TX BIOS:  James Childers
   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
   
   [?]
   
   Gauthier. Sheldon F.
   
   Rangelore.
   
   Tarrant co., Dist., #7
   
   Page # 1
   
   Fc 240 [72?]
   
   [James Childers, 82,?] living at Copeville, Texas, was born in
   Chamberburg, Ky., May 14, 1857, on a farm operated by his father, J.
   H. Childers, James was reared in a long cabin. The Family depended on
   their cultivated land, and [natur?] bounty abounding in the forest for
   their livelihood. When James was 8 years old his father departed from
   his native state and traveled to Ark. Later, at the age of 18, James
   went to the Indian Territory (now Okla.) He secured work on a cattle
   ranch located in, what was then, No-Man's -Land. After he terminated
   his range career, he engaged in farming for a livelihood.
   
   His story of range life follows:
   
   "My native state is Ky. I was born at a place called [Chambersburg?],
   located on the Ohio River. The event happened on May 14, 1857.
   
   "My father, J. H. Childers, was one/ of the early settlers of the
   section. During my childhood, the country was sparsely settled.
   Farming and logging was the means of making a livelihood.
   
   "I shall describe the condition under which my family lived, and it
   will be a fair illustration of the community as a whole.
   
   "Our home was a two room log cabin. The average home was two rooms,
   some were one room structures and a few were three rooms. The homes
   consisted of a hallway with rooms on either side. One or two of the
   rooms contained a fire place. The fire places supplied heat when
   required, and the [means?] of cooking food. Also, the fire place
   furnished most of the light for the room during the dark hours, except
   during the summer season and then cadles were used. If company was
   making a call, we would light the coal oil lamp.
   
   "During my childhood days I did not know what custom made clothes
   were.
   
     NOTE: C12 [2/11/41?] [-?] [Texas?]
     
   00022So far as my knowledge was concerned, homespun was the only
   clothing people were able/ to secure. My folks, as all our neighbors
   did, raised the materials worked it into thread, weaved the thread
   into cloth, and from this cloth made clothes. Even our shoes were made
   likewise.
   
   "The hides from our butchered stock were taken to the tanner of the
   community, who made leather out of the hides, the shoemaker made the
   shoes, and these were good shoes too. The clothes were, also, good,
   "and the same may be said about our food, which was all produced by
   our hands, except some of the spices used for seasoning.
   
   "Vegetables in abundance were raised in our garden, most of which was
   kept in a cellar from one crop to another.
   
   "We raised wheat, corn and oats, which gave us flour, corn meal, and
   feed for the stock. We hauled the grain to the grist mill and traded
   grain to the miller for the milling charge. We had milk cows which
   produced our diary produce and beef. Also, we raised sheep from which
   we secured our wool material for clothes, as well as mutton.
   
   "[DEL: One :DEL] On place was an orchard and from it we obtained our
   fruit, such as apples, peaches, cherries and berries of various kinds.
   
   "In addition to producing fruit to eat, make preserves and jellies,
   the apples provided ciders which turned hard, and the peaches provided
   brandy. Some of the corn was used to make corn whiskey. Almost all the
   settlers had a still and made their own brandy and whiskey.
   00033"Almost any home one may enter those days would be found a jug of
   hard cider, brandy and whiskey. The customs for the proper welcome of
   a visitor was to offer a helping of liquor.
   
   "There was always an abundant [supply?] of food. Our smoke-house
   always contained a plentiful supply of smoked hams and bacon, and
   these articles of food were smoked with hickory wood. During the
   winter months, the climate of Ky., is such that meat will keep,
   without any processing, but in the summer it was necessary to salt and
   smoke meat. However, during the summer we never went hungry for fresh
   meat. The forest contained many different kinds of edible animals and
   fowles, and the game was easily hunted.
   
   "So far as food and clothes for the family were concerned[.?] My
   father never was worried about an adequate supply. One never needed to
   worry about hunger. Even a stranger in the community was a welcome
   guest, and the people went out of their way to give a stranger a
   start. However, if anyone became obnoxous, the people had their own
   way of dealing with such matters. If the stamp of disapproval was
   placed on a man, the party was compelled to leave the community, and
   in sever cases if they failed to leave in a hurry, they were returned
   to their creator.
   
   "There was a feud existing between some of the people more or less all
   the time, and generally one or more decisive fights would take place
   during the annual reglious campmeeting.
   
