Texas Load

By Richard M Beloin MD

Sam Balinger was raised on a Texas cattle ranch, but his love of ‘mechanical things’ drove him to work in a gun shop that specialized in fabricating small gun parts. After moving on, he worked as a railroad detective and amassed a small fortune from collecting bounties on the outlaws he brought to justice.

Falling in love with a friend from high school, the couple trained for eight months in a Texas applied science college. Returning to Dallas, the Duo bought a metal machine shop, and converted it to a brass cartridge fabrication plant and an ammo loading center.

There is plenty of gunfights, jungle warfare, romance, and American ingenuity. The message is “friends can become lovers and build a future.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664165809

Richard M Beloin MD

The author is a retired physician who now spends his winters in South Texas with his wife of 50 years. After fifteen years as an accomplished Cowboy Action Shooter and a lifelong enthusiast of American Western History, he has returned to writing in 2016. He has been writing western fiction circa 1880’s since 2018 and has now accumulated four books in this series. They are: Wayne’s Calling, Cal’s Mission, Sylvia’s Dream, and this latest production called Paladin Duos.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Richard M Beloin MD.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/29/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

828521

CONTENTS

Dedication

Chapter 1—The Early Years

Chapter 2—Intervening Years

Chapter 3—The Beginning

Chapter 4—Railroad Marshals

Chapter 5—Returning Home

Chapter 6—Preparing for the Future

Chapter 7—The Wedding

Chapter 8—The Training Year

Chapter 9—The Transitioning Year

Chapter 10—The Finishing Touches

Chapter 11—Starting Up

Chapter 12—Operations at Full Speed

Author’s Note

Author’s Publications

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the hobbyists who have spent a lifetime loading ammunition for pleasure, and have always wondered if they could make a business of it—for if you enjoy your work, you’ll enjoy your income producing job or business.

CHAPTER 1

The Early Years

Sam was born April 1, 1880 and left on the steps of the Dallas public orphanage with a note that read, Sam’s mother died in childbirth. With no family in town and no worthwhile employment, I cannot raise this child myself. Please give him to a good family. The orphanage could not handle the demands of a newborn, and with a long list of childless couples wanting a newborn baby, the orphanage elected to call the two people on top of the list of approved couples.

Jim and Arlene Balinger were successful ranchers with 3 sections of land, 600 head of cattle, six full time cowhands, a cook and a wrangler/farrier on a ranch called the Rocking B Ranch. Both in their early 40’s, their doctors informed them that with 20 years of infertility, that it was time to adopt before they were too old to cope with a child. After placing an application at the orphanage, they waited months without any news. One fine day, Sheriff Dan Wilson showed up unexpectedly after their evening supper. Stepping onto the porch, he walked into the house without knocking and blurting out some news, You are wanted at the orphanage tomorrow morning and come with a buggy and a newborn bassinet.

And so, for the next four years, Sam grew under the care of two loving parents. Sam later recalled his early childhood between the age of 4 to 6 years as an only child with little exposure to other children. Things changed when at the age of six, Sam was dropped off at the Dallas grade school. Sam was a shy-one from lack of socialization. When the teacher announced that each child needed a pencil, Sam found himself in a pickle. A local boy saw Sam’s dilemma and said, I have a new long pencil that my mom gave me last Christmas, and we can share. The boy snaps his new pencil in half and hands Sam the sharpened end as he says, my name is Sil Foxworth, half white and Apache—my name is the modern name for Silver Fox. Well, my name is Sam Balinger and that was the nicest thing that ever happened to me. From that day on, their friendship would last a lifetime.

Once the school bell rang, the classes were spread out in three rooms. Grades 1&2 in room A, grades 3&4 in room B, and grades 5&6 in room C. Each homeroom had one teacher who was the actual teacher for the next two years. The first day, kids were assigned a desk for the next two years. Room A had 24 students laid out in three rows of 8 desks. Because Sam and Sil were the tallest boys they were assigned to the last desks in row 1 and 3. To their surprise, the last desk in row 2 was a tall skinny girl with long blonde hair.

Sam whispered to the girl, my name is Sam and that is Sil on your right. The girl responded, hi Sam I’m Amy. Turning to Sil, she repeated her greeting and name. She then turned to Sam and said, why does he look funny? Oh that’s because he’s half Indian. Amy looked a bit surprised as Sam added, not to worry, he is the nicest boy you’ll get to know, trust me, you can trust him, hey? Ok, if you say so, for now!

