Assassination Trivia

[Anita]

Excellent, Anita! That's it!

You win the location of the flea market where Booth's field glasses are for sale. Look for the directions to the flea market to arrive by mail within the next two weeks.

Thanks Roger. Who knows what other lost treasures I may find there!

[Gene C]

Say, is it that neat flea market in WVa were I got the shutter that was used as a stretcher to carry President Lincoln from Fords Theater to the Peterson House along with the fascinating photo of Booth's horse after they disguised it, and where Ernestine G got that neat old photo of the guy pretending to be Lincoln on his death bed? Is that the place?

[RJNorton]

No. Booth's field glasses were originally found stashed in Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue Tunnel (built in 1844). However, the flea market that is selling them is located west of the Mississippi River.

[RJNorton]

When Dave Taylor did his remarkable reenactment of John Wilkes Booth's time in the woods he spent a short time brushing his teeth. Approximately how many bristles from the toothbrush fell off during the brushing, and Dave could feel them in his mouth?

[BettyO]

Two to three?

[RJNorton]

Good try, Betty, but that is incorrect.

[Eva Elisabeth]

In Arabian countries the traditional toothbrush, miswak, is a twig from the "toothbrush tree" (Salvadora persica). Maybe JWB used a twig from a local tree which thus didn't lose any bristles?

[RJNorton]

That is another good try, Eva, but not correct.

However, I think the prize for this question will be one free miswak. Maybe the winner can display their miswak on a whatnot.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I have no other guess (I can only guess a toothbrush like Powell's as displayed at Ford's originally had about 1200 bristles before any fell off), but this is a miskwak:
   

[L Verge]

He spit twice in the video, but let's go with one bristle. He also commented about not knowing what original bristles were made of. I have seen reference to pig's hair in some accounts. Reference Eva's twig, when I was a child, old-timers used sassafras twigs.

[RJNorton]

Finally we have someone on the right track (Laurie). However, one is not the correct number of bristles Dave said he could feel in his mouth after brushing.

[Anita]

Dave said he could feel six or so bristle that came off in his mouth.

Many tooth bristles of the time were made from whale baleen. They have one on display at the Interpretative Center where I work as a docent.

[Gene C]

I thought Dave was on a camping trip. The hard core camper just rinses his mouth with coffee and spits. See how clean they get.

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Anita! You are correct.

You win one miswak (periodontist-approved).

I know the question seems a little strange, but I was just looking for a way of reminding folks about the excellent videos Dave has created. The teeth brushing is in the newest one he's posted.

[Anita]

Roger, thanks for the miswak. Does it come with tooth powder?

And another thanks for getting me to check out Dave's videos. They are excellent.