OLD WEST MEDICINE SHOWS

By Laurie Kingery

Hello Christian Fiction Historical Society readers! For my spot this month I'd like to discuss the old-fashioned medicine shows that sold patent medicines and so-called miracle elixirs in small towns across America, and especially in the old west during the 1800's. My interest in this subject stems from research I did for a character in a future "Brides of Simpson Creek" series book for my publisher, Love Inspired Historicals. As my story (title yet to be thrashed out with my publisher <g>) begins, my hero, Nate Bohannan, is an assistant to an unscrupulous medicine show man who arrives in Simpson Creek to sell his so-called "Cherokee Marvelous Elixir" to the credulous of the town, make a profit, and skedaddle. Robert Salali uses all the tricks of the quintessential snake oil salesman, the supposed connection to arcane Native American lore, the energetic pitch full of hyperbole and claims to miracle cures, the fake testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers who've been relieved of an unbelievable list of ailments ranging from the everyday catarrhs, piles, and dropsies to the psychiatric, hysteria, catatonia and the like. 

                                                                    

These medicine show pitchmen, frequently addressed as "Professor" or "Doctor" were also known as "snake oil salesmen." "Snake Oil" has come to represent any sort of fraudulent concoction, and its purveyor a charlatan.  One famous snake oil salesman was cowboy Clark Stanley, who supposedly used snakes slaughtered back in Abilene, Texas. Snake Oil when used topically (on the skin) actually did promote some comfort from sore muscles and aching bones, but taken internally, it could cause great harm. When Stanley's products were seized in 1917 and analyzed, it was found to contain only beef fat, kerosene, red pepper, turpentine and camphor, but not a trace of real snake oil. Ironically, "patent medicines" usually were not patented at all, but trademarked.

                                                                   

Medicine shows frequently involved musical acts to attract the interest of passersby from as far away as possible, demonstrations by a "muscle man" of amazing strength, supposedly due to the elixir, horsemanship acts, pow-wows, and invocations to dark spirits. The more organized shows, sent out from the East on various routes simultaneously, involved real Indians, frequently Kickapoos who had supposedly divulged the secret recipes of their concoctions for the good of mankind, but even the one-man shows frequently claimed to be using Indian recipes.

The pitchmen had often planted shills within the crowd who, when the Professor called for "unsolicited testamonials," would come to the front and testify how the elixir had helped them. The pitchman would also offer to demonstrate the miraculous powers of the elixir, and fake "victims" would come forward, hobbling with supposed lameness, for example, only to be "cured" by whatever potion the medicine man was peddling.

                                                                 

The potions often contained a sizeable percentage of alcohol, and even more dangerous ingredients such as turpentine, calomel (a popular patent medicine of the time containing mercury), morphine, opium and cocaine. But many other patent medicines were safe and later became branded items such as Listerine, Milk of Magnesia, Bayer Aspirin, and Vix Vapo-rub.

Doctors, such as my hero in THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE (Love Inspired Historicals, 2011) were critical of the dangerous kinds of patent medicines, and they finally won the battle in 1906 when the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed into law, which required ingredients to be listed on the container and made misleading advertising illegal. In 1938 another law was passed that required testing of a product for safety before it was sold. In 1968 tests for effectiveness were required.

I hope you've enjoyed this look at medicine shows of the 1800's and their pitchmen. I'm obliged to Kathy Wieser of LegendsofAmerica.com for her information and the use of the first picture and the picture below. Another great reference is Lotions, Potions and Deadly Elixirs by Wayne Bethard.

                                                                              

                           Blessings, Laurie Kingery

The Lost Dutchman Mine-Superstition or Fact - Nancy J. Farrier

 Read down to find out about today's special giveaway.

Over the years I’ve heard both sides of the argument between superstition and fact concerning the Lost Dutchman mine. Some say the legend is true, meaning there is a rich cache of gold hidden somewhere on Superstition mountain outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Other people say this is a fictional tale, that there is no secret stash of rich ore and the legend is merely something told by an old miner to brag about wealth he’d never discovered. So, let’s look at the historical bits and pieces to see if we can draw a conclusion to the question of superstition or fact.

