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Gunslingers and Other Characters of the Old West from Gene W. Baade Gene W. Baade's Catalogue 805. By Michael Stillman The latest catalogue from Gene W. Baade of Washington State, number 805, has just been published. Baade specializes in "Books on the West," that land of endless vistas, tall mountains, and tall tales. Not even the slickest of eastern city slickers can resist stories of the Old West, and the characters who inhabited this once rough and sparsely populated land. A Gene Baade catalogue will bring you back to these times, with its collection of both renown and obscure western histories. "Wild Bill" Hickok is one of those old western names most people recognize, though it's doubtful many still remember why. James Butler Hickok was an expert marksman who worked on the right side of the law, though he seemed willing to bend it to suit his needs. He left his family home in Illinois on reaching his majority to work for the stage company in Nebraska. His reputation began when he shot and killed David McCanles and two others who had come to collect payments owed after McCanles sold his pony express station. Hickok was tried for the shooting but acquitted, likely because he was in the employ of the powerful Overland Stage Company. This incident grew into a deed of great courage and skill in later retellings, which while less than accurate, Hickok saw no need to correct. He became a legend. "Wild Bill" would go on to serve as both a local lawman and Federal Marshall, served the Union in the Civil War, and with Custer for a while in the Seventh Cavalry, spent a year as an entertainer with Buffalo Bill's western show, captured a number of outlaws, and became well-known as a gambler. It was an exciting life, though not quite up to the reputation he garnered. However, gambling has been the downfall of many men, and "Wild Bill" was no exception. In 1876, Hickok was playing poker in the gold rush boomtown of Deadwood, South Dakota, his back inexplicably turned to the door. In walked one Jack McCall, a young drifter supposedly seeking revenge for the killing of his brother, but likely trying to make his own reputation. He walked up behind "Bill" and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok died instantly, McCall a few months later at the end of a rope. Now you can read all about this great western character in Edward Knight's 1959 book, Wild Bill Hickok. The Contemporary Portrait of a Civil War Hero, Champion Pistoleer, Deadliest Gunfighter of the Old West. Item 67. Priced at $25. A westerner that you don't know, but who claimed to know most of those characters you do, "Wild Bill" included, was one Joseph "White Eye" Anderson. Among those "White Eye" claimed to know were Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, Deadwood Dick, The James Brothers and Liver-eating Johnson. Supposedly, he accompanied Hickcok on his journey to Deadwood. He describes the older Hickok as having problems with distance eyesight, but still able to see close enough for a draw. Apparently Bill never had to aim; he just drew, fired, and relentlessly hit his target. Anderson also claims that Calamity Jane was one of the parties on the Deadwood trip, but that contrary to certain rumors, there were no romantic links between Jane and "Wild Bill." You can read White Eye's tales, which may or may not be true, in I Buried Hickok. The memoirs of White Eye Anderson. Item 123. $48.50
Gunslingers and Other Characters of the Old West from Gene W. Baade Looking for the opposite of southern cooking? It's all here in the Northern Cookbook, by Eleanor Ellis. We aren't talking Yankee pot roast here. No, we mean polar bear, moose, caribou, seal and whale. There's even a section on "arctic gourmet recipes." One nice thing about far northern cuisine is it's not too heavy on vegetables. Item 38. $75. Joel Palmer's Journal of Travels Over the Rocky Mountains to the Mouth of the Columbia River...is one of the most important Oregon Trail works. The original 1847 edition was actually used as a guide by many of its travelers. It is today a rare and quite valuable book. In 1906, the book was reprinted by Arthur H. Clark, one of his earlier publications, this time edited by famed author and historian Reuben Gold Thwaites. Item 106 is a copy of this scarce Clark edition, and it comes with an interesting inscription dated 1922. Signed by Mrs. Hannah Shaw, it says, "The author, 'Joel Palmer' - is my Uncle, my - Mother's brother." $500. Item 21 is No Life for a Lady, an account of growing up in rural New Mexico by Agnes Morley Cleaveland. Mrs. Cleaveland moved away when she grew up, living most of her life on the east or west coast, but returned to her home in Datil, New Mexico, in her later years. I do not know what Datil was like in the late 19th and mid-20th century when she lived there, but I can attest there's not much to keep a lady entertained there even today. For those wishing to check it out for themselves, Datil is located between the Very Large Array radio telescopes, placed there because nothing else is, and Pie Town, so named because of the delicious pies sold at the local gas station in the 1920s. $150. Gene W. Baade may be reached at 425-271-6481 or by email at bookwest@eskimo.com

Gunslingers and Other Characters of the Old West from Gene W. Baade

Gene W. Baade's Catalogue 805.

