The climb on the family tree continues. I've discovered even more fascinating people I didn't even know were my relatives.

Buck Armstrong Custer was generally considered a nice guy. During his life as a musical instrument maker he waged a continuing fight to make a trumpet sound like a tuba. He called this the battle of little big horn. To add to his troubles, his employees (all Native Americans) rose up and hauled him into court claiming unfair labor practices. They won. He lived out the end of his life in prison.

Buck Washington Carver was a peanut vendor at the circus. One day his pet elephant, Tiny, sat on his peanut supply, smashing it to paste. VOILA! Peanut butter was invented! While trying to come up with a name for the new product, Tiny accidentally stepped on Buck's foot causing him to hop around on one leg screaming in pain. They decided to call the new food "Skippy".

Buck Rogers had a kid's show on PBS called "Mr. Buck's Neighborhood". It lasted only part of one season, primarily due to the program content. The show's opening followed Buck as he came into the house, traded his cardigan sweater for a black leather jacket, and then exchanged his running shoes for motorcycle boots. His instruction to his audience on how to cheat at hopscotch and the joys of shaking the little kids down for lunch money proved more than his producers could bear.

Buck Ford made a name for himself in transportation. His earliest vehicle was a simple four-wheeled cart pulled by a horse. He called it a "Buckboard". When the internal combustion engine came along, he managed to incorporate it into a horseless carriage he named the "Buckmobile". His first manufacturing plant was established in Alabama where a sizeable town grew and was named after the plant's product. This is the city we call Mobile today. The factory shut down many years ago when the entire unsold inventory was donated to libraries around the country. They changed the vehicle's name to "Bookmobile" and use them to this day.

Buck Hook was a pirate sea captain who was terrorized by a crocodile who ticked. Hook's reign of piracy was ended by a small boy hero, named Peter, who conked him over the head with a cast iron frying pan.

Buck Fudd was a dorky, but loveable, cartoon executive who raised rabbits for a hobby. One day he discovered a talking rabbit in his warren. This little guy ran around saying, "E-h-h-h! What's up Doc?" Buck took the rabbit to the office with him to show the other cartoon executives. They were so impressed; they put the rabbit in the movies under the stage name "Buck's Bunny". The rest is history.

Buck Appleseed traveled the length and breadth of the country living off the land. His favorite food was apples, which he stole off trees he found in people's yards. His pride and joy was his buckshot collection, which he carried in his rump after being run out of many yards by angry homeowners armed with shotguns. Wherever he went he planted kumquat seeds. When asked why he took the name "Appleseed", he replied, "Buck Kumquat would really sound stupid!"

Leonardo da Buck was a famous inventor and artist of the renaissance whose best known painting - done on black velvet - was the "Moaning Lisa". I guess her boyfriend done her wrong.

Buck John XXIII was one of the most beloved popes. He led the Church to appreciate the ways of the wilderness by stressing the importance of hunting and fishing. The motto of his reign was "Hopeum Nunc Chompamus", which translates from the Latin as "Pray they are biting today".

Buck Lipton was a tea merchant who built a brisk business in the early days of our country. He was asked to cater the Boston Tea Party and was so appreciative he threw in free scones. He named his children "Sweet" and "Unsweet".

Buck Emerson started a successful electric company, which, over the years, generated many fans.

Buck Twain grew up watching steam-powered bass boats ply the great rivers of this land. He tried his hand at writing humor but showed no talent for this most challenging of undertakings. He spent his declining years sweeping floors for the firm of Sawyer & Finn, Attorneys at Law. His daughter, Shania, made it big in Nashville.

Buck Firestone made tires. He was the first person to introduce man-made rubber to the roadways of America as he said, "Rubber, this is road. Road, this is rubber."

"How do you do?" said Road.

"Pleased to meet you," replied Rubber.

This famous meeting occurred in Akron, Ohio, which is, as everybody knows, where the rubber meets the road.

See ya around.

BUCK

If you have any questions or comments or if you just want to do some porch settin' and chew the fat for a little while, you can reach me on the Internet at guystuffbybuck@yahoo.com.