Over the next months, those three kids got known as the B-Team. The three had hair color starting with B. Sam had brown hair, Amy with blonde hair and Sil with black hair. Day by day, their friendship grew and for the next five years, things were good. School was a perfect place for inquisitive children with no competitive drive. Things changed when they moved over to the Dallas public high school.

*

Now at the teen age of thirteen, the B-Team became known as the Trio. They were now exposed to teenager hormones, competition, and bullying. The Trio had no problem dealing with hormones and competition, but bullying was everywhere and often mixed with sexual implications. It was a month into high school when, during recess, two bullying aggressors cornered Amy who was clearly and underdeveloped fragile girl. Without warning, one of the bullies started asking Amy if she would ever develop some boobs. Without warning, one said, hey Tom, I think I see a nipple. Hearing that kind of talk alerted Sam and Sil who came to Amy’s rescue. Before they got there, that same bully grabbed Amy’s nipple, yanked on it, and even twisted it as Amy screamed out in pain.

The boys became enraged. Sam grabbed the nipple puller by the shirt collar, popped him in the nose, and proceeded to grab a full nipple and twisted it as hard as he could. His partner in crime came to attack Sam as Sil did the same thing to the bully’s friend. With the commotion at peak, the school principal showed up. What is going on here, and why are you two on the ground with bloody noses and holding your chests?

Sam answered, just giving these two cowards some of their own medicine, is all! I need a better explanation Sam? Amy spoke up, those two 10th graders came up to me, started hassling me, and grabbed and twisted one of my girl parts. The principal got the message, and asked one of the female teachers to take Amy, and check how hurt she was. Meanwhile, the two bullies were stood up and told to wait for a disposition pending Amy’s examination. When the teacher came back, she said, Amy has a bad bruise, but I don’t think there is any permanent damage. The bullies were then expelled for the next month and the message was clear—don’t mess with skinny-Minnie, because she has two very determined protectors.

The 7&8th grades covered core classes in the usual subjects such as: reading math, science, civics, history, and English. At the end of the 8th grade, if a student passed the competency exams, they were allowed to enter the 9 and 10th grades as a major in one of three areas. The first was pre-college for those interested in professional careers such as law, medicine and others. The other two were in the career’s center, to prepare students for an apprenticeship in a local trade.

Fortunately, the Trio passed the competency exams, and each elected to join the career center. Sam chose the applied trades to include machine shop tools and application and drafting design. Sil, with his lifelong love of math, was interested in business so joined the commercial department to include accounting and banking. Amy was also interested in the commercial department and joined the secretarial courses in the business trades to also include typing, shorthand, and legal recording.

So for the last two years in high school they had to continue taking composition/spelling one period a day, but with the other seven 40-minute periods they could take the courses in their chosen fields. This changed the Trio’s motivation to stay in school till graduation. Despite the different classes, the Trio managed to remain very good friends.

The one intrusion in their secure and protected lives was their first exposure to death. Sam’s mother, after a night plagued with a severe headache, died in her sleep. This led to family structural changes when Sam’s father spent most of his time with the cowhands on the range. With no family commitments, Sam and Sil would spend Saturdays riding the range with the cowhands. The other surprise was finding out that Sam did not really enjoy his Saturdays on the range, whereas Sil was in heaven and his enthusiasm was well noted by Keith Turner, the ranch foreman. Sam was more interested in opening mechanical items to see how they worked. Despite his interest, he knew he needed to learn the family business till he was old enough to decide his future.

Sundays after church was playtime for Sam and Sil. First, they would make 38 caliber lead bullets and manually reload them. During these months, Amy usually joined them for the shooting sessions so she could learn how to shoot. Amy and Sil helped pay for the shooting components. Sil worked in Kelly’s livery nights as Amy would help, during evening hours, type some of her mom’s legal papers.

By reloading all afternoon, in the evening, the Trio shot at tin cans till dark. Sam had the only handgun—a Colt 1889 in 38 Long Colt. This was a double action revolver that could be shot without pulling back the hammer. Amy had no trouble firing it by simply pulling the trigger. The boys became quite proficient in fast draw, point and shoot, and speed shooting, as Amy got to lose her fears and found pleasure in shooting.

