I suppose many of you are thinking of writing a personal history some day.     You may consider waiting until you are older, for I find that old cartoon character correct who said, "The older I get; the better I was."      With a little ingenuity we can also make our ancestors better.     I present the following quote as my evidence:

            "An amateur genealogist researcher discovered that his great uncle, Remus Starr, a man lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.     The only known photograph of Remus Starr shows him standing on the gallows in Montana.   On the back of the picture is the inscription: 'Remus Starr, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1883, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer 6 times, caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889"

            In a family history subsequently written by a great nephew, the picture of Remus was cropped to exclude the gallows, scanned as an enlarged image, and edited with processing software so that all that is seen is a head.    The accompanying biographical sketch is as follows:

            "Remus Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory.    His business empire grew to acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate deals with the Montana Railroad.    Beginning in 1883 he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.   In 1887 he was a key player in a vital investigation by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency.     In 1889 Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform on which he was standing collapsed."