Editor: Pasture Patti Cajon Cowboy Monthly—March 2007 Congratulations Ben Cooper First off a big “Well done The benefit shoot held last preciate it. Cowboy” and congratulations for our weekend for Little Larry’s Family When you see good friend and fellow Cajon Cow- was very successful and raised them at a shoot, boy Ben Cooper who was last years $6690.00 for the family. The family thank them for Legends of The West Honoree. Ben was most appreciative and could not their donations was recently awarded the prestigious get over how compassionate the cause those awards Cowboy Spirit Award for 2007 at the cowboy folks are about their situation. saved the shoot several thousand Festival of The West. Ben certainly A big world of thanks goes to all that dollars out of the proceeds. is most deserving of this award. We, made this shoot possible starting with Again thanks to all that helped along with his family are mighty the set-up and tear down crew, Asphalt and came out to participate, I proud of him. For certain, a wonder- Cowboy, Izzie Bored, Hanging Chad, knew I could count on the best ful choice to bestow this honor on. Lego Jim, Lukewarmwater and Bo- folks in the world, Cajon Cow- Good Ride Cowboy!! jack. A big thanks to Calamity Candy boys. Don’t forget the Member and Pasture Patti and Nellie Belle To clear up a matter of Survey we are conducting on-line or Pathfinder for the check-in and scor- confusion at our shoots, a Clean you can get a copy at a shoot.. So far ing. Thanks to Pasture Patti for cook- Shoot is defined as one that a about 85 folks have responded to the ing the food on Saturday and “Emrill” shooter has not incurred any Survey. So if you haven’t filled one Pathfinder for cooking on Sunday. A misses, procedurals or safety pen- out, please do so. We are gonna run massive thanks to Calamity Candy and alties during the match. the survey for another month before JJ Johnson for the donation of all the Again thanks to all for we summarize the results and make neat awards. What a wonderful contri- just being Cajon Cowboys. any decisions regarding changes. bution to the shoot and we really ap- Regards, Bojack 2007 Cowboy Spirit Award The 2007 Festival of the West has honored actors Ben Cooper and John Smith for their achievements as Western Heroes. From adolescence on, Ben Cooper was an actor on both the stage and in radio. After at- tending Columbia University, he began his film career with 1950's Side Street. Cooper fluctuated between heroes and villains, mostly in westerns, until retiring from films. He and his wife Pamela now have their own business and both support Western events and festivals around the country. John Smith, who was the catalyst for the creation of Festival of the West, began his film career as a member of the Bob Mitchell Boys Choir making his film debut in Going My Way. He attended UCLA and began his serious acting career in 1954 when he ap- peared in the John Wayne classic, The High and the Mighty. Later he was cast along side George Montgomery in the TV show Cimar- ron City. John went on to star with Robert Fuller in the TV series Laramie. John Smith died in 1995 and will be presented with the second posthumous Cowboy Spirit Award. Friend and fellow actor, James Drury of The Virginian fame, will accept the award for John Smith. Every year the Cowboy Spirit Award is presented to recognize those men and women who have set the ex- ample of Western heroes with the integrity, strength of spirit. and moral character depicted by the American Cowboy. From its inception in 1992 when Dale Evans, "Queen of the West," and Patsy Montana, "America's No. 1 Cowboy Sweetheart," received their bronzes, this star-studded presentation ceremony was destined to become the high point of the National Festival of the West. Since that time, thousands of visitors have wit- nessed and become an integral part of the presentation ceremony. In 1993, Rusty Richard's, long time member of the Sons of the Pioneers and song writer, received the award; in 1994, Gene Autry, the quintessential all-American cowboy, was honored; in 1995, Roy Rogers, "King of the Cowboys," received the bronze; in 1997, co-recipients Ben Johnson, World Champion Cowboy and Academy Award winner, and Harry Carey, Jr. received their awards; in 1997, Denver Pyle and Herb Drinkwater were brought to center stage; and in 1998, an unprecedented three bronze saddles were awarded to Rex Allen, the "Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys", Buck Taylor, star of Gunsmoke, and, the beautiful and multi-talented Christina Paine. In 1999 during a tribute to the Black Cowboys, author Matt Braun and singer Herb Jeffries received their awards. In 2000 Lynn Anderson and Jane Russell were given their awards in a special presentation featuring Ms. Dale Evans. In 2001 the Cowboy Heroes of Today were honored, with Michael Martin Murphey and Bruce Boxleitner receiving the award. With a special tribute to the Lawmen in 2002, the award was presented to Clint Walker and Dennis Weaver. In 2003, in a special tribute to the Bal- ladeers, The National Festival of the West proudly added Ernest Borgnine, Marty Robbins and Johnny Western to the roster of recipients. 