Va-Hist Subscribers: I just learned something new about our list's computer. An extremely heavy flow of messages, such as we had this weekend, can cause it to shut down and postpone delivery of messages until it gets kick-started again. That may account for why some of the messages didn't get sent out as speedily as the subscribers who postered them may have wanted. (There's no Yankee gate keeper or any other kind of traffic cop here.) This is not to discourage conversation; but it might be wise to suggest that we stick to the most meaty messages, and please do not include long previous messages as part of a reply. That clogs up everybody's IN box even if it doesn't clog up our computers. Perhaps subscribers may think about privately communicating with other individual subscribers on particular topics of disagreement that are, in fact, points of disagreement between those Va-Hist subscribers and not continuations of the main thread of discussion. Every "reply" to a Va-Hist message, remember, goes out to all 500 or 600 of us. Now, back to the discussions. Brent Tarter The Library of Virginia [log in to unmask] Visit the Library of Virginia's web site at http://www.lva.lib.va.us To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html