> Who the blazes are the Saltenstals? I've known Peter Saltensatal & his
> family since I was in grade school and I have no idea why people fuss
> over them.
> Seriously... who the heck are they?

I dunno. The only thing I know is some of them were at that dinner party.
Also, one of my long-time (since 1971) customers Buck Robinson married a
Saltenstal (!!!!!!!). Well to him it was a big deal, after all he was in
love with her. (I know because they have had two of the nicest kids.) See,
what I think is, way back when salt was a big deal (and I know you have some
personal experience with salt and know how big a deal it can be), there was
this family that got out of the horse trade by trading all their horses for
salt. Now, you know, a horse is worth a way lot more than salt, so they
got loads of salt for them horses. They were in the salt trade in a big way.
(Even more than J. Sterling Morton, who had quite a bit of salt that he
scraped up off the Nebraska plains, out where I grew up. Old JS Morton was
my hero, sure he had salt, but he also started Arbor Day. But even JS Morton
didn't have nearly as much salt as the Saltenstals. In fact, I think maybe
Morton was just one of the Saltenstals' suppliers.) Anyway, the only place
to
store all their salt was in the empty horse barns. When everybody who was
anybody wanted a little salt they first they had to cozy up with the
Saltenstals, who were in direct charge of the "salt in the stalls." Get it?
Well, that's all I can figure. The most salt I ever had was a little pinch.
Then once I came across a whole pound of salt. I haven't worried about the
Saltenstals ever since that. If you ever can't get salt and can't get in
with the
Saltenstals, just let me know and I'll send you some of mine. Just a little
though. I gotta save some of that salt for my old age ya know.

John
by hammer and hand great works do stand
by pen and thought best words are wrought

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