RANDOM SHOTS - Obama's War On Americans?

FIRST SHOT! 

Are You On Overload Yet?

Lately, I've been asked why I bother to post Old West history or something on livestock or guns when there is so much going on in the News these days?

Well, as for posting more Old West history and the like?

I find that we can learn a great deal from what took place in the past. And yes, too often people ignore the lessons taught us and instead do the insanity thing.

The insanity thing? Yup, the insanity thing!

It was Albert Einstein who said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I find that to be a daily occurrence where Liberals are concerned. It seems they enjoy chaos.

Here in California, we have our share of the craziness.

In Sacramento, our state capital, Conservatives are non-existent; and the crazies on the Left are doing everything they can to make California into a Socialist bastion of over-regulation, over-taxation based on a Communist ideology and social engineering.

The result is that the state of California is pushing businesses into relocating anywhere other than here; and with residents paying higher taxes - for the first time in the history of California, more people are leaving than coming in.   

Of course the mass exodus is also due to California's insane Political Correctness as defined by the Liberals who occupy the state capital, San Francisco, and Los Angeles where alternative and deviant lifestyles are looked upon as normal.

California's Leftist crazies in charge of the capital are busy with important work as they perceive it.

And that, well that's pushing an agenda that smacks of San Francisco and Hollywood lunacy - such as declaring that a child who has not yet completely developed mentally can now declare himself or herself whatever gender they please.

Yes, it is now the law of the land in California, a boy or a girl may in fact choose to be a gender other than the one they were born. 

Isn't it amazing that the Liberal politicians in California are amazed to find out that more and parents are Home Schooling their kids just to get them away from the Liberal Indoctrination Camps that California calls public schools. 

As for Washington DC, Republicans control half of Congress, or 1/2 of 1/3 of the three branches of the Federal government - and God only knows how many are really Conservatives versus RINOs.

Since the Republicans in the House of Representatives decided that they were not going to fund ObamaCare until it fixed some major problems - including its exemption of the President and Congress and their staff members from having to abide by the new law - the President and his Democrats are throwing a tantrum and shut down the government.

Of course, that's not really true, the golf courses and Air Force One and the 5 Cargo Planes that it takes to get the President to one of his vacation spots is still operating.

The furlough effects 800,000 "non-essential" government employees who will get paid for staying home in the form of "back-pay"? Yup, that makes no sense to me either!

Of course the guys that should be furloughed is the President and the Congress and the Supreme Court - you bet that that would get them off their dead asses and off their high horses and on the job to fix things!

As for ObamaCare?

Well, the built-in exemption, the one which Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats who controlled Congress at the time made sure they got in the law as a condition for passing it in 2010, subsequently puts politicians above the law they passed.

As a result, President Obama and his fellow Democrat Harry "The Weasel" Reid who runs the Senate allowed the government to shutdown.

They refuse to restore the government until the Republicans relent and give in and allow ObamaCare to go through as stands - problems or not, with exemptions, and screwing the American people.

Yes, Liberals can say screw America, you and me, because there are no consequences to their horseshit behavior.

Fact is, like children, Democrats are a spoiled bunch of brats. And yes, their constituents have allowed them to become the way they are  - abusive of the power they have.

If they were really held responsible for their actions, then maybe we would get better from them? But they're not, and they know it.

They know that the only thing they have to worry about is being re-elected.

They also know with money, power, and people who will vote for them solely on their liberal ideology, that they have no real worry.

For me, I'd like to furlough the Democrats who don't care about the consequences of messing with our government.

I'd like to initiate fines and penalties, and withhold pay or perks until they get their shit together.

Maybe then Democrats would start caring about the job they are doing - instead of only caring about their political party and holding on to their constituents like Slave Masters do their slaves?

SECOND SHOT!

What's Being Unnecessarily Shutdown By Obama and the Democrats to Inflict Pain on the Public

Yes, it is my opinion as well as that of millions of others, President Obama is a very vengeful arrogant individual full of spite and hate for Americans.

He is proving that fact everyday.

He and the Democrat Party have decided that they will wage war on the American public rather than give up their exemptions and special privileges.

Obama has shut down these specifically. He has:

1)  Refused special funding for the treatment of Children suffering from Cancer. 

This move is one that Harry Reid sees has no big deal, even going to the point of saying what makes them so special.

2)  Furloughed Military Chaplains. 

The Obama Administration has even gone so far as to threaten the Christian Chaplains with arrest if they administer religious services to our troops even on their own time - working for free. 

Yes, Obama sees nothing wrong with arresting Chaplains.

3)  Obama has ordered "open-air" memorials which are normally open to the public 24/7 to be closed and those trying to enter them will be arrested by the National Parks Service.

Imagine that? Guards are now keeping Americans away from

• the Lincoln Memorial,
• the Statue of Liberty,
• the Grand Canyon, 
• Yosemite National Park,
• Yellowstone National Park,

It was reported that visitors there were detained in the hotel - many believing they were under arrest for some unknown reason.

Obama's modern day Gestapo didn't give anyone a reason. They just did what they were told. Smacks of Nazi Germany! Obama should be proud.

• Ford's Theatre

The famed Washington theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot has also been caught in the shutdown.

Though the group that operates the theater is a nonprofit - and it survived the last shutdown - Ford's Theatre was closed last week. It is believed the order to shutdown came from the White House.

The group has since moved performances down the street.

"There are no federal employees, no federal expenses. . . . We are just a pawn caught in the game," Paul R. Tetreault, Ford's director, told The Washington Post.

• Mt. Rushmore

Yes, the Obama administration has given orders to try to stop Americans from even "looking" at Mount Rushmore from afar.

