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#31
The Tailgate / Today in history 4-10
Last post by remrogers - April 10, 2026, 10:01:10 AM1849
April 10
Safety pin is patented, rights sold for just $400
On April 10, 1849, Walter Hunt—a mechanic and independent inventor from New York—patents his metal invention with a spring called the safety pin. Although later businessmen would make a fortune selling the ubiquitous devices, Hunt sells rights to it for just $400 and never earns anything else.
Born on July 29, 1796, in Martinsburg, New York, Hunt came up with the idea when he owed someone a $15 debt, and he scrambled to invent something that would earn him some money. He twisted a piece of metal wire and turned it into what he called a "dress pin," which had a spring at one end that forced the other end into a clasp. Hunt's invention wasn't completely new, as ancient Romans used something similar for jewelry; his was an improvement. Another version of a safety pin came out in 1842, but it had no spring, unlike the pins we know today. Hunt's invention, which got U.S. Patent No. 6,281, has countless everyday uses, including fastening clothing and diapers.
Hunt achieved moderate success in life and invented many items, including a repeating rifle, a flax spinner, a fountain pen, a knife sharpener, an ice plough and one of the world's first sewing machines with an eye-pointed needle; Hunt's sewing machine triggered a patent dispute with another inventor, Elias Howe. Hunt died on June 8, 1859, at age 63.
April 10
Safety pin is patented, rights sold for just $400
On April 10, 1849, Walter Hunt—a mechanic and independent inventor from New York—patents his metal invention with a spring called the safety pin. Although later businessmen would make a fortune selling the ubiquitous devices, Hunt sells rights to it for just $400 and never earns anything else.
Born on July 29, 1796, in Martinsburg, New York, Hunt came up with the idea when he owed someone a $15 debt, and he scrambled to invent something that would earn him some money. He twisted a piece of metal wire and turned it into what he called a "dress pin," which had a spring at one end that forced the other end into a clasp. Hunt's invention wasn't completely new, as ancient Romans used something similar for jewelry; his was an improvement. Another version of a safety pin came out in 1842, but it had no spring, unlike the pins we know today. Hunt's invention, which got U.S. Patent No. 6,281, has countless everyday uses, including fastening clothing and diapers.
Hunt achieved moderate success in life and invented many items, including a repeating rifle, a flax spinner, a fountain pen, a knife sharpener, an ice plough and one of the world's first sewing machines with an eye-pointed needle; Hunt's sewing machine triggered a patent dispute with another inventor, Elias Howe. Hunt died on June 8, 1859, at age 63.
#32
The Tailgate / Today in history 4-9
Last post by remrogers - April 09, 2026, 10:47:56 AM1866
April 9
Ulysses S. Grant arrested for speeding in his horse buggy, newspaper reports
On April 9, 1866, exactly one year after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House—and decades before police officers would be pulling over speeding cars—the National Intelligencer reports that Ulysses S. Grant, Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army, had been pulled over for speeding in his horse buggy in Washington, D.C.
According to the 19th-century newspaper in Washington, D.C., two police officers detained Grant on 14th Street, where he was "exercising his fast gray nag." Grant offered to pay the fine, but "expressed his doubts of their authority to arrest him and drove off," the article said. Grant's defiance, though, later subsided; he acknowledged the warrant, appeared before the justice of the peace and paid the fine.
The newspaper's report was reprinted in several other newspapers. The Daily Richmond Whig added this editorial comment in its April 11 edition: "It was a bad example in General Grant to violate a law, but a worse one to treat the officers of law with contempt."
On July 4, 1866, the Richmond Daily Dispatch reprinted a National Intelligencer article stating that Grant was arrested a second time for speeding. In this incident, the article said, Grant "took the arrest very good humoredly, said it was an oversight, and rode over to the Second Precinct station house and paid his fine."
