140 Year Old Icon of the Canadian West

In 1873, Canada's first Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald, saw the need to wave the flag in our western territories lest they be taken over by the United States. His first thought was to create a cavalry regiment, but there was some concern that our neighbour might take that too personally. Instead he created the North West Mounted Police.

This could well have been one of the defining moments in Canadian history since we are probably the only country whose most famous national symbol is a police force.

The "new" red serge uniform with Stetson.

A small force of 300 men went west to bring peace, order and good government to the territory that would become the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Later, Sam Steele and his contingent of the NWMP would do the same in the Yukon during the gold rush.

As respected as the NWMP were in the Prairies and Klondike, in Ottawa there was a push to disband the force as the west became more settled. This movement ended in 1897, at Queen Victoria's Jubillee parade in London.

"A contingent from the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) was rear guard to the Canadian section. This sparked a number of unfavourable comments from the London press. Placing them at the rear must have been a blunder, reported one paper, as they were a star attraction, resplendent in their red serge uniforms and western-style Stetson hats. The British and Canadian press praised their physical appearance, their riding, and their general demeanour. The NWMP, by their mere presence, had captured the imagination of Londoners."

  ("A Glorious Moment" The Popular Hero, Collections Canada)

What London discovered in 1897 had already been gleened by novelist Gilbert Parker in 1893. His The Patrol of the Cypress Hills, set the standard for descriptions of the NWMP in literary and movie fiction

Hollywood loved the Mounties, from Tom Mix in the silent films, to Rose-Marie and it's famous "Indian Love Call" duet. However, as film critic Don Miller observed:

"Hollywood never did right by the mounties. The challenge was there, with unlimited opportunities for adventure with fresh, picturesque locales; a group of law enforcers with a noble, proud and inspiring tradition, not to mention their distinctive redcoats; and the potential of blending rugged, Western-type action with, to non-Canadians, a tinge of the exotic allure of a foreign country. With everything at their disposal, the movies generally blew it."

("Trails North" Hollywood Corrals, 1976)

Flawed as they were, those movies are as much a part of the "Mountie" mystique as the more accurate, albeit tongue in cheek portrayals in Due South and Gunless. The fictional stories - whether in print or film -  are as much part of the heritage of the RCMP as Sam Steele and almost as iconic as the Musical Ride.

Butch Cassidy's Gun and Auctions

www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com

Butch Cassidy’s gun, the Colt .45 he’d surrendered to the governor of Utah while seeking amnesty sold last fall at auction for $175,000. 

Robert Leroy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy was born in April 1866 and robbed his first bank in his early twenties. I took this picture of a plaque on the door a very old building in Telluride, Colorado. It says: “Mahr Building 1892 Site of the San Miguel Valley Bank Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery. June 24, 1889”

Butch’s gun, a .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army Revolver, known as the ‘amnesty colt’ intrigued collectors. Along with a strong paper trail proving it was the famous outlaw’s gun, numbers scratched inside the gun’s grip are said to have been the combination for a safe in a bank in Denver.

It’s said Butch was getting tired of living on the run and in 1899 or 1900 turned his gun over to Sheriff Parley P. Christison. Huber Wells, the Governor of Utah, considered granting Butch amnesty until he discovered one of Butch’s crimes had been murder. When all else failed, Butch and his side kick, The Sundance Kid, escaped to South America. The gun however, remained with the local sheriff and along with receipts of authenticity, was passed along to associates over the years. Butch had also surrendered a Winchester rifle and his holster.   

Auctions date back to 500 B.C. and all sorts of unique and historical items come up for auction around the world regularly. 

Right now there is a large online auction happening in the romance writing world. Brenda Novak’s Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research. 

I'm part of Sweethearts of the West which has a category that includes several items. If you have a chance, please check it out at: 

 http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/AuctionHelp.taf?S=N&R=2&C=2&m=3&sort=1&ST=1&days=10&category_id=14289&skipkw=1&status=&_start=1

Going Dancing by C.K. Crigger

Note from Ginger: Today is Meg's usual day, but she's asked C.K. to fill in for her.  I know you'll enjoy her interesting contribution and we hope she'll be back as a regular guest.  