In South Dakota, the park officials put up traffic cones to prevent passersby from pulling over to take pictures of Mount Rushmore. Imagine that!

As chicken shit as that sounds, the Obama administration isn't finished yet.

The Obama administration also closed

• the St. Louis Arch,
• the Vietnam Memorial,
• the D-Day Memorial,
• the World War II Memorial

We know that a group of seniors, all World War II Veterans, made a trip to Washington DC to see "their" memorial and were at first turned away - but that did not stop them from getting pass barricades (that were brought in specifically to close it to the public) and seeing it. 

The next day, the Obama Administration had made it known that they would arrest anyone, seniors included, if they breach the security at the World War II Memorial. 

The Obama Administration also brought in additional Parks Police with K-9 units to scare away the Americans visiting the site.

"It cost more money to barricade the monuments than it would to keep them open," Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., complained on the House floor on Tuesday.

And yes, he's right! 

• Other memorials, landmarks, and national parks around the nation were also closed, including Valley Forge.

In fact, a Pennsylvania man who went jogging at Valley Forge National Historic Park informed Fox News that he was hit with a $100 fine because the area was technically closed.

He claims he parked his car in an area that was not blockaded. He claims he thought jogging was still okay.

He was met by two armed park rangers and slapped with a ticket.

Yes, when a tyrant says its closed - he means it!

4)  Obama has closed over 100 Privately-Managed Parks that cost no money to run.

5)  Obama has closed Hotels, Beaches, Boat-Docks, Concession Stands, Restaurants, and even Police Parking lots - even though they did not cost a the Federal Government a dime. 

These were located at or near lands, or ones receiving Federal funds.

6)  Obama ordered the National Park Service to close the entire Florida Bay for the duration of the shutdown.

It’s also prohibited fishing in Biscayne National Park.

To enforce these closures, the National Park Service plans to pay agents to stand around making sure no American can enjoy the ocean.

To enforce its closure of Florida Bay, the Park Service will be using more man power and money than it usually takes to keep access to the Bay open - but that does not matter to a vindictive Obama.

Obama has also closed the Thompson Boat center in Washington DC

7)  Obama has closed the Self-sustaining Colonial Farm which has not received Federal Funds since 1980.

8)  Obama has also closed all Military Commissaries which is used by both Military Families and Retirees.

Please understand that while Obama has closed the Commissaries to families, he has made sure that the Golf Course at Andrew's Air Force Base remains open because he golfs there.

No joke! That's for real!

9)  Obama has stopped the BURIAL BENEFITS of our troops killed in action.  

America's military chief's have announced that the Department of Defence will not be able to pay death benefits to families of soldiers who have been killed in combat, even though Republicans in the House of Representatives have passed a bill to restore that funding.

The problem is that any bill passed by the Republican controlled House of Representatives has to go to the Democrat controlled Senate for passing - and Democrat Harry Reid said that he will kill any Republicans attempt to fund the government in any way.

Yes, President Obama has stopped this!

"I think it's disgraceful that they're withholding these benefits," Speaker of the House John Boehner said in an effort to urge President Obama to sign the bill that the House will take up again on Wednesday.

THIRD SHOT!

Obama Kills The Last Wish Of Dying Child 

14-year-old Morgan Jones has a fatal disease and is legally blind but all she wanted was to visit the Statue of Liberty. But thanks to Obama’s shut down, she has been denied that last request.

Morgan is from Ashland, Kentucky and was visiting New York to fulfill a life-long hope of visiting the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island.

But with the government shut down engineered by the Democrats, the young girl is not going to be able to visit the symbol of American Liberty.

Morgan will be returning home without having visited the symbol of American liberty on a trip arranged by the Lexington Dream Factory, an organization that helps dying kids fulfill wishes.

“She’s heartbroken. Her whole dream was to climb up the 354 steps to the crown,” mother April Keelin said.

Morgan was born with glutaric acidemia Type 2, a disease that impairs the body’s ability to break down fat and protein.

She must eat every three hours or risk a brain hemorrhage. Only 50 people in the world are said to have the disease.

Sadly, the girl may not live long enough for a return trip.

Morgan’s mother is a music teacher and said that they can’t afford to return any time soon.

“We don’t know if we’d ever get back to do this for her again,” the girl’s mother said.

Thank you, Mr President. Your compassion is overwhelming.

LAST SHOT!

A Complete Lack Of Common Sense Has Taken Over Bartow Florida

The Florida city orders residents to remove "God Bless America" signs

It's true! Asinine sure, but it's true!

Bartow Florida has a problem with residents saying "God Bless America".

Residents of the small Florida city who have had "God Bless America" signs posted on their front lawns for months have been ordered by local officials to remove them.

MyFoxTampaBay.com reports that the First Baptist Church of Bartow distributed some 300 signs to residents following a Fourth of July celebration.

The city only permits residents to display signs during major holidays is starting to crack down on the displays.

"Being a veteran, I felt like I was just kicked in the gut. I couldn't believe it, that I couldn't display my love for my nation by putting a sign up that says "God Bless America," Bartow resident Marcus Seger told the station.

The Bartow city's code enforcement division recently notified "offending" residents that its temporary sign ordinance has been in place for 13 years and already allows for some exceptions for yard displays.

"They can have those signs out on holidays that are relevant," ," Bartow Code Enforcement Director Gregg Lamb said. "You can have a temporary sign around Christmas if it's related to Christmas. Or the 4th of July. The sign ordinance has exceptions for that."

While the city has obviously gone crazy, some Bartow residents have not and totally disagree with the ordinance - they have no plans to comply with the city's request.

"This is my yard that I'm paying the taxes on. It's my right," Emmett Purvis, an area resident with a sign, told MyFoxTampaBay.com.

