XPost: soc.history   
   From: firstinitiallastname@texas.net   
      
   Cori wrote:   
   > "Steve Grimm"  wrote in message news:   
   >   
   >   
   >>Ask away.  If someone knows, I'm sure they wil provide information or a   
   source you can use   
   >   
   >   
   > Thank you, Steve.  Spoken like a true gentleman.  Of COURSE I intend   
   > to do general research on the WWW--maybe even look at a book or   
   > two!--but that will only provide a framework for all the more   
   > specifics to ask about!   
   >   
   > Cori   
      
   (Posting from alt.old-west)   
      
   We do indeed have folks who are familiar with myriad writings, many of   
   them from the 19th century American West, and who usually have an idea   
   where to find copies. When researching a historical novel, you'll   
   generally find the Web a useful pointer to books but not a source of the   
   kind of details of life that fuel a novel. Most Web sites contain rather   
   brief accounts of events and facts.   
      
   We had a discussion some time back about "factual" history and tales   
   that may not be factual accouts of events but may well provide a better   
   perspective, a better feel. We've also discussed such mistaken western   
   icons as the oater cinema's ubiquitous "hitching posts", rarely found in   
   contemporary photos, and such things as the physically impossible   
   cinematic stunt of blowing a man across an alley with a shotgun blast.   
   We learn a lot of odd stuff from discussions here.   
      
   More than one of us have accumulated considerable source material. A   
   number of us are very interested in the style of life, what was done,   
   what was available with which to do it, how the land has changed and all   
   the small change of old western life. So, we've hunted up accounts that   
   deal with those things.   
      
   We also have marked down any number of old photo sites. They're great   
   things for a writer reaching for descriptions of people and places. Most   
   readers wouldn't know if you were concocting things with little regard   
   to historical reality. But, if you can get the "smell" of the time and   
   place through research, you'll get the correct tone that will show   
   thoughout your work.   
      
   --   
                          Gerald Clough   
       "Nothing has any value, unless you know you can give it up."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)