Western Writers Chat Newsletter July 2005
JULY Vol. 9 No. 7
July 1, 1887 Gunfighter Clay Allison killed
Clay Allison, eccentric gunfighter and rancher, dies in a freak wagon accident in Texas. A man with a quick temper and fast with a gun would have prefered a different way to die.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clay Allison
Legend of Cimarron
by John A. Truett
He left a mark on that new land and should not be forgotten.
Truett's biograhical novel will insure he is remembered. Hardback, first edition. Retails for $24.95 at Amazon.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A CONGRESS OF GOOD LADIES
by Frazer Williamson
The Ladies Committee of Congress was on the march. Leading, puffed up with a surfeit of self-righteous indignation was Mrs. Horace Holmes, the bankers wife. Behind her, in columns of twos and in silent formation, came the wives of the other members of the Town Council. They marched down the main street, their faces matching the grim determination of their flint-eyed leader who held her rolled-up parasol as if it were a cudgel.
Josiah Spriggs remarked as they passed the Sheriffs office, "That looks like a lynch mob in bloomers."
Marshal John Clay joined the Sheriff at the window and watched the procession go past. "Where do you reckon they're headed, Josiah?" he asked.
"Well, if they hadn't passed Dan Breen's Saloon and joy house, I'd have said they were headed there on a moral crusade. Maybe I'll go see."
John Clay picked up his hat. "I'll go," he said, and went out.
The girls from Dan Breen's were outside now and calling taunts after the good ladies of the town. Dan Breen stood in front of the batwings.
"Howdy, Marshal," he said. "Thought they were comin' here."
"Don't appear so," Clay said.
"Maybe another time," Breen laughed. "But then again, maybe not."
Clay passed on to where Jake Goldfarb was standing with his wife Sarah outside their hardware store. Clay touched his hat to Sarah. "What's goin' on Mrs. Goldfarb?" he asked. "That looks like the total membership of the Ladies' Committee."
Sarah sighed. "That's right, Marshal," she said. "With the exception of myself."
"They look like a nest of stirred-up hornets," Clay remarked.
"Stirred up by Honoria Holmes," Sarah said.
"They look ready to sting," Clay said. "Where they headed?"
"To the schoolhouse."
"The schoolhouse?" Clay echoed. "Why there ain't nobody there but kids and Miss Andrews."
"Right again, Marshal?" Sarah said. "Just kids and Miss Andrews."
"Sarah and me don't agree with what they're goin' to do," Jake said. "That's why my Sarah ain't with them."
"What are they goin' to do?"
Clay tried to keep the alarm he felt for the safety of Virginia Andrews, the Quaker schoolteacher out of his voice.
"Go see for yourself, Marshal," Sarah said, and turned inside the hardware store.
"Jake?" Clay asked.
"They're getting mighty near the schoolhouse," Jake said and followed his wife inside. Jake and Sarah watched Clay stride off towards the schoolhouse.
"He's got a soft spot for that school maarm." Sarah said.
"Just like the one I got for you."
"That's soft soap, Jake," Sarah said, but she knew that he was proud of her for holding out against Honoria Holmes and the Ladies' Committee in every meeting of the last fortnight.
John Clay caught up with the Ladies' Committee outside the schoolhouse. They stood ranged around the doorway.
"I hope you haven't come to interfere with the work of the Ladies' Committee, Marshal Clay," Honoria Holmes said.
"Just so long as it's legal and peaceful," Clay said.
From inside came the chanting of children learning their nine-times tables. Honoria Holmes took a deep breath, then in a loud voice, when there was a lull in the chant, called: "Miss Andrews! Present yourself out here immediately."
The chanting stopped. A period of silence ensued.
"Have you not heard, Miss Andrews? Present yourself out here immediately."
The school door opened and Miss Andrews came out.
"How can I help you Mrs. Holmes?"
"You know very well why we are here."
"If that is so," said Miss Andrews, "then I suggest you go away again."
