Books with author Charlie Siringo

"A Texas Cowboy" was one of the first true looks into life as a cowboy. Its author, Charles A. Siringo, was born in Dodge City, Kansas and at the age of 15 started working on local ranches as a cowboy and participated over the course of his ranching career in many cattle drives. A highly influential work that romanticized the life of a cowboy and the Old West, Siringo's book tells an autobiographical account of riding the famous Chisholm Trail and driving 2500 head of cattle from Texas to Kansas, of leading a posse of cowboys in pursuit of Billy the Kid and his gang, and of life in general as a cowboy in the great plains during the 19th century. As the first chapter in the life of Siringo, who would later seek further career adventure as a Pinkerton detective, we find in "A Texas Cowboy" a hugely influential autobiography that gives the reader great insight into this period of time and this type of lifestyle from one of the most interesting characters to have lived it.

Excerpt from History of Billy the KidShortly after this marriage, the little family of four moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the end of the old Santa Fe trail.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

There is no better exploration of Texas cowboy life than Charles Siringo’s. What sets his memoir apart is his candid account of the personality, habits, and values that brought him to the range. His difficult, dirt-poor childhood, his free-spending ways, his driving wanderlust, his love of whiskey, guns, horses, and star-topped boots, his distinctly situational ethics, his aversion to manual labor—and equal aversion to education—compose a package that belongs on the back of the horse. Siringo tells a great story, and he does it without any of the obvious embellishment that characterize the memoirs of some of his contemporaries. He is too open about his own flaws and failings for the words to be anything other than the truth. And his candor is perfectly complemented by a wry wit that spices his stories perfectly. Tales of the Chisholm Trail and of Billy the Kid are highlights of the book, but it is Siringo’s earliest years—before he became a cowboy (or Cow-boy, as he originally put it) that may be the most compelling. In all, his story is so full of excitement that something as remarkable as the Indianola Hurricane of 1875 receives little attention—even though Siringo spent the night in water up to his neck. It’s a Texas must-read.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

198 pp., illustrations. A fine, unblemished copy in a very good clipped dust jacket with a sun faded spine. This 1950 reprint is considered the best of all the later reprint editions. It contains an introduction by J. Frank Dobie, drawings by Tom Lea, and typography by Carl Hertzog. Siringo's book is the first autobiography of a cowboy, and unquestionably one of the most important range books. Listed in Six-Guns #2032, Herd #2077, Six Score #99.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

My excuse for writing this book is money—and lots of it. While ranching on the Indian Territory line, close to Caldwell, Kansas, in the winter of '82 and '83, we boys—there being nine of us—made an iron-clad rule that whoever was heard swearing or caught picking grey backs off and throwing them on the floor without first killing them, should pay a fine of ten cents for each and every offense. The proceeds to be used for buying choice literature—something that would have a tendency to raise us above the average cow-puncher. Just twenty-four hours after making this rule we had three dollars in the pot—or at least in my pocket, I having been appointed treasurer. As I was going to town that night to see my Sunday girl, I proposed to the boys that, while up there, I send the money off for a years subscription to some good newspaper. The question then came up, what paper shall it be? We finally agreed to leave it to a vote—each man to write the one of his choice on a slip of paper and drop it in a hat. There being two young Texans present who could neither read nor write, we let them speak their choice after the rest of us got our votes deposited. At the word given them to cut loose they both yelled "Police Gazette", and on asking why they voted for that wicked Sheet, they both replied as though with one voice: "Cause we can read the pictures." We found, on counting the votes that the Police Gazette had won, so it was subscribed for. With the first copy that arrived was the beginning of a continued story, entitled "Potts turning Paris inside out." Mr. Potts, the hero, was an old stove-up New York preacher, who had made a raise of several hundred thousand dollars and was over in Paris blowing it in. I became interested in the story, and envied Mr. Potts very much. I wished for a few hundred thousand so I could do likewise; I lay awake one whole night trying to study up a plan by which I could make the desired amount. In trying to solve the question my mind darted back a few years, when, if I had taken time by the forelock, I might have now been wallowing in wealth with the rest of the big cattle kings—or to use a more appropriate name, cattle thieves. But alas! thought I, the days of honorable cattle stealing is past, and I must turn my mind into a healthier channel. CONTENTS: I. My Boyhood Days II. My Introduction to the late war III. My First Lesson in Cow Punching IV. My second experience in St. Louis V. A New experience VI. Adopted and sent to school VII. Back at last to the Lone Star State VIII. Learning to rope wild steers IX. Owning my first cattle X. A start up the Chisholm trail XI. Buys a boat and becomes a sailor XII. Back to my favorite occupation, that of a wild and woolly Cow Boy XIII. Mother and I meet at last XIV. On a tare in Wichita, Kansas XV. A lonely trip down the Cimeron XVI. My first experience roping a Buffalo XVII. An exciting trip after thieves XVIII. Seven weeks among Indians XIX. A lonely ride of eleven hundred miles XX. Another start up the Chisholm trail XXI. A trip which terminated in the capture of "Billy the Kid" XXII. Billy the Kid's capture XXIII. A trip to the Rio Grande on a mule XXIV. Waylaid by unknown parties XXV. Lost on the Staked Plains XXVI. A trip down the Reo Pecos XXVII. A true sketch of "Billy the Kid's" life XXVIII. Wrestling with a dose of Small Pox on the Llano Esticado XXIX. In love with a Mexican girl XXX. A sudden leap from Cow Boy to Merchant

Growing up along the gulf coast of Texas, a young boy learns to ride horses and rope steers, and at an early age, he finds employment with a local rancher. Soon he is driving cattle all over the untamed West and landing in precarious,yet amusing, situations. Based upon the author�s life, A Texas Cow Boy is truly a classic of the Old West. From his days as a young troublemaker to the capture of Billy the Kid, Chas. A. Siringo, with humor and honesty, brings to life the rough and exciting stories of the men and women who tamed the wild country.

Charles A. Siringo was truly a Texas original not only in that his life was singular in its variety—youthful survivor, working cowboy, Pinkerton detective, early movie extra. He also was an original among Texas cowboys in providing a personal narrative of the actual experience of the uniquely American hero, the cowboy. A TEXAS COWBOY, OR, FIFTEEN YEARS ON THE HURRICANE DECK OF A SPANISH PONY, takes us through his journey as a fatherless child, the primary provider for his mother and older sister. Beginning on the Texas coast, detouring through Mississippi river towns and back to Texas, he eventually settles into the life of the working cowboy. An encounter with the famous outlaw Billy the Kid and his pursuer Pat Garrett is only one of the colorful experiences that shapes his life and makes his narrative so impelling.