tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post6273190987394837741..comments2024-03-27T13:16:32.943-05:00Comments on Western Fictioneers: Ranger Jim’s RamblingsWestern Fictioneershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01683314579075461026noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-25754032593012651592013-06-13T17:58:47.067-05:002013-06-13T17:58:47.067-05:00Tanya,
Don't feel too bad about the badges. ...Tanya, <br /><br />Don't feel too bad about the badges. After all, today's Rangers do wear badges carved from Mexican cinco peso coins, so your grandson's badge is following tradition. The thing you have to watch out for is the unscrupulous sellers on eBay and other online auction sites trying to pass off fake badges as genuine. For an excellent history of Texas Ranger badges, go to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum website at www.texasranger.org and click on the Badges/Fakes link.<br /><br />Jim GriffinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-37315483103518025252013-06-13T17:54:26.452-05:002013-06-13T17:54:26.452-05:00Keith, those tied down holsters were a Hollywood i...Keith, those tied down holsters were a Hollywood invention. As you said, holsters were worn waist level or a bit lower. Dac, the main problem with Webb's history is it reflected the prejudices of the time it was written, 1935. Webb himself admitted that, and was planning on writing a second revised edition, but died before he could complete the work. Utley and Cox are both excellent sources. Just watch out for some of the later revisionist histories of the Rangers. They're opposite Webb, who painted the Rangers pretty much with a white brush. The revisionists paint them with a black brush. As you say, the truth is there were good Rangers and bad. And people do tend to forget there were Hispanic Rangers, almost right from the start. Even during the darkest period of relations between Anglos and Mexicans in Texas, there were still some Mexican ancestry Rangers.<br /><br />Jim GriffinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-74320180679059802332013-06-13T17:47:12.230-05:002013-06-13T17:47:12.230-05:00Awesome, awesome post! And I'm so sad about th...Awesome, awesome post! And I'm so sad about the badge history. I bought one for my little grandson when I was in San Antonio. I know I will come back to this post for information and hints. <br /><br />As for that Travel Guide, my friend (and Cheryl's too) Linda Broday put me onto it when I needed a setting for my Christmas story set in Texas...alas, the followup tale is taking place in Arizona. I was heartsick that the "actual" setting --Sedona--wasn't named until about 1909! Boo. But I did use Cathedral Rock whether or not it was named, in the 1880's. Poetic license, I hope!<br /><br />Got one of your tales in my Kindle, sir. Now it's getting time to cuddle up and read it!<br /><br />Great job today. Tanya Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08580821680629254085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-74772265579034062532013-06-13T15:20:10.140-05:002013-06-13T15:20:10.140-05:00The old Rangers were men of their times - some goo...The old Rangers were men of their times - some good, some bad. Mike Cox and Robert Utley are better sources than W. P. Webb - who wrote an excellent analysis of settling the Great Plains, much better than his history of the Rangers.Dachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004321696572753739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-59809266878736425592013-06-13T14:27:15.394-05:002013-06-13T14:27:15.394-05:00Excellent post, Jim. I read somewhere that they te...Excellent post, Jim. I read somewhere that they tended to wear their gun holsters high on the waist rather than down on the thigh, in order to be better able to draw while on horseback. Does that sound plausible?<br /><br />KeithKeith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-66974580762455531052013-06-13T13:59:43.359-05:002013-06-13T13:59:43.359-05:00Jim, thank you for posting this -- and good on ya ...Jim, thank you for posting this -- and good on ya for researching Texas and the Rangers so thoroughly! We Texans can be a cranky lot, but I've found nothing to complain about in your stories because you get the vast majority of details right (at least in my "Texan to the bone" perception of the details). Of course, lack of things to complain about is a whole 'nother reason to complain. ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05740371055384281988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-8734609596717678272013-06-13T13:58:39.696-05:002013-06-13T13:58:39.696-05:00That's good info Jim.
JerryThat's good info Jim.<br />JerryJerry Guinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17074197803776713004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-40353486806435480012013-06-13T13:24:50.368-05:002013-06-13T13:24:50.368-05:00Excellent advise. Very informative.Excellent advise. Very informative.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06558457377036658099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-83825892775493604062013-06-13T12:12:14.572-05:002013-06-13T12:12:14.572-05:00Very helpful advice. I couldn't resist using B...Very helpful advice. I couldn't resist using Bigfoot Wallace as a major supporting character in my tales about Texas Rangers Jake Blackwell and Luke Temple... he's just so dern fun to write!Troy D. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07744762061580915223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-12419275681515606252013-06-13T12:01:58.803-05:002013-06-13T12:01:58.803-05:00I have to plead guilty to usually having my Ranger...I have to plead guilty to usually having my Ranger characters wear badges they hand-carved themselves from Mexican cinco peso coins. It's just too good an image to pass up, and since it's so indelibly in the minds of the public anyway few people will quibble about it. Besides, the legend of the hand-carved badges can't be completely disproved.... but it can't be proved, either.<br /><br />Jim GriffinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-60836951862583228942013-06-13T10:15:45.390-05:002013-06-13T10:15:45.390-05:00Very informative post, and very sound advice. I en...Very informative post, and very sound advice. I enjoyed this!<br />CherylCheryl Piersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-82826921074331132962013-06-13T06:08:02.298-05:002013-06-13T06:08:02.298-05:00There's some good advice there, Jim. Thanks.There's some good advice there, Jim. Thanks.<br />Frank Roderusnoreply@blogger.com