"Get those children out of there."
"What children are those, Mrs. Holmes?"
"Those Nigra children. The Town Council isn't paying you to teach Nigra children from Joshua."
"A terrible war has been fought and the people of Joshua are emancipated people and their children have the right to an education same as white children."
Mrs. Holmes' lips drew into a thin bloodless line before she spoke again.
"Stand aside," she said, moving towards the door her parasol advanced like a bayonet.
Miss Andrews did not resist. She allowed Mrs. Holmes passage into the schoolroom. In moments all the white children were herded out and took off running down the hill.
Mrs. Holmes came out, triumphant.
"From today, Miss Andrews, no white child will come to this school to sit alongside Nigras. When the Nigras go, our children will be sent back and the Town Council will resume paying your wages. Come ladies, follow me."
Swinging her parasol she departed.
Clay stayed behind.
"What will you do Miss Andrews?" He longed to call her Virginia.
"I will take these children back to Joshua."
Clay walked with them to the dugouts of Joshua.
"That was not pleasant," he said.
"Not pleasant at all."
"I apologize."
"For them? Why should you? I doubt if their sentiments are your sentiments."
"True."
"John," she said. "May I call you John? Let me tell you what I hope to do, and what I would like you to do for me."
"And what is that, Virginia?"
When Clay came back from Joshua he had Mayor Goldfarb call an extraordinary meeting of the Town Council. They already knew what had happened at the schoolhouse and of the way the Ladies' Committee were forcing Miss Andrews to comply with their wishes.
Clay handed the Mayor, Virginia Andrews' written resignation, telling them that although they paid her wages, she had always been in the service of God, and would continue that service in the town of Joshua where she would be teaching school. Should any parents in Congress wish their children to have an education, they should send their children to Joshua where she would be only too willing to teach them.
Not long after, Miss Andrews' home was set alight and burned to the ground. Sheriff Sprigs soon collared the culprits and Miss Andrews took up residence in Joshua where she taught Negro and Indian children.
Congress employed a new schoolmaster who entertained no ideals of educating children who were not white.
FROM AFRICA TO THE AMERICAN WEST
by Allen L. Lee.
Black Landmarks in the Un- Black West
I have a saying that an artifact, no matter how old it is, is only as
valuable as the story behind it; the same is true for landmarks. Many of us
know about the more renowned Black West landmarks like Nicodemus, Ks.,
Allensworth, Ca., and Boley, Ok. I wanted to present a few places of lesser
fame that I have run into in my travels, places outside the mainstay of
African-American culture like the St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico,
The Julian Hotel in Julian, California and the Blue Moon Tavern In Portland,
Oregon. I'll start in the order listed.
1. The Saint James Hotel
Sometime in 1991 my wife and I were on vacation traveling north through New Mexico. The border between New Mexico and Colorado is high country and before we crossed the state line into Colorado we decided we were going to stop in a little town called Cimarron and have a local lunch. People at the visitor center directed us to an old historic hotel a couple of blocks away called the Saint James Hotel, a two story, flat roofed structure fitting more the eastern architecture of Baltimore or Washington, DC, rather than a western Cantina or Stage Coach Inn. Perhaps the reason for the hotel's eastern appearance was that Henry Lambert, former personal chef to Abraham Lincoln, established the saloon that eventually became the hotel in 1872. I don't remember what we had for lunch but afterwards my wife went into the gift store and the clerk encouraged us to take a tour with the history
docent, a tall man with a big cowboy hat named Doc. Doc started with the
standard spiel, telling us about Clay Allison, rancher and shootist who
killed his share of slow-drawing holster huggers. He pointed to the bullet
holes in the ceiling, all historically authentic, and the place where
super-sized doors were used as a Wild West drive-thru for those thirsty
patrons who wanted to order a drink from the saddle. After a while Doc
became more candid. I remember him telling us how he was tired of tourists
asking him if Abraham Lincoln slept there while he was trying to present
western history. The discussion about Clay Allison, I found out was
censored until he felt comfortable enough to trust a Black tourist to handle
the whole story. Among Clay Allisons many victims were several un-named
Negroes, just part of his bragging rights, and once Doc became comfortable
enough he continued to tell us more about Black history at the hotel. The
big story with names was a shootout between Buffalo soldiers and Texas
Cowboys in the saloon in May of 1876. Doc, a University Of New Mexico
student, went to his office and brought out a book by Monroe Lee Billington
and started to tell us how Buffalo soldiers were camped in the back lot of
the hotel as a result of Colfax County range war. There were several
incidents of conflict between the soldiers and the frontier gang known as
the Texas Cowboys who made their livings shaking down saloons, brothels, and gambling houses. This was the same gang of Wyatt Earp/OK Corral fame but different members. The May 1876 incident was recorded in Billington's book on pages 66 and 67:
"...two enlisted men made an afternoon visit to Schwenk's saloon, where
they became involved in an argument with Texas cowboys Gus Hefron, Henry Goodman, and David Crockett. At one point during the dispute Crockett held a pistol to the head of one of the soldiers and threatened to shoot."
