Illustration by Bob Boze Bell
Illustration by Bob Boze Bell

In 1880s Tombstone, the Police Gazette reported a rivalry between gamblers: West Coast card sharps, called “Slopers,” competed with gamblers east of the continental divide, who were called “Easterners.” The “slope” refers to the western slope of the continental divide. The Dodge City Gang, which consisted of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Luke Short and Bat Masterson were of the Easterner persuasion.

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