Old West Mine Salting Scams With hundreds of thousands of folks coming West during the Gold Rush century, a passel of con men and bunko artists also moved out. They tried to relieve the unlearned of their pokes and purses. Most schemes had something to do with mines and mining stock. Many a man paid good […]
A WESTERN TRAIL GUIDE FOR LIFE & LEADERSHIP If you’re on a spiritual trail of learning leadership, you’ll need a trail guide of some sort. You’ll need to be reminded where you’re headed, your final destination. When you get there, you’ll want to be pleased with your travel along the way. End of the Trail […]
Over The Willows Warning Well, it was getting to be springtime up in the mountains and most of the cricks and streams ran over the willows. Not that we have many willows up in the forest. But it’s just an Old West term that warns of high water. If a trail boss rode back to […]
WHAT KIND OF AN OUTFIT YOU RUNNING? A tall, lanky, slightly bowlegged cowboy stopped by to visit our church. After the service he introduced himself as being new to the community. “I jist thought I’d mosey up here and see what kind of an outfit you were running,” he explained. I’d never heard of a […]
Disciples and Nooning It The old journal I was reading told tales along the Oregon Trail in 1852. It said, “About twelve miles past the lower cutoff on the south side of the Snake River, we found a little shade and nooned it a couple hours.” Nooned it? A noun into a verb? What did […]
A PASSION FOR THE AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE Being a writer of western novels, I’ve had a particular interest in authentic antique guns of the Old West. I try to make sure my readers know the difference between a Henry, a Winchester ’66, a Winchester ’73, and a Sharps. I try to make sure I get the […]
5 Beans in a Wheel Safety We live in a safety first conscious society. We use seatbelts, air bags, smoke detectors, warning signs of all kinds, and lawn mowers that die when you turn loose of the handle. For the most part, these inventions improve our lives. We’re told its smart to take precautions rather […]
An Old-Fashioned Jiggle Like gearshifts on your pickup, horses operate at different speeds or gaits. You can walk, trot, gallop, amble, canter or jiggle a horse. Your animal can be 4-gaited or 5-gaited, depending on their training. In the Old West, they had a great name for the ordinary gait of a cow horse. They […]
More Power to Jerky Did you know that jerky helped settle the West? For mountain men and prospectors, surveyors and cowboys, a handful of jerky provided critical nourishment. This in a time of no preservatives or refrigerators. Didn’t matter whether the jerky came from beef, deer, elk, or buffalo. All retained their flavor and value. […]
Hunkered Under the Old Chuck Wagon For those who live in forests or among trees, it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to hunt for shade. We spend the better part of the year searching for sunlight. But in the Old West chuck wagon days, plenty of times cowboys longed for respite. Out on the […]
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