Patent Medicines: Strong Stuff! by @JacquieRogers #oldwest #health

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette | Amazon

Patent Medicines: Strong Stuff!

by Jacquie Rogers

The labels carried wild promises but no list of ingredients. Patent medicines were ubiquitous in the 1800s, partly because medical science had made advances and partly because the search for health exceeded medical science's capabilities.  What a goldmine for stories!

These elixirs, creams, and compresses were made from any number of ingredients, ranging from vegetable juice to narcotics. Remember, there were no drug laws in the USA until after the turn of the 20th Century. When a patient took a dose of patent medicine, he or she could be taking opium, alcohol, mandrake, belladonna, marijuana, or extracts from hellebore, henbane, datura, and hemlock.

The term "patent medicine" refers to a product with a proprietary list of ingredients and sold directly to the public, not that the medicine was patented. Some of these products originated as old family recipes, but some manufacturers were a bit more mercenary in the development of their tonics. The quest for the almighty dollar soon surpassed any anecdotal or scientific basis for these medicines, and the patent medicine business became a huge economic force.

Tired of Viagra ads? Believe me, these ads certainly aren't new. Here's one of my favorite patent medicine ads, taken from The Owyhee Avalanche in the 1880s:


*************************************
LOST MANHOOD RESTORED
*************************************

THE DR. LIEBIG Private Dispensary
400 Geary St. San Francisco, Cal
Conducted by qualified physicians and surgeons--regular graduates. The Oldest Specialists in the United States, whose LIFE-LONG EXPERIENCE, perfect method and pure medicine, insure SPEEDY and PERMANENT CURES of all Private Chronic and Nervous Diseases. Affections of the Blood, Skin, Kidneys, Bladder, Eruptions, Ulcers, Old Sores, Swelling of the Glands, Sore Mouth, Throat, permanently cured and eradicated from the system for life. NERVOUS Debility, Impotency, Seminal Losses, Sexual Decay, Mental and Physical Weakness, Failing Memory, Weak Eyes, Stunted Development, Impediments to Marriage, etc. from excesses or youthful follies, or any cause, speedily, safely and privately cured.

Young, Middle-Aged and Old men, and all who need medical skill and experience, consult the old European Physician at once. His opinion costs nothing and may save future misery and shame. When inconvenient to visit the city for treatment, medicines can be sent everywhere by express, free from observation. It is self-evident that a physician who gives his whole attention to a class of diseases attains great skill, and physicians throughout the country, knowing this, frequently recommend difficult cases to the Oldest Specialist, by whom every Known good remedy is used. The Doctor's Age and experience make his opinion of Supreme Importance.
...and it goes on and on!  I couldn't resist this one--yes, I used it in Much Ado About Marshals.  I managed to squeeze in a few more, too.  Hostetter's Stomach Bitters was another favorite.  But the cash cow for the patent medicine manufacturers would soon be dried up.  Abuse of such strong ingredients couldn't go on.

The patent medicine industry was brought to its knees shortly after the turn of the 20th Century. From the Food and Drug Administration:

A few muckraking journalists helped expose the red clauses, the false testimonials, the nostrums laden with harmful ingredients, the unfounded cures for cancer, tuberculosis, syphilis, narcotic addiction, and a host of other serious as well as self-limited diseases. The most influential work in this genre was the series by Samuel Hopkins Adams that appeared in Collier's on October 7, 1905, entitled "The Great American Fraud." Adams published ten articles in the series, which concluded in February 1906; he followed it up with another series on doctors who advertised fake clinics. The shocking stories of the patent medicine menace were accompanied by startling images, such as "Death's Laboratory."

Good health to you!

Hearts of Owyhee

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Miners

Much Ado About Mavericks

coming soon:

Much Ado About Mustangs

Amazon Author Page

Facebook | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books | Twitter | Pinterest | Tsu

Jumpin' Jackrabbits - by @JacquieRogers

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette | Amazon

Jumpin’ Jackrabbits

by Jacquie Rogers

Jackrabbits are ubiquitous all throughout central and western North America, but they’re not rabbits—they’re hares. Hares stand taller than rabbits and are generally more sleek, with quite long ears. Originally, they were called “jackass rabbits” because of their ears (Mark Twain used this reference in Roughing It) and eventually that was shortened to jackrabbit.

Jim Harper – Wikipedia Commons

Females are called does, males are bucks, and babies are kits. There are five species, the most common being the black-tailed and the white-tailed. They’re speedy little devils and can run 40 miles per hour. They can jump ten feet.

Jackrabbits are essential to the food chain. They’re a prey animal, but the predator has to be pretty wily (and fast) to catch them. Wolves, coyotes, and badgers are their main enemies.

They’re herbivores, and eat a lot, have been known to wipe out entire crops; hence, Old West farmers considered them varmints and often kill them to keep the population down. Jackrabbits also provided a lot of meat for the stew pot, especially in lean times. So whether a blessing or a curse, jackrabbits do what jackrabbits do.

And what they do is multiply. Does can birth several litters of kits each year (gestation is 42 days), and a litter can have one to seven kits. The kits can hop within minutes of birth and their eyes are open, unlike rabbits. Camouflage is their friend and they instinctively freeze when danger is near. Unlike other mammals, the kits don’t need constant nursing, and the doe usually only feeds them at dawn and dusk. They don’t dig dens, but make nests in the grasses and bushes.

White-tailed jackrabbits are also prevalent in Owyhee County, where my Hearts of Owyhee series is set. They, as all jackrabbits, are nocturnal and stay in their nests during the day, emerging to feed at night. An adult jackrabbit can eat a pound of grasses and vegetation a day, which would be the equivalent of a 120-pound person eating 20 pounds of food a day. That is why they’re considered a nuisance.

Wikipedia Commons – Connormah

Who knows... jackrabbits just may show up in my next book, Much Ado About Mustangs, Hearts of Owyhee #5.  I'll never tell.

Hearts of Owyhee

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Miners

Much Ado About Mavericks

coming soon:

Much Ado About Mustangs

Amazon Author Page

Facebook | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books | Twitter | Pinterest | Tsu

The Comstock Lode by @JacquieRogers #history #western

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette | Amazon

The Wild Rich West

What one event influenced the outcome of the Civil War, built the Bank of California, financed San Francisco, created a new state, built a prestigious university, and pushed the completion of the trans-continental railroad? Yep, the discovery of the Comstock Lode.

