James Camerote
American is what the reader wants. They want to know our history and stand proud. Many tales of the west have been written in the past, but none that equal the uniqueness of “The Western Western.” This 90,000-word epic takes the reader through the days of Wyatt Earp, Dodge City and taming the west. Every tale that thrilled most of us growing up is in this one book
Federal Marshal Bill Elliot travels to Dodge City to assist Wyatt Earp in a town takeover of the corrupt saloon keeper who threatens to take land from the local cattle ranchers, oil wells and other business establishments throughout Ford County. Wyatt’s many friends come to his aid to help capture the election and rid Dodge of these famous villains.
From bronco busting, train robberies, General Custer and Big Horn, a barn raising, a medicine show, shootings rustlers, gold mining, and even a little romance. This book will leave the reader wanting to learn
Jim Camerote, the author of this book, tells the tale of the west as he remembers it from his experience researching the west, as well as growing up with these heroes on the big screen, which was a big part of his life. He captures the characters, form Wyatt to Doc Holiday, just as we remember them.
Late in the morning, twenty miles from Dodge City, Marshal Bill Elliot and his horse, Champ, advanced along a solitary country road toward Dodge at a half-gallop. On that late spring day, wildflowers wove their varying hues into a brilliant display. Meadowlarks in the cottonwoods chirped repeatedly, welcoming the season. Squirrels scampered through the trees as briskly as they knew how, some so far out on the limb, the marshal wondered if they had any fear at all of falling.
Elliot enjoyed the early spring weather and marveled at the power a change in season could bring, after his last visit to Dodge during a bleak prairie winter. Although he traveled throughout the West and seen different towns and cities, the landscape surrounding Dodge was his favorite. The people in the larger cities seemed to overtake every inch of open space they could. Elliot liked the open space and clean air.
Elliot and Champ were within two miles of Dodge City. He thought about the current assignment. Wyatt told Cartwright that he was certain that most of the trouble in Dodge had been on account of the efforts of one man--Zach Scott. Wyatt believed that Scott, a saloonkeeper, was trying to gain control of the territory by extortion, land grabbing, and terrorism. He was inspired purely by his own selfish motivation.
By utilizing different bands of outlaws indirectly, and corrupting some key public officials, Scott succeeded in deviously manipulating a large portion of the commerce in the Dodge City area. This enabled Scott to successfully lure an appreciable number of citizens to take up his banner, so to speak. Wyatt lacked conclusive proof of the man’s wrongdoing and therefore, had nothing to present to those of the town more interested in furthering their own financial gain than recognizing a potential source of corruption.
Wyatt sent a letter to Cartwright, explaining the extent of the treachery, the money Scott could wave in front of a man with an apparent foolproof scheme for large dividends and profits. Even men of good reputation were being impressed by both his vision and his business acumen.
In the same letter, Wyatt told Cartwright of a friend of his, Endicott by name, a local rancher who recently caught one of Scott’s lieutenants, a man by the name of Van Clef, and a half-dozen of his cohorts trying to steal about a hundred head of his prime stock. When Endicott confronted the would-be rustler, Van Clef warned the rancher that if he prosecuted, Endicott would mysteriously find his whole herd poisoned, his wife molested, his children spirited away, all the same day. Endicott informed Wyatt of the matter, but refused to testify against Van Clef in court. He knew that Van Clef was part of Scott’s regimen, and he knew the threats were real.
Furthermore, according to Wyatt, rumor had it that if the marshal of Dodge ever got his hands on any real evidence on the notorious saloonkeeper, Scott would order his men to take over the town by force, clean out the local banks, then head for Mexico.
Cartwright and Wyatt both hoped that the appearance of the other well-known officers would go a long way to encourage local law-abiding citizens to open their eyes. They would need all able-bodied men to assist in the event that the growing band of devious criminals attempted the rumored takeover and fleecing of Dodge.
He recalled many memories, both good and bad. It was five years earlier that Elliot had been in the Dodge when the drovers from Circle C outfit got drunk and tried to tree the town. They pulled into town one night with the badges of five peace officers pinned to the side of their chuck wagon. The lead rider approached Wyatt.
“I don’t like the way you treated one of my men. What are you going to do about that, Marshal?” the owner and boss said to Wyatt. He was a tall Irishman by the name of Barry.
“Your drover seriously wounded one of my deputies!”
“I expect you to apologize,” said Barry.
“You should all be locked up. You’re lucky that I’m not going to do a damn thing about it,” replied Wyatt.
“I’ll be back with my entire outfit and I’ll bet you apologize then,” shouted Barry as he mounted his horse and rode off.
One night after dusk, Barry’s men came over the bridge and rode through Dodge City, shooting up the joints on the south side of town, and causing a face-to-face confrontation with Earp. With the help of his deputies and some townsmen, the marshal rounded up the entire outfit from Circle C, arrested them and threw them in jail.
“Everybody up!” shouted one of the deputies.
“What’s up?” asked one of the prisoners.
“Don’t we get any coffee?”
“It’s too early to get up,” said another of the jailed Circle C crew.
“The Marshal is letting you go as long as you promise never to come to town again. Is it a deal?” asked the deputy.
“No,” replied Barry. “I want an apology from the Marshal.”
“Look, bud,” said the deputy who was becoming very impatient with this group, “you should be locked up for good! If I had my way, I’d lock you trouble makers up and throw away the key, but out of the goodness of his heart, he’s letting you go, so you better go!”
The group was escorted to their horses by deputies armed with shotguns, they were escorted miles out of town, then given back their guns with the assurance that they never return to Dodge.
Months later, Wyatt received a letter from Barry, the cattle baron, apologizing for the incident and agreeing to comply with the marshal’s wishes. The letter from Barry was a welcome relief; the Earp family had enough enemies in the land.
Elliot liked the way Earp handled the situation. He slowed his horse to a walk, enjoying the familiar scenery and landmarks in the wide-open Kansas land. Waving fields grains to the left, and a few oil derricks that spotted the horizon offset cattle grazing to the right. White, puffed clouds hung on the hills in the distance, over sunflowers yet to open.
Elliot was looking forward to working with Marshal Earp. Elliot had been sent to Dodge by his chief, Cartwright, head of the Secret Service, who had received an urgent request from Wyatt Earp for assistance in quelling the increased incidence of crime in his territory.
“Marshal Earp has specifically requested Marshal Elliot,” Chief Cartwright told him when he gave him this assignment.
The marshal and Elliot shared many of the same ideas about law enforcement, and their methods of operating were similar. Elliot was the logical choice for the assignment. He pondered what would greet him in Dodge, and began to remember other missions to which he’d been detailed.
