Wells Fargo Parker

[edgarspencer]

I inspected what I am convinced is a genuine Wells Fargo owned guard's gun, last weekend at the Baltimore show. The documentation the owner had included information from the Wells Fargo Museum, including a photograph of a pocket watch, engraved precisely the same as the plate on the buttstock of the gun.
My photos off the gun are not so great,as they were taken with my phone, but the owner told me he would email me good copies.

[Bill Murphy]

Missed that one. So, Edgar, did you add it to your collection? Are there pictures of the gun, and a PGCA letter? Tell me you got the serial number so Chuck can look it up.

[Jawjadawg]

I didn't see the gun, so I'm not going to say it was or it wasn't. What I will say is that if someone happened to have a picture of the watch, they would then be able to recreate the engravings on another surface. Right?

Here is a link to the story on the Wells Fargo website, with the picture of the watch that would be available for anyone to use if they wanted to engrave something else the same way.

http://blogs.wellsfargo.com/guidedby...hes-for-brave/

I would also think that any gun being transported on a regular basis on a stagecoach or a train would get bounced around a lot. I mean a LOT. The gun was just a tool of the trade. Back in 1883, a Parker Bros shotgun would not have carried the same esteem as today, so the thought of Wells Fargo also throwing in their used shotgun as a reward doesn't seem appropriate.

Wouldn't the gift of the gun also be in the real records of the Wells Fargo Co? Maybe some liberal gun grabber intentionally left that out of the story on the Wells Fargo site. Who knows? Be sure to scroll down to the comments section of the above story. Several people claim to be related to Mr. Ross, including one who even says he OWNS the watch and Mr. Aaron's Colt 45. I guess one of his cousins got the shotgun.

[JAMES HALL]

Ser. no. 12482

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by will evans

I didn't see the gun, so I'm not going to say it was or it wasn't.

But I did, And I'll stake 50 plus years of gun collecting, that it is right as rain.

[Dean Romig]

Here's the story I found... with no mention of the shotgun in the awards presented to Ross.

http://www.gbcnv.edu/hickson/AaronRoss.html

[Jawjadawg]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

But I did, And I'll stake 50 plus years of gun collecting, that it is right as rain.

It certainly sounds like an interesting gun, Edgar. Let me also say I'd certainly like to see a letter confirm the gun. With so many fakes floating around, it would be nice to see a legitimate example. A true piece of history used in a real train robbery, no less! Finding a real WF gun would be one thing. This is finding one that was actually used in a confirmed train robbery by a known and honored hero of the Wells Fargo Co? That sounds almost too good to be true. I even imagine Julia's would be interested in such a gun.

Please pardon the honest fun I'm having at your expense, but you have to admit that it would be somewhat amusing for Wells Fargo to give the guy a watch and chain valued at $650, $1000 cash, PLUS the most valuable item of all - a likely beat up, 5 year old shotgun worth maybe $7-10 at that time.

The assumption is the guy used the gun to take the life of another human being. Presenting the weapon to him as a trophy would be a bit macabre, even by banking standards.

[Bill Murphy]

Maybe Chuck would look up that serial number.

[Harry Reed]

Hope Edgar will be successful on this one! Love to see pictures if he gets an opportunity.

[Phil C]

I would agree with Edgar. There is a strong possibility the shotgun could have been presented to Ross. After all it was the tool of his trade as a Shotgun Messenger. Other Shotgun Messengers were presented with shotguns for their acts of bravery. It might not be the actual shotgun he used, but a new gun that was presented to him. Possibly at a later date by other officials at Wells Fargo.