   "There was no regular preacher in our community, but a traveling
   preacher held services once a month, in a one room log building, and
   once each year we had a revival which lasted a week. Almost everybody
   00044attended the revival meetings. Those that lived at a distance,
   and attended, would bring a supply of food and camp at the meeting
   place for the week.
   
   "During the monthly visits of the preacher and during the [revival?],
   the preacher would busy himself attempting to adjust diferences
   between parties. The preacher always succeeded in getting many of
   desputants to shake hands and re-dedicate themselves to relgion
   religon, but a few would refuse to become dedicated until satisfaction
   was obtained in fighting it out [and?] mostly with guns.
   
   "The attitude of some of these Ky., folks is well illustrated by an
   incident told to me by my father, which happened in our community. I
   shall relate the story as told to me by my father.
   
   " ' A feud existed between a man named Holder and Jameson. Holder
   became very ill and it was feared he would die. When the preacher came
   for his monthly meeting he called on Holder to [preforme?] the usual
   duties before death. When he [was?] told of the feud, he prevailed on
   Holder to forgive Jamison. Also Jamison agreed to forget and forgive.
   After the two men had shaken hands and agreed to be friends so that
   Holder could leave this world without malice in his heart Holder
   said.' I want it understood that if I don't die, this farce of an
   agreement don't stand.'"
   
   "Besides farming, logging was a means of earning a livelihood for many
   people throughout our district. The timber was cut and the logs were
   hauled to the Ohio River. From the river the were rafted to various
   points where sawmills were located. 00055At the time the Civil War
   terminated my father moved his family to Ark. We traveled in two
   covered wagons pulled by oxen. We crossed the Mississippi River at
   Memphis, Tenn, and went on to Pine Bluff. Father located on a tract of
   land near Pine Bluff and there I spent my young manhood days. We
   farmed under about the same conditions as existed in Ky.
   
   "When I was 18 years old I left Ark., for the Indian [T?] territory
   (now Okla.) I was looking for a job with a cow outfit and finally
   located a job in what was then called No-Man's -Land. The section was
   about 300 miles between its E. and W. borders and 50 miles wide from
   W. to the S. border. At the time the territory was not attached to any
   state. Since my time there it has become a part of Okla. It is that
   strip of land extending W. from the main area of Okla., bordering on
   the N. of the Texas Panhandle.
   
   "No-Man's-Land was used entirely for ranging cattle. There were some
   mighty large cowcamps located in the territory. [Ranchmen?] were
   rulers of the territory.
   
   There was no state laws or officals to [goveren?] the section. Only
   the federal Government had any authority there, and the Government did
   not maintain any courts or perminent officals to keep order.
   Therefore, the ranchers maintained such law and order that existed.
   There was a code or rules which the Ranchers enforced, and had a jail
   /in which they placed men who violated the law of the section. The
   jail was a log hut and a man was kept on guard night and day, when
   anyone was in the jail. 00066"The rules enforced related to the cattle
   business, such as range rules, branding regulations, punishment for
   rustling and matters of such nature. So far as the relations between
   men, there were not any rules to speak of. Each man, more or less,
   took care of himself, except in the matter of stealing and killing
   [DEL: [?] :DEL] without cause. However, it did not require much cause
   to justify shooting a man. For instance, if two man became engaged in
   a quarrel, it was allowable for them to shoot it out and the best shot
   would be declared to be on the right side. If the shooting resulted
   fatal to a man, it was considered the result of his own doing [and?]
   no one should be blamed. But, if a man was caught stealing a yearling,
   he was the subject of sever punishment, even to being hanged or shot.
   
   "Because of the condition existing in No-Man's Land, there were many
   men who came there, to keep out of the law's hands of some state.
   
   "There was an understanding among the people living in No-Man's-Land,
   that one should not ask questions about a stranger, relating to his
   name, where he was from or what his former business was. This
   understanding was closely observed. It was left to the the stranger to
   volunteer such information as he desired to furnish about himself.
   
   "When a stranger arrived he was accepted as a square man and treated
   as such, so long as his conduct merited the treatment. With this
   [condition?] existing, one might think the territory was sort of a den
   for the scum of the United States, but as a whole 00077the cowhands
   and the ranchers were about as dependable and square in their dealings
   as one could trust to meet. Perhaps this was so, because there
   necessity did not [good?] nor pride tempt man to violate the laws of
   man. However, the fact is, I never heard of a cowboy being robbed of
   any article. What money we cowhands had was carried on our person or
   in our saddle bags. When the saddles were not in use, they would be
   laid around the camp or chuck wagon. We never feared that anyone would
   molest our money.
   
