That’s Arbuckle’s, Pardner, Not Starbucks

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I don’t know about you, but morning java still ranks as a good way to kickstart my day–much the same way it was in frontier America.

Arbuckle's, Not Starbuck

Brewing coffee back then, however, was a venture requiring loads of patience.

 

Since the beans were green, they first had to be roasted on a wood stove in an open skillet; on the trail, roasting was done over a campfire.

BREWING ROBUST COFFEE

After roasting, the beans were placed in a bag and crushed–often with the butt of a rifle or an axe handle. The typical brewing formula was basic: a handful of  crushed coffee beans in a cup of hot water.

This concoction yielded a robust cup of coffee, but far from what we might consider a satisfying taste.

YANKS TRADE COFFEE FOR REB TOBACCO

During the Civil War, Union solders never suffered any shortage of coffee beans. Confederates, however, found that coffee commanded outrageous prices because of its scarcity, so many went without the dark elixer.

As a result, coffee became a major trading commodity between the two sides. When solders from each side met periodically–on an informal basis–Yanks would trade coffee for Virginia tobacco.

COFFEE FILTERS, CIVIL WAR STYLE

The were a couple of clever innovations brought about by the war. Some regiments of the Union Army were issued special rifles–one per 100-man company–that had a coffee grinder built into the butt of the stock.

And, although the first coffee filter wasn’t officially patented until 1908 (by a German housewife), Civil War soldiers created their own filters. Unlike the paper or gold filters we use today, soldiers often let the brew settle for a few minutes and then poured it through a piece of flannel to remove the grinds and improve the taste, according William C. Davis, in his book, Civil War Cookbook.

ARBUCKLE’S: THE ORIGINAL COWBOY COFFEE

The coffee industry underwent a dramatic change at the close of the Civil War, when John and Charles Arbuckle, who owned a Pittsburgh grocery business, discovered a process for sealing in the flavor and aroma by coating coffee beans with an egg and sugar glaze; the wash also prevented the beans from spoiling.

“I need a cup of Arbuckle’s,” cowboys used to say, and the name became interchangeable for coffee. Talk about successful word-of-mouth advertising.

BRANDING ON THE OPEN RANGE–OF COFFEE, NOT CATTLE

Arbuckle’s went a step further in marketing efforts by offering coupons and trading cards–many of which are available on eBay.

Marketed under the name Arbuckles’ Ariosa Coffee, the product’s airtight, one-pound packages became a big hit with chuck wagon cooks who had to brew plenty of coffee to satisfy the appetites of cowboys who spent hours riding a cold range.

Ever think you would would have coped with a coffee addiction in the 19th century?

Would a cup of morning Joe be worth the effort it took to crush beans, roast them in a skillet or open fire, and then strain the dark, brown liquid through a piece of flannel?

Make my day, and click the cloud above, to leave a message, and send a little love today.

 

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“Never Shoot a Woman, No Matter What”

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The Code of the West served as an unwritten framework for  behavior on the American frontier.

Code of the WestIntroduced by Zane Grey in his 1934 novel of the same name, the Code of the West served as a set of guidelines for ethical behavior among those helped pioneer the settling of the west.

According to Doug Balmain, the code functioned as “the governing law of the West before formal law reached the territories.”

Inside the Code of the West

The title of this blog–Never Shoot a Woman, No Matter What–appears among the informal guidelines that make up the code. And there were many others, such as:

  • When You Make a Promise, Keep it
  • Never try on another man’s hat.
  • Be there for a friend when he needs you.

For a more comprehensive list, click here.

Wall Street and Code of the West

Jim Owen, a former Wall Streeter, created the non-profit Center for Cowboy Ethics and Leadership, to work for a return to the basic core values that built America. In his book, Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West, Owen provides ten principles which he believes are still relevant today.

Incidentally, a couple of years ago, the state of Wyoming became the first state in the nation to enact legisatlion making The Code of the West the official state code–which is based on Owen’s ten principles.

The legislation triggered a fiery debate at the University of Wyoming revolving around how serious residents should consider the state’s Code of the West.