Going Dancing

Dancing has not always been considered respectable, but Westerners loved to cut a rug. Barn dances, elegant parties, the notorious dance hall girls. Ooh la la! And then came the gay 90s. This is the era when Ragtime--you know--JAZZ, began. And while it may have originated in the southeast, it quickly spread across not only this country, but also into Europe. 

With the music, came the dance. The Cakewalk, newly originated, was based on black people poking fun at the way white folks moved. Very soon whites loosened up and adopted the new fad as their own.

Dance tunes had provocative titles like I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby, Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay, & A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight. Sometimes the lyrics were a little risque. Who knew? This was still the Victorian age, after all. Dance bands might also be playing songs like The Band Played On, The Sidewalks of New York, Daisy Bell, or After the Ball. A country style song going the rounds was The Cat Came Back. Even I remember hearing this one, and believe me, I wasn’t around in 1893, the year the song came out.

The waltz, as it had been since the early 19th century, was still one of the most popular dances, only now it had variations--sometimes named for the place where some inventive person created new steps and they caught on. The two-step, the polka, the schottische, mazurka, galup, and quadrille were others one might see. The two-step, polka and schottische survive; I don’t know about the others. The tango also began in the 1890s. I’m pretty sure it isn’t the Argentine tango you’ll see on So You Think You Can Dance or Dancing With the Stars! Oddly enough, even in the finest ballrooms in New York City, an evening  likely would end with the last dance being an old time reel. Another interesting point is the length of time allotted for a dance. Dance cards of the day show them lasting ten to fifteen minutes. I suspect ladies might have very sore feet after an evenings entertainment. One hopes she chose her partners well.

Informal dances were held in many different venues, including country barns. Furniture might be cleared from a home’s parlor to make space; hotels often held afternoon tea dances. Not far from where I live is a well-preserved, stately four-story home of the 1890 - 1910 era where the entire top floor is given over to a private ballroom. 

High in popularity with the young set, dance pavilions built out over the water at various lakes drew large crowds. Can’t you just imagine the music floating out over the gently lapping water, stars shining overhead, soft night air brushing the lady’s bare arms lifted to embrace her partner? Gentlemen’s cigar smoke would waft in from the darkness to mingle with the women’s perfume. Bliss.

It is at one such pavilion that China Bohannon and Gratton Doyle, the main actors in my historical mystery series, trip the light fantastic. China is in heaven--until one of Grat's cases intrudes.

Excerpt from Three Seconds to Thunder in which China and Grat are attempting to get evidence in a cheating wife case:

The band, made up of horn, strings, and percussion, broke into a lively waltz as Gratton and I entered the pavilion. We walked our own slow promenade around the dance floor perimeter before Grat swept me into the waltz. He was a good dancer. I might have known, having seen his grace in other, more dire circumstances—like fights. And baseball games. 

He smiled down into my eyes, holding me a little closer than is exactly proper, and bent his head so he could speak without shouting. His mouth touched my ear. “Did you see her anywhere?”

I missed a step. “No. Did you?”

“No. She’ll be here though. Her husband said he found a note making the assignation.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to wait until she—or they—arrive.” 

He chuckled, warm against my ear. “I guess we will.”

The next hour was tremendous fun. I enjoyed the froth of my skirt around my ankles, the twirling to the music, the lights, the people’s laughter—all right, and being in Grat’s arms—right up until he stiffened.

“Look. That’s her, isn’t it?” He nodded towards a statuesque blonde hovering at the pavilion entrance and spun me in her direction for a better view. 

“I think so,” I said, breathless. The blonde certainly wore her hair in the same style as the woman in the picture. In person her face was softer, more relaxed, but really, there was no mistaking the slide of her nose and her wide-spaced, light-colored eyes. Ice blue, as it turned out, which I hadn’t been able to tell from the photo. Her head was thrown back, laughing at something the man with her said.

Then I gulped, missed a step, and trod on Grat’s toe. “Oh, no,” I moaned. “No!”

“What?” 

Grat hadn’t yet seen what I had. Or who I had, I should say. As he turned me in order to see the woman, the other couple had also rotated and brought Alice Pemburton’s dance partner into view.  I recognized that partner all too well. 

“Hell and damnation,” I said.

