"Yankees are the most mechanical people in the world".

Well, Chase, I believe you got that right. Why, even your average Medal of Honor winning Yankee soldier goes out and starts his own oil company in Titusville, Penn., which he sells to Standard Oil of New Jersey which ultimately evolves into Exxon.

I'm referring to John J. Carter who as a 20-year-old Lt of Co B, 33rd NY Inf, won the MOH at Antietam.

He became an early veteran of the oil business and was retained by Standard Oil to scout out drilling locations in Calif. His recommendation to Standard was to buy existing production operations, but they said heck no we prefer wildcatting, ie, exploratory drilling, ie, pi--ing in the dark. That outfit must've been run by a bunch of his former adversaries who didn't know nothin' about machinery but were dying to learn...lol

Paul