In the 1840’s, Don Miguel Peralta discovered a rich vein of gold ore on a mountain near modern day Phoenix. He and his men wanted to take the ore back to Mexico, because the Apaches in the area were upset with the Spanish intrusion. Don Peralta knew he needed to leave, so he took great pains to hide the entrance to the mine, loaded wagons and mules with as much gold as he could and left. His party surprised a band of Apaches, who attacked. The men were killed, along with the mules, many of them running off cliffs, scattering the gold.

A few years later, Jacob Walz, or Waltz, also called The Dutchman, despite his German heritage, heard the tale of the Peralta gold. Walz searched, some say for twenty years, to try to find the lost mine. He teamed up with Jacob Weiser, and the two of them ended up finding the mine. There are varying stories on how this came about. Some say Walz and Weiser stumbled across the hidden gold by accident; other accounts say the pair saved the life of a Peralta relative, who in appreciation gave them the location of the mine.

 

After their discovery, Walz showed up in Phoenix, generous in buying drinks for everyone with some of the richest gold ore ever seen. His partner, Weiser, disappeared shortly after the pair found the treasure. Some say Weiser was killed by Apaches, but some claim his own partner and friend, Jacob Walz, killed him. Either way, Weiser was never seen again.

Walz, The Dutchman, later returned to Phoenix in poor health. It is reported that in his last days he gave the woman who cared for him clues to the location of the mine, yet those supposed clues never led to the actual mine. When The Dutchman died in 1891, a bag of rich gold ore, 24 pounds worth, was found under his bed. The passion to find The Lost Dutchman mine, which contained valuable deposits beyond any seen before, began in earnest.

Searchers have found some of the gold, and leather, associated with the mules from the Peralta party, confirming this part of the story is true. The last reported finding happened in 1914 when C. H. Silverlocke found leather pieces and $18,000 in gold ore.

Many have dedicated their lives to searching for the lost gold. Among them is a former Arizona Attorney General. The mystique of Superstition Mountain remains since gold seekers still die, some mysteriously, while searching for The Lost Dutchman Mine.

What do you think? Is the mine still hidden somewhere on that mountain? Is this superstition? Fact? Have you heard a story about the Lost Dutchman Mine?

I am doing a giveaway for the month of April. Because most of my books are set in the Southwest, I'm giving away a beautiful Southwest vase. Because Spring is close and people are itching to get outside, I'm also including, Inspiring Thoughts For Gardeners, a book on gardening I wrote. Leave a comment to enter the drawing. Thank you for dropping by.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Karen Ball of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Family History Comes Alive

My family in 1913

 I've always been a history nut. My parents wrapped me up in a historical-straight-jacket years ago so I would focus on other subjects in school. Namely Mathematics. I pulled out a whopping C+ average. I did graduate. Barely.

I blame my mother. She won't take the blame for my poor math scores, but she should. From childhood, I ate at antique dining tables, used antique lanterns to light my way, put hair bands in blue Mason jars, wrapped up in 100 yr old quilts to watch Little House on the Prairie, and ate mincemeat pie at Thanksgiving.

Ancestry is rich--heritage is priceless. I was immersed in it from a young age and as photographs begin to surface, I could almost hear their ghosts talking.

I found out my Great-Aunt Avenelle (Avenelle? There's a name for you!) married my Great Uncle George when he was fifty and she was thirty-two. He was a confirmed bachelor -- who got unconfirmed. She had the aggressiveness of a German suffragette. Avenelle taught George how to drive a Model T when he was fifty-three and finally summoned the courage.

My drop dead handsome grampa on the bottom

My Grampa's history was more tragic. Born, one of six, (pictured on the bottom of the two-man trapeze), he watched his father drown in a canoe as he stood on the store as a boy. Three years later, his mother died of pneumonia, and they say, grief.  Social Services of the time (early 30's), wanted to farm the kids out, but my Grampa and his brother were determined to stay together. They dropped out of school, farmed, raised two younger brothers and two little sisters, and pioneered through life. It was World War II that finally separated them. And God blessed ... all four brothers survived.