Gratton made a clicking sound with his tongue. Disapproval. As if I hadn’t learned such language from him. On second thought, perhaps I’d learned it from the man dancing with our quarry. His name was Porter Anderson, and he was my good friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PzG0P4FqxA (Notable events of the 1890s, accompanied by music of the day.)

A gown (the blue one) such as China might wear. The one with big sleeves is a little extreme for the occasion as I've described.

Three Seconds to Thunder

www.ckcrigger.com

www.chinabohannon.blogspot.com

A Day In The Life of a Squaw by Ginger Simpson

First, I'd like to offer the definition of "squaw" as found on Wikipedia:  "Squaw" is an English language word, used as a noun or adjective  whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America.  It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme meaning 'woman' that appears in numerous Algonquian languages variously spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que, kwa, ikwe, exkwew, xkwe, etc. At present, the term is often held to be offensive.

I'd like to note that my use of the term in my title is in no way intended to be offensive, rather to pay tribute to the hard-working Indian women of the 1800s as shown by my research as relates to the plains Indians, more specifically, the Sioux.

Imagine the creature comforts we enjoy today...the chores we hate, like cleaning toilets, dusting, grocery shopping, and then imagine yourself a Lakota Woman living in a lodge for which you are solely responsible.  Yes, the men killed the buffalo, but once the animal carcasses littered the land,  the women were charged with butchering the meat and remains into every salvageable piece. 

The buffalo supplied almost all the necessities of the tribe.  As well as being a main source of food, other parts of the animal were utilized as well.  For example, the bladder served as water containers, the bones were fashioned into eating utensils.  The skins were used for a wide variety of purposes.  When a baby was born into the tribe, they were often swaddled in a soft calf skin, and in death, a hide served as a shroud.  

Women sewed hides together to make tepee covers, while others were scraped and softened and used as blankets and clothing.  Drums heads, shields, and rattles came from the thick pelt from the neck, and rawhide was made into ropes and sinew for bow strings.  Even the thread used to sew came from the buffalo. 

 A difference between summer kills and winter kills determined the usage as the animal's fur was longer and thicker during the colder period of time.  Butchering and salvaging the animal was no easy feat, but the constant wetting, drying, stretching, and smoking of the hides to soften them took days and wore many blisters onto a woman's hands.  Weaving the hair provided stuffing for cradleboards, moccasins, and other apparel.  Virtually, nothing was wasted.  This might explain why when the white men started slaughtering the animals for sport, the Indian way of life didn't last much longer.

The tepee belonged to the woman.  She created it, put it together, dissembled it for moving and re-erected it many times.  The amount of skins necessary to construct the lodge depended upon the size...often somewhere between six and twenty-eight pelts.  That's a lot of scraping and preparation.  My little bit of dusting is starting to look good.

Unless a "chore" was befitting a warrior, women were responsible for most of the work.  She wasn't just the person who created the clothing, she also adorned dresses and shirts with beads and quills.  She watched the children, made the meals, pounded the clothing clean on river rocks, and was subservient to her husband.  Divorce in those days came as easy as beating a drum and declaring a man was throwing away his wife, and it wasn't uncommon for polygamy... usually sisters married to the same man because it was believed they got along better than two women from separate families.  

I think the only break an Indian woman got was during the monthly time when the males believed a bleeding woman could zap their spiritual energies and strength.  For this reason, a wife was sent to what was commonly called the "women's hut" until her menses had passed.  Men didn't share a part in the of the birthing of a child either.  The responsibility usually fell to the medicine woman and female relatives of the mother-to-be.  Think giving birth today is difficult?  Imagine squatting over a trough dug into the ground while you labor to deliver your baby.  Of course, a stake was driven into the ground to help the woman maintain her balance and squeeze when the pain became intolerable.  Boy, that doesn't sound like fun, does it?  Give me drugs!

I'm sure I've omitted a lot of what the Indian women lived through, but I can hardly go a day without my curling brush and eye glasses.  I can only imagine the dimmed vision of the elderly who didn't have the modern improvements we enjoy.  Beauty had to be in the eye of the beholder, because skin creams, mascara, and blush were decades away.  Think we have it rough?  Think again.  The Indians were a hardy breed until the white man invaded their land and life and brought along diseases likes small pox and diphtheria. Harken back to all the lies the government told and the acreage they stole.  Next time you're pondering which ethnic race was truly treated unfairly....think about the American Indian.   

