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"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." Oscar Wilde
"The less you bet, the more you lose when you win." Wyatt Earp
"Go ahead. Go ahead, skin it. Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens." Wyatt Earp in Tombstone
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"He was a quiet, but absolutely fearless man; as a peace officer, above reproach. He usually went about in his shirt-sleeves, and with no weapons. He was cool and never excited, but very determined and courageous. He never stirred up trouble, but he never ran away from it or shirked responsibility. He was an ideal peace officer and a fine citizen."
William J. Hunsaker, Dean of the Los Angeles Bar, 1931
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Wyatt Earp, 1874
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Wyatt was a shy young man with few intimates. With casual acquaintances he seldom spoke unless spoken to. When he did say anything it was to the point, without fear or favor, which wasn't relished by some; but that never bothered Wyatt. To those who knew him well he was a genial companion. He had the most even disposition I ever say; I never knew him to lose his temper. He was more intelligent, better educated, and far better mannered than the majority of his associates, which probably did not help them to understand him. His reserve limited his friendships, but more than one stranger, down on his luck, has had firsthand evidence of Wyatt's generosity. I think his outstanding quality was the nicety with which he gauged the time and effort for every move. That, plus his absolute confidence in himself, gave him the edge over the run of men.
A contemporary description of the young Wyatt Earp by Bill Dixon:
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Wyatt Earp, 1879
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He was not an angel, but his faults were minor ones, and he never killed a man that didn't richly deserve it.
George Parsons 1928
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Wyatt Earp loved horses, and after leaving Tombstone for good, ran several racehorses at tracks around the country. Here is his favorite stallion, Dick Naylor.
Actually this is a beautiful photographic print by the talented equine photographer Robert Varva
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"I remember so well his erect carriage and soldierly bearing. He was tall and slender with the most piercing eyes I ever saw."
Mrs. Wilda Weeks, Kingman, Arizona
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Wyatt Earp, 1883
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Wyatt Earp was one of the few men I personally knew in the West in the early days whom I regarded as absolutely destitute of physical fear. I have often remarked, and I am not alone in my conclusions, that what goes for courage in a man is generally fear of what others will think of him - in other words, personal bravery is largely made up of self-respect, egotism, and apprehension of the opinions of others. Wyatt Earp's daring and apparent recklessness in time of danger is wholly characteristic; personal fear doesn't enter into the equation, and when everything is said and done, I believe he values his own opinion of himself more than that of others, and it is his own good report he seeks to preserve... He never at any time in his career resorted to the pistol excepting cases where such a course was absolutely necessary. Wyatt could scrap with his fists, and had often taken all the fight out of bad men, as they were called, with no other weapons than those provided by nature.
Bat Masterson, 1907
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Wyatt Earp, 1919
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