WIRT, NICKNAMED "RAGTOWN" BECAUSE OF ITS ABUNDANCE OF RAGGED, WIND-FLAPPING TENTS, "HAD A MAN FOR BREAKFAST" MOST EVERY MOURNING, IN THE TRUE TRADITION OF THE OLD WILD WEST.
THE POPULATION OF THE OILFIELD AROUND RAGTOWN ROSE ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY FROM ZERO TO MORE THAN 20,000 MEN, WITH PRACTICALLY NO LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE OILFIELD. CARTER COUNTY'S ROUGH AND RUGGED SHERIFF, BUCK GARRETT, ROUNDED UP 140 GALLONS OF WHISKEY, TEN BOOTLEGGERS, AND A TENTFUL OF GAMBLING PARAPHERNALIA ON HIS FIRST RAID INTO THE AREA.
WHEN RAGTOWN LAWLESSNESS REACHED SUCH PROPORTIONS THAT THE SHERIFF'S FORCE HAD TO BE CALLED OUT EVERY THREE OR FOUR DAYS TO QUELL A RIOT, BUCK GARRETT DECIDED TO APPOINT A SPECIAL OILFIELD DEPUTY. ONE DEPUTY TO POLICE 20,000 TROUBLE-HUNTING ROUGHNECKS MAY SEEM AN INCREDIBLE ASSIGNMENT, BUT BUCK PICKED QUITE A MAN FOR THE JOB. HIS NAME WAS BUD BALLEW.
...THE STORY OF RAGTOWN IS LACED WITH BOOTLEG JOINT SHOOT-OUTS, BAWDY HOUSE CUTTING SCRAPES, TORTUOUS POLITICAL MACHINATIONS, AND THE NIGHT-RIDING VIOLENCE OF THE KU KLUX KLAN.