200 Book of the Black Bass. 



J. F. Meek, the firm became Meek & Milam, which in 

 turn was dissolved at the end of five years, though the 

 former partiiers continued to occupy the same store, 

 Milam devoting himself to making reels, while B. F. 

 Meek took the watchmaking and jewelry business. All 

 reels made by Mr. Milam continued to be stamped " Meek 

 & Milam "' until 1878, when he used his own stamp of 

 " B. C. Milam." In later years, having trained his son 

 to the trade, he took him into his business under the firm 

 name of B. C. Milam & Son, which is continued to the 

 present time. 



Fig. 34. Fie. 35. 



Meek & Milani Keel. Meek & Milam Reel Gearing. 



There were a few reels with so-called " centrifugal gear- 

 ing " made at an early date b}' B. F. Meek, a Mr. Barbour, 

 of Georgetown, Ky., and B. C. Milam. Among the reels 

 I exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair was a very elab- 

 orate and ornamental one of solid silver, made by B. F. 

 Meek, about 1846, for an artist of Xew Orleans, T. S. 

 Mayeau. A novel feature of this reel was the " bell-click," 

 made upon the same principle as the repeating watch. 



Fig. 34. — Brass reel made by B. C. Milam and stamped " Meek 

 & Milam No. 1." In excellent condition. Diameter, 1% inches; 

 length, 1 5/16 inches. 



Fig. 35. — Gearing is essentially as made to-day. Pinion has 10 

 teeth; cog-wheel, 40; quadruple multiplier. 