*

It was during the second half of the 10th grade school year when Sam knew what he wanted to do with his life. He loved to make parts out of metal billets—a block of pure or alloyed metal. His teacher recognized early on that Sam had a talent for designing a part on the drafting table, and turn around and make it on the lathe or milling machines. But to make this all possible, Sam knew he needed to make some money before he went into the business that required a large investment for the tools of the trade. Plus he would have to consider more training in a college setting. Sil on the other hand, a very laconic individual, like his native ancestors, hid his feelings. He loved the ranch and the cowhands’ work. He had the undisclosed wish to one day work as a cowhand and or own his own ranch. But that would also mean a loan or a large outlay of cash. With no collateral, a loan was out, so for now things were in limbo for Sil.

Amy had a unique situation. She was learning shorthand and typing as her mother had learned years ago. Her mom was the legal court recorder by speed writing in shorthand and typing the transcripts after the hearings. So Amy had a teacher at school and one at home. Plus, her dad was a master type setter in a printing shop, and was also an expert typist, mimeographer, and printer. So Amy’s path was pretty well set, and she loved every minute of it.

As they approached graduation, the Trio each had decisions to make. Amy’s dilemma was that she saw the Trio go their own ways. It was Sil who detected some melancholy in Amy’s face, and he confronted her with it. Ok kiddo, what is wrong. I know something is gnawing at you! Of course, it would take someone with special Indian skills to notice. Well, I am in love with Sam and he has no clue of my feelings. Whoa, that’s a big issue that no one can help you with. Something like that has to come from the heart, and Sam is too preoccupied to accommodate your emotions. I will say, if a union like this is ever destined to happen, it will happen. For now you have to wait and hope that the inevitable will some- day happen. Despite her aching heart, at least Amy was pretty well set as a substitute legal shorthand stenographer and typist.

Sil’s situation was clear cut. He had talked to Jim Balinger and had hired on as a new cowhand. The foreman, Keith Turner, had seen his work over the past two years and whole heartedly approved Jim’s hiring him.

Sam’s situation was more drastic. After a fine supper at the cook shack, while sitting in their commodious parlor, Sam brought up the subject of his future with his dad. I’ll be graduating in two weeks and it’s time to take to a specific path. You know, ranching is not in my heart. My biological parents must have had some mechanical abilities since that is where I know I belong. So, with your blessing, I would like to work in town for a while. I have talked to George Whitehouse about working in his gun shop. He has a gunsmith, Neil Smith, who fabricates gun parts in the shop. I saw him at work with his milling, lathe, and other machines, and I know I can learn some fancy machining as well as becoming an expert in repairing guns. I’d like to continue living here and take my meals at the cook shack, that way I can put some money aside for the future. So what do you think?

I knew this day would come. For two years, you have been breathing and eating metals and the tools to work them. Heck, how many teenagers would spend nights reading books on the subject. So, I know that your heart is in this trade and I encourage you to go for it. I cannot imagine life being any better than working in a field that you love and can provide you a living wage. As a technician, you will do well. PLUS, I still get to enjoy your presence while living at home for some more months. Good luck and take the job.

Two weeks later, graduation day finally arrived. Sam and Sil were as happy as could be. They were done with school and both had jobs of their choosing waiting for them. Amy, on the other hand, was in a quandary. She knew that the Trio’s roads would start diverging and may never meet again. This was less likely with Sil and Sam, being that Sil was going to work on the Balinger ranch, but for Amy it felt like goodbye. She tried to hide her feelings all day, but at the end of the day’s ceremonies, she knew she would need to face Sam. Sam came to Amy to wish her a pleasant career when Amy decided to stake her claim. She approached Sam, kissed him softly on his lips, and whispered, this is not ‘goodbye,’ this is ‘so long’ till our paths meet again. Sil saw the intimate encounter but realized that its significance went right over Sam’s head.

It would be several years later when those words finally sinked in.

***

CHAPTER 2

Intervening Years

It was June 1, 1896 and all three Trio members were working fulltime in a gainful employment—at the unusual age of 16. Sil had already had his exposure to cowpunching and the foreman had seen something in that young man that was unusual. Sil had made the decision to leave his single mom, and move permanently in the bunkhouse with the other cowhands. Unless he was mistaken, this decision would be the beginning of a long life in this trade.