Six years later, Grant allegedly was arrested for speeding again while he was U.S. president. That was the assertion of retired Washington D.C. police officer William West, who claimed in an interview with The Sunday Star on September 27, 1908, that he arrested Grant in 1872. Grant, West said, enjoyed racing in speed contests with his friends on 13th Street, which set a bad example for other residents. West said he arrested Grant, who did not show up to court. West's account has been questioned, since no primary source documents could verify it. However, in 2012, the D.C. chief of police, Cathy Lanier, told WTOP that the police department arrested Grant for speeding three times in the 1800s.
April 9
Ulysses S. Grant arrested for speeding in his horse buggy, newspaper reports
On April 9, 1866, exactly one year after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House—and decades before police officers would be pulling over speeding cars—the National Intelligencer reports that Ulysses S. Grant, Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army, had been pulled over for speeding in his horse buggy in Washington, D.C.
According to the 19th-century newspaper in Washington, D.C., two police officers detained Grant on 14th Street, where he was "exercising his fast gray nag." Grant offered to pay the fine, but "expressed his doubts of their authority to arrest him and drove off," the article said. Grant's defiance, though, later subsided; he acknowledged the warrant, appeared before the justice of the peace and paid the fine.
The newspaper's report was reprinted in several other newspapers. The Daily Richmond Whig added this editorial comment in its April 11 edition: "It was a bad example in General Grant to violate a law, but a worse one to treat the officers of law with contempt."
On July 4, 1866, the Richmond Daily Dispatch reprinted a National Intelligencer article stating that Grant was arrested a second time for speeding. In this incident, the article said, Grant "took the arrest very good humoredly, said it was an oversight, and rode over to the Second Precinct station house and paid his fine."
Six years later, Grant allegedly was arrested for speeding again while he was U.S. president. That was the assertion of retired Washington D.C. police officer William West, who claimed in an interview with The Sunday Star on September 27, 1908, that he arrested Grant in 1872. Grant, West said, enjoyed racing in speed contests with his friends on 13th Street, which set a bad example for other residents. West said he arrested Grant, who did not show up to court. West's account has been questioned, since no primary source documents could verify it. However, in 2012, the D.C. chief of police, Cathy Lanier, told WTOP that the police department arrested Grant for speeding three times in the 1800s.
#33
Big Game / Re: Called another cougar with...
Last post by nastygunz - April 09, 2026, 10:05:47 AMWhen I saw that title, I thought you'd been out hell raisin and barhopping 
#34
The Tailgate / Today in history 4-8
Last post by remrogers - April 08, 2026, 11:43:23 AM1864
April 8
Lincoln signs charter for first U.S. college for Deaf students
On April 8, 1864, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signs a charter authorizing a college for deaf students in Washington, D.C.—the first institution of its kind in the United States. That school would later become Gallaudet University, the nation's leading center of higher education for deaf and hard of hearing students.
The charter built on an existing school: the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. [Editor's note: This historical name includes outdated terminology no longer in use.] Founded in 1857 by Amos Kendall, a former postmaster general, the institution began as a primary school for deaf and blind children. Edward Miner Gallaudet led its first class of just 18 students. In February that year, Congress had formally incorporated the school and provided federal funding for deaf children in the capital who could not afford tuition.
Lincoln's 1864 charter marked a turning point. It granted the Columbia Institution the authority to confer college degrees, effectively transforming it into the world's first higher education institution specifically for deaf students, with instruction in both sign language and English. (The school's visually impaired students later transferred to a Maryland school.) The first class of college students graduated in 1869, receiving diplomas signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. The institution was renamed Gallaudet College in 1894 and became Gallaudet University in 1986.
This development built on decades of earlier work. Formal deaf education in the United States dated back to 1817, when Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet—Edward's father—founded the first permanent American school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Drawing on methods he studied in France and incorporating the signing systems used by his students—including those from Martha's Vineyard, where a longstanding sign language tradition already existed—the school helped shape what would become American Sign Language (ASL).
Lincoln did not attend the school's 1864 inauguration, but the charter reflected his broader belief in expanding opportunity. As he had expressed to Congress, government should give all people "a fair chance in the race of life." His support for the institution aligned with a longer record of advocating for people with disabilities, from his time in the Illinois legislature to Civil War-era policies aiding disabled veterans.