Several residents are expected to seek a waiver from the ordinance at an upcoming Bartow City Commission meeting.

The city's code enforcement division does not enforce fines or penalties for non-compliance, according to the report.

City Manager George Long released a statement late Friday reminding residents that code enforcement officers are targeting all types of signs, regardless of the message.

If the message "God Bless America" is in violation of city code in any community in America, we may be in more trouble than even I suspected.

And yes, that's how I see it!

Compiled by Tom Correa



On Obama’s Refusal to Negotiate Shutdown

Speaker of the House John Boehner says President’s Refusal to Negotiate Puts Our Economy at Risk

Posted by Speaker Boehner's Press Office

October 7th, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) today made the following remarks on the House floor:

“Over the last 10 days we have been through quite a bit – sent four bills to the United States Senate to keep our government open and to protect the American people from the harmful effects of ObamaCare.

Each of these requests was denied by the United States Senate.

After the fourth effort, we asked to go to conference and sit down and resolve our differences to keep the government open and to provide fairness to the American people under ObamaCare.

The Senate Democrats once again said ‘no.’

“The president had us all down to the White House last week, only to remind me that he was not going to negotiate over keeping the government open or over the looming need to increase the debt limit.

The president’s refusal to negotiate is hurting our economy and putting our country at risk.

This morning, a senior White House official said that the president would rather default than to sit down and negotiate.

Really?

The president – I’m going to say this again – a senior White House staffer this morning said that the president would rather default on our debt than to sit down and negotiate.

“Now, the American people expect when their leaders have differences, and we’re in a time of crisis, we’ll sit down and at least have a conversation.

Really, Mr. President, it’s time to have that conversation before our economy is put further at risk.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Why won't President Obama negotiate and/or compromise?

It is said that that is the beauty of our system when it works, that we can bring our differences to the table and seek compromise.

To me, it appears as though President Obama just wants to inflict as much economic pain on the American people as possible.

He appears to be enjoying his assertion of power. His actions are that of a leader filled with a sickness of hate for the people and the laws he is sworn to serve and protect. 

Tom Correa

Editor

American Cowboy Chronicles 

Obama Criminal Indictment - Part One

Dear Readers,

A while ago, I reported on an effort by a Pro Texas Independence group to do just that, separate itself from the United States government and form an independent nation.
It would rid itself of the hamstrings of the Federal Government.

It would also send a message to the Obama administration that they might only be the first to do such a thing if Obama pushes his policies of using the Federal Government to attack the citizens of the United States.

As I said before, the straw that breaks the back is usually loaded on by those who think they can do whatever they want to whomever they want!

And yes, in my humble opinion, I believe that President Obama is criminal in his actions toward the citizens of the United States.

The actions of the Federal Government under President Obama have been criminal because this president has used agencies and departments to attack, intimidate, and enslave citizens of the United States to the point of conducting criminal actions.

Like it or not, through his actions, Barack Hussein Obama has become a tyrant.

Today we Americans find ourselves facing a new tyranny being perpetrated against us by President Obama and his cronies.

President Obama and his cohorts have abused their positions of power, over-stepped their authority, sought to intimidate and coerce the citizenry, and have even committed felony crimes against the citizens of the United States.

All with no accountability or actions taken by the president to remedy these actions - thus clearly indicating an approval of those activities on the president's part.

So now, let's detail the crimes that have been perpetrated against us, the citizens of the United States, by President Barack Hussein Obama and the Federal Government which he commands.

Let's take one agency or Department at a time:

The Internal Revenue Service

The IRS has improperly targeted Tea Party and Conservative organizations for scrutiny, harassment, intimidation, delays, and worse just because of the name or nature of their organizations seeking tax exempt status while simultaneously giving absolutely none of the same to left leaning groups.

This was all taking place while Liberal organizations and individuals, like Presidents Obama’s half-brother, were given expedited preferential treatment.

The IRS even had the nerve to ask some Conservative groups for the contents of their prayers, what books they read, the names of the children they had educated about liberty and the Constitution, access to social media and website postings, and details about the past and future elected office aspirations of their members.

Even worse some 40 different groups had their confidential information and tax forms given to ProPublica - which is a leftist media outlet in order to attack those groups and their members.

If you don't know it, that is a crime, a felony, and against IRS rules and regulations.

The IRS also somehow managed to given the confidential tax records of the National Organization for Marriage to one of its issue opponents including a list of its donors in an attempt to attack and smear Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The IRS doing such things are numerous, well documented, and we have only scratched the tip of the iceberg on that malfeasance.

The Department of Justice

Under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder and his top deputies including Thomas Perez have committed numerous transgressions.

There was the dismissal of charges against the New Black Panthers in Philadelphia for voter intimidation when the guilt and evidence against the Black Panthers was overwhelming - and yes, on film.

There was the criminal exercise known as Operation Fast and Furious where gun smugglers were allowed to take firearms purchased in the US across the border into Mexico where those weapons were then given to the ultra violent narco-terrorist drug cartels with no effort made to track these weapons.

Those weapons have since been used to kill hundreds of Mexicans and at least two US law enforcement officers including Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

If that wasn’t bad enough Eric Holder and his Justice Department lied to Congress in a letter stating that no such operation was taking place - yes, they committed Purjury.

Because of the lies and the incredibly flawed nature of Fast and Furious Congress demanded full access to all documents and related materials to the botched operation.

Eric Holder’s refusal to give Congress that access, including invoking executive privilege, prompted the House of Representatives to find Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, the first time that has ever been done.

Then there is the DOJ’s political payback directed at the Associated Press under the guise of an investigation into national security leaks.

The AP had sat on a counter-terrorism story for several days at the request of the government because of national security concerns, however when the government requested an additional day of no reporting, not out of security concerns but because President Obama wanted to break the story at a press conference the AP balked and ran with the story.

