TX BIOS:  Buster De Graftenried,  El Paso TX

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   0001
   
   Dist. #20 El Paso, Texas Folkstuff Range lore
   
   ELLIOTT: PW
   
   Buster (Dad) De Graftenried
   
   Biography Three versions same story
   
   March 15, 1938 2418 words BUSTER (DAD) DE GRAFTENRIED
   
   Bronzed by the sun and wind, Dad De Graftenried is a real life model
   of the old time cowpuncher and ranchman. A fringe of snow white hair
   people out beneath an [old?] Stetson hat and his keen eyes twinkle
   with merriment while he relates adventures of pioneer days. His legs,
   bowed by sixty years in the saddle, were encased in fine hand made
   boots and he rolls a cowboy cigarette with the precision of a machine.
   His genial manner is typical of western hospitality as he receives
   visitors in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank O. Skidmore, where
   this story was obtained.
   
   "Well now I'll be glad to talk with you about the old days. I enjoy
   going downtown and talking to some of my old friends for many of us
   are passing on. Take this for instance as the case were," and then he
   began:
   
   "I was born in Grayson County, Texas, September 1864 on the old De
   Graftenried plantation. I remember the little negro kids and my man
   Berry, who carried me about on his shoulders until I was a fairly big
   lad. That plantation was home until Father got an urge to go farther
   west so we headed for [the?] frontier which later became Stephens
   county. It hadn't [been?] organized yet, but they had a big picnic and
   organized it with Breckenridge as the county seat. I can remember that
   part of it for the kids had plenty of fun. Several times we would go
   back to Grayson county but every time us kids would start "chillin"
   and Pa would put us in the wagon and start west again. We settled on
   the Clearfork of the Brazos.
   
     NOTE: C12 - Tex.
     
   0002In front of our cabins we had things sorta like brush arbors and
   Mother used to hang quilts up so the Indians couldn't see us playing.
   I bet I've been chased a hundred times by the Indians and when asked
   why he didn't catch me I always tell them, "Well, H---, might as well
   try to catch a jack rabbit as to chase me.
   
   I don't remember a lot of these things until I meet some old fellow
   and start talking and he says "do you remember so and so?" and that
   starts things popping in my mind. My old friend Cap'n John Hughes can
   remember so many things that happened while we lived on the Clearfork.
   He was a young man then in the Ranger Service. The Indians killed a
   family by the name of [Lee?] and I asked Cap'n Hughes if he remembered
   about it and he said "Well, I reckon I do, I went down there." Life
   was pretty strenuous for the grownups, but we had a lot of fun. We
   kids were happy. I can remember the first hat I ever owned was a
   cotton one, and when you rode your pony the hat all went to crown and
   you had to reach up and catch it and carry it in your hand the rest of
   the day. And that's about all we did was ride.
   
   In [?] we moved to New Mexico about Ft. Sumner. There was just two
   white families there then, ours and Old Brother Gayhart who was German
   and as the cowboys said, he had quite a bunch of little Germans. We
   were settled right near the old home of Billy the Kid. He was killed
   the same year we moved to New Mexico. I think there were only two
   countries out there then. San Miguel and later we helped make Chavez
   County.
   
   The first work I ever done, was with Caulsey in 1883-84 Caulsey was a
   freighting outfit. They had seven or eight wagons 0003with seven or
   eight yolk of oxen to each wagon, and they had a bunch of extra
   steers. I was hired to drive the steers. This outfit hunted some
   buffalo and sold the meat, but there were only a few buffalo left in
   [1883?] so I worked for them that year and then they [played?] out.
   
   Those freighters were tough as could be. They tell this story. " One
   time an Indian was trying to buy a cannon from one of the Army's
   Generals and was told, "No you will be shooting my soldiers with it."
   The Indian said, "Me killum soldiers with stick, me want killum damn
   freighters". Now those freighting outfits were as fine as money could
   buy. They had to be since they were the only means of hawling
   supplies. The wagons were huge as this room, heavily built of oak and
   canvas with water barrels on the side. They had two men to each wagon
   and they certainly had team work. They all work just like one man.
   When there was an attack from the Indians within five minutes they
   would have the wagons in a circle with water barrels and the steers
   inside and they would have out their old buffalo guns and a whole army
   couldn't have gotten to them. The wagon boss always rode in front of
   the train. It was his job to see that the way was clear. If we came to
   a piece of timber he would ride in to see if there was any ambush. If
   he gave the signal, the wagons would move up and in no time the
   protection would be formed. When there was no Indian trouble they made
   camp much the same fashion at night. One wagon with the provisions
   would be in the middle where the cooking would be done. Then one of
   the boys would take the oxen out and let them graze all night. He was
   called the "nighthawk". 0004I just wish you could have seen them
   hitching up in the mornings. Those old steers were well trained. There
   was always so much dust inside the circle you would wonder how the men
   ever got the right animals to the [wagon?], but they knew just where
   to go. They would come up and stand patiently in place, turn those old
   long horns sidewise, until the bow was in place and locked. They could
   hitch the right front oxen first, and then the next one would follow
   until they were all hitched, [then?] with a shout from the driver they
   would wheel that old wagon out of the circle and take their position
   ready for another long drive. I learned a lot from watching the
   freighters and their teams.
   
   After that year I went to work for a little while for the Syndicate,
   up in the Panhandle country. They had the famous KIT brand. They were
   supposed to have furnished the money for the building or the capital
   building at Austin. I didn't work for them very long.
   
   Pretty soon after that I went to work for a Mr. Horn, who owned the
   Pig Pen outfit, and I stayed on that ranch for more than fifty years,
   I've been there ever since. I reckon I just helped to make that
   country. There was trouble in those days over the grass. The cattlemen
   and sheepmen had it. And the nesters, thats what we called the
   families that moved in on us. We couldn't agree about different
   things, but if ever a body was intitled to rights, By G-- I was
   because I helped to make five counties. But H--- you couldn't have law
   and order in those days. Most of the people can't understand that, for
   instance as the case were. "We lived about thirty miles from the Texas
   line on the [Pecos?] river and in [1889-90?] it hadn't rained for
   00055three years to make any grass for the cattle and wherever there
   was any little grass the sheepmen came in and let their sheep eat all
   the grass from our cattle. The range was overstocked with cattle
   anyhow and there was no grass. That was what caused the sheepmen and
   cattlemen's war.
   
   We were about a hundred miles from nowhere but the mail passed every
   day in a buckboard on the way to Las Vegas, so I wrote to Mr. Horn to
   ask him to come down and see if we couldn't fix up some way to save
   our cattle as they were all going to die if we didn't. Mr. Horn lived
   in Denver but he came to Vegas by train and it took him three days to
   come from Vegas to old Fort [Sumner?] in a buckboard. Things went
   better with him there. We fixed up a little spring, had a lot of hard
   work but the cattle got water.
   
   I never had a case in court in my life, I just couldn't afford to get
   into any trouble in that danged sheepmen's war, but I've been a
   witness a lot of time. The easiest thing for me to do was to move my
   cattle back out of trouble. I always told my men never to kill anyone
   unless they had to and if they ever did never to come back around my
   place because I didn't want to get mixed up with the law. The best
   thing to do was just to head into Texas, go right off and never come
   back no more. I was a deputy sheriff in those days, but only for my
   own protection. Capn' Hughes knows about that time. He's just too good
   a man. He was on the laws side and he can't talk much. That's the
   reason he doesn't talk about his experiences and he could tell plenty.
   And another fine man is old Juan Franco. He is just about the cleanest
   Mexican cuss I [ever?] knowed in [DEL: My :DEL] my life. They are
   called Mexicans 00066in Texas but in New Mexico they are called
   Spanish Americans.
   