Matinee Good Guys and Their Own Codes  

Of course, matinee cowboys delivered their own strong messages about the Code of the West–some of them individually custom-made.

You can make my day by clicking at the top of the blog on the cloud and leaving a message about your thoughts on the relevancy of The Code of the West in today’s society. Are these valid principles to live by today? Would love hearing your take on this. Thanks so much!

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How a Newspaper Saved a General’s Life

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Last Stand at Bitter Creek, my forthcoming debut novel, opens near the end of the Civil War, generally thought of as one of the most fascinating periods in American history.

Battle of GettysburgThe war–known by several different names  punctuated American history with a legacy of glory and honor—and horror.

Most soldiers who lost their lives died from disease rather than a bullet. The battlefields claimed more than 200,000 soldiers, but disease claimed nearly 390,000.

 

Mark McCutcheon, in his book,The Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s (Writer’s Guides to Everyday Life), wrote that some battles “were little more than free-for-all slaughters.” As evidence, he pointed to the battle of Cold Harbor in 1864, where seven-thousand Union soldiers and 15-hundred Confederates “were slain within eight minutes.”

The Battle of Gettysburg was even worse, writes McCutcheon, who says 51-thousand men died of their wounds–”more than all the American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.”

One of the more ironic stories associated with the Battle of Gettysburg revolved around Confederate General Henry Heth (pronounced H-E-E-T-H).

It seems his hat had to be replaced, but the only suitable one found turned out to be too large for the general’s head. To help it stay in place, a staff officer wadded up newspaper and stuffed into the crown of the hat.

Heth, once a career U.S. Army officer, gained notoriety by his actions at Gettysburg. Historical accounts say he inadvertently triggered the battle by ordering part of his division to ride ahead to provide reconnaissance. But when his troops reached Gettysburg, he ordered an attack Union General John Buford‘s cavalry.

Gen. Robert E. Lee had ordered his troops to avoid any unnecessary contact with the enemy. As a result, Heth’s actions rendered the order useless.

During the battle, Heth sustained a severe head wound, but—as luck would have it— survived thanks to the newspaper padding inside his ill-fitting hat.

Heth was one of only two Civil War generals that Lee called by his first name. I do wonder what General Lee called Heth after the Battle of Gettysburg.

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Socializing in the Wild West

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Attending a lynching, or legal hanging, isn’t my idea of fun, but many people gathered to watch them during the days of the so-called Wild West–the last half of the 19th century.

Buffalo BIll Wild West Show

 

I’ve often wondered what people did for entertainment in those days. But, aside from the technology available to us today, people entertained themselves in many of the same ways we do today.

 

Even though many were illiterate, folks did read—newspapers, novels, the Bible, periodicals, such as Harper’s Weekly, Ladies Home Journal, Scientific American, and Atlantic Monthly .

Gambling played a role  in social activity, much as it does today. While we play the lottery, bet on the horses, and visit casinos, those in the Wild West did much the same thing, and also played poker, twenty-one (blackjack), billiards, and euchre.

Professional gamblers worked steamboats along the Mississippi, and gravitated to communities where residents seemed to have more disposable income for gambling—such as miners and others who lived in western boomtowns.

There were social events played out on a larger stage, including fairs and circuses. Rodeos were a big attraction, and still are today. One of the most popular attractions was the Wild West show, staged by William F. “Buffalo BIll” Cody. The show also played to European audiences.

Music and the theater also played important roles in the fabric of Western society. And, like today, people occupied their time horseback riding along with hunting and fishing.

Bare-fisted fighting was popular in some areas, but I can’t imagine sitting around watching two men stand toe-to-toe, and flail away at each other without wearing boxing gloves, headgear, or a mouthpiece.

Ugh.

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Shadows of Yesteryear

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A short story collection by Jory Sherman features the grandeur, passion and gritty realism of the American West.

Jory Sherman, Shadows of Yesteryear

 

“The pale yellow sun wobbled behind the dust, as if temporarily blinded after the heat waves vanished like ghostly waterfalls in the sudden hush. . . “

When I read this passage from the short story, Destiny’s Gun, I was hooked, and knew something special awaited me in “Shadows of Yesteryear,” a collection of western short stories by Jory Sherman.

