[meteorite-list] Largest single Pallasite?

From: Robert Warren <cometman_75_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Oct 29 11:00:07 2004
Message-ID: <BAY16-F27M9wGmAf0Mj00030a81_at_hotmail.com>

Good morning,

What is quite a story. The half truths, not presenting the whole story, not
presenting all of the facts, as Plotkin has done? Or are you referring to
the researchI have done for over ten years, in trying to fathom out the
facts, and the truth about what happened? I have combed many libraries,
from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, California,
Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and many others, seeking anything that would
pertain to Port Orford, or the meteorite,or the individuals involved. I
have been to Oregon several times, checking into its historical sites, and
libraries. Sure I started with Plotkins book, but when I read it, I found
to many questions in it that he did not answer. There are to many questions
that he never addressed in his book. He advocates the theory that Evans
created a hoax based on Evans suppossedly owing money for back taxes in
Oregon. But then he fails to mention anything about the economic crisis
going on world wide at the same time. That crisis would help explain any
economic problems Evans would have had, because during such crisis, the
price of everything goes up, not down. Since in the 1850's, because of the
Oregon gold rush, which is documented in many books about Oregon, but not
once is it mentioned in Plotkins book, but because of that gold rush, so
much of what Oregonians used to grow on their farms, was not being grown
anymore. During the California gold rush of 1849, many Oregonians left
Oregon and headed south to California to search for their future, but many
failed to find it, so they moved back to Oregon. But they had sold their
land when they left to go to California. So many farms were idle during the
1850's. So much of the land around Port Orford, was unreachable except on
trails originally made by the indians possibly hundreds of years before, so
it was not easy getting around. In fact the primary way of getting to Port
Orford was by steam packet boats that sailed between Portland, and san
Francicsco. In fact the gentleman who started Port Orford in 1851,
Tichenor, owned such a boat and used it to take the first settlers there.
None of this is mentioned in Plotkin. None of Coarse Gold Johnson and his
career is mentioned in Plotkin. That is strange too, because, Plotkin even
though he says the Evans Journal is not in his handwriting, (It is in his
wifes handwriting, because Evans had hurt his arm sometime around 1858-1859,
and was unable to write until he learned to use his other arm and hand), but
then Plotkins uses the information out of the journal as though it is
gospel. But when you read the journal, you find that Evans in one entry
clearly visits Johnson's camp on the creek. According to the history books,
and books about the Origin of Place Names in Oregon, by 1856, Johnson's
creek and Mountain was already known by those names. So why would anyone
look on Johnson's mountain for the meteorite since Evans does not mention it
in the journal, but he does mention visiting with Johnson and other miners
at the Johnson camp which was on Johnson's creek which is at the base of
Johnson's mountain? Plotkin does not mention any of this, nor does he
mention any of the hsitory of Johnson's mountain, all information which is
clearly available in the history books about Oregon, Coos and Curry
Counties, which is where Port Orford is located. In the National Archives
recod group for John Evans, is a letter where Evans himself after he is able
to start writing again, explains in the letter how he had hurt his arm and
could not write for awhile, so his wife Sarah Evans, was doing all of the
correspondance, which would explain why the journal is in her hand and not
Evans. Yet even though this is in the national archives, Plotkin does not
mention this. Why???? In one of those letter from John Evans, he explains,
that anyone could buy the meteorite real cheaply from the Indian chief, Old
John, because it was on his land. this is the only place the Evans possibly
makeds a mistake. Old Chief John, had surrendered along with all of his
tribe, sometime around August - september 1856, after the Rogue River War
was over. So in 1858 - 1859, when Plotkin says Evans went back to Oregon,
and then concocted the hoax, Old Chief John would not have been the owner of
the land, because by then he had been in an Indian Reservation over a
hundred miles away north of Port Orford, and everyone around that area of
the country would have known that. So why did Evans mention it then. the
only conclusion, is that Evans did not visit Port Orford after July of 1856,
and so would not have known about the surrender. Also Evans clearly states
in either that letter or another one, that the Bald mountain could be seen
from Port Orford. I am sorry to tell everyone this, but Johnson's mountian
is not visible from Port Orford, nor is Brays Mountain, nor Iron Mountain.
There is just too much brush and forest, plus part of Port Orford itself is
on a higher terrain on the coast, with a colection of mountains between the
coast and Johnson's mountain. So Johnson's mountain does not, nor has it
ever fit the description by Evans.

This is food for thought for anyone who would like to actually read the
literature, and compare it to Plotkin's book. What he has to say, simply is
not supportable by the history, the facts, teh archival records. There are
too many unanswered questions left undiscussed in his book. And what he
does discuss, does not add up.

Bob Warren

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Received on Fri 29 Oct 2004 10:59:43 AM PDT