TX BIOS:  Noah Armstrong
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   Folkstuff-Rangelore
   
   Range-Lore
   
   Elizabeth Doyle
   
   San Angelo, Texas.
   
   Page one
   
   RANGE-LORE
   
   Noah Armstrong, Ex-Texas Ranger and retired ranchman, came with his
   parents from Lincoln County, Missouri to Bell County, Texas when he
   was only one year old.
   
   "My childhood", says Mr. Armstrong, "was spent on the open range with
   my father, who owned the first horse ranch in Navarro County. Dealing
   in horses made our danger from the Indians much worse than any other
   business we could have been in and on moonlight nights father would
   give the hired boy and me a gun each and he would take two of his best
   guns and we would guard our horses. We usually had about 1,000 head.
   Many were the times that we fired into Indians sneaking upon our horse
   camp at night.
   
     NOTE: C12- Texas
     
   00022Usually a few shots would frighten them away and we had only to
   be on guard an moonlight nights. On one occasion my father was
   severely ill and had only the hired boy and me to put on guard. Mother
   insisted that she take father's two guns and go out with us but he
   would not let her go. I was only ten years old at that time and had
   been helping this way for two years. On this particular night the boy
   and I went out and you would think the Indians had known father was
   ill. We hadn't more than settled ourselves until we saw six redskins
   coming up to the horses about half bent. We opened fire as we had done
   before but we must have been too scared to hit them or they saw only
   the two of us, as they rushed into the group of horses, mounted one
   each and rode furiously away. We fired again as they left but never
   got one of them. Father had heard the shots and mother said he was too
   delirous the balance of the night for her to leave him long enough to
   come see about us. We never heard of our horses again, but father
   recovered and lived until I was about grown. After his death I got a
   job on the Slaughter Ranch and my boss sent a Mexican boy with me to
   take a bunch of horses to Erath County. When we delivered them, the
   fellow gave us a check for them. Our boss had sent word that he make
   out a certain amount to us so we could get home. We walked ten miles
   to the nearest town and when 00033we presented our check it wasn't any
   good. We were both just a couple of kids and didn't know anything else
   to do but start hoofing it in. The Mexican had 35¢ and thought we
   could live always on that. His lack of concern was as provoking as our
   plight. I didn't have a penny and was as mad as an old wet hen. The
   Mexican had kept his halter, so he sold that for a trifle and felt
   that we should be able to make a trip around the world on that and his
   35¢. He made me feel that he was doing me a great favor to share with
   me and help me to get back home. He bought a bottle of molasses and
   some crackers and this was to be our fare for the several days we
   tramped our way back home.
   
   "One night after we had walked all day we lay down under a big tree
   for the night. I was tired but it was a moonlight night and to this
   day I get jittery on moonlight nights. The Mexican fell asleep at once
   but tired as I was I could not sleep and kept feeling that an Indian
   might appear at any moment. After I had rolled around awhile though,
   my exhausted condition got the better of my fear and I fell asleep.
   Pretty soon I felt something nudging me in the side, thinking it was
   my partner I opened my eyes to see a big bear standing right over me.
   How I ever remembered that I had heard a bear would never molest a
   dead man I do not know, but for some reason I did not move but lay so
   dead still that after sniffing and nudging around over me for awhile
   he went on his way as if 00044nothing had happened. I was too
   disturbed to sleep, though, and as I lay tossing about trying to rest
   my weary bones I heard foot steps creeping up to us. I sat up as two
   big ugly Indians came up and told me they were hungry and only wanted
   food. I knew their manner too well to refuse them, so I gave them the
   syrup and crackers and they went on their way. The Mexican slept right
   on through the whole thing and was sulky and angry next morning when I
   told him how I was forced to give up the food. We made it back home,
   finally, and our boss thought by our being so long that we had
   collected for the horses and left the country. When we gave him his
   check and explained about ours he was plenty sore. He finally got his
   money but it took him a long time and I had joined the Texas Rangers
   before I ever got mine for that trip.
   
