March 4th, 2010

Dodge city is the backdrop for today’s “It Happened When” segment. Bully Brooks, a petty thief and hard case with a chip on his shoulder, got into a heated debate with Buffalo Hunter, Kirk Jordan. Shots were fired and Henry H. Raymond, another buffalo hunter near by the action witnessed the exchange. According to his diary (a copy of which is on file in the manuscript division of the Kansas Historical Society) Brooks had been shot, but escaped. “Tuesday, March 4, 1873. Beautiful day down in town. Bill Brooks got shot with a needle gun – the ball passing through two barrels of water.” Brooks quickly left town, but he was back a few months later causing more trouble. As annoying as Brooks was at least he had a purpose. I really feel like I’m in a rut with writing. After 10 years of being in this line of work I just thought it would be different. There’s lot of hustle to improve sales. Lots of e-newletter sent out, postcards, calls made to bookstores, advertisement placed, but emails aren’t returned, the phone never rings, and I don’t see sales improving much. I’ve got to think of a big publicity venture. Or perhaps I should just set this aside all together and go full time into private investigation work. Maybe too much bad has happened and I just can’t see beyond that. My brother has surgery in May to relieve the swelling on the brain he received from beatings he endured. Bars of soap shoved in a sock can cause a lot of damage when six or seven men are using them to beat you senseless.