Virginia City, Nevada, is on top of this momentuous find--it's a great place to visit and you can go on several excellent tours. The Comstock Lode was the world's richest mining discovery at the time. People think about silver when you mention the Comstock Lode, but actually miners extracted 57% silver, and 42% gold--more gold than most gold mines.


Since the 1849 California Gold Rush, prospectors scoured the western half of North America obsessed with gold fever. In 1859, Pat McLaughlin and Peter O'Reilly found gold at the head of Six-Mile Canyon. Henry Comstock, good fellow that he was, told McLaughline and O'Reilly that the discovery was on his pasture land and, well, they believed him. Same old story--the discoverers weren't the ones who made the money. But then neither did Henry Comstock.

Old Virginnie Town's population increased from about 3 to 17,000 in the first year. One major frustration the gold miners had was the annoying sticky blue-gray mud that clung to their shovels. When they assayed the mud, it turned out to be silver ore worth $2,000 per ton! That's a lot of money in 1859. Things really heated up around then! From Calliope:

"Frame shanties pitched together as if by accident - tents of canvas, of blankets of brush, of potato-sacks, and old shirts, with empty whisky barrels for chimneys - coyote holes in the mountain-side forcibly seized and held by men - pits and shafts with smoke issuing from every crevice - piles of goods and rubbish in the hollows, on the rocks, in the mud, in the snow everywhere, scattered broadcast in pell-mell confusion."

Lots of men who are household names today made their fortunes from the Comstock Lode, among them are: George Hearst, father of William Randolf Hearst; Leland Stanford (right), founder of Stanford University; William Ralston, founder of the Bank of California; and of course the most famous was an unsuccessful prospector who took up the pen, Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.

Within a few years, the political climate back East heated to boiling. President Abraham Lincoln had a war to finance, and the Comstock Lode was entirely too enticing. The boundaries were defined and Nevada became a state even though the population was too small to qualify it.

All didn't go smoothly at first. There was much dispute and hooplah over boundaries, and in the first six years, of the $50 million of ore mined, $10 million went to litigation! And of course one of the preeminent lawyers, William Stewart, ended up in the U.S. Senate.

The Comstock Lode brought a lot of innovations: the first miners' union, advances in drilling and tunneling technology, square-set timbering (which changed mining all over the world), and lots of other inventions that were the catalyst for modern mining practices. It also made a few men rich and broke thousands.

Sources:

Online Nevada, Calliope, Stanford University, Wikipedia

Free today, Feb. 13 only!

Much Ado About Madams

Hearts of Owyhee #1

"Rogers' talent shines as she creates a stunning portrait of what it was like to live in the old west. Her characters leap off the page and she handles humor with as much skill as she does the deeper emotions. MUCH ADO ABOUT MADAMS was a fabulous read. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the Hearts of Owyhee series." ~Gerri Russell, author of the Brotherhood of the Scottish Templars series.

Oh my stars! Suffragist Lucinda Sharpe can’t believe she was hired to teach a bunch of soiled doves their letters. And what about the handsome brothel owner? Only a despicable cad would engage in such a business. 

Blast that woman! Reese McAdams didn’t want the brothel in the first danged place, and now a suffragist schoolteacher is stirring up the works. 

Can she reform the Comfort Palace ladies without losing her heart to Reese? Will her secret past ruin her future?

Hearts of Owyhee

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Miners

Much Ado About Mavericks

coming soon:

Much Ado About Mustangs

Amazon Author Page

Facebook | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books | Twitter | Pinterest | Tsu

#Free book + giveaway. Hearts of Owyhee by @JacquieRogers #western #romance #oldwest

Jacquie's Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette

Cowboy kisses is not for promotion, although we aren't at all averse to telling people about our books.  Still, every once in a while, the contributors do need to let folks know what we have available.  In my case, the rights to the entire Hearts of Owyhee series reverted back to me Dec. 31, so I'm reissuing the books--re-edited and with new covers.  In one case, Much Ado About Madams, I wrote a new ending.  Well, more like added-to.  

So for this month, I'm hauling out all the books for you to see.  Oh, that reminds me that I need to update my author page here at CK.  Better get to it!

And don't forget that Friday only (Jan. 9, 2015), Much Ado About Madams is free!  If you miss the free day, the book will be only 99¢ the next two days, so still a bargain.

Welcome to 1880s Owyhee County, Idaho Territory!  It was a hoppin' place in those days, and I've brought you several fictional adventures, both novels and short stories.  These can be read in any order, but here's the chronological sequence:

Much Ado About Madams
Hearts of Owyhee #1
by Jacquie Rogers

Amazon Kindle

5 Stars from Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews: "A story this good can only come from the imagination of Jacquie Rogers."

"A rollicking riot of a good read!" ~Ann Charles, author of the Deadwood Mysteries

Low-down on Much Ado About Madams

Oh my stars! Suffragist Lucinda Sharpe can’t believe she was hired to teach a bunch of soiled doves their letters. And what about the handsome brothel owner? Only a despicable cad would engage in such a business.

Blast that woman! Reese McAdams didn’t want the brothel in the first danged place, and now a suffragist schoolteacher is stirring up the works.

Can she reform the Comfort Palace ladies without losing her heart to Reese? Will her secret past ruin her future?

"A romantic trip to the Old West stamped with Jacquie Rogers' special brand of humor. ~ Caroline Clemmons, author of Brazos Bride

"Ms Rogers' clever western romance, MUCH ADO ABOUT MADAMS manages to enrousingly engage her growing readership while reminding us of the difficulties faced by the brave women who tamed the American West. All that, and did I say entertaining!" ~ John Klawitter, author of The Freight Train of Love

♥ ♥ ♥

Much Ado About Marshals
Hearts of Owyhee #2
by Jacquie Rogers

Amazon Kindle

NOR Top Pick
CTRR Award
Winner: RttA, Best Western Historical Romance Novel

5 stars from Laron Glover: Need a break? This is a FUN book (seriously--when's the last time you read a laugh-out-loud book?)! Turn off the iphone, kick off yer boots (or Jimmy Choos) and let Jacquie Rogers provide that mini-vacation you KNOW you need!

