Text & Drawings by Floyd D.P. Oydegaard
Farmers or land tillers usually wear heavy denim trousers or coveralls of a canvas-type duck, very similar to what a cowboy might sport. The color of these "jeans" could be many shades of brown and possibly blue. The color starts as white or cream, but the lack of light-fast dyes, and/or continuous over-washing with other dyed garments, turns the fabric to the various colors that are seen on most of these men. (Which is also what happens to their long-johns, causing them to be shades of pink, orange or brown.) Sometimes you will find a sodbuster wearing a homespun shirt with no collar, and very rarely a ragged jacket or vest. His hat might be a crumpled slouch hat of wool or straw. If he isn't barefoot you might see laced up boots or brogans over bare feet. He would rarely wear a gun, but might carry an old war rifle, musket or possibly a shotgun.
It would take a drink of whisky and he would be a "gunfighter"....