I've written a few books about the Indian life:
Destiny's Bride
White Heart, Lakota Spirit
Sarah's Heart/Sarah's Passion (past and present day story) and I'm currently working on Yellow Moon which will relay the story of a young Lakota woman.

I think I was a squaw in another life because of my fascination with the Lakota tribe. You can find my work on Amazon, most available both in print and for your Kindle. Little by little, my offerings are being found on various other sites as well, so if you prefer All Romance eBooks, I'm pretty sure you can find my work there, too.

The When, Where and How of Tipi Building

The word "tipi" comes from the Lakota Sioux language. It consists of two parts: thí, meaning "to dwell," and pi, meaning "they dwell." Combined, thípi means house.
 

Tipis painted by George Catlin, who visited several tribes
 including the Kiowa in the 1830s

Ever wonder who invented the tipi, (also teepee, tepee)? Was it the Native American tribes of the Great Plains? They’re the people we most often associate with the conical shelter, but no, they were not the first to design and build a portable home that could easily be hauled from place to place.

According to the late James H. Creighton, a tipi lover and historian, “The conical home is as old as man and has multiple origins worldwide.” And, “Today, the nomadic Laplanders still use reindeer-hide lodges very similar to the Plains tipi, as do indigenous tribal groups across Siberia and into Mongolia. In ancient Europe, I am sure that the tipi-style lodge was also used both as temporary hunting lodges as well as permanent homes.”

Creighton’s reference to tipis used in Siberia suggests, to me at least, that the structure was likely brought to North America across the Bering Land Bridge millennia ago by Old Worlders migrating to the New World. It’s not hard to imagine how such ancient tipis could evolve into the classic ones used by the Great Plains tribes.

Lakota Sioux tipi 1891; notice little girl
 and puppy seated out front

 

 The tipi was remarkably durable and comfortable. It provided warmth in winter, when an inner liner was often added; it kept the dwellers dry during heavy rains, and cool during the heat of summer, when the bottom could be rolled up to allow ventilation. Adjustable flaps at the top let smoke escape, allowing a fire to be built in the center of the lodge. Best of all, the tipi was portable, a necessity for nomadic people. It could be broken down quickly and formed into a travois by lashing the poles to the sides of a horse and spreading the hide cover over the poles, providing a place to pile a family’s belongings. The whole process could be reversed just as quickly when they settled in a new area.
 

Crow lodge interior 1907; poles & outer skin at top,
inner lining and bedding below; clothing hanging
 on line strung between two tipi poles

Fine, but how on earth did a pair of women (it was women’s work) manage to erect pole supports that might be three times their height, lash them together at the top and spread the semi-circular hide or cloth cover around the poles – without a ladder? Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t for people who used their brains as well as their strength to survive.

In an article titled “Tipi Technology” (at http://tinyurl/cq49bkd) I found a fascinating description of how a tipi was erected by the Blackfoot people:

“In demonstrating the Blackfoot solution, Long Standing Bear Chief used a rope about 40-50 feet long to tie the ends of the original four bundled poles together. He wound the excess rope into a coil. After "walking" the poles upright by hoisting the tied ends over his head and working his way down, he opened the bundle and spread the supports. He added more poles by propping them against the apex of the basic pyramidal structure. He then unwound the rope coil and walked around the tipi, whipping the rope up and tightening it to tie the outside poles into the rest of the tipi. The final touch was lifting the canvas, rolled onto one last pole, and unfurling it around the tipi to yield a round roomy living space.”

Pretty ingenious! Now I’d like to share a short excerpt from Dearest Druid. To set the scene, Jack and Rose are just arriving in his mother’s Kiowa village. Keep in mind this is after the tribe was confined on the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation in the Indian Territory. Adjusting to a new way of life was not easy for them.

By then they’d left the mountains behind and the sun hung low in the west, bathing the scene in the golden glow of late afternoon. Rose was surprised to see barely a half dozen tipis situated beside a meandering, tree-lined creek. A short way off, a large, rounded hill jutted from the surrounding plains. “I thought ’twould be bigger. The village, I mean.”