Low-down on Much Ado About Marshals

Rancher Cole Richards rescues his friend from robbing a bank, but is shot for his efforts, and now is a wanted man. His friend takes him to Oreana to see the doc, but Cole's mistaken for the new marshal!

Daisy Gardner is obsessed with solving crimes just like dime novel heroine Honey Beaulieu. But Daisy's parents insist she marry a farmer. Problem is, she can't be a detective if she's stuck miles from town. What better solution than to marry the new marshal.

Now Cole faces a dilemma few men have to face—tell the truth and hang, or live a lie and end up married. Either way could cost him his freedom.

5 stars from romantchick: Nancy Drew meets William Shakespeare ...hilarious characters, memorable colloquialisms, a clever, engaging plot and fine writing. All of which recommends Rogers' Much Ado About Marshals as everything to do about a charming, well-written romp.

♥ ♥ ♥

Much Ado About Miners
Hearts of Owyhee #3
by Jacquie Rogers

Amazon Kindle

"My biscuits are burning from this scorcher of a book. I will never be able to bake again without a wicked grin on my face.This is the latest installment of the Much Ado series, and it's as explosive as a stick of dynamite." ~reader Karla Eakin

"My biscuits are burning from this scorcher of a book. I will never be able to bake again without a wicked grin on my face.This is the latest installment of the Much Ado series, and it's as explosive as a stick of dynamite." ~ Agnes Alexander, author of Drina's Choice

Lowdown on Much Ado About Miners

Cupid’s bullet...

Hired gun Kade McKinnon interrupts a bank holdup and is shot by the teller, Iris Gardner, whose victims have a tendency to be the next groom in town. Will he be the groom this time?

Cupid’s bow...

Iris Gardner, a smart, independent bank clerk, fell in love with Kade when she was too young to know better. So when he walks back into her life and her bank, it's only fitting that she shoots him ... by accident, of course.

Cupid’s blindfold...

Kade doesn’t know Iris’s company is the one who hired him to escort a bullion shipment, and Iris doesn’t know Kade owns the security company, but they both know robbers are on their trail. Which is more likely to be stolen—the silver, or his heart?

"...if you love a good romance set in a fun western setting, and you love to laugh, you will love this book as much as I did!" ~ reader Terry Gregson

♥ ♥ ♥

Much Ado About Mavericks
Hearts of Owyhee #4
by Jacquie Rogers

Amazon Kindle

FIVE STARS! "Jacquie Rogers writes some of the best Historical Romances on today's market. Not content to simply write a plot and toss in a lot of bed scenes and/or filler, this author adds in subplots, humor, action, suspense, and some endearing strays." ~Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews

"When you read a Jacquie Rogers book, you know you're in for a fast, fun ride!" ~BookwormForever

Low-down on Much Ado About Mavericks

Against the sweeping backdrop of the Owyhee Mountains, Benjamin Lawrence meets the one woman who'll rattle his derby forever.

Ben is a highly respected attorney in Boston, but in Idaho Territory, they still think of him as that gangly awkward boy called Skeeter.  When he goes back home to settle his father’s estate, he’s confronted with an outlandish will and a fiery redheaded head wrangler, who just happens to be the sexiest female he's ever met.

Janelle Kathryn O'Keefe, affectionately called "Jake," can out-ride, out-shoot, and out-rope any cowboy on the Bar EL, which is why she was promoted to foreman.  She's not at all amused that she has to teach an eastern greenhorn how to work cattle, no matter how handsome he is.

5 Stars from reader Claudia Stephan: "I can't even count the times I laughed out loud while reading this book. What are you waiting for? Give it a try!"

♥ ♥ ♥

Contest!

One commenter will win a free digital copy of 

Much Ado About Mavericks  

Drawing will be January 12, 2015, at 9pm Pacific Time

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tsu | Google+

Amazon | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books 

Champagne, #Christmas, and Fossils in the Old West by @JacquieRogers #western

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette | Amazon

December in the Old West

by Jacquie Rogers

Winter months in Owyhee County in Idaho Territory brought plenty of inclement weather and the citizens couldn’t do much in the way of prospecting or farming. Nevertheless, they kept themselves busy, and the Christmas season brought plenty of opportunity, which The Owyhee Avalanche took great delight in reporting. The following articles all came from December issues.

December 14, 1867

SOCIAL BALL. We had the pleasure of attending a Social Ball given at the Mechanics hall on Tuesday evening last. A general invitation was extended and a large number were present, who appeared to enjoy themselves hugely. There was good music, and the new Hall is certainly a splendid place in which to “twist your heel around.” One of the best features of the arrangement was the magnificent supper prepared and eaten at the Idaho Hotel, the proprietors of which can’t be excelled in their line of business. We return thanks for complimentary tickets.

I think it would be rather painful to “twist your heel around,” but it is a colorful term for dancing. Besides the larger events, plenty of spirit found its way to smaller venues, such as the Avalanche office.

December 21, 1867

Thanks to Messrs. Chase & Brooker of the Owyhee Exchange for a liberal supply of champagne. “Fenian dew drop,” and a box of fragrant Havana’s. The boys use everybody first rate—give them a call.

Another article on the same day shows that the people of the Old West had a variety of interests besides finding the next big strike, drinking, and gambling.

FOSSIL RESEARCH. There is an extensive and interesting field for geological research on and in the vicinity of Sinker Creek, commencing at its junction with Snake River and extending several miles up the creek. Mr. J.C. Holgate of this place, who is quite a practical geologist has recently made of some interesting discoveries in that section, showing abundant evidence of its having been densely populated by animals that existed during the Cretaceous period of the Reptilian age. Among other things of interest that were shown us by Mr. H were a number of bones that from their size and appearance, unmistakably have belonged to the Microgigarous, long before a man’s appearance on the earth. It is thought the entire skeleton in which these bones belong can be exhumed. In the collection we observed the head of a reptile, well preserved and almost entire somewhat resembling that of an alligator of the present day. It had fearful looking teeth and its jaws were firmly set as it was sealed by some great and sudden convulsion of nature. Marine shells and petrified rocks also abound. Facts like these, if investigated by Agassiz would form valuable to science. As it is, they exhibit one among the many interesting features of Owyhee County.

