I don't think pitchfork is correct, nor forklift which in later era came to mind..I also suspect it maybe had no real separate name...but maybe I've looked at too many inventories. Moving to 1002 I believe the tool you are talking about is the (Exact same, minimal technical advance) same long handled, forked tongued item that brings down items in TOY STORES (this from a mother of two decades, three children insisting she sees the item WAYYYY up above at Toys R Us). I am, however, glib this my sound, sure that it's origin is very old and it has a name that we all may have seen on an inventory and not understood...I don't have any inventories of large merchants (ie, those with warehouses)....but maybe the tool was there. Janet (Baugh) Hunter To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html