“The Army frowns on large camps. They’re afraid the warriors, what’s left of ’em, might plot trouble.” Jack pointed into the distance. “You can’t see ’em from here, but there are more camps farther along Rainy Mountain Creek.” He crooked his thumb toward the lone hill. “That’s Rainy Mountain. For the Kiowa, it’s kind of a signpost or a guardian, you might say.”

Rose thought the mountain and the peaceful setting quite lovely. Viewed up close, though, the village lost much of its charm. The hide tipis were patched and shabby looking, their painted designs faded. Several women, wearing a variety of animal skin and cloth costumes, worked at campfires, evidently preparing supper, while the men sat cross-legged outside their shelters, talking or simply staring at nothing. A few small children, both boys and girls, ran back and forth, kicking around a beat up cloth ball. Two older boys stood watching the game, while here and there an adolescent girl worked beside the women. All of them, except the youngest, had a dispirited air about them, Rose noted.

As she and Jack rode in, several mangy, underfed dogs set up a racket, barking and circling their horses. Everyone in the camp turned to stare. Jack raised his hand in greeting, drawing stilted nods from some of the men. One of the little boys who’d been playing ball shrieked, “Jack!” and came running as they dismounted. The child hurled himself at Jack’s legs, shrilling something in Kiowa.

“Whoa there,” Jack said. Chuckling, he scooped up the boy and returned his fervent hug. He rattled off what sounded like a question, and the boy gave a high-pitched reply, pointing toward the creek. Turning to Rose, Jack explained, “This is Tsoia’s son, Tsahle-ee. He says his pa is hunting for supper.”

Rose smiled brightly at the little boy. “Hello.” She didn’t try to pronounce his name, fearing she’d mangle it. He gave her a shy grin, revealing two missing baby teeth, and hid his face against Jack’s shoulder.

By now, the adults had gathered around. They began speaking and gesturing at Rose, no doubt asking who she was and what she was doing here, making her uncomfortable and causing her to clutch her cross.

Photos were obtained from Wikipedia Commons and are copyright free.

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Packing--Old West Style by @JacquieRogers

We read and write about people on the trail all the time. Bounty hunters, lawmen, cowhands, prospectors -- all of them had to know how to live on the trail. That means choosing the correct gear and using it properly. Most of us know at least a little about camping, but we have supplies that a frontiersman could only dream of, if they conceived of it at all.

One thing we have that they didn't have in the 19th century is YouTube. Lucky for us, we can learn the particulars about packing without leaving the house. Of course, practical experience is nearly always better, but most of us don't have the wherewithal to learn this particular skill set on our own.

Bedrolls

Everyone needs to sleep, so first things first--bedrolls. Take a look at the Ezine Article, A Cowboy's Bedroll Was Much More Than a Sleeping Bag. The author talks about the possibles sack (sometimes called a war bag) as incorporated into the bedroll. This sack might contain letters from home, a cleaning kit for his firearms, extra socks, or city clothes -- but if he had to carry it with him rather than sling it on the chuck wagon, then weight and durability were supreme issues.

How to Pack a Bedroll

Now that your character has his bedroll, how's he going to carry it? The nomadic life on horseback presents a few challenges. Here are a few necessities:

• Rifle or at least a pistol, and scabbard
• Ammunition
• Hunting knife
• Hatchet
• Canteen
• Rope
• Bedroll/Possibles sack
• Duster
• Matches (or flint)
• Pot (same pot can be used for boiling food, heating water, or making coffee)
• Frying pan
• Hard tack (can be soaked, stirred up with a little baking soda, and voila! you have pancakes)
• Dried beans
• Makin's (tobacco, papers) or chaw
• Snake bite medicine

Remember, the horse has to carry the rider, the saddle and blanket, and all the gear besides. The heavier the load, the more rest, water, and nutrition the animal requires. Unless your character has a pack animal besides his saddle horse or mule, he won't be bringing items such as flour, sugar, bacon, and all those things they pull out of their possibles sacks on TV westerns.

Mules, horses, and donkeys should always be groomed before they're tacked out and after they're done for the day. Whether they carry a riding saddle or pack saddle, dirt in the hair will cause gall (sores).