Sherman’s unparalleled mastery of the written word was riveting, luring me to experience the immense landscape of the mountains and plains of the West.

His stories are controlled and economical. As readers, we can feel, see, smell, taste and hear the power of the English language.

There are no bland descriptions in these stories. Sherman makes deft use of similes and metaphors, arranging them in powerful sequences that push the reader into the scene along side the characters.

Sherman writes with the eye of a painter (which he is) splashing bold and subtle colors across his writing canvas that capture the mood and depth of whatever story he is telling.

The stories in Shadows of Yesteryear: Western Short Stories are packed with a range of emotions–love, anger regret, honor, survival, and violence. Here are some examples:

“Benson and the boy went for their pistols. Tanner hardly even moved, but his hand flew to the butt of his pistol like a hawk diving to its prey and his pistol jumped into his hand. He fired twice, so fast it seemed almost like a single gunshot . . .” -Tanner’s Diamond.

“The hangmen’s knot behind the boy’s ear was like a grisly flower. The blue eyes gone cold, frosted over like a winter window pane. The mouth slack, black, open in a kind of last wonder at what had happened. The arms hanging straight down, the hands slightly curled as if to grasp something that wasn’t there. The boots dusty, heels together, toes pointed down . . .” -Death is an Empty Place.

“He could smell the bear, smell its rank, carrion-wallowed hide, thick as its winter coat in his nostrils, and the scent stirred the juices in his belly, made his stomach roil and undulate with hunger, a hunger that had been gnawing at him for days, a hunger that no stink can assuage . . .” -The Snows of August.

I’ve never traveled the High Plains on horseback, or faced a gunslinger. Never been shot, but could feel the pain of gunpowder being packed into an open wound to stem the bleeding, as Sherman described.

Never battled a grisly either, but–through Jory Sherman’s writing—sniffed the stench, felt the fear, and understood the danger awaiting a character who might pose a threat to the animal’s cubs.

These are the kind of events—packed with dramatic tension—that await you in the pages of Shadows of Yesteryear.

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Where to Find Inspiration

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All of us could use a good dose of inspiration every now and again. Inspiration fuels our mental energy and helps keep our mind focused.

inspiration

 

A friend of mine compares inspiration to a cup of morning coffee.

“You need a quick jolt of it to kick-start your creative juices,” he said.

FInd Inspiration Everywhere

We all get inspiration from different sources. For some, it’s daily readings or reflections. Others can get inspired by a brisk walk throughout the neighborhood or park. And you can get inspired by reading.

As a writer, I can’t necessarily wait for inspiration. Writers have to sit down, open a file or notebook, and . . .  WRITE. But, make no mistake, we  are always on the lookout  or waiting to be zapped by inspiration

Surf For Inspiration

The Internet is a rich source of inspiration. Here are a few sites to surf and soak up ideas:

  • TED – Small nonprofit group featuring ideas worth spreading through their video website. Started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology / Entertainment / Design.
  • World of Inspiration - Several categories packed with inspiring quotes.
  • Bottle Bell Gallery – Poet, writer and photographer Ashley Lebedev offers visual stories or, as she calls them, frozen moments of feeling and life.
  • The Last Lecture – Professor Randy Pausch, who left behind a legacy of course, inspiring us to live each day of our lives with feeling and life.
  • Gardening Gone Wild – A visual feast of color and nature in which to find inspiration.

These are a few of my favorite sites when I searching for inspiration, but there are plenty of other resources.

More Sources for Inspiration

Inspiration surrounds us. I them it in other blogs, books, along with movies, magazines, and music.

I discovered that some of the best inspiration strikes by simply listening during conversations with friends and family.

Another excellent source of listening to the conversations of strangers. I guess this could be considered eavesdropping.

But think of it as healthy eavesdropping.

