What I did today that was ML related?  I dry fired the Hodgepodge rifle, then ran a dry patch down the bore.  It came out with some reddish stripes, the same color as the Ed's Red I use to clean it so I cleaned it again with Ed's Red and put it away in its corner.

I also spent several hours with a shovel and the snow blower cleaning the sidewalk, my driveway, and clearing the berm left by the snow plow so I can get the car and truck out.  Then I napped.  (that's part of muzzleloading, isn't it?)  Made soup for dinner.

~Kees~

Used to go to a 2 day shoot every June. If anybody wanted to stay over night they could. I would sleep in the back of my truck. My truck had an aluminum top on it. Usually we had some cold nights in June, so I remember how I felt when waking up Sat. morning. Makes me hurt to even think of sleeping on the ground. I need that bed. PC or not. That's a cool tent Kevin. And I especially like the casting setup.

Much appreciate reading it here

Haha I can?t claim to be a gentleman so I guess that leaves me on the ground.
 

1/26/1839: Republic passes homestead law, sets aside land for education

On this day in 1839, the Congress of the Republic of Texas passed two important pieces of legislation: a homestead act and an act setting aside land for public schools and two universities.

The homestead act, patterned somewhat after legislation of Coahuila and Texas, was designed to encourage home ownership. It guaranteed every citizen or head of family in the republic "fifty acres of land or one town lot, including his or her homestead, and improvements not exceeding five hundred dollars in value." The education act was inspired by President Mirabeau Lamar's determination to establish a system of education endowed by public lands but failed to produce the desired results immediately because land prices were too low for this endowment to provide revenue. There was also some popular indifference on the county level to the establishment of schools, as evidenced by the fact that by 1855 thirty-eight counties had made no effort even to survey their school land. Nevertheless, Lamar's advocacy of the program earned for him the nickname "Father of Texas Education."


1/26/1839: Republic of Texas charters Houston and Brazos Railroad

On this day in 1839, the Republic of Texas chartered the Houston and Brazos Railroad, one of four lines chartered by the Republic.

The company was granted the right to build railroads and turnpikes from Houston to the Brazos River. Michel B. Menard, Augustus C. Allen, James Love, Moseley Baker, and William A. Pettus were among the company's directors. The ceremony marking the beginning of construction was set to coincide with the fourth anniversary observance of the Odd Fellows in Texas. On the morning of July 25, 1840, the celebration began at the Presbyterian church in Houston with an address commemorating the Odd Fellows anniversary. From the church a procession of volunteer companies, members of the bar, medical faculty, army and naval officers, citizens, county officers, mayor and aldermen, Odd Fellows, Masons, the president and directors of the railroad company, the committee of arrangements, orator, and officiating clergyman formed and marched to the terminus of the railroad. Mayor Charles Bigelow broke ground with a spade, Holland Lodge No. 1 laid "a neat slab with fitting inscriptions," and the Milam Guards fired a salute. The procession then proceeded to Corri's Theater for more speeches. Despite these beginnings, however, the company was unable to construct its railroad and soon lost its charter privileges.