RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine Vol. 7, No. 23, 9 June 2004, Circulation: 838,091+ (c) 1998-2004 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ * * * Search and share family trees: WorldConnect: http://wc.rootsweb.com/ Learn how to find your ancestors: http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ Post and read messages on all relevant surname, locality, and topic Message Boards and Mailing Lists: Message Boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ Mailing Lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ =============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. NEWS AND NOTES. 1a. Takes Caution and Vigilance to Foil Viruses and Worms 1b. Editor's Desk: "Some Sites Worth Seeing for Norwegian Research" 1c. Tips from Readers: "Looking for Obituaries" 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: "Suggestions from New Zealand" 3. New RootsWeb Mailing Lists 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb 5. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 6. New User-contributed Databases 7. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: "Grumpy Relative Work-around" "Utilizing Global Position Systems" "Finding Graves with GPS" "Patriotic Names" "Hucksters: Glimpses into the Past" "Stretching the Family Budget" 8. Humor/Humour: "Wee Bit Much of Irish Hospitality" 9. Submission Guidelines, Subscriptions, Advertising, Reprint Policy ======================================================================== 1. NEWS AND NOTES. 1a. Takes Caution and Vigilance to Foil Viruses and Worms With all the viruses and worms floating around via e-mail these days it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint from whom they might be coming. Many of the newer "bugs" forge or spoof the "FROM" address of the e-mail in an attempt to make you think they are coming from someone you know and trust--possibly even from familiar RootsWeb mailing lists or message board notifications to which you subscribe. Be careful about making assumptions based on an apparent "FROM" address. While e-mail actually coming from RootsWeb's Unix-based servers is incapable of harboring a Windows virus or worm, these nasty critters will try to fool you into believing they originated at RootsWeb or came from your cousins. So how do you keep safe from these e-mail pests and still enjoy all of your RootsWeb favorite lists and boards? How can you tell when mail actually comes from RootsWeb and the address isn't spoofed? First, use common sense. Mail coming to you from RootsWeb will never be sent with an attachment. Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and e- mail programs convert digests or large messages into an attachment form but these conversions are on the receiving end and are not sent as such by RootsWeb. Users of e-mail programs such as Outlook Express that regularly display the messages in RootsWeb digests as individual attachments should be familiar with these digest attachments and the file extensions they normally carry. Users of ISPs that normally transform large messages into attachments should also be aware of the file extension these ISP-created attachments will have. RootsWeb digests come to you with the subject lines displaying the digest number and these numbers are consecutive. Since viruses and worms often "borrow" the subject lines of OLD mail on an infected computer when sending themselves out -- they could possibly show the subject line of a RootsWeb list message or digest but the volume and digest number will not be the current one you are expecting to receive next. Be vigilant! If the message or digest claims to be coming from RootsWeb, but doesn't look like the normal list messages, has an attachment, or an unexplained or unfamiliar link, do not open the attachment and do not click on the link -- even if the subject line of the e- mail carries the familiar mailing list prepend (the name of the list or abbreviation used to identify the list mail). Remember that viruses and worms are capable of copying subject lines (including prepends) from old messages found on infected computers. The full, expanded header information of incoming e-mails will help you determine whether a message purported to be coming from RootsWeb actually originated there. Become familiar with checking and reading headers when messages or attachments are "suspect" to verify whether the sender is legitimate or not. Also, make certain that you keep Windows updated to include any security patches that plug up any loopholes in your Windows operating system that these viruses and worms make use of to gain access to your computer. As a final measure, make sure you have an anti-virus program installed on your computer and that you keep it current and scan incoming e-mail. Many of the newer viruses and worms have required almost daily (sometimes more often) updating. Some programs inform you automatically when an update is available and you should not delay in adding the latest protection to your computer. As the worms and viruses become more sophisticated the anti-virus software programs must be updated to find them and identify them. Use caution, be alert, and don't open your e-mail when you're half-awake or extremely tired. Keep your computer protected (and your genealogy safe) from Internet vermin, but continue to enjoy and use your favorite RootsWeb mailing lists and message board notifications. IS YOUR COMPUTER VIRUS-FREE? For a free online virus scan: http://housecall.antivirus.com/pc_housecall/ Anti-virus (AV) software is invaluable, provided you keep it updated