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<DIV>You seem determined to misunderstand me! I wasn't implying that the
accounts of the Riddles were inaccurate. In fact, I mentioned this book in
my response to Les because it is an excellent <STRONG>first-hand
account</STRONG>. My reference to "stories and story-tellers" was in
conjunction with the "Pioneer Days" books <STRONG><EM>currently
published. These books </EM></STRONG>contain information that are family
stories. I enjoy family stories and old-timer's stories as much as anyone,
but I never take them as solid fact unless they can be substantiated by primary
sources...or by so many secondary and tertiary sources that there can
be little doubt. I always look at family tradition or family stories
(including those of my own family) as a great place to begin researching...and
in my experience, family stories and local stories often have a strong basis in
fact, although the details sometimes get muddled through telling and
retelling.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Carla</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>STEPHENS, HAWLEY, WHEALDON and SHIELDS in Oregon and
Washington</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>