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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,716
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,716 |
In 1933, Earl Ozel Osbon was a homeless waif of 11, living in filthy squalor in a barn on a ramshackle ranch a few miles southeast of Lander Wyoming. My parents, who were childless at the time, paid the rancher $50.00, took the boy from the ranch and informally adopted him as their own. The family soon found employment at Torrey Lake Ranch, near Dubois, where they lived until 1942.
After being homeschooled to an 8th grade level, Earl spent his teenage years working as a cowboy on several Dubois area ranches. In 1940, he enlisted in the Navy and spent all of World War II in the Pacific Theatre. A career Navy man, he also served throughout the Korean conflict. He died tragically in 1956 while still serving his country.
After a summers work on the Double Diamond ranch near Dubois, Earl accepted this rifle as partial payment of wages. He made the scabbard himself and carried the rifle on his saddle for the remainder of his years as a cowboy. When Earl enlisted in the Navy, he left the rifle with his foster father , who then passed it to me, his son . I used the rifle for hunting occasionally, the last time in 2009, harvesting a bull moose only a mile or so from the old Double Diamond ranch. I also shot it quite a bit in Metallic Silhouette.
The rifle is an 1886 Winchester, caliber .33 WCF, made in 1907 and shows the scars of years in the saddle and in hunting camps.
Last Summer, my wife and I donated the rifle, the scabbard and a pair of Earls spurs to the Lander Pioneer Museum. The Museum was very happy to receive the items, and made them a central part of their cowboy memorabilia. There was a nice article in the local paper about the donation, which brought about a truely astonishing event .
Soon after the article was published, I received a call from an elderly lady who told me she had known Earl and wanted me to come over, which I did. It turned out that she, Marie, had been Earls first love, his girlfriend all during his cowboy days in Dubois. He had proposed during the war, but she had turned him down, something she said she had regretted over the years. She gave me some pictures taken of him and his group of friends back in the 1930's and when he was home on leave in 1942. Marie is now my only link to my beloved foster brother, I left her home with tears in my eyes. These are the things that can only happen in small town America.
And here's to EHG
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,260 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,260 Likes: 4 |
JNYork and Crossfire. You just made my eyes leak. What a story. God bless old cowboys, present and past. RIP Mr. Osbon.
kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
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Joined: Mar 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 15,289 |
Crossfire, thanks for the tune, I had not heard that one before. ![smile smile](/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/default/smile.gif)
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 6,387
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 6,387 |
Going by the leg covered in ACU in the corner, M24. Have you seen what is replacing it? Introducing the M24E1 or XM2010 chambered in 300 Win Mag. Already in use. ![[Linked Image]](http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i345/AcornRidgePhotos/DesktopBackground.jpg)
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303 |
Crossfire, thanks for the tune, I had not heard that one before. My "Double Diamond" was a little further North and West,...basically the same experience, graced with the same sad sense of living out the "End of an era". Lots these days wouldn't KNOW what a "Double Diamond" is, much less be able to throw one. I'd be tickled to send you some CDs of more of Tyson's tunes, Se�or. GTC.
Last edited by crossfireoops; 03/13/12.
Member, Clan of the Border Rats -- “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”- Mark Twain
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2009
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2006
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In 1933, Earl Ozel Osbon was a homeless waif of 11, living in filthy squalor in a barn on a ramshackle ranch a few miles southeast of Lander Wyoming. My parents, who were childless at the time, paid the rancher $50.00, took the boy from the ranch and informally adopted him as their own. The family soon found employment at Torrey Lake Ranch, near Dubois, where they lived until 1942. After being homeschooled to an 8th grade level, Earl spent his teenage years working as a cowboy on several Dubois area ranches. In 1940, he enlisted in the Navy and spent all of World War II in the Pacific Theatre. A career Navy man, he also served throughout the Korean conflict. He died tragically in 1956 while still serving his country. After a summers work on the Double Diamond ranch near Dubois, Earl accepted this rifle as partial payment of wages. He made the scabbard himself and carried the rifle on his saddle for the remainder of his years as a cowboy. When Earl enlisted in the Navy, he left the rifle with his foster father , who then passed it to me, his son . I used the rifle for hunting occasionally, the last time in 2009, harvesting a bull moose only a mile or so from the old Double Diamond ranch. I also shot it quite a bit in Metallic Silhouette. The rifle is an 1886 Winchester, caliber .33 WCF, made in 1907 and shows the scars of years in the saddle and in hunting camps. Last Summer, my wife and I donated the rifle, the scabbard and a pair of Earls spurs to the Lander Pioneer Museum. The Museum was very happy to receive the items, and made them a central part of their cowboy memorabilia. There was a nice article in the local paper about the donation, which brought about a truely astonishing event . Soon after the article was published, I received a call from an elderly lady who told me she had known Earl and wanted me to come over, which I did. It turned out that she, Marie, had been Earls first love, his girlfriend all during his cowboy days in Dubois. He had proposed during the war, but she had turned him down, something she said she had regretted over the years. She gave me some pictures taken of him and his group of friends back in the 1930's and when he was home on leave in 1942. Marie is now my only link to my beloved foster brother, I left her home with tears in my eyes. These are the things that can only happen in small town America. Here are some pix of the rifle: ![[Linked Image]](http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b29/jnyork/100_2200.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b29/jnyork/100_2199.jpg) I believe we have a winner in the cool story/cool working gun catagory. Awesome story, thanks for sharing.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,716 |