SO, can you blame me for having a C+ in math? Really? This was only the tip of the family history mountain of stories. Rich, intriguing, captivating, and most of all REAL. We love to read historical fiction for the sentiment of its era, and yet, our histories are smothered with stories of struggle, romance, adventure, and humor.

Have you read your family historicals, lately?

4th USS America to be Christened in 2013

Pam Hillman

You just never know what you’re going to find out over Sunday dinner. One of the guests at my mother-in-law’s dinner table this past Sunday is a maritime electrician at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, MS.

After an absolutely wonderful dinner consisting of pork chops, potato salad, field peas, corn, fried okra, cornbread, and an unnamed, but yummy dessert everyone raved about (we never did find out what it was called...), the conversation turned to Bro. Johnson’s day job.

I found out that he’d been wiring ships off and on for 37 years, and that he’d worked on commercial ships as well as naval ships of all shapes and sizes. So that led to my next question. Had he worked on the USS America?

Uh, which one?

Turns out there have been four ships commissioned USS America, one that Ingalls just completed in 2012. Wow! I never knew. This begged for more research, so I started digging…

Hercules, a man-of-war similar to
USS America 1782

USS America (1782)

1782-1786

When laid down in 1777, this 74-gun man-of-war was the largest warship built in America. Built for the Continental Navy, it was given to France upon launch. A shortage of skilled workers and well seasoned timber delayed construction for many months. In 1779, Captain John Barry was named as her prospective commanding officer and was ordered to complete the ship as soon as possible. In spite of his efforts, little progress had been made on the ship when Barry was ordered to take command of the 36-gun frigate Alliance.

The unfinished ship languished in the shipyard until June 1781 when Congress named Captain John Paul Jones as commanding officer. Jones was ordered to make America seaworthy. Jones arrived in Portsmouth in August 1781 and dedicated himself to completing the man-of-war. But all of his hard work seemed to come to naught in September 1782 when Congress made the decision to present the ship to King Louis XVI of France to replace Magnifique, which had run aground and subsequently destroyed attempting to enter Boston Harbor. The gift was a token of appreciation for France’s support and service to the American patriots.

Disappointment over losing the commission to command America did not deter Jones, and he stayed the course and saw America launched into the waters of the Piscataqua on November 5, 1782. Rigged and fitted out, the ship departed Portsmouth in June 1783 commanded by M. le Chevalier de Macarty Martinge, the former commander of the Magnifique.

America’s service under the French flag was brief. Three years after launch, an examination of her hull found damage from dry rot (likely from wartime construction from green timber) determined to be beyond repair. She was scrapped in 1786.

USS America (ID-3006)

USS America (ID-3006)

1905-1957

The USS America (ID-3006) enjoyed a long and industrious life. She was launched in 1905 as SS Amerika in Belfast, Germany and served as a German passenger liner for the Hamburg America Line until 1912. She was docked in Boston when WWI broke out, and rather than risk seizure by the British Royal Navy, she remained in port for the next three years.

When the United States entered the war, Amerika was seized, commissioned USS Amerika (quickly Anglicized to America) and used by the U. S. Navy for troop transport. She transported 40,000 troops to France and over 51,000 troops back home from Europe. She sank in 1918 in port in New York, with the loss of six lives, but was raised and reconditioned. In 1926, a tragic oil leak resulted in a fire that gutted almost all of the passenger cabins. But, despite $2,000,000 in damage, America was rebuilt and back in service the following year. The valiant USS America (ID-3006) ended her service to the United States in 1931, but her career didn’t end there.

She came out of retirement in 1940 and was renamed USAT Edmund B. Alexander and again served the US as a troopship during WWII. She then used her substantial strength to carry military dependents until 1949, when she was retired once again. Eventually, she was sold for scrap in January 1957—52 years after her initial launch. God bless her!