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The Secret and the Flowers

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When a 12-year old girl handed a Confederate general a bouquet, it included something more than an arrangement of flowers.

confederate strategy, civil war, secret, message

Columbia Bridge Burning by Bradley Schmehl

In late June of 1863, Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon led his rebel brigade into York County, Pennsylvania, a few days before the Battle of Gettysburg, on a mission to capture a wooden bridge across the Susquehanna River—the only way over the river for 25 miles to the north or south of Wrightsville.

The bridge was so strategic, that Federal troops were prepared to destroy the mile-long structure to avoid capture by the Confederates. The general had no way of knowing that Union soldiers and members of the local militia were waiting in trenches around the western end of the bridge, armed with explosives.

A Gift of Flowers and Strategic Advice

On the morning of June 28, 1863, entered undefended York, took down the 35-foot flag in the town square and declared the community in Confederate hands. As he rode along the main street toward Wrightsville and its bridge, he caught sight of a young girl running up to his horse.

The young girl smiled, and handed Gordon a large bouquet of flowers. As he admired the flowers, the general spotted a note hidden among the stems. When he opened it, he found a message showing Union troop defensive positions in Wrightsville, along with a recommendation on the best route to take to capture the bridge.

Gen. Gordon, in his 1904 autobiography, retold the tale, suggesting the note looked to have been written by a woman. Historians later identified the young girl as Margaret Small, daughter of a respected local businessman.

Confederates Fail But Help Conquered Citizens

As the Confederates advanced, the Union troops ignited the explosives, but they failed. As a last resort, soldiers and militia men set fire to the bridge. Several embers from the bridge, aided by the wind, blew back into Wrightsville, causing fires and destroying some homes and a lumber yard.

Ironically, when Confederate troops were unable to advance, they returned to Wrightsville and help townspeople fight the fire, working shoulder-to-shoulder with citizens in bucket brigades.

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The Bradley Schmehl painting (above) captures the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge on the afternoon of June 28, 1863. At 5,620 feet long, it was reputed to be the longest wooden covered bridge in the world. Its destruction by Union militia kept the Confederates from crossing to the eastern side of the Susquehanna, which would have given them swift access to Harrisburg and eastern Pennsylvania. It also cut a major line of trade within Pennsylvania until it could be rebuilt.

 

 

America’s Secret War

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“The art of war is simple enough,” wrote Ulysses S. Grant. “Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can and as often as you can, and keep moving on.”

grant, civil war, secret, spies, bureau of military information,Finding “where your enemy is” was best accomplished through espionage.

Confederate Spies Give South Advantage

When the CIvil War began, neither the Union nor the South had much of a formal intelligence network. But the Confederacy managed to establish the Secret Service Bureau,  an arm of the Confederate Signal Corps, which operated a spy network in the federal capital of Washington, DC, early on in the war. Washington happened to be home to many southern sympathizers.

Battle of Shiloh Reveals Need for Reliable Spies

Grant had not realized the need for a reliable spy system until the Battle of Shiloh when a Confederate force surprised the Federals and stormed through their camps forcing a Union retreat. 

During the two weeks before the battle, Grant hadn’t bothered to dispatch any spies or scouts because—according to the facts as he knew them—Confederates were camped at least twenty miles away. But, the general had relied on information from dispirited Confederate deserters.

Grant and his troops eventually drove the Confederates back, and his actions helped shape his reputation as an effective field commander. But the Battle of Shiloh resulted in the killing or wounding of more than ten-thousand Union soldiers.

Underpinning of Future Military Intelligence

It was after the battle that Grant began to grasp the value of espionage and helped forge what would be called the Bureau of Military Information. 

The bureau utilized around 70 field agents during the war, ten of whom were killed. In addition to field agents, information was gathered through interrogation of prisoners of war, as well as refugees. Agents also combed through newspapers, and documents left on the battlefield by Confederate officers who has retreated or been killed.

War Within a War

Overall, the Union had better success at espionage and counterintelligence. The Confederacy,on the other hand, excelled at covert operations. Both succeeded at conducting a secret war within America’s civil war.

Ultimately, the efforts of both sides set the foundation for the future of military intelligence. 

It is against this backdrop that Grant Bonner, the spy featured in my forthcoming novel, Last Stand at Bitter Creek, emerges from three years behind enemy lines to face his own future.

