twenty mules an Borax wagons
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Topic: twenty mules an Borax wagons
Posted By: JC-WI
Subject: twenty mules an Borax wagons
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2018 at 3:21am
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[TUBE]R0KbqMKluCA[/TUBE] Imagine driving twenty mules through Death Valley for 165 miles back in 1884-1888 pulling 20 tons of Borax... almost the weight a semi load. And each wagon weighing 8300 pounds empty. ------------- He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that." |
Replies:
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2018 at 5:16am
| Very impressive and very interesting. I just sent that to my brother that works miles.👍 |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2018 at 9:21am
| just think about what had to happen just to keep them fed on the trail and keeping up on all the tack out there in death valley there isnt any grass there at least from what you can see from baker california |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2018 at 11:36pm
| they was tougher than us are! |
Posted By: Ken in Texas
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2018 at 5:18am
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The Mules or the Mule Skinners? In my younger days I loved watching the TV Show "Death Valley Days'" hosted by "The Old Ranger". Catch a few episodes lately on " GRIT ". |
Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2018 at 11:35am
Sad, but I still remember most of the episodes.  ------------- "Allis-Express" 19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17 |
Ken in Texas wrote:Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2018 at 11:37am
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Theres are more vids about the reconstruction of the wagons ... Just think, those wagons are 4 tons apiece meaning when its all hooked together, with that water wagon, that must be close to ten tons and then a ten ton load in each wagon and thus you really are pulling 30 tons with twenty mules. It showed them having a slight problem of having the wagons stuck in a ditch and needed help pulling them out... But the ol mule skinners might have lined them mules up and put a little more persuasion to them to get it them out back in the day, to many people would have had a fit today. LOL There was a story a long time back I had heard that was about moving one of them big old sawmills and the fellows wanted it dragged across a large swamp, and the first day the horses and mules dragged it half way across, the second day they dragged it just a little farther and then quit ... third morning the animals got hooked up and were balking about trying to pull it...but somebody had enough of that and passed out laths with tacks in the end and when the signal was given to pull, the balky ones got the wrath of the lath across their hinders and all at once that mill started moving and didn't stop until it was all the way across the swamp, by noon. Nothing like a little motivation.  mmm, can we take some laths to DC  and get some team work going again?   ------------- He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that." |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2018 at 1:44pm
| Yes this county sure needs some of the laths to straighten them in Washington DC out. |
Posted By: allisrutledge
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2018 at 2:34pm
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Went there ,to the mines once and there was No one there watching the place, an old wagon sitting outside. northwest of Vegas about 100 tumbleweeds and a bunch of rocks. The north end of death valley is some interesting history, Scotties Castle. No relation ------------- Allis Chalmers still exist in my mind and barns |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2018 at 4:28pm
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Yea, I remember the ORIGINAL TV show from the mid 1950s. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2018 at 1:43am
| what did they use borax for back in them days? |
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2018 at 2:05am
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https://www.desertusa.com/desert-california/borax.html" rel="nofollow - https://www.desertusa.com/desert-california/borax.html ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2018 at 3:02am
| thanks Chaz...that was interesting! I remember the tv ads when I was a kid, but never paid that much attention to them! |
Posted By: cabinhollow
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2018 at 6:36am
I use it now to hard tan sheep skins. Nail the skin to a pallet, flesh side up, cover with app 1/4" borax, put in the barn loft for 4-6 months, then wash and dry it. I have some that are 25+ years old done that way. |
Posted By: LouSWPA
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2018 at 9:29am
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I believe, in addition to the uses already mentioned, it is also used for flux in brazing and/or welding ------------- I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27 |
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2018 at 10:32am
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We use it as a flux for brazing and for welding of cast iron. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2018 at 4:50pm
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Borax is a component of many https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detergent" rel="nofollow - - cosmetics , and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitreous_enamel" rel="nofollow - - buffer solutions in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochemistry" rel="nofollow - - fire retardant , as an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungicide" rel="nofollow - - fiberglass , as a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flux_%28metallurgy%29" rel="nofollow - - metallurgy , neutron-capture shields for radioactive sources, a texturing agent in cooking, as a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precursor_%28chemistry%29" rel="nofollow - - insecticide . In https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artisanal_mining" rel="nofollow - - gold mining , the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax_method" rel="nofollow - - gold extraction process. Borax was reportedly used by gold miners in parts of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#cite_note-6" rel="nofollow - - Tibet and was imported via the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#cite_note-amoz-7" rel="nofollow - - Francis Marion Smith 's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast_Borax_Company" rel="nofollow - - 20 Mule Team Borax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark" rel="nofollow - - the method by which borax was originally hauled out of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_National_Park" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#cite_note-8" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#cite_note-9" rel="nofollow - |