USS America (CV-66)

USS America (CV-66)

1965-2005

Since CFHS is a blog devoted solely to topics of a historical nature, I’m not going to give many details about the USS America (CV-66), other than to say that this ship was one of four Kitty Hawk-class super aircraft carriers built for the US Navy. She served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific Oceans, the Vietnam War, and operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She gave her life in 2005 in service for weapons testing and lies upright and intact at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 250 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras.

In addition, it’s important to note that when I read of the USS America’s (CV-66) many tours of duty, her service, and her valiant sacrifice in the end, I got a little teary-eyed. You see, I had the pleasure of touring this particular American beauty in the early 1970s when my brother was a Navy seaman on the ship. The flight deck was the length of three football fields. My brother said that they played football on deck and never lost a ball!

USS America (LHA-6)

USS America (LHA-6)

2013-

The USS America (LHA-6) is an America-class amphibious assault ship awarded for construction in June 2007. She launched June 2012 from Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, MS with an expected commissioning date in 2013 with Naval Base San Diego as her home port.

To read more about all four ships christened USS America, click here (Wikipedia).

In light of her father’s death, Mariah Malone sends a letter that will forever alter the lives of her family. When Slade Donovan, strong willed and eager for vengeance, shows up on her front porch, Mariah is not ready to hear his truths: her father’s farm, the only home she’s ever known, was bought with stolen gold. With Slade ready to collect his father’s rightful claim and force Mariah and her family out on the streets, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Though Mr. Fredrick Cooper, a local landowner, promises to answer her financial woes if she agrees to be his bride, Mariah finds herself drawn instead to the angry young man demanding her home.

Claiming Mariah for Kindle or Nook.

Pam Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay doesn’t take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that’s the kind of life every girl should dream of! Claiming Mariah is her second novel. www.pamhillman.com

GOING COMMANDO

                    GOING COMMANDO

What is worn under those Scottish kilts?

Anne Greene here. Last month I wrote a bit of history pertaining to the World War II era. This month I’m writing about another passion, 18^th Century Scotland.

The age-old question of what is worn under a Scotsman’s kilt has a simple answer...usually nothing!

Historically Scottish Highlanders wore a tunic under their kilts, and nothing else. Considering the rugged nature of their existence, underwear was not a necessary part of their attire.  

Scottish regiments traditionally went without under-garments. This is likely origin of the phrase going commando!

To the proud and patriotic Highlanders, the kilt was much more than a versatile piece of clothing, it was a cherished symbol of their heritage. In 1746, after the Scots lost the Battle of Culloden – which is the exact time setting of my Scottish Historical Series, Masquerade Marriage, Marriage by Arrangement, and the yet to be released Marriage To A Rogue, begins, King George II outlawed the kilt.

King George passed this law in a British government attempt to subdue the independent Scottish Highlanders. Along with the kilt, the wide leather belt, the fur or leather sporran, the kilt knife, the kilt pin, the knee hose and the Ghillie shoes were all prohibited. Ironically this law forged the Kilt into a symbol of Scottish culture and national pride, rather than just the traditional Scottish clothing worn by Highland clans.

The Jacobite defeat at Culloden was the last battle on British soil, the exhiled Prince Charles fled the country he had hoped to rule. His supporters, the Highlanders, suffered terribly from ‘Butcher Cumberland’ who ordered death to all Highland participants. To further punish Scotland, Parliament issued Acts to destroy their clans, their identities and their economic structures.

New laws abolished heritable jurisdictions, claimed estates for the crown, banned the playing of bagpipes, the wearing of tartans and Highland dress for all except government troops, and restricted the possession of weapons. Read of these momentous events in my Scottish Historical series. 

            How many of you have traced your heritage back to Scotland or to another place of origin?

            Leave a comment. This month Anne is offering her commenters a chance to win her choice of any one of Anne's three published books. Leave a comment about your own heritage below for a chance to win and to speak with Anne. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won numerous writing awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement releases in April.  A Texas Christmas Mystery also won awards. In 2014, her World War II novel, Angel With Steel Wings, about WASPs, women test pilots will release. She makes her home in McKinney, Texas. 