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Where Steinbeck Ate

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When I saw the sign – SANG’S WHERE JOHN STEINBECK ATE!! – I decided to stop in for a cup of coffee.

john steinbeck, grapes of wrath, national steinbeck center, putlizer prizeThe cafe is about a softball’s lob from the National Steinbeck Center, in Salinas, California, a mostly suburban community tucked into the mouth of sprawling, picturesque Salinas Valley, surrounded by sun-kissed hills, about eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. Over 80 percent of the lettuce in the U.S. is grown here.

Novelist John Steinbeck, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, based several of his novels in Salinas, and is best remembered for THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1939), a novel widely considered to be a 20th-century classic.

The Conversation . . . 

A few minutes after I sat down, a tall, slender man entered the cafe, and walk to the end seat of the L-shaped counter, directly in my line of sight. When I nodded to him, he nodded back.

“You live here?” I asked.

“Yep. Sure do. Livin’ here a real long time,” he said, followed by a quick laugh. “Hell, I’m in my Eighties.”

“Did you happen to know Mister Steinbeck?

“Yep, sure did. Didn’t much care for him though.”

“Oh, mind me asking why”

He nodded, blew on his hot coffee, took a sip and lowered the cup to the counter.

“Well, I used to run into him a lot. You know, his house is less than a couple of blocks from here. “

“Why didn’t you like him?”

“Well,” he said, “every time I passed him on the street, I’d say hello. He never spoke. Didn’t grunt, clear his throat, cough or nothing. All he did was nod his damn head.”

His answer brought to mind a quote from Steinbeck: “No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.”

The man probably didn’t realize that Steinbeck hated being famous, and tried to stay out of the public eye as much as possible.

Books and a Poodle . . . 

The late author’s 110th birthday is this month, on Feb. 26, a good time to pay a visit to the Steinbeck museum, which features interactive displays that focus on how his experiences and values helped shape some of his greatest novels, such as The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, The Winter of Our Discontent.

Among the displays stands the little trailer he traveled in with his poodle, Charley, his constant companion for many years.

A Quotable Man . . . 

Much of what Steinbeck wrote took place in and around the Salinas Valley. His material came from first-hand experiences as a ranch hand and straw boss, and enabled him to create convincing characters and accurate landscapes. He also worked as a journalist

And, he was as much a social critic as he was a storyteller,

Steinbeck always demonstrated a sharp insight into life with a healthy dose of wisdom, wit, and inspiration.

One of my favorites: ”It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world.”

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Failing Your Way to Success

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THE risk of failure can often hang over our heads when we are trying to accomplish something. 

risk, failure, success,

No matter who you are, or what you do, the possibility of failing is a reality we can’t escape. 

Anyone pursuing success—from any field of endeavor—risks failing all the time. The difference is in the mindset. Many, in fact, define failure as a stepping-stone to success.

 

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life,” said basketball wizard Michael Jordan, “and that is why I succeeded.”

> WRITERS RISK FAILURE TIME AND TIME AGAIN <

Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007), author of young-adult science fiction, phrased it best when she said:

“Risk is essential. It’s scary. Every time I sit down and start the first page of a novel, I am risking failure. We are encouraged in the world not to fail . . .  we are encouraged only to do that which we can be successful. But things are accomplished only by our risk of failure. Writers will never do anything beyond the first thing unless they risk growing.”

>  CONFRONT RISK OF FAILURE HEAD-ON <

Failing can be tricky, depending on how you confront it.

  • Don’t be stagnant. 
  • Don’t march in place. 
  • Don’t avoid it. 
  • Take some kind of action.

I read somewhere that people who strive not to fail tend to be in a waiting mode—waiting for the perfect idea, the perfect plot, or the perfect whatever.

> RISK EQUAL REWARD <

There are those who insist failing is key to success.

Some of America’s most successful business leaders sustained failures before achieving success. They realized that if they weren’t courting failure, they weren’t learning. 

Confronting failure requires action. To use a baseball analogy, you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to take more swings at the ball.

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What are your thoughts of failure? Do you fear it or do you embrace it?