LA HABRA : Wild West Comes Alive for Children

A band of pistol-packing cowboys rode into town Saturday to show a crowd of 60 young ones and their parents at the Children’s Museum at La Habra what the Wild West was all about.

The five-man stunt group called Teaford’s Raiders shot blanks, got into several brawls and spit tobacco in a performance that was probably no more violent or gross than Saturday morning cartoons. And the children found the spectacle of ornery Western dudes thrilling and fun.

“It was exciting,” Erin Bro, 11, said after the hourlong show. “I really like the Wild West; I like watching the gunfights and stuff. It’s really neat.”

Dan (Doc) Teaford narrated a brief history about turn-of-the-century cowboys to the children and their parents, who were seated around the outdoor stage in front of the museum. Many of the buckaroos came from the East Coast seeking gold or to become cattle ranchers, he said.

Teaford began the troupe in 1966 when he was “robbing trains at Knott’s Berry Farm while in college.” Now the graphic arts supervisor at La Habra-based Chevron, Teaford has worked with his group in commercials, at Universal Studios and at Knott’s.

While Teaford was putting the troupe’s shenanigans into historical perspective, the Raiders acted out the story, pointed to their Western garb and shot their guns in the air.

The storytelling ended with the five battling in a stunt-filled brawl that was settled with a spitting contest. Using chewing tobacco, the cowboys evoked cries of pleasure and disgust from the children as they shot saliva wads through the air.

A question-and-answer session capped the presentation, with inquiring minds asking why “Slim” wore chaps and whether any of the stuntmen got hurt while brawling.

They were told about the secrets of stunt fighting and warned never to point a cap gun or toy pistol at anyone. Slim--who is Scott Nesbit, a supervisor with Pacific Bell in Riverside--demonstrated that the bullets were blanks and were used only for the act.

Six-year-old Taylor Bird, who was there with her younger brother and sister, said the loud gunshots did not scare her because she knew that they were fake and all part of the act. However, her 2-month-old sister showed her annoyance at being awakened by the explosions.

“I liked the shooting, it kind of surprised me,” said the Placentia youngster, who attended the event wearing her Western belt and boots. “I like to play cowboy with my brother and dressing up.”

Teaford said he prefers performing for younger audiences because “we show the kids what they see on TV and at the same time teach them about our heritage.”

Added Raider Wayne (Stump) Boles, “That’s something they can’t get watching the Ninja Turtles.”

The noontime performances will continue this Saturday with a storytelling session on the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the “Little House on the Prairie,” which was based on her life and later was made into a television series.

The event is part of the “Grandma’s Attic” exhibit at the museum, which focuses on American life at the turn of the century. The series runs until March 21, and the exhibit closes March 28.