and use it regularly. Obtain AV in stores and shops, or download it online. http://www.grisoft.com/ http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/ http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/ http://www.europe.f-secure.com/v-descs/ Also, see "Internet Stuff You Need to Know" on Cyndi's List: http://www.cyndislist.com/internet.htm#Viruses * * * 1b. EDITOR'S DESK. Some Sites Worth Seeing for Norwegian Research Two 19th-century censuses of Norway -- 1801 and 1865 -- are posted online. Also available are partials for 1875 and 1900 censuses. Be sure to click on "Recent 100" tab near the top of the page to see the many other databases offered. This digital archives is a public service of the National Archives of Norway. You can search in transcribed source material there for free. At the site choose the English version (for instructions) if your Norwegian language skills are rusty or lacking. http://www.digitalarkivet.no Also at the site is a link to an excellent guide on "How to Trace Your Ancestors in Norway" http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/sab/howto.html * * * 1c. TIPS FROM READERS. Looking for Obituaries By Ted Pack Obituaries are treasure troves of genealogical data. The best ones, from our point of view, tell us the deceased person's birth date, birthplace, parents, siblings, children, occupation, hobbies, military service and burial place. The worst ones don't provide many facts and perpetuate family legends. How do you get an obituary? For U.S.A. researchers, you'll have to do one of the following: --Look it up yourself --Write for it --Post a query You need the death date and death place no matter which route you follow. Most likely, someone is going to have to wade through newspapers on microfilm, which isn't fun. I'm good for about seven days worth before I get seasick. Be considerate of whoever looks it up for you. If you live in or visit the area, the best way to get the obituary is to go to the local library. When I write for one, I send the name, exact death date, a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a small check ($5- $10), depending on how close I am to payday). I ask the librarian to use the money for copying costs and put the balance into the children's book fund. You can try asking for a lookup from a kind-hearted soul via a county- level query board. There are two major genealogical query sites with county-level boards available, They are: Ancestry/RootsWeb: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/an/localities GenForum http://genforum.genealogy.com/regional/states/ First. Make sure of your facts. Look up the town. RootsWeb's Town Finder http://resources.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/townco.cgi can help. RootsWeb's SSDI http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/ will help make sure of the death date. If it has just month and year, you'll have to get the exact date elsewhere. Spell out the month (01 April 1955, not 01/04/55) to avoid ambiguity. I wasted half an hour once, looking for someone who wasn't there. It turned out the lady in question had died six months later than the query said, in the next county north. Second. If you post a request on both message boards, say so in both requests. When you get a response, post a reply to your request on the other board. This prevents duplication of effort, which makes kind- hearted souls less kind-hearted. Third. If people do you a favor, you owe them one in return. This is as true in genealogy as it is in dinner invitations. The chances of the person who did your lookup needing one in your county are slim, but if you look at the query board for your county, chances are you'll find a dozen ways to pay the favor forward. That, incidentally, is why I look up obituaries for people on the Stanislaus County, California GenForum page. People across the country have looked things up for me, ranging from obituaries to biographies in county history books to one angel in Iowa who, since it was a nice day, drove seven miles to a cemetery and transcribed a family plot of CADY relatives for me. I can't ever pay them back specifically, but I'm doing the best I can to pay back the genealogists in general. If you decide to join the ranks of kind-hearted souls by looking up obituaries for people, there are three parallel warnings for you. 1). Check the facts. If you can, look up the individual on a death index to make sure they really died on the date posted, in your county. Thirty seconds with the SSDI may save you 30 minutes with microfilm. 2). Check both message boards. If you see a request on one that someone answered on the other, save your efforts. You might post a reply on one with a link to the post on the other board to save others from wasting their efforts. 3). Most people are polite, but they need reminders. They may also think you are a long-lost cousin. I try to put a disclaimer at the bottom of every obituary I post: "I'm not related. I look up obituaries to pay back genealogical favors. If you have the time, ability and inclination to do likewise, look at the query board for your county." 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Suggestions from New Zealand By Adele Pentony-Graham of Clareville, Carterton, New Zealand It is so nice to get a "thank you" from people that I help, although some seem to just accept the help, and not think how nice it is to be acknowledged either to the mailing list or to the person. Also, I like to see follow-up messages (replies) on the mailing lists -- then we can all learn what has been found out. I do wish people would stop putting "HELP" in subject line of mailing lists. Such messages are deleted immediately by me since so much junk mail arrives with "HELP" as its subject. Where would we be without the wonderful, marvelous RootsWeb lists and sites? I congratulate and thank those who created them. They have certainly helped me in my research for relations with the odd name of PENTONY, which has its origins in Normandy (France). Thank you. 3. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Brand-new mailing lists can be found under OTHER/MISCELLANEOUS until moved to their proper categories. For information and an index to the more than 28,100 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS ARCE BECHERVAISE COUNIHAN DITTY ESTERLY GIANOTTI ILETT KYKER LUYA MARGRIE, MARSHAW, MAYROTH, MCNALL, MEYRATH MCCAULEY-KY -- The McCAULLEY surname in Kentucky (focuses on descendants of John McCauley, who settled in Kentucky after the Revolutionary War) PUNDT SCHORN, SOYARS WITTINGSLOW NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS NY-CEMETERIES -- Genealogical discussions regarding cemeteries (and tombstones) of New York NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS ENG-BKM-TINGEWICK -- Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, England 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these webpages might not yet be accessible. They are created by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or next week. http://www.rootsweb.com/~[accountname] Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. For example, the Oglethorpe County (Georgia) website is at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaoglet2/ U.S.A. alneags -- North East Alabama Genealogy Society alphcdar -- Phillip Hamman (Alabama) Chapter DAR cafara -- Familia Ancestral Research Association (California) coacdar -- Arapahoe (Colorado) Chapter DAR gaoglet2 -- Oglethorpe (Georgia) County gapicke2 -- Pickens (Georgia) County gapicken -- Pickens (Georgia) County mogjscd -- Gen. John Sullivan (Missouri) Chapter DAR ohcdrt -- Cleveland (Ohio) District Round Table txcg1263 -- Capitol Guard (Texas), Camp 1263 SCV txshbdrt -- Seth Hurin Bates (Texas) Daughters of the Republic of Texas vawcdar -- Williamsburg (Virginia) Chapter DAR wicrawf2 -- Crawford (Wisconsin) County 5. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages -------------------------------------- Note: Comments and questions about any of these independently authored webpages should be directed to their respective compilers/webmasters. When your new, updated, or substantially revised personal pages located at RootsWeb (they will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL) are up and ready for visitors, please send the URL (Web address), along with a brief description, including the major pertinent surnames and what is available on your site, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com ENGLAND. Wiltshire newspapers. There are now more than 15,000 surname references; index linked to a selection of transcripts of early 19th- century newspapers with a Wiltshire bias. One copy of the "Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette" and 30-plus of "The Salisbury and Winchester Journal" (1813) as well as a couple from 1819 have been added. The index can be accessed through the URL below. Click on "Local Newspaper Index" text link near the top of the page. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dutillieul/ LINDA'S FAMILY PAGES. Surnames include: ROSS, MILLER, COVERT, PRIESTLEY, MAYES, WILKINSON, MCELVAIN, and CUNNINGHAM. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~lindaowings/ 6. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ---------------------------------------------- The following databases have come online recently. They are searchable, but not browseable. ENGLAND. Devonshire. Royal Naval Hospital, 1901 census; 606 records; Liza P. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ U.S.A. Newspaper Indexes: Ship officers, crew and passengers on Van Loo and Steamer Tille as reported in the Fredericksburg (Virginia) Star and New York Times in January 1898 27 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/news/ Military Records: United States Military Academy Candidates (Army), July 1916; 73 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ CALIFORNIA. Monterey County. 1910 census, Enumeration District 13; 2,259 records; M. Hellam http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Washington (city). Federal National Bank officials, January 1914; 19 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/groups/ National Guard Recruits as reported July 1916; 35 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ Obituaries from the Washington Post -- July 1916 20 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/obituaries/ IDAHO. Ada County. Payette Valley. 