Everday in courtrooms at Bench trials and in Jury proceedings a judgment is made as to the credibility of a witness. This is one thing and is fallable, evidenced by the number of releases re: capital and felony crimes as DNA has come onto the scene. People are just that they are people. One thing about an old census, ships manifest, phone book, city directory, advertisement, and on and on as it has no axe to grind. Someone was trying to collect facts and or conduct commerce. Several years back I started converting a large gun collection into what I really wanted pre-war sporters. Not long after I met Michael Petrov. His help,honesty,integrity and advice have helped me avoid a many a mistake. He has neither asked nor does he need me to defend him. But, he is my friend. To my larger point, I have tried to put together a representative collection and have gone a long way towards that. I do have many maker holes to fill (when I got to G&H I stayed to long). Point being that in the "forum" and "email" age we will not have, Mr. Niedner's correspondence,Townsend Whelen's notes (I have been fortunate enought to see the boxes, and boxes and boxes). If we truly care about the perpetuity of this knowledge we will support all efforts to document, link, and substantiate any claim. So it is in this interest that phrases like "Pete and RePete" sort of offend me. We all have our sensitivities,I would just plead that we all when we can try to add, to the best of abilities, factual information as to perpetuate our interest. I will leave my collection to my Son and Grandson. I would hope that this generates and interest. This is the common ground. Michael is in the ceter of that ground on a little hill. I would like to help him in his efforts.
Thanks to all. Merry Christmas.
Gary
