Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices   fall 2005

George Leonard Herter and Berthe E. Herter Publication 1960

Submitted by: Annette Stephens

With the new season for doves this year, I thought something on Doves would be appropriate.

DOVES WYATT EARP

                Wyatt Earp came from Lamar Missouri. His first law enforcing job began there in 1870 when he was elected constable. After he became constable, which was considered a solid, steady, job he married his sweetheart Willa Sutherland.

                A typhus epidemic hit Lamar several months after Wyatt was married. Willa was one of the first to contract this dread disease and within a few das, she died a horrible painful death.

                Willa’s death changed Wyatt overnight. From a quiet, conservative, friendly, small town law officer who carried no gun Wyatt changed to a gaunt, cold, blue eyed, brown mustached gunfighter; one of the most cool and deadly that the west ever knew.

                While at Lamare Wyatt did some shooting with a shotgun and .22 caliber rifle. He barely knew how to shoot a revolver and was no shot at all with a revolver. In the words of the time he couldn’t hit a bull over the but with an ironing board as far as  revolver shooting was concerned.

                Wyatt left Lamare shortly after Willa’s death as everything in Lamare reminded him of her. He bought a Colt .45 revolver a new 12 gauge shotgun, and a Winchester rifle and traveled to the Indian Territory which is now Oklahoma.  He got a job with a government surveying crew to supply meat for the crew an guard the crew’s gear. Wyatt had made up his mind to become handy with both revolvers and rifles. His job gave him plenty of spare time and he used every minute of it to dry fire with his guns. Wyatt believed that accuracy of fire was far more important than just fast drawing. He spent hours holding his arm stretched out full length with his revolver in his hand to get his arm muscles used to this position so that his arm would not shake even slightly in shooting. Wild Bill Hickok gave Wyatt and also Bat Masterson pointers on gun fighting.

                Wyatt gained his reputation as a gunfighter in Ellsworth, Kansas Texan Ben Thompson, of the west’s finest gunfighters was in town, Ben had killed thirty-eight men in gunfights. He was an Ex Confederate War Hero. He wore a high silk hat, white collar, flowing cape , gold watch chain, fancy vests and a stick pin in the design of a confederate flag. It was almost certain death to wear a high silk hat in the frontier towns but no one ever kidded Ben about it or his stick pin. In Dodge City, Wild Bill Hickok was in the Long Branch Saloon.  A Mexican came in and asked Wild Bill for enough money to buy a meal. Hickok evidently thought that the man was trying to get money for a drink. He said to the Mexican, Get out of her you drunken pepper gut or I’ll throw you out. Ben Thompson was standing near by and overheard the remark. Ben had lots of bad faults but never would tolerate anyone picking on anyone. Ben had been partly brought up by a fine Mexican woman and had great respect of Mexicans. He gave the man some money, then walked over to wild Bill Hickok, tapped him on the shoulder and told him, be out of town in an hour or I’ll kill you. Wild Bill Hickok didn’t hesitate a moment he left Dodge City at once.

                In Ellsworth, County Sheriff C. B Whitney carrying a double barreled shotgun told Ben to leave town as he was an undesirable character. Ben walked over to a store, bought a double barreled shotgun, loaded it with buckshot, walked over to Sheriff Whitney and put two loads into his chest. He then stated that he would like to see someone try to take him into custody., Wyatt Earp and the mayor of Ellsworth had watched the killing, Wyatt had nothing against Ben but told the Mayor that if he could lend him his gun belt and two .45 Cold revolvers that he would quiet Ben down before he hurt someone else. The Mayor gladly supplied the guns and belt. Wyatt walked out toward Ben and called to Ben to put his shotgun on the ground or he’d kill him. Ben did it immediately. Afterwards Ben said tht he had a strong feeling Wyatt could kill him before he could get him with the shotgun although he knew nothing of Wyatt. Ben always praised Wyatt Highly. This making famous Ben Thompson Back down made Wyatt famous overnight throughout the West.

                In 1873 Ellsworth, Kansas asked Wyatt to become its Marshall. Wyatt declined the offer as he felt he need another year’s revolver practice. The next year Witchita offered him a Deputy Marshall’s job. This he took as he felt he was ready.

                In 1876 Dodge City offered Wyatt $250 a month plus $2.50 for each arrest he made. Wyatt took the job and served as law officer in Dodge City at the following times

                May 17 to Sept. 9, 1876 as Assistant Marshall.

                July 6 to November 29, 1877 as Marshall.

                August 6, 1878 as assistant Marshall.

                Wyatt was never a U.S. Marshall or deputy Marshall.

                Wyatt spent a good bit of time in Arizona with Doc Holiday a dentist friend who had a bad case of tuberculosis. Holiday was also a gunfighter and had killed four men. Wyatt’s brothers, Morgan and Virgil joined him later in Arizona. Wyatt’s older bothers Warren and James and half brother Newton did not come.

                Wyatt at first hired out to guard bullion stages. For his work he used a 12 gauge double barreled shotgun loaded with buckshot. He bought the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone and had Like Short, Fort Worth gambler and Bat Masterson from Dodge City, deal-monte for him in the saloon. Luke was known as “the undertaker’s friend”. He killed such expert gunfighters as Charlie Storms in Leadville, Colorado and Jim Courtright in  Fort Worth, Texas. He was soon offered the Deputy Sheriff’s job at Tombstone, Arizona. This he accepted. Wyatt was now thirty-one years old.