Other than his personal items, Sil came with his double action (DA) Colt 1892 pistol in 38 long colt with a swing out cylinder. Upon arrival, he was assigned a stock horse with tack, as well as a Win 1873 rifle in 44-40, a canteen and assorted items used on the range.

It was weeks at work when a cowhand asked Sil the dreaded question. We all know you’re of mixed breed, but none of us know your story. Sil knew he had to be clear from the start, or risk losing respect—and in a bunkhouse that was a lethal event. My mom was sixteen when her parents joined a wagon-train heading west. One night the Apaches attacked, caused major deaths, and both her parents were killed. Mom was kidnapped and raped repeatedly by several young Apaches. When the US Cavalry arrived, the camp was captured, and my mom was rescued. Thanks to the good people on the wagon-train, mom was financially and physically supported. After I was born, she went to work in a seamstress store and eventually bought out the owner. Mom has supported and raised me by herself—and here I am today. It was the foreman who said, that was pretty clear to me, if anyone cannot accept that, then it’s time to look for a different place of employment. For those who stay, we’ll never speak of it again, heh? No one left and Sil melded in the gang without racial resentment.

Amy was a resourceful young lady. She got hired by a secretarial agency to provide a day service for businesses that had their secretaries off on sick leave. This was a recurring monthly problem, especially on the first day of the ladies monthly. The problem with being a temp was that the bosses had the incentive to get the most work out of these expensive temps. Amy was paid $2 a day, but 50 cents went to the agency who got her the job. On top of a heavy schedule, Amy also worked as a speed recorder for court proceedings when the workload was too heavy for her mother to handle. The big businesses started using Amy to record the annual meetings since Amy would type the minutes for legal record.

Month by month Amy was getting busier. She was now working six days a week and typing her shorthand minutes every evening. Her parents were getting worried that she was working herself into spinsterhood. Their subtle and sometime clear attempts to get Amy to socialize fell on deaf ears as she took on more work. The excuse she gave her parents was that she was saving her money to go to college and get a degree in business. Despite her rigorous schedule, she managed to find time on Sunday afternoons, to escort Sil to the range to see Sam compete in the new handgun shooting clubs. Her parents saw what was happening and stopped pushing for her to step out—always wondering if this infatuation was not wasting some prime years.

*

It took only one day for Sam to realize that he was where he needed to be. Right from the start, George laid out a work schedule that would follow a specific training outline. The first was how to dismantle and reassemble a Cold Peacemaker, while understanding the function of every internal part. That task took two days, then George added the S&W Model 2&3 to the list. George explained that these were the two popular handguns made in USA that sold out west. As a test of Sam’s ability, at the end of the week, a contest was set. George and the gunsmith Neil would compete against a blindfolded Sam in dismantling and reassembling a Colt Peacemaker. Although neither George or Neil would ever disclose the results, it was true that George was still dismantling, and Neil had just started the second half in reassembling when Sam took off his blindfold and started laughing.

The next thing Sam was exposed to was smokeless powder. Winchester had come out with a rifle in 30-30 caliber that fired a 170-grain copper jacketed bullet at the incredible speed of 2,000 fps—an amazing 700 fps faster than it produced in old black powder rifles.

Black powder was 75% potassium nitrate, 10% charcoal, and 5% sulfur. It was explosive, smokey, and required cleaning the fouling after shooting these rounds, or risk ruining a firearm if not cleaned. Now this new powder was a propellant, smokeless, non-fouling, non-explosive, and did not require gun cleaning after shooting. It composed of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and nitroguanidine. It was processed into spherical balls, extruded cylinders, or flakes.

The pressure generated by these two powders determined which firearm could be used. Black powder produced a medium and prolonged pressure in pushing out the bullet. Whereas smokeless powder produced a quick, short and high pressure to propel the bullet. The key was that smokeless powder required firearms which had stronger steel with a higher carbon content than black powder guns. To guarantee the safety of a smokeless firearm, Colt started to stamp their smokeless guns with a triangle that had the letters VP in the triangle (verified proof). This stamp was found just above the trigger guard in their handguns.

More research in smokeless powders revealed that a company back East called Laflin and Rand was making a fast-burning rate powder for small caliber bullets, and another called Dupont was making a medium- burning rate powder for large bore ammo such as 44 or 45. Dupont was also making the slow-burning rate powder for the