth) and dark eyes. This is how to discern a gray horse from a white horse. White horses usually have pink skin and sometimes even have blue eyes. Young horses with hair coats consisting of a mixture of colored and gray or white hairs are sometimes confused with roan. Some horses that carry dilution genes may also be confused with white or gray.
While gray is classified as a coat color by breed registries, genetically it may be more correct to call it a depigmentation pattern. It is a dominant allele, and thus a horse needs only one copy of the gray allele, that is, heterozygous, to be gray in color. A homozygous gray horse, one carrying two gray alleles, will always produce gray foals.
Prevalence.
Gray is common in many breeds. Today, about one horse in 10 carries the mutation for graying with age. The vast majority of Lipizzaners are gray, as are the majority of Andalusian horses. Many breeds of French draft horse such as the Percheron and Boulonnais are often gray as well. Gray is also found among Welsh Ponies, Thoroughbreds, and American Quarter Horses. All of these breeds have common ancestry in the Arabian horse. In particular, all gray Thoroughbreds descend from a horse named Alcock's Arabian, a gray born in 1700. The gray coat color makes up about 3% of Thoroughbreds.
Gray also affects spotting patterns of pintos and leopard complex horses such as Appaloosas. Its effects wash out the contrast of the markings of these patterns, sometimes colloquially described as “ghosting.”
Changes in the color of gray horses.
A gray foal may be born any color. However, bay, chestnut, or black base colors are most often seen. As the horse matures, it “grays out” as white hairs begin to replace the base or birth color. Usually white hairs are first seen by the muzzle, eyes and flanks, occasionally at birth, and usually by the age of one year. Over time, white hairs replace the birth color. The changing patterns of white and dark hairs have many informal names, such as “rose gray,” “salt and pepper,” “iron gray”, or “dapple gray.” As the horse ages, the coat continues to lighten, often to a pure white. Some horses develop pigmented reddish-brown speckles on an otherwise white hair coat. Such horses are often called “fleabitten gray”.
Different breeds, and individuals within each breed, take differing amounts of time to gray out. Thus, graying cannot be used to approximate the age of a horse except in the broadest of terms: a very young horse will never have a white coat (unless it is a true white horse), while a horse in its teens usually is completely grayed out. One must also be careful not to confuse the small amount of gray hairs that may appear on some older horses in their late teens or twenties, which do not reflect the gray gene and never cause a complete graying of the horse.
This change in hair color means that the same gray horse will appear to be a different color over time, sometimes resulting in a need to change the color noted on breed registry papers. Other times, people traveling with gray horses who have a pure white hair coat have encountered problems with non-horse-oriented officials such as police officers or border guards who are unclear about a horse who has papers saying it is "gray" when the horse in front of them appears white.
To further complicate matters, the skin and eyes may be other colors if influenced by other factors such as white markings, certain white spotting patterns or dilution genes.
The genetics of gray.
The gray gene (G) is an autosomal dominant gene. In simple terms, a horse which has even one copy of the gray allele, regardless of other coat color genes present, will always become gray. This also means that all gray horses must have at least one gray parent. If a gray horse is homozygous (GG), meaning that it has a gray allele from both parents, it will always produce gray offspring no matter the color genetics of the other parent. However, if a gray horse is heterozygous (Gg), meaning it inherits one copy of the recessive gene (g), that animal may produce offspring who are not gray, depending on the genetics of the other parent and Mendelian inheritance principles. Genetic testing is now possible to determine whether a horse is homozygous or heterozygous for gray. The gray gene does not affect skin or eye color, so grays typically have dark skin and eyes, as opposed to the unpigmented pink skin of white horses.
In 2008, researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden identified the genetic mutation that governs the graying process. The study revealed that all gray horses carry an identical mutation that can be traced back to a common ancestor that lived at least two thousand years ago. The discovery that gray can be linked to a single animal provides an example of how humans have "cherry-picked" attractive mutations in domestic animals.
Gray is controlled by a single dominant allele of a gene that regulates specific kinds of stem cells. Homozygous grays turn white faster, are more likely to develop melanomas, and are less prone to develop the "fleabitten" speckling than heterozygous grays.
Researchers suggest the pigmented speckles of the “fleabitten” gray, as well as more intense reddish-brown colored areas called “blood” markings, may be caused by a loss or inactivation of the gray allele in some of the somatic cells as that would explain why the speckles are more common on heterozygous grays than homozygotes.
Melanoma in gray horses.