One thing about people—there have always been scammers. And so it went in Owyhee County, although they seemed to have good humor about it.

December 7, 1872

A HOAX. As referred to in our last issue the great diamond excitement has proved as complete a hoax as was the South Sea Bubble. Owyhee, too, has her diamonds, which can be gathered by the quart on Sinker Creek. Perhaps we can dig up old Caleb Lyons diamond, and get up another first-class excitement.

Nothing went to waste. People moved often and those who stayed or had just moved in were beneficiaries, either by gift or by sale.

December 7, 1872

THERE WILL BE AN AUCTION TODAY, commencing at 11 o’clock A.M. at the house recently occupied by W.D. Walbridge, near the Owyhee mill. Carpets, stoves, and household furniture of every description will be sold to the highest bidder. A conveyance will be in readiness to accommodate ladies who desire to attend the auction.

I’ve heard lots of talk lately about whether they had Christmas trees in the Old West. They did in Silver City.

December 21, 1872

THE CHRISTMAS TREE. The Christmas Tree Festival will be held in Jones & Bonney’s Hall. We will stake in addition to what was said in our last issue, that the Brass Band, composed at present of Messrs. Charles Leonard, Joe Gross, Benj. Davis, Rufus King, Ferd. W. Frost and E. Douglas, will perform some of their best pieces, which will add greatly to the pleasure of the occasion.

The singing, accompanied by the organ, will be done principally by young girls who have learned all the music they know in Silver City, and who by virtue of talent, industry and a good teaching have acquired, in our judgment, wonderful proficiency in the beautiful art over which the Muses preside. They are our little folks, and not imported singers, which will make it all the more interesting; that they will do their part in first-class style for their ages, we have not the least doubt, in fact, we know they will.

The tree will be a prolific one no doubt. The Argosy of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, & Co. arrived at the port of San Francisco four days ago, as we are informed per telegram, and a large cargo of its merchandise is on its way up here, and will not fail to arrive in time.

In 1871, the livestock business was just taking hold.  The oldest ranch had been in business only five years. New stock, especially blooded animals, whether horses, cattle, or hogs, always made the news.

December 23, 1871

THOROUGH-BRED STOCK. We regard the man, who introduces an improved breed of horses, cattle, or hogs into our Territory, as a greater public benefactor than he who discovers a rich quartz mine. Messrs. Hoffer & Miller, well known, highly esteemed and enterprising citizens of this place, are taking steps in the right direction. Last summer they imported from Kentucky nine thorough-bred Durham bulls and two young Berkshire hogs—a bore and a sow. From some cause or the other one of the bulls died not long ago, but the remaining eight are doing finely. The hogs are beauties and can be seen at Sommercamp’s Brewery. Mr. Hopper started for Kentucky again last week after more stock, and will bring back with him in the spring several thorough-bred Durham heifers, some genuine White Chester hogs, and also a number of Durham bulls for Mr. W.F. Sommercamp, who intends to engage quite extensively in the business of stock raising... It costs no more to raise good stock than inferior, and it is vastly more profitable to the owners after getting rightly started in the business. Although they will have expanded a large amount of money, before they can hope for an return, yet they are certain to reap the substantial benefits that their energy and enterprise so well deserve.

The editor of The Owyhee Avalanche reported something about the suffragist movement in nearly every issue. It appears as though he’s amused by the whole idea of women voting, and I doubt he thought such a thing would ever come about.

December 14, 1872

COLONEL SUSAN B. ANTHONY and fourteen other strong-minded females have been arrested in New York for voting. Col. Susan has long been anxious to have her action at law against the State for depriving her of the elective franchise; now has her lawsuit, but the State is a plaintiff. This is pilling on the outrage. Susan went to one of the registrars in the city of Rochester and demanded registration; like a man of gallant and chivalrous disposition, he said “Yea, yea,” and now the lady must fight the word “male” in the State Constitution. Susan’s constitution is by far the strongest.

I’ve seen this next item on the internet several times, although never in a contemporaneous newspaper. But here it is, the language of handkerchiefs. Saratoga is in New York, so I’m not quite sure what this article had to do with the local citizens, especially when there weren’t enough ladies to go around as it was.

December 14, 1872

THE HANDKERCHIEF LANGUAGE.—The young ladies at Saratoga are so closely watched by their parents that they can’t flirt half as well as they used to. The fellows complain that they can’t get five minutes talk with a young lady alone, and that accounts for so few engagements this year. They say they don’t want to propose before the young ladies’ mothers. To foil the fathers and mothers, some of the fellows have invented the following language of the handkerchief. Thus they can set an talk for hours, and the savage and Kroll parent can’t understand a word. This is the new handkerchief language:

Drying a cross the lips—Desirous of acquaintance.
Handing it to mother—Mother objects.
Putting it in the pocket—Meet me at the spring.
Letting it rest on the right cheek—Yes.
Letting it rest on the left cheek—No.
Drawing it across the eyes—I am sorry.
Taking by center—You are too willing.
Dropping—We will be friends.
Twirling in both hands—Indifference.
Drawing it across the cheek—I love you.
Drawing through the hands—I hate you.

You can just imagine the poor editor scrambling for anything he could find to fill the pages during the slow months. Here’s the very definition of a slow news day—he reported a man’s dream. Not kidding. Here it is.

December 16, 1871

ED. SMITH’S DREAM. A comical genius, of War Eagle Mountain, named Ed. Smith, relates that he dreamed of dying the other night and going to heaven, or at least to the gate of the celestial city whose streets are said to be paved with gold. Knocking at the portal, Smith was confronted by St. Peter who told him he must cut 15 cords of dry tamarack wood, or take a ticket for “the other place.” He took the ax, and after performing the task imposed, returned to the gate, where he was somewhat surprised to meet his old friend Ike Culp, of the Oro Fino saloon. St. Peter directed Ike to take the ax and cut 14 1/2 cords of dry tamarack as a preliminary to the right-of-way through the gate. Ike didn’t seem very well pleased with the idea and went off grumbling. In a short time he returned, threw down the ax, and told St. Peter he would take a through ticket for Pandemonium rather than cut the d.m.d wood. Ike’s boisterous manner and loud talk awoke Smith and thus ended the dream.

