Tuesday, August 25, 2020

LAWMEN OF COLORADO - PART 2

Photo property of the author

Post by Doris McCraw  writing as Angela Raines

Lessons have been on my mind most of August. I started the month with a post on acting lessons for writers:  Acting for Writers. I then decided to do a lesson on Early Colorado: Early Colorado. Next was Colorado Lawmen - Part 1: Colorado Lawmen.  Now it's on to part two of Early Colorado Lawmen


David J. Cook was a Denver City Marshall, who according to some reports was credited with over 3,000 arrests during his tenure. Not much is known about his early life, but newspaper accounts show he did to go lengths to get his criminal. One article in the Daily Central City Register of November 24, 1868, tells of Cook and his deputy arriving in town to capture two outlaws. The outcome, both outlaws were killed. For more on Cook, you may find his book "Hands Up; or twenty years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains" David J. Cook.

Denver | Colorado Cities | Doing History Keeping the Past
Denver 1860, University of Northern Colorado

M. F. Bowers, El Paso County Colorado Sheriff, was infamous for his part in the1894 labor strike in Cripple Creek. Prior to becoming Sheriff, Bowers was said to have been a saloon bouncer and night marshal in Altman, Colorado. During the strike, he met with the mine owners and agreed to hire 'deputies' to help crush the striking miners. After Bowers lost control of his 'deputies' who began harassing the locals, the governor of Colorado ordered the militia into the area to quell the violence. For more on Bowers and the Strike, the following may be of interest: "History of Colorado, Vol. 1" Wilbur Fiske Stone. "The Labor History of the Cripple Creek District" Benjamin McKie Rastall

Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894 - Wikipedia
Cripple Creek Miner's Strike 1894
Wikipedia

Martin J. Duggin became marshal of Leadville, Colorado in 1878. He was appointed by Mayor Horace Tabor after the first two men who held the office the first one was beaten and run out of town and the second one killed by his own deputy. To say the Duggin ran things his own way is an understatement. That he was able to 'keep a lid' on the rowdy town was a testament to his reputation. For more on Duggan, the following books might be of use. "Deadly Dozen, Twelve Forgotten Gunfighters of the Old West" Robert K. DeArment. "Out of the West, The Beyond of the Mississippi States in the Making" Rufus Rockwell Wilson.  

Mart Duggan 
Wikipedia

So now you have more snippets of the lawmen in Colorado. Hopefully, their stories will inspire you and your imagination. I confess, due to my twenty years working with juvenile delinquents, I have an affinity for the stories of these early lawmen. They were good, bad and sometimes both, but never boring. 

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History
Angela Raines - author: Telling Stories Where Love & History Meet


 






Saturday, August 22, 2020

11th Annual Peacemaker Awards Open for Submissions


The 11th Annual Peacemaker Awards competition is now open for submissions. You can find all the details on the Western Fictioneers website here.

Friday, August 21, 2020

What's the Score? Hombre by David Rose


Carl Everett Allen recounts the series of events that began on August 12, 1884 and primarily concern John Russell—who had many names, but Allen besides to call him Hombre, which “Henry Mendez and others called him sometimes, and just means man”— in what many call Leonard’s best western novel (1961).

Optioned six years later, the story was released as a revisionist western with a screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. starring Paul Newman, Fredric March, Richard Boone, and Diane Cilento.

Music for the film was scored by David Rose, an odd choice in my book, considering his previous work, primarily as musical director for the Red Skelton Show on television.

An American songwriter, arranger, and orchestra leader best known for composing “The Stripper” and “Holiday of String," he also wrote music for Bonanza and other TV shows under the pseudonym Ray Llewellyn.

In film, Rose originally composed the music for 1955’s Forbidden Planet with some electronic elements. After hearing an all electronic score by Louis and Bebe Barron, the producers fired Rose. According to legend, the composer later destroyed his original recordings for the movie, but incidental tracks can still be found in other work he did, and on the internet.

In his work for Hombre, Rose carries through with all the dark revisionist western tropes of the time. For the main title theme here’s a strong sense of nostalgia in those strings, and loss for a West that is fading away.

 

But even in the more upbeat “Stagecoach” composition, there’s a melancholy that foreshadows Rose’s work on the 70’s TV drama, Little House on the Prairie.