This clearly angered the Obama administration who proceeded to investigate the AP for running with the story instead of giving President Obama his chance to gloat.

Some 20 phone lines of 100 AP reporters and editors were tapped by the Justice Department.

Before that abuse of the First Amendment and the Free Press, Eric Holder signed off on a search warrant of Fox News reporter James Rosen naming him a co-conspirator under the Espionage Act.

The DOJ monitored Rosen’s movements inside Washington D.C., accessed his private emails and monitored his and his parents phones.

And what was Rosen’s supposed crime?

Well, he reported that the Dictator of North Korea was planning to test detonate a nuclear weapon as part of its strategy to get sanctions against them lessened - hardly shocking or classified information, since that kind of behavior by North Korea is routine.

In a twist that could only come about from a corrupt public official Eric Holder committed perjury when he told a House committee in mid-May that he had never heard of, or been a part of, nor approved exactly what he did to James Rosen.

These are the actions of a totalitarian regime and are a bill of particulars warranting a criminal indictment against Eric Holder for a whole host of charges.


Obama Criminal Indictment - Part Two

Compiled by Tom Correa

Shot by a Woman, Sacramento Union, 1860

Published in the Sacramento Union on June 8th, 1860:
Shot by a Woman

A friend from Carson City, who arrived yesterday, informs us [the Sacramento Union] that a Mexican named Manuel Marquez was shot at that place by a woman, under the following circumstances:

The woman is married, has two children, and is living with her husband. The fellow approached her with proposals, which she resented as a gross insult. He then threatened her life and that of her husband, and did fire two shots into the house in which they lived.

Thereupon he was arrested, taken before Judge Cradlebaugh, and after the facts were elicited, was required to give bonds for his appearance at Court in the sum of five hundred dollars, or remain in the custody of the Marshal.

As the parties were leaving the Court room, the woman in company with her husband walked up behind the Mexican, when she drew a pistol from her pocket and shot him dead, the ball entering under his left shoulder and passing through the heart.

The act was applauded by those present.

The Mexican was a desperado, who had served a term in the California penitentiary.

-- end of article

The newspaper article above is presented here exactly as it was published in the Sacramento Union back on June 8th, 1860. News coming over the Sierra Nevada mountains by word of mouth was not out of the ordinary back in those days. That was especially true by 1860 that was the year that Carson City became the capital of Nevada, and any news coming out of it's capital was of interest on the west side of the Sierra Mountains in California.

As a piece of trivia, Carson City was named for the famous mountain man Christopher "Kit" Carson. He was part of the first Americans who arrived with John C. Fremont and his exploration party into California in January of 1843. Carson was hired by Fremont for his expedition specifically because of Carson's knowledge of the region. 

As for the news story above, isn't it amazing how "the act was applauded by those present." 

I don't know if the Mexican desperado threatened her or not while walking out of the court, but all in all it really didn't mater. It appears that the brave woman involved was not going to take any chances. She was not going to wait for that desperado to harm her family while out on bail.

Since those around her applauded, it tells me that she probably got off with killing him for reasons of self-defense. None of this surprises me really, back then folks simply did not wait for the law to handle their problems for them.

People were a lot more self-sufficient, self-reliant, and knew real well that their security was in their own hands - and not that of the government. Whether it be the federal, state, county, or city governments, people back then knew that it was not the government's job to protect them from every harm. People knew without question that it was their responsibility to look after themselves. People back then did just that. The woman in 1860 who took it upon herself to shoot that Mexican desperado and not wait for the law to protect her family is a good example of that.

Isn't it interesting that history is repeating itself since many Americans today are also realizing that they need to fend for themselves and not wait for the police to provide them security. While many of us never depended on the police for protection, more Americans today know way too well that by the time the police do arrive. Too many of us know the reality that by the time the police do show up, the perpetrators have come and gone, property has been broken or stolen, victims are injured or worse, and the police only take a report about what took place.

As for those who get away with assault, battery, and worse? Since the vast majority of victims never see their assailants caught or prosecuted, the lack of consequence for the lawless is now making more and more Americans look after and provide security for themselves without any help from others. I see that as a good thing.

Tom Correa

Vigilance Affairs at Carson Valley, Placerville Register,1858

VIGILANCE AFFAIRS AT CARSON VALLEY

A correspondent of the Placerville Register, writing from Genoa, Nevada, July 28th, [1858] says:

I told you in my last letter that we expected to have some sport the next day, in the way of proving the right of property, at the mouth of double barreled shotguns.

The respective parties met within three miles of each other, the anti-Vigilantes numbering 47 and the Vigilantes 30.

Early in the morning the Vigilantes sent a courier to the anti-Vigilantes to tell them that the Executive Committee was then in session, and that they would send another courier in the course of two hours, with proposals to settle all difficulties.

The courier came and said that the Committee had concluded to accept the money and give up the cattle, which was satisfactory.

The Vigilance Committee met again last Saturday, and made laws and elected officers. Their officers consist of two Judges, a Clerk, and a Sheriff.

Among the laws they passed is, that if any person is guilty of stealing any property to the value of $25, they are to be hung by the neck until they are dead; and that upon conviction of stealing a smaller amount, they are to be fined from $50 to $1,000, and banished from the Valley.

While this was going on, the anti-Vigilantes signed a petition to Governor Cumming, and sent it on, requesting him to extend his jurisdiction over, and re-organize the county of Carson.

--end of article.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The above article is published as it was in the Placerville Register and article reprinted in the Sacramento Union, August 2nd, 1858. This small article, from a newspaper of the time, really shows what Frontier Justice was all about in what was called the "Far West" of the United States where organized law was not always present.