The charter also represents an early example of federal support for higher education. Beginning with the Columbia Institution's incorporation in 1857, such efforts helped pave the way for broader federal investment in education during the Civil War and Reconstruction, including land-grant colleges and historically Black colleges and universities.
April 8
Lincoln signs charter for first U.S. college for Deaf students
On April 8, 1864, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signs a charter authorizing a college for deaf students in Washington, D.C.—the first institution of its kind in the United States. That school would later become Gallaudet University, the nation's leading center of higher education for deaf and hard of hearing students.
The charter built on an existing school: the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. [Editor's note: This historical name includes outdated terminology no longer in use.] Founded in 1857 by Amos Kendall, a former postmaster general, the institution began as a primary school for deaf and blind children. Edward Miner Gallaudet led its first class of just 18 students. In February that year, Congress had formally incorporated the school and provided federal funding for deaf children in the capital who could not afford tuition.
Lincoln's 1864 charter marked a turning point. It granted the Columbia Institution the authority to confer college degrees, effectively transforming it into the world's first higher education institution specifically for deaf students, with instruction in both sign language and English. (The school's visually impaired students later transferred to a Maryland school.) The first class of college students graduated in 1869, receiving diplomas signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. The institution was renamed Gallaudet College in 1894 and became Gallaudet University in 1986.
This development built on decades of earlier work. Formal deaf education in the United States dated back to 1817, when Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet—Edward's father—founded the first permanent American school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Drawing on methods he studied in France and incorporating the signing systems used by his students—including those from Martha's Vineyard, where a longstanding sign language tradition already existed—the school helped shape what would become American Sign Language (ASL).
Lincoln did not attend the school's 1864 inauguration, but the charter reflected his broader belief in expanding opportunity. As he had expressed to Congress, government should give all people "a fair chance in the race of life." His support for the institution aligned with a longer record of advocating for people with disabilities, from his time in the Illinois legislature to Civil War-era policies aiding disabled veterans.
The charter also represents an early example of federal support for higher education. Beginning with the Columbia Institution's incorporation in 1857, such efforts helped pave the way for broader federal investment in education during the Civil War and Reconstruction, including land-grant colleges and historically Black colleges and universities.
#35
The Tailgate / Today in history 4-7
Last post by remrogers - April 07, 2026, 11:49:24 AM1805
April 7
Lewis and Clark depart Fort Mandan
After a long winter, the Lewis and Clark expedition departs its camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West.
The Corps of Discovery had begun its voyage the previous spring, and it arrived at the large Mandan and Minnetaree villages along the upper Missouri River (north of present-day Bismarck, North Dakota) in late October. Once at the villages, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark directed the men to build a sturdy log fort. The following winter was a harsh one, but the expedition had plenty of provisions. The two captains made the best of their enforced halt, making copious notes in their journals and preparing maps of their route. Most importantly, they met frequently with the local Native Americans, who provided them with valuable information about the country that lay ahead.
As spring came to the upper Missouri, Lewis and Clark prepared to resume their journey. Lewis penned a long report for President Thomas Jefferson that would be sent back down to St. Louis with 16 men traveling on the expedition's large keelboat. Although Lewis had yet to explore any truly unknown country, his report provided a good deal of valuable information on the upper Missouri River region and its inhabitants. He optimistically predicted the expedition would be able to reach the Pacific and make a good start on the return journey before the coming winter. "You may therefore expect me to meet you at Monachello [Monticello] in September 1806," he told the president.
In fact, the journey was more difficult and slow than Lewis anticipated. The expedition actually spent the winter of 1805-06 along the Pacific Coast, and Lewis did not finally meet with Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C., until January 1, 1807. However, as Lewis and Clark prepared to leave Fort Mandan on this day in 1805, they did not know the trials ahead and were likely filled with optimism and excitement. As the keelboat shoved off and started down the Missouri with Lewis' report to Jefferson, the Corps of Discovery (and their guide, Sacagawea) resumed the far more difficult task of rowing their small boats upstream.
