European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes tuesday March 4, 1986 professor debunks myths of the West being wild by Lee Mitgang associated press most cowboys were Lousy shots. The streets of new York were meaner than the Dusty paths of Dodge City. And heroic wild Bill Hickok was fired for incompetence As marshal of Abilene. Sorry Pard ners but Rutgers University history professor William Gillette is aiming to shoot Down time honoured Hollywood bred myths of the wild West. His class cowboys and indians has grown into the most popular history course on Campus since Gillette first offered it six years ago despite its a enticing hour of 7-9 30 . Tuesdays. On a recent Rainy evening hardly a seat was empty in the 300-seat auditorium As Gillette strode to the podium dressed in a red Check ered shirt Blue jeans with a thick leather Belt and what has become his trademark a Straw Cowboy hat. As an added touch of atmosphere he Hung up a 19th Century and for Levi s Saddleman boots and jeans and began his lecture on cattle towns and the decline of the open Range cattle Industry during the 1880s. Gillette a grading 52-year-old Connecticut native and civil War historian says his love affair with the West dates Back to the 1950s when he spent his summer Breaks from graduate school picking peas in Washington. His weekly lectures Are deliberately witty and iconoclastic followed always by a classic Western film. But Gillette insists that cowboys and indians is serious revisionist  he assigns his students Western novels with a ring of authenticity such As the Oxbow incident the big sky and Tali. It must be said in All Candor that the history of the West has had its problems. It has been concerned More with stereotypes than with accuracy Gillette said. The wild West Gillette says just was t that wild. Other historians have tried to set students straight on Western myths and realities most notably the late Ray new York times photo Cowboy brands cattle during round up. Billington at Northwestern University and Howard Lamar at Yale. But on Eastern campuses especially such scholarship has t been taken seriously enough Gillette argues. We have a Conception of the West that Hollywood has inflicted on us he said. Movies and television paint the old cow towns that grew up after the civil War As violent and Lawless. In fact the West was quite peaceful. The extent of homicides was exaggerated. People did t lock their houses. Can you imagine that in 20th Century America a recent lecture on cattle drives and cattle towns examined the role of saloons and brothels in the West. Western saloons whose names ranged from the ironic Little Church to the More accurate Road to hell were the message centers of the West Gillette told his students. There cattlemen drank themselves silly got into lying contests or pie eating contests listened to politicians pander and preachers preach and above All found willing women after lonely months on the Range. Yet for All the rough edges Western towns were very much a part of the victorian age Gillette said. Co punchers were most respectful of ladies if a woman kept her place she was respected. But if she stepped off her Pedestal a Cowboy lost his inhibitions in a hurry he said. There were Coy victorian names for the mostly Black Indian mexican or chinese prostitutes who populated Western brothels. They were Shady ladies painted Jezebel trumpets Calico Queens soiled doves daughters of  and the brothels reflected the racial attitudes of the Era. Many towns had All White brothels where Only White men were Welcome along with Multi racial brothels that anyone could frequent. Cow towns such As Dodge City actually had very Short lived heydays. Most died out when poor weather the coming of railroads and Over speculation virtually ended open Range cattle raising by the mid-1880s. The cow towns were ending Gillette said but the legends were just  pm Asu. 7dm�etyou, he Woop Mayi pubs i my assistant Joanie / is mus 3-f  of my de than j Manit afe those is a. Shut up Joan. \ Bem att Kacien . Major Macho but gop i could a Lemak a fool  this is Nice  to meet Haveit you Kips. A am. 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