It is interesting to note that a guilty verdict in Genoa resulted in either a hanging or banishment. It was very clear, very black and white, if you did the crime this is what will happen to you.

It's no wonder that crime was not really that big of an issue in the Old West -- at least relatively speaking if we consider the amount of people there were in those towns and mining camps at the time. A combination of having clear consequences to breaking the law and the carrying of firearms made the Old West much safer than the cities in the East.  

The above picture is part of the Carson Valley on the East side of the Sierra. One website on its history says, explorers and trappers made their way through this area before the area was settled.

Carson Valley is at a crossroads of sorts.  It sits at the transition between the Sierra Nevada range and the Great Basin, the West Coast of the Old Wild West, the high alpine and the high desert. The valley is guarded on the west by rugged 10,000-foot peaks, the same mountains that cradle Lake Tahoe. 

Northern Nevada’s most scenic valley is scattered with open space, golf courses, expansive farms and ranches, parks, shops and hotels.  The Carson Valley stretches from Genoa in the northwest through the towns of Gardnerville and Minden.  Topaz Lake is to its south.

Back in the Old West, the Sierra Nevada Mountains were a fearful barrier for travelers between Placerville, California on the west side and a small settlement on the east side called Leeteville. Before making the hard climb over the Sierra, travelers coming from the east would stop to rest and re-provision themselves at Leeteville, formerly referred to as "Ragtown", the name coming from laundry hanging on nearby bushes to dry.

For a time, this was the last settlement on the East side of the Sierra. The story of the disappearance of Leeteville is for another day.

In 1849, Brigham Young dispatched a party to the area that established a colony known simply as "Mormon Station" at the very foot of the Sierra.

In June of 1851, John Reese and his party built a trading post that the area began to attract settlers and became a permanent settlement. Reese and his men took up land claims extending from the Walley's Hot Springs marsh area south of Genoa into Jack's Valley on the north.

Known as "Mormon Station," after building a trading post, Reese built a house and sent for his family in New York. Later, Reese added a blacksmith shop and a large corral for livestock. The Overland Emigrant Trail passed down what is now Genoa's Main Street.

Reese's operation did very well and when the Mormons were called back to Salt Lake City in 1857, Reese decided to stay to protect his business and extensive land claims - but did return to Salt Lake City in 1859 after business reversals.

Orson Hyde, an elder in the Mormon Church, was sent to "Mormon Station", Utah Territory, to set up a government, survey the town into lots, and define the state line between California and Utah Territory. He renamed Mormon Station "Genoa" in 1855.

As the story goes, Hyde admired Christopher Columbus and so named the town site" Genoa" after Columbus's birth place of Genoa, Italy. Orson Hyde was the first probate Judge. Court matters were settled by Judge Hyde in the loft of Reese's trading post. Yes, the loft.

Believe it or not, entrance to the loft was gained by climbing a ladder on the outside of the building then climbing through a large window into the loft. This loft was also used as a type of hotel for those pioneers traveling by foot and wishing to stay the night.

Genoa became a commercial center during Territorial days and settled down to a quiet existence as the county seat and a trading center for Douglas County. As the population of Douglas County and Genoa grew, people of many nationalities settled in the area. Industrious Danish and German people recognized the Valley as a wonderful crop growing area.

They drained the swamp areas where ranches and farms began to produce hay, grains, and pastures for livestock. Barns were built with small blacksmith shops nearby to make the needed farm equipment, plows, seeders, mowers, etc. Orchards and vegetable gardens were planted.

This all took time but year after year improvements were made. Other nationalities were the Italians, English, Welsh and Irish. All these early pioneers contributed to the beautiful Valley as it is seen today.

The most significant event in the history of Genoa was probably the June 28th, 1910 fire. Two blocks of the business district and several homes burned that day. The fire was started by an inmate in the County Alms house (poor house) located in what was originally built as a hotel at the corner of Main and Nixon St. The poor man decided to burn a pan of sulfur under his bed to get rid of bed bugs. There was still some flame in the pan that set his straw mattress on fire and so most of the town.

The courthouse was a brick shell after the fire. The County Commissioners authorized repairs but a few years later, in 1916, the County Seat was moved eight miles south-east to Minden, Nevada. Of course, unfortunately for Genoa, many of the businesses that burned in the 1910 fire also set up shop in the growing communities of Gardnerville and Minden.

So why would I care to include this information to an old news article about a Vigilance Committee?

That area of Nevada is only about 2 hours from the area where I live. Today, those farms and ranches provide a great deal of quality hay and other agriculture for California. Genoa, Gardnerville, Miden, and the surrounding area supply prime hay for our cattle and horses here on the West side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The history that took place in California and Nevada are interesting parts of Old West history. Too bad it is that too often the Old West of our area is overlooked by "Old West" historians too often stuck on the "Old West" that took place back East  in the Mid-West instead of the Far-West.

Yes, back in their day, the folks back then called out here the "Far West" but I call it the "Real West."

Tom Correa
Editor
The American Cowboy Chronicles
Two favorite quotes:

"Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready."
- Theodore Roosevelt, 1903

“I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”
― John Wayne, The Shootist, 1976

Buried Bullion, Eureka Sentinel,1877

                                      BURIED BULLION

[The Eureka Sentinel, May 6th, 1877]

MURDER, ROBBERY, AND INSANITY.

If our old residents will recall the Spring of 1872, they will remember a bold stage robbery that occurred on the Pioche and Hamilton road at that time.

Not only was the stage robbed of a large amount of bullion, but the driver, James Mann, was killed, and a passenger wounded.

The plunder — six bars of bullion — amounted to over $8,000, and it was believed that it was buried somewhere in the vicinity.