The soldiers left Schwenk's saloon but against orders returned into town
later that evening:
"...When Privates George Small, Anthony Harvey and James Hanson found Hefron and Crockett in Henry Lamberts bar at the St. James Hotel, the five men exchanged fifteen to twenty shots..."
Billington, Monroe Lee New Mexico's Buffalo Soldiers, 1866-1900 Univ.
Press Colorado, 1991: The result was the death of the three Ninth Cavalry soldiers with their killers briefly on the run until they returned to town one day six months later and a Sheriff's posse killed Crockett and captured Hefron. The story was compelling enough to me that I wrote an art piece about the incident called "The Buffalo Guns of St. James." I was fortunate that Doc was able to forego political correctness for a more complete historical perspective.
2. The Julian Hotel
When I lived in Southern California, my wife and I took a yearly fall loop
east from the Riverside area into the desert, then south to the Salton Sea
to camp. From the Salton Sea we would turn southwest across the Anza-Borrego desert until we reached the San Diego coastal mountains and a town called Julian. Julian is a small town in apple growing country and fall is apple season, just in time for fresh apple pie. I know most of the apple towns in California and which restaurants make the best pie, and thats how I found the Julian Hotel. The entire historic section is predominately antique
shops and little eateries, and of the old structures, the Julian Hotel
seemed the largest, a two story, yellow wood building with a stairway
leading to a broad, front porch. Inside we sat down to an 1800s period
designed table and asked for a menu. This menu had the history of the hotel
included, and told of how it was built by a former slave and his wife named
Albert and Margaret Robinson, the following excerpt discusses Black history
in the Julian, California area in further detail:
Black Pioneers in San Diego, 1880 - 1920 by Gail Madyun and Larry Malone, with an essay by Robert Fikes, Jr., Senior Assistant Librarian San Diego State University, The Journal of San Diego History, Spring 1981, Volume 27, Number 2 "Blacks in the early period preferred living in the rural areas which offered more economic advantages than life in the city. There were at least five farmers in the 1860s and 1870s: James Hamilton, James Brown, Jesse Tull, Thomas Jackson, and Fred Coleman. At one point the majority of blacks in the county were inhabitants of the Julian area. It was in Julian that blacks made their presence most felt. The Bon Ton Restaurant, owned by Ernest Morgan and Elvira Price, was the only business of its type operated by blacks. Issac Atkinson owned a bakery there before moving to San Diego. Fred Coleman discovered gold in a creek in Julian in 1869 which launched the county's first gold rush. A boom town sprang up near that spot called Coleman City. Mr. Coleman later constructed and operated toll roads between El Cajon and his boom town. But probably the most important black success story was that of Margaret and Albert Robinson, who in 1887 built, and for twenty-eight years owned and operated the Hotel Robinson. Today, located at 2032 Main Street, this charming structure is known as the Julian Hotel. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the "oldest
continuously operated hotel in Southern California."3 "
www.sandiegohistory.org/timeline/timeline2.htm
After our meal I asked the clerk if I could keep the menu for the history
info, which she approved. She advised me that the menu version was
abbreviated and the more in-depth history of the Julian Hotel was in a frame
on the front porch, which I took the time to read while my wife antiqued,
inside. What I found most interesting about the area was that ex-Confederate
soldiers who founded the town apparently were able to co-exist with freed
ex-slaves with successful businesses. Also my research shows source
discrepancies as to where Albert Robinson was a slave, with Sunset Magazine listing him as an ex-Missouri slave and Westways Magazine listing him as an ex-Georgia slave.