All those who wonder whether or not they cussed have it right there. I’m sure we all know what d.m.d means.

If you need to know about stage lines, this next tidbit could be useful:

December 24, 1870

CHANGED HANDS. Wells, Fargo, & Co. have sold out their stage line between Virginia and Reno to Hill Beachey. That was the last of W.F. & Co.’s stage lines.

And here’s a variety of local events and happenings collected from several issues:

• Our old friend Fred Hibb is again driving stage from Silver City to the Sheep Ranch.
• Crowley & Glynn have leased Maj. Brookey’s Restaurant, and will dish things up in tip-top shape. Their advertisement will appear next week.
• There are some tattling busybodies in Silver City, who would do well to mind their own business instead of continuing meddling with that of others.
• Andy Baker has taken the place of Charles Haybes in the management of the stage line from Boise City to Winnemucca. He is a clever, genial gentleman, and has the reputation of being a good stage man.
• J.F. Dye, of MTN City, whose settlement of the Pacific Coast antedates old ‘49-ers 20 years, passed through Elko on Thursday last for San Francisco where he will spend a few weeks with his children, after which he contemplates a visit to Texas with a view of driving a band of cattle to Nevada. Mr. Dye is an old pioneer on this coast, and although aged 65 years, still has the vim and the enterprise of one in the prime of life.
• We are informed that a gay deck of hardies will all arrive here this week.
• Joe Short has just received an extensive stock of liquors, &c, from San Francisco.
• Another an effort has been made to get a Governor for Idaho, the President having nominated a carpet bagger named A.H. Connors.
• Yesterday we noticed a large quantity of goods being brought into town. We understand that our townsman G.W. Grayson, Esq., has gone into merchandising and will do business in the building formerly occupied by Creed & Bro.
• Every time that Thos. Ewing & Co. make a big sale of goods they consider the printers and send us a bottle or two of something nice to take. They have made it rather lively for us during the last two weeks.

December Events

• December 18, 1860: Texas Ranger Sul Ross found Cynthia Ann Parker during the Battle of Pease River, in Foard County. She’d been captured in 1839 and married Peta Nocona. 
• December 3, 1864: Gold was discovered near Confederate Gulch in Montana Territory. 
• December 3, 1866: Nelson Story and his cowboys drive his herd of a thousand cattle into Gallatin Valley in Montana Territory. This was the first cattle drive from Texas to Montana, a distance of 2,500 miles. 
• December 9, 1867: Denver becomes the capital of Colorado, taking the honor from Golden.
• December 11, 1869: About 65 vigilantes lynched the Reno brothers, who’d been jailed for the country’s first train robbery (Ohio and Mississippi Railway, Indiana) in 1866. 
• December 25, 1869: In Towash, Texas, John Wesley Harding got his reputation as the fastest gun in the West when he out-drew Jim Bradley. (This event is reported as occurring Jan. 5, 1870, at some sites, including Wikipedia.)
• December 10, 1871: Lots go on sale for the first time in Phoenix, Arizona.
• December 8, 1874: Lt. Lewis Warrington III attacked a Comanche camp in the Mushaqua Valley, Texas, while on a scouting mission during the Red River War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. 
• December 4, 1876: Jack McCall’s second trial for the murder of Wild Bill Hickock begins in Yankton, Dakota Territory. He was convicted on December 6. 
• December 10, 1878: Henry Wells, of Wells, Fargo, & Co., died.
• December 15, 1890: Lakota police officers shot and killed Sitting Bull, saying he resisted arrest. 
• December 24, 1894: Harvey Logan (Wild Bunch) shot and killed deputy sheriff Pike Landusky at a party in Jew Jake’s Saloon. 

 May your saddle never slip.

Hearts of Owyhee

Much Ado about Marshals

Much Ado about Madams

Much Ado about Mavericks

Much Ado about Miners

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Pickle Barrel

Cowboys, Christmas, and Whittling #history #romance @JacquieRogers

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette | Amazon

Cowboys, Christmas, and Whittling

Just about every cowpoke had a pocket jack knife, and a good share of those men sat around the campfire and whittled. Judd Shaw, in How the Texan Stole Christmas (in Wild Texas Christmas—to be released the day after Thanksgiving from Prairie Rose Publications), is a cowhand who whittles. While writing him, I got to wondering why so many people whittled in the 19th century. So let’s take a look.

History of Whittling

Wood was one of the first items shaped, if not the first, by modern humans. Whittling could produce a spear or an arrow—although these items were single-use, which is probably why stone tools quickly replaced them. Decorative whittling goes back as far. No one knows when it started, but has been prevalent throughout written history and before.

I was surprised to find out that whittling wasn’t popular until the Civil War. Nearly every soldier, North or South, and a knife, and there was no shortage of wood. They might not have had sufficient food or blankets, but they always had wood. Once the war was over, these soldiers went about making a living—logging, punching cattle, farming, or whatever—and they took their newfound whittling skills with them. Whittling was a popular pastime clear up until the end of World War II.

Whittling vs. Wood carving

This article is about whittling, not woodcarving. The latter requires a variety of tools and generally produces more elaborate artworks. Even with whittling, there’s plain whittling and then there’s chip carving.

Here’s a snippet from How the Texan Stole Christmas, my short story in Wild Texas Christmas.  We meet Judd, and this is what spurred him to take out his frustrations by whittling.

In an instant, her [Winnie's] feet went out from under her and she knocked Judd off balance, too. She landed on her back, the cold hard ice knocking the wind out of her. Judd fell on top of her with his face buried in her bosom. She couldn’t speak for lack of air and she couldn’t move because he pinned her down. 

He lifted his head after a moment. “I’m, uh, sorry.” 

Winnie wasn’t sorry at all. No man had had his face on her bosom for a long time, and if she had to choose one to be there, Judd’s would be it.

