b'DID YOU KNOW, IN THE OLD WEST.By Lee Anderson, Old West Living Historian, Award Winning Author, and Old School HorsemanLee Anderson and his horse, Concho, are well known around the state doing presentations in schools, corporate events,and civic events. Learn more about them and his book on his website. historicaloldwest.orgT his month lets take a look atOn the way West in a covered wagon, meals were oftennot uncommon for a man in the East to head for California some terms and slang that werecooked over a fire fueled by prairie coal or prairieleaving his wife behind to follow later after he had made common in the Old West in thepancakes. With some 50 million buffalo roaming thehis fortune, which very few did (make the fortune or 1800s. Some may be familiar, some are obvious, and someprairies, there was, naturally, an abundance of buffaloreturn). If he did happen to return, it was at least a yearare real puzzlers. droppings. When completely dried out, buffaloor two, often more, later.droppings, as well as that of other animals that are Its 1868. Youre going to govegetarians, will burn and burn pretty hot with veryA frog strangler was a massive downpour of rain. The back East to visit relatives.little smoke and odor. Children on wagon trainsentertainer, Tennessee Ernie Ford (look him up on the So, you take the cars. Thewere often tasked with spending a good deal ofinternet) was known to use this one every now and again. cars????they had cars intheir day searching for and gathering this fuel.1868? Yep, thats right, theThe biggest toad in the puddle was the most important cars. Today we would say we were taking the train.I see youre carrying aperson in a group.So whats the deal with the cars? Think about it. A trainbarkin iron! That was just one can be made up of box cars, cattle cars, flat cars, coal cars,of the terms applied to a pistol. The handle ofIf you had a hair in the butter refrigerated cars, or a dozen other kinds of cars, cant it?a revolver resembled the handles on the singleyou were in a really delicate In 1868, trains were not very long. It usually hadbottom plows pulled by a farmers team of mules orsituation of some sort.a mail car, maybe 6 or 8 various freighthorses so, a pistol was sometimes referred to as a plow cars, and a couple of passenger cars.handle. There were other colorful terms for pistols such asIf I were a bettin man (which Therefore, you were taking the cars. smoke pole and peacemaker. AnotherI aint), Id bet especially descriptive term for a loadedyoull think of Then there were the backdoor trots.six-shot revolver was a black-eyed- this one the next With no such thing as indoor plumbingSusan, which only makes sense if onetime youre about in the 1800s, the call of nature washas ever been pointed in your direction.to take a bite of a lemon answered in an outhouse that wasmeringue pie. The meringue was sometimes located over a pit some distance behindA woman who was separated from herreferred to as calf slobbers.To fully the main house. To get to it you went outhusband but not divorced was oftenunderstand this one you need to watch a calf the back door. If your insides were actingreferred to as a California widow.as it nurses. Enjoy! up it was very important to get to the outhouse in a realDuring the California Gold Rush it was hurry. Therefore, the backdoor trots.Your Property Is My PriorityOh, give me land, lots of land, underneath the starry skies.RARE FIND! 2.2 ACRE40 ACRESSADDLE 10 ACRESLOT IN OF LANDRIDGE:MONTEFOR SALE1.15 ACRE LOT OF HORSEIN AGUILA Beautiful views!PROPERTYVISTALarge shop,$135,000RANCHIn Town ofGorgeous,former feed1.3 ACRE LOT lot, scaleGreat views!Wickenburgflat,house, scale,$238,000With Home,spectactularand much.83 ACRE LOT views. Beautiful views depending Pool, Arena.$250,000 more. on where you build. SHIARA KIRSCHCall me for more details. $750,000 $115,000 REALTOR 928-231-3110SHIARA@SHIARAKIRSCH.COM82 N VALENTINE STWICKENBURG, AZ 85390ArizonaRealCountry.com October 2021 9'