   They always called me "Dad" since I was about 22. I worked over on the
   Matador for awhile and I met a girl I had knowed all my life, but I
   hadn't seen her for a long time. We fell in love and were married
   right away. She stayed there and I went back to the Horn ranch to make
   a stake, and the first thing I knowed, by jiminy I had a boy. It took
   a letter a month to get there. I strutted around there helping the
   boys, and was so proud I'd say "now let Dad do that", so from that
   time on they always called me "Dad". I was the only feller around them
   parts that had a kid that they [owned?]. They might of had plenty of
   them but they didn't own them.
   
   The young hands was what we called " Buttons " if they didn't like to
   work very much. That was an old term used by the cowmen. One old boy
   came out to work for me, rode in about night on a little old poor pony
   and asked me about work. He was about 17 or 18 - I fitted him up with
   a bunch of ponies, and he turned out to be one of the best hands I
   ever had on my place.
   
   You never asked a fellow his name and if he told you, you wouldn't
   believe it anyhow. This fellow had on a pair of what we called
   Hand-me-down boots, that is they were just bought in the store and not
   made to order. So we called him Boots. I had a man that had worked for
   me so long and was such a dependable man that I counted on him for
   everything. His name was Dallas. Well, one evening I looked out and
   saw a bunch of sheep up in our pasture so I says , "Where is Dallas ?
   I want him to go out there and drive them sheep out of that pasture.
   They said that they 00077didn't know , they hadn't seen him around
   that day. So Boots says , "Let me go and drive them away." So I let
   him go, I told him that if he got into any trouble not to [come?] back
   here so to take the best horse he could find. He started off but he
   never came back. Next day the sheriff came up and said that someone
   had run through this sheep camp [and?] tore it up, scared the sheep
   all off and set fire to the camp. He had a [mexican?] to indentify the
   person that done it. But the Mexican said it wasn't any of the fellers
   there. Well, I never heard what happened to Boots, for about two
   years. One day a letter come and said that he still had the pony and
   that he was sick and that he wondered if he had worked for us long
   enough to have anything coming. Well, I looked on the books, and shore
   nuff I owed Boots $40.00, so I sent him a check for $40.00. He just
   signed his name Boots in the letter so I made out the check to Boots
   and he signed it Boots and by golly he got the money. A few years
   later he came [past?] our place and stayed all night. on his way to
   Arizona in another big hurry. He sure was the right kind of fellow. He
   knew how to keep his mouth shut. He shore could have anything on that
   [ranch?]. He [just?] didn't talk too much. He was just a good cowboy.
   He had " slipped the button. " He did what you told him and never
   asked any questions about it.
   
   When Mr. Horn died I bought the ranch from the bank at Denver, some of
   the older [cowmen?] would probably remember it better as the old
   [Tooley?] ranch or the Old Horn ranch. At one time I branded 7 or 8
   thousand calves. That would call for between 16 or 17 thousand head of
   cattle. During the days that we [fenced?] three townships we had to
   haul the wire about [116?] miles and the [posts?] from "the
   [brakes?]", a distance of [60?] miles. [?] 00088The big freighting
   outfits [DEL: bought :DEL] brought all our supplies from Amarillo. Us
   old ignorant cowmen didn't know nothing about money only that we had
   most everything we needed that money could buy. The way we got our
   supplies was funny. There was a little store there in Fort Sumner
   which acted sorta like a bank and handled all our money and paid most
   all our debts. We were so ignorant we didn't know if they cheated us
   or not. " Now as the case were," the bookkeeper in the store in
   Amarillo would say to one of the other men, "You had better look up
   and see when we took that stuff to the Pig Pen outfit (that was my
   outfit) and LFD outfit," and he would look it up and say, "Well, its
   been about three months since we was out that way and the Pig Pen
   outfit has so many men and the LFD outfit has so many, so I think we
   had better be getting out that way. The next thing we would know there
   would be a lot of barrels on the porch, maybe a thousand pounds of
   flour, 150 pounds of coffee and all other supplies that we needed.
   That would be the last we would know about it until the next time they
   sent us some supplies. They would collect for it at the little store
   in Fort Sumner as there were no banks in them days out in this
   country, nor schools like they have now. My wife stayed over at
   [Portales?], about 30 miles from the ranch so the kids could go to
   school. I've sold off most of the ranch now. Just kept enough to go
   back to in the summers. I like El Paso, but I get homesick and have to
   stay up there part of the time.
   
   Buster (Dad) De Graftenried
   
   Age 73
   
   106 W. California Street
   
   El Paso, Texas 00091ELLIOTT, P.W. Life History #20
   
   JUN -6 1938
   
   1750 Words MY PIONEER EXPERIENCES CONTRIBUTED
   
   By
   
   Buster De Graftenreid
   
   In 1864 I come to Texas in Grayson County and from what my Pa and Ma
   said, I give up the squack and bawled like two years old and they
   named me Buster. Pa and Ma moved to Stephen County and my first
   recollection I have is herding a small bunch of our cattle to keep
   them together and no one steal or run them off.
   
   I rode a little pony mare and she always had a cold every year. When I
   would start out with the cattle, after ma had milked, she would hand
   me my lunch, which was a pone of corn bread, and say to me "Now you be
   sure and be a good boy and stay on your pony. If you don't you will
   get to playing and the Indians will catch you," and I want to say now,
   that fear is still with me.
   
   Also what she told me about Jesus and God taking care of all good
   boys. She planted the thoughts of Jesus in my heart and His goodness
   has been with me these many years.
   
     NOTE: C 12 - Tex.
     
   What I want to say, is this, how those families got by, I can't see.
   There were three families lived on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River,
   it emptied its water in the main Brazos 00102River about thirty miles
   below.
   
   Now, in looking back and even what I knew at that time, as I must of
   been 9 or 10 years old, my uncle John Selman, my mother's brother and
   his wife, my Pa's sister, lived with his family about half a mile
   away. I thought at that time, uncle John was everything and could and
   did things. If it had not been for uncle John and a few men like him,
   the [Comanchie?] Indians would of got all of us. Uncle John was a
   fighter and they knew it and so did those thieving white men. As the
   Indians killed the Lee family, the old man, old lady and carried off
   two grown girls and a small boy about seven years old.
   
   Uncle John went with the soldiers which were at Fort Griffin, twenty
   miles up the Clear Fork River. Uncle John got the neighbors, a few
   cowboys and when they were digging the grave, some one found a young
   girl dead, shot in the back with an arrow. I heard uncle John say he
   couldn't pull the arrow out so he cut if off and bent it over. They
   put the three in on big grave, just wrapped up in some old quilts, the
   Indians wouldn't take. They took the feather beds and emptied the
   feathers out and took the ticking as they needed the cloth for their
   own use.
   
   As it was only three miles below our house, I would take the cattle
   down that way so I could see the grave. My uncle John was a good man
   and stood for fair play. He went with the soldiers and different
   scouts after horse thieves.
   
   I recall, one time, he come by where I was herding cattle. 00113Him
   and three soldiers, negroes. They had two white soldiers as prisoners.
   They had deserted and as uncle John knew the country, it seems the
   captain sent uncle John to get them. He had them tied together so they
   couldn't run in the brush and get away. They had one pack mule and it
   was heavily packed with grub and some bedding. I was sure sorry for
   the two men as they was walking while uncle John and the negroes were
   riding.
   
   They didn't seem to care one bit as they were anxious. They said they
   were sure glad to see a white man if he did have three negro soldiers
   with him as they were about to starve and had to stay hid and afraid
   to shoot to kill anything to eat as they saw Indians. One of them
   said, "I have still got my hair and all I ask is to get back to the
   fort where I can eat and sleep in peace. The woods are full of
   Indians. We could see them in the day time and we would stay hid in
   the thick brush and briers. At night we could hear them grunt while
   looking for us."
   