Two men were arrested and taken to Belmont, and after an examination were discharged for want of proof of complicity in the robbery.

As these men were lurking around Eureka canyon both before and after their arrest, it was suspected that they had planted the treasure in the canyon, and in view of this suspicion they were shadowed for some time.

The men were too shrewd for the officers, and after lingering here for a couple of weeks they departed for Colorado Territory.

This was rendered necessary by the constant vigilance of the authorities and the impossibility of raising or disposing of buried bullion.

DEPARTURE.

They proceeded immediately to Denver City, and their career in that place was very brief.

Three weeks after their arrival there they became embroiled in a saloon row, in which one of them was killed and the other severely wounded, having been shot in the head.

He lingered along in the hospital for three months, an operation having been performed by which the bullet had been extracted and his skull trepanned.

He was finally discharged as cured, and in about a week became violently insane.

He was arrested, and after a proper examination committed to the asylum, where he was confined until about two years ago, when he died.

During his incarceration it was always necessary to confine him in a straight jacket, as he was very violent.

His attendant, a bright young follow, was impressed with the persistency with which he recurred to the fact of his having concealed a large amount of bullion in Eureka canyon.

When he first spoke of the subject, it was looked upon as the mere ravings of an insane man, but the constant reiteration of the story, and the details accompanying the statement, induced Bryson, the attendant, to listen with more attention.

By questioning the crazy man, he found out the whole story, from the inception of the robbery until his discharge from the hospital.

Bryson still looked upon it as the fancy of a disordered brain and gave it but little thought, except in building day dreams on the remote possibility of its truth.

During the last six months of Smith's (the surviving highwayman) imprisonment, he became very reticent, his mania taking another form, in marked contrast with his former garrulousness; moody and morose fits were finally succeeded by an idiotic state, and the poor fellow died from softening of the brain.

LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM.

Soon after this, Bryson had an altercation with the resident physician and was discharged.

This was some eighteen months ago, and he left for his home in Winterset, Iowa, where he went to work on a farm.

It was a dull life to him, and the probabilities are that he would not have remained in that humdrum community very long had it not been that he met his fate in the person of a charming young lady, the daughter of his employer.

He was a bright, and withal a good-looking young follow, and his manly ways soon wrought an impression on the girl's heart, and in a short time she reciprocated the passion.

It was the old story, love's young dream, "When love's well timed, 'tis not a fault to love; the strong, the brave, the virtuous and wise sink in the soft captivity together."

With mutual vows and tender flame those two lived on, concealing from the stern parent their passion and dreading the moment of its discovery.

He was penniless and she the only daughter of a sire who counted his acres of waving corn by the hundreds, and annually fattened numberless hogs for the Chicago market.

The disparity of their positions was great, but after a year's faithful service at the plow and around the farm, Bryson finally picked up courage to declare his love and ask the old man's consent.

REFUSAL.

The storm burst at once and our hero was covered with contumely.

How dare he aspire to the hand of an heiress of broad acres, the belle of the country and the apple of the old man's eye; he is a penniless adventurer, a hired man, etc.

He was discharged instanter, and found himself adrift on the wide world with the savings of a year's work as a nest-egg of the fortune that he must have to placate the father's anger, He went to town after a stolen interview with his beloved, in which both swore eternal constancy.

He tried to persuade her to elope, but her fears got the better of her love and she declined to precipitate matters, but suggested that it would be better for him to make a fortune and then demand a reconsideration of the old man's fiat.

He left for town, and, while pondering over his forlorn condition, his thoughts reverted to the chatterings of his former ward in the asylum.

SEEKING FOR INFORMATION.

Cogitating on the subject he finally wrote to Eureka to learn if any such robbery had ever been committed, and was startled to receive an answer that it had.

The more he thought over the matter the more he became possessed with the idea that there might be a grain of truth in Smith's story.

As there was no fortune in sight in Winterset, he came to the determination of taking the desperate chance and verifying the truth of the tale.

After a last stolen meeting and most affecting parting from his true love, he purchased an emigrant ticket, was soon en route, and at the conclusion of the eight-day journey he landed safely in Eureka [California].

Smith had dwelt on the particular spot that he had buried his stolen treasure and Bryson's excellent memory served him well.

Go up Eureka canyon to the gulch just north of the Roslin furnace, up this gulch 320 yards, and then turn up the hill to a clump of dwarfed cedar trees, and just 13 feet to the west of the first tree the bullion is buried.

Those were the directions that Smith had reiterated numberless times.

His first inquiry was for the Roslin furnace, and the next move was a visit to the locality.

There was the ruins of the old works, sure enough, and he quickly paced off 320 yards up the gulch.

The clump of dwarfed cedars were growing on the hill, and he was satisfied that everything tallied so far.

He did not examine further, but waited patiently for a moonlight night, when he once more proceeded to the spot and commenced his explorations with a beating heart and excited brain; he plied the pick and shovel lustily, and, after an hour's work he was rewarded with — but we will let his future movements tell the balance of the story.

CONCLUSION.

The next day he bought a stout packing case, and hiring a team, once more proceeded to the canyon.

After a short absence he drove to the depot and shipped the case to Chicago. The railroad boys grumbled terribly at its unusual weight, but did not suspect the contents.

He had money enough to purchase a return ticket, and departed on that evening's train.

In about a month from that date the Winterset Gazette contained the following item:

"Mr. Charles Bryson has purchased the farm adjoining Geo. Barrett's, paying $1,000 cash for the property."

The same issues of the paper recorded the following, under the head of "Married."

"At the residence of the bride's parents, by Rev. J. McKelvey, Chas. L. Bryson to Alice M. Barrett, all of this place."

