The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 48, November 9, 2003, Article 1

KOLBE UPDATE

  Dave Bowers writes: "The George Kolbe situation reminds
  me once again how caring and sharing numismatists can be.
  We are all delighted that for George the scenario ended
  safely, and are sad that for others it did not. I've sent a few
  e-mails to him, and now I know that they won't be delivered
  until his service is restored.  I can just see him looking at
  his screen and finding 1,001 messages, none of them about
  bidding on books!"

  George Kolbe writes: "Dear Wayne,  When Alan Meghrig
  told me that four special issues of The E-Sylum had largely
  been devoted to providing updates on the wildfire affecting
  Crestline, I irreverently replied: "Only four?"  In truth, Linda
  and I were entirely taken by surprise over the outpouring of
  concern and good wishes expressed in the E-Sylum issues,
  voice mail messages, and emails received from all over the
  world. We did not know we had so many caring friends.
  Thank you all.

  On Saturday morning, October 25th, I received a call from
  a neighbor who said that a fire had just started in Old
  Waterman Canyon, but a few miles away as the proverbial
  crow flies. I quickly walked across the street and did see a
  small fire at the base of the canyon.  The road through
  Waterman Canyon was established in the early 1850s by
  Mormons, who, under the direction of Brigham Young,
  established a large settlement in San Bernardino, today the
  large city directly below Crestline.  Soon, sawmills were
  established in Crestline (so renamed after being inelegantly
  termed 'Fly Camp' during 1870s mining days) to provide
  lumber for the burgeoning Mormon community.  Returning
  to recent events, within an hour or less the fire was raging
  and we started packing boxes and filling the car.  Later in
  the day, my son George came by after packing his
  belongings and we packed more boxes and loaded them
  in his truck.  Early that evening we visited George and his
  wife Susy's home, a mile away, and discovered a raging
  'crown' fire a thousand feet away.  Crown fires are dreaded
  by firefighters because they are largely incapable of
  containment.  Trees well over a hundred feet high were
  enveloped in flame on the top of the mountain.  Within a
  minute or two, police arrived and ordered mandatory
  evacuation. On the way back home, several fire trucks
  passed to fight the fire [later we learned that it had been
  just set and was not part of the main fire] and, across the
  valley from us, we could see a whole convoy of police
  cars coming up the main road to Crestline.  By the time
  we arrived home, vehicles were driving by with bullhorns
  blaring mandatory evacuation orders. My daughter Jennifer
  and son-in-law Tim, who live a mile away in the other
  direction, had arrived in the interim, and the six of us, along
  with three dogs, and a cat, got in our four vehicles and
  traveled the back way out of Crestline, then back to San
  Bernardino, where we met in a restaurant parking lot.
  Lodging was already unavailable locally and we traveled to
  the nearby city of Riverside to spend the night in a rundown
  hotel. The following day, Tim's parents Claude and Margaret
  (who live in an area of San Bernardino evacuated early the
  previous day), graciously invited us to stay with them and,
  for the next few days, we watched the surrounding mountains
  burn and fruitlessly sought specific information about what was
  happening in Crestline.  Within a half mile or so of our hosts'
  home, the first day of the fire had completely destroyed several
  hundred homes.  Sometimes a house and surrounding yard
  would be entirely intact, while around it husks of cars and
  chimneys were the only things standing.  Humbling, to say the
  least. I won't go on.  From here, major events are chronicled
  in The E-sylum.  Needless to say, we've rescheduled our
  November 13th auction sale, and I'll close by citing the notice
  on our web site:

  Auction Sale 92 has been postponed

          NEW CLOSING DATE
     SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2003

  The Southern California wildfires have worked their way and
  we are grateful that we are all well and that our office, home,
  and the homes of our children are still intact.  Our deepest
  thanks are extended to all who expressed their concern during
  this difficult period.

  WE REQUEST THAT THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY SENT
  BIDS CONFIRM THEM BY MAIL, TELEPHONE, FAX, OR EMAIL

  Wayne, we owe a special thanks to you!

  Best,
  George, Linda, and family "

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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