   I was always glad when uncle John was around as he had a good gun and
   would kill deer and turkey. The woods were full of them. In the winter
   he would kill hogs and what a time we would have, as my two brothers,
   Creed and [Dick?], was going to school at Fort Griffin.
   
   Twenty miles in those days was all day in a wagon drawn by a big yoke
   of steers, big and fat. The steers belonged to Pa and the wagon was
   uncle John's. It cost money to get a wagon. Pa raised the steers and
   us boys broke them to work when they were yearlings, dragging wood to
   cook with and keep warm. When the wood played out so we couldn't keep
   a good fire, Pa would move to more wood. Good idea, he did not have to
   worry one bit, see? 00124I think my Ma was the only one that worried
   as she was afraid the Indians would get me or I would get lost and
   starve. She didn't know how smart her boy was. I could and did out
   smart the Indians. I know they didn't want to kill me. They either
   wanted to see me run and hide or wanted to catch me just to see what I
   looked like. They might have thought I was one of them as all I had on
   in the summer time was a shirt three or four sizes too big, no shoes,
   no hat and my hair down to my shoulders. I would give anything if I
   had a picture of myself as I can see now in my imagination when I was
   a boy.
   
   I never thought of getting lost as the milk cows would go back to the
   calves that were left in the pen and I would drive the others after
   them and get home in fine shape. If it hadn't been for one old line
   back, redheaded cow, we call old Nance, I don't know so much. When I
   got hungry I would suck her by miling the milk in my mouth, fill up on
   good warm milk as I had either eaten or lost my corn bread.
   
   My uncle John would go to Weatherford in Parker County, eighty miles
   to mill, they called it. If he had good luck, he would get back in
   fifteen days, but it nearly always rained and the creeks would get out
   of their banks and he couldn't ford them. I remember one time he was
   nearly a month. Both families run out of meal. Not one bit of bread.
   We had plenty meat such as chicken, squirrel and rabbit. Ma would make
   curd out of clabber milk and lots of butter. We could catch any size
   fish you wanted within thirty minutes.
   
   If you wanted a big fellow, fish deep with a big bait. The 00135big
   ones stayed on the bottom in water ten feet deep or more.
   
   I remember Uncle John caught a big, yellow cat fish that weighed 123
   pounds. That was the biggest fish I have ever saw.
   
   My uncle John's wife, my aunt Edna, died in 1878 or 79. Uncle John
   left that part and moved his children, three boys and one girl up in
   the big ben country. My dad moved to Dickens County, and in 1882 Dad
   moved to New Mexico. My day herding was over. I was about fifteen
   years old in age and about twenty five in experience.
   
   I saw in uncle John in 1884, as he had followed a horse thief from El
   Paso, Texas, to old [Tescoso?] on the Canadian River, 700 miles and
   was taking him back to El Paso. I never saw uncle John any more but I
   always held him high in my mind as his idea was, "Treat the other man
   right and make him treat you right or let you alone."
   
   My dad never had a gun. If he had one, it was no account and he never
   had any ammunition to shoot with. I guess I took the idea from uncle
   John as I went to work for myself at fifteen years old and I have
   owned a good gun all my life. With luck I have never had to use it.
   The main thing is, be prepared, look the other fellow in the eye and
   be so you can tell him how the boss eat the cabbage and you are all
   right in any man's camp. I am 74 years old now and still like to feel
   the old girl as a pal.
   
   I want to say this, I have been in El Paso two years and have met
   several old timers. Everyone that knew John Selman spoke highly of him
   as a citizen. Every one said he was a good law officer and they didn't
   know he was any kin to me. He had lots of ups and downs and had a hard
   life. May his soul rest in peace. It took men like him to tame the
   west and they done a 00146good job. Look, read of El Paso 50 years
   ago. Look at her today, 1938. John Selman helped tame her. He was my
   uncle both ways.
   
   Buster De Graftenreid
   
   Malrose, New Mexico 00151[ELLIOTT, PW?]
   
   FOLKLORE & FOLKWAYS
   
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   TEXAS Folk Stuff - Range Lore
   
   JUN -6 1938
   
   El Paso, Texas 5555 words
   
   CONSULTANT: Buster "Dad" De Graftenreid EXPERIENCES OF A COWBOY [DEL:
   Here I am in El Paso with all the comforts anyone would want or need
   but I am lonesome as the folks are out having a good time, which is
   right, so after reading the papers and listening to the radio, I still
   can't sleep. :DEL]
   
   In running back over my past life, and everything is in the past now,
   I am thinking I was just one of the old hands that did'nt amount to
   much at the start and still [less?] at the wind up or last drive.
   
   I am an old man now and I look back over the old trail and see it as
   it was in 1879. I was 15 years old then and on my own.
   
   I worked for Causey in a buffalo camp that winter and in the spring
   and summer of 1880, J. [?]. Lynch came in with about 1500 head of
   southern Texas cattle and turned them loose at Spring Lake, justin
   Texas and not far from the New Mexico line.
   
   Causey was through with his hunting then as the buffalo was a thing of
   the past so I went down to the cow outfit and asked for work. I didn't
   think anything of it at that time but I remember now how the boys
   looked at me rather funny and one of them asked me when I got away and
   how. I said I had been working George Causey in a buffalo camp north
   and the work was over and he would now take his kill to Kansas City
   and sell out. One of the men said do all the men and boys who work for
   Causey look and dress like you do, and I said I don't know why? and he
   said your clothes are at least three sizes to big, did you ever have a
   bath or have you ever had your hair cut and I know you never saw a
   razor. Now I would give most anything to have a picture of myself at
   that time.
   
     NOTE: C12- Tex.
     
   00162I was small built, around 100 pounds, my hair down my neck and as
   black as a Mexicans, fuzz on my face as I had never shaved and the
   bare spots was covered with freckles.
   
   The boys called me "Blackie" right off. Well they all seemed to be old
   hands and all cow men know an old hand isnt worth a dam to work. He
   just seems to know too much and the boss [DEL: cant :DEL] can't or
   [DEL: wont :DEL] won't fire him.
   
   Hugh Leaper was Boss and he hired me and said they were all busy
   riding and I could keep the cook in fuel, such as mosquite and cow
   chips and help with the other chores which was [to rustle?] the horses
   of mornings and keep water in the buckets. The well was about 100
   steps away and 8 men to wash and drink.
   
   They played cards most all the time they were in camp and it was, kid,
   put some chips in the stove it is cold back here, fix that light which
   was a cup or pan with tallow and a twisted cotton string down in the
   grease, one end sticking out and it gave a very good light and plenty
   of smoke.
   
   After awhile grass got good, horses fat and the main man and / owner
   of the cattle came out, J. [?]. Lynch, who lived at Las Vegas, N. M. I
   knew him and he remembered me as he had stayed over night at my
   fathers house on the Alamogordo, 18 miles north of Fort Sumner. He
   told me about my folks the first I had heard from them in 8 months and
   it seemed to me five years. I slipped off by myself that night and had
   a good cry for my ma. My two brothers always called me ma's boy and
   thought I could not do the things they did, but as I look back I
   realize I could and did out ride and out rope either of them.
   
   J. W. Lynch started the wagon out and started branding calves. He was
   short of men as several had gone out as [str y?] men to other wagons
   to [represent?] him. The lynch brand was and his outfit was called the
   A. 00173When we were getting our horses issued to us, I heard Mr.
   Lynch tell Hugh [DEL: Leapper :DEL] Leaper, the boss, to give the kid
   the little ponies as he was raised on a pony and can show you Big Boys
   things you never saw before, because he has put in 8 months with
   George Causey and Causey knows these plains as well as any Indian.
   Causey told me he kept the kid with him and he would bet he could tell
   the kid [where?] was a certain lake and describe it [?] miles north
   and to go over there and see if there was any water in it. He might be
   gone four or five days but he sure can tell you when he gets back.
   
