Journal Notes

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The Pinks:

The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency

In the spring of 1858, a friendly, two-horse match race attracted the attention of many residents in the town of Atkinson, Mississippi. Mrs. Franklin Robbins and Mrs. R. C. Potter, both guests at one of the community’s finest hotels, had decided to see which one of their mounts was the fastest. They had begun their afternoon ride in the company of several others enjoying the balmy air, blooming flowers, and waving foliage of the sunny, southern landscape. Exploring a path that led to a bubbling stream, Mrs. Robbins and Mrs. Potter had lagged far behind the party and decided to narrow the gap when talk about who could make that happen first arose.

For a few moments, both the horses the women were riding ran at an uneven but steady pace; then suddenly Mrs. Robbins’ horse bolted ahead. Her ride didn’t stop until they reached the business district of town. Mrs. Robbins slowed the flyer to a trot before she glanced back to check on her competitor. Mrs. Potter was nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Robbins backtracked a bit; her eyes scanned the road she’d traveled. Her horse reared and threatened to continue the run, but she restrained the animal and pulled tightly on the reins. “Mrs. Potter!” she called out frantically, “Mrs. Potter?” Mrs. Robbins’ urgent cries drew the attention of the people with whom the pair had started the ride. They had congregated in front of the hotel when they heard Mrs. Robbins call for help. Not only did the fellow riders hurry to the scene, but men and women at various stores or saloons rushed to Mrs. Robbins’ aide.

Through broken tears she explained what had transpired and asked volunteers to accompany her in her search for Mrs. Potter. Many quickly agreed and wasted no time in following Mrs. Robbins. She spurred her horse back along the roadway they had just traveled.

The riders spread out in hopes of finding a trail leading to where Mrs. Potter’s mount might have carried her. One rider spotted a woman’s scarf caught in a low hanging branch of an oak tree and made his find public. Tracks near the tree led searchers to believe Mrs. Potter’s horse might have been spooked and out of control. After several tense moments trekking back and forth over field and stream, Mrs. Potter was located. She had been thrown from her ride and was lying motionless in a meadow adjacent to the home of the county clerk, Alexander Drysdale.
Mrs. Robbins rode to Alexander’s house and informed him of what had happened. In less than five minutes, he had improvised a stretcher out of a wicker settee and a mattress and had summoned four of his hired hands to help retrieve the injured Mrs. Potter. She was groaning in pain. She told those attending to her that her head hurt. In a few moments, the hired hands had lifted her off the ground and gently placed her in the settee. While being carried to Drysdale’s home, Mrs. Potter complained that her ribs were sore and her back was aching. Mr. Drysdale sent Mrs. Robbins and the other riders on their way and requested that Mrs. Robbins return with a physician. He promised that he and his wife would keep Mrs. Potter comfortable while waiting for the doctor to arrive.

To learn more about Kate Warne, the cases she worked, and the other

women Pinkerton agents read

The Pinks:

The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency

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The Pinks:

The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency

The person holding onto the tent pole has been mistaken as Kate Warne. No photo exists of Kate.

The depot of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in Philadelphia was strangely bustling with an assortment of customers on the evening of February 22, 1861. Businessmen dressed in tailcoats, high-waisted trousers, and elaborate cravats milled about with laborers adorned in faded work pants, straw hats, and long dusters. Ladies wearing long, flouncy, bell-shaped dresses with small hats topped with ribbon streamers of blue, gold, and red mingled with women in plain brown skirts, white, leg-o- mutton sleeve blouses and shawls. Some of the women traveled in pairs conversing in low voices as they walked from one side of the track to the other. Most everyone carried carpet bags or leather valises with them.

The depot was the hub of activity; parent and child, railroad employees, and young men in military uniforms made their way with tickets in hand and destinations in mind. Among the travelers were those who were content to remain in one place either on a bench reading a paper or filling the wait time knitting. Some frequently checked their watches, and others drummed their fingers on the wooden armrests of their seats. There was an air of general anticipation. It was chilly and damp, and restless ticket holders studied the sky for rain. In the far distance, thunder could be heard rumbling.

