[TheForge] Slave Scale

[PlumDon at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/4/2010  10:07:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
osan at netlabs.net writes:
A pentatonic  scale - supposedly used by black slaves.  

http://www.amazon.com/Speculators-Slaves-Masters-Traders-South/dp/0299118541
/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291548765&sr=1-1-spell

Not  a music scale. One like shown on the cover of the book at the above 
address. I  cant imagine slaves being sold by the pound but this type of scale 
is sometimes  referred to as slave scale.  An acquaintence has one he wants 
to sell and  we are trying to find out something about them. His is dated 
1743 and the  initials AF are stamped in it. The beam is about 5' long and 
the chains are  about 4'. It was bought during the 1930's from somewhere in VA.

Maybe it  was used for weight cotton as Mike suggests. That would make 
sense that it was  used for some kind of bulk.  The forging and welding on it 
are very nicely  done. 

Never seen one and like to know just what it is. 

Thanks  for any info

Don Plummer