   "The citizens of No-Man's-Land behaved better than them of other
   places, so far as obeying their laws, which was indicated by the
   kangaroo court records. Almost all the violations were committed by
   transients.
   
   "The ranchers had a kangroo court before which violators of the code
   were tried, and the court was seldom called into session.
   
   "My first job on a cow outfit was with the 'ZH' outfit, owned by an
   eastern [corporation?] called the Muscatine Cattle Company.
   
   "The 'ZH' outfit was one of the large companies ranging cattle in the
   No-Man's-Land territory. The outfit's brand was carried by 60,000 or
   more cattle.
   
   "Everything about the camp was kept in excellent shape. There was no
   slip-shod methods about the work or operation of the ranch[.?]
   
   "The headquarter had a well equipt ranch house, chuck wagons with the
   best of cooks. The remuda was stocked with the best of [cow-worked?]
   trained horses that could be [obtained?]. 00088"When I started to work
   for the 'ZH' outfit, I was what they, in range language, called a
   greener. This term was applied to one who had not learned the work of
   a cowboy. My starting wages was $25. per month. This wage was what I
   received for the first year. Thereafter, my wages were $35 and up to
   $40 per month.
   
   "After the old rawhides had their fun with me as the butt of their
   jokes, they took me in hand and did all they could to help me learn
   the work. So far as riding a horse was concerned, I could do it fairly
   well, because during the days of my youth, the horse was the chief
   means of travel. The knack of riding was learned by every country boy.
   Of course, riding the range and doing cow work required somewhat
   different riding than the ordinary riding for travel. To learn this
   difference did not take me long. The part of the work I had to learn
   completly was handling the lariat. This I did readily, because I had
   excellent teachers.
   
   "During the first couple months of my range career, I spent most of my
   time parcticing throwing and handling the lariat. The lariat is the
   key to a cowboy's success as a workman, and I determined to master the
   art. I was successful and at the end of my first year's work, I could
   place the loop where I desired quite accurately. In fact, I was as
   [proficient?] as the average [waddy?] and when I terminated my career,
   I could throw the rope with the best of ropers.
   
   "John Roberts, a Texan, was top-screw. This term was applied to
   indicate the ranch boss. Roberts was a proficient boss and a genuine
   man in every way. He started me off riding the line. 00099This job is
   holding the herd [-?] together in a bunch. Almost all of the time, the
   outfit had more or less cattle cut out and being held for a drive to
   the market, and these cattle were held separated from other cattle.
   This required several riders working night and day.
   
   "This job of line riding was not unplesant work during fair weather,
   but during inclement weather and at times when the cattle decided to
   run. During such times the cowhands had his hands full.
   
   "All the cattle on the 'ZH' ranch were the wild longhorn breed and
   ready to run at any moment. It seemed, at times, they would run for
   the fun and exercise they received out of a [stampede.?] This section
   of the counrty was subject to sever electric storms, and when one of
   these storms struck us we were sure of a job with a running herd. Most
   of the [times?] we would be successful in holding the herd together
   and get the [animals?] to milling. Occasionally, we would fail to do
   so, and when the animals got away from us, it then required work and
   time to locate and bunch all the cattle. Many times we would fail to
   find all the animals. However, these would be located during the
   general roundup.
   
   "I do not suppose there is an old cowhand who cannot, mentaly and
   vividly, hear the snapping hoofs, clashing horns and the drumming of
   the [anamiles?] feet hitting the ground, which came to their ears
   while a herd stampeded.
   
   "During the darkness and a storm raging, the noise had an ominous
   sound. One could sence the danger ahead, because at these 001010times
   it was necessary to ride at the best speed a horse could give, and do
   it over rough ground. A cowhand was playing with Lady Luckevery minute
   of the run. If the horse hit a hole or stumbled over a rock, thereby
   going down, the rider could not see what there was to avoid, and
   perhaps be thrown onto a rock or under the feet of the crazed and
   running animals.
   
   "On two occasions an 'ZH' waddy were killed, caused by a fall from a
   stumbling horse. Broken bones were a frequent occurrance.
   
