Comments by Dr. James Whisker:
> Professor Henry J. Kauffman taught industrial arts at Millersville Normal School, later college, still later state university, quite near Lancaster. He used his graduate assistants to assist in gathering information. Western PA came from the late Bob McAfee. Many of Bob's research bits in both newspapers and 1850 census were published in Muzzle Blasts and elsewhere. Bob was a close friend of the late Dr Jim Herron, a veterinarian in Canonsburg, PA. Dr Herron was also a major researcher on Greene, Washington, Allegheny, and nearby counties. While Calvin Hetrick assisted Capt Dillin in his 3rd and subsequent editions, R. A. Farber gave Prof Kauffman data on Bedford and surrounding counties. Prof Kauffman's assistants did much of research in eastern PA, largely from PA Archives [3rd series] and 1850 census. He also received information from Paul Sharpe, once PA state taxidermist, who lived in Perry Co, PA, just outside Harrisburg. Sharpe was a bachelor who had plenty of time and loads of interest in old guns.
> In addition to his work on gunsmiths, Prof Kauffman published books on "the axe monopoly" a PA firm that at one time made something like 80% of all axes manufactured word-wide. He also had a book on PA workers in brass and copper, materials in which Prof Kauffman excelled as a metal-smith. He also had studies of barns and barn decorations. He had once begun a study of Conestoga wagons, later surpassed by Dr George Shumway. Prof Kauffman was the foremost researcher of his time on American, especially PA, tradesmen. There are few errors in his research although we understand a great deal more now than we did then, partly because more resources are available [notably census lists].
