When Do Fish Sleep? (34 page)

Marla Bouton, of Kearney, Nebraska, sent us an article by Roger L. Welsch, professor of English and anthropology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, published in the October 30, 1983, Sunday
World-Herald Magazine of the Midlands.
Along with repeating all of the theories we advanced, Welsch recounted many other stories he was told by boot-hangers, including the number of boots indicated the number of sons in the family; the toes point toward the nearest graveyard; the toes point toward the main house in case someone was lost in a snowstorm; and the boots are a token of good luck
.

Welsch concludes that although there may not be one single answer, hanging boots is probably some form of territorial marker. He notes that boot hanging is most prevalent in arid flatlands
.

In a geography like this, long arrays of boots are striking, even stunning, and that is precisely their purpose. They are markers. They announce that someone lives here in this moonscape, that there are inhabitants, no matter how “deserted”—a perfect word, “deserted!”—things appear to be….

Several readers insisted there was a more practical explanation for the custom.

The ranchers may be trying to stop the absorption of water…. In Alabama, a lot of farmers turn empty cans onto the tops of fence posts for this reason, or they will nail the tops that were taken from cans, onto the tops of the posts. This keeps the posts from absorbing large amounts of water when it rains. Wooden posts absorb quite a bit of water through the tops. Putting boots on the posts might prevent the wood from rotting prematurely.

C.A. “J
UNIOR
” W
EAVER
Millbrook, Alabama

In West Virginia, some of the older farmers, including my grandparents, used to put on tin cans, old pieces of tires, roof shingles, or something else that would cover the top and hand down the sides of the fence posts.

This practice was done mostly to fence posts that still had bark on them. The farmers felt there was no reason to put objects on posts that had the bark stripped off.

Still asking why? Believe it or not, the reason was to keep the fence posts from rotting.

The idea was to keep the rain and snow from laying on the top of the post and soaking or running behind the bark. They believed the rain or snow would run down behind the bark, become trapped and rot the wood faster than if there was no bark at all on the posts….

My husband and I have fence posts in our backyard (they are over 10 years old) and the bark has been stripped off. They show no signs of rot so far. They are so hard you can’t hardly drive a nail into them.

Every once in awhile when I am traveling on some of the older, less busier country roads in the state, I see a fence with something on the top of the fence posts, and I remember asking my grandfather why he was doing it. I am glad that I was curious enough to ask because I may have helped you solve an Imponderable that seemed to be driving you nuts.

E
LAINE
K. S
OUTHERN
Clarksburg, West Virginia

If most of our letters on this subject came from the South and the Midwest, we received at least one sighting considerably farther to the north
.

I was very surprised to see this in your book as I thought this practice was only done in my old territory.

I was a district rep for a car manufacturer and my territory included the central east of Alberta, Canada. This included Drumheller and Trochu, two small towns on either side of the Deer River.

Drumheller is famous for being the site of one of the first large dinosaur finds in North America. It now has a large scientific museum that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Trochu is not famous for anything, although it does have a very good ice-cream stand open during the summer.

Anyway, the back road from Drumheller to Trochu is one of the most pleasant drives you can find on the prairie….

After crossing the river and driving toward Trochu and the ice-cream stand, there is a rancher who has put hundreds of boots on his fencing along the road. I asked about them and was told that they were to stop the aging of the fence posts. If the tops of the posts are covered and not left exposed, they will last that much longer. And since I once had a job replacing an old fence, I can assure you that anything that can be done to make them last longer would be tried.

K
EVAN
T
AYLOR
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Acknowledgments

The single most gratifying part of my job is receiving the thousands of letters that readers of
Imponderables
have sent me. Your ideas have supplied most of the mysteries answered in this book. Your support and encouragement have supplied the inspiration.

I have kept my promise to answer all letters that have included self-addressed stamped envelopes. I’ll continue the practice, but please be patient. When deadline pressure mounts, so does my response time. I cherish your letters and pounce on each one like a child encountering a wrapped birthday present.

In Harper & Row, I have a found a publishing house that provides me with all the benefits of a family—without the in-laws. Excepting that he is taller and wears clothes better than me, Rick Kot is all I could ask for in a person or an editor. His assistant Scott Terranella is exhibiting annoying tendencies toward becoming as perfect as Rick, but Scott has been so kind to me it’s hard to get mad at him.

From the top down the folks at Harper & Row have been gratuitously nice to me. The publisher, Bill Shinker, has been constantly supportive and enthusiastic. The beloved Brenda Marsh and the sales reps (sounds like a Motown act!) have, wonder of wonders, gotten my books into the stores. Roz Barrow, with skill and graciousness, made sure there were enough books to ship to the stores. Steve Magnuson has been full of great marketing ideas. Debra Elfenbein, with a sharp mind and several sharp red pencils, helped tighten and focus this manuscript. The publicity department, headed by Karen Mender, helped thrust me upon an innocent North America. Special thanks to my publicist and rock ’n’ roll heartthrob, Craig Herman, and to Allison Koop, Susie Epstein, and Anne Berman. And to the trinity in Special Markets, Connie Levinson, Barbara Rittenhouse, and Mark Landau: You have a friend for life, whether you like it or not.

In Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?
, I complained that my agent, Jim Trupin, didn’t laugh enough at my jokes. I’m happy and proud to announce that he has corrected this egregious flaw and can now lay claim to be the last Renaissance man. Jim and his wife, Elizabeth, are two of my favorite people. Speaking of favorite people, Kassie Schwan, illustrator and semiprofessional gardener, continues to produce terrific illustrations. And the late (not dead, just late) Mark Kohut has taught me more than anyone about how the book business works. Lovely Joann Carney is the only person who has ever gotten me to sit in front of a camera for more than five minutes without wiggling uncontrollably, let alone to enjoy the process of being photographed.

Over the last few years, I’ve had a chance to meet an underpaid, unsung but fabulous group of people—booksellers. From the president and CEO of Waldenbooks, Harry Hoffman, to the managers of mall stores, Julie Lasher and Brian Scott Rossman; from B. Dalton’s manager of Merchandise Planning and Communication, Mattie Goldberg, to all the folks at the Benjamins Bookstore in the Pittsburgh Airport, the booksellers I’ve met have been intelligent, committed, and inordinately good company. Thanks for providing me with an on-the-job education.

My friends and family have helped me survive a difficult year. Thanks to all who have lent support: Tony Alessandrini; Michael Barson; Rajat Basu; Ruth Basu; Jeff Bayone; Jean Behrend; Brenda Berkman; Cathy Berkman; Sharon Bishop; Carri Blees; Christopher Blees; Jon Blees; Bowling Green State University’s Popular Culture Department; Jerry Braithwaite; Annette Brown; Arvin Brown; Herman Brown; Joann Carney; Janice Carr; Alvin Cooperman; Marilyn Cooperman; Judith Dahlman; Paul Dahlman; Shelly de Satnick; Linda Diamond; Joyce Ebert; Steve Feinberg; Fred Feldman; Gilda Feldman; Michael Feldman; Phil Feldman; Phyllis Fineman; Kris Fister; Linda Frank; Seth Freeman; Elizabeth Frenchman; Michele Gallery; Chris Geist; Jean Geist; Bonnie Gellas; Bea Gordon; Dan Gordon; Ken Gordon; Judy Goulding; Chris Graves; Christal Henner; Marilu Henner; Melodie Henner; David Hennes; Paula Hennes; Sheila Hennes; Sophie Hennes; Steve Hofman; Uday Ivatury; Terry Johnson; Sarah Jones; Mitch Kahn; Dimi Karras; Mary Katinos; Robin Kay; Stewart Kellerman; Harvey Kleinman; Mark Kohut; Claire Labine; Randy Ladenheim-Gil; Debbie Leitner; Jared Lilienstein; David Lynch; all my friends at the Manhattan Bridge Club; Phil Martin; Jeff McQuain; Julie Mears; Phil Mears; Carol Miller; Barbara Morrow; Phil Neel; Steve Nellisen; Millie North; Milt North; Charlie Nurse; Debbie Nye; Tom O’Brien; Pat O’Conner; Joanna Parker; Jeannie Perkins; Merril Perlman; Joan Pirkle; Larry Prussin; Joe Rawley; Rose Reiter; Brian Rose; Paul Rosenbaum; Carol Rostad; Tim Rostad; Susie Russenberger; Leslie Rugg; Tom Rugg; Gary Saunders; Joan Sanders; Mike Sanders; Norm Sanders; Cindy Shaha; Patricia Sheinwold; Kurtwood Smith; Susan Sherman Smith; Chris Soule; Karen Stoddard; Kat Stranger; Anne Swanson; Ed Swanson; Mike Szala; Josephine Teuscher; Carol Vellucci; Dan Vellucci; Hattie Washington; Julie Waxman; Roy Welland; Dennis Whelan; Devin Whelan; Heide Whelan; Lara Whelan; Jon White; Ann Whitney; Carol Williams; Maggie Wittenburg; Karen Wooldridge; Maureen Wylie; Charlotte Zdrok; Vladimir Zdrok; and Debbie Zuckerberg.

Well more than one thousand educators, institutions, experts, foundations, corporations, and trade associations were contacted for this book. Because we can’t go to reference books to get our answers to Imponderables, we are dependent upon the generosity of the folks listed below. Although many other people supplied help, those listed below gave us information that led directly to the solution of Imponderables in this book: Sandra Abrams, Associated Services for the Blind; Richard B. Allen, Atlantic Offshore Fishermen’s Association; Dr. Robert D. Altman, A & A Veterinary Hospital; American Academy of Dermatology; American Hotel and Motel Association; Carl Andrews, Hershey Foods; Richard A. Anthes, National Center for Atmospheric Research; Gerald S. Arenberg, National Association of Chiefs of Police; Dr. Edward C. Atwater, American Association for the History of Medicine.