   "Next to a stampede our most dreaded event was the coming of of a
   severe norther. The cattle would sence the approaching weather and
   started drifting two or more days ahead of its arrival. The cattle
   drifted to hunt for shelter. If we did not hold the animals back, the
   cattle would scatter in the lee of the storm. The severity of the
   storm determined the distance the animals would drift. If the was
   exceedingly severe, it was [impossible?] to keep a herd [bunched?].
   The animals would drift to the lee side of a hill or to a cluster of
   trees, but in a little while they would move on trusting to find
   better shelter. Therefore, / there was more or less a constant
   movement of the cattle.
   
   "These northers were not a frequent occurrance, and luckly for the
   ranchers it was not often. Because, after one of these severe
   northers. It required several weeks work hunting strays, and at that a
   large number of strays would not be found till the general roundup.
   
   "The general roundups were held each year. These were held in the
   spring and fall. The affairs were called a general roundup
   001111because all the cowcamps of a range territory would join into
   one outfit, operating under one roundup boss. During this roundup, the
   country would be thoroughly combed for cattle- one section at a time.
   The cattle were driven into the roundup headquarters, and there the
   cattle were cut out and separated according to their brands, the
   yearlings branded and the males casterated.
   
   "Besides the crews of the cowcamps of the particular territory in
   which the roundup was working, representatives of distant cowcamps
   would be on hand to take charge of any animals of their brand, that by
   chance might be found. A few animals would be [found?] belonging to
   cowcamps a 100 miles or more away.
   
   "The roundup required about three month's time to accomplish the work,
   and during this time we lived a chuck wagon life. [We?] sleept out in
   the open rolled in our blankets. Our food was cooked over a camp fire,
   but was good and plentiful. The variety was satisfactory, consisting
   of canned vegetables, dried fruit and some pastery. The meat was
   almost entirely beef, which was to be expected, because it was the
   cheapest meat supply. However, we had some bacon. To vary the meat
   diet, occasionally some of us [would?] kill some game. Buffalos were
   still existing in rather large numbers during my stay in No-Man's-
   Land, and we ate lot of buffalo meat of the choice cuts.
   
   "I have mentioned our [dread?] of [stampedes?] and drifts, but I must
   not fail to tell about the worst of all conditions which we were in
   constant fear, and this was the prairie fire. 001212"Every waddy was
   instructed to keep constant watch for fires, and when smoke was seen
   to drop what one was doing, regardless of how important it was, and
   ride to where the smoke was being produced. We all followed this rule
   strictly, because it was necessary to stop a fire before it had a
   chance to spread.
   
   "If a fire started during a dry period, it did take long to spread in
   dry grass, especially the tall buffalo grass when a fair or high wind
   was blowing. A prairie fire of considerable extent is not only
   destructive to the grazing feed but to animal life also. There is
   absolutely no chance to hold cattle from stampeding in all directions
   when a fire is traveling behind the animals.
   
   "I saw one of the most extensive prairie fires which took place in the
   No-Man's-Land country. It swept over a front of 100 or more miles and
   traveled about 150 miles before it was put under control. All the
   cowhands for miles around fought this fire. There were at least 1000
   men fighting at a time.
   
   "The method we employed to fight a prairie fire was using green cow
   hides. We weighted the head and fore feet part to hold the hide on the
   ground. A rope was tied to each of the hind feet part of the hide, and
   then a mounted cowboy took hold of each and dragged the hide over the
   fire. Thus most of the fire would be smothered. A crew followed the
   drag and whipped out the remaining fire. This method was successful
   fighting a fire in short grass, but could not be used against tall
   buffalo grass. To fight a fire 001312in tall grass, it was necessary
   to set back fires. This was done by burning grass ahead of the fire
   [and?] keeping the back fire under controll.
   
   "AfterI worked two years on the 'ZH' range, I decided to get
   [married?] and I returned to Ark., where the lady I desired lived.
   After I married I farmed for a livelihood. I returned to Okla.,
   several years later and spent about six months working for a large
   cattle outfit that were buying feeders and fattening the stock on
   corn. The job I had was hauling corn to the many cribs scattered over
   the range. This outfit had a fence range and were feeding about 2000
   head. Of course, the herd varied, but animals were moving out to the
   market and others moving in from ranges of the S.W. constantly.
   
   "There is only one feature about the work of feeding cron [worth?]
   mentioning, and this is the action of the wild range cattle upon
   [arrival?]. At first the animals would snort at the corn and back away
   from it. When they saw other cattle eating the corn their couriosity
   would be aroused and they [would?] investigate, but treat the corn
   with contempt for several days. Finally the cattle would take a taste
   and then be gluttons for a while.
   
   "After I quit the feeding job, I ended my range career and put the
   remainder of my working life at farming.

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