The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-10-10
FRONTIER WEAPONS.
The Cowboys Taste for First-Class
Pocket Artillery.
A Dazzling Trick with the Trigger
Nothing Less Than Caiiber
Forty-Five-Ths sheriff.
Shot-Gun.
New Mexico Cor. Globe-Democrnt,I

was III Fl Paso the other day. having
gone up ill the stage, as the line between Las
Cruces and FL Paso IL washed out While in
town dropped into L a large store on El
Paso street, which enjoys the reputation Of
selling more arms than An, sther house ia
the city.
While your correspondent was inspecting
the glittering array Of pistols Of ali kind.
which filed half dozen show cases, a young
fellow of about . entered He was dressed
in approved frontier style, sombrero it would
take three days to walk round the rim Of
whit" handkerchief tied loosely round thu
neck, blue shirt, pants stuck In his boots, and
large Mexican spurs upon his heels, jingling
az he walked. He wished to buy a gun
In the expressiveness and laconic tongue OF
the frontier gun" is revolver, G. rife Ia
called by tho name OF the maker, and the
weapon OF the sportsman uncurtailed Of Its
fair proportions, is known as shotgun.
Selecting from q case handsomely
mounted 45-calibcr revolver the clerk said:
How would you like this' 1t is the newest
thing out-a double-action forty-five"
"Aint worth row of beans. No man
'ccpt tenderfoot wants that kind Of thing.
Give mo an old reliable all the time. Ye see
man that's used TO the old style Is apt to
get fooled-not pull her off in time-and then
he'll be laid out coder'n wedge"
He was handed out a single-action OF the
same model, which, after carefully exam
lining, he proceeded to cock and fire, twirling
the pistol around his forefinger and cooking
and pressing the trigger the moment the butt
came into the palm OF his hand. After some
little "kick" about the price the weapon was
paid for and the customer left the store
There are few men," observed the clerk
as his customer left. "that can do that trick.
l have been ten years Oh the south west from
tier, among the worst classes, and don't know
more than half II dozen. Bill tho kid could
do 1t, 50 can Pat Carrot, former sheriff Of Lin
coin county; SO can Dan Tucker, deputy
sheriff Of Defining. Curly Bill could do it best
OF the lot, and that's how he killed Sheriff
White at Tombstone"
TREACHEROUS TRICK.
"How was thatF queried the correspond
ent.
well, you see Curly Bill was trying to
paint the town red, and White heard of it,
and going up to him covered him with his
six-shooter and told him he had got TO give
up his gun. Bill handed the gun out butt
first, but kept his finger inside the guard, and
az tho sheriff reached for 1t he gave il that
twist you've seen, turned her loose, and the
sheriff passed in his checks"
"Do you sell many Of the bulldog pistolsi"
"Yes. They are chiefly bought by railroad
laborers, tramps and boys. Men who are
used TO the country either buy a caliber Il or
carry a "A or - in Il shoulder scabbard."
What is thatf
well it's pistol scabbard with q strap
passing over the right shoulder, and supports
The pistol under your coat ON the left side. II
enables you To draw while man is thinking
that you are only locking for your Landker-
chief. The bulldog is a poor pistol, shoots
wild and can't be depended upon for over
fifteen feet. The great trouble with all these
pistols are that they are hard OH the trigger.
The boys get over this by having the catch
filed down. The pistol Of the cowboy is as
fine on the trigger as were the hair-triggers
OF tho old dueling lays"
A SPECIAL WEAPON.
II want TO show you kind Of shotgun that
has limited use" continued the clerk, and
he lei the way To the back Of the store where
about half dozen double barreled shot-guns
were standing in rack. They had all been
cut of short, the barrels being only about
two feet in length. but otherwise they were
perfect These guns are prime favorites
with sheriffs, deputy sheri1s. United States
marshals and officers Of the law generally,
and when they get the drop on you with one
OF them it's O case of throw up your hands.
no matter how much sand you may have
got They are very handy, and you can
stow them away under the seat Of a buggy
with ease. Wells -Fargo's messengers all
carry them, and at short range they beat
rifles and six-shooters all to hades. 1t was
armed with one Of them that Horn, who was
deputy sheriff at Lordsburg, took in Curly
Bill Bill was riding out of the corral and
Horn had stationed himself Just by
the door post. As Bill fode out he covered
him and called to him to throw up his
hands Bill only glanced at the weapon
and up went his hands. Had it been a six
shooter he'd have taken chances A darn
TOOL went and rode through the dining-room |
In the railroad hotel at Deming fourishing |
iis pistol. and frightened the lady passen-
yers bound west nearly into fits. Dan Tucker
'ound the fellow on the street, covered him
with her and called hands up The blasted
diot make motion for his six-shooter and
Dan filed him chuck full Of buckshot. He
ailed to get there, Eli, and now peacefully
leeps beneath the daisies.
BUT FEW ACCIDENTS.
II notice that you have fewer accidents
rom firearms in the west than we have in
he east, which, considering that every man
arries a gun, seems extraordinary"
at is not. The men who are always hand
ing firearms are the most careful with them.
ID like to see you point a pistol or shotgun at
cowboy, and he'd make You drop It so quick
Swould make your head swim. There used
o be a good many accidents, though, few
ears ago, when the boys we're in the habit
4 carrying the full six loads in their guns,
nd trusting to the safety catch to avoid any
anger. Sure a. the gun dropped on the
round of she went. A number got shot
bis way. Now nearly every fellow carries
ne chamber empty with the hammer resting
n it when, Of course, no jar can dischargeit.
"Some Of the cowboys" said the dealer in
onclusion, "are regular dudes about pistols
'othing will do them but guild and silver
mounted and ivory handled weapons. Rich
iexicans are more given to this style Of thing
han even Americans The truth is that
ickle-piated and silver-plated revolvers are