At 10:50 in the evening, an engine and a few passenger cars pulled to a stop at the depot, and a conductor disembarked. The man was pristinely attired and neatly groomed. He removed a stopwatch from his pocket and cast a glance up and down the tracks before reading the time. The conductor made eye contact with a businessman standing near the ticket booth who nodded ever so slightly. The businessman adjusted the hat on his head and walked to the far end of the depot where a freight loader was pushing a cart full of luggage toward the train. The freight man eyed the businessman as he passed by, and the businessman turned and headed in the opposite direction. Something was about to happen, and the three individuals communicating in a minimal way were involved.

Three, well-built men in gray and black suits alighted from one of the cars as the freight man approached. One of the men exchanged pleasantries with the baggage handler as he lifted the suitcases onto the train, and the two other men took in the scene before them. Somewhere out of the shadows of their poorly lit platform, a somberly dressed, slender woman emerged. At first glance she appeared to be alone. She stood quietly waiting for the freight man to load the last piece of luggage. When he had completed the job and was returning to the ticket office, she walked briskly toward the train.

The woman’s hand and wrist were hooked in the arm of a tall man, dark and lanky, wrapped in a heavy, traveling shawl. He wore a broad-brimmed, felt hat low on his head and was careful to look down as he hurried along. When he and his escort reached the car, the woman presented her tickets to the conductor who arrived at the scene at the same time. “My invalid brother and I are attending a family party,” she volunteered. After examining the tickets for a moment, the conductor stepped aside to allow the pair to board. Protectively and tenderly, the woman took her brother’s arm and helped him to the stairs leading up the train. With an hint of reluctance, the lean, angular man climbed aboard.

To learn more about Kate Warne and the other

women Pinkerton agents read

The Pinks:

The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

Enter to win a copy of

The Pinks:

The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

The Pinks is the true story of Kate Warne and the other women who served as Pinkertons, fulfilling the adage, “Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History.”

Most students of the Old West and American law enforcement history know the story of the notorious and ruthless Pinkerton Detective Agency and the legends behind their role in establishing the Secret Service and tangling with Old West Outlaws. But the true story of Kate Warne, an operative of the Pinkerton Agency and the first woman detective in America—and the stories of the other women who served their country as part of the storied crew of crime fighters—are not well known. For the first time, the stories of these intrepid women are collected here and richly illustrated throughout with numerous historical photographs. From Kate Warne’s probable affair with Allan Pinkerton, and her part in saving the life of Abraham Lincoln in 1861 to the lives and careers of the other women who broke out of the Cult of True Womanhood in pursuit of justice, these true stories add another dimension to our understanding of American history.

To learn more about Kate Warne and the other

women Pinkerton agents read

The Pinks:

The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

Last chance to enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the

Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

Grass Valley, CA. – Take a literary ride with the Most Intrepid Western Author’s Posse as they travel through the great “Show Me State” of Missouri. The Most Intrepid Western Author’s Posse is comprised of five published, award-winning western authors; Monty McCord author of Mundy’s Law: The Legend of Joe Mundy and Hastings: The Queen of the Plains; Sherry Monahan author of Mrs. Earp: The Wives and Lovers of the Earp Brothers, The Cowboy Cookbook, and the Western Writers of America Cookbook; Bill Markley, author of Deadwood Dead Men and Dakota Epic: Experiences of a Reenactor During the Filming of Dances with Wolves, Kellen Cutsforth, author of Buffalo Bill, Boozers, Brothels, and Bare-Knuckle Brawlers: An Englishman’s Journal of Adventure in America and Chris Enss, author of Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother, Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West, Hearts West: Mail Order Brides of the Old West, and Object Matrimony: The Risky Business of Mail-Order Matchmaking on the Western Frontier will tell exciting tales of the Old West.

Stories told by the posse promise to transport readers back to the days of the wild frontier when times were rowdy and justice was swift.

The Most Intrepid Western Author’s Posse’s first stop will be in Saint Joseph at the historic Robidoux Row Museum on Saturday, June 17 from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M.  On Sunday, June 18 the Posse will be at Barnes and Noble at 19120 East 39^th St. in Independence from Noon to 1 P.M.  The Posse will be discussing their books and the taming of the Wild West.

For more information email gvcenss@aol.com.

HowardKazanjianArticle

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

This past week I announced the specifics of the launch of the WWA cookbook. The event will be held on June 22 at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza at 6 P.M. The editors and contributors of the book will be on hand to celebrate the release of The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

If I were clever I’d like to come up with some catchy jingle to promote the book. I remember most jingles. I wish the people who wrote those catchy commercial jingles in the ‘70s had taught at my high school – I think I would’ve retained a lot more useful knowledge. I don’t remember anything about geometry, but I do remember that when it says Libby’s, Libby’s, Libby’s on the label, label, label, you will like it, like it, like it, on your table, table, table. If I find myself alone in my car one more time singing “Plop-plop, fizz-fizz, oh what a relief it is,” I’m going to hunt down the mind-control individual who wrote that inspired Pavlovian haiku and demand he give me back that part of my brain.

