Ulrich was capable of informing me by his experience as a Swiss citizen and an elected judge in his community, by his knowledge of history and his command of languages, by his interest in and expertise at the chemistry of Swiss black powder, and by his championship status in muzzle-loading. He introduced me to Switzerland. He was willing to practice English reading, writing and comprehension, in corresponding with me. Not the least, and maybe the greatest, he gave me his time. He made -- I don't know how many -- telephone calls. We exchanged numerous e-mails.
He located, bought and mailed me two significant books on powder milling, books crucial to my study, that directly related to Friedrich's two powder mills (one book in German, the other in French). In an effort to educate me about the Swiss language, which is a separate language from German, he found a CD of a children's story, sung in the Bernese Swiss which he said the Treuthardts and Kriegs would have spoken, and which my father, uncles and aunt in Texas would have understood.**
As he thought of an idea that might provide a clue for me, he would accomplish it, until he had worked up a Swiss "team" on my behalf. Each provided information in his own specialty. All this took place over several weeks. Months and years later, I am still internalizing it.
**Bernese Swiss is the Swiss spoken by people living in and around the environs of Bern, the capital of Switzerland, and Bern Canton which is generally the plateau region. By comparison Züricher Swiss is the Swiss spoken by people living in and around the environs of Zürich.
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