Alva Review-Courier -

In the fall of 1878, Doc Holliday and “Big Nose” Kate Elder decided to leave Dodge City, and take the train to New Mexico. Doc and Kate had previously been in Dodge for several months, plying their trade of gambling during the peak times when the large cattle drives from the south arrived. After arriving in Dodge, the cattle would then be sold and shipped by rail to the packing houses in the east.

When the trail cowboys were paid off in Dodge, they had lots of money in their pockets, and a strong desire to “loosen up” after a hot, hard and hazardous drive. And usually that meant spending some...