Actually
Actually, the population of the country was mostly rural until the middle of the century when the farmhand was replaced. Think about the Movie, THE WIZARD OF OZ for a moment. You've got Ma, Pa, and the three farm hands. Where do you see farm hands today? Back then, before mechanical farming, it was a labor intensive thing that required people living on or near the farms. The average farm hand did not commute to and from the farm from a city. Cities grew in population when the ability to employ the people grew.
As somebody else here said, it is doubtful that people back in the old west shot as much as they do in the movies. Farmhands carrying guns? I don't think so.
Look at the guns that at the turn of the century were the best sellers. The small .22's and .32's in top break and remove-the-cylinder-to-reload. The ones that were generally called 'Suicide Specials'. Sure, people bought guns, but it was mainly as a protective thing, and very few were schooled like we were in ballistics and lethal force, etc... Also, wounds were something that could be really fatal, not from the bullet, but from the crud that the bullet brought into the body. Lack of medicine, antibiotics and sterilization or daily showers/baths and clean changes of clothing contributed to the death rate. Those little guns could do the job back then. Also, you were as likely to get sued then as you are now. (Those ancient law volumes are not just filled with dog bite cases).
You could mail-order pistols (wouldn't that be nice to do today) and all other guns. Sub-machine guns, when they first came out, were advertised for western border ranchers to ward off banditos! Check out old Sears Catalogs. They have all sorts of guns, cheap and expensive in them.
Yep, movies have spoiled what people think how the olden days were. While there is a move towards authenticity, I think that due to the time, lack of anybody who was there then, and the tendency to embellish on the old stories, we will probably never see a really accurate movie depiction of how it was way back when.
Makes you hope there's a heaven so you can get the answers from those who made it there!
The Doc is out now.
Actually, the population of the country was mostly rural until the middle of the century when the farmhand was replaced. Think about the Movie, THE WIZARD OF OZ for a moment. You've got Ma, Pa, and the three farm hands. Where do you see farm hands today? Back then, before mechanical farming, it was a labor intensive thing that required people living on or near the farms. The average farm hand did not commute to and from the farm from a city. Cities grew in population when the ability to employ the people grew.
As somebody else here said, it is doubtful that people back in the old west shot as much as they do in the movies. Farmhands carrying guns? I don't think so.
Look at the guns that at the turn of the century were the best sellers. The small .22's and .32's in top break and remove-the-cylinder-to-reload. The ones that were generally called 'Suicide Specials'. Sure, people bought guns, but it was mainly as a protective thing, and very few were schooled like we were in ballistics and lethal force, etc... Also, wounds were something that could be really fatal, not from the bullet, but from the crud that the bullet brought into the body. Lack of medicine, antibiotics and sterilization or daily showers/baths and clean changes of clothing contributed to the death rate. Those little guns could do the job back then. Also, you were as likely to get sued then as you are now. (Those ancient law volumes are not just filled with dog bite cases).
You could mail-order pistols (wouldn't that be nice to do today) and all other guns. Sub-machine guns, when they first came out, were advertised for western border ranchers to ward off banditos! Check out old Sears Catalogs. They have all sorts of guns, cheap and expensive in them.
Yep, movies have spoiled what people think how the olden days were. While there is a move towards authenticity, I think that due to the time, lack of anybody who was there then, and the tendency to embellish on the old stories, we will probably never see a really accurate movie depiction of how it was way back when.
Makes you hope there's a heaven so you can get the answers from those who made it there!
The Doc is out now.