Can we all add a small paragraph to make up Great Western Story

DiggerJim

The young cowboy slowly rode into Dodge City on a Friday evening after spending two months on the Chisholm trail. It was the summer of 1879 and he just drove 300 head from Texas to Dodge City. It was the second drive of his young cowboy career. He spent two long months of sleeping on the ground and eating nothing but bacon and beans, but he had eight shinny brand new Morgan dollars in his pocket and he had one thing on his mind.....

RogerB

[A range vaquero made $25 to $40 per month; a trail boss got 5 to 6 times that. Bonuses were often paid for limiting losses and deductions for herd depletion or poor condition. Pay was usually in paper but sometimes gold.]

toyz4geo

As he looked at his pay, he noticed they were nice and shiny. As he inspected them, he wondered what the two little C's on the back meant.

ms70

He decided to part with one and walked into a saloon for some whiskey. He hooked the heel of his boot on the rail below the bar and said to the bartender, "I'll take a shot". Slowly, the suspender wearing bartender named topstuf turned around and slapped a shot glass on the bar.

The piano player, TwoSides2aCoin, started banging out a peppy tune......

thisnamztaken

... when all of a sudden the young cowboy heard the bartender say, "we have a one day only discount on single shot whiskey so here's your change", and slapped a 1879 $1.00 gold princess on the counter. The cowboy realized the bartender's mistake but just figured the smaller coin wasn't worth much anyway so glanced over his shoulder and was shocked to see ....

DiggerJim

XXX

Smudge

His mama serving drinks.

dpoole

"Son, you take that coin and light outta town! You ain't never gonna see that much money in one spot agin! Take it to that Albanese feller, 'git 'im ter set 'er up fer auction."

Onastone

Not wanting to hang around in the same bar with his mother, he stumbled out into the street only to find himself face to face with a masked bandito. Looking down the barrel of a Colt Paterson Revolver, our hero put his hands up. "Hand over that there gold n' silver, and no funny business" The young cowboy reached into his pocket for his coins but they were already gone!!!!! That barkeep topstuf must have shortchanged him with some slight of hand! "I don't have anything to give you, I'm broke" The bandito didn't believe him and pushed the Colt closer to his face.....suddenly it happened.

ponderit

...meanwhile, back at the ranch, grandma was single-handedly taking care of the indians...

she took great care of her gold indians, her Indian Head Cents, her buffalo nickels, all her beloved Indians,,,, which is why we all have our Indians today, to collect and to cherish and to trade and to enjoy,, thanks grandma!

Namvet69

The stagecoach was running late. The driver whipped the team trying to beat the dusk of the desert night. He was also worried about the strongbox of gold and silver on board, destined for Carson City. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed....

ms70

(simultaneous post)

jedm

a lone rider closing in fast, one hand on the reigns and the other bringing up a Winchester 1873 lever action rifle. As quick as you can say "now what the hell am I gonna do?" he slides his own rifle out of the leather sheath next to the spring of the seat and puts the reigns in his mouth and stands and turns....

Leroy

...just in time to notice the Cathouse next to the Blacksmith's shop and couldn't help but wonder why he'd never seen it before. Suddenly a shot rang out...

Smudge

He ducked the shot and saw not from where it came, but as his wife had put him in the doghouse he headed for the cathouse. Edit to add the madam was wearing a Stella.

DiggerJim

With his adrenaline still pumping from the confrontation he pushed the double swinging doors and walked in. After a few steps the Madam approached him and walked with him. She smelled of liquor and cheap perfume and she smiled and asked "what can I help you with young man?" He turned to her and said......

Aspie_Rocco

“What’s all the commotion out side?”

Meanwhile the bandito’s gun had backfired, sending the hammer deep into the top of his hand.
Wasting no time, the cowboy threw a left and a right, leveling the bandito. To ensure no other would be a victim he took the criminal’s weapon and headed down the street...

ricko

...to the cathouse......Cheers, RickO

Onastone

...but then remembered to go back for his missing silver...he had worked too long and hard for those shiny Morgans and this time he wouldn't leave with empty pockets....He pushed open the saloon's batwing doors. The piano stopped... His mamma dropped a beer mug...the whole bar became silent and topstuf's jaw dropped...

topstuf

When I picked up my jaw, I consulted the other cowboys and we palavered about WHO invited that @RogerB to sit at the campfire and convert it to a derned history lesson.

