TX BIOS:  Mrs. Sarah Chriestman 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.
   
   0001
   
   Ruby Mosley Sa Angelo (STORY OF PIONEER DAYS)
   
   "I was born in Burleson County 92 years ago," states Mrs. Sarah
   Chriestman Armstrong of San Angelo, Texas.
   
   "I do not care about pioneers and relating facts pertaining to the
   early days. I am modern and live a modern life and like it. I do not
   sit and relate long stories that happened in the past; that's what
   makes people grow old. I try to stay young and in keeping with the
   times and forget the past.
   
   "My father, (Haratio Chriestman) was Stephen F. Austin's surveyor. He
   surveyed Burleson County and many 00022others between Austin, Houston
   and San Antonio. That was before I was born, however I remember
   hearing him relate different obstacles they met with.
   
   "Father had several slaves but they never ran away. He was a farmer,
   and the slaves and my two brothers did the work while father did the
   general managing. Other runaway slaves would come to our slave
   quarters to harbor during the days, sleep and get food, and travel
   between suns. Usually they were caught before they got very far.
   However, some escaped entirely.
   
   "My father in the Civil War? No, he was too old, but contributed his
   part by sending two sons. One was a border guard and the other was in
   the army.
   
   "I did a little spinning and weaving during the war, for the soldiers;
   everyone did whatever they could to help the cause. I remember food
   was hard to get and hard to keep after we got it.
   
   "Indians? I was most too young to remember anything about them. I saw
   plenty tame ones. One day mother was standing in the door with her
   babe in arms, when a young chief tried to scare her so that she would
   take us children and leave out so that he could steal everything we
   had. When the old chief came by, mother told him what had happened and
   he surely did reprimand the young chief for the unkind act. Mother
   stood still and showed him that she 00033would not run from Indians
   and no further harm was done. My father was in many Indian fights but
   I don't know any particulars.
   
   "I moved to San Angelo 55 years ago. It was a very small town at that
   time, in fact the fort and negro soldiers were of more attraction then
   San Angelo. Soon the citizens began to realize that the location was
   most ideal for a city and thus began trying to interest emigrants with
   money to locate in this section. Most of the old settlers came here
   with money and made more money, that's why they have such good
   footing."
   
   **************
   
   REFERENCE:- Mrs. Sarah Chriestman Armstrong, San Angelo, Texas.
   Interviewed October 24, 1938.

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