SLAVE COLLAR ?

[mojjax]

I WAS HELPINE MY NEIGHBOR TEAR DOWN HIS OLD BARN UP HERE IN MAINE AND WE FOUND THIS OLD LEATHER COLLAR IN A CRAWL SPACE UNDER SOME FLOOR BOARDS . THE BRASS TAG SAYS : JAMES N. O. BOE
B . 1815
IT SEEMS ODD THAT A FAMILY PET WOULD HAVE SUCH A LONG NAME AND A BORN DATE ON ITS COLLAR . IT'S RATHER SMALL , INSIDE DIAMETER IS 4 1/4 INCHES . THE BUCKLE HAS A ''RING '' HASP WHERE A SMALL PADLOCK MAY HAVE BEEN . THE RING SHOWS LOTS OF WEAR . ANY IDEAS??

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

These are the final voyages of the starship ...

Oops! Sorry about that. That's the line from a different thread.

What I meant to say is ... These are the final list of thoughts from a blurry eyed detective. And not a very good detective at that. I have yet to solve a single case!

And so I leave you with this personal case file for those who wish to continue the chase.

1. It's "probably" an old dog collar.
2. We may never know how it got "under the floorboards."
Possibilities are:
A. It came off the dog while pursuing something.
B. It was placed there intentionally.
C. It accidently ended up there.
3. The name is "most likely" that of the owner. (But could be the dog's "name.")
4. The B 1815 is either a date - address - phone # - reference # - license #
5. For me, the most curious part of all is the name.
A. Notice that all of the letters are capitalized.
B. Even the so called lower case ones are capitalized.
C. But the J in James - the N. O. - and the B in Boe are larger. Why?
D. And "if" that's another period after the B. in BOE , then I'm even more
confused!
E.. Something about the N. O. has bothered me from the onset. It just
doesn't strike me as being middle initials, but instead stands for
"New Orleans" or something along those lines.

Last but not least, I want to say it's been a fun investigation, even thought the name etc. have not been fully identified. But this is often the case where there is little else to go on. I also wish to express my thanks to mojjax for unearthing this topic from 2005, and to all who participated in one of the most interesting "What Is It's?" I have been involved with.

Bottom Line? ... I believe it's a dog collar, but remain mystified on the name, etc.

Thanks again,

SODA"GUMSHOE"BOB

Final Post Script: Why do we say "Happy" Thanksgiving - "Happy" Birthday - "Happy" Easter - "Happy" Anniversary - "Happy" New Year, but say "Merry" Christmas?

Answer: "Elementary, my dear Watson. It's because" ...

By the way ... "Merry Christmas"

Signed ... "SureLost" at Home.

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

In response to my own question, I found the following ...


Why "merry" not happy...
Posted by ESC on January 18, 2000

In Reply to: Merry Christmas, origin of posted by Paul on January 17, 2000

: I'm just curious as to why we say merry christmas and not happy christmas.

: Paul

WHY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND NOT HAPPY? -- All I can figure is that at one point, people in England went around calling everything "merrie." They weren't necessarily happy, but by golly, they were merrie. I based that theory on the following:

"Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, second edition, 1977) "Merrie England. England of the Anglo-Saxon period and the Middle Ages was not a very happy place to be, let alone 'merrie.' So why this phrase indicating revelry and joyous spirits, as if England were one perpetual Christmastime? The answer is that the word 'merrie' originally meant merely 'pleasing and delightful,' not bubbling over with festive spirits, as it does today. The same earlier meaning is found in the famous expression, 'the merry month of May.'"

My only other Merry Christmas fact, recycled from an earlier inquiry: "The tradition of sending Christmas cards originated in the mid-1800's when a few people began to design handmade cards to send to family and friends. A man named John Calcott Horsely is credited as being the first to actually print Christmas cards. The card depicted a family enjoying the holiday, with scenes of people performing acts of charity. The card was inscribed:"Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You."

Not a very strong case, but all I could come up with. Maybe some of the other Phrase Finders will have a different view.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Here's a picture of the first commercial Christmas card from 1843 by John Calcott Horsely.

An oldie but still a goody from me to you.

SODABOTTLEBOBANDFAMILY

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

P.S.

On the old Christmas card above check out the woman giving the little girl a sip of wine.