That night Lewis wrote in his journal that, "Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large pirogues. This little fleet altho' not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs." As Lewis began his journey into a land "on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden," he proclaimed this day of departure as "among the most happy of my life."
April 7
Lewis and Clark depart Fort Mandan
After a long winter, the Lewis and Clark expedition departs its camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West.
The Corps of Discovery had begun its voyage the previous spring, and it arrived at the large Mandan and Minnetaree villages along the upper Missouri River (north of present-day Bismarck, North Dakota) in late October. Once at the villages, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark directed the men to build a sturdy log fort. The following winter was a harsh one, but the expedition had plenty of provisions. The two captains made the best of their enforced halt, making copious notes in their journals and preparing maps of their route. Most importantly, they met frequently with the local Native Americans, who provided them with valuable information about the country that lay ahead.
As spring came to the upper Missouri, Lewis and Clark prepared to resume their journey. Lewis penned a long report for President Thomas Jefferson that would be sent back down to St. Louis with 16 men traveling on the expedition's large keelboat. Although Lewis had yet to explore any truly unknown country, his report provided a good deal of valuable information on the upper Missouri River region and its inhabitants. He optimistically predicted the expedition would be able to reach the Pacific and make a good start on the return journey before the coming winter. "You may therefore expect me to meet you at Monachello [Monticello] in September 1806," he told the president.
In fact, the journey was more difficult and slow than Lewis anticipated. The expedition actually spent the winter of 1805-06 along the Pacific Coast, and Lewis did not finally meet with Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C., until January 1, 1807. However, as Lewis and Clark prepared to leave Fort Mandan on this day in 1805, they did not know the trials ahead and were likely filled with optimism and excitement. As the keelboat shoved off and started down the Missouri with Lewis' report to Jefferson, the Corps of Discovery (and their guide, Sacagawea) resumed the far more difficult task of rowing their small boats upstream.
That night Lewis wrote in his journal that, "Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large pirogues. This little fleet altho' not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs." As Lewis began his journey into a land "on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden," he proclaimed this day of departure as "among the most happy of my life."
#36
The Tailgate / Today in history 4-6
Last post by remrogers - April 06, 2026, 12:27:05 PM1862
April 6
Battle of Shiloh begins
The Civil War explodes in the west as the armies of Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston collide at Shiloh, near Pittsburgh Landing in Tennessee. The Battle of Shiloh became one of the bloodiest engagements of the war, and the level of violence shocked North and South alike.
For six months, Yankee troops had been working their way up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Kentucky was firmly in Union hands, and now the Federals controlled much of Tennessee, including the capital at Nashville. Grant scored major victories at Forts Henry and Donelson in February, forcing Johnston to gather the scattered Rebel forces at Corinth in northern Mississippi. Grant brought his army, 42,000 strong, to rendezvous with General Don Carlos Buell and his 20,000 troops. Grant's objective was Corinth, a vital rail center that if captured would give the Union total control of the region. Twenty miles away, Johnston lurked at Corinth with 45,000 soldiers.
Johnston did not wait for Grant and Buell to combine their forces. He advanced on April 3, delayed by rains and muddy roads that also slowed Buell. In the early dawn of April 6, a Yankee patrol found the Confederates poised for battle just a mile from the main Union army. Johnston attacked, driving the surprised bluecoats back near a small church called Shiloh, meaning "place of peace." Throughout the day, the Confederates battered the Union army, driving it back towards Pittsburgh Landing and threatening to trap it against the Tennessee River. Many troops on both sides had no experience in battle. The chances for a complete Confederate victory diminished as troops from Buell's army began arriving, and Grant's command on the battlefield shored up the sagging Union line. In the middle of the afternoon, Johnston rode forward to direct the Confederate attack and was struck in the leg by a bullet, severing an artery and causing him to quickly bleed to death. He became the highest-ranking general on either side killed during the war. General Pierre G. T. Beauregard assumed control, and he halted the advance at nightfall. The Union army was driven back two miles, but it did not break.