   [Those?] days there no trails or bushes, just grass [DEL: and/l :DEL]
   and level country. Now and then a big dry lake. To find water, the
   easiest way would be to watch the mustangs as they know the nearest
   watering places.
   
   I had carried a rope most of my life and had roped everything from a
   rabbit to a cow and horse and I was [tops?] as a calf roper. I never
   was a rodeo man.
   
   We worked and branded calves until fall, I think it was November.
   Anyway the freight wagons had made several trips back and forth from
   the rail road at Colorado City and Midland. I sent to town and got me
   some clothes and a real outfit it was in those days; a $50.00 saddle,
   some good boots and a Stetson Hat and a $40.00 six gun and a belt and
   then I felt equal to any man and told them so. I still believe in
   being prepared so you can look the other fellow in the eye and tell
   him how the bore eat the cabbage. "
   
   Now I want to say this, [that?] I dont think all men who were called
   cow and horse thieves were any such things. In some instances they
   just 00184got even with the outher outfit. I will try to explain it in
   my way of thinking and you can judge for yourself. It was all open
   range and cattle would drift in a storm or a dry spell, looking for
   water as there never was a cow or horse that starved for water on open
   range. It was 80 miles north to the brakes and on the Canadian river
   all in the north brakes was big outfits such as the L S, L I T, 101,
   [O?] and worlds of smaller outfits. Their cattle would come up on the
   plains in a rainy season, drift from one lake to another as the water
   would play out and some would be [50?] to a hundred miles from the
   home range. The north men would send their men and wagon south to
   scout and get the cattle and bring them back to their ranches. Suppose
   it was the 101 wagon and ranch man on the [Simeone?] in New Mexico.
   They would gather all cattle belonging north and in such drives they
   got everything if us little men were not on the job our cattle went
   north, they didnt [DEL: seem :DEL] see them and of course it is
   customary that, if there is a yearling or anything without a brand, it
   is supposed to belong to the range it is on. There has been more
   trouble and killing over this than anything as each outfit claimed too
   big a range.
   
   Say a man working for the and the cattle frift in from the north, stay
   there all summer, that winter those calves [DEL: woulde :DEL] would be
   weaned and of course the A outfit would put their brand on them,
   knowing they were not theirs in a way.
   
   A good cowboy would start him a brand of his own and just as soon as
   the boss found this out he would fire him but nine time out of ten
   this old boy would start on his own and usually there is hell to pay
   as it so proved. 00195I was still just a kid, say 17 years old when J.
   W. Lynch fired two men that had started a brand of their own. There
   was lots of stray cattle on our range and there would be a large
   number of unbranded stuff, so when he fired these two, the other six
   quit and when he went to settle up with these they would'nt take his
   check. They wanted the money and naturally he did'nt have it and they
   wouldnt let him go to Las Vegas after it nor wouldnt let him have the
   horses they had been riding. They chewed the rag for two or three days
   and it got worse. Finally he asked me what I was going to do and I
   told him when he was through with me I was going home. He asked me if
   I [DEL: wasnt :DEL] wasn't in with the other boys and I told him I had
   nothing to do with it and his check was alright with me as I supposed
   he had fired me with the rest of them. He said no , you are still
   working but the rest of them are not.
   
   The next morning Mr. Lynch told me he wanted ne to go to Las Vegas and
   get the money so he could settle with the boys. Las Vegas was 200
   miles northwest. The way I would have to go from our ranch to Fort
   Sumner was 90 miles from there to Las Vegas, 120 miles in those days.
   I had a good horse and ranches to stay every night. I stayed two
   nights and one day with my ma. and family on the [DEL: AAlamogordo
   :DEL] Alamogordo and maybe you think my ma was not glad to see her boy
   and I was so glad to see her and my two sisters. I had been gone two
   years and it seemed a life time.
   
   I got to Las Vegas on time and stayed two days. Mrs. Lynch fitted me
   out with real clothes. First was a silk suit of underwear and then a
   wide silk belt sewed to my clothes, then another suit of flannels and
   a good heavy over shirt and a pair of overshoes and a 00206sheep lined
   overcoat and some mittens.
   
   Mrs. Lynch told me the best way to go , going back. I was to go north
   by the Bell ranch, from there to a store they called [Endee?], I would
   go on top of the plains there and on to Spring lake. No road, nothing
   but the level plains. Mrs. Lynch said this is the 11th of December and
   you are to be at Horse Lake the 16th and stay there until J. [?].
   meets you. Do you know where Horse Lake is? I said yes, Horse Lake is
   5 miles north of the ranch and its 75 miles from [Endee?] to the ranch
   and no road.
   
   She gave me several letters for J. [?]. and said for God sake be
   careful and be there on the 16th as it might mean his life. I told her
   not to be afraid as those old boys [would?] not hurt him, they just
   want the horses and he [DEL: cant :DEL] can't afford to sell them.
   
   Everything went fine and I made time alright. It snowed all day the
   14th but wasnt very cold. I got to [Endee?] just at dark. Days are
   short in December.
   
   There was a man and woman at [Endee?] named Curtis. I got well
   acquainted with them afterward. The Curtis woman got drowned when
   helping him with a bunch of cattle crossing the Canadian River when it
   was up. Curtis [DEL: siad :DEL] [said?] she must have struck quick
   sand as both she and her horse drowned before he could save her. He
   got her out but she was dead. He never got the horse or saddle. Said
   the horse never did even come up as the sand covered him up. Old
   Curtis never did get over his wifes death. He was well fixed at one
   time in the cow business. He ranched on the [Tiaban?], east of Fort
   Sumner. He died in [1938?] at Fort Sumner broke and hating the world
   and everyone in it as he had lost in a big way. 00217Well getting back
   to my story, I had a lunch fixed and lit out. The morning of the 15th
   was cold but clear. The sun was shining most of the day and I got my
   directions and headed straight southeast. Saw lots of cattle that had
   drifted south and as there was some snow they were doing fine.
   
   I didnt see any mustangs that day. I rode until dark, found a deep dry
   lake with [quite?] a lot of bear grass stalks. I unsaddled my horse
   and staked him. He was tired and thirsty. He didnt know anything about
   [eathing?] snow. If he had been a cow pony he would have been all set
   as there was plenty, just now and then a clear place. I prepared for
   the night by gathering lots of those stalks and made a little fire.
   Got [DEL: [?] :DEL] me a good big snow ball and held it close to the
   fire and when it started to melt I got all the water I wanted to eat
   with my lunch.
   
   I fared much better than the horse as he had been used to a good warm
   stable and plenty of corn and oats. Just a lot of snow didnt suit him
   and he was just as nervous and shook all over. He would look and
   breathe hard. I would lead him off and as long as I [would?] stand by
   him he would graze but the moment I would go to the saddle by the
   fire, he would come and stand just as close to me as he could.
   
   I was'nt to say cold, but not comfortable enough to sleep very much.
   After so long a time the old morning star came up and then I felt good
   as I knew I had my directions straight. I finished burning up the
   stalks, then saddled up as the horse seemed as anxious to get started
   as myself. I got my bearing and struck out. The sun came up clear and
   along about eleven oclock, by the sun, I began to see 00228mustangs
   and knew by that I was going toward water. Soon I came in sight of
   lakes I recogonized and then I realized I was about 20 miles from the
   ranch.
   