3. The Blue Moon Tavern
Northwest Portland is the more "yuppified" section of the city, a remnant
of the old Nob Hill exclusive class from times gone by. 23rd St. and 21st.
St. are two of the main shopping streets in the community with 23rd more of
the wine and brie set and 21st more of the college kid, pizza and beer set.
On the corner of 21st and Glisan is an open-air eatery, beer and pool tavern
called The Blue Moon. The Blue Moon is a single story, 1950ish architecture
corner business building with a large smiling Blue Moon face disk looking
out over the intersection. We stopped in The Blue Moon because the open-air patio section looked like a good place to do lunch. On a trip to the
restroom, I stopped to read an article behind an 8 by 10 picture frame which
presented the Black history of the location, I took notes and left. Recently I decided to return to the tavern to specifically include that information in this article. I went back to the same location in the Tavern where I first saw the article and it was still hanging there. As I started to take notes an employee named Rico approached me and volunteered that the establishment had a book about its history and asked me if I wanted to see it? I said yes. Rico brought me the book, a glass of water and some paper and told me to take my time. Before the Blue Moon Tavern was built the location was the home to a couple of former slaves who gained recognition in what was then a predominately White section of Portland. The Book is titled "The Chronicle Of McMenamins, Blue Moon - A Pub Reader For Friends And Family." It is actually an open anthology that accepts contributions from people with pertinent information so there is no publishing date. The two prime sources in this book that I will refer from are Tim Hills and his article "What Precedes A Blue Moon? - The House Of Wisdom" and early "Oregon Journal" articles which discuss the former Black owners of the Blue Moon lot.
The property was sold to African-Americans Andrew Johnston of Washington, D.C. and Sarah Ellen Lowe, who became known as Mr. and Mrs. Johnston. around 1879. They had already owned a lot about one block away but were unable to build a house on the lot for reasons which some historians speculate may have been based on race. However, apparently Andrew and Sarah Johnstons White allies prevailed and a small house was built on their new lot by 1882. Sarah was a housekeeper for a wealthy capitalist and politician named Jonathan Bourne; Andrew worked independently running a restaurant at another location that failed. Their new life was interrupted by Andrew's death caused by a horse handling accident. Sarah continued with her life at the home, taking on as a tenant Emma K. Griffin, the widow of Adolphus B Griffin, founder of Oregons first Black newspaper and leading Black political activist. Sarah eventually married Joseph A Wisdom in 1895. Although Mr. Wisdom is a latecomer to Sarahs life, his story is equally crucial to the history of the location. Included in the reference anthology is a narrative of Mr. Wisdom in his own words. He tells of how he was the son of a White master and a slave mother, and how his father chose to sell him for around 400 dollars rather than set him free. Mr. Wisdom also tells of how his new master was harsh and refused to free him even after slavery was illegal and that what ended his condition was the threats of fines and jail for his master. Joseph A Wisdom eventually worked for the railroad and that brought him to Portland. Joseph moved into the home of his new wife, Sarah, at the Blue Moon site and entertained people of all races such as postmaster William Chittendon, a hospital porter friend named Andrew Doc Spencer, and Department Store magnate Adolph Wolfe, whom Wisdom is recorded to have learned to converse with in German. Sarah died in 1910 and Wisdom sold the property. An art mural showing a chronology of eras is painted on a wall, depicting modern tattooed youth playing pool, back to "fifties" diner lifestyles and back a little further to a scene of an elderly Black couple sitting peacefully in a wicker couch on their front porch, looking out onto a blue moon surface. Once you know the story you understand the significance of the art.
