old westerns question

[growr]

On many old westerns especially ones with a cattle drive the bad guys always poison the up and coming watering holes so that the herd cannot water there.....my question is what poison would have been available in large enough quantities to contaminate the lake or large pond so often depicted?

My memory of chemistry from many years ago tells me that it was in actuality not possible, an alkalai feed from mother nature maybe......and the watering hole was pretty small.

Just thinking to myself after watching an episode of Rawhide.....

Randy

PS. it also drives me nuts when they all drop the rifle out of their shoulder to work the lever and they all throw away their empty canteen.

 

[bamabiker]

Change the channel and you can go to a planet a gazillion light years away.


It's only TV.

 

[Lori Ann]

A Deadly Oasis

Here is the answer to your question.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

A Deadly Oasis

Here is the answer to your question.

I didn't read the whole thing but it looks like arsenic was around then.
Here's my beef since we're on the subject. Matt Dillon gets help in a shootout from a young guy that really isn't into shooting people, even though he's great with a gun. I remember he wore a great high ride Brill style black tooled rig and a long ivory handled Colt. After the gunfight he tells Matt he's done gunfighting and throws his gun on the ground and they both walk away. There must be rusty Colts all over Kansas since this happens all the time on this and other westerns.

 

[feralmerril]

I will research the poison matter tonight. I know it was reported the francher wagon train party, (Mountain meadow massicure in 1857) was said that they poisoned a spring killing some indians and thats why the indians took part in wipeing out the wagon train of 122 people. However there were claims debucking that ever happened. Somewhere I have a source that names what poison was supposedly used. Still, it never happened, but may be usefull to know what type poison they thought was effective back in 1857. I gotta go to town now.
By the way wyatt, I had a close friend that was a budding actor that I used to work with on my department that was on a episode of gun smoke. His name is russell wiggins. He was featured in the episode as a solider and in it did a great job of demostraighting a sharps rifle.
Russ was a green beret in nam. We were guards together at lockheed. He may still be there if he hasnt retired yet.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0927805/

 

[Biginge]

Couple rotting animal carcasses in a watershed might just seal the poison deal.

Regards

Bill

 

[ric_in_or]

I watched a couple of John Wayne flicks over the weekend.
Rio Bravo and El Dorado.

The Duke has his finger on the trigger all the time.

example:
File:Riob-win92loop1.jpg - imfdb :. guns in movies :. movie guns :. the internet movie firearms database

It's just a movie.... it's just a movie ...

 

[Straightshooter2]

The Duke has his finger on the trigger all the time.

Yes but he was The DUKE and he was always shooting somebody. He didn't have time to take his finger off the trigger.

CW

 

[LedFowl]

Here's my beef...

I herd me a pun.

 

[Old Corp]

Evidently there were alot of of 92 and 94 Winchesters conquering the West in the 1870's and 1880's.
And why would one carry an 1851 Colt Navy .36 or 1862 Army .44 and have pretty cartridges in loops all around their belt? They don't take cartridges.

 

[feralmerril]

There was a 1871-1872 colt open top that DID shoot cartridges. Also many 1858 navys and 1860 armys were converted from C&B to cartridges. Colt was waiting for S&W`s patent to expire.

Antique Arms, Inc. - Colt Model 1871-1872 Open Top Revolver

 

[MP22]

Get out of here...you mean all the westerns are not real?

 

[therevjay]

Get out of here...you mean all the westerns are not real?

Oh some people!!! Next thing they'll be saying WWE is fake!

 

[mjr]

Russell Wiggins

feralmerril,

Here's Russell Wiggins' page on the Internet Movie Database:

Russell Wiggins - IMDb

I think there's a photo from his Gunsmoke episode.

 

[mc5aw]

... my question is what poison would have been available in large enough quantities to contaminate the lake or large pond so often depicted?

Either Devil's Springs 160 Proof Vodka or Graves Grain Alcohol. That stuff'll kill ya!

 

[jlrhiner]

Either Devil's Springs 160 Proof Vodka or Graves Grain Alcohol. That stuff'll kill ya!

Blind ya' fer shur! (how'd you like to drive a herd of blind cows?)

 

[jkc]

Blind ya' fer shur! (how'd you like to drive a herd of blind cows?)

I'm pretty sure it couldn't be much worse than navigating around other shoppers at Costco, many of whom have a situational awareness level consistent with blind bovines.

 

[Deacon KC]

Good old fashioned salt was also used to contaminate wells

 

[jlrhiner]

Good old fashioned salt was also used to contaminate wells

Now I like salty cow.

 

[calmex]

Oh some people!!! Next thing they'll be saying WWE is fake!

Yeah, don't worry, they can say it but who's going to believe it?