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Pompano
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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De nada and glad you guessed it, DENNIS.
Those old poles were once stretched across the treeless deserts everywhere in southern Baja. Westen Union was the place in any town to get messages,
send or receive money, and keep in touch with the outside world. All pretty collected and put to décor use now in homes and hotels up and down the
peninsula.
Of more value was the copper wire connecting all. My old amigo Jake, who lived on a hillside behind mi casa in Coyote Bay had about 500 meters of
that wire. He used it as an antenna for his short wave radio. Often told me he got to some faraway place like Toyko on very low power. Was all
Greek to me.
"What hath God wrought" was the first transmission by Samuel Morse via the newly invented telegraph.
Over and out.
...---... (dot, dot, dot..dash, dash, dash,....dot, dot, dot
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Pompano
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
Flag pole |
No, but I did once use one of these for just that purpose at Coyote Bay. Flew a ND flag from it..which was later replaced by pranksters with bra and
panties. 
Keep thinking vertical, though...you're almost there, by Samuel.
There were hundreds of these once upon a time...
[Edited on 2-17-2014 by Pompano] |
Glad you reminded me of that flagpole story, Ken...here's an old photo for you showing mine at Coyote Bay back in the day.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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sd
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Any photos of the "un flagged" girl Roger?
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KaceyJ
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
| Quote: | Originally posted by KaceyJ
got one in the front yard , they used to be everywhere along a certain stretch of road,
mines not quite as perty but it still has the threaded stanchion |
I hear you, KaceyJ....these were once very common in our neck of Baja. Now they are all gone for one reason or another...along with lots of the other
stuff between them? (another quiz item)
Sometimes palo blanco was used....
...---...
Think I'll get some more coffee with some 'unión occidental'.
[Edited on 2-17-2014 by Pompano] |
Given that these were buried in dirt for decades and didn't get completely eaten up by the gawd awful termites that infest baja, I always wondered
what type of wood they were made from and from where it all came.
Wish i had bought 4-500 hundred of them when they shut the line down. Soo many uses
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monoloco
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Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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The tree is called palo zorillo, (skunk wood) the leaves have a pungent smell when they are crushed. A beautiful wood for making rustic furniture, I
have made several tables and used them for legs, I also have made a couple of spectacular beds from palo zorillo. It is very hard and termite proof.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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captkw
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Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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miraflores Muebles
I've seen furniture made with that ....many years ago..and just like "iron wood" is days gone by !!
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watizname
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 8-7-2009
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One night many years ago, we were returning to Chivato after dinner and maybe a couple of margaritas too many when we spotted a crooked old loner pole
on top of a little hill the highway had been cut thru. Hung a U, and my buddy and I ran up the hill, wiggled it back and forth for about 10 minutes,
to free it , and lugged it to my truck. Luckily it was downhill to the truck, it was all we could do to carry it, it was so heavy, and we were
laughing so hard. It's still in front of his casa, and unlike my friend Meany and I, it hasn't changed at all, after all these years. Ahhh, the
fun we had. 
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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KaceyJ
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| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
The tree is called palo zorillo, (skunk wood) the leaves have a pungent smell when they are crushed. A beautiful wood for making rustic furniture, I
have made several tables and used them for legs, I also have made a couple of spectacular beds from palo zorillo. It is very hard and termite proof.
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Thanks Mono,
I had to look that up and not suprisingly seems Palo Zorillo could be endangered.
Here is a short article on the tree.
http://www.forsaleinbaja.com/index.php/our-baja/plants-of-ba...
I cringe everytime some do gooder gringo wants to bring a CHAINSAW down for one of his mexican buddies. -Don't do it!
