Not that my friend and distinguished Southern Gentleman George Lander needs defending, but I also met the late Michael McIntosh along with Gene Hill on an Orvis tour back in 1990, if memory serves. At that time, both Gene and Mike were drinking good scotch whisky and smoking Pall Mall's (Gene also a pipe) and both said that we were all mere custodians of the good guns that pass along in the lifetimes of mere mortals.
Mike helped me find and authenticate an HE 12 Fox, a Becker bored 32" 10 lb. cannon that had been "restocked" and he could have asked for a 'finder's fee" but didn't-
Just as with the great split cane rod makers now gone: Jim Payne, Everett Garrison, Paul Young, Gary Howells and others- and with great writers: Gene Hill, Robert Ruark and now Mike- sure there are some vultures waiting to pounce before the dirt has been shoveled onto the grave site- BUT my friend George Lander is NOT in that group- He just asked a logical question- If Michael had "written in a vaccum" so to speak about fine doubles, both side-by and O/U's- but only owned and shot a beat up Model 1897 Winchester, we wouldn't need this Pissing derby about his guns and the possible disposition of same.
The late George Bird Evans, in writing about his wealthy Phila Mainline monied friend Dr. Charles Cadwaller Norris of Fairhill (Bryn Mawr area)- was given through Dr. Norris' kindness one of his two Purdeys- which was treasured for many years, now in other hands I am sure- But GBE also mentioned that Dr. Norris' relatives when seeing the estate sale of his library- "Never realized what ol Uncle Charlie had" they thought of his collection as just "hunting stories" I surmised. GBE also wrote about an eccentric bachelor who stated in his will his house with the contents and the library were to be burned by the fire department as a practice fire- the books to be destroyed rather than have them end up in the hands of profit seeking dealers after his death- extreme example yes- but I understand the point-
