The Old West

It seems as though we are losing site of a very important time in the history of the United States, that being the period known as the " Old West ". Part of the problem may be that the period only lasted a brief 35 years from 1865 to 1899. Or, that it was pretty much confined to a particular section of the U.S., the Southwest. Add in the fact that High School history books today lack any substance regarding the Old West and that Hollywood would rather make films about Super Hero's like Spiderman and Fantastic Four- Rise of the Silver Surfer or animations like Ratatouille.

So where does one go to learn about the Old West ? I would start by going online to the True West Magazine web site and click on Forum. There you can view a vast array of topics on the Old West. While at True West also check out the links page that covers anything Western. Next, find a used book store in your town or visit your local library. My personal library, of over 125 books, began with a trip to a used book store. I now use the internet to find specific books I'm looking for. If you are seeking artifacts from the Old West a must visit site is OldWestAntiques.biz

Lastly, if you are looking for great Old West entertainment check out the Western Channel or look into what movies are available to buy or rent. If you are more into getting a firsthand experience take in a PBR ( Professional Bull Riders) event or a NCA ( National Cowboy Association ) event. And, you could always visit an Old West town like Deadwood or Tombstone. If traveling the Southwest is in your future why not spend a few days at a Dude Ranch. I recommend the Lazy K Bar Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. My wife and I spent some time there last winter and we had a ball.

Gambling Cheats Exposed

Did gamblers in the Old West cheat ? You bet they did ! In fact, a whole industry developed to help the cheaters. Every device invented to prevent cheating was modified so it could be used to cheat. So does that mean all Gamblers were cheats? No. The honest gamblers were just that honest but they had to know how cheaters cheated in order to keep from going broke. Men like Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Luke Short were famous for playing on the "square" and winning. Let me also add Doc Holliday to that list.

Gafted equipment can be found in the old manufacturers catalogs from that time period. One such device was a simple card holdout. Pictured above is the Wizard card holdout, used to hold a card up the gamblers sleeve. Many types exist today and can be found Online, in Antique Shops or at Auction sites.

Check out OLDWESTANTIQUES.BIZ for two such holdouts.