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FROM THE LIZARD

EASTERN RENDEZVOUS 1997:

Mud, mud, mud and more mud. The Booshway and staff worked all week just pulling people into and out of the Rendezvous. The good news is that it rained only at night, and that was good for the shooters, because it was cloudy all day, and cool. If the sun would have come out from hiding, it would have been like Friendship in August. Hot as Hell!

The Widowmakers kicked ass big time as you will read about later. There were 14 guns given away as first prizes and a bunch of other nice prizes. The Widowmakers got 4 of the guns and a lot of good plunder and cash for the excellent shooting. Even with all the mud it was one good rendezvous.

This will probably be the second to last woodswalk the club will put on. We did a lot of work to get ready and we had a very good, demanding woodswalk with all the stations manned by Widowmakers. We only had 14 shooters show up. It is not worth the work and it puts a hurt on your own shooting. We have promised to put one on at the Woodbury KY shoot next year. The Woodbury woodswalk will be our last one, ever.

SPORTSMANSHIP

Sad to say, I noticed that some of our members broke the shooting rules, and lacked sportsmanship at this rendezvous. Unfortunately, non-club members noticed it too, and relayed the word to me. If other shooters don’t follow the rules, so be it. But I don’t want to hear from our members “well they are doing it, why can’t I?” The Widowmakers must work as a team, and think of others in the club. If you don’t have any pride and honor in this club, get the fuck out. This subject is what brought down the red hats, I won’t go through that again.

NEXT YEAR

Next year we should be really in good shape when it comes to shooting. Everyone I’ve talked to is busting ass to shoot better. I think the degree thing has helped us a lot. In a few weeks we are going to start monthly shoots here behind the house. Some of the Indiana boys are going to come over, and shoot with the Illinois boys.

PEOPLE AT THE RENDEZVOUS

CHUCK HEARN: Chuck is on the Executive Board of the NMLRA. Chuck camped and shot with our club while he was at the rendezvous. We were partying one night and he was eating cake from the crevice of Jersey’s daughter’s big knockers. He also picked up the nick name of Robert the Bruce. He learned a lot about our National Rendezvous and that will help us all at Friendship. Chuck shot every match that was going on while he was there. A good man!

JIM FULMER: Everybody knows Jim is always talking and three times as fast and loud as I do. One day he put on a pack to carry some shit in and it came to me. “Pac Man” Guess what Jim’s new nick name is?

Pac Man was on a woods walk and a 12 year old girl said, “having a lot of trouble aren’t you mister? Is this your first rendezvous?”

BRASS JAG: One day I was talking to the jag on the end of my cleaning rod, and the jag said something to me and screwed himself into the rod so tight I had to use a hand vice to get him off. The jag cussed me and I cussed him. (Jag gets into these moods now and then) While I was cleaning my rifle, I was mixing a drink, and stirred the drink with the other end of the cleaning rod. Jag said something that I didn’t catch and I asked Sam “what the fuck did the jag say?” Sam stated that the jag said “I clean your damn gun, so I should get the drink!” Jag screwed himself harder onto the cleaning rod and I had to use the hand vice to get him off to replace him with a brass brush. Damn that jag!!

KENTUCKEE: We were sitting around Everett’s camp one night when Kentuckee brought over a large pan of food and asked if anyone wanted it. In a millisecond hands flew into the pan and “all was gone”. Kentuckee stated that it was such a disgusting spectacle that she wouldn’t make the mistake of doing that again. Note: We were all hungry.

LADY ON A HORSE: When they printed up the shooting program, they forgot to tell the shooters that they would need to bring shot with them, when they came to our smoothbore shoot. After giving her some silver off my blanket (the lady on the horse, that is). She agreed to ride around camp with canvas sign on the rump of the horse that said “Bring shot with you when you come to the smooth bore shoot tomorrow” It worked.

SAM CLEVENGER: I forgot that Sam was in our club, until he called up and said he was going to the Eastern. Sam and me go back 20 year. I just forgot about him. Oh Well!!

PREACHER: Here we go again. The Preacher was shooting with Pac Man, Digger and me when his new knife fell out of it’s sheath and hit in the mud on the handle. Preacher stepped forward without seeing the knife, and drove 3-1/4 inches of razor sharp Cousin Willie knife into his leg. The Preacher was down, a truck picked him up, transferred him to an ambulance and of to the hospital we went. The hospital staff went nuts when we all arrived in primitive attire. The doctor asked if anyone had picked up the knife so he could look at it. Yep, me. I gave it to the doctor and told him it was an 18^th century long hunters knife. The staff thought the knife was really neat, so the Doctor made a bunch of copies of it on the Xerox and passed them out the hospital staff. The story gets better, involving photographs and ER (the TV series), but I don’t have time or paper to tell the whole story. Talk to Preach.

CHICKEN THIEVES: One night when we were drunk, one of the green heads (rubber rod), came over to our camp with some of his cronies, and said lets go steal the Indian camps live chickens! So, John Empie, me and some others in camp went to the camp and stole the chickens and the pen that held them. One of the chickens was on sentry duty, but when I strangled the shit out him, the others didn’t give out a cluck. We kept the chickens in our camp for the rest of the rendezvous and fed them peaches, pears, corn and steak. Some lady asked if she could take them home and put them with her other chickens. I said OK, but I bet they won’t eat chicken feed by the time she gets them home.

LIZARD: One day we had to shoot at paper targets. So I took my head scarf off and put it on top of the target as a marker. I didn’t want to shoot anybody else’s target. I hit the paper twice and blew the hell out of my head scarf three times. I told you guys I can’t shoot paper!!

