European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sometimes you learn More than you want to know Erma  press Syndicate ii seemed like such innocent remark. We were watching a basketball game on television arid i asked. Quot what s an illegal defense a Quot five Days later. I could have bitten my Tongue out. There is no such thing As an innocent question at our House. You done to get an answer. You get a doctoral dissertation on the subject. My husband pushed the mute Button on the to and turned to me. Quot lets Back up a  its like James Michener backing up a bit. I knew i was going to end up hearing How the glaciers formed the Earth to make room for a basketball court Quot you know How an offensive player cannot stand in the Lane for three consecutive seconds Don t you Well a weak Side defender a which we know As an offensive player on the Side of the court away from the Hall a has a similar  �?o1 got it now i said. Quot it makes sense. Turn on the  Quot i Haven to explained tin illegal defense  he said patiently. Quot you see. The defender generally cannot stand within the narrower College Lane Lor More than three seconds unless the player he is guarding is within three feel of the Aba Lane so Quot i Nexer learn. 1 he Day lie Lound the Baek door open and the Furnace roaring was the Day we Quot backed up to the history of Energy beginning with the water wheel and the oxen. He droned on. A a it a not easy for the referee to make the three feet judgment. He has to look at the hash Marks on the base line. Here let me show you on this piece of  he sketched feverishly Quot this is the court Quot my mind drifted. I am probably one of the few women in North America who can explain Why cold air blows out of the car Heater in Winter when you Start the car. Not that i get Many Calls Lor it. Still have the diagrams. However lie continued Quot it three or More offensive players position themselves above the top of the foul Circle on the weak Side an a isolation violation will he called on them. This Rule limits Quot. Out of the Corner of my Eye i would see the players leaving the door and the final score being flashed on the screen. Whatever an illegal de a sense was it did no to kill you. As the sound came Hack to the screen the late night news began to untold. Half to myself i muttered Quot How come 1 never heard of the kurd until a couple of months ago Quot from the Corner i heard a voice saw Quot let s Back up a bit by Myra Vanderpool Gormley one of the great migration stories in american history a the Oregon Trail a is surprisingly Well documented. For the genealogist the main problem is tracking Down the repository that has information about the particular Wagon train that an ancestor took out West. The Best bet is to learn about the various Platte River trails for it is under this subject that you Are most Likely to find information. In 1x41, the first organized band of emigrants the Bidwell Bartleson expedition followed the Platte River across the Plains. It split at soda Springs. Idaho with half going via fort Hall Idaho and the Snake River to Blaze the Oregon Trail and half going via the Humboldt River to explore an emigration route to California. The first big migration to Oregon occurred in 1x43 and numbered about a thousand. In january of 1x4x, a Small event occurred that changed the destination of Many of the Westward emigrants. It was Gold which was discovered at Sutter s Mill in California. In 1x30, Between 55, xxx to-75,000 people made the Jaunt out West a the majority going to California but Many had Oregon and Utah As destinations. The great migration to the West continued for years in varying amounts. Approximately 350.000 of our ancestors made the Overland trek Between 1x41 and 1x06. The Oregon Trail followed the great Platte River Road from one of the jumping off places along the Missouri River across Nebraska. The emigrants went past Scotts Bluff neb., mentioned in Many diaries into Wyoming to Independence Rock on the Sweetwater River where the cutoffs to Utah and California occur. They then went on to fort Hall Idaho up the Snake River to fort Boise Idaho and on to the Columbia River to their final destination a usually the Willamette Valley South of Oregon City. These emigrants generally crossed the Missouri River in the Spring a april or May a in order to make the journey before autumn and the bad weather set in. Quot Independence Rock who was a bulletin Board where every Emigrant that had a tar bucket left his name and  wrote Al r. Hawk a 13-Ycar-old. Who made the trip in 1x52. He relates in strange adventures of the Hawk family in crossing the Plains in sd2 that there was a Jam of about 2,000 squabbling emigrants who waited at the Bluffs Council Bluff. The Hawks family became separated from an to Vagon train but made the trip on their own. If your ancestors travelled on an of these trails during the mid-19th Century find a copy of Platte River Road narratives he Merrill j. Mattes. This is a descriptive bibliography of travel Over the great Central route to Oregon California Utah Colorado Montana and other Western states and territories circa 1x12-66. It was published by the University of Illinois press in 19xx. Platte River Road narratives will guide you to diaries newspaper accounts and compiled histories of those who made the famous treks out West some of whom May be your ancestors. The Oregon California trails association . Box 1019. Independence to. 64051-0519, 816 252-2276, is involved in preserving these old trails protecting emigrants Graves and promoting research and education on the topic. It also is developing a computer data base of Emigrant diaries newspaper accounts letters and other documents. Membership in Octa is $25 per year for individuals and includes the scholarly Overland journal plus a quarterly newsletter. Myra Vanderpool Gormley a former stars and stripes employee. Writes for the los Angeles times  k s it i s Libra sept. 23-oct 22 hold on to recent Gams before swaggering Forward. Entrenchment is a better Call today than leaping Forward. 5corpio oct. 23-nov. 21 take festivities in orderly fashion. Happy go Lucky Demeanour gives you added sex Appeal. Idle gossip should t really Hurt Sagittarius nov. 22-dec. 20. You Are predisposed to accepting opinion hearsay without critical review Deal with land tangible assets Capricorn dec. 21-Jan. 19 display tact real appreciation of another s feelings being stepped on does t give you the right to take Wanton pokes Al associates aquarius Jan 20-feb 18 leap Forward occurs in personal relationship heart of matter is revealed. Work consciously against boredom Pisces feb 19-March 20 impatience with education or level of awareness Creales frustration you Are completely ready for All delights Aries March 21-april 19 involvement in a personal Triangle develops you should be Able to gel out m the Nick of time Freedom Loving Friend needs counselling Taurus  20-May 201 kind nature could easily be taken advantage of by the unscrupulous. Pleasant evening hours make up for workday. Gemini May 21-june 20 conversations Are dynamic. Best wishes Are extended to you for a recent career achievement. Pleasant Home feel mrs provide needed unwinding cancer june 21-july 22 normally cooperative nature is sorely tried this morning watch out for deceitful associate. Pets Small mammals Are in picture Leo july 23-aug 22 Legal quagmire finally tends toward Resolution. Don t take Good Luck for granted in business situation. Virgo aug. 23-sept. 22 a Stellar performance at work gives you much needed career break hmm room desire to take risks emerges Copley news services sunday september 29, 1991