The Peacemaker and Its Rivals by John E. Parsons

Author:John E. Parsons
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781628739367
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

From Colt’s first full length Catalog, 1888

The next inscribed Peacemaker, a silver-plated arm with 7½ inch barrel and pearl handles carved with a Mexican eagle, shipped in October, 1879, was recorded as having been marked “W. B. Masterson.” William Barclay Masterson, better known as Bat, was sheriff of Ford County, Kansas. He had been one of the buffalo hunters who held off the Comanches at Adobe Walls in 1874, later hiring out as a scout for General Nelson A. Miles. In 1876 prior to becoming a proprietor of the Lone Star Dance Hall he served as a deputy of Wyatt Earp, Marshal of Dodge City.7 Bat was evidently well pleased with the Peacemaker acquired by him while sheriff, for at different times subsequently he ordered seven more Colt single action forty-fives, either for himself or friends, the last two having “sights higher than usual.”

Inscriptions on other Peacemakers are equally revealing of their clientele. “William R. Houston, Texas,” was recorded for a presentation to a son of the victor at San Jacinto. “J. S. W. U.S.M. from the Boys, 1895” marked a gift to an unidentified federal marshal. “CB to BM 1886-1907” suggests a friendship or partnership of over twenty years’ standing. “For our Chief W. M. Rea from Fort Worth Police” speaks for itself, as does “Robt. D. Weldrun from the Tomboy G. M. Co. Ltd. Telluride, Colo.” “C. A. Farnsworth, Sheriff Grant Co. [N. M.] 1905-6” and “Paul Spofford Pearsall, Rough Rider USA” are equally self-explanatory. Fancy arms were often marked with addresses as well as names or initials, early examples being “Giles C. Avriet, Cameron Texas,” “Ed Cornelius, Three Circle Ranch Erath Co.,” “Jno. W. Parham, Hillsboro Texas,” “Wm Reed, Antelope Springs, Col.,” “Chas. Smith, Silver City N. M.,” “O. W. Leader, Scipio, Okla.” and “Wiley G. Hains, Hominy I.T.” Hains was at the time chief of police for the Osage Nation and a deputy United States marshal. Names like those of two brothers, “Felipe Rodriguez” and “Tibucio Rodriguez” engraved on the pearl handles of pairs of silver-plated .44s exemplified the devotees of the single action south of the border.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.