September 14, 2005
Very cool and nice out now, especially in the mornings.

Working hard on Black Bart the California stage robber for the next Classic Gunfights. Pretty incredible record. He robbed 28 stages over an eight year period, never fired a shot (allegedly used an unloaded shotgun) and never hurt anyone. He wrote zany poetry, which he left at the scene of a couple of robbery sites, and he was quite clever. There was only one problem: he looks like an aging butler, not a stage robber. In fact, when they captured him and took him to trial, the crowds flocked to get a look at him, and upon noticing the knot of lawmen surrounding him, everyone thought Bart was one of the detectives. In fact, it’s probably safe to say, we don’t really celebrate him today in movies and fiction because he looks too mature and didn’t shoot it out with anyone. Hmmmm.

Carole took me to lunch at China Joy today. Had the hot beef. Carole bought.

We’ve landed another authentic buscadero sighting. This one from northern Arizona, probably Flagstaff, or Holbrook, circa 1884. A lawman with a badge on the crown of his hat stands next to his horse and on his hip is the notorious, thought to be historically inaccurate buscadero holster. Yes, this low slung holster has long been thought to be an invention of Hollywood. This makes the second example of a known buscadero from the 1880s and in the same locale, to boot. Commodore Perry Owens is the other famous example, often sited as an exception, and since both photos are from the same area and era, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Here’s what the gentleman who forwarded the image to me has to say about that:

“I don't believe Hollywood ever invented something new about cowboys, we've just lost the connection.”
—Paul J. Tulleners, Dewey, Arizona

Legendary record producer Snuff Garrett called me this morning to correct a photo in the current issue. Snuff is adamant that a photo we guesstimated as Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is actually Jack Holt. Meghan still stands by her tentative I.D that it could be Douglas.

Just got word from Mike Melrose that more than one official in Tombstone is unhappy with our October cover story. A woman from the chamber thinks it will hurt business and she took particular umbrage at Johnny Boggs’ remarks, which when Mike and I looked at them (Johnny’s comments), seemed quite tame.

Sketched a “steaming stud” this morning. I love how horses steam when they are wet. Great effects. It’s all part of my research for "The Mexicali Stud" story. I stopped horse person Christa Barro on the road last night and asked her if there are any white studs around and she said, “Besides you?” And I said, “No, brilliant neighbor, I mean like horses. We always see black stallions but I assume there are white ones, no?” Christa said, “Of course, Andelusians are all white. The whole breed.” I need to look this up. I like the idea of a white stud being tracked by a Mexican vaquero. Gives credence to the old song lyrics I’d like to borrow: “The Mexicali Stud was long and mean, the color of the moon and his eyes were green.”

”If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we would all be millionaires.”
—Abigail Van Buren