1880 census; 491 records; Patty Theurer for the Payette County Historical Society http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ MASSACHUSETTS. Middlesex County. Cambridge. Delta Tau Delta/Beta Nu, 1942, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 32 records; Sue Dewey http://userdb.rootsweb.com/groups/ MICHIGAN. Wayne County. Detroit. Eastern High School, Class of 1936; 627 records; Scott Aaron http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW YORK. Monroe County. Rochester. Benjamin Franklin High School, Class of June 1938; 377 records; Benjamin Franklin High School, Class of January 1939; 128 records; Cliff Milligan http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW YORK. Tioga County. South Owego Cemetery; 344 records; Robert E. Ingersoll http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma County. Oklahoma City. Tinker Air Force Base; "Tinker Take Off" -- transcript of 7 May 2004 edition; 78 records; Janette Pannell http://userdb.rootsweb.com/news/ PENNSYLVANIA. Northumberland County. Land sale, February 1816 1,577 records; Beryl Meehan http://userdb.rootsweb.com/landrecords/ PENNSYLVANIA. York County. Union Cemetery, East Manchester Township; 97 records; Vickie Carter Tallent http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ 7. FROM ROOTSWEB REVIEW'S BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.com]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Grumpy Relative Work-around By Eddie Edmondson in Marton, New Zealand Re: "Family Bible Lost to Descendants" by Bruce Hodgson, in last week's RootsWeb Review: I find it very sad that people can be so mean-spirited but, as someone said to me today, "that's families for you." Two years ago, I was interested in getting copies of some death notices from the National Archives of South Africa. It does not allow photo- copying of documents because of the possibility of damage being caused by the strong light from the photocopier. However, a kind gentleman in Cape Town used his digital camera to make copies for me and e-mailed them to me. Perhaps the grumpy relative could be approached to do the same, the excuse of damage being caused would no longer be valid. * * * Utilizing Global Position Systems By William E. Enters weenters@wisc.edu Current hand-held GPS (Global Positioning System) portable receivers are capable of giving a digital readout of location with an accuracy of about 12 feet provided that the reading is taken without interfering surface vegetation (i.e. trees). These units are also capable of storing the GPS location of any point of interest to the operator as a waypoint. Most hand-held GPS units will store between 50 to 500 of these waypoints and display them on the map screen so that they can be used for future reference with the GPS unit or used to construct a database. I use my personal GPS receiver to locate the driveways of home sites with experimental septic systems in order to allow other researchers to locate these sites as part of my job, also so I could find some of these sites easily. I have also used my personal GPS receiver to locate ancestors' gravesites, dwelling places, places of employment, and other places of genealogical interest. I have then entered the waypoints into my genealogy program in the facts about individuals so that other people with an interest can locate these places with their own GPS receiver just by entering the information as a waypoint into their own GPS receiver. A GPS receiver with a waypoint in its database can tell you the direction, distance, and travel time to the waypoint when you are in motion and most will beep when you are within a specific distance to the waypoint. Many GPS receivers will interface with a computer's serial port and most mapping programs in the format of a road atlas also will interface with a GPS receiver connected to a laptop computer as there is a standard interface protocol. Most small businesses as part of their advertising costs pay to get in electronic road atlases databases or with MapQuest so that they can be found with an easy search by the computer user who uses a laptop and GPS combination whether they are a casual traveler, salesman, or long- distance truck driver. Most PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) also will interface with a GPS receiver with the proper interface cable. Portable GPS receivers eat batteries, particularly when the backlit display is in use, so it is most practical to buy a car converter cord set to power them in your vehicle. There are combination cord sets available that have this converter and a computer serial connector as a single unit. Certain automobiles, in my experience, such as GM vans with long sloping windshields give poor GPS reception and it pays to buy an external antenna with a magnetic mount. The difference in performance is amazing when using an external antenna with a GPS receiver in a vehicle. * * * Finding Graves with GPS By Jeff Owens Once the Latitude and Longitude coordinates are known this assures that anyone could find the location again. Some localized directions and instructions for obscure cemeteries might be helpful, but full driving instructions can be found on the Net very easily. Using the coordinates one can use one of the excellent map sites available. As an example, http://www.topozone.com/ has capability to view maps and aerial photos. Civilian GPS might not be totally helpful in putting you exactly back to a specific tombstone. The error and repeatability is commonly about plus or minus 25 feet. * * * Patriotic Names By Michelle Woodham in Collierville, Tennessee, USA I thoroughly enjoyed reading the recent RootsWeb Reviews about all the odd names found in family trees. Searching the 1860 Darlington County, South Carolina census, I came across Murdock and M. M. MARTIN. They were certainly patriotic when naming their seven-year-old son -- United States MARTIN! Perhaps they were making a political statement concerning the looming trouble between the North and South. * * * Hucksters: Glimpses into the Past By Judy Florian, of Ohio, but born in Pennsylvania, USA My grandmother, Ruth McGARY, who was born in 1912, wrote the following for me when I asked her to explain to me what "a huckster" meant and what they did. "They [hucksters] were super salesmen. In a