   "When I joined the Rangers in 1876 my company was stationed at Pecan
   Springs in Runnels County. Our captain got orders to look out for one
   Bone Wilson. He was an outlaw and had killed the sheriff of Erath
   County. Captain Sparks took us out to scout around and look for him.
   Finally we struck his trail in the Santa Anna Mountains and trailed
   him across the Colorado River through Salt Gap and on by Rock Springs.
   We lost his trail there and could not pick it up again. After several
   days we heard of a mysterious bunch around Snyder, Texas. Captain
   Sparks took five of us and started for Snyder. We came 00055upon a big
   plum thicket, some ten or fifteen acres, and as we went around it
   investigating as best we could, we saw a new trail leading to the
   interior. We were sure this was the place so we started single file
   down the long narrow path. When we rode upon them, a cousin and
   brother of the outlaw were making coffee and roasting buffalo meat
   over a campfire. They gave up readily and told us that Bone had gone
   out to kill a buffalo. We hoped for as good luck with him as there was
   a $1500.00 reward on his head. We had always rather bring them back
   alive if possible and he had boasted that he would never be taken
   alive. Captain Sparks left three boys with the prisoners and took the
   other fellows and me with him. We picked our way back to the outside
   and he stationed us around the entrance, telling us to wait until he
   had called, halt! and if he didn't surrender then, to shoot his horse
   from under him and he was sure that would make him give up. We had
   about an hour to wait before we saw him come riding up with a sack of
   meat and two buffalo hides on his horse. 'Halt! Halt! Halt!' shouted
   our captain, and with the first sound, Wilson's buffalo gun went to
   his shoulder as he pulled the trigger. He would have killed one or all
   of us if a bullet had not hung in the gun. As he did that we shot his
   horse from under him, but instead of giving up he fell down behind his
   horse and pulled his two six shooters, firing as we shot him.
   00066"The other three boys were told to take their prisoners to jail
   while we got some conveyance to carry Wilson's body back to Erath
   County for our reward. We got a wagon and some harness and used our
   own horses alternately on the long trip back. We put the body in the
   wagon bed and piled mesquite bushes over him and started about
   sun-down that day. We traveled all that night, all next day and part
   of the next night before we got to Coleman; there were no roads nor
   bridges and not many trails, we just had to take a course through the
   woods and do the best we could. One man was sent on ahead on horseback
   to select the best crossings on streams and he would often have to go
   up and down a stream for hours before a place could be found for a
   wagon to cross. Just before we got to town we had to cross a little
   draw and the moon was just bright enough for the Indians to be out. We
   were leading our spare horses and pack mule and when two big rusty
   Indians sprang from the bushes with knives in hand to cut the horses
   loose we let 'em have it. This brought several arrows from the bushes
   all around us but no one was hurt by them and all the Indians ran
   except the dead one.
   
   "We went on into Coleman about 10:30 p.m., exchanged our wagon for a
   hack, which was a much lighter vehicle, got a few hours sleep, some
   black coffee and bacon and started on before daylight for Erath
   County. We reached 00077Stephenville, turned the body over to the
   authorities and received our reward. The state had offered $500.00
   while the citizens had donated $500.00 and a section of land. This was
   rightfully divided and one of our boys, Gus Young who fell heir to the
   land, still lives on it and has done well.
   
   "On another occasion we were stationed at Double Mountain Fork above
   Fort Griffin. On moonlight nights our captain would send us out in
   every direction to scout around for Indians. One night when we had
   gone fifteen or twenty miles from camp, we struck a trail and thought
   at first that it was a mustang trail but as we followed it we came
   upon a smouldering campfire and the remains of a buffalo. Part of the
   hind quarter had been cut away and roasted. We proceeded further and
   came upon a row of Indians going down the path single file. We opened
   fire as we were accustomed to doing and killed two of the Indians.
   They returned our fire as they ran. We chased them right on into a
   white camp and found to our dismay that we had been chasing Government
   Indians who had been sent out with United State Officers from Fort
   Sill to show them how to hunt buffalo. We came pretty close to serious
   trouble and did have to go into court over killing the Indians, but it
   was settled in our favor. On one of our skirmishes the captain sent
   two of us boys out around Paint Rock. About half way between Paint
   Rock and Salt Gap we saw a man coming riding along meeting us. When he
   00088got within about forty yards of us he opened fire with a
   winchester and we of course returned the fire at once. He fell from
   his horse, ran to the side of the road, jerked off his boots and died
   almost immediately. We went on into town and got the officers who
   returned with us and identified him as one of the Taylor boys and told
   us that he must have mistaken us for the Suttons, explaining that an
   old family feud between the Taylors and Suttons had grown to shooting
   on sight and that my partner really resembled one of the Suttons very
   much. This Taylor boy had always said he would never die with his
   boots on, was why he jerked them off.
   
   "We went on many bear, deer, and antelope hunts. We enjoyed them all
   and always brought back the game.
   
   "Once, a new fellow by the name of Wylie joined our force and was
   showing off his skill by doing what he called the John Wesley Hardin
   stunt, which was to cock his gun as it left his hip and shoot as he
   came up with it. Somehow the gun hung and he shot a hole clean through
   his hip. It was only a flesh wound and soon healed but we guyed him
   about his Hardin stunt until we nearly ran him out of camp.
   
   "I shall never forget the first time I ever saw San Angelo. There were
   six-hundred negro soldiers stationed at the post then and I thought it
   was the blackest town I ever saw, with nothing but saloons, gambling
   houses, and dance halls.
   