Where did he raise the cash to buy that farm and pay the expenses of his wedding tour?

Echo answers, up in Eureka Canyon.

-- end of article.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The story above is printed here as published in 1877. The original Eureka Sentinel article was reprinted in the Reno Evening Gazette on May 8th, 1877.

Only second to the California Gold Rush in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, prospectors discovered gold in the nearby Trinity region along the Trinity, Klamath, and Salmon Rivers.

Because miners needed a convenient alternate to the tedious overland route from Sacramento, schooners and other vessels soon arrived at the recently discovered Humboldt Bay.

Though the ideal location on Humboldt Bay adjacent to naturally deeper shipping channels ultimately guaranteed Eureka's development as the primary city on the bay, Arcata's proximity to developing supply lines to inland gold mines ensured supremacy over Eureka through 1856.

"Eureka" received its name from a Greek word meaning "I have found it!"

This exuberant statement of California Gold Rush miners is also the Official Motto of the State of California. Eureka is the only U.S. location to use the same seal as the state for its seal.

In the United States, Eureka, California is the largest of about a dozen towns and cities dating from the mid-nineteenth century that have the name Eureka.

It is interesting to note that the gold was worth more than $8,000.00 in 1872.  Gold prices at the time set gold at $23.19 an ounce.

To give you an idea of how much money that was in 1872, a Cowboy made between $25 and $30 a month in wages at the time.

At today's Gold price of say $1,400.00 an ounce, that same gold would be worth about $483,000.00!

That's a lot of money!

Tom Correa
Editor,
The American Cowboy Chronicles


 

ObamaCare Is Wrong For America - Why I Hate It!

Dear Readers,

ObamaCare implementation deadline is January 1st, 2014.

There are huge problems with ObamaCare.

Instead of saying "I hate ObamaCare" without giving any reasons for my feelings, so I figured I'd give you my reasons.

Here are some of my reason why I feel this law should be repealed right now:

• Americans may lose their doctors;
• Americans may lose their health plans;
• Middle class and poor Americans will have worsen health care;
• There will be higher premiums because of ObamCare demands on insurers;
• Higher taxes will be needed to pay for it since they low-balled estimates by Trillions of Dollars;
• The budget deficit will increase because of its rising cost;
• There are hiring freezes which are already taking place;
• There are slashed workers’ hours taking place because of it right now;
• It is killing existing jobs and is killing new jobs creation because employers don't what the burden and the cost involved;
• It will be bad for small businesses because they simply cannot afford it;
• Small business plans are being delayed;

The Obama administration delayed implementation of a program designed to provide affordable health insurance to small businesses, a program the New York Times called “a major selling point for the health-care legislation.”

Even extremely liberal NBC has discovered ObamaCare will cause some people to lose income, others to lose their jobs and some to lose their insurance.

Reporter Lisa Myers said they “spoke to almost 20 small businesses and other entities around the country. Almost all said because of the new law, they’d be cutting back hours for some employees” below 30 each week because they can’t afford to offer the health insurance mandated by ObamaCare.

• Employer mandate being delayed;

The mandate requiring employers with 50 or more employees to provide health coverage has been postponed until after the 2014 election.

Labor Unions, who worked so hard to get ObamaCare passed, now complain it is most unfair to require employees – but not employers – to adhere to ObamaCare.

• Labor Union opposition to ObamaCare;

The Labor Unions fought to elect and reelect President Obama. Some say they want concessions such as exemptions for their millions of dollars and thousands of Union workers supporting Barack Obama.

Well, they just found out that that is not going to happen!

Now that are against ObamaCare!

Right now, the leaders of three major U.S. unions, including the Teamsters which strongly supported ObamaCare, now warn that unless the health-care law undergoes major changes - it will "destroy the very health and well-being of our members along with millions of other hardworking Americans.”

The Unions have said that ObamaCare will force businesses to reduce hours and subsequently "destroy the foundation of the 40-hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.”

• Seniors may lose their Medicare coverage because of pre-existing conditions and new regulation under the ObamaCare law;
• Higher Medicare costs are taking place right now and will keep going up as a result of ObamaCare;
• ObamaCare will force seniors to suffer higher out-of-pocket expenses over the next five years in an economy that already takes too much from the average senior's pension;
• Payments will be reduced to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health-care agencies because serviced will not be authorized;
• ObamaCare will result is fewer insurance companies providing health insurance;

For example, two major health care providers, United Healthcare and Aetna, stopped providing coverage in California because of Obamacare’s requirements.

• Basic health plans are being delayed;

The Obama administration has postponed until after the 2014 election the health program for low-to-moderate income people who don’t qualify for expanded Medicaid..

• The ObamaCare Early Retiree Program is already broke, out of funds;

The plan intended to insure early retirees between ages 55 and 65, and their dependents, until government-run exchanges are in place quickly ran out of money in 2011.

• High-risk pools are failing;

The administration cut payments to doctors and hospitals before it ran out of money to fund the pre-existing condition insurance plan for people with cancer, heart disease and other serious conditions.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius simply announced “health care facilities and providers will get paid less” for providing the same services.

• Doctors expect worsening care;

Fearing that they will be unable to continue private practice because of low reimbursement rates from Medicaid and Medicare and will end up working for a corporation hospital where the profits are distributed to shareholders.

Doctors fear they will be punished in that system if they spend too much time with a patient or provide too much treatment.

• Doctors fleeing and opting out;

The Wall Street Journal found ObamaCare is causing fewer doctors to treat Medicare and Medicaid patients.

The number of doctors opting out of Medicare has nearly tripled from three years earlier.

Even fewer Doctors are accepting new Medicaid patients because of ObamaCare.

A survey found six in 10 physicians say it is likely many doctors will retire earlier than planned in the next one to three years.