The identification of the gray mutation is of great interest in of medical research since this mutation also enhances the risk for melanoma in horses: some studies have suggested as many as 80% of grays over 15 years of age have some form of melanoma. Growth rate depends on the type, and many are slow-growing, but over time, many develop into a malignant melanoma.
The study of gray genetics has pointed to a molecular pathway that may lead to tumour development. Both STX17 and the neighboring NR4A3 gene are overexpressed in melanomas from gray horses, and those carrying a loss-of-function mutation in ASIP (agouti signaling protein) had a higher incidence of melanoma, implying that increased melanocortin-1 receptor signaling promotes melanoma development in Gray horses. Some studies indicate as many as 66% of melanomas become malignant, though other studies have found much lower rates, and in one case, zero.
Horse coat colors sometimes confused with gray.
White horses.
Many people who are unfamiliar with horses refer to a gray horse as "white". However, most white horses have pink skin and some have blue eyes. A horse with dark skin and dark eyes under a white hair coat is gray. However, a gray horse with an underlying homozygous cream base coat color may be born with rosy-pink skin, blue eyes and near-white hair. In such cases, DNA testing may clarify the genetics of the horse.
Roan.
Some grays in intermediate stages of graying may be confused with a roan or a rabicano. Some heavily fleabitten grays may also be confused with roans. However, roans are easily distinguishable from grays: roan consists of individual white hairs on a dark base coat, usually with the head and legs of the horse darker than the rest of the body. Rabicanos also have intermixed white hairs primarily on the body with a dark head. With gray horses, the head is often the first area to lighten, especially around the eyes and muzzle. Also, roans do not lighten with age, while grays always do.
The varnish roan is another unusual coloration, sometimes seen in Appaloosa horses, that, like gray, can change with age, but unlike gray, the horse does not become progressively lighter until it is pure white. Varnish roans are created by the action of leopard complex within breeds such as the Appaloosa and are seldom seen elsewhere.
Diluted colors.
The dilution genes that create dun, cream, pearl, silver dapple and champagne coloring may occasionally result in confusion with gray.
Some horses with a particular type of dun hair coat known as a "blue dun", grullo, or "mouse" dun appear to be a solid gray. However, this color is caused by the dun gene acting on a black base coat, and horses who are dun have all hairs the same color; there is no intermingling of white and dark hairs. Also, dun horses do not get lighter as they age. Horses that are a light cream color are also not grays. These are usually cremello, perlino or smoky cream horses, all colors produced by the action of the cream gene. However, if a gray parent passes on the gene, the hairs will turn white like any other gray. Another cream-colored dilution, the pearl gene or "barlink factor", may also create very light-coated horses. Similarly, the champagne gene can lighten coat color, often producing dappling or light colors that can be confused with gray.
In spite of its name, the silver dapple gene has nothing to do with graying. It is a dilution gene that acts only on a black coat, diluting the coat to a dark brown and the mane to a flaxen shade. Horses that express the silver dapple gene (and do not have the gray gene) are born that color and it will not lighten. However, again, if one parent passes on the gray gene, the gray gene will again be dominant.
Mythology.
Throughout history, both gray and white horses have been mythologized. As part of its legendary dimension, the gray horse in myth has been depicted with seven heads (Uchaishravas) or eight feet (Sleipnir), sometimes in groups or singly. There are also mythological tales of divinatory gray horses who prophesy or warn of danger.


Padilla Miami

Padilla Miami, originally known as the "Miami 8 & 11," is a type of handmade premium cigar manufactured by the Padilla Cigar Company. The cigar was introduced in 2005.
History and background.
The Padilla "Miami" was introduced in 2005 as the "Miami 8 & 11," named after the original factory which made the cigars, located near the corner of 8th Street & 11th Avenue in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida.
The blend for this cigar was created by José "Pepin" Garcia and the cigars were originally manufactured at Garcia's the El Rey de los Habanos factory. Originally the salomons were rolled by Garcia himself.
In 2008 production was moved to a Miami factory owned by Padilla. Production was moved again in 2010, this time to a facility in Danli, Honduras.
The cigar in its current incarnation is a "puro," with wrapper, binder, and filler all hailing from Nicaragua.
The band and packaging were designed by Ernesto Padilla.
Description.
A full-strength cigar, the Padilla Miami has a wrapper of Nicaraguan grown Cuban-seed Corojo surrounding a filler blend of Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo and a binder of Nicaraguan Criollo. There are six models in the regular line, plus one (the Belicoso Fino) as an exclusive to one retailer.