   It was a great relief to know exactly where I was and I stopped and
   unsaddled. I was tired and sleepy so I found a clear spot and
   stretched out. I must of slept three hours and I think the horse did
   to as he lay down.
   
   After getting a good sleep I got up and started out in a high [lope?].
   I soon struck the draw Horse Lake was on and I went down the draw
   until I came to the lake. There was lots of water and quite a few
   cattle. They had broken the ice and I watered the horse. He sure was
   dry as he was'nt used to going without water for 48 hours like the
   range ponies.
   
   I rode down the draw until it turned east aways from the ranch, then I
   could see the big white sand hills just north of the ranch. It was
   getting late and I couldnt see any one. I waited about a half hour and
   I noticed my horse looking east and I saw someone but from the wrong
   direction. [DEL: It :DEL] I got on my horse and rode out of sight
   knowing I could outrun him, if it was'nt J. W. He said he saw I was
   about to high tail it so he took off his coat and waved it in the
   right way, which was around and then down, I then knew for sure it was
   J. W.
   
   The first thing he said was, you young coyote you made it, how are
   you? How is my wife and Ruby. That was his girl. I gave him the
   letters and as we rode along he read the one from his wife and began
   to laugh and said I guess all women are afraid. 00239Well we fooled
   the boys [alright?]. They were waiting and watching the road and had
   been for several hours. We rode on over to the ranch and the boys
   seemed glad to see me and the first thing they asked was which way did
   you come, how and when? I told them and they looked blank and said it
   was 80 or 90 miles to [Endos?] and not a dam switch between here and
   there.
   
   Well after good dark the last two boys came in and maybe you think
   their eyes didnt bug out when they say me. After supper and the dishes
   cleaned off the table, J. [?]. told them he was ready to pay them off.
   He got his time book and had their time all ready figured out and
   asked every one if it was right as he read off their names. Each one
   said yes. [Then?] he turned to me and said now you give me that money
   that you have and I said if I've got any money I dont know it. He told
   me to pull off my overshirt and we will see. [Well?] [Sir?], that belt
   was full of bills: 2, 5, 10 and 20's to the amount of $1250.00. I
   never saw so much money before in my life and neither had the other
   boys. He paid the boys and they all agreed that he did'nt owe them a
   cent. [Then?] he said, I'm telling you boys this outfit belongs to me,
   horses and all and after breakfast I want every dam one of you to
   leave here. I [am?] now holding the winning hand and will play it to
   the limit. Up until now you had the winning hand but you played it
   out. Someone said, Hell, lets forget it and have a good game [DEL: [?]
   :DEL] of draw poker as the kid has brought [DEL: [?] :DEL] three new
   decks of cards.
   
   That started a poker game and about midnight I was broke and sleepy
   and went to bed. The next morning some of the boys was still in the
   game and some broke. 002410Lynch and the Boys quarreled all day over a
   brand the boys had started. It was [A-?] and Lynchs brand was [A-?].
   They had it up and down but didnt do anything.
   
   Lynch got ready to start home to Las Vegas and said he would be back
   as soon as he could and bring more men. He told me to ride every day
   and watch out and see if they brand or make [A-?] out of [A-?]. If so
   you put the [A-?] back on and what I do will be plenty. I will stay
   all night at Carters tonight, get one of them to go to Fort Sumner and
   on if necessary. It is up to you until I get back, so do the best you
   can, good bye. And he was gone.
   
   There was six men. [Four?] of them afoot. Harry Blocker had a horse
   and Comstock also. They both left going [south?] to town. That left
   [Tom?] Pridemore, Hugh Leaper, John [Bull?], [Tom?] Ellis and Old Mike
   the cook.
   
   Harry Blocker and Comstock had won most of the money, hence the hurry
   to get to town and away. The others stayed and played cards as it was
   about even with them.
   
   Hugh Leaper, the [DEL: [?] :DEL] Boss, had started the [A-?] brand and
   these four men were to be [pardners?] in it and they had fallen out
   over the way things had gone.
   
   I sold Hugh Leaper my private horse for $50.00 and he bought the [A-?]
   interest in the cattle, giving each $15.00 and sole me the brand for
   $60.00. They all signed the bill of sale, signed by Old Mike. I
   borrowed $10.00 from Tom Pridemore and Hugh left for Fort Sumner. I
   never saw him any more but I [heard?] plenty as he would up in Santa
   Fe. 002511I loaned the other boys horses to ride with the promise they
   would send them back and in good shape and they did. Men's word was
   good them days in such deals, but not so good now.
   
   Tom Pridemore mas gone 10 or 15 days and came back.
   
   I got ahead on my story but I want to tell about the time just before
   Christmas, we had killed a fat yerling for beef. Three men were there
   and of course Old Mike. We got after Mike to make a cake or pie as it
   was Christmas. He said how in the hell would you make a cake without
   sugar or milk, just sour dough is all we have. I got to prouling
   around the store room where the flour and stuff was kept and found 3
   cans of tomatoes, 2 cans of corn and some prunes. Lots of beans but no
   bacon. The cook in the buffalo camp put tallow in the beans and they
   were good so we did likewise and he had a fine Christmas dinner.
   
   Tom told me to get the bucket and he would saddle up his horse and
   rope that cow we killed the yerling of. Her bag was full of milk and I
   was right there with the bucket. He rode around lose and laid the rope
   on her and she was just as gentle as could be. I milked her and rubbed
   and patted her good. That night [Tom?] walked out there a foot,
   pitched the rope on her and we put her in the lot with the horses and
   fed her corn and hay. She got so gentle she would come to the kitchen
   door and eat anything we would put out for her. She was a pretty
   little thing and we called her "Punkins". This is the first cow I ever
   stole. I will tell you how it was later.
   
   Olk Mike the cook, left just after Christmas. The freight wagon
   [come?] by and had supplies for us. Flour, coffee, sugar, can corn and
   tomatoes, 002612prunes, dried apples, matches, 10 Pounds of
   Bull-Durham and plenty of brown papers. But I believe I was [DEL: [?]
   :DEL] out of [the?] 3 boxes of 44 cartridges as I only had 3 in my gun
   and I would not shoot them at anything.
   
   They had 1500 pounds of corn and a letter from J. W. to me telling me
   to feed the horses light, just so they would be [DEL: ing :DEL] in
   good shape in the spring as all the cattle had drifted south and he
   couldnt do anything with them until grass come so/ we [could?] work.
   He said he would be there in April sometime.
   
   Well the cattle had'nt drifted as bad as we thought as we were feeding
   10 head of saddle horses and they were good [ponies] and fat. Tom and
   myself got right on the [job?], would go south just as far as
   possible, start the cattle back and they would come on in to water as
   there was fine grass everywhere and big sand hills south and the
   cattle would stop in them out of the wind and then [they?] would drift
   out as the sand would be too cold on their feet and they would'nt lay
   [down?]. Snow stayed in the big sand hills all winter so cattle and
   mustangs ate snow and stayed fat.
   
   Well in April, J. W. came with a wagon and some more horses and 5 men.
   Mostly hack drivers and bright like boys and a brand new boss. His
   name was Joe Fuller. He was supposed to be a killer and all around bad
   umbery. He had on two guns and a pair of big [black?] [DEL: chaps
   :DEL] shaps made out of goat hide. The rest of the boys had big
   [chaps?] and big hats. They wore their shaps all the time and each one
   had a slicker (they called it rain coat) which they kept tied behind
   their saddle. If me or Tom had one it was always in the wagon if we
   needed it. It hardly ever rained anyway. 002713anyway. We found shaps
   to hot and [clumsy?] and there was'nt a bush in 50 miles and I
   could'nt see any use for shaps if I'd had them. None of the old plains
   boys wore them.
   
