The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 17: The Lady Calls the Shots

Episode Date: May 17, 2016

He loved her so much he gave her his job.

Look at him. Eating whatever he wants, never gaining a pound. While I'm stuck with the boring special and can't lose an ounce. How's your lunch, man? Amazing. Yours? So good. Oh, I'm so happy for you. Cool, buddy. Weight loss isn't fair, but Mochi Health is.

The affordable GLP1 source that can fix your frustration with food. So same time next week? No! Definitely. And your friends. Learn more at join mochi.com. Mochi members have access to licensed physicians and nutritionists. results may vary. This is the way I heard it. Frank was good with a gun, really good,

as the star of a vaudeville act called America's own rifle team and champion all-around shots. His preferred targets included spinning plates, clay pigeons, and various other inanimate objects. Phoebe was also good with a gun. As the person most responsible for keeping her family fed, her typical targets included rabbit, squirrel, and quail. Although she refused to shoot an animal, while they were standing still. Phoebe thought it was more sporting to pull the trigger when her targets were running or flying away. One day, Frank's traveling show came to Cincinnati.

After wowing the crowds with a dazzling display of trick shots and extraordinary marksmanship, Frank proudly proclaimed to all assembled that he was the very best sharpshooter alive and bet $100 that no one in the county could prove him wrong. When the crowd pulled their resources and sent forth a champion, it was not the typical adversary to which Frank had become accustomed. His opponent was a little girl, maybe five feet tall, barely a hundred pounds.

She wore a skirt and knickerbockers and carried a rifle as big as she was. For a moment, Frank was overcome with guilt. These were simple country people, wagering their hard-earned money on a little girl ten years his junior. What chance did she have? He was the best marksman in the country, undefeated, and according to his own prognostications, unbeatable. But a few moments later, Frank's guilt was replaced with wonder. In the best of 25 targets, Phoebe went five for five right out of the gate. Frank was surprised, but followed suit.

Then she went 10 for 10. Frank was impressed, but still kept pace. then 15 for 15. Who was this girl? Phoebe laughed and chatted while she shot, amusing the crowd like a season performer. The two stayed deadlocked until the very last target. Frank missed.

Phoebe didn't. And that was that. Frank had been bested for the first time ever by a little girl. Frank handled the humiliation the only way he could. He married the 16-year-old. sharpshooter, which in 1875 was not nearly as icky as it sounds today, and took her on the road with him. Phoebe Moses became Phoebe Butler, and Frank's little shooting act got a whole lot more interesting. The first night, he called Phoebe out of the audience and told her to hold a single

plate in each outstretched arm. Frank then shot the plates out of her hands to enthusiastic applause. But then to the wonderment of the crowd, Frank handed his rifle to Phoebe and invited her to shoot the plates out of his hands, which she did. She also shot holes and playing cards that Frank threw into the air. She shot cigarettes out of Frank's mouth, sometimes with her back to him, using a mirror to aim over her shoulder. Among those impressed by their showmanship was the legendary Bill Cody, and before long, Frank and Phoebe were featured players in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Now, if you've seen Irving Berlin's famous musical about Frank and Phoebe's incredible life, you know what happens next.

Frank and Phoebe slowly become Phoebe and Frank. As his wife's popularity eclipses his own, Frank becomes insecure and resentful, and their relationship becomes strained. Not exactly a plot twist. The American West wasn't synonymous with gender, equality in the 19th century American male was unaccustomed to second billing. So the tension that resulted from Phoebe's fame and Frank's insecurity was entirely plausible, except that's not what happened. The truth is, Frank didn't mope about his fading celebrity at all. In fact,

he gladly assumed the position of Phoebe's on-stage assistant and personal business manager. He may have been a brash and opportunistic showman, but He was also utterly smitten by his young bride, and by all accounts stayed that way during their long and happy life together. Indeed, when his beloved Phoebe died after 50 years of marriage and millions mourned the most famous woman of the American West, Frank mourned in a way that was never addressed in the Broadway show or the film adaptation of their lives. Frank simply stopped eating and joined Phoebe in eternity 18 days later. Point is, many men have achieved greatness, thanks to the women who have stood behind them. But, once upon a time, back when the West was wild, one man was secure enough to step aside

and let the spotlight fall on Phoebe Moses, a poor country girl who could out shoot the best of the best, and the girl we remember today as the one and only Annie Oakley. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. If you work in University Maintenance, Granger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip-off, and Granger is your trusted partner. Offering the products you need all in one place, from HVAC and plumbing supplies to lighting and more,

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