 The
origins of Aloysius Hunter's unique and unusual nickname is not known.
As a young man, Teaspoon joined with his friend Cyrus Kelly to work a silver
claim. It was at this time that he fell in love with a woman named
Beatrice. He courted the young woman and, using silver from a vein
that he and Cyrus had mined, he had a pair of simple silver haircombs made
for her. Though he loved Beatrice, it appears that Teaspoon and Cyrus
had a falling out. Cyrus had, somehow, cheated Teaspoon out of the
silver claim that had turned profitable. Teaspoon returned to his
home territory of Texas where he joined the Texas Rangers.
He was also one of a contingent of six soldiers dispatched from the Alamo
for reinforcements, though the besieged mission fell before they could
return. After leaving the Rangers, Teaspoon returned to his love
Beatrice... only to discover that she had married Cyrus in his absence.
Discovering that Beatrice was married and had a child, Elizabeth, Teaspoon
left without seeing her again. It was only years later that he found
out that Elizabeth was HIS daughter.
He might
not have married Beatrice, but Teaspoon did fall in love again -- he married
six times in his colourful life, including at least one marriage to an
Indian. He also thought he was being united with his long-lost daughter
Elizabeth -- though the woman in question turned out to be con-woman Amanda
O'Connell, he came to love her as the daughter he never knew.
Eventually
Teaspoon was hired to manage the Sweetwater pony express way station, teaching
his 'bag of tricks' to the young riders and coming to love each of them
as his own children. When Sam Cain married Emma Shannon and accepted
the promotion of Territorial Marshal, Teaspoon also became the new Marshal
of Sweetwater. He continued in the capacity when the express was
transferred to Rock Creek.
Photo
Credit: ABC promotional photo of Anthony Zerbe as "Teaspoon Hunter"
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