Idaho lumberjacks sent logs down the rivers, but one log could cause huge jams. Dynamite worked, but was dangerous. Ephraim Shay invented a small railroad engine that effectively pulled log laden rail cars. John Dolbeer invented the steam driven "donkey engine" for extracting logs. Simon Benson invented the first successful method for floating log rafts to San Diego.

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Skidroads, log chutes and flumes were used to transport lumber to the mills and to market. Skidroads used oxen to pull tons of huge logs. Chutes were long troughs made of wood. John Cook's chute sent logs at 90 miles an hour, sizzling when they hit the water. Flumes with water were as long as 54 miles. Brave souls occasionally rode in special boats down the flume, not all of them made it.

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Lumber was in huge demand in California and came from Maine until they realized there were thousands of acres on the west coast. Lumbermen used different methods to fell trees, all involved heavy dangerous work. By 1859 millions of board feet were produced on the west coast.

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He had it all, 50,000 acres in California, cattle, sheep, horses, acres of wheat. He needed lumber, so joined with James Marshall to build a sawmill. When Marshall found some shiny stones, it was the end for Sutter. With the gold rush he lost all his employees, his land was overrun with gold seekers, his cattle scattered and crops trampled. He died a poor man.

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Virginia City Montana was the site of the first glove prize fight and lasted 26 rounds. In 1867 Con Orem fought Jimmy Dwyer in a bare knuckles fight. They fought into the night and was to resume the next morning, but Orem was unconscious. When G. Ward and John Gallagher fought a 105-round bout, it ended in tragedy. Gallagher’s left arm was broken, but he continued to fight. In the 105th round, Ward went down for good and died the next day.

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Every home had a variety of remedies. Some were herbs, others were store-bought. Whiskey was taken straight or mixed with herbs, used internally or externally. Snake, skunk, goose, wolf or bear oil were claimed to cure rheumatism. In the Civil War, maggots probably saved lives by digesting infected wounds.

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Col. James Bowie was too sick to command the troops at the Alamo, so Col. Travis took over. Historians have debated how he died. Some say he died by suicide, others that he died fighting a Mexican officer, or that he was captured and killed. Some say he was shot while on the rampart. Joe, the only survivor, said Travis fired his double-barreled shotgun and immediately fell to enemy fire. 

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Tired of beans, new restaurants opened in Tombstone Arizona. Nellie Cashman opened the Russ House with 600 diners on opening day. Quong Kee was considered the best cook in Arizona, opened the Can Can Restaurant and Hindquarter Cafe. Menus would rival some of the best restaurants of today. Oregon Trail food included bacon, bread, rice, coffee, pies, soup, hard tack dried meat and fresh game.

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To become a widow along the trail could mean being left behind or worse. Help and compassion would only go so far. Widows driving the wagon might lose an unattended child to accidents. Disease also took its toll on the children.

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Stephen Meek convinced a wagon train to let him guide them on a short cut across Oregon to the Dalles. Within days it went bad. Feed and water were scarce. Hard sharp rocks cut the animals feet. The immigrants soon realized Meek was lost. A typhus outbreak began to take lives. Abandoned and starving, it fell to Mose Harris to lead a rescue party.

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