   [We?] we learned Lynch had sold the [A-?] she cattle and ranch to Lee
   and Fost, two lawyers at Las Vegas. Young Vic Lee would be in charge
   after we counted and turned over the [A-?] cattle. Lynch would hold
   the steers and LJ cattle and trail them over into New Mexico to a
   ranch he had bought on the [DEL: Jondose :DEL] about 12 miles below
   Puertaluna, a thriving little Mexican town and about 12 miles from my
   [dads?] ranch.
   
   Our horses had wintered good and wild and hard to ride. Tom and I had
   our pick of mounts. We each got 8 horses after Joe [Fuller?] picked
   his. He was a big man, weighed about 200 pounds. He picked the big
   ones and then the fun started as the bigger the horse the harder they
   are to ride.
   
   J. [?]. was a big man too. I guess he [weighed?] 200 or more. He had
   his two buggy horses and a saddle horse. He didnt need [much?] of a
   mount as all he did was brag of what he had done and would do. Those
   boys that Mr. Lynch brought out could'nt rope, or do much of anything
   else but talk but if they [did?] catch a horse at all it would be
   around his belly and all hell could'nt hold him. There would be three
   or four of them holding the roap and laughing fit to kill. That was
   alright as long as they were / in the corral.
   
   [Well?] we got [everything?] loaded on the wagon and we pulled out for
   Yellow House Canyon, the DZ ranch owned [by?] [Numan?] and Tramble.
   The other outfits would be there. We went about 10 miles and stopped
   for dinner. 002814Everyone unsaddled and turned their horses loose. J.
   [?]. noticed it and asked Joe who he had to rustle horses and Joe
   said, why Buster, the kid, he has been driving them up and I told him
   he had'nt said anything to me about it and I had turned my horse
   loose, thinking he had told some one to keep his horse. J. [?]'s face
   sure did turn red when me and Tom looked at him and grinned. Then he
   fell apart and cussed the whole outfit and then some. To keep out of
   it I got a muzzle with some corn in it and went out to Old Barney, the
   horse I rode from Vegas, held it where he could see the [muzzle?] and
   hear the corn rattle and here he come. As I slipped the muzzle on his
   nose, the rope went over his head.
   
   Just as I got back to the wagon the cook hollered Chuck and the Hack
   Driver Boys made good hands there alright. I filled up my plate and
   got back to one [side?] so I could hold the rope on my horse and Joe
   brought his plate and sat down close to me and said, Buster from now
   on you will take care of the horses. Now I was falling from a top cow
   hand to [the?] low degree of a horse wrangler. It made me so mad at
   first I was completely dumb and couldnt say anything. About that time
   old Tom gave one of his big nigger laughs and says boy, you are
   climbing but down. Then I told Joe I would take care of them just one
   time and that would be when I [rounded?] them in as I have done quit
   and want have to catch anything but my pack of horse.
   
   After dinner I told J. [W?]. I would [quit?] and settle up andwhile we
   were talking Tom came up and said J. W. if you owe me anything make
   out my time as I am with Buster. J. W. went all to pieces and said, I
   002915[DEL: wont :DEL] won't settle up with either of you and I will
   run this outfit myself and said to me to drive the horses in and we
   will be on our way.
   
   When I got the horses to the wagon, Tom had the boys lined up with
   ropes and I drove them in. J. W. told Tom to rope each man a horse out
   of their mount and to be dam sure he is gentle as we hav'nt time to
   run a horse loose with a saddle. Tom must have done a good job as we
   didnt have any trouble.
   
   We three got [together?] and talked it over and as J. W. said he would
   be boss and have Tom as his straw boss and put Joe boss [DEL: ofd
   :DEL] of day herds and he wouldnt know any better. [We?] [then?] had a
   big laugh and everything was all fine again.
   
   I often think now of how mean and onery I was to those [green?] boys.
   They thought they knew everything and thought it great fun with
   nothing to do but ride a [pony?], but they soon found out. I remember
   how they were always chasing mustangs or antelope, just to see them
   run.
   
   When Tom would rope his horse out and put his rope on him and tell
   them not to let him get away from you and so on until the last horse
   was caught and then the fun [commenced?]. The poor devils did'nt know
   how to hold and saddle a half wild pony. You have to hold him with one
   hand and saddle him with the other. I would saddle up first, have
   everything ready and watch. I would have a loop all ready made and my
   rope ties to my saddle horn. If the pony did'nt get away from him
   while he was trying to get on he would pitch and about the fifth jump
   he would throw the old boy off and away he would start. 003016I would
   be right at him and just as he left the pony I would be there with my
   rope ready. Never throw at the ponys head but rope the saddle and boy
   would I wreck things. Three times out of five I would tear his cheap
   saddle up, such as jerking the horn off or breaking the cinch and
   straps. Just plain mean [was?] all I was.
   
   We old hands had our guns in our beds and went as light as possible.
   [The?] town boys caught on and done the same as they saw their chaps
   were too hot and heavy to pack.
   
   One morning one of the boys ponies threw him off and I roped the
   saddle and jerked him down two or three times and in some way [the?]
   pony made a run by Tom and he threw his loop and Joe Fuller was
   standing just in front of Tom and he caught Jo's pony around the neck.
   About that time I gave too much slack and there was two pony's a man
   and two six [runs?] all piled up and I want to say it was some mix up.
   It seemed just as one would get up the other would jerk him down and
   for five minutes all I could do was laugh. Old Tom said all of my
   money is on Joe as he is under the bottom most of the time and not
   doing a thing, pull your pony out of the way so Joe can get up and
   then I come to myself and jerked him [back?] out of the way.
   
   A kid by the name of Tatos who was borned and reared in Las Vegas told
   me [that?] Joe was doing a great deal of plotting as to what he was
   going to do.
   
   I nicknamed Tatos "Coyote". He was red headed and all Irish. He talked
   good Mex. He was about 17 which was about my own age. We soon became
   good friends and in later years he made a real cow boy. 003117It
   seemed that Joe had it in for me in a big way. I was just a kid and
   small, but some bullies are that way.
   
   Coyotes horse fell with him one day [and?] [ran?] off with his saddle.
   I went after the pony on the dead run. He went south and our ranch was
   north. I knew there was a ranch at Silver Lake about 20 miles south. I
   knew [the?] only way to catch him was wear him out and he would turn
   back as I could'nt run on to him.
   
   Late that evening I commenced to see cattle and more cattle and I then
   had a good idea that the ranch was within 8 or 10 miles. I saw a man
   driving four or five cattle and I rode up to him and he was driving up
   the milk cows. After telling him my troubles he said there were some
   horses close to where we were and that we would give him a run to them
   because if it gets dark you will lose him. This we did and he was
   [tired?] we knew he would stay with the other horses so we let him
   alone and went on to the ranch just under the hill out of sight of
   Silver Lake. It was one of Numans and Trambles DZ ranches.
   
   There were three hands at the ranch and they had 5 buffalo calves
   [raising?] them. [These?] cows I [mentioned?] were [wild?], they didnt
   milk them, just turned them in the little pen and I want to say I got
   a lesson. Those cows tried to fight the calves but a buffalo calf
   sucks from behind the cows. One calf will run to her side and ram his
   head or nose between her hind legs and grab a tit and swing on. The
   cow kicked and whirled around but the calves stayed [right?] there.
   The boys said they were not a bit of trouble and about three months
   old. They would turn them out with the cows and they would try to suck
   everything they could get to. 003218These are fine boys and glad to
   see a stranger and we got news both ways.
   