I believe we have a winner in the cool story/cool working gun catagory. Awesome story, thanks for sharing. Concur on the wonderful story, and thank you for sharing Mr. York, but EHG wins for "working" gun. He was hunting more than deer with that rifle.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 25,542 Likes: 9
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 25,542 Likes: 9 |
In 1933, Earl Ozel Osbon was a homeless waif of 11, living in filthy squalor in a barn on a ramshackle ranch a few miles southeast of Lander Wyoming. My parents, who were childless at the time, paid the rancher $50.00, took the boy from the ranch and informally adopted him as their own. The family soon found employment at Torrey Lake Ranch, near Dubois, where they lived until 1942. After being homeschooled to an 8th grade level, Earl spent his teenage years working as a cowboy on several Dubois area ranches. In 1940, he enlisted in the Navy and spent all of World War II in the Pacific Theatre. A career Navy man, he also served throughout the Korean conflict. He died tragically in 1956 while still serving his country. After a summers work on the Double Diamond ranch near Dubois, Earl accepted this rifle as partial payment of wages. He made the scabbard himself and carried the rifle on his saddle for the remainder of his years as a cowboy. When Earl enlisted in the Navy, he left the rifle with his foster father , who then passed it to me, his son . I used the rifle for hunting occasionally, the last time in 2009, harvesting a bull moose only a mile or so from the old Double Diamond ranch. I also shot it quite a bit in Metallic Silhouette. The rifle is an 1886 Winchester, caliber .33 WCF, made in 1907 and shows the scars of years in the saddle and in hunting camps. Last Summer, my wife and I donated the rifle, the scabbard and a pair of Earls spurs to the Lander Pioneer Museum. The Museum was very happy to receive the items, and made them a central part of their cowboy memorabilia. There was a nice article in the local paper about the donation, which brought about a truely astonishing event . Soon after the article was published, I received a call from an elderly lady who told me she had known Earl and wanted me to come over, which I did. It turned out that she, Marie, had been Earls first love, his girlfriend all during his cowboy days in Dubois. He had proposed during the war, but she had turned him down, something she said she had regretted over the years. She gave me some pictures taken of him and his group of friends back in the 1930's and when he was home on leave in 1942. Marie is now my only link to my beloved foster brother, I left her home with tears in my eyes. These are the things that can only happen in small town America. Here are some pix of the rifle: ![[Linked Image]](http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b29/jnyork/100_2200.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b29/jnyork/100_2199.jpg) I believe we have a winner in the cool story/cool working gun catagory. Awesome story, thanks for sharing. I'll heartily second that!!! Great story and with Crossfires' musical addition (his taste in music is fantastic imo) I can't imagine how this thread could get better. But that's why I love the 'fire..'cause it often does.
�Politicians are the lowest form of life on earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politician.� �General George S. Patton, Jr.
--------------------------------------------------------- ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 43,785 Likes: 4 |
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 15,978 Likes: 16
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 15,978 Likes: 16 |
Going by the leg covered in ACU in the corner, M24. Have you seen what is replacing it? Introducing the M24E1 or XM2010 chambered in 300 Win Mag. ![[Linked Image]](http://i.usatoday.net/money/_photos/2010/12/09/riflemanual.jpg) Already in use. speaking of M24s ...
THE CHAIR IS AGAINST THE WALL. The Tikka T3 in .308 Winchester is the Glock 19 of the rifle world. The website is up and running!www.lostriverammocompany.com
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Joined: Mar 2011
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 14,719 Likes: 5 |
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 14,719 Likes: 5
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 14,719 Likes: 5 |
Incredible all around. Thanks so much for sharing that.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
This 16ga SXS is photogenic. In person it looks like that 20 footer at the end of the bar, come daylight. ![eek eek](/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/default/eek.gif) I use it as much as all my other guns, combined. ![[Linked Image]](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/luv2safari/MsScarlet11-19-2011QuailHunt010.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/luv2safari/MsScarlet11-19-2011QuailHunt001.jpg)
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 818
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 818 |
How not to treat a Bennilli!! Or any gun for that matter. They are tools, maybe someone should have cleaned it on occassion!
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,912 Likes: 13
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,912 Likes: 13 |
That's a great tear jerker story Mr York!
don't know why but the 33 Win and the 40/65 just talk to me for some reason.. and I've never owned either calibers..
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,478
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,478 |
Faith and love of others knows no mileage nor bounds. That's simply the way it is. dogzapper
After the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box. Italian Proverb
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 115,424 Likes: 13
Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 115,424 Likes: 13 |
My favorite trout gun. ![[Linked Image]](http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj220/deflave25_2008/DSC03913.jpg) Travis
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 10,896
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 10,896 |
A couple of hand me downs from yesteryear I still hunt with to honor their memory.My grandfather's Parker DH grade 16ga S/S and my FIL's Savage/Fox 20ga S/S. ![[Linked Image]](http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz14/Arch48/IMG_0768-1.jpg) Purchased these years ago and are still my hunters for Teal,Pheasants and quail.Belgium 20ga 3" A5 and very low serial # Ruger Red Label 20ga 3" ![[Linked Image]](http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz14/Arch48/IMG_0788.jpg)
You better be afraid of a ghost!!
"Woody you were baptized in prop wash"..crossfireoops
Woody
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