Edward Augustus Ducker was born February 26, 1870 at Visalia, California,
the son of Benjamin F. and Augusta Woodward Ducker. He was educated
in the public schools of Modesto, California and as a youngster
grew up in and around Visalia, California. He spent his vacations
and all his free time with the Vaqueros in that area, moving cattle
to and from the mountain ranges. The sorting and branding and shipping
gave him an education in the art of Buckarooing.
Ducker became a fearless range rider and an excellent reata man.
When he was seventeen he moved to the Nevada ranges and had many
diversified occupations.
Edward was characterized as a very genial, friendly, courteous and
humorous Westerner, surrounded by the things that seemed best to
belong to him; an ivory-handled six-shooter, chihuahua spurs, a
star Montana saddle, eleven inch winged chapajeros, a hand stamped
and silver-mounted headstall, Justin boots, and in less words; you
would always remember him as Ed Ducker, the Buckaroo.
Ducker was fearless and held his own in any Buckaroo Camp in Nevada.
While out in the remote areas he always carried with him a volume
of Blackstone Law and a volume of Shakespeare, and after a day's
work he would quietly withdraw from the crew and with his back to
the corral fence or a tree he would involve himself in his beloved
volumes.
On one particular occasion a tough hombre was going to teach this
young law-reading squirt some cow-camp manners. Arizona Al proceeded
to the corral fence where young Ducker was reading. A half dozen
of his outfit followed to see the action. When he was close to Ducker
he pulled his colt, wiped the dust off and said, “Hey Kid!
I think you’d make a better dancer than a lawyer. Get up and
start practicing," and he punctuated the remark with a shot that
came dangerously close to an out-stretched foot. “Oh... I can
dance alright,” replied Ducker, unruffled, and with the slowness
of a cow and the agility of a panther, pitched a hay-maker which
started from the ground, and landed squarely on the mean hombres’
chin, who hit the ground as though he’d been shot, his gun
falling to the ground. Ducker then pulled his gun and made the remaining
partisans dance to the bullets. This was a true story that followed
him everywhere, “the biggest spectacle” ever witnessed
in the Nevada Desert. The cook broke up the party and Ducker was
never bothered again.
Ducker moved to Winnemucca and married Dollie B. Gutherie and continued
to study law in the office of C.D. Van Duzer and Judge W.S. Bonnifield.
He was admitted to the Bar of Nevada on January 20, 1902. He was
District Attorney of Humboldt County, Nevada, from 1905 to 1911,
and Judge of the Sixth Judicial District Court until he was elected
to the Supreme Court in November 1918.
Judge Ducker died in harness at Carson City on August 14, 1946.
His widow and two sons, Edward A. Jr. and Robert Varian, and a daughter,
Marian, survived him.
Judge Ducker was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September
1992.
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