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John Wesley Hardin Collection
Here is a note I own written and signed by John Wesley Hardin; along with my 1877 Colt Lightning .38 revolver.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ChipProf on -
The note, the photo and the pistol are terrific! But the chips and dice (made yesterday or the day before) just don't fit with them!
Period-correct chips (either compressed paper, which is what the Acme Saloon used) or plain clay chips would look much better in this photo, as would bone dice, which were likely in use when JWH was in the Acme.
See my private message.
Michael
Professor of Chipology
True West Maniac
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Permalink Reply by Nicholas Narog on -
Haha I know- I have some period correct cards, chips, and dice somewhere in storage.
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Permalink Reply by Dirtrider on -
JWH------The model of political correctness and social decorum---mah hero. Great photo.
and oh yeah,,,,,,, the ChipProf is the man with the chips.
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Permalink Reply by C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt on -
I'll go you one better. I own a Hardin pistol, authenticated by none other than Leon C. Metz, Hardin's best biographer so far. It's a Smith & Wesson #2 with a 6" barrel, serial number from 1868 when Hardin made his first drive to Kansas with his cousin Emanuel 'Manny' Clements, Jr., & it has JWH carved on the inside of each grip, which is how Hardin marked his guns. It was found on a junk table in SW Georgia, about 60 miles from Pollard, Alabama, where Hardin was living when he was captured. Some knucklehead had taken a wire brush & knocked all the patina off it, but it was complete, so a friend of mine, who collected S&Ws but didn't have a #2 in his collection yet, bought it as a type-piece. He took it home & took the grips off to see if they were original--S&W stamped part of the serial# into the grips. Apparently the grips hadn't been off since just after the gun was purchased, because he said 'About a hundred years of grunge' fell out when he removed them. Carved on the inside of each grip were the letters JWH, which is how Hardin marked his guns. It's currently in our museum here in Seguin, Texas, together with an original copy of his autobiography, which was published by the forerunner of our local newspaper, the Seguin Gazette.
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