The same percentage say the practice of medicine is in jeopardy as medical experts lose control of their clinics and compensation because of ObamaCare.

The New York times found health insurance companies are cutting costs by selecting health-care plans that reduce the number of doctors and hospitals available to customers.

• Death Panels havve been confirmed - by Democrats; 

Doctor and former Democrat National Party Chairman Howard Dean wrote an editorial in July essentially confirming Sarah Palin’s contention that Obamcare will have a “death panel.”

Sarah Palin was racked over the coals for asserting such a thing. Ultra-Liberal PolitiFact.com even dubbed it 2009′s “Lie of the Year.”

But now times have changed, extreme liberal Howard Dean confirmed the ObamaCare Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, “is essentially a health-care rationing body.”

Howard Dean asserts that the IPAB will “be able to stop certain treatments its members do not favor by simply setting rates to levels where no doctor or hospital will perform them.”

• The ObamaCare Rationing Board; 

The IPAD will decide whether or not some patients get potentially life-saving treatments, which is basically how Palin described “death panel” in her 2009 Facebook post.

• IRS “honor” system;

The IRS in-charge leaves the door open for potential widespread fraud and improper subsidy payments.

It also makes taxpayers liable to repay any subsidies and/or tax credits erroneously granted while the honor system is in effect.

• Schools can’t afford insurance;

Because of ObamaCare, schools have already begun cutting hours to avoid paying insurance for substitute teachers and support staff such as classroom aides, cafeteria workers and bus drivers.

ObamaCare requires employers to offer health coverage to all employees who work an average of 30 or more hours per week each month, or else pay a fine.

• Fines, Penalties, and why young people expected to opt out;

Fact is ObamaCare needs enough healthy people ages 18-34 to join health insurance exchanges to “cross-subsidize” people who are older and not as healthy.

But, instead of joining, many are opting to pay the individual mandate penalty of $95 or one percent of income.

Approximately 3.7 million of those ages 18-34 will be at least $500 better off if they forgo insurance and pay the penalty.

It is estimated that more than 3 million young people do this.

Here it is, my favorite reason why I hate ObamaCare!

• ObamaCare grants the Federal Government and its agents unbridled authority over us.

ObamaCare in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution by allowing involuntary forced home inspections;

Americans will actually be forced to allow home inspections or face fines, jail, and loss of their property.

And for what reasons?

ObamaCare provides hundreds of millions of dollars to make “evidence-based” inspections of “high-risk populations,” defined as families in which any of these conditions apply:

• the mother is under 21,
• someone is a tobacco user,
• children have low student achievement,
• developmental delays or disabilities,
• individuals are serving or have formerly served in the military,
• guns are in the home.

Yes, if you own a gun, smoke, are a woman not yet 21, who is serving or has served in the military, who has a disability, and has a child who might not be doing too good in school - your home is open to a government inspection under ObamaCare -- without a warrant!

Home Schoolers and Gun Owners Beware!

• Critics say even Home Schoolers may be subject to “intervention” in “school readiness,” and farm families could face intervention to “prevent child injuries.”

• Under ObamaCare, gun owners may be required to comply with "firearm safety inspections."

Yes, warrantless searches are included in the ObamaCare law that the Democrats passed without ever reading.

As for those who voted to pass something into law without even reading what the law will do?

Fact is those ignorant bastards are being re-elected time and time again by their constituents who are dumber than they are.

After reading the above, can you see why a Health Care Law can be considered detrimental to the American Public?

But, if you still don't think ObamaCare is a big deal and a threat to our basic freedoms and privacy's, how about this:

President Obama can bypass our representatives in Congress to make changes to the law as he sees fit.

Yes, Obama can bypass Congress and rewrite the law to say and do anything he wants it to.

Does that smack of a Dictatorship? You bet it does!

And worse, Obama has already done it - and may do it again.

It is a fact that the Obama administration used the IRS to unilaterally rewrite the Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare, this new health-care law already.

That is not proper and is criminal.

The Obama administration did so to fix a problem it did not anticipate, they did that without consulting Congress.

The administration had expected all states to create health-insurance exchanges, but so far only 17 have done so and 27 states have defaulted to the federal exchange.

The problem is, ObamaCare authorized tax credits and subsidies for the purchase of qualifying health insurance plans in state-run exchanges (Section 1311) but not federal ones (Section 1321).

So, in May 2012, the administration simply had the IRS issue a rule to authorize tax credits and subsidies in federal exchanges.

Guess what, Federal exchanges were not allowed to do so under the Affordable Care Act passed by the Democrat Congress in 2010 and signed into law by President Obama.

But folks, the administration directed the IRS to unilaterally change the law without involving Congress in May 2012.

ObamaCare is illegal! It is criminal!

The Good News is that a Federal judge rejected the federal government’s motion to dismiss Oklahoma v. Sebelius. Oklahoma is challenging the legality of the IRS regulation giving tax credits to federal exchanges under ObamaCare.

The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and signed into law by the president allows those tax credits only to state exchanges, but only 17 states have established such exchanges.

So what did Obama do? Well, the administration simply had the IRS issue a rule in May of 2012 to authorize tax credits and subsidies in federal exchanges.

What you have to remember is that President Obama exempts Congress and its staff from the ObamaCare law.

As far as I'm concerned, there are better options than ObamaCare that wouldn't have tried to turn the whole nation on its head.

And as for those who didn't read it, but passed it into law?

Well, as far as I'm concerned, those Democrats who voted to pass this law are criminally treasonous and should be tried and imprisoned.

Why? Bottom line, it gives the Government too much Power over our lives - it Helps them to become Slave Masters and us Slaves to the State!

Story by Tom Correa