by L.E. Trump (Brasspounder)

Gunslingers from the Last Frontier

The Golden Heart Shootist Society went to join the muzzleloader's Rendezvous at Anderson, Alaska (about 90 miles south of Fairbanks) over the weekend of May 24-26.

Seventeen CAS (Cowboy Action Shooting) shootists attended from Anchorage, Delta, and Fairbanks. The Delta shootists are members of the Fairbanks Golden Heart Shootist Society; Undertaker, Grave Digger, and Darlin Dar were visiting shootists from Anchorage.

I believe we slightly outnumbered the muzzleloading folks. Three stages were shot on Sunday the 25th, giving some of our newly trained Range people a chance to work a "live" shoot, hone their safety observation skills and get used to the new timers our outfit bought.

We also tested some of the new steel reactive targets, which we will be using in the Golden Heart Shootout near Fairbanks in August.

Pard was the overall match winner, Dirt Dancer took the traditional class with some really fast, accurate shooting. Cimarron Dan and Jane Wayne were right behind.

Pard topped the duelist class, with Lightning Gordon and Montana Kid Hammer close second and third.

A rifle shoot side match was held and Kanuti River Wrangler came away with a nice new Bowie knife made especially for the match by Wind Drifter for his efforts.

Poco Loco Louie and his cannon crew, Cimarron Dan, Koz, Justin, and The Salcha River Drifter shot the gee whiz out of the stockade gate to wind it up.

Another more recent event is the election of Alaska's new Territorial Governor. The Golden Heart Shootist Society held their May meeting at Soapy Smith's place in Fairbanks on May 27. Of the five eligible SASS Life members of the group, Wind Drifter (Gaylen Searles) SASS #7907 was elected by a Unanimous vote. We know he'll "do to ride the river with".

Editor's Note: L.E. "Ed" Trump is a member of the Golden Heart Shootist Society in Fairbanks. Known as "Brasspounder" around the camp, Ed picked his alias to match the persona of an 1880's era Railroad Special Agent, with an undercover employment as Railroad or Western Union Telegrapher, hence the handle "Brasspounder" (SASS #9076).

By looking back at Ed's life, it is evident from where his cowboy persona emerges. Originally from Colorado, Ed worked for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad as a steam locomotive fireman, then later as a Telephone and Telegraph Engineer. In the mid-1970s, Ed moved to Alaska. He and is wife, from Nome, have three children. According to Ed, Cowboy Action Shooting is now his primary favorite among the shooting sports.