How to Pack a Saddle Horse

How do you  attach all the stuff on a saddle horse?  I found a video that'll give you a good idea.  One thing the instructor discusses is the even distribution of weight, but I'd like to emphasize it even more. The load absolutely must be balanced; otherwise, the horse can gall, a lop-sided load can make the horse's muscles sore, and can even do bone damage. Because his body hurts, the animal might favor one side or the other, which would make him walk unevenly, and he could even come up lame.  When your character is out in the wilderness, he sure doesn't need to be afoot.  This is something you could use either way in your stories.

Horse/Mule Packing with Saddle Panniers

Now your character has groomed his animal, tacked it well, and packed it evenly so the balance is exact as he can get it. The first day's journey is complete, and because of the planning, all went well. Now it's time to make camp.

Making Camp

Your character has ridden all day.  He's tired, maybe even a little achy, and so hungry it feels like there's a hole in his stomach.  Ah, but remember animal care?  That comes first.  Always.  So here's what all he has to do (and I'm just sure I'm forgetting something!).

• Set up a picket line where there's good grazing
• Unload and water the animals
• Groom, pick the hooves, and inspect the animals
• Fetch water, refill canteen
• Make a fire
• Unpack the supplies
• Check the animals
• Cook the meal (that's a whole 'nother how-to) and eat
• Check the animals -- make sure they either have access to water or water them before turning in for the night
• Set up the bed and sleep tight -- but not too tight.

Always keep an ear out for the animals. They're a barometer of what's going on around. If a bear or other predator comes by, horses, mules, and donkeys know it a whole lot sooner than a human. Also, make sure the animals don't get tangled in the picket line. It's a good idea to get up in the middle of the night and make sure all is well, especially if there are rocks and snags that might catch the picket line (rope) and hang up an animal.

Do you know how to set up a picket line? We did it differently than this video shows, but the idea is there.

How to make a picket line for horses

So there you have it -- packing, Old West style.  Oh, and in the morning, his day starts with animal care, and then coffee.  After that, he can start re-packing, and get on his way.

Ride safely and watch your back!

Hearts of Owyhee series
Strong Men and Spirited Women!

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Mavericks

Law Enforcement in the Old West

          In the Old West, the law was enforced by marshals and sheriffs, but their employers, jurisdictions and duties differed. Novels and TV shows often use the terms interchangeably. This is incorrect.

          U. S. Marshals have been appointed by the U.S. Marshals Service since 1789, and are not elected. As federal employees, their jurisdiction extends beyond county lines. Their authority covers everything within their assigned territory. They generally disburse and account for monies used in running the courts. In 1896 they were put on an annual salary. Before that, they worked on a fee system, collecting set amounts for performing certain tasks. Between 1790 and 1870, they were responsible for taking the census every ten years. Until 1861, when Congress created the Department of Justice, they reported directly to the Secretary of State. They appointed deputy U. S. marshals as well as field deputy U. S. marshals when needed. Until around 1970, there were no official headquarters for U. S. Marshals.

Wyatt Earp

          Sheriffs date back to medieval Europe, and continued into Colonial America. Social misfits of all sorts, some evading the law or unwanted families, were drawn to the western frontiers. The potentially violent and lawless West, with its heterogeneous population, required powerful and unique personalities to deal with the complex issues of turbulence and crime. This resulted in colorful and dramatic personalities who assumed the roles of law enforcers--characters like "Wild Bill" Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Pat Garrett, William “Bill” Tilghman, William Brenkenridge, Commodore Perry Owens and John Slaughter. Sheriffs were elected officials. Their jurisdiction was limited to the county in which they served, their primary duties being to keep the peace, uphold the law, and maintain the jail. They acted in conjunction with U. S. Marshals but with limited authority.

          Sheriffs hired deputies, formed posses when needed, and served as county tax collectors. The privileges awarded sheriffs by the States varied widely. Wyoming allowed sheriffs to use a residence for law enforcement purposes at county expense. New Mexico extended jurisdictional limits of the sheriff to permit him or his deputies to enter all counties in the state to affect an arrest and to have concurrent rights to form posses. While the duties of sheriffs and their deputies were multitudinous, the primary law enforcement functions were virtually identical throughout the early West. Often the sheriff carried out death sentences, usually by hanging. They erected gallows or simply threw a rope over a stout tree limb.