                Morgan Earp was killed by Charlie Stillwell. Wyatt located Stillwell. When Stillwell saw Wyatt he became paralyzed with fear and couldn’t even draw his gun. Wyatt walked up to him with a double barreled shotgun, put it on his heart and pulled the trigger twice. While in Arizona Wyatt killed, amongst others, the well known Curly Bull Brocious, cattle rustler, with a shotgun, and Indian Charlie, a noted gunman, with his Buntlin Colt .45 A writer from New York State E. Z. C. Judson, had the pen name of Ned Buntline. He was a dime novel writer of the Old West and had given Wyatt a Colt .45 with a 12 inch barrel. He also gave on to Bat Masterson and a number of other gunfighters. Only Wyatt spent day after day practicing with this ling barreled revolver many times more accurate than the short 4 ¾ inch barreled Colt used by other gunfighters. Wyatt believed that an accurately placed bullet in the heart or head was the only thing that would stop a man. Bat Masterson cut his Buntline barrel down to 8 inches from 12 inches. The others that received these special guns foolishly cut the barrels down to 4 ¾ inches.

                Looking for still other frontiers and to get away from his awful lonesomeness Wyatt married Josephine Sarah Marcus, a San Francisco girl. He discovered the Happy Day Gold and Copper Mines and Kern County oil land. He died a very wealthy man. If it had not been for his first wife Willa’s death Wyatt would have stayed in Lamar, Missouri and never fired a pistol.

                I have taken the time to give you the brief facts about Wyatt Earp as he is an important part of American history and one of our great men. The Hollywood, television, and movie crowd in their movies of Wyatt have as usual not bothered to tell the truth about him. They present movies of Wyatt that are untrue from beginning to end. We need men today like Wyatt to put law and order in today’s Hollywood and New York’s television are more than ever needed in Dodge City or Tombstone.

                After his first wife’s death the only thing that Wyatt really ever enjoyed was good food.  He was an outstanding cook himself of wild game. He went at learning to cook wild game just like he went at learning to shoot with a revolver, continual hard practice. In many parts of the West his cooking methods will be remembered long after his deeds with a gun are forgotten.

NOW FOR THE RECIPE PART

                At Dodge his boiled sliced buffalo tongue picked in vinegar, his thinly sliced buffalo liver fried with bacon and onions were famous. His Wyatt Earp breakfast consisted of a half inch thick slice of beef or buffalo, eye of rib steak with thinly sliced onions on top put between two slices of buttered bread with the butter well sprinkled with salt and served with two fried eggs on both sides was very popular and justly so.

                When Wyatt ran the Oriental Saloon it Tombstone, Arizona both its liquor and food were excellent. Wyatt saw to that. Arizona then and now has always had very good hunting. Mourning doves, white winged doves Gambels quail, turkey deer, bear, and javelin were and are plentiful. Wyatt loved to shoot doves on the wing with a shotgun. He rightly considered them the most difficult wing shot of all. Wild doves are very good roasted whole or just the legs and breast fried if you like meat with a strong wild flavor. Wild dove tastes much like wild duck having a slight liver like wild taste. Most people do not however like this taste. Here was Wyatt’s method of cooking doves. Using this method they have absolutely no wild dick or liver taste at all and were simply delicious.

                Pick ten doves and cut off their wings, feet and head. Remove the entrails and singe off the hair feathers with a candle. Take a knife and cut the let and back section away from the breast section. Put two level tablespoons of butter and two level Tablespoons of beef suet in a large frying pan and brown them well. Take a large pot, Cut up a medium sized cabbage in eighths and place in the pot. Add six large carrots, one level teaspoon of sage leaves, one cup of cooked lima beans, one large onion diced. Place the browned dove pieces in the pot. Add enough water to cover over the vegetables and birds about two inches deep. Add the butter and beef suet from the frying pan. Boil slowly (about simmering)for about an hour and a half. Remove the dove pieces and let them drain. Serve them with potatoes or brown rice with butter. Remove the carrots and cabbage from the water and serve a s a vegetable. Add one cup of cooked macaroni t he soup or cooking stick and serve with buttered bread this makes a delicious rare meal that everyone likes. I always put three level tablespoons of soy sauce in the pot before starting it to boil. Soy Sauce has the magic quality of quickly removing all undesirable tastes from both meats and vegetables, and leaving in their place very desirable tastes.

                Charles Shibell of Tombstone once asked Wyatt what was the best shot that he had ever made. Wyatt did not hesitate a minute but replied, The time I killed nine mourning doves out of a flock coming into a water hole with one shot.

SAVORY POT ROAST

1 BONELESS CHUCK ROAST ( ABOUT 6LBS.)

2 TBLS VEGETABEL OIL

1 LG ONION, COURSELY CHOPPED

2 MD CARRITS, COARSELY CHOPPED

1 CELERY RIB COUARSELY CHOPPED

2 CUPS WATER

1 CAN (14-1/2 OZ) BEEF BROTH

2 BAY LEAVES

GRAVY:

¼ CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE

¼ CUP ALL PUPOSE FLOUR

1TEASPOON LEMON JUICE

4 TO 5 DROPS HOT PETTER SAUCE

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown roast on all sides in oil. Transfer to a large roasting pan, add onion carrots and celery. In a saucepan, bring water, broth and bay leaves to a boil. Pour over roast and vegetables. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender, turning once. Remove roast to a serving platter and keep warm. For gravy, strain pan juices, reserving 2 cups. Discard vegetables and bay leaves. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, stir in flour until smooth, gradually stir in pan juices. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and hot pepper sauce, mix well. Serve with the roast