Set alongside The Undefeated in a 2000 release by Film Score Monthly, music from Hombre is available in its Silver Age Classics line on CD from the FSM website.

After growing up on a Nebraska farm, Richard Prosch worked as a professional writer, artist, and teacher in Wyoming, South Carolina, and Missouri. His western crime fiction captures the fleeting history and lonely frontier stories of his youth where characters aren’t always what they seem, and the windburned landscapes are filled with swift, deadly danger. In 2016, Richard roped the Spur Award for short fiction given by Western Writers of AmericaRead more at www.RichardProsch.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

GOTCHA DAY FOR SWEET SEMINOLE SAM! by Cheryl Pierson



Yesterday, August 18th, was a very special day in the Pierson household. It was our two-year anniversary of “Gotcha Day” for our sweet boy, Sammy!

“Gotcha Day” is what many call the day a new pet comes to live with their family—a perfect, heartfelt matchup—and not only did we “get” Sammy, he got us, too!

The beginning of this story starts now nearly 12 years ago, before Sammy was ever born. My daughter, Jessica, adopted a fluffy white Great Pyrenees puppy from a shelter named “Embry”—at that time, the Twilight series was very popular, and when the puppies were born in the shelter, the staff named them all after characters from Twilight. “Embry” was a minor character in the series and my daughter kept the name because she thought it fit him.


About a year-and-a-half later, Jessica had to move from where she lived to a place that had a small backyard, no fence, and was close to a highway. We became “grandparents with custody” at that point—a big relief for all of us—except my husband, Gary, had sworn off pets after the kids had left home after high school.


It took about a DAY for him to realize that Embry was his soul-mate dog. Embry lived with us until his death in July, 2018.
I’ve spent my life taking care of animals and people, and I knew Embry would want us to rescue another dog and bring him or her into our lives. I bugged my husband relentlessly. He dug in his heels. He did not want another dog. But I DID. So how to solve it? I begged him to just “go look” and see!

We went to the city shelter in the small town where I was raised, Seminole, Oklahoma. There was a dog that I’d shown him on their website that he’d shown mild interest in. I asked them to bring Sammy out for us to see. Sammy came right over to us, sat down on Gary’s foot, and would not budge. When he looked up at Gary, his entire expression said, “You are mine. I’m so glad you’re here for me!” I asked Gary if he wanted to look around, and he said, “No. There’s no need.”


He dubbed Sammy “Sweet Seminole Sam” and August 18th became Sammy’s “Gotcha Day”—one of the best days in our lives.


But the story doesn’t end there! At the shelter, Sammy had been a social butterfly. The employees and other dogs all loved Sammy. Believe it or not, Sammy had been adopted once and returned—for digging holes in the backyard. He was about three months old, and put into the backyard alone, left to his own devices. I think he was trying to dig his way out and back to his friends!

After we’d had Sammy for a couple of months, I noticed a kind of pensive expression on his sweet face sometimes. I could only imagine what was going through his mind. I told Gary I thought Sammy needed another dog.


I love them all, but knew that we should probably look for a dog that was about the same age or younger than Sammy, who, at that time, was around 13 months old--this was in February 2019.

There was a little waif that had been dumped with his siblings on the shelter steps when they were not even a month old. That would have been late January, 2019. He was white with light brown shading on his back. They thought he was part Great Pyrenees, probably from his coloring, but there were darker colored siblings, so said he might be also part German Shepherd. I didn’t care what he was—he was ALL love! He looked so lost and forlorn in his picture that was posted. I knew he was the one. His Gotcha Day is March 11, 2019.

He had been named “Axel” but that didn’t fit. We changed it to “Max” in case he’d gotten used to hearing that sound and already might have started learning his name.


Jessica and I drove the hour drive to Seminole to pick him up. On the way home he threw up in the back seat and when I held him he peed on me—twice! Then he went to sleep. I was in love.

When we got him home, I went to pick Sammy up from doggie daycare, and Jessica gave Max a bath. Sammy walked right in and loved him immediately. It was “Gotcha Day” for Sammy, too—he got a new little brother!