Now we know why they were so "Merry"

 

[Skrimpy]

A sure way to find out if the collor was used for a dog or a man...since its leather, have a scraping analysised for DNA...

Sweat from a man and dead skin particles would adhere or penetrate the leather...

All WAGS would go to the wayside...

Maybe. Touch DNA like that is not too likely to have survived for 175 years. Dry blood, saliva in large amounts yes. Touch stuff...fat chance. Maybe if it were real dry in that barn all those years.

 

[mrjosh]

A sure way to find out if the collor was used for a dog or a man...since its leather, have a scraping analysised for DNA...

Sweat from a man and dead skin particles would adhere or penetrate the leather...

All WAGS would go to the wayside...

Maybe. Touch DNA like that is not too likely to have survived for 175 years. Dry blood, saliva in large amounts yes. Touch stuff...fat chance. Maybe if it were real dry in that barn all those years.

DNA testing is very expensive,

 

[mickk]

I have looked again.

James N.O. Boe = James Boe N.O. = the number underneath maybe. If it was someone illiterate, they used to do all sorts of strange things when they copied down script.

Could also be the dogs name, James, N something, O something Boe.

It could be a lot earlier than Victorian times. Might have been stamped with whatever the blacksmith had at hand, Its too crude to be a silversmith etc.

It aint gunna die

 

[S IL THer]

Probably from a sadists boudoir; I"d look for a whip and other "pleasure" devices..

 

[bradyboy]

Awesome collar
I also have to go with a dog collar
But I wouldn't leave it at that
Check with the kennel club archives
They would have the records of the dog / coller
Brady

 

[SkyPirate]

dog collar

 

[horsepower]

In response to my own question, I found the following ...


Why "merry" not happy...
Posted by ESC on January 18, 2000

In Reply to: Merry Christmas, origin of posted by Paul on January 17, 2000

: I'm just curious as to why we say merry christmas and not happy christmas.

: Paul


WHY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND NOT HAPPY? -- All I can figure is that at one point, people in England went around calling everything "merrie." They weren't necessarily happy, but by golly, they were merrie. I based that theory on the following:

"Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, second edition, 1977) "Merrie England. England of the Anglo-Saxon period and the Middle Ages was not a very happy place to be, let alone 'merrie.' So why this phrase indicating revelry and joyous spirits, as if England were one perpetual Christmastime? The answer is that the word 'merrie' originally meant merely 'pleasing and delightful,' not bubbling over with festive spirits, as it does today. The same earlier meaning is found in the famous expression, 'the merry month of May.'"

My only other Merry Christmas fact, recycled from an earlier inquiry: "The tradition of sending Christmas cards originated in the mid-1800's when a few people began to design handmade cards to send to family and friends. A man named John Calcott Horsely is credited as being the first to actually print Christmas cards. The card depicted a family enjoying the holiday, with scenes of people performing acts of charity. The card was inscribed:"Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You."

Not a very strong case, but all I could come up with. Maybe some of the other Phrase Finders will have a different view.

Sorry to be late to the party. Merry actually meant in days of old strong, mighty, difficult to be reckoned with. As in Robinhood and his band of merry thieves and the old Christian hymn, "God rest ye, merry gentlemen". Most folks actually think that comma goes after merry as in may God give you a happy siesta but the comma goes before merry and the song is about God strengthening worthy men for the battles in His Kingdom. Merry Christmas is actually a play on words depicting an all powerful, sovereign God arriving on earth as a helpless child as in Merry Christ Mass.

 

[DanFL1962]

Anybody here a member of Ancestry.com? I'm not, but a free search of the last name and birth date reveals the following:

1870 United States Federal Census


Census & Voter Lists

PreviewName: James Boe
Birth Year: abt 1815
Age in 1870: 55


Name: James Boe
Birth: abt 1815 - location
Residence: 1870 - city, Essex, New Jersey, United States


Dan

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Anybody here a member of Ancestry.com? I'm not, but a free search of the last name and birth date reveals the following:

1870 United States Federal Census


Census & Voter Lists

PreviewName: James Boe
Birth Year: abt 1815
Age in 1870: 55


Name: James Boe
Birth: abt 1815 - location
Residence: 1870 - city, Essex, New Jersey, United States


Dan

Can you search mine? http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,30059.0.html

 

[mickk]

Might be him, Boe is not a common name.