Shooting Back

King of the Cowboys

I am writing to say how I loved the story “The Day Tom Mix Died.”

Having only known parts of it, you and the Rosebrooks filled in all the gaps. Your cover image tells the tale so very well. And then your video with Bob White about the restored car was a such a treat to see. I have long been fascinated with this car, what little I knew of it. I had also wondered if the many images of Alice Sisty leaping two horses “Roman style” was over the Cord of Tom Mix. After all, how many can there be? I’ve attached a photo from Cowgirl Magazine. But after your detailed study, it is clear that this is a different Cord.

Mucho gusto!

—Rex Rideout (Conifer, Colorado)

 

Bravo!

Congratulations to Mr. Bell, for the Golden Lariat from the Will Rogers Medallion Awards group. Excellent and well deserved! I’m proud of you for all you do to keep the American West alive, and your watercolors and inks are just all masterpieces. Very proud.

I wanted to thank you for running the “Lone Star Destiny” article (March/April 2024 issue). I became acquainted with Bill Groneman over 30 years ago when we were both in the Alamo Society. The story on Tom Mix was fascinating, and the article by Henry C. Parke on Blazing Saddles was excellent!

—Coy Prather (Montalba, Texas)

Wild West Saloons

Made a trip to White Oaks, New Mexico, to the No Scum Allowed Saloon. I have frequented this saloon a few times. Included are a couple of pictures showing the TW “Last Call!” May 2023 issue. The ONLY drinking establishment in the area. I asked the owner how many residents are in White Oaks. She said, “Counting our two part-times, 11 total.” So I suspect total full-time residents would be nine.

I also have been through Tinnie, New Mexico, several times and thought the Silver Dollar (right) was closed. I found that the hours of operation are on the weekends. I had dinner. Menu is limited, pricy, but food was good and the ambiance was excellent. Note, they removed SALOON from their sign.

—Adrian Lane (Jacksonville, Florida)

 

Corrections

“Back in the Saddle Again”

We received a very nice letter from Michael R. Grauer, the Chair of Cowboy Culture and Curator of Cowboy Collections & Western Art of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He brought to our attention that in the “Silver Screen Buckaroos” article in the January/February 2024 issue we got caught up in the legend of the great Gene Autry and overlooked some of the facts: Gene Autry was not born in Oklahoma. He was born in Tioga, Texas, on a tenant farm, and later grew up on a homestead (versus a ranch) near Ravia, Oklahoma. He was an accomplished horseman, but he learned to ride so he could cowboy in the movies, not as a working cowboy. Before World War II, he had a touring rodeo company near Berywn, Oklahoma, known as the Flying A Ranch Rodeo, later to be known as Gene Autry’s World Championship Rodeo and Associates. Berwyn renamed itself Gene Autry, Oklahoma, in 1941.