          Town marshals might be either elected or appointed and worked strictly within town limits. Often they functioned almost as arms of the county sheriff in carrying out duties such as collecting taxes and maintaining jails. In Arizona, cities, towns, and villages decide whether to appoint or elect a Marshal, or have the board/council/city manager hire a Chief of Police as the top criminal law enforcement for their jurisdiction (like in the Town of Tombstone). Marshals are elected by the trustees to serve a fixed term, and chiefs of police can be fired at will by whoever hired them just like any other employee.

          Texas and Arizona Rangers still perform untold services in their respective states. Some of their duties include protecting life and property, handling special criminal investigations, quelling disturbances, serving as officers of the court at a judge's request, and suppressing criminal activity in any area where local officials are unable or unwilling to maintain law and order. Their authority extends through their entire state and is not curtailed by city or county boundaries. Directly under the governor, they sometimes act as an army, while at others, more like a police force. The Texas Rangers were organized in 1823 by Stephen Austin and a group of men eager to see the frontier protected. Each ranger furnished his own horse and firearm. For $1.25 a day they handled the toughest of assignments, often in conflicts where they were severely outnumbered. The Arizona Rangers were formed in 1882 under the territorial governor, an exact counterpart to the Texas Rangers. The Arizona State Congress abolished them in 1909, but they were reformed years later.

          Bounty hunters were often considered more as bad guys than good ones, probably because of a few rogues known for killing men wanted dead or alive to collect the bounties on them. But they began as law enforcers. Many served as deputy U. S. marshals. Others worked with sheriffs in apprehending criminals, freeing the marshal or sheriff to focus on normal duties. Nowadays they track down bail jumpers.

         Pinkerton Agents were detectives who worked for Allen Pinkerton in his agency formed in 1850. They operated nationwide, working for railroad and stage companies. Their logo was the image of an eye, their motto, "We Never Sleep," which is where the term "private eye" originated. Pinkertons performed some of the work now handled by the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service. In 1861, while investigating a railroad case, the agency uncovered and foiled a plot to kill Abraham Lincoln. They sometimes used heavy-handed methods, such as when quelling mining strikes, which sullied their reputation, but the agency continued as a family-owned operation until 1967.

          Vigilance vs. vigilantism. Citizens did not always rely on lawmen but took the initiative themselves, banding together in the form of vigilance committees. Too often these vigilantes are confused with lynch mobs. The two were very distinct and separate entities, and the lynch mob was actually rare in the Old West. Lynch mobs represented wild outbursts of passion--emotion trumping reason--that were expended in a matter of hours. Where Lynch mobs were unruly and unorganized, vigilance committees displayed military-style organization, including a chain of command, and preceded in a quiet, orderly, and deliberate fashion.

            Most committees were supported by a majority of the residents of the local community, including the leading citizens. Well regulated, they dealt quickly and effectively with criminal problems, leaving towns in more stable and orderly condition. Moreover, vigilance committees were organized not because there was no established law enforcement, but because that law enforcement could not always be relied upon to pursue, apprehend, and punish the guilty. Long-range pursuits were time consuming, expensive, and often in vain. Vigilantes were members of a vigilance committee formed to enforce law and order before a regularly constituted government could be established or have real authority. They provided towns with a relatively just method of dealing with criminals in a time and place where little other organized justice existed.
          Do any of you know of an actual lynching in or near your home town?

Charlene Raddon's first serious writing attempt came in 1980 when she awoke one morning from an unusually vivid and compelling dream. Deciding that dream needed to be made into a book, she dug out an old portable typewriter and went to work. That book never sold, but her second one, Tender Touch, became a Golden Heart finalist. Soon afterward, she signed a three book contract with Kensington Books. Five of Charlene's western historical romances were published between 1994 and 1999: Taming Jenna, Tender Touch (1994 Golden Heart Finalist under the title Brianna), Forever Mine (1996 Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee and Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist), To Have and To Hold Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist); and The Scent of Roses. Her books are now being published as eBooks by Tirgearr Publishing. 

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