small town you could hear them before you would see them. In the distance, coming closer all the time was a wagon or truck slowly wending its way through the neighbor- hood. There would usually be several hucksters going door-to-door on both sides of the street, the truck keeping pace with the hucksters on foot. They carried a sample of what they had to sell, yelling out the produce and the price. "If you wanted a peck of potatoes or a bushel of apples they would bring them into your kitchen. Children and housewives usually went out to the truck to choose fruits and vegetables for the family. Malls? Super- markets? No. But they got the job done. It started out as a one-man job or possibly two men going from one farmhouse to another to sell produce. "When I was a child we used to look for the 'pure food' man with a big suitcase of spices, tea, coffee, elbow macaroni, etc. He told us the tongue twisters --'she sells sea shells by the seashore' and all of us had fun trying to say it. The 'ice man' and the 'ice cream man' were very popular. When you would hear the 'ice cream man's' ringing of the bell it had all the magic of the Pied Piper." From my own childhood, I know hucksters were still in business through the mid-1960s in Washington, Pennsylvania. I remember a scene similar to what my grandmother described. A man with a large truck would drive slowly through my neighborhood, looking at each of the houses on both sides as the truck crept along. He'd stop when he saw a man or woman approaching the street; sometimes there was a nod of the head as the person walked to the street, and the driver would nod back and pull to the side of the road. The man would get out, throw open the gate on the truck (and throw back a hanging tarp on the bigger trucks). Neat rows of vegetables were piled inside with just enough room to walk between. Corn ears were carefully stacked across the bottom of the truck bed in one spot. Different size baskets held strawberries, tomatoes, and radishes. Round bushel baskets were piled high with shiny red apples. Another basket held baking apples. Everything smelled so fresh. Even the potatoes had a distinctive fresh country smell. In season watermelons were piled at the back of the truck bed -- closest to the cab. The man always carried a sharp knife and he would cut a chunk off an apple or tomato and hand the piece to a child or to an adult, so they could have a taste of the goods offered. He'd wipe the blade off on his pants or a piece of cloth before cutting the next sample. Sometimes, he'd give me a whole apple -- one of the smaller ones though. After making selections and the exchange of cash and change, buyers would either just carry their purchases back through their yard to their house or the man would flick a sack (a paper bag) open with a snap of his wrist and then he would fold the bag top down, over and over, to right above the goods placed inside. (Stores never folded the tops of paper bag like that, over and over, down right to the items). He'd politely thank the person, and usually the buyer would hand back part of the change, as a tip, and the man would say "Thank ya much, mister or ma'am. On some summer visits, the pickings were slim and prices too high, and the huckster didn't sell much in my part of the neighborhood on those trips. As larger grocery stores opened, the huckster couldn't compete with their prices. The man often seemed tired, but he remained pleasant. I don't remember when the huckster stopped coming, but I last remember seeing his truck in my childhood neighborhood in the mid-1960s. * * * Stretching the Family Budget By Professor Graham Martin in Australia Just responding to an article in a recent RootsWeb Review -- "Procrastinators in the Family Tree" by Hugh McKiernan. In England, there was a "voluntary" cost to the priest officiating at the baptism (half a crown I am told). So many poor families simply waited until there were several babies to be baptised from the same family and got a batch done for the same half a crown! 8. Humor/Humour: Wee Bit Much of Irish Hospitality -------------------------------------------------- Thanks to: Richard Callanan in London, England. Recently I stayed in several Beds and Baths (around Tipperary -- not in Dublin). The average cost was between 30 and 40 Euro. That seems very good value to me, but I have a favourable rate of exchange. The service was as expected: every landlady tries to kill you with the three Ks -- Kindness, Kitsch, and Kholesterol! 9. Submission Guidelines, Changes, Advertising Contacts, Reprint Policy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. RootsWeb Review welcomes short (500 words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the right to edit all submissions. All mail sent to the RootsWeb Review editor is considered to be for publication -- send in PLAIN TEXT (please, no attachments) to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Search/download past issues of the RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ * * * SUBSCRIPTIONS. To manage your e-mail communications (i.e. to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or to sign up for others), visit our newsletter management center any time at: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of MyFamily.com, Inc., 360 West 4800 North, Provo, UT, 84604 * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Operations Mgr. Shana Davis sdavis@myfamilyinc.com U.S., Worldwide Sales: Sacha Yenkana syenkana@myfamilyinc.com * * * REPRINTS. Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 7, No. 23, 9 June 2004. * * * *