The band is black with gold lettering, with a large monogram "P" surrounded by a gold border in the center, with "Miami" in gold on a red background below the monogram. They are packed uncelloed in boxes of 20.
Models/Vitolas.
Honors/awards.
The Padilla Miami 8 & 11 robusto was named the thirteenth top-rated cigar of 2005 by "Cigar Aficionado" magazine, which called it "a full-bodied masterpiece."


Pete Martinez

Pete Martinez (1894–1970) was an American cowboy artist who specialized in drawing, printmaking, and watercolor. He is best known for his illustration and prints of Arizona desert landscapes and images of cowboy life.
Life.
In the early twentieth century a broad range of dynamic artists called Tucson, Arizona home. A collection of cowboys and rodeo stars picked up bushes, charcoal and pencils and began depicted the Arizona landscape. One of these individuals was Pete Martinez.
Martinez was born in Porterville California in 1894. He was raised in the area adjoining Deer Creek where his father worked as a cowboy and rancher. When his father was bitten by a rattlesnake and died Pete began supporting his family at the age of twelve. He followed his father's footsteps becoming cowboy. He rode herd for some major outfits including the Santa Rita Ranch of Los Banos, California, owned by the famed cattle kings Miller and Lux. He served as top rider for Mrs. George Coffee on her mountain Ranch in the Greenhorn Mountains in Kern County, California.
Martinez's exceptional horsemanship was soon recognized by racehorse owners throughout central California. He earned extra money riding these horses at the county fair. He developed into a superb roper a skill that would transform him into rodeo star.
At an early age Pete began to draw the ranch experiences. He was encouraged by his fellow cowhands, who recognized the tactile authenticity of his drawings. It was not until 1915, with a small family inheritance that Pete was able to move to San Francisco began his formal art training. He entered the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art, later called the California School of Fine Arts.
One day he showed his instructor a sketch of a horse. The teacher advised Pete to go immediately to cattle country “where he might discover something.” Pete Headed to Elko, Nevada. For three years Pete studied art in the winter and rode the ranges of Nevada in the Summer. He started as a string rider and in two years rose to foreman. Martinez described the period in his own words: “Bad Horses to ride and good scenery to paint.”
While working for the Union Land and Cattle Company, Nevada's largest ranching operation that he met Will James. And it was during this time that Jack Van Ryder worked as a hired hand for Martinez.
Martinez moved to Philadelphia to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he developed his skill as an etcher, winning an award from the Graphic Sketch Club of Philadelphia. He also studied at the Art Student League in New York, where he kept a studio in the Woolworth Building. To supplement his income he performed on the rodeo circuit in New York and Boston, competing in Madison Square Garden
During the 1932 World Series Rodeo he joined up with other "hard-riding artist" including, Henry Ziegler and Harmon Pritchard. They created an art gallery at the entrance of the corridor at Madison Square Garden.
During World War I Martinez served in France. Returning to the states he enrolled for two years in the Pennsylvania Fine Arts Academy.
New York.
Pete enrolled in the Arts Students League in New York maintaining a studio in the Woolworth Building.
During these years Pete was augmenting his income as a rodeo contestant. He became a top performer in the eastern circuit. At one of the Madison Square Garden rodeos he was the only contestant to enter all the bronc riding, bull riding, and calf roping event participating for the full 27 days.
Tucson.
In 1932 on the Southwestern Rodeo circuit, Martinez performed in the Fiesta del los Vaqueros in Tucson. He met Victoria Kellner (aunt of the baseball pitcher Alex Kellner) and the two married.
The couple purchased a small ranch near Prince Road and Tucson Blvd, (at 3736 North Jackson) near the home of Maynard Dixon’s and down the street from the original Ettore DeGrazia Studio.
Martinez's art captures the raw roughness of the wild range. A soft wooliness that does not sacrifice beauty.
Martinez painted a mural on the walls of the Hotel Congress bar Tap Room. A drop ceiling was added to the bar in the 1960s covering the murals. The mural remain one of Tucson's great lost artworks.
Legacy.
Perhaps his most well-known work hangs in the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson. For the famous Tap Room Bar, Martinez illustrated a series of drawings that depict the cowboy culture of the west.
Martinez died in Tucson on August 30, 1971 but his work continues to provide color and definition the Tucson and the West.
Artwork.
Pete Martinez was an artist who worked primarily in illustration and painting.