♥ ♥ ♥

Sleight of Heart

A gamblin' man with magic hands

A strait-laced spinster

A missing brother

A crazy adventure

Kindle | Print

Full of Bull: Mail-Order Ruckus by @JacquieRogers #mailorderbride #western #romance

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette

Casanova – The Shy Bull

by Jacquie Rogers

In my latest book, Mail-Order Ruckus, the second book in Mail-Order Tangle (the first book, Mail-Order Promise, was written by Caroline Clemmons), Matt Johanssen buys a prize Durham bull. Several readers have asked me about him, so I decided to write a little about bulls today.

Durham Cattle

First of all, Durhams are now called Beef Shorthorns. In the 1800s, they were the dominant breed found in the Old West, although not so much now. These cattle were a result of a systematic breeding program developed by the Colling brothers in Durham County, England. At this time, Shorthorns were used equally for milk and beef. Later, Thomas Booth selected animals better suited for beef, while Thomas Bates bred for milk, and that’s when the Milking Shorthorn and Beef Shorthorn breeds came about. Because my book is set in 1881, I use “Durham,” the more common American term for the breed at the time.

In brief, Laura Dickerson (heroine), describes a quality bull:

She squeezed in between them and studied the bull. “Nice conformation—straight back, squared body, strong hindquarters. You should get some quality calves from him.”

A good bull has a short, muscular neck with a hump. He has a clean underline and his legs are square under his body, with hooves that don’t toe-in or toe-out. Quality calves come from quality dams and sires, so just any bull won’t do. You pick the best of the best.

2,000 Pounds of Muscle and Testosterone

A lot of people don’t know what bulls are all about. They’re a lot different than cows. You can herd cows or steers. Bulls—not so much. A cow will run away from you but a bull will stand his ground, and if he feels threatened, will charge. So in fight-or-flight terms, a cow is flight and a bull is fight. They’ll charge just about anything and aren’t the slightest bit intimidated by horses or a man on horseback, so cowhands keep a sharp eye on a bull's behavior to prevent injury to their horses or themselves. Or both.

Cattle Handling Tips- Moving Bulls

Demeanor

Just like any other animal (or human), bulls have a variety of temperaments and this is an inherited trait. Docile bulls are good as long as they also have a strong libido (after all, they do have to perform). Aggressive bulls breed aggressive calves, so the rancher has to take that into account. In a situation where cows run on open range, they need to be more aggressive to survive, so it’s not necessarily a negative. If the cattle operation is primarily on close ranchland, then a more docile bull would be more desirable.

In Mail-Order Ruckus, Casanova is both—he’s aggressive toward just about everyone except Laura. As for libido, he’s good there except he’s shy and isn’t interested in performing in front of others, whether cows or humans.

The Real Casanova

Actually, Casanova is the product of two Holstein bulls my dad had on our farm. One bull was named Pete. Pete would snort, bellow, and paw the ground whenever my dad came around and I was given warnings of dire consequences if I went anywhere near the bullpen. But Pete liked me to scratch his ears. I’d sneak out to the bullpen and visit him when Dad wasn’t around.   Pete never once exhibited aggressive behavior toward me.

Then we had another Holstein bull named Goober. He was a mellow bull, but when we put him with the cows, they chased him all over the pasture. Finally, Dad had to have a birds and bees talk with him. It turned out that Goober did just fine when there was only one cow in the bullpen and he had some privacy.

I combined both bulls into Casanova, who took a liking to Laura right away, but was shy about doing the deed under observation. I included all these scenes in Mail-Order Ruckus, and I hope you enjoy them. Here’s the scene where Matt turns Casanova out with a herd of cows in heat.  This is almost exactly what happened why my dad put Goober in the pasture with several heifers.

Excerpt from 

Mail-Order Ruckus

by Jacquie Rogers

Book 2 in Mail-Order Tangle

Matt herded his prize bull to the pasture where he’d earlier put the quality cows in heat. If the bull did his job, in nine months he’d have some fine heifers and they’d be the best breeding stock in the territory. The Durham bull had cost a fortune, but quality sires built quality herds, and quality herds made money.

“Have fun,” he said as he veered away. Matt didn’t drive the bull too close to the cows because a smart man never got between a bull and a cow in heat. The bull would be happy to have such pretty cows clamoring for his attention, and he’d mosey on over to the herd soon enough.

Except he never did.

One cow lifted her head and sniffed. So did another. And another. Next thing he knew, the cows barreled toward to bull at full tilt. The bull let out a snort—or maybe it was a squeak—and turned tail, running as fast as his legs would carry him back to his corral. The cows nearly trampled Matt’s horse. He spurred the gelding and galloped after the bull.

Once the bull was past the gate, he ran directly to the hay manger. Matt dismounted and closed the gate, but scrambled to the top of the corral fence when the cows thundered toward the bull, thwarted by the fence. They gathered around, mooing and carrying on.

Obviously, Matt’s prize Durham bull had a lot to learn about sex.

♥ ♥ ♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple

Kobo | Scribd | Page Foundry

* Also in print! *

Jacquie's Amazon Author Page

Facebook | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books | Twitter | Pinterest

Fireworks in the Old West by @JacquieRogers

July in the Old West

by Jacquie Rogers
Pickle Barrel Gazette | Facebook | Twitter

(This article was first published at Western Fictioneers.)

In the Old West, Independence Day had the honor of being the most celebrated holiday of the year.  Not Christmas, you ask?  First, remember that Christmas wasn’t commercialized to the extent it is today, and second, December 25 is often not good traveling weather.  But July 4th was an ideal time for celebration — good weather, and people needed a break from all their hard work in the fields, mines, or on the range.

All the articles here are taken from The Owyhee Avalanche, which is still publishing newspapers today in Homedale, Idaho.  Most of the articles pertain to Silver City, a boomtown in Owyhee County, that never burned down and is a great place to visit.  So what happened in the Old West this month?  Let’s take a look.

From July 6, 1872, we learn a little about a typical Independence Day celebration:

THE FOURTH OF JULY IN TOWN, BOILED DOWN.

- National salute from a 12-pounder, at sunrise, for which we may thank Charley Bowen’s patriotic gizzard.

- Music by the Band from the balcony of the Court House, at 9 o’clock, a.m., and from the balcony of the Owyhee Exchange, a 7½ p.m.  The boys toot their horns infinitely better than we had reason to expect.