Its important for me to conclude this article with a couple of
observations. The first observation is that all of these landmark stories
give us a look at post-slavery relations in the West and how some Blacks
interacted with other cultures after the Civil War. The other observation
is that all of these locations are in predominately White communities, and
the people who are serving as curators for these stories are also White.
They present these stories proudly as part of their own collective histories
and seemed to understand the importance of making a Black stranger aware of information that I most likely would have missed under the presumption of
White community/White history. The Zuni people kept the story of
Esteban and I've been on the Zuni Reservation attempting to get to the
Hawikuh ruins where Esteban was captured with the cooperation of Zuni
residents. The old Black pioneer town of Allensworth, Ca. exists in the
midst of a small, predominately Hispanic town which still carries the name
of its Black founder, Colonel Allensworth, Ive also been there several
times when Ranger Phil Hill helped organize activities. Some histories of
people of African descent in the West exist outside of African-American
culture. I've learned to be prepared to look, learn and listen for those
stories from what may seem to be unlikely sources.
Thanks for reading,
Allen L. Lee
Nipper's Grammar Nits
by Pat Decker Nipper
Among vs. Between
The distinction here is fairly easy to remember. Between applies when comparing two items. Among applies when comparing more than two. For example, The rancher built a fence between his mares and his stallions. And The rancher scattered hay among his horses, donkeys, and mules.
Between can also connote the relationship of three or more items when they are considered one at a time, or when action takes place between only two of the several at once. Ranchers met to discuss conflicting laws between the local government and the county, state, and federal districts.
Pat Decker Nipper
http://www.patdeckernipper.com
CALIFORNIA INDIAN CONFERENCE 2005
October 7- 9, 2005
Humboldt State University
http://www.humboldt.edu/~cic/
Previous California Indian Conference programs, 1985-2004
http://bss.sfsu.edu/calstudies/cic/
A CALL FOR PAPERS, PANELS, AND PRESENTERS (deadline for abstracts Sept. 1, 2005)
"Finding Balance Through Traditional Native Knowledge"
The California Indian Conference and Gathering is an annual event for the
exchange of views and information among academics, educators, California
Indians, students, tribal nations, native organizations and community
members. Past topics have included: native languages, histories, tribal
law, political and social issues, repatriation, economic development,
storytelling, arts, dance, song and other traditions. All topics focusing
on California Indians are welcome; however, our main themes for this year's
conference will be health, education, natural resources and arts as they
relate to traditional knowledge.
Because the state of California encompasses the homelands of more than 200 indigenous tribal groups, it is of vital importance for Indians and non-Indians to be aware of current issues, as well as the histories and cultures of our first peoples of this state. After 11 years, the conference will return to Humboldt State University which sits on the homeland of the Wiyot people and is near the homelands of the Yurok, Tolowa, Hupa, and Karuk peoples.
PRESENTERS: We look forward to your participation in the 20th Annual
California Indian Conference and Gathering. Anyone interested in giving a
paper, presentation, or organizing a session or panel, should send an
abstract of 150 words to our CIC planning committee c/o Adrienne Colegrove
Raymond at the address listed below by September 1. Abstracts after that
date will be considered only if space is available on the program. Please
be sure to include an e-mail address, phone number and mailing address.
Please state your availability to present on Saturday and/or Sunday.
CALIFORNIA INDIAN ARTISTS: We encourage you to submit one or two pieces of your artwork for the art show in our beautiful Potawot Health Village (United Indian Health Services), where we will also provide a cultural
event and Salmon BBQ. For more information contact Lyn Risling at the email address below.
