Mystery Objects

This collection of mysterious things elicits many curious enquiries from visitors to our house.

(In making this collage, the scale of these items is a little skewed -- the largest ones are the two long, rectangular wooden objects on the far left of the picture. Then comes the vicious-looking iron tool on the far right. The three iron articles in the middle are smaller.)

Any guesses as to what they are?

1. A pair of antique fog horns, once used on Mississippi River paddle boats.

2. A mystery to me. I have been told this antique iron tool was used in the manufacture of bullets, but I suspect it probably had a different use. Prizes awarded for the correct identification!

3. A Wheelwright's Traveler. This device was used to measure the outside diameter of a wheel in order to fit an iron tire.

4. A Bull Pull. The left hand side of this apparatus opened, and was inserted into the nostrils of a cow or bull. It was then cinched closed, and the animal could be led by the handle on the right side. (Frankly, I don't think I would want to be that close to a bull's nose -- especially once it had this nasty thing pinching it!)

5. No, this is not a medieval torture instrument! It's an antique roof thatcher's tool. The sickle-shaped portion was used to hold down a bundle of straw which was then fastened to the roof in some way by sliding the straight, spear-shaped part closed.