Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Unless my math has left me, this October 26th, it will be 125 years since the Clantons and McLaurys, Earps and Doc Holliday stepped into that tiny space between that restaurant and Fly's Photo Studio with one horse and fired 28 shots in about 30 seconds with a crowd of witnesses and blazed themselves into history.
I've written and published a bunch of stories about it myownself along with a small American State full of other writers who have "researched" and written their own versions.
As for me, I had the dubious honor of actually getting dudd-ed up in western gear and stepping off in the Centennial Celebration 100 years to the nano-second and choreographing it to the last bullet, blast, blood-squirt vocal shout, cuss word according to historical accounts.
So, maybe my account is a little more accurate, dontcha' think? I actually did it to TV cameras broadcast all over the globe so NBC told us.
Not my point: even after that, the OK Corral still makes news. Up til a couple of years ago, Arizona had an open gun law everywhere EXCEPT in Tombstone, site of the Corral shoot-out.
City Council and the Sheriff said, uh-uh, no carrying guns in our town, too dangerous. Hang em up in the nearest saloon, hotel, or in your car-trunk. Just like the old days.
Well, dont you know, some smart ass rancher over the hill loves to come riding into town every so often and wants to dock his horse just like 1880 pop into the Crystal Palace or Big Nose Kate's for a beer or so, and pack his six shooter. He gets arrested and fined, and doesn't like it.
Happens he's also a lawyer. You guessed it, sues everyone in sight clear up to the State Supreme Court, gets the local law neutered, now every one in Tombstone can carry a gun.
And, they do. Now, you walk down the Allen Street in Tombstone, Arizona and it's tough to find someone who is not strapping at least a .38 revolver on his hip. An automatic you say? In Tombstone? You're kidding. No self respecting gunman would be caught dead wearing a new fangled 20th century handgun.
What was good enough for Wyatt, is good enough for them. Did you know, if you practiced hard enough, you can fan a single action six shooter in
5 seconds and clear all the rounds? Yup. Sounds just like a machine gun. I've seen them do it.
Tombstone, Arizona is known as the town too tough to die.
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I've written and published a bunch of stories about it myownself along with a small American State full of other writers who have "researched" and written their own versions.
As for me, I had the dubious honor of actually getting dudd-ed up in western gear and stepping off in the Centennial Celebration 100 years to the nano-second and choreographing it to the last bullet, blast, blood-squirt vocal shout, cuss word according to historical accounts.
So, maybe my account is a little more accurate, dontcha' think? I actually did it to TV cameras broadcast all over the globe so NBC told us.
Not my point: even after that, the OK Corral still makes news. Up til a couple of years ago, Arizona had an open gun law everywhere EXCEPT in Tombstone, site of the Corral shoot-out.
City Council and the Sheriff said, uh-uh, no carrying guns in our town, too dangerous. Hang em up in the nearest saloon, hotel, or in your car-trunk. Just like the old days.
Well, dont you know, some smart ass rancher over the hill loves to come riding into town every so often and wants to dock his horse just like 1880 pop into the Crystal Palace or Big Nose Kate's for a beer or so, and pack his six shooter. He gets arrested and fined, and doesn't like it.
Happens he's also a lawyer. You guessed it, sues everyone in sight clear up to the State Supreme Court, gets the local law neutered, now every one in Tombstone can carry a gun.
And, they do. Now, you walk down the Allen Street in Tombstone, Arizona and it's tough to find someone who is not strapping at least a .38 revolver on his hip. An automatic you say? In Tombstone? You're kidding. No self respecting gunman would be caught dead wearing a new fangled 20th century handgun.
What was good enough for Wyatt, is good enough for them. Did you know, if you practiced hard enough, you can fan a single action six shooter in
5 seconds and clear all the rounds? Yup. Sounds just like a machine gun. I've seen them do it.
Tombstone, Arizona is known as the town too tough to die.
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