VENDORS: California Indian vendors specializing in California native arts
and crafts, please contact us to reserve a table at the Conference Center.
Table space is limited to 25, on a first come first served basis. Please
contact Lyn Risling at the address below.
PUBLISHERS: Publishers with books on Native California, please contact Lyn
Risling at the address below.
For more information contact:
Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond
Lyn Risling
Co-Chairs, Planning Committee
Student Academic Services Outreach
Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 826-4791
http://www.humboldt.edu/~cic/
Dr. Lee Davis
Director, California Studies Program
Chair, California Studies Association
Director, Institute for California Studies
377 Science Building
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA 94132
Office: 415-338-6583
Fax: 415-338-0530
email: davislee@sfsu.edu
California Studies Program
http://bss.sfsu.edu/calstudies/
California Studies Association
http://geography.berkeley.edu/ProjectsResources/californiastudies.html
Institute for California Studies
http://www.sfsu.edu/~orspwww/_othresources/_researchsvcorgs/directory.html
WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
From July, 2005 Writer's Digest
In "Writing Popular Fiction," a special publication from the editors of "WD,"
Assistant Editor Lisa Wurster asks author Loren Estleman if the Western is
still a relevant genre. Estleman's response:
"Yes, and the audience is there. For one thing, we have increasingly sophisticated readers. They're less inclined to accept that old chivalric code of the fast-draw contest and want to know more about the grittiness of the actual West. And if you're asking me if there's a market for it, think about writers such as Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, Jane Smiley and Barbara Kingsolver. All of these people are writing historical Westerns now, but they're painting on a much broader canvas.
"There are also greater repercussions now to the actual points of action than we've seen in the past. These days, writers aren't just dealing with the fact that somebody was shot down in the street. They're also dealing with the family--the characters left behind.
"The modern Western is more rooted in humanity than it was in the past. This was always true of the great Westerns. But when so many people tried to imitate them, it became like a 10th carbon copy--it just got worse and worse. Unfortunately, the Western has always been judged by its more mediocre work."
For more fiction tips and advice, order a copy of "Writing Popular Fiction," available through "Writer's Digest"'s bookstore:
http://www.writersdigest.com/store/magdisplay.asp?id=WY0805
Loren Estelman, a past President of Western Writers of America is currently from the state of Michigan. He is author of several western books and writes for the mystery genre. He has suggest to writers, "use an active first sentence to draw the reader." <Marge Bzovy>
Victorian Clothing
by Pat Decker Nipper
Women of WWA, heres a recommendation for wearing period clothing to the next conference. I wore one to the conference banquet in Spokane
and it was a lot of fun. Not only that, but dressing up in clothing of the 1800s has several benefits. First, it gives you a chance to play dress-up in clothes that fit (not your mothers old gowns). Second, it gives you an idea of how your heroine might have felt, struggling with a long draggy skirt upstairs and downstairs, learning to sit properly, and even wearing a corset. And third, you can see what long hair is like by wearing a wig, if your hair is usually short.
Ill admit I didnt get into the corset, mainly because my waistline has all but disappeared as I have aged. And I did try a long-hair wig, which was OK but not really an authentic 1800s style. Nevertheless, as soon as I got home I ordered a better outfit from an online company recommended by Marilyn Findley and one Id like to recommend to all you women.
The company is called Recollections (www.recollections.com). Their
clothing is reasonably priced and superbly sewn. Not only that but you get a choice of fabrics--and a wonderful anti-wrinkle fabric it is. (What our great-grandmothers would have given to have such fabulous cloth to work with, not to mention the steam irons we have today.)
Now I just need to find one of those big hats with lots of flowers and
feathers--even birds--on it! And Cody, WY--2006--look out!
BOOKS
AND ARTICLES
SANCTUARY RANCH
by Corrine Brown and Junior Ray
Corinne Brown is happy to announce the sale of the novel Sanctuary Ranch written by herself and PRCA rodeo cowboy Junior Ray to Thorndike's Five Star Expressions imprint. (Hardcover-due out in the Spring of '06.)