Smudge

@ricko walked up and in Blazing Saddles style said scuse me while I whip this out. Pulled out a silver dollar and the bright white flash blinded everyone. He scooped up their loot and made a fast exit.

topstuf

Then Big Bad John strode in and told them that their coins were crummy and not worth stealing.

uh
oh

Hydrant

That's when they all jumped to their feet, pulled out their old rusted-up corroded shootin irons and surrounded BIG BAD JOHN! The BAD one cleared leather quicker than your mother can unbutton her overalls and then.......there it was for all to see. The prettiest dang six shooter any of them had ever beholden! Shiny, original, with a small flashing green light on the sight..... and deadly! A Mexican Standoff!

The gang lost their nerves. Sheepish glances were exchanged all around. They threw down their weapons. They knew they didn't stand a snow balls chance in hell. They were up against BAD JOHN. Their coins were indeed crummy. They knew it to a man. Nobody crosses the BAD one. With a defiant grin, and a hearty laugh, the BAD one kicked some dirt and then hopped up on his trusty pony, STICKER, and lit out to the East somewheres. Some say to Hoboken, others say to a secluded laboratory on the Jersey Shore. No one really knows for sure.....least wise he ain't never been seen anywheres West of the Pecos since that fateful encounter at the place now known as.....Crummy Coin Creek.

THE END

RogerB

@topstuf said:
When I picked up my jaw, I consulted the other cowboys and we palavered about WHO invited that @RogerB to sit at the campfire and convert it to a derned history lesson.

Well shucks -- I'z the one who had the boys FACE the fire while they ate their beans. Jes' imagin the conflagration if'n they'd had their back winds to them open flames.... ! Durn toot'n.... or is that Toot durn'n ?

DiggerJim

I started this thread over 24 hours ago and you guys are great!! And it got your mind off of our coins for a few. And trying to figure out the difference between a strike through and a lamination error. Lol. Oh well.

Gotta keep diggin

DiggerJim

thisnamztaken

****Epilogue****

As even a dark cloud can have a silver lining, so this tale of woe for the people of Crummy Coin Creek eventually turned positive. Over a half century having passed since Bad John rode off into the East, a glimmer of redemption arose when in 1966 a movie was produced (A Big Hand for the Little Lady starring Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward) recalling some of the previously overlooked crucial events that had taken place in the Crummy Coin Creek saga.
Surprisingly few historians were aware that...

Aspie_Rocco

As he was leaving the cathouse, the cowboy was stopped by the cashier who asked,
“Hey poke, I got too many dimes see? Any chance you got any shiny new dollars?”
Holding out his hand, the cashier rolled the pile of dimes showing off CCs and a mix of 1871-1874 Coins, all new looking.
“Them look kinda pert, I’ll trade you two bucket plugs for them little buttons. “
The cowboy pulled his last two dollars out of his belt hide away,
they made the trade and the cashier quietly snickered. He was a collector of the large dollar Coins, so rarely seen locally. The dimes were, a dime a dozen it seemed. In good nature he gave an extra dime
And 1859 that has a funny S on it.

So with twenty one nice coins in pocket, the cowboy began to ride out of town...

OldEastside

Mean while back at another ranch, Johnny Cash's Ma said "Son, don't take your gun to town"

Steve

nickelsciolist

"Ah'm sure ah'm missing half of the meanin' of all this, not knowin' very much about all these dang coins" he said to hissself. "But gol'durned if this ain't someday gonna turn out to be one of the most the most entertainin' posts in the whole hee-story of coin collectin' website posts".

WillieBoyd2

Johnny "Sureshot" Jones, RIP

He was the Fastest Gun in the West ... but not in the East.

1northcoin

The saga continues.

1northcoin

Or maybe not.

thisnamztaken

Suddenly, and without notice, all of the civic leaders of Crummy Coin Creek gathered together in front of the local saloon for their annual BBQ and nailed a written notice to the hitching post stating...