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monoloco
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Posts: 6667
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Location: Pescadero BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by watizname
One night many years ago, we were returning to Chivato after dinner and maybe a couple of margaritas too many when we spotted a crooked old loner pole
on top of a little hill the highway had been cut thru. Hung a U, and my buddy and I ran up the hill, wiggled it back and forth for about 10 minutes,
to free it , and lugged it to my truck. Luckily it was downhill to the truck, it was all we could do to carry it, it was so heavy, and we were
laughing so hard. It's still in front of his casa, and unlike my friend Meany and I, it hasn't changed at all, after all these years. Ahhh, the
fun we had. |
Most of the
old telegraph poles around here were ocote, an even more durable wood. A family that we know in Los Barriles had a corral made from ocote that they
had moved 80 years ago from their rancho near EL Cardonal, where it had been used for about 100 years previously. Ocote has an odor similar to sandal
wood.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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monoloco
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Posts: 6667
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Location: Pescadero BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by KaceyJ
| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
The tree is called palo zorillo, (skunk wood) the leaves have a pungent smell when they are crushed. A beautiful wood for making rustic furniture, I
have made several tables and used them for legs, I also have made a couple of spectacular beds from palo zorillo. It is very hard and termite proof.
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Thanks Mono,
I had to look that up and not suprisingly seems Palo Zorillo could be endangered.
Here is a short article on the tree.
http://www.forsaleinbaja.com/index.php/our-baja/plants-of-ba...
I cringe everytime some do gooder gringo wants to bring a CHAINSAW down for one of his mexican buddies. -Don't do it! |
For some reason I'm unable to open
that link.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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Pompano
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Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Thanks for all the input on those old telegraph poles. They are a piece of Baja history and were an important part of communication all over the
world. The Indians of the plains called the telegraph “singing wires.”
Wood. I am continually pleased at the great style and use of wooden things in Baja. Growing up on one, this rancho scene is one of my favorites.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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micah202
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Location: vancouver,BC
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
No. Wrong group. Wrong song.
About that railing....in their previous life, they were always used in a vertical position.
...---... |
...me's jumping in late here ....an early 'girly-dance' pole??
.
[Edited on 2-18-2014 by micah202]
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Pompano
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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| Quote: | Originally posted by micah202
| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
No. Wrong group. Wrong song.
About that railing....in their previous life, they were always used in a vertical position.
...---... |
...me's jumping in late here ....an early 'girly-dance' pole??
[Edited on 2-18-2014 by micah202] |
Yes, a bit late on that one, micah but no foul. This was in reference to a hint about the telegraph poles by a group called American Five singing
their hit song, "Western Union"....some might recall that tune from the 60's?
'girly-dance' pole?...hey, why not? I'm sure Cabo could make it muy popular.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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monoloco
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Location: Pescadero BCS
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For a couple of years we had a bar/brothel in the huerta below our house and their "pole" dancing pole was a palm pole that they wrapped with duct
tape to protect the girls from splinters.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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ncampion
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Location: Loreto
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Years ago I remember seeing poles with wire strung between them at Sanispac bay. Someone told us they were telegraph poles. Were they correct??
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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| Quote: | Originally posted by ncampion
Years ago I remember seeing poles with wire strung between them at Sanispac bay. Someone told us they were telegraph poles. Were they correct??
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Sounds correct, ncampion. They went across the road and up the side of the hillside on the west side of the highway. All gone now, though.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
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"What Hath God Wrought?"
Roger,
Is it a good read? Lots of pages to get through.
http://www.amazon.com/What-Hath-God-Wrought-Transformation/d...
[Edited on 2-18-2014 by tripledigitken]
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Pompano
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
Roger,
Is it a good read? Lots of pages to get through. |
Personally, I think it's Pulitzer material...but then, I could be prejudiced.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Skipjack Joe
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I thought you were quoting Mark 10:9
"What God hath wraught together let no man put asunder"
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Pompano
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Posts: 8194
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
I thought you were quoting Mark 10:9
"What God hath wraught together let no man put asunder"
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Close, very close, Igor...but the quote Samuel Morse used in the first transmission over his 'telegraph' came from this verse of the Bible....Numbers
23:23...and I quote:
"For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
no divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What has God wrought?"
This passage was suggested by the daughter of Morse's good friend...the commissioner of patents. As so it went....
dot - dot - dot - dash -dash - dash - dot -dot -dot
Every Boy Scout in my troop had to learn Morse Code for a certain merit badge. What fun we had with that!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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