Visit with Anne and view her other books, her blog, travel pictures, and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com. Anne’s never too busy to talk with her fans.

Her highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com.

Visit with Anne every 14^th day of each month here at Christian Fiction Historical Society. Join her in May for SINGING IN THE RAIN, plus another great giveway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horses in History

Patricia PacJac Carroll here again to talk about horses.

 I love horses. When I was a teen, I would ride my Appaloosa mare, Misty Blue, and we would charge through the pasture. There is nothing so free as riding a horse running full out. They are truly works of art when you see them galloping wild and proud with their head up, tail outstretched, and even if for only the briefest of moments, flying over the earth as all of the their hooves leave earth.

One reason I love writing about the Wild West is I can write about horses. You’ll find them, named and beloved, in my stories. Murphy, Galahad, and Fancy in Golden Dreams. Southern Star, Banjo, and Fuego in Liberty Belle.

So I got to wondering. (One of my favorite things to do.  : ) What role did horses play in history?  Quite a bit I found out. In the Bible, God instructs Job on how He fashioned the horse for battle. Wars and battles were won or lost by men on horseback. Note the famous quotation from 

Shakespeare’s King Richard III:  

A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse! 

So it is little surprise that many of the horses known from history were those ridden by military heroes.  

To start, we’ll go way back to 344 B. C. and find Bucephalus. This mighty, black steed belonged to Alexander the Great. According to legend, no one could tame the horse until 13 yr old Alexander got hold of him. The horse fought in many battles and is depicted in paintings and statues. The powerful steed died in battle at the age of 30 in Pakistan where he was buried.

There were no horses in America until Columbus' second voyage. The Spanish explorers brought more horses to America in the explorations for gold. The American Indian horse came from the Spanish whose animals were either lost or stolen and gave rise to the Mustang - the wild horses of the American West. 

To end the American Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant rode his favorite horse, Cincinnati, to meet Robert. E. Lee on his horse Traveller.

Probably one of the most famous war horses in the American West is Comanche. The little buckskin was the only US survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

  

The first thoroughbred to the Americas was Bulle Rock in 1730. Amazingly, most thoroughbreds can trace their ancestry to one of three stallions. The Byerley Turk. The Darley Arabian. The Godolphin Arabian. 

If you enjoy movies and books about racehorses, check out Seabiscuit and Secretariat. When I need some inspiration I watch Secretariat to remind myself to run my race. Seabiscuit to remind me that having heart can overcome obstacles and hopeless times.

The first breed of horse established in the United States came from one horse - Figure. A horse owned by Justin Morgan. The Morgan breed is still popular today.

Another breed developed in the U.S. is the Appaloosa by the Nez Perce Indians of the Pacific Northwest. These are the flashy, spotted horses and definitely horses of a different color.

An interesting horse in our history is Beautiful Jim Key. Trained by a former slave, the horse could read, do math, and more. He traveled the US performing his abilities to promote the humane treatment of animals.  

As a young girl, I loved reading horse stories and dreamed of having a horse of my own. Some of my favorite books - Black Beauty, The Black Stallion and other Walter Farley books, My Friend Flicka and Thunderhead. Did you read any of those?

So, do you have a horse or used to have horses? Let me know the color, breed, and name. They might find their way into one of my stories. 

My first horse was Misty Blue a pretty blue roan Appaloosa. Then I had Great Ceaser's Ghost - a gray quarter horse, and then Raindrops, a red spotted Appaloosa.

I still love horses. So chime in and let me know about your horses. And if  you never had a horse - let me know your dream color and breed of horse and what you would name them. 

Patricia PacJac Carroll has one book available on Amazon, Liberty Belle. Set in 1859 Denver, Liberty Belle is a story of finding freedom and forgiveness. A jilted bride, a wayward sheriff, a small boy, outlaws, and a gallows provide plenty of action, romance, and hope.

Her next book, Golden Dreams, will be out in April.

Find out more about her on her website 

And on her blog about her fight against breast cancer.

Enjoy the day! And thanks for stopping by.  : )