TX BIOS: Will Cumbie Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress. Washington, 1994. Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only. This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate. For more information about this text and this American Memory collection, refer to accompanying matter. U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.Copyright status not determined. 0001 Range-lore Annie McAulay Maverick, Texas RANGE-LORE Will Cumbie was born in 1873. In 1885 he moved to Hamilton County. He lived there until 1890 when he moved to Coke County. Mr. Cumbie says: "My father always kept a small herd of cattle and made us boys- there was three of us - tend them. "I punched cattle quite a bit in Coke County. I used to work for Uncle Bill McCutcheon when he was range boss. His ranch was south of Bronte, the same as father's, and I worked for him off and on for several years. I helped with some pretty big round-ups when I first came to Coke County. I won't describe one; I know plenty have done that. "Sometimes we'd have quite a bit of trouble, especially 00022when we'd be holding a herd and they'd try to stampede on us. "I remember Bill Richard passed by our place once with a big herd he was driving some place. They camped near our house and that night it came up a cloud and the herd made a break and got scattered all over the country. My father and some of our neighbors helped get 'em together the next day. Some of them got clear over in the hills and was pretty hard to run down. "Mrs. Jeff Davis, an old rider and rancher in Coke County, was the best woman rider and roper I ever knew. She helped with the round-ups and did any other ranch work there was to do. After her husband died she looked after her ranch for many years. "We used to have lots of bronc busters over this way. It was a custom for many years for Robert Lee to pull a rodeo every Saturday. Some of the best riders from over the country would come. I've seen Booger Red and Fred Rob, noted bronc busters, ride many times at those affairs. They'd be plenty of other good ones on hand, too. "They'd also have goat and cattle roping and so on. There was a purse for all the winners in the contests." ******** REFERENCE:- Will Cumbie, Robert Lee, Texas. Rancher of Coke County. Interviewed July 28, 1938. 00031Beliefs and customs - Occupational lore Mrs. Annie McAulay Maverick, Texas Runnels County [Typed?] Page 1. [dup?] COWBOY LORE WILL CUMBIE was born in [DEL: [?] :DEL] 1873. In 1885 he moved to Hamilton County. He lived there until 1890 when he moved to Coke County [DEL: [?]. His father was a farmer and rancher in Coke County a great many years. He was married to Miss Ollie Walton of Bronte in 1894. He was elected tax accessor of Coke County in 1916 and served six years. :DEL] Since that time [DEL: he has made his home in Robert Lee where he has been engaged in the drygoods business. :DEL] Mr. Cumbie says : [DEL: "I learned to punch cattle pretty young. :DEL] " My father always kept a small herd of cattle and made us boys-there was three of us-tend them. "I punched cattle quite a bit in Coke County. I [DEL: use :DEL] used to work for Uncle Bill McCutcheon when he was range boss. His ranch was south of Bronte, the same as / Father's, and I worked for him off and on for several years. I helped with some pretty big round-ups when I first came to Coke [County?]. I won't describe one; I know plenty have done that. "Sometimes we'd have quite a bit of trouble , especially when we'd be holding a herd and they'd try to stampede on us. "I [DEL: remeber :DEL] remember Bill Richard passed by our place once with a big herd he was driving some place. They camped near our house and that night it [DEL: come :DEL] came up a cloud and the herd made a break and got scattered all over the country. My father and some of our neighbors helped get 'em together the next day. Some of them got clear over in the hills and was pretty hard to run down. NOTE: C12 - 2/11/41 - Texas 00042Beliefs and Customs - Occupational lore Mrs. Annie McAulay Runnels County Maverick, Texas "Mrs. Jeff Davis, an old rider and rancher in Coke County, was the best woman rider and roper I ever knew. She helped with the round-ups and did any other ranch work there was to do. [DEL: " :DEL] After her husband died she looked after her ranch for many years. [DEL: She runs the Robert Lee Hotel now. A hotel that is very popular with tourists and neighboring ranchers. :DEL] "We used to have lots of bronc busters over this way. It was a custom for many years for Robert Lee to pull a rodeo every [DEL: Saturdya :DEL] Saturday. Some of the best riders from over the country would come. I've seen Booger Red and Fred Rob, noted bronc busters , ride many times at these affairs. There'd be plenty of other good ones on hand, too. "They'd also have goat and cattle roping and so on. There was a purse for all the winners in the contests." NOTE: C12 - 2/11/41 - Texas 0005[DEL: BIBLIOGRAPHY :DEL] Reference: Will Cumbie, Robert Lee, Texas. [DEL: Pioneer citizen and old cowhand :DEL] Rancher of Coke County. [DEL: Interview :DEL] Interviewed July 28, 1933. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. 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