SC - Profit was Opinions?

[Marcus Antaya]

margali wrote:
 
> That weird gizmo has been used for several generations in our
> family by using it to hold olive oil. You soak the soapstone in
> the oil and use it to help light a fireplace or furnace. Don't
> know nuttin' about no mulling! Ours was from the van Patten side
> of the family, and was from the early 1700s.

It's quite possible that the dealer had no idea what it was for, and
just agreed with my estimation, so you may be right about this one.
Obviously I can't question your experience.  However, the stone portion
did look as if it had been heated and cooled rapidly (it was cracked in
places), which suggests it had been really heated, perhaps white hot,
which I wouldn't think necessary for a fire accelerant. Then there's the
question of why it is tin-lined. If it is not a container for a potable
liquid, why does it need to be non-reactive?

Another factor, although far less important, is volume. This is more of
a "this is why it _could_ be true", rather than a "this is why it
couldn't be". It holds a respectable pint by anybody's scale. An oil
container might not need to be, although there's certainly no reason why
it shouldn't be.

I know! Obviously the van Patten side of the family were early
Temperance Union activists and turned their perfectly good stout muller
into an oil container...
      
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com