The arrival of additional troops from Buell's army provided Grant with reinforcements, while the Confederates were worn out from their march. The next day, Grant pushed the Confederates back to Corinth for a major Union victory.
April 6
Battle of Shiloh begins
The Civil War explodes in the west as the armies of Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston collide at Shiloh, near Pittsburgh Landing in Tennessee. The Battle of Shiloh became one of the bloodiest engagements of the war, and the level of violence shocked North and South alike.
For six months, Yankee troops had been working their way up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Kentucky was firmly in Union hands, and now the Federals controlled much of Tennessee, including the capital at Nashville. Grant scored major victories at Forts Henry and Donelson in February, forcing Johnston to gather the scattered Rebel forces at Corinth in northern Mississippi. Grant brought his army, 42,000 strong, to rendezvous with General Don Carlos Buell and his 20,000 troops. Grant's objective was Corinth, a vital rail center that if captured would give the Union total control of the region. Twenty miles away, Johnston lurked at Corinth with 45,000 soldiers.
Johnston did not wait for Grant and Buell to combine their forces. He advanced on April 3, delayed by rains and muddy roads that also slowed Buell. In the early dawn of April 6, a Yankee patrol found the Confederates poised for battle just a mile from the main Union army. Johnston attacked, driving the surprised bluecoats back near a small church called Shiloh, meaning "place of peace." Throughout the day, the Confederates battered the Union army, driving it back towards Pittsburgh Landing and threatening to trap it against the Tennessee River. Many troops on both sides had no experience in battle. The chances for a complete Confederate victory diminished as troops from Buell's army began arriving, and Grant's command on the battlefield shored up the sagging Union line. In the middle of the afternoon, Johnston rode forward to direct the Confederate attack and was struck in the leg by a bullet, severing an artery and causing him to quickly bleed to death. He became the highest-ranking general on either side killed during the war. General Pierre G. T. Beauregard assumed control, and he halted the advance at nightfall. The Union army was driven back two miles, but it did not break.
The arrival of additional troops from Buell's army provided Grant with reinforcements, while the Confederates were worn out from their march. The next day, Grant pushed the Confederates back to Corinth for a major Union victory.
#37
Big Game / Re: Called another cougar with...
Last post by Okanagan - April 06, 2026, 10:42:07 AMQuote from: Hawks Feather on April 05, 2026, 11:17:35 AMCalling in one is more than I have ever done. Several years back we did have one lope across a parking area in the backend of Rocky Mountain National Park. Impressive animals.
If you saw a cougar you are way ahead of most people! Most outdoors men even in the far west have never seen one, other than those treed by hounds. I am lucky enough to live where we have quite a few cougars. My grandson sees them fairly often on his trail cameras but I don't think he has ever seen one live in the wild.
I am aggravated with myself on this cat because even before my movement that spooked it, I made a classic rookie caller mistake when I set up the ambush. I picked my place to sit because it was such a perfect hide. Wind, light, terrain and vegetation are all more important.
FWIW I think this cougar is number 21 that I have called though my count memory is getting fuzzy. They provide the most fun for me, super challenging and long season and nothing else open so I have the woods to myself. Only downside is my age and agility. I have lost most of the past four years to pneumonia, open heart surgery and the slow decline and loss of my wife.
My son prodded me into getting out a few times near the end of this recent season. Good man!
#38
Big Game / Re: Called another cougar with...
Last post by Hawks Feather - April 05, 2026, 11:17:35 AMCalling in one is more than I have ever done. Several years back we did have one lope across a parking area in the backend of Rocky Mountain National Park. Impressive animals.
#39
The Tailgate / Today in history 4-5
Last post by remrogers - April 05, 2026, 10:10:04 AM1792
April 5
George Washington exercises first presidential veto
George Washington exercises the first presidential veto of a Congressional bill on April 5, 1792. The bill introduced a new plan for dividing seats in the House of Representatives that would have increased the amount of seats for northern states. After consulting with his politically divided and contentious cabinet, Washington, who came from the southern state of Virginia, ultimately decided that the plan was unconstitutional because, in providing for additional representatives for some states, it would have introduced a number of representatives higher than that prescribed by the Constitution.