1n 2004 Jack Palance, Robert Fuller and the Westerns Channel received the award. In 2005 the recipients were Mickey Rooney, Rick Schroder, Peter Brown and Johnny Crawford. Robert Horton and Morgan Woodward received the award in 2006. miles to the southward, and sinks nowhere in particular. It is at best a mere ditch, probably in no place above two feet deep; and yet it is drawn on the map as a respectable well-conducted river, and gives its name to a large district. I believe that a bogus company was got up recently to run steamers on the Reese River . But nobody made any money out of it except the secretary, who has Series: Continued from last month not been heard of since. The road lay through desert alkali plains, barren red hills and moun- June 1. 1866 AN OVERLAND JOURNEY FROM tains, marshes, and sands. The winds traversing SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK BY WAY OF these plains become impregnated with the alkali, THE SALT LAKE CITY which causes a bad taste in the mouth, and dries The journey from Virginia City to Salt Lake City up the lips and the skin on the face and hands In lasted five days and four nights. On the evening of the some places there are pretty views: some of the second day we crossed a brook called Reese River , and hill tops and a few of the valleys were relieved passed through a small town called Austin City . This by pine and cedar scrub, but little can be said in was the only place on the road worthy of the name of a favour of the scenery. The ground was invariably town, and it contained a few brick and stone houses. It covered with dull grey sage-brush; the ranges of stands among the hills, and is purely a mining town, hills and mountains run north and south, and be- some of the mines opening on to its street. A year or two tween them are absolutely level plains, varying ago there was a rush to the Reese River district , but the from ten to twenty miles in breadth; but the hills gold and silver mines have not quite answered the expec- are seldom ascended. It is very remarkable that tations formed of them. Prospecting parties are often in almost every instance there is a natural pass formed by speculators, and sent out to examine ledges or through the hills on nearly the same level as the ranges of hills which are not well known. These parties plains. One of these, nearly four miles long, had often make valuable discoveries, and bring back rich the regularity of a railroad cutting; it was in these specimens of the precious metals, and accounts of dis- passes that two or three years ago the Indians tricts where such specimens abound. On the strength of used to attack the stage. their report companies are formed, and a rush to this par- On the morning of Friday the 14th , we ticular spot takes place. Sometimes these reports are reached Fort Crittenden , about fifty miles from false, the specimens having been procured elsewhere to Salt Lake City . Here we stopped to breakfast, abet the fraud, but more often there is no deception in the and I made acquaintance with the Mormon inn- matter. Reese River is marked on most maps as a stream keeper. He had but two wives, the youngest of of some importance. It rises from two or three springs to whom I saw, (Continued on page #4) the northward of Austin, flows some seventy or eighty The Friendliest Outfitters to the Cowboy Action Shooter in the U.S. WHERE A MAN’S WORD IS HIS BOND ! JOIN THE BUCKBOARD JUST IN OFF THE STAGE: ADVENTURE SOCIETY New Inventory of AS WE RIDE ON OUT TO DURANGO CAVALRY BOOTS THE SANTA CLARITA ARIAT LACE-UP BOOTS COWBOY FESTIVAL ON LARGE SELECTION OF APRIL 29, 2007. SUNBODY and STRAW HATS, (Call Walker ‘47 for details.) Hat Accessories (and more) Walker ‘47 supports our troops stateside and overseas fighting to 95 E. Orangethorpe Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92801-1210 preserve our freedom phone: 714-871-8171; fax: 714-871-8516; email: [email protected] and way of life.