Regarding humerous questions, as an interprator at the world's largest steam hoist (Quincy Mining Compay site, located within the bounds of the Keweenaw National Historic Park, but seperate from it) I was asked many questions I found amusing. First if you dont know, a hist reeled stell cable onto a drum to raise skips carrying rock or men into an out of the mine. The actual shaft was located a few hundred feet away. Anyway, visitors would ask if the door leading to the basement was where the men entered the mine, if the copper came out of the center of the drum, (it did look like a cement mixer) or my personal favorite, did they use the hoist to pull ships through the canal located 3/4 of a mile away. On the serious side, the most difficult thing about the job was to keep the student guides interested in the visitors questions. Many had worked there for several years, and took great pleasure in makeing fun of the visitors after they left, unfortunately, other visitors could hear them. With out getting into internal politics, lets just say keeping 17 year old gudes professional is a full time job. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Motivated primarily by their own inner vision, a desire for riches, and an unbounded faith in the abundance of nature, they were willing to simply go out in the field, dig into the earth, and find out what was there" David Kruase __The Making of a Mining District__ Richard A. Fields Graduate Student of Industrial Archaeology Michigan Tech. Univ. [log in to unmask]