Milsurp After Hours

I'm going to the local Flea Market in a little while. I haven't been there in months and since my wife is having a bunch of women over to the house I need some place to escape to for a while and the Flea Market is as good a place as any.

Here is one of the things I've come back with over the years. I think I might have mentioned it before, but can't find it, so I'm posting it again.

The local paper changed from block set type to the modern offset printing method some years ago. Their stock of old fashion metal engraved set type went to the flea market. Here are a few photos of a block of set type that was used to print a map of downtown Mobile Alabama from mid 20th century. Notice the thick oak backing to the metal type and the marks on the end of the wood that show it has been used.

I used to use it as a paper weight on my desk ....back when I was younger and worked for a living.

Interesting little piece, I thought that I could tell from it just what some things were in reverse so I went to Map Quest and had a look. Got the wharves right and some of the railway. Bay Bridge Rd was pretty easy to pick to show that I was on the right track.

What the heck, it's Sunday morning here and as I've just seen the wife off to work, I have some spare time.

Thanks for that, never been to Mobile before, might go Google Earth (the cheapest way to travel ) later.

That map was probably up to date in about 1950 or 1960.

Here is a Google Earth map that is captured and a GPS reading recorded over it. My brother sent me the jpg. It shows our fishing trip a couple of weeks ago. If you go to Google Earth you should be able to spot this location in Mobile Bay. Hint...top is Dog River.

Good thing that I didn't look here before I went looking for The Puzzle; I'd been south from Mobile and was working my way North along the western shore and had been to

before I found the solution.

Then I went North by train:

and got as far as Craig Field, in Selma, Alabama.

I was on that river last week. Only about 20 miles north of Mobile.