Since I do not possess the skill to create such jingles I’ll simply remind readers that the launch of The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom will be held on June 22 at 6 P.M. at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

Venue: Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza

Join the Editors & Contributors as they celebrate

the release of the book.

Date: June 22, 2017

Time: 6 P.M. – 7 P.M.

Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Visit www.westernwriters.org for more information.

Enter now to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

I made Jim Jones’s Texas Chili and it did not disappoint. It was delicious. I needed something sweet to eat afterwards so I turned my attention to Liz Markley’s Chocolate Cake from Scratch. While the cake was baking I took some time to finalize travel arrangements for the WWA convention next month. I’m excited to attend the event and see all the good people involved with the organization, but not excited about flying.

Flying has turned into an amazingly arduous process, especially boarding the plane, which has now become this tedious Bataan death march with American Tourister overnight bags. I always get stuck behind the guy that takes forever to get situated. He clogs the aisle like a human piece of cholesterol jammed in the passengerial artery. If I am not behind the human piece of cholesterol I’m behind the wizard who wants to beat the system by gaffer-taping a twine handle onto a refrigerator-freezer box and calling it a “carry on.” It takes him forever to shove the box in the overhead bin.

And now all the flight attendants are touchy and cranky. You never know what’s going to set them off and whether or not you’ll be bounced from the flight. I know it’s a tough job. There’s got to be a thousand different ways to tie that neckerchief but why take it out on the rest of us?

You know who I feel sorry for in the whole air-travel scenario? It’s the poor guy who has to drive the jetway. You know that little accordion tentacle that weaves its way out to meet the plane? Everybody else is Waldo Pepperin’ around in their Bobby Lansing leather bombing jackets, the right stuff coursing through their veins as they push the outside of the envelope. Your job is to drive the building.

After enjoy several pieces of Liz Markley’s chocolate cake I’m convinced the way to bring peace between the passengers and crew is to serve everyone Liz’s cake. It’s exceptional. Things would work out even better if Liz served the cake herself. She is one of the nicest people in the world and she would never use a refrigerator-freezer box as luggage.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.

Enter to win a copy of

The Western Writers of America Cookbook:

Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom.

Now that I’m spending a more time in the kitchen with the WWA cookbook I realize I need to go shopping for those things most found in kitchens. For example, oven mitts. I made Quackgrass Sally’s Myrna’s Marvelous Mashed Ranch Taters last night and when I went to take it out of the oven I realized I don’t even own any oven mitts. But luckily, since I’m a baseball fan, I had two Number One! foam hands. It made the presentation of Quackgrass Sally’s recipe oh so much more dramatic.

Myrna’s Marvelous Mashed Ranch Taters were indeed marvelous, but I did cheat a bit. The recipe called for a teaspoon of onion powder and I left that out. I hate onions. There’s only one other food I will not eat besides onions and that’s movie theatre hot dogs. I feel there are no USDA preparation guidelines for this meat. They used to be impaled on spears rotating inside a Timex case. Suddenly that’s gone and replaced by the foot massage-log roll jamboree. And they never look like they’re cooking; they just look like they’re sweating.

Think I’ll try and make Jim Jones’s Texas chili next. I’ll get some oven mitts, but I’m saving the foam hands for the next time the Royals win the World Series. The way the season is going though I may not get to use them for a while. Oh well, at least the recipes in the WWA cookbook are Number One!

The Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom is filled with more than 150 recipes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America’s most popular writers and personalities, this collaborative effort has a writers sensibility and a Western point of view. Including recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and fun extras—as well as stories from and profiles of the contributors, this is both a Western book and a cookbook that moves beyond the genre.

The Western Writers of America Cookbook was edited by Nancy Plain and Sherry Monahan. Nancy Plain is an award-winning writer of biographies and histories for readers of all ages. Sherry Monahan has her own column (Frontier Fare) in and is a contributing editor for True West magazine.

Enter to win a copy of the

Western Writers of America Cookbook: Favorite Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Writing Wisdom when you visit www.chrisenss.com.