   Next morning one of the boys rustled horse and went and attended the
   cows and calves. Myself and the others had chuck ready after the
   chores were done. Then we went out about three miles and saw the pony
   I was after. He was with a [bunch?] of cattle. We divided two on
   either side, leaving a big space between us and finally we closed in
   on him and he started west and north. The ranch pen and horse were
   south west. He had about half a mile start. I was south and east, the
   two boys started after him and I said [DEL: [?] :DEL] good bye, but
   not so. They took him [about?] five miles and [DEL: turnedd :DEL]
   turned him towards the ranch ang begin to croud in on him and when I
   got to them they had their ropes made into a good big loop and was
   laying it on that pony about right. He was glad to find the gate and
   then everything was alright again.
   
   I had heard about the [Newman?] and Tramble horses being stool dust
   stock and race horses. I know they were the best I had ever seen at
   that time. They were all bays and [sorrels?].
   
   The boys wanted me to lay over and rest but we were short handed and
   Tom would have to make two hands as the hack driver cow boys would get
   lost if they got out of [signt?] of the herd.
   
   It was about 20 miles back. They had moved on about eight miles to
   another lake and a road there that went by big Salt Lake in New
   Mexico. Igot to the wagon just as the second guard was going on. I
   sure was tired and hungry. Old Coyote stood my guard and his too,
   making it half of the night. He borrowed one of the boys saddles at
   night but rode bare back in the day on day herd.
   
   The next morning I missed Joe and asked about him. They said a freight
   wagon came by and he had quit and gone with them. I said that
   003319was just too bad, he wasnt [even?] a good day herder. J. W.
   said, you are a dam lier, he can sure see that the girls are on the
   [hob?] and a full seat every dance and he can call the shortest sets,
   he is all right as a rouster. You and Tom are to blame and now you
   will have to do the work of three men.
   
   We were up in the [?] range and [Estes?] Brothers three or four stray
   men came to our wagon and it made it easier on Tom and myself as they
   well mounted and good cow boys. [We?] played lots of pranks on the
   hack driver boys but it was and education to them and most of them
   turned out to be real fellows.
   
   We got back to the ranch, branded out the [A?] cattle. Vick Lee just
   [a?] [on?] the shoulder as a talley brand, as the outside men came in
   with what they had they were tallied out and turned loose.
   
   The [Synvicate?] was fencing their land and all ranchers would have to
   move out.
   
   George Causey with his J-B cattle moved south. The Carter Brothers
   moved from the Black Water to the Fria [Blanco?] in New Mexico. Vick
   Lee with his AL [cattle?] moved to [Coyote?] Lake in New Mexico.
   
   Our herd was [ready?], the LJ and [A-?] steers and stock cattle. I had
   gathered the [A+?] that I had bought from the four boys for [$60.00?]
   There were 72 head of [?] [?], less than a dollar a head and I was in
   the cow business to stay.
   
   Now I will tell this story as I started it. The owners of a ranch
   learning their men to steal as J. W. did me - there were lots of stray
   cattle that belonged to big companies north and J. W. would tell me or
   Tom we will have to have a beef so we would get a big fat calf
   unbranded. [When?] we found one [weaned?] we would put a [A-?] on it
   which was all right[,?] it was on his [ranch?]. 003420Well we started
   our herd and Vick Lee and his men cut our herd. We pulled out [and?]
   went about 7 miles and camped for the night. J. W. came to me and told
   me all about the ranch he had brought and what we would do and so on
   and said now you know where the little milk cow runs and can find her.
   Lee wont see our herd any more and I doubt it if he could tell a cow
   from a steer if he does. I went back and in no time I found the little
   [milch?] cow and put her in our herd as third guard was comin off at 8
   a. m. no one saw me but J. W. He was standing my guard.
   
   We made coffee and never went to bed as he was a great talked and
   finally got down to what he had on his mind and said you know there
   are 8 or 10 head of those A4 cattle with the A4 brand that were burned
   out of the A6, now I have made [DEL: [?] :DEL] up my mind, as I like
   you, not to do anything about it and [DEL: [?] :DEL] we will be
   pardners in the A4 brand. I never said a word but just went and
   unrolled my bed, buckled on my gun. By that time the boys were all
   coming alive as the cook had hollered Chuck. I caught old Barney, the
   horse Mrs. Lynch had given me the time I went to Las Vegas, I walked
   up to J [?.] and said, I want to tell you here and now, J. W. that you
   are a dam lier if you think or say there is a single one of those A4
   that ever has been an [DEL: [??] :DEL] . I called him everything I
   could think of and he would stutter and try to fix it up by saying he
   might be mistaken and that we must not fall out as you and Tom and
   myself are good friends and what one does is alright with the others,
   isn't it Tom? Tom says, now [DEL: dont :DEL] don't talk to me and
   walked off.
   
   It was about five miles on to George [??] ranch and he was holding his
   cattle fixing to move. I told him my troubles and there were 003521two
   of the Carter boys there [?] Causey told Lee to cut them all out to
   their [DEL: [?] :DEL] selves and make J. W. pass on them and if J. W.
   finds or claims my one rope it and me and the two Carter boys will
   pass on it.
   
   We all four met the herd and I told J. W. what I wanted to do. He
   said, Hell, forget it and lets be friends. I had rather give you 8 or
   10 cattle than to have you mad at me. Tom told him, you are not giving
   him a dam thing, I have looked at them A4 cattle and they are
   straight. There never was but one [A-?] made into A4 and I killed it.
   The A4 cattle are straight, nothing sucking, all weaned. My name is on
   that bill of sale he bought the [DEL: [??] :DEL] A4 brand and I am
   telling you J. W. and the rest of you, pointing his hand at Causey and
   the two Carter boys, if the A4 hadn't been put on them they would have
   went four ways, pointing his hand at J. W. and Causey and the two
   Carter boys.
   
   I told Tom what Causey said about cutting them out and he said, sure
   that in the best so he rounded up the herd. We cut them all out. Tom
   looked them over good and then told J. W. to do the same. J. W. said
   he didn't want to as they were alright but Tom said you started this
   and now you have got to stop it here and now. Each man went in and
   looked the cattle over and said they were straight A4 cattle. Tom made
   a note of it and what month and year and had J. W., Causey and the
   Carters sign it and everything was OK and Tom said to one of the boys
   to throw them in the herd and take them on home as it is only 70 miles
   from their ranch to dads. Tom said it is [only?] 12 miles from where
   we will turn them loose which is close and will be nearer home. I am
   running this outfit and J. W. will have to fire me first, so throw
   them in and lets all go to dinner. I didn't even have a cup of coffee.
   Things were 003622not looking so good. J. W. and Tom started for the
   wagon and dinner. George Causey and myself followed. George told me to
   just go on as before and asked me what caused mine and Lynchs trouble.
   I told him all about the cow I had went back after and then when Lynch
   said what he did that I just lost my head and told him everything as I
   was agraid of him as he had told me so much about how bad he was and
   what he would do and had done. Causey told me to just go on and be
   careful and dont let Lynch ever get anything on you and you can hold
   your own - size dont count - you have the difference.
   
   The next morning J. W. pulled out for Las Vegas and we trailed the
   herd on over to the John de [?] ranch and turned them loose the last
   of Oct. 1884.
   
   That little yellow milch cow was the first cow I ever stole and while
   with Causey going out before we struck buffalo Causey and me killed a
   beef, a stray he called it.
   
   My dad was honest and went broke in the cow game in New Mexico.
   
   The two men I worked for stole and had me steal for them and I know I
   never burned a brand or stole cattle, just big unbranded yearlings. I
   worked for J. [?.] Lynch three years and can say this, I never put my
   brand on anything except my own stuff on his range. I worked as
   outside man all the time and when Tom wasn't [DEL: [?] :DEL] there I
   was straw boss.
   
