SINCERELY SCOTTY by Walter Scott: Trails of the West

Trails of the West

As a fan of western lore, I want to go back into history and tell you about some little known events in our past.  Western history is quite full of such little known items about various people.  Recorded history in the old west was at best scattered out and only recently have there been attempts to gather it up.  I subscribe to a little randomly published newspaper called, Trails of the West.  They attempt to publish little known stories from the west.  It is from this paper, I want to tell you a story………

We’ve all heard of Buffalo Bill, Kit Carson, Annie Oakley, Doc Holliday, and many other popular, well documented legends of the west, but have you ever heard of the Mysterious Dave Mather?  No, I don’t suppose you have……..

It was a short time after the Santa Fe railroad had reached Las Vegas and there were many strangers in town – railroad workers and new people moving in to support the railroad such as gamblers, gunmen, and all kinds of people out to make either a dime or trouble.  It was a town of uncontrolled growth. 

It was in November, 1879, that Dave Mather arrived in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  He was a law officer as was Joe Carson, who held the marshal’s job.  The first order that Mather issued was to ban firearms within the city limits. 

On January 22nd, 1880, shooting was heard in the street near the Patterson Saloon.  Marshal Carson went to investigate and on walking into the saloon, he encountered four Texans who were apparently waiting for him with guns drawn.  Carson asked for their guns and when they refused, an argument ensued the air was suddenly filled with lead.  When it was over, one Texan was dead, and another mortally wounded, as was Marshall Carson.  He had nine bullets in him and he died a short time later.  With the marshal dead, the mysterious Dave Mather became marshal. 

About six weeks later, Joseph Castello, the foreman of a railroad crew, drew his gun to break up a gunfight at the railroad site.  About that same time, Mysterious Dave showed up and asked all the men to put up their guns as there had been enough trouble.  Instead of obeying the order, Castello turned his gun on Dave and threatened to shoot if he came any closer. 

Dave continued to advance and quickly drew his gun and mortally wounded Castello.  He died the next morning on March 15, 1880.

Mysterious Dave resigned as marshal and dropped out of sight.  No one heard of him for two years until he showed up in Dodge City, Kansas, where he became a lawman once again.

So there you have a little known tale of the old west.  But wait, there is another tale that is a bit less dramatic, but nevertheless quite interesting; it is about a not-so-famous horse race………….

In 1893, there was a newspaper reporter, named John G. Maher, who represented several eastern newspapers.  If the news was slow, he would create news – a hoax, if you will.  It seems that one time he sent out a story about a horse race from Chadron, Nebraska to Chicago, Illinois.  But when letters began pouring in asking for more information about the race, the people of Chadron found out about the hoax and decided to turn it into a real race.

Harvey Weir was the town’s recording secretary and he contacted Buffalo Bill Cody by mail.  The World’s Fair was in Chicago as was Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.  Harvey asked Buffalo Bill if his tent could be used as the finish line for the race.  Cody quickly agreed and even put up a $500 purse to be set up in his name.  The details of the race are not important, but the finish is.  John Berry was the first to finish the race arriving at Buffalo Bill’s tent on June 27th, eight hours short of two weeks. 

Emmett Albright arrived second, but was disqualified when it was learned he had shipped his horse part way on the train.  Joe Gillespie arrived third, however, Buffalo Bill awarded John Berry, first, Gillespie, second, and C. W. Smith, third.

The Chadron committee felt that Berry was ineligible, so they awarded first to Joe Gillespie.  Berry’s ineligibility was attributed to the fact that he helped set up the route of the race.  While Berry was ineligible for the prize, he announced that he would ride to win Buffalo Bill’s award – which he did.     

Wow, a two week horse race!  I hope you enjoyed these little stories from the western past.  All are true, but little known stories. 

Sincerely, Scotty