- Firecrackers, the delight of youth, but the bane of old age—plenty all day long.

- Lots of folks went to Wagontown; our reporter hasn’t come to time.

- Of those who stopped at home, comparatively few got beastly drunk, and few had heads put on them.

- Banners flying, and ladies flitting around all day getting ready for the Ball.

- Ball at night, huge success, both financially and otherwise.

- Fireworks, no good.

- Ball supper, at the Idaho Hotel, magnify.; good grub and well cooked, fault of Gus, chef de cuisine; served up in a style that can’t be beat, owing to the exquisite taste of Charley Umber, dining room captain.

- Fine day; beautiful night.  Finis.

Every year, Owyhee County sported several horse races on Independence Day, and the citizens took it seriously; thus, the reporting was quite detailed.  Here’s the only short article I could find (probably because the race was held in Wagontown instead of Silver).

THE WAGONTOWN RACES.   Our Wagontown reporter furnishes us with the following account of the races, which took place there on the 4th and 5th.

    On the 4th, the saddle purse and 2d class racehorse purse were run for.  Entries for the saddle purse: Muller, Lucy Cook and Springer’s “Molly.”  Molly beat Mullet by 5 feet, and owing to a bad start Lucy Cook whipped both the others all the way through.  Second class  racehorse purse contended for by Gray Jack, Milty or Malheur and Nannie Hunt.  Nannie won by 30 feet, chased by Malheur and Gray Jack bringing up the rear.  A number of scrub races ended the sport on the 4th.

    On the 5th a match race came off between Louis Walker’s horse and Weasel, from Boise City, for $600 — Weasel winning by 22 feet.  First class racehorse purse was then contended for by Billy Cheatham of Boise Valley, and Tom Walls’ Old Ben, of Wagontown.  Betting two to one on Cheatham, but Ben won the race by 18 feet.  Scrub races, to numerous to mention, ended the season’s races, which passed off in a highly satisfactory manner.

    Owing to a painful though not too serious accident to the rider of Charley-Come-Up, he did not run as was expected.

Military forts and camps were built all over the West and most were abandoned within a few years.  Such is the case of Camp Three Forks Owyhee, which I’ve never heard of until I read this article in the July 29, 1871 issue.

GOVERNMENT SALE.  The subsistence and miscellaneous stores and articles on hand at Camp Three Forks Owyhee are to be sold at public auction to-day.  Quite a number of our citizens have gone out to attend the sale.

It’s always interesting to see a contemporary account of an event that we’ve all read in the history books.  People of the time don’t necessarily see things the way historians do, and this next item, in light of Troy Smith’s series How to Write an Indian When You’re Not One, Part 1 and Part 2, is quite telling.  This is also from the July 29, 1871 issue.

RED CLOUD DEPOSED.  Lieutenant Quinton writes from Fort Shaw, Montana, that Red Cloud has been superseded by Sitting Bull.  It appears that Red Cloud returned to his people with wonderful stories of what he had seen and heard while visiting the Great Father at Washington.  Red Cloud saw too much.  The Indians say that these things cannot be, and that the white people must have put bad medicine over Red Cloud’s eyes to make him see everything and anything that pleased them, and so Red Cloud lost his influence.  Sitting Bull is at war with all Indians who trade or deal with whites, and all those Indians appear to be afraid of him.  He says he never will make peace with the whites.

Accidents happened frequently in the Old West.  This next article reports a minor accident, considering several mine deaths occurred the same week, but it sure made me wince.  This is from the July 18, 1885 issue:

A MAN NAMED JANSEN, in the employ of B. F. Hawes of Bruneau, met with a painful accident on Wednesday at Pole Creek, while hobbling a horse, by which he had the first joint of his thumb pulled off.  He came to town at once in company with Joseph Byers, and on Thursday Dr. peters amputated the thumb immediately above the first joint.

Also:

We learn that Frank Hoyt of this place was thrown from the upper deck of a mule at Trout creek, on Thursday, and severely injured, though it is hoped not seriously.  His head was bruised and it is thought that a rib or so were cracked.

Those who immigrated west, especially the miners, were looking for the pot of gold.  Gambling was ubiquitous and not considered vice.  Lotteries were common, and in fact some of our nation’s most prestigious buildings were funded by lotteries.  So it’s not surprise that a little girl winning big would be reported in every paper west of the Mississippi.  From the July 25, 1885 issue:

LITTLE SIX-YEAR-OLD BESSIE’S FORTUNE. Little 6-year-old Bessie Lilienthal, who, orphaned by the death of her father, became a pet of her grandfather,  Abraham Leffler, is the holder of one-tenth of the $150,000 ticket in the Louisiana State Lottery.  Last week her uncle Adolph bought three on-tenth tickets of the Louisiana State Lottery.  Across of No. 51,106 he wrote Bessie’s name...

That was quite a sum in 1885!  I wonder what little Bessie did with her $15,000.

There was little effort put out for what today we call political correctness.  Racial and religious intolerance were the norm rather than the exception.  Such is the case with the article just below little Bessie’s.

IDAHO REPORTER.  We have received the Idaho Reporter, just started at Blackfoot, in this territory, by a publishing company, ex-U. S. District-Attorney White, editor.  The paper presents a net appearance, and will, we judge, be anti-polygamous.  We wish it success.

Men, women, and children all worked hard in the mining camps, but they played hard, too.  I’m sure there was plenty of excitement when the circus came to town!  This must be a hardy circus because the road to Silver City was and still is a mountain dirt road—in places, only one lane.

CUSHING’S CIRCUS visited Silver City on Sunday and remained until Tuesday morning, when it moved on towards Boise City.  It took in a good many dollars here as well as a great number of people.  When we say took in a great number of people, we do not intend to say that it was a humbug, for the trapeze performance by the little boy and girl and the aerialist performances were worth one dollar, to say nothing of the extra twenty-five cents for a reserved seat.  So far as the circus is concerned, it must be seen to be judged.  We make no comments for the reason that we have never seen a circus before, and from the performance we think that the manager of the show imagined that no one else in Idaho ever did.

