DRAGGING YOUR BOAT UPSTREAM Before the invention of steam engines, the only way to bring large amounts of goods upstream in the Old West was to use a keel boat. Size often averaged about 60’x15’ and had a three-foot depth of hull. With one steerer and another operating the sweep, you could travel downstream. But […]
How to Die Standing Up In the wild and lawless early days of the Old West, a man’s true riches amounted to the friendships he had with other men. In a land so sparsely populated, and with the enemies of weather, finding food, and attack so constant, survival often depended on your number of friends. […]
Catch the Horse or Good Saddle First? True cowboys and cowgirls usually treasure a good saddle. No one likes being bucked off a horse, especially an Old West cowboy. You’d get a lot of ribbing for that. Out on the range if your old broomtail decided to break in two, hop for mama, jackknife, swap […]
Built With Cowboy Quality Name recognition products didn’t just happen in our present age. Long before radio and television, even among the cowboys and ranchers of the Old West, certain brand names meant quality built. Quality Western Hats and Boots John B. Stetson made hats. He fashioned wide-brimmed, high crowned, beaver felt hats like no […]
WHEN O’BRIAN SACKED HIS SADDLE I saw Three Fingers Bob at the post office and got caught up on what’s happening to all the old timers in the area. Bob was born a mile or two down the road about 85 years ago. He keeps me up on the latest news of the older set. […]
FINDING A WELL-FITTED HORSE SADDLE During the cold winter months of north-central Idaho, my horse saddle spent most of its time on a stand in my Winchester office. I built a strong stand and cinched it down because most guests who came in to talk to me liked to climb up on it. It made […]
STRAY SHEEP NEED A FLOCK Enrique Borba spent most of his life running flocks of sheep and plenty of stray sheep too in the mountains around Winnemucca, Nevada. He lived a lonely life, to say the least. The rolling, treeless mountains and sage scattered valleys might make a good place for sheep, stray or otherwise. […]
HOW MANY SAVVY EXPERTS DO YOU KNOW? I was writing a scene in one of my novels and I had a question about shotguns. I wanted a lady in my story to pick up an old, first series Model 12 shotgun. But I wasn’t sure if modern shells would work in that model. That’s when […]
Down the Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail consisted of eight hundred miles of barren land, sandy deserts, and high mountain passes. Travelers had to battle hunger, thirst, and occasional raids by Comanches. Once you reached your destination, a whitewashed city at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, you were never sure […]
Enough Sand For A Beach Front I was hanging out in the back of the Grain Growers Supply, watching as they put some studded snow tires on the back of my old rig. Suddenly, the siren went off. Willy dumped the tire tools and ran for his pickup. He’s a courageous emergency medical technician and […]
In the frame short story in this anthology, Ben and Marnie Pearson never intended to start a jewelry collection. But when they were given a box of leftover jewelry at an estate sale, they were intrigued by the colorful contents . . .
The sparkling jewels featured in this collection may have been passed down through generations or discovered accidentally, but each has its own unique short story. From diamonds to emeralds, opals to rubies, these stones have witnessed it all.
Here in The Jeweler's Heart are their fascinating tales told by seventeen of the talented novel writers of ChiLibris. For fans of inspirational fiction and heartwarming tales, The Jeweler's Heart is a treasure.
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