Hello from Hazard!
We officially put Item No. 847 to rest last week, but several more guesses have rolled in since then. There’s not much agreement regarding the item’s use, but here’s what folks are thinking:
Keith Forster guessed that the tool is used for the removal and installation of wheel balance weights on vehicles.
Jerry Noud said it’s a blacksmith tool and Mike O’Dell of Hubbard, Ohio, thinks it could be a tool for installing wire fence.
The owner of Item No. 847, Ed Wanchock of Sewickley, Pa., doesn’t know what the item was used for, either. But he thinks it might be a tool that would belong to an upholstery repairman. The slot in one end is used to pull tacks, while the pliers are used to pull the fabric tight. The fabric is then re-tacked with the hammer. The round circle on top of the tool is for hanging it on the workman’s belt.
Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll never know for sure what Item No. 847 was intended to do. But thanks to everyone to wrote in to hazard their guesses!
* * *
Story Continues Below Photos
One of our very quick readers correctly identified Item No. 848 before last week’s deadline. We revealed that it’s a bailer used to draw water from a well.
Other readers who guessed right include: John Cornell; William McKown; Harold Lefever of Frazeysburg, Ohio; Gailey Henderson of Williamstown, W.Va.; Leona McVay of Lumberton, N.C.; Wayne Cooper of Fombell, Pa.; Frank Muellner of Mayfield Heights, Ohio; Kenny Smith of Mount Alto, W.Va.; Belle Chandler of Atwater, Ohio; Les Howell of Beach City, Ohio; and Catherine Franks of Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
* * *
Item No. 849 didn’t turn out to be too hazardous, as several readers wrote in with correct responses as soon as the newspaper hit their mailboxes. The item, which was provided by Donald and Linda Kristo of Orwell, Ohio, is a calf weaner. The device is opened wide enough so the silver balls can be inserted into the nose of a calf. When the calf tries to nurse while wearing the device, it gives the cow an uncomfortable poke and she quickly begins to reject her offspring.
Readers who correctly identified this item include: Les Howell of Beach City, Ohio; John Zizka of Mantua, Ohio; Chester Wedge of Fostoria, Ohio; Ben Ream of Massillon, Ohio; Ron Brokaw; Ron Diesch and Gailey Henderson of Williamstown, W.Va.
* * *
Item No. 850 comes from Ann Wishart. It’s about 15 tall with the handle up and 9 inches across. It’s made of nickel-plated iron and has the word Yankee printed on the side with a patent pending mark. Both sides are decorated with filigree.
On the right side of the item, there is a clamp where it attaches to the counter. The handle swings clockwise and an inside section on the left slides to the front. When you turn the handle counter-clockwise, the section slides back into place and the rod you see in the picture comes down into a rubber-lined tunnel that also clamps.
At the same time, a couple of forks sticking out to the left of the Yankee mark fold one over the other in a pincher type motion.
Who wants to Hazard a Guess on this one?Write to: Hazard a Guess, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460; or via e-mail to: editorial@farmanddairy.com. Be sure to include your name, hometown and state.
And you can submit your own Hazard-ous photo here.