   "We had been Indian scouting on the plains for a 00099month and
   Captain Sparks decided to go into Angelo. We got into the Sarg.
   Nasworthy Saloon and all got to drinking and gambling. Our boys seemed
   to lose heavier than usual but we considered it all in a day's fun and
   made the dances that night. In one place we were dancing around and a
   negro soldier danced right into one of our boys. We looked around and
   saw a whole bunch of negroes dancing all around us. There were about
   thirty of us rangers. We grabbed bottles, chairs, guns, anything at
   hand, and started knocking out negroes. This broke up the negro part
   of the dance, but the few who got away went to the fort and reported
   to Colonel Grierson, who was at our camp by daylight next morning,
   demanding Captain Sparks to apologize to his negroes. This so
   infuriated Sparks that he replied, 'To Hell with your damn black
   skunks, I can take my thirty rangers and whip every damn negro in your
   whole fort'. The next night a bunch of buffalo hunters came into town,
   shaved and cleaned up and made the dances. The negroes, backed by
   Grierson, were laying for our bunch. When the buffalo hunters appeared
   on the dance floor the negroes turned loose on them and killed several
   before they discovered it was not our men. Colonel Grierson reported
   our Captain to Captain Steed at Austin and he was discharged. I have
   heard that he died seeking to get even with Grierson.
   
   "In our ranger company we had many good shots but Booger Red was the
   best rider I ever saw. It seemed the 001010horse never grew that he
   couldn't ride. I have seen him ride 'em when I could hear his neck a
   poppin' every jump and often wondered how he came off alive but he
   always did. I had an old stool dust horse I always wanted him to try.
   He was the meanest horse I ever saw. I finally traded him to a boy who
   was famous for breaking wild horses. He thought he had him pretty well
   broke and traded him to the sheriff's brother at Cisco. He went on
   pretty well for awhile so the fellow broke him to work to the buggy.
   Just when he thought he was safe, he took his wife and little boy to
   church one Sunday and as they were returning that blamed horse threw
   one of his old time fits and kicked everything to pieces, threw the
   man and his wife out and kicked the little boy in the head and killed
   him. The man had his brother, the sheriff, to sell him to the highest
   bidder, who happened to be a bronc rider who took him to another part
   of the country and we never heard what became of him.
   
   "I attended the first funeral ever held in Coleman, the one which
   started the present Coleman graveyard. A Doctor Shannon came to
   Coleman and established a small ranch on Home Creek near Santa Anna.
   His son was left in college to finish the term. When he was through
   school he came out to his father's new ranch and was delighted with
   the cattle and the whole business. His father had penned one of the
   biggest bulls to treat him for worms, so the boy went to the lot and
   admired the fine brute so 001111much he decided to get in the lot and
   pet him. He had not more than entered the pen when the bull made a
   fatal plunge at him, ripping open his abdomen and goring him to death.
   This was the first person ever buried in Coleman. The doctor sold out
   everything and returned to Chicago. Some fifteen or twenty years later
   he returned to Coleman, had the remains taken up and cremated.
   
   "The second man to be buried there was murdered. His name was Polk and
   he was killed near Coleman as he was going up the trail, by curly
   headed Tom Smith who had differences with Polk, and when they met
   Smith dismounted and asked Polk to fight him. It is thought that Polk
   was unarmed when Smith shot him. I also attended this funeral.
   
   "I knew a couple of Englishmen, Frank and Claude Anson here in Coleman
   in an early day. Their father was an Earl and owned a whole town in
   England. They told me that their father collected rents off of every
   house in that town and that it was a large town. He had given each son
   $100,000.00 and they had bought ranches north of Coleman. Neither of
   them had any horse sense and so were not very successful. All the
   English people I ever met trying to ranch were the most ignorant
   people I ever saw. Four of them came to Abilene with some money to
   invest in ranches. One old cowboy took advantage of their ignorance
   and told them that for $500.00 each he would give them a year's
   training as ranchmen. They bit 001212and he took their $500.00 each
   and worked them nearly to death that year as common cowhands.
   
   "I knew Tom Ketchum when I saw him and while I was not too familiar
   with the details of his scrapes I have heard that he wasn't as bad as
   he was painted and that he was driven to some of the dark deeds which
   he was said to have committed.
   
   "I attend the Rangers' Reunion in Dallas every year and am among the
   oldest. Last year I met one of the old boys of our company. I thought
   he had gone on but we were happy to meet and he gave me the words to a
   favorite old song, "The Key Hole in the Door". We used to sing it on
   the range and it was considered a little off color then, but not in
   these modern times.
   
   "My love for the open range was what sent me out this far from town to
   build my home, and my exposure to cold and the lack of shelter on the
   range made me resolve to die in a good house, so I built this big
   house of my own native rock here at the foot of Robinson Park, where
   the chill of winter never hurts very much.
   
   "I still have my old buffalo skinning knife and the tie pin I am
   wearing is made of an arrow head nearly as old as I am. One of the
   jewelers in Coleman mounted it for me in this beautiful gold mounting.
   
   "My pipe I still light with this chandelier. Just strike this old
   piece of file against my flint and this 001313little tight roll of
   cotton which I carry in this cartridge hull is always dry and ready to
   light from the sparks, so I'm going down my last hill about as near
   like I would have it as most anyone I know. My wife is dead and my
   children all married; but my turkeys, chickens, cows, and sheep are
   good company and I'm not so lonely as one might think."

************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced 
in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative
of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of
this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives
to store the file permanently for free access.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/

Thanks to the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/txcat.html
***********************************************************************