SALOONS OF THE OLD WEST

by Richard Erdoes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1979

Bughouse, snake ranch, doggery, bit house -- the saloon is herein described in all its forms from a sod cave to a Denver palace. Erdoes meanders, in fact, from the May flower's arrival to McSorley's surrender of its ""men only"" policy, the effectual end of the saloon. He concentrates, however, on the period from 1822 -- when Brown's Hole, in the Rockies, began catering to the ""Great Rendezvous"" of the fur trappers -- to the growth of the temperance movement before World War I. ""The classic western saloon was a fraud"" from the beginning, he points out, with its fake fronts and pretense of luxury. But despite occasional lip-service debunking, he rehashes all the myths. There is the ""mixologist,"" with a big diamond solitaire in his shirt, handing out Red Dynamite, Taos Lightning, Apache Tears, Tiger Spit, and Panther Piss. Some of these potions derived their kick from infusions of turpentine or fusel oil; ""Irish Whiskey"" could be produced from wine by adding a pint of creosote. Erdoes provides endless examples of who did the drinking, what they drank, and where. The saloons offered accommodations (""Hotel de Drunk"" for clients and ""Hotel de Hoss"" for the transportation); they played host to preachers inveighing against drink; they were early law courts (Roy Bean presides again) and cultural centers (attractions ranged from bear-baiting to grand opera). Also accounted for -- with a wealth of crusty detail -- are gun-fighting, gambling, and those hard-bitten, soft-hearted women. With lots and lots of photos, a bonanza for nostalgia buffs.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1979

Categories: NONFICTION