Page 63 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

rently completing one two-year term. Western Wear . . . those good-looking duds we all love.
Secretary: Athena Sparks, Red by Chuck Kleber
Rock Interpretive Association.
Nominations for both positions early all Nevadans have something—
will also be accepted from the floor. boots, a cowboy hat, decorated belt,
Your participation is appreciated. N perhaps a bolo or even a six gun—when
Immediately following, there will out in the boonies. The lure is there. And let’s
be a Volunteer Information Session admit it. Western gear just looks plain great
where guest speakers will answer while taking us back into history, even if
questions about a variety of Red Rock it smacks a bit of Hollywood.
topics for those interested. Western wear started out as purely functional,
the stuff needed to cope in a wilderness. Even
the West’s few centers of civilization had
Help Needed little room for dandified easterners in delicate
clothing. It’s where Levis became a generic name for the tough, denim jeans that
Anyone interested in helping gold miners and others in the outdoor life needed. Look at those old photos of cow-
out the Mojave Max Education boys and they’re about as far from Gene Autry and Roy Rogers as the real Calamity
Jane was from Doris Day. There were exceptions, though, cowboys who went for
Project by assembling training brightly colored kerchiefs around their necks, fancy grips on their Colts and lots of
and teaching materials on August silver, as noted in Granville Stuart’s book, Forty Years on the Frontier, where he
10th, noon- 4p.m. is invited to call described some of his cowhands from the 1880s. Still, they must have gone light
Anne Brookman, 458-7800 or e- on other things, for cowboys were seldom awash in money . . . maybe at the end of a
mail her at annesb2001@yahoo. trail drive. But then, gambling, women and whiskey competed for the dollars.
com. Hollywood’s first cowboys, like William S. Hart, wore dusty, weather-beaten
Meet at the Interagency Of- duds quite similar to the real thing. Then came the 30s and 40s when singing cow-
fice, Torrey Pines. boys rivaled harlequins in the bright colors of their clothes and were never without
their guitar and a brace of six-guns. Hard to believe, but they even had John Wayne
singing a bit in his early Westerns. Rest assured, the voice was dubbed. But give
them their due; by and large these men were outstanding riders and could often
shoot with the best. Some actually had real cowboy backgrounds.
As for the women, when did you ever see a leading lady in the films of that era
Go West, continued from p.1.
with a hair out of place? Dale Evans could match the resplendent Roy Rogers any
day of the week. Hollywood’s cowgirls weren’t about to be outdone by their male
wagons, “. . . the emigrant may set out counterparts. They borrowed from some of rodeo’s early stars like Rose Henderson,
on this wild, yet interesting excursion, who could ride like hell, even if she was adorned in beads, high leather boots and
with high prospects of enjoying many an enormous hat. The Queen of the Western Serials, Ruth Roland, spiced up the
extraordinary and pleasing scenes; and silent era with overdone Western wear. She even had her initials, “RRR,” put on
of safely arriving at his desired place of the side of her leather chaps.
destination, without suffering any of that There’s a genuine link in history to this colorful Western garb we see today.
extraordinary toil, unheard of hardship, Much of the original inspiration lies with Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody), who mar-
or eminent danger, which of his fruitful ried real-West experiences with consummate showmanship in his traveling “Wild
imagination, or the kind regard of his West” extravaganzas. Pictures often show him in a fringed deerskin jacket with
numerous friends, may have devised.” beaded decoration. His real Indians came from tribes who were once foes. Their
Go West, young man! It’s all in feathers, beads and jewelry form much of the basis for our present Western garb.
the mind.  Today, it’s the rodeo scene and “Frontier Days” celebrations where you see
some of the most beautiful, highly decorated and hugely expensive Western gear.
Have you looked at the price on a pair of really high-end boots recently? Don’t
Note: Quotations are from Lanford reach for your checkbook; your balance won’t take it. And that ten-gallon, Tom
Hastings, The Emigrants Guide to Mix-style Stetson hat—go ahead and buy it. Going without food for awhile won’t
Oregon and California reproduced in hurt. But you can still look good, “be Western” and not break the bank. There are
facsimile from the original edition of many places in town where you can find just about anything you want, and in a
1845 with historical note and bibliogra- wide price range.
phy by Charles Henry Carey (Princeton The best part of this scene—you’re living in Las Vegas, where being a Westerner
University Press 1932). is something that’s acceptable every day of the year. Whoopee-ti-yi-yo! 
FORRC/August 2005 Page 7