And a dance:

WE ARE REQUESTED by Judge P. A. Tutt, to state that a dance will be given by him at the Boonville house, on Monday night, July the 27th.  The best of music has been engaged for the occasion, and everything that the market affords in the say of edibles will be placed on the supper table.  This will be a rare chance for young gentlemen with downy mustaches and smooth tongues to whisper words of consolation in the ears of the gentle sex as they ride undisturbed, beneath the starry heaven from town to Tutts’ dancing hall at Boonville.  The admission to dance and supper will be only three dollars.

Lots of building was going on in 1871.  Here are a couple items from the July 15th issue:

A COMPANY of Chinese are building quite extensively on Jordan Street, near where Marshall’s blacksmith shop was burned a couple years ago.

and

SHERIFF Stevens’ residence presents quite an attractive and tidy appearance, with its new green-colored window shutter.

Silver City always had strong women.  They had to be to put up with the conditions and the men on the mountain.  I found this item in the July 15, 1871 issue:

Mrs. Clare Lewis and Miss Emma Cox have made arrangements to lease the Miners’ Hotel and will take charge of it the first of August.

In that same issue, we see their humor when it comes to imbibing in certain beverages.

POST AND GRAHAM.  The Avalanche office acknowledges the receipt of a bottle labeled “Strychnine,” from Jno. A. Post. And one labeled “Blue Lightning,” from Ed. Graham, with appropriate directions.  Ferd took an overdose of the strychnine — which came near knocking him off his pins — so much for not following directions — but we happened to be present at the time and prescribed a dose of Blue Lightning and his equilibrium was immediately restored.  The above gentlemen have each a large assortment of the very best quality of liquors.

Short items from various March issues of The Owyhee Avalanche from 1866 to 1885:

• A number of tender-hearted chaps have organized a “Female Protection Society” in Silver City.  In order to make a stand-off, the women talk of getting up an institution for the benefit of their male friends, calling it “A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Owyhee.”
• Two artificial teeth and a fragment of a broken jaw were found in the parlor of the Miners’ Hotel the next morning after they Hyde-Borman wedding.  The owner can get them by calling at the Avalanche office.
• Charley Weeks & Co. intend to have a regular coach on between here and Boise City with in a day or two at farthest in opposition to the old line — which, we understand ahs already put the fare down to $5.
• One Dr. A. Turlock was to have lectured in this city on Wednesday night last on “Human Nature and the Science of Medicine.”  He failed to get an audience; also , to pay his printing bill.
• Matt Holms is running a branch of his Fairview saloon at the Mahogany mine and doing a lively business.
• Jerry Philips and Frank Hunt went out to the head of Sucker Creek last Thursday and brought in 25 sage-hens and chickens.
• There are five faro games running in town, besides monte, poker, &c., on the side.  Quite a number of Boise sports are here and occasionally make it quite lively for the Owyhee boys.

July Events

• July 25, 1850: Gold was discovered in Rogue River, Oregon Territory.
• July 5, 1858: William Green Russell, his brothers, and ten other men discover gold in Cherry Creek in what is now Denver, Colorado.
• July 11, 1861: On the Missouri River near Fort Benton, Montana, the steamboat Chippewa, loaded with gunpowder and whiskey, exploded.
• July 12, 1861: Rock Creek, Nebraska – James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok killed Dave McCanles, who didn’t care for Hickok romancing his mistress, Sarah Shull.
• July 1, 1862: The Pacific Railroad Act authorized the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroads to build the transcontinental railroad.  
• July 1, 1863: Confederate General Stand Watie, in a failed attempt to capture a Union wagon train, fought against the First Kansas Colored, Third Indian Home Guard, Second Colorado Infantry, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, Sixth and Ninth Kansas Cavalry.
• July 10, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Act of Congress to create the Territory of Idaho. 
• July 3, 1865:  Col. Patrick E. Connor, Fort Laramie, receives orders to protect the Overland Mail Company's stagecoaches from Arapaho Indians.
• July 10, 1866: The 13th Infantry Regiment established Camp Cooke, Montana Territory’s first permanent army post.
• July 8, 1867: Captain Eugene M. Baker and the 1st Cavalry kill two Indians and capture fourteen women and children, and two horses, near the Malheur River.
• July 4, 1869: Emilne Gardenshire won the title “champion bronco buster of the plains” in what some claim as the first rodeo in Deer Trail, Colorado Territory.
• July 26, 1870: Hickman, Kentucky - Charles Goodnight and Molly Dyer were married, then left for Rock Canon, Texas.
• July 3, 1871: Colorado - The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway Company introduced Montezuma, the first narrow-gauge locomotive.
• July 5, 1881: Tombstone – Sheriff John Behan jailed Doc Holliday for the murder of But Philpot and an attempted stage robbery. Wyatt Earp paid the $5,000 bail.
• July 13, 1882: Strawberry, California - Black Bart (Charles E. Boles) attempted to rob a Wells Fargo stage but instead the driver, George W. Hackett, shot him.  Black Bart got away but was wounded in the scalp, which left a permanent scar on his forehead.
• July 3, 1884: Montana Territory - Granville Stuart and his outfit hanged a rustler near Fort Maginnis, according to Teddy Blue (E.C. Abbot).
• July 3, 1887: Pecos, Texas - Rancher Clay Allison, renowned gunman, fell off his buckboard.  The wheel rolled over his head and he was killed.
• July 1, 1892: The Dalton Gang robbed $11,000 from a train near Red Rock in the Cherokee Strip.
• July 20, 1889: Sand Creek Gulch, Wyoming – Ella Watson, known as Cattle Kate, and James Avrill were lynched for rustling.
• July 8, 1897: Skagway, Alaska Territory - Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith and Frank Reid were shot.  Soapy died immediately and Reid died twelve days later. 

May your saddle never slip.

New Release!

Elsie Parry and her eight mules survived the war, but can they escape the wrath of the Danby Gang? She lived alone for five years after the Recent Unpleasantness and was overcome with happiness to be reunited with her father. Now, his fondest desire is to leave all the bad memories behind and see the Pacific Ocean, so she agreed to head west. All’s well until they approach Wolf Creek, where they’re set upon by the notorious gang of ex-Confederate guerrillas… intent on proving the war is not over, after all.

Muleskinners #1: Judge Not

Amazon | Smashwords