Textual identity is not textual authority. “Catalogue primary/default” selects the default catalogue representation; it does not mean that this wording is automatically Howard’s most authoritative text.
Summary spoilers
These short notes place Pistol Politics in Yellow Dog Mining Camp and Alderville and identify Breckinridge Elkins as the central figure. They provide place and character cues rather than a full plot summary.
Characters in this exact text
Bill GarrisonBill Garrison — Yeller Dog man in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Breckinridge ElkinsBreckinridge ElkinsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Bull HawkinsBull Hawkins — Gooseneck Wilkerson’s rival candidate in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Gooseneck WilkersonGooseneck Wilkerson — Yeller Dog mayoral candidate in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Jack ClantonJack Clanton — Hawkins man in Pistol Politics; not automatically a Sawtooth ClantonUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Jerry BrennonJerry Brennon — Yeller Dog man in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Lobo HarrisonLobo Harrison — Yeller Dog participant in Pistol Politics; not automatically Rattlesnake HarrisonUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Mule McGrathMule McGrath — Yeller Dog participant in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Old Man Jake HansonOld Man Jake Hanson — Salomey Hanson’s father in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Salomey HansonSalomey Hanson — daughter of Jake Hanson in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Snake River MurgatroydSnake River Murgatroyd — educated Alderville gambler in Pistol PoliticsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5Soapy JacksonSoapy Jackson — Gooseneck supporter in Pistol Politics; surname alone does not identify him with other JacksonsUnknownfirst: First Cuts: Rough Trails 3, p. 5
Surviving manuscript evidence
The records below describe surviving physical typescripts, carbons, manuscript material and documentary catalogue evidence for this exact textual state. TSS numbers identify physical catalogue units; they are not story or draft IDs.
Outline notes — surviving Howard typescript sheetHoward typescript
Extent1 pageCompletenessComplete
Physical extent: Single surviving sheet of Howard outline notes.
TSS: 45049
Single Howard typescript sheet containing outline/scene/Character notes.
Source: First Cuts: Breckinridge Elkins — Rough Trails 3, Pistol Politics, Editorial Notes p. 3; outline notes p. 5; TSS 45049
Published in
The Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins Volume 1 UEREH Foundation PressJanuary 2026↗
Breckinridge Elkins - First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Rough Trails 3REH Foundation PressMarch 2026↗
First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments Breckinridge Elkins: Rough Trails Volumes 1-4 4 Volume Collector's Box SetREH Foundation PressMarch 2026↗