Dr. Don E. Bailey, American Association of Sheep and Goat Practitioners; Dr. Ian Bailey, School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley; Jan Balkin, American Trucking Associations; Dr. Pat A. Barelli, American Rhinologic Society; Nancy Beiman, National Cartoonists Society; Roy Berces, Pacific Stock Exchange; Dr. William Berman, Society for Pediatric Research; Dr. William Bischoff, American Numismatic Society; Ed J. Blasko, Eastman Kodak Company; Dr. Peter Boyce, American Astronomical Society; Richard Brooks, Stouffer Hotels; Edwin L. Brown, American Culinary Federation; Bureau of the Mint, Department of the Treasury; Dr. Walter F. Burghardt, American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior; Herbert H. Buzbee, International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

John Canemaker; Gerry Carr, International Game Fish Association; Carel Carr, Yellow Pages Publishers Association; Helen Castle, Kellogg’s; Louis Chang; Bob Cochran, Society of Paper Money Collectors; Linden Cole, Society of Actuaries; Linda W. Coleman, Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Robert L. Collette, National Fisheries Institute; Dr. James D. Conroy, College of Veterinary Medicine; Charles T. Conway, Gillette Company; Philip S. Cooke, Inflight Food Service Association; Captain K.L. Coskey, Navy Historical Foundation; Louise Cotter, National Cosmetology Association; Danny J. Crawford, Marine Corps Historical Foundation; Edward Culleton, Green Olive Trade Association.

Hubert R. Dagley II, American College of Sports Medicine; Paul N. Dane, Society of Wireless Pioneers; Neill Darmstadter, American Trucking Association; Dr. Frank Davidoff, American College of Physicians; Professor Michael De L. Landon, American Society for Legal History; Brian M. Demkowicz, Maryland Academy of Sciences; Dr. Liberato John A.DiDio, International Federation of Associations of Anatomists; James J. Donahue, Duracell Inc.; Richard H. Dowhan, GTE Products; Don R. Duer, Still Bank Collectors Club of America; Thomas Dufficy, National Association of Photographic Manufacturers; W.K. Bill Dunbar, Morse Telegraph Club.

Susan Ebaugh, Serta Inc.; Dr. William G. Eckert, INFORM; Carole L. Edwards, Mobil Oil Corporation; Peter Eisenstadt, New York Stock Exchange Archives; Kay Engelhardt, American Egg Board.

Raymond E. Falconer, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, SUNY at Albany; Dr. Fred Feldman; Dr. Barry Fells, Epigraphic Society; Stanley Fenvessey, Fenvessey Consulting; Peter C. Fetterer, Kohler Company; Deidre Flynn, Popcorn Institute; Bruce A. Foster, Sugar Industry Technologists; Don French, Radio Shack; Lester Frey, Villamarin Guillen.

Samuel R. Gammon, American Historical Association; Dr. James Q. Gant, International Lunar Society; Bruce R. Gebhardt, North American Native Fishes Association; Chris George, Rand McNally; Gerontology Research Center, National Institute of Aging; Karen L. Glaske, United Professional Horsemen’s Association; Jacqueline Greenwood, Black & Decker; Patricia A. Guy, Bay Area Information System Reference Center.

Susan Hahn, United States Tennis Association; Dr. John Hallett, Desert Research Institute; Korynne Halverson, Evans Food Group; David A. Hamilton, Professional Ski Instructors of America; Lynn Hamlin, National Syndications Inc.; Darryl Hansen, Entomological Society of America; Carl Harbaugh, International Association of Chiefs of Police; Dorcas R. Hardy, Commissioner of Social Security; John Harrington, Council for Periodical Distributors; Tamara J. Hartweg, Kraft; Connie Heatley, Direct Marketing Association; Jim Heffernan, National Football League; Richard Heistchel, Schinder Elevator Company; Jacque Hetrick, Spalding Sports Worldwide; Shari Hiller, Sherwin-Williams Company; Janet Hinshaw, Wilson Ornithological Society; Robert C. Hockett, Council for Tobacco Research; Dick Hofacker, AT&T Bell Laboratories; Greg Hoffman, Jolly Time; Beverly Holmes, Frito-Lay Inc.; Dr. Daniel Hooker, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Student Health Service; Richard H. Hopper; Donald Hoscheit, Osco Drug; Mark R. Houston, California Kiwifruit Commission; Professor Barbara J. Howe, National Council on Public History; Kenneth Hudnall, National Yellow Pages Agency Association; Hyde Athletic Industries, Inc.