This is one of my favorite pictures of them together. Max has gathered all the toys in a pile around him, looking so pleased with himself. Sammy has come up to tell on him. The looks on their faces say it all--Max is proud, Sammy is saying, "Oh, brother, look what I have to put up with!"

If I had a bigger place, I would have as many dogs as I could. It would be “Gotcha Day” several times over!

Do you have a pet that you celebrate “Gotcha Day” for? Since we don’t know their birthdays, this is the day we celebrate with ice cream cones, special treats, and car rides! What do you do for your pet’s “Gotcha Day” celebration?

Monday, August 17, 2020

Country Music Memory Lane – The Three Bells by Kaye Spencer #westernfictioneers #classiccountrymusic

Coming up sixty-one years ago on August 31, 1959, a musical family known as The Browns had a Number 1 single on Billboard magazine’s country music chart. The song was The Three Bells, also known as the Jimmy Brown Song, Little Jimmy Brown, and Jimmy Brown.

This song was based on a French song called Les trois cloches, which was a hit in 1946. The group Melody Maids had an English translation hit with it in 1948. The song tells Jimmy Brown’s life story in three parts: birth, marriage, and death.

I love coincidences, and this song has a fun one. The vocalist of The Browns was James Edward Brown aka Jimmy Brown. He is best known as Jim Ed Brown.

The Browns were a singing family of two sisters and a brother from Arkansas: Maxine, Bonnie, and Jim Ed. Jim Ed was the middle kid with Maxine the oldest.

 

Bonnie and Jim Ed in back – Maxine in front

The Browns disbanded mostly because Jim Ed pursued a solo career Over the years, they did get back together for occasional appearances and to record a gospel album. In March 2015, the Browns were honored with inclusion in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jim Ed died in June 2015, Bonnie in June 2016, and Maxine in January 2019.

Here are a few of the many artists who recorded The Three Bells.

  • Floyd Cramer
  • Chet Atkins
  • Tommy Dorsey
  • Guy Lombardo
  • Ray Charles
  • Roy Orbison
  • Andy Williams
  • Leon Russell
  • Andrew Sisters (They change up the lyrics.)
  • Johnny Cash and the Carter family
  • Allison Krauss & Union Station
  • Sha Na Na (No joke. It’s on YouTube. It’s delightfully corny—guaranteed to give you a chuckle.)

Here are The Browns at the Grand Ole Opry singing The Three Bells on July 16, 1965.


Until next time,
Kaye Spencer

 

Stay in contact with Kaye—

Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Blog | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook | BookBub

Resources:

>The Browns Image courtesy Wikipedia
>The Originals website
>The Three Bells – Wikipedia
>The Browns – Wikipedia

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Happy National Rum Day!

This Sunday (August 16) is National Rum Day. I felt inspired to write an article about my personal favorite form of alcohol – along with some other libations your character would have been exposed to in the Old West.

 

 

 

The first North American distillery began making rum in present-day Staten Island, New York (or New Amsterdam) in 1664. The earliest spirits distilled in the colonies were rum, gin, and brandies. Whiskey was considered an exotic drink. Early Dutch settlers brought with them brandy-distilling traditions that involved freezing cider. Apple and peach brandies were produced locally in the colonies; grape brandy was imported from Europe.

 

Gin, a juniper-flavored alcohol, was a very popular spirit in the colonies. The Dutch favored rye as their alcohol-making base, while the British were more likely to use barley malt or molasses, mostly from Martinique. Add juniper flavoring and you’ve got gin. Apothecaries and small household distillers were undoubtedly making gin before any distilleries were built, using the native Juniperus virginiana rather than the European variety (Juniperus communis). 

 

Before and during the Revolutionary War, gin was perceived and consumed as a health tonic or elixir, particularly among women. While much was still imported from England (gin) and Holland (gineva), the number of American distilleries was rising. In 1806, the American Manufacturer Report estimated that of the 15 million gallons of spirit consumed annually, three million were of domestic rum and gin rather than imported. Late 18th and early 19th Century distilling manuals and grocery instructions always included a section of recipes for different types of gin (cordial, Old Tom, genever, French genevier, juniper spirit, etc.). 

