February 16, 2004
Got a couple questions in this morning’s e-mail bag:

“Could you please tell me the name of the announcer on the Westerns channel? I know it’s familiar, but can’t place it. I just got that channel from Dish network and am thrilled. All those old Westerns. I feel like a kid again. Thanks so much.”
—Sue Rout

I e-mailed Jeff Hildebrandt at the Westerns channel and here’s his reply:
His name is Bill Barwick. He's a Denver based Western singer/songwriter who plays regularly at the Historic Buckhorn Exchange. For more information on Bill, check out his website:

http://www.barwicksvoice.com/

You can also learn about the Buckhorn, which by the way was started by one of Buffalo Bill Cody's scouts and has Colorado Liquor License #1.

http://www.buckhorn.com/

Question Number 2:
“would you tell me please, which article of the Classic Gunfights was the first? My first True West magazine is the Custer issue (May/June 2001). And would you kindly tell me what themes were before Custer?”
—Jari Teilas from Finland

The very first Classic Gunfights article was in the July 2000 issue and featured the Mescal Springs fight between Wyatt Earp and Curly Bill. It is of course in the new book, in a somewhat expanded version. Other fights featured before the Custer issue were the Wild Bill vs. Dave Tutt gunfight (August, 2000); the Elfego Baca fight at Frisco, New Mexico (Sept., 2000); The Gunfight Behind the OK Corral (October, 2000); Billy the Kid Claiborne Vs. Buckskin Frank Leslie (November, 2000); Billy the Kid at Stinking Springs (December, 2000); the Topless Gunfight (January, 2001); OKII featuring the showdown between the Allen Barra gang and the Glenn Boyer gang at Schieffelin Hall on November 4, 2000 (February, 2001 and definitely not in the book). Of course many of these back issues are sold out and selling on e-Bay and elsewhere for $40 each, although someone told me recently you can still buy the OK Corral issue (Feb., 2001) at Spangenberg’s gunshop in Tombstone for the cover price.

“Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking.”
—Old Vaquero Saying