   Now this finishes the story of the first cow I ever stole and it was
   for the other man. 003723I may write and tell things that [DEL: [?]
   :DEL] happened and the fun [?] and myself had that winter of 1884 -
   1885 at Old Puerta Luna, N. Mexico, just 7 miles away and a dandy
   little Mexican town with lots of pretty girls, big store, hotel and
   saloon [?] other and our credit good and we hadn't been to town for
   nearly three years to blow in our money. We showed those sheep herders
   what two top cow boys could do and they let us show but they got the
   money while we got a headache. The was good old days! 00381#20
   
   ELLIOTT, P.W.
   
   JUN [6?] 1938
   
   1
   
   1750 words
   
   [MY?] PIONEER EXPERIENCES CONTRIBUTED
   
   By
   
   Buster De Graftenreid
   
   In 1864 I come to Texas in Grayson County and from what my Pa and Ma
   said, I give up the squack and bawled like two years old and they
   named me Buster. Pa and Ma moved to Stephen County and my first
   recollection I have is herding a small bunch of our cattle to keep
   them together and no one steal or run them off.
   
   I rode a little pony mare and she always had a cold every year. When I
   would start out with the cattle, after ma had milked, she would hand
   me my lunch, which was a pone of corn bread, and say to me, "Now you
   be sure and be a good boy and stay on your pony. If you don't you will
   get to playing and the Indians will catch you," and I want to say now,
   that fear in still with me.
   
   Also what she told me about Jesus and God taking care of all good
   boys. She planted the thoughts of Jesus in my heart and his goodness
   has been with me these many years.
   
   What I want to say, is this, how those families got by, I can't see.
   There were three families lived on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River,
   it emptied its water in the main Brazos 00392River about thirty miles
   below.
   
   Now, in looking back and even what I know at that time, as I must of
   been 9 or 10 years old, my uncle John Selman, my mother's brother and
   his wife, my Pas' sister, lived with his family about half a mile
   away. I thought at that time, uncle John was everything and could and
   did things. If it had not been for Uncle John and a few men like him,
   the Comanchie Indians would of got all of us. Uncle John was a fighter
   and they knew it and so did those thieving white men. As the Indians
   killed the Lee family, the old man, old lady and carried off two grown
   girls and a small boy about seven years old.
   
   Uncle John went with the soldiers which were at Fort Griffin, twenty
   miles up the Clear Fork River. Uncle John got the neighbors, a few
   cowboys and when they were digging the grave, some one found a young
   girl dead, shot in the back with an arrow. I heard Uncle John say he
   couldn't pull the arrow out so he cut it off and bent it over, they
   put the three in one big grave, just wrapped up in some old quilts the
   Indians wouldn't take. They took the feather beds and emptied the
   feathers out and took the ticking an they needed the cloth for their
   own use.
   
   As it was only three miles below our house, I would take the cattle
   down that way so I could see the grave. My uncle John was a good man
   and stood for fair play. He went with the soldiers and different
   scouts after horse thieves.
   
   I recall, one time, he come by where I was herding cattle. 00403Him
   and three soldiers, negroes. They had two white soldiers as prisoners.
   They had deserted and as uncle John knew the country, it seems the
   captain sent uncle John to get them. He had them tied together so they
   couldn't run in the brush and get away. They had one pack mule and it
   was heavily packed with grub and some bedding. I was sure sorry for
   the two men as they was walking while uncle John and the negroes were
   riding.
   
   They didn't seem to care one bit as they were anxious. They said they
   were sure glad to see a white man if he did have three negro soldiers
   with him as they were about to starve and had to stay hid and afraid
   to shoot to kill anything to eat as they saw Indians. One of them
   said, "I have still got my hair and all I ask is to get back to the
   fort where I can eat and sleep in peace. The woods are full of
   Indians. We could see them in the day time and we would stay hid in
   the thick brush and briers. At night we could hear them grunt while
   looking for us."
   
   I was always glad when uncle John was around as he had a good gun and
   would kill deer and turkey. [The?] woods were full of them. In the
   winter he would kill hogs and what a time we would have, as my two
   brothers, Creed and [?], was going to school at Fort Griffin.
   
   Twenty miles in those days was all day in a wagon drawn by a big yoke
   of steers, big and fat. The steers belonged to Pa and the wagon was
   uncle John's. It cost money to get a wagon. Pa raised the steers and
   us boys broke them to work when they were yearlings, dragging wood to
   cook with and keep warm. When the wood played out so we couldn't keep
   a good fire, Pa would move to more wood. Good idea, he did not have to
   worry one bit, see?
   
   00414
   
   I think my Ma was the only one that worried as she was afraid the
   Indians would get me or I would got lost and starve. She didn't know
   how smart her boy was. I could and did out smart the Indians. I know
   they didn't want to kill me. They either wanted to see me run and hide
   or wanted to catch me just to see what I looked like. They might have
   thought I was one of them as all I had on in the summer time was a
   shirt three or four sizes too big, no shoes, no hat and my hair down
   to my shoulders. I would give anything if I had a picture of myself as
   I can see now in my imagination when I was a boy.
   
   I never thought of getting lost as the milk cows would go back to the
   calves that were left in the pen and I would drive the others after
   them and get home in fine shape. If it hadn't been for one old line
   back, redheaded cow, we call old Nance, I don't know so much. When I
   got hungry I would suck her by miling the milk in my mouth, fill up on
   good warm milk as I had either eaten or lost my corn bread.
   
   My uncle John would go to Weatherford in Parker County, eighty miles
   to mill, they called it. If he had good luck, he would get back in
   fifteen days, but it nearly always rained and the creeks would get out
   of their banks and he couldn't ford them. I remember one time he was
   nearly a month. Both families run out of meal. Not one bit of bread.
   We had plenty meat such as chicken, squirrel and rabbit. Ma would make
   curd out of clabber milk and lots of butter. We could catch any size
   fish you wanted within thirty minutes.
   
   If you wanted a big fellow, fish deep with a big bait. The 00425big
   ones stayed on the bottom in water ten feet deep or more.
   
   I remember Uncle John caught a big, yellow cat fish that weighed 123
   pounds. That was the biggest fish I have ever saw.
   
   My uncle John's wife, my aunt Edna, died in 1878 or 79. Uncle John
   left that part and moved his children, three boys and one girl up in
   the big ben country. My dad moved to Dickens County, and in 1882 Dad
   moved to New Mexico. My day herding was over. I was about fifteen
   years old in age and about twenty five in experience.
   
   I saw in uncle John in 1884, as he had followed a horse thief from El
   Paso, Texas, to old Tescosa on the Canadian River, 700 miles and was
   taking him back to El Paso. I never saw uncle John any more but I
   always held him high in my mind as his idea was, "Treat the other man
   right and make him treat you right or let you alone."
   
   My dad never had a gun. If he had one, it was no account and he never
   had any ammunition to shoot with. I guess I took the idea from uncle
   John as I went to work for myself at fifteen years old and I have
   owned a good gun all my life. With luck I have never had to use it.
   The main thing is, be prepared, look the other fellow in the eye and
   be so you can tell him how the [boss?] eat the cabbage and you are all
   right in any man's camp. I am 74 years old now and still like to feel
   the old girl as a pal.
   
   I want to say this, I have been in El Paso two years and have met
   several old timers. Everyone that knew John Selman spoke highly of him
   as a citizen. Every one said he was a good law officer and they didn't
   know he was any kin to me. He had lots of ups and downs and had a hard
   life. May his soul rest in peace. It took men like him to tame the
   west and they done a 00436good job. Look, read of El Paso 50 years
   ago. Look at her today, 1938. John Selman helped tame her. He was my
   uncle both ways.
   
   Buster De Graftenreid
   
   Melrose, New Mexico

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