By Michael Stillman

The latest catalogue from Gene W. Baade of Washington State, number 805, has just been published. Baade specializes in "Books on the West," that land of endless vistas, tall mountains, and tall tales. Not even the slickest of eastern city slickers can resist stories of the Old West, and the characters who inhabited this once rough and sparsely populated land. A Gene Baade catalogue will bring you back to these times, with its collection of both renown and obscure western histories.

"Wild Bill" Hickok is one of those old western names most people recognize, though it's doubtful many still remember why. James Butler Hickok was an expert marksman who worked on the right side of the law, though he seemed willing to bend it to suit his needs. He left his family home in Illinois on reaching his majority to work for the stage company in Nebraska. His reputation began when he shot and killed David McCanles and two others who had come to collect payments owed after McCanles sold his pony express station. Hickok was tried for the shooting but acquitted, likely because he was in the employ of the powerful Overland Stage Company. This incident grew into a deed of great courage and skill in later retellings, which while less than accurate, Hickok saw no need to correct. He became a legend. "Wild Bill" would go on to serve as both a local lawman and Federal Marshall, served the Union in the Civil War, and with Custer for a while in the Seventh Cavalry, spent a year as an entertainer with Buffalo Bill's western show, captured a number of outlaws, and became well-known as a gambler. It was an exciting life, though not quite up to the reputation he garnered. However, gambling has been the downfall of many men, and "Wild Bill" was no exception. In 1876, Hickok was playing poker in the gold rush boomtown of Deadwood, South Dakota, his back inexplicably turned to the door. In walked one Jack McCall, a young drifter supposedly seeking revenge for the killing of his brother, but likely trying to make his own reputation. He walked up behind "Bill" and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok died instantly, McCall a few months later at the end of a rope. Now you can read all about this great western character in Edward Knight's 1959 book, Wild Bill Hickok. The Contemporary Portrait of a Civil War Hero, Champion Pistoleer, Deadliest Gunfighter of the Old West. Item 67. Priced at $25.

A westerner that you don't know, but who claimed to know most of those characters you do, "Wild Bill" included, was one Joseph "White Eye" Anderson. Among those "White Eye" claimed to know were Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, Deadwood Dick, The James Brothers and Liver-eating Johnson. Supposedly, he accompanied Hickcok on his journey to Deadwood. He describes the older Hickok as having problems with distance eyesight, but still able to see close enough for a draw. Apparently Bill never had to aim; he just drew, fired, and relentlessly hit his target. Anderson also claims that Calamity Jane was one of the parties on the Deadwood trip, but that contrary to certain rumors, there were no romantic links between Jane and "Wild Bill." You can read White Eye's tales, which may or may not be true, in I Buried Hickok. The memoirs of White Eye Anderson. Item 123. $48.50

Gunslingers and Other Characters of the Old West from Gene W. Baade

Looking for the opposite of southern cooking? It's all here in the Northern Cookbook, by Eleanor Ellis. We aren't talking Yankee pot roast here. No, we mean polar bear, moose, caribou, seal and whale. There's even a section on "arctic gourmet recipes." One nice thing about far northern cuisine is it's not too heavy on vegetables. Item 38. $75.

Joel Palmer's Journal of Travels Over the Rocky Mountains to the Mouth of the Columbia River...is one of the most important Oregon Trail works. The original 1847 edition was actually used as a guide by many of its travelers. It is today a rare and quite valuable book. In 1906, the book was reprinted by Arthur H. Clark, one of his earlier publications, this time edited by famed author and historian Reuben Gold Thwaites. Item 106 is a copy of this scarce Clark edition, and it comes with an interesting inscription dated 1922. Signed by Mrs. Hannah Shaw, it says, "The author, 'Joel Palmer' - is my Uncle, my - Mother's brother." $500.

Item 21 is No Life for a Lady, an account of growing up in rural New Mexico by Agnes Morley Cleaveland. Mrs. Cleaveland moved away when she grew up, living most of her life on the east or west coast, but returned to her home in Datil, New Mexico, in her later years. I do not know what Datil was like in the late 19th and mid-20th century when she lived there, but I can attest there's not much to keep a lady entertained there even today. For those wishing to check it out for themselves, Datil is located between the Very Large Array radio telescopes, placed there because nothing else is, and Pie Town, so named because of the delicious pies sold at the local gas station in the 1920s. $150.

Gene W. Baade may be reached at 425-271-6481 or by email at bookwest@eskimo.com