[meteorite-list] Kaufman, Texas Meteorite.....a fall?

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Dec 13 11:25:45 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-F168855DC90EF3DB5D4EA63B3AB0_at_phx.gbl>

Hello list,

I guess I should first state I do not think Kaufman is a fall. Having said
that and not researched it enough to really give much thought in the
following, I thought others might find this of interest.

It is an e-mail I got from an ebay bidder, which by ebay rules means I can
not share their e-mail address or bidder/seller name so please do not ask. I
am trying to get copies of the original papers (as they might note more then
provided) and should I be able to get them, I would of course be willing to
share the papers, whatever that amounts to be. This was sent to me in two
e-mails, both of which are pasted below. I have edited out the name, and
corrected a couple spelling errors.

"I see your Kaufman meteorite pieces on Ebay often & wanted to share
something with you. I know NOTHING about meteors, etc but have first hand
knowledge of the pieces you are selling. My family came to Kaufman County TX
in 1841 when it was still part of Nacogdoches Territory - Kaufman did not
become a county until 1848. My great grandfather had a ledger he kept for
his saloon business here - from 1871 to 1908 - and in it made several
"observations" and "notations of history" that were passed down from his
wife, her parents & others who were here since 1841. Also, along with this
ledger was a rawhide bag that contained several pieces of "stars" that were
picked up by my great great grandfather & his sons at about 1866-1867, on
his land which is located 3.5 -4 miles SW from the town of Kaufman.
According to my ancestors "the year after the war (Civil War) ended there
came from heaven a shower of stars - millions of them- and they landed in
the fields" - on parts of their land."

"CONTINUATION - they picked up several pieces of these "stars" and kept them
for many years - one piece I have now, however it looks nothing like the
tiny pieces you are selling. My piece is nearly round, with "bumps" and is
about 2" in diameter - it is very heavy, tastes very strange & has
unexplainable metallic colors and characteristics. According to local
history - pieces of these things were picked up for 30-40 years after they
landed. Could your pieces and my piece be from same meteorite shower? (name
edited) Kaufman TX"

Sounds more like a meteor shower to me then a meteorite fall. And so it
looks like once again I get to tell someone their heirloom "meteorites" are
well....just bad tasting earth rocks.

Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas...Airplane Capitol of the world....which I imagine we will
no longer be if or when Boeing sells the Wichita plant/s.

PS. I have Kaufman slices on my website, and micromounts on ebay.

www.meteoritearticles.com
Received on Mon 13 Dec 2004 11:23:20 AM PST