Junior and Corinne met at the very first summer of WritingtheWest in Gunnison where he was competing at Cattleman's Days rodeo and took Mike Blakely's novel class together. Junior had this wonderful idea for a story and together they collaborated to write a book about country and western music and rodeo....from Nashville to the far West!
In it are lyrics by and references to many of the singers we all know and love. We even named our heroine after Blakely's character in the beautiful song Slow Fallin' Rain so that we can use it on the hoped-for sound track we intend to make to go with the hoped-for film. (Think positive people-that's how it works...) Yahoo!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ralph Cotton announces a newly released novel.
Book three in the Gunman's Reputation series
The Law in Somos Santos
(Death Wears a Tin Star)
After ridding Somos Santos of a corrupt sheriff, Cray Dawson was given the job on a temporary basis. Three months have passed, and he has resigned himself to the fact that he is now a lawman. But life quickly becomes more complicated when a trio of gunmen attempt to kill Dawson, and a gang that worked over a neighboring town plots to rob the Somos Santos bank. Suddenly, there's something at stake for Dawson - especially after the woman he loves is taken hostage.
Other books the Gunman's Reputation series,
1) Gunman's Song
2) Between Hell and Texas
Upcoming books, Fall 2005 "Black Mesa". 2006, re-printing of "While Angels Dance". Also, a number of his books are now available on audio tape, see his website for details. Ralph thanks everyone for spreading word of his books. www.ralphcotton.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RIDE A BLACK HORSE CONTEST 2:
Win a Hardcover copy of LADIGAN by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
Point your browser to: www.blackhorsewesterns.com and click on the contest graphic to send a blank email--write Black Horse Contest in the subject line--and you automatically enter to win a hardcover signed edition of Ladigan by Lance Howard. Details available on the Black Horse site. Good luck!
AUGUST RELEASE:The first in a new series:
VENGEANCE PASS by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
A man with a mission, a woman with an attitude and a town blood-red with murder... Hardcover from http://www.amazon.co.uk and http://www.bookshop.blackwell.co.uk
Homepage:http://www.howardhopkins.com
Johnny Laredo is a myth, a figment of a West hungry for legend, a name whispered around campfires--or so everyone thinks. Everyone but former manhunter Jim Hannigan. Drawn to the peaceful Colorado town of Castigo Pass in search of the outlaw for the murder of a banker's daughter, Hannigan stumbles into an ever-deepening mystery. Promptly jailed as a suspect in the vanishing of a young woman, his troubles don't end there. Concealed shooters, brutal hardcases and constant danger stalk him at every turn. Add to that a fiery young woman bent on revenge, a bargirl with shrouded motives and the dark demons of Hannigan's past and this case may just prove to be his last
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIM MARION ETTER
Jim Marion Etter of Las Cruces, NM, has two stories in the July/August issue of American Cowboy magazine -- one about a lady in Deming, New Mexico, who promotes Western movies and the other about a "mule man" in Warner, Oklahoma.
PERSIMMON HILL (National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum magazine), Summer Issue, Jim Etter has an article on page 68, RIDING THE TRAIL WITH BILLY THE KID. He also submitted the outstanding photography to illustrate the story. An interesting article depicts 20 some riders traveled the trail where Billy the Kid rode from Lincoln to Fort Sumner, New Mexico
http://www.jimetter.com/
That's all pards until next month. Thanks to all our contributors for their interesting stories and news. Keep the submissions coming. Stay cool y'all.
Your chat hosts,
Marge, Sandy, Kim
WESTERN WRITERS CHAT WEBSITE
Our website is now updated and ready to use:
WESTERN WRITERS Home Page
http://members.aol.com/avtopaz/westernw.htm
© 1997 - 2005 Western Writers Chat
on aol. All rights reserved.
|