NEW MEMBER: We picked up a new club member out there. He is young and a bad ass shot. His name is Bob Pollack jr. Bob’s father is a top notch shooter also and is well known out East for his marksmanship. I’m looking forward to meeting Bob Senior one of these days.

OTHER NEWS OF IMPORTANCE

In the last newsletter, I stated that “Crash” took first in the Maine state shoot. First place actually went to another new Widowmaker Ruthie Waugh-Frozen Charlotte. Crash took third place I was told. That’s good shooting ladies keep it up!

In the next newsletter, I’ll include what you need to carry in your woods pack. I’ll also draw “you all” a pattern that you can use, that I had seen years ago in a museum. I made one and it works super. When you get all your gear in it the pack weighs about 10 pounds.

A lot of us are heading for Friendship this week and whin I get back, you will be getting all the info of what all happened there. Rendezvous (NMLRA) are going to be discussed and I’ll get that info to you also.

NEXT YEARS ENCAMPMENT

Redeye has a nice place over in southern Indiana near Seymour, that would be a good place for an encampment. Next year we plan to have our first Widowmakers Encampment and see how that turns out. It would probably be on a long weekend, like Memorial day weekend. More info on that will be coming out the first of next year.

GRAMPS

Gramps is going into the hospital this week so send him a card and let him know that we love him, and get well soon. Gramps is number one in my books and I have a very large book. His address is Richard Heck, 163 Clemmons St., Hanover, IN 47243. Gramps is a Widowmaker, don’t forget it.

HISTORY BOOK

I am going to start an album with pictures and info on each of our club members. When I get it finished, copies will be available for anyone that wants one. In it will be the history of the Widowmakers, and events that happened over the years to what the club is today.

Note: The club I originally started was called the Illinois Rangers, then Lizards Rangers, then the Illinois Regiment of Virginia State Forces, then the Illinois Corps of Longriflemen, then the Black Horse Brigade, then the Red Hats and now the Widowmakers which will not change as long as I’m around. This is just a little of our history as a club. Reasons for all the changes will be in the photo book with a little more club history.

1997 EASTERN

WIDOWMAKER SCORES

ERIC EMPIE: one first, three third, one fourth

JOHN EMPIE: one first

JERSEY: one first

PREACHER: one fourth

RED EYE: one first

WHIP: three first, three second, one third, one fourth

JOJO: One second

LIZARD: two third place

PAC MAN: one first

GUMBY: one third (archery) (Pac Man’s daughter)

SAM: one first

The Whip won 3 guns, and Sam won another. The Widowmakers done well. This was all the scores that the match officers gave me. If they missed anyone let me know.

Notice if you don’t have your $10.00 dues in, you won’t be getting another Broken Arrow. Red Eye will take over and let you know how the “Hawk” money did.

So far the club members have donated $1,420.00 toward the hawk. One of our members is sending a check for $2,000.00 to Bluejacket for the hawk. Those of you that have donated we offer thanks. Those that have not sent in money if you intend to, please do so now. The contributors so far are: Over $60.00: Gramps, Lawdog-(Jerry Miller), Preacher, Pac-man and Redeye.

The first thing that happened to me after I arrived at the Eastern after a 9 hour drive was that I had to wait in line for 6 hours to get into the rendezvous Friday afternoon. Luckily, folks at the gate knew where Lizard was set up and he had the good sense to be right next to the road. The site was so wet and muddy that they were using 4 wheel drive tractors and crawlers to pull folks in and out.

I found the place all right and the Widowmakers had saved me a good level dry spot. That was wonderful enough!, but then they helped me carry my gear the 40 yards to the location and then set up the tent! I thought that was just about the greatest thing I had ever seen!

We had a good time even in all the rain, what with Lizard setting up a High Cotton camp complete with pavilion and live chickens. Lots of folks came by at night to tell stories and jokes. Frank House’s story of how he and the Kentucky Longlifles damn near killed half of the living ex-governors of Kentucky had me laughing so hard I hurt.

I got help again in carrying things up to my truck. The last thing I did after packing was to give Nailman and an unknown buckskinner a ride out to the parking lots. Considering that the vehicles were parked up to 7 miles away from camp, it was tough to go get your ride if the shuttle bus was running behind.

Now we all three packed into the front seat of my Ford Ranger. I am not small and Nailman and the unknown skinner were bigger than me. Nailman and I got real friendly when I shifted into fourth gear.

I dropped Nailman off last, and we said a few last minute goodbyes before we both went our ways. The part that stuck with me was Nailman calling me Brother. I haven’t been called that in a long time, and when I called Nailman Brother, it was a first for me.

On the drive back to my home I realized that I actually have picked up 45 Brothers and Sisters through the Widowmakers. The Pipehawk that Lizard is moving Heaven and Earth to obtain is an opportunity to celebrate this Brotherhood.

Shooting well and winning prizes is a lot of fun. Lizard has handpicked shooters that can deliver the goods when the time arrives. Lizard also has handpicked a group of people that are worth knowing on their own merits. As you all know if you are receiving this newsletter, Lizard does not put up with liars, fools, or idiots. In today’s politically correct climate that leaves a small group to pick from.

I believe that the Widowmaker entry requirements are about as tough as any group I have ever seen. You have to be a good shot with a flintlock, be a hard core rendezvouser, wear longhunter clothing and gear, and get along with the Lizard. But if you can do all that then you deserve to be called Brother or Sister by me. It feels funny the first couple of times that Brother comes out of your mouth but after a while it feels real natural. Try it, you just might like it.