One such establishment at which the local women disposed of their pipes was J. R. Franklin & Co., of Pamplin. Some of these pipes were recovered when the cargo of the sternwheeler, _Bertrand_, which sank in the Missouri River at Port La Force, Nebraska, April 1, 1865, (Petsche, 1970:1) was salvaged in 1968-69. The official list of artifacts recovered in the salvage operation, supplied by Jerome E. Petsche, National Park Service, who was in charge of that operation shows:
_Pipes, Smoking; Several types and sizes recovered; briars and clay; one lot included clay bowls exclusively, others contained stems and bowls. Consignee: Vivian and Simpson, Virginia City. Manufacturer’s stenciling_: ‘THE CELEBRATED VIRGINIA POWHATAN (CLAY), J. R. FRANKLIN & CO., SOLE AGENTS FOR THE MANUFACTURERS, PAMPLIN DEPOT, APPOMATTOX COUNTY, VA.’ Field lot numbers MPC 104, MPC 358, FSC 171.
The following description of the pipe shipment on the _Bertrand_ was provided by Ronald R. Switzer, Director, Bertrand Conservation Laboratory, National Park Service, Missouri Valley, Iowa.
“The pipes are of one type and design (Plate 2). Forty pipe bowls plus 136 fragments ... all but 15 are chipped or broken, condition otherwise good. Clay, predominantly grayish-tan, mottled with brick red and brown. Paste soft, fine, and uniform, ... exterior has soft sheen. Preservation: Brushed with soft bristle brush in running tap water to remove mud.” (Switzer, personal communication).
This pipe is similar to (Plate 19 U); however, there are slight variations due to differences in individual molds made for production of the same pipe form.
The two pipe forms (Plate 19 T & U), were the only examples we found that carried the peculiar pinkish-gray tan color, and they were found only among the pipes made by the Home Industry. They were probably made of clay from the same source and by the same individual, since home pipemakers usually dug their clay on their own premises, and the condition of the pipes, after a century in mud and moisture, indicates that the work was done well.
The shipment was contained in a wooden box, which was approximately 15½ inches long, 8½ inches wide, and 8 inches tall (Plate 2). The stenciling on the box is faint, but legible.