The Gus McCrae School of Bartending

Lonesome Dove is the best western ever made. This is my favorite scene with Gus. Enjoy! *HISTORICAL CONTEXT - The Western author Louis L’Amour was a maniac for historical accuracy. He wrote a series of fictional short stories about Chick Bowdrie, a late 19th century Texas Ranger. I have summarized his author’s notes to describe this stage of Texas history: **Texas Rangers had wide discretionary power enforcing the law due to the great distances and bad weather. If jailing a “criminal“ meant a family or others might suffer a Ranger would make a judgement based on the welfare of all involved. The Rangers were fiercely independent & proud, as were the men & women settling Texas. Many were adventurers, some running from previous lives (or the law) and they came from all over the world. You never asked a person their business or even their name, yet hospitality to strangers was a way of life and respectful behavior towards women was strictly enforced. This “pride“ culture did not tolerate even the slightest insult and most sober men spoke carefully around strangers because one indiscreet word might result in violence, especially in saloons. A casual insult towards General Lee while standing at the bar could spark a drunk Rebel veteran into a murderous rage. Drunken arguments that turned into gunplay was the main reason most towns started prohibiting firearms within town limits.