After a discussion with the president, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter that votes for or against the bill were divided along perfectly geographical lines between the North and South. Jefferson observed that Washington feared that a veto would incorrectly portray him as biased toward the South.
In the end, Jefferson was able to convince the president to veto the bill on the grounds that it was unconstitutional and introduced principles that were liable to be abused in the future. Jefferson suggested apportionment instead be derived from arithmetical operation, "about which no two men can ever possibly differ." Washington's veto sent the bill back to Congress. Though representatives could have attempted to overrule the veto with a two-thirds vote, Congress instead threw out the original bill and instituted a new one that apportioned representatives at "the ratio of one for every thirty-three thousand persons in the respective States."
Washington exercised his veto power only one other time during his two terms in office. In February 1797, the former commanding general of the Continental Army vetoed an act that would have reduced the number of cavalry units in the army.
April 5
George Washington exercises first presidential veto
George Washington exercises the first presidential veto of a Congressional bill on April 5, 1792. The bill introduced a new plan for dividing seats in the House of Representatives that would have increased the amount of seats for northern states. After consulting with his politically divided and contentious cabinet, Washington, who came from the southern state of Virginia, ultimately decided that the plan was unconstitutional because, in providing for additional representatives for some states, it would have introduced a number of representatives higher than that prescribed by the Constitution.
After a discussion with the president, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter that votes for or against the bill were divided along perfectly geographical lines between the North and South. Jefferson observed that Washington feared that a veto would incorrectly portray him as biased toward the South.
In the end, Jefferson was able to convince the president to veto the bill on the grounds that it was unconstitutional and introduced principles that were liable to be abused in the future. Jefferson suggested apportionment instead be derived from arithmetical operation, "about which no two men can ever possibly differ." Washington's veto sent the bill back to Congress. Though representatives could have attempted to overrule the veto with a two-thirds vote, Congress instead threw out the original bill and instituted a new one that apportioned representatives at "the ratio of one for every thirty-three thousand persons in the respective States."
Washington exercised his veto power only one other time during his two terms in office. In February 1797, the former commanding general of the Continental Army vetoed an act that would have reduced the number of cavalry units in the army.
#40
Big Game / Re: Called another cougar with...
Last post by Okanagan - April 04, 2026, 11:13:09 PMThanks for the kind words. Telling each other about a hunt is part of the experience that I learned from my Dad.
The cougar made a couple of soft sounds as it approached, like a man trying to clear his throat quietly in church. One grunt was at 13 minutes, one at 24. It was probably responding to the young cougar whistles I was alternating with fawn distress.
On reviewing what happened, I made a tactical error that spooked the cat. I moved.
When the cat sneaked up behind me, if I had not moved a muscle and kept sitting with my back to it, it might have sneaked on past me. The electronic caller was hidden between two logs 60 feet straight in front of me and could not be seen till the cat got within 15 feet of it. Assuming the cat would skirt close beside the brush pile I was in, it would have sneaked past me 6-8 feet to my right. It might have worked. Wish I had tried it.
When I twisted to try to see it behind me I spooked it.
The cougar made a couple of soft sounds as it approached, like a man trying to clear his throat quietly in church. One grunt was at 13 minutes, one at 24. It was probably responding to the young cougar whistles I was alternating with fawn distress.
On reviewing what happened, I made a tactical error that spooked the cat. I moved.
When the cat sneaked up behind me, if I had not moved a muscle and kept sitting with my back to it, it might have sneaked on past me. The electronic caller was hidden between two logs 60 feet straight in front of me and could not be seen till the cat got within 15 feet of it. Assuming the cat would skirt close beside the brush pile I was in, it would have sneaked past me 6-8 feet to my right. It might have worked. Wish I had tried it.
When I twisted to try to see it behind me I spooked it.