 

 

 

By 1720, New York had 16 rum distilleries. Sugar cane and molasses were still imported, as well as various types of this spirit. Spanish-controlled distilleries in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico produced a smooth rum called aƱejo, while the French, in Haiti and Martinique, made rum agrigole from sugar cane juice. English colonial holdings, including Jamaica, Bermuda, and Barbados, made the darker rums we’re more used to today, with more of a molasses flavor.

 

The entire rum industry was made possible by slavery. Arabs and Persians began cultivating sugarcane in the 7thCentury, using slave labor to create a monopoly that was only challenged in the 15th Century, when the Portuguese discovered the plant could be grown off the coast of Africa, on the Madeira and the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. They used African slaves to cultivate their crops and produce sugar and molasses. The slaves and poor whites fermented their molasses rations and one day, some enterprising soul distilled that product and discovered rum.

 

Fred Minnick, author of Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World’s Spirit, researched the history of the beverage. "Rum was the trending spirit in the 1700s," he writes. "American colonists loved rum, consuming 3.7 gallons a year per person, and accepted the spirit as gifts from its politicians. When running for the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1758, George Washington supplied voters with 28 gallons of rum and 50 gallons of rum punch.” 

 

 

 

During and after the Revolutionary War, colonists found their imported spirits and distillery ingredients in short supply. They began using native corn as a spirit base, and the American whiskey business was born. Even after the hostilities ended, the rum trade was never reestablished to the extent it had been before the war. Plantations in the Southern colonies attempted to raise sugar cane, but the Civil War put an end to that enterprise. Scots-Irish immigrants, already used to whiskey, along with westward expansion into “corn country,” created a boom for this American spirit.

 

American whiskey is divided into two branches: sour mash and bourbon. Nearly all bourbon whiskey is made in Kentucky or Tennessee. It’s unique character comes from the 51 to 79 percent corn in its recipe. Bourbon may also be double-distilled and aged at least two years in charred oak barrels. Sour mash uses the bourbon recipe, but starts the mash with leftovers from a previous batch, much like the starter in sourdough bread. This gives a sweeter, deeper flavor to the finished product.

 

 

 

During the Old West, the average citizen could have taken his or her pick from the top four American spirits: gin, rum, brandy, or whiskey. Whiskey was by far the cheapest liquor to produce, so it was most commonly served in bars and saloons. A shot of whiskey could sell for around 25 cents a glass (beer was more like 10 cents), and the price of mixed cocktails was a good bit higher. In wealthier communities like San Francisco or Denver, though, your character could easily have ordered a Gin Sling, Mint Julep, or Whiskey Punch.

 

Here are a few of the recipes popular during the Old West era, in case you’d like to see what your character might have been drinking.

 

Gin Sling

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour 1 & ½ ounces gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce simple syrup, and a dash of Angostura bitters. Shake well and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with 3-4 ounces of soda water and garnish with a lemon twist.

 

Jamaica Rum Punch
Fill a mixing glass half-full of fine ice, add 1 tablespoon of fine sugar, a little water, the juice of half a lemon, one jigger of Jamaican rum and one jigger of Irish whiskey; mix well, strain into a fancy bar-glass, trim with fruit, or leave on ice, and serve with straws.

 

Bourbon Milk Punch

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 ounces bourbon, 3 ounces whole milk, 1 ounce simple syrup, and 2 dashes of vanilla extract. Shake until chilled and pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

 

Brandy Old Fashioned

In an Old-Fashioned glass, muddle 2 orange slices, 2 brandied cherries, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, and a sugar cube. Add ice to fill the glass, then pour in 2 ounces brandy and top with seltzer or sour soda. Garnish with a cherry and orange slice.

 

J.E.S. Hays

www.jeshays.com

www.facebook.com/JESHaysBooks

Friday, August 7, 2020

RICHARD PROSCH'S SIX-GUN JUSTICE INTERVIEW WITH CHERYL PIERSON! by Cheryl Pierson

I did something so fun a couple of weeks back! Richard Prosch invited me to be interviewed for a podcast--my first! Six-Gun Justice is a fun site created by Richard Prosch and Paul Bishop, and there are all kinds of interviews they've done with western writers over the past several months Here's the link to mine, but while you're there, poke around and see who else you might find on the links of interviewees! You're bound to find a bunch of friends there, for sure! https://www.sixgunjustice.com/2020/07/six-gun-justice-conversationscheryl.html