TX BIOS:  John W. Fletcher
   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
   
   Folk Stuff - Rangelore
   
   Gauthier. Sheldon F.
   
   Rangelore.
   
   Tarrant co., Dist., #7 [4?]
   
   Page #1
   
   FC 240
   
   John W. Fletcher, 70, living at 450 St Louis Ave, Fort, Worth, Texas,
   was born in Parker co., Texas, Sept., 22, 1868. His father, Dewey
   Fletcher, farmed an 80 acre tract, which he had fenced, and owned a
   small herd of cattle which he raised on the open range. John W.
   Fletcher began his range career assisting his father and at the age of
   15 accepted a job on the ranch of Bill Smith. Later he worked for Bud
   Davis. He saw the bodies of the two Cantrell women who were hanged
   from a limb of a tree near Springtown, Texas, for rustling cattle and
   horses. He was with his brother, Jim Fletcher, who was a Texas Ranger,
   and Ranger Man Roe, when those two men buried the corps. He went to
   Uvalde co., in 1888 and there he worked for the Miller ranch. He
   worked on the Miller ranch for a period of five years and then came to
   Tarrant co., where he established a farm and since has remained in the
   county.
   
   His story of range life follows:
   
   "I was born in Parker co., 70 years ago at the farm of my father's,
   Dewey Fletcher, which was one of thee few cultivated fields there
   those days. It was Spet., 22, 1868, when the event of my birth took
   place.
   
   "My father had about 80 acres fenced with a rail fence. A practical
   wire for fencing was not on the market as yet. Fencing was done by
   cutting rails and cording these up. The system was called the "Stake
   and rider" method. The distance between each rail was about six
   inches. Just about space enough for a man to put his head through, but
   not space enough for a critter's head.
   
     NOTE: C.12 - 2/11/41 - Texas
     
   "Father cultivated about 50 acres, which was planted in corn, wheat
   and a vegetable patch. This grain and vegetables were for family use.
   Also, we raised some cotton for lent to make clothing and sell for
   cash. The cotton furnished the money to buy the 00022few needed
   articles for the family. The articles needed were thread, buttons,
   some store cloth, boots, hats, and spice and other articles to season
   food with.
   
   "In addition to raising crops, father had a herd of Texas Longhorns,
   as everyone had those days, and these cattle bred, also, found their
   own living on the open and free range. All the land which was not
   fenced, and very little was, was free and open for anyone's cattle.
   The herds numbered from a few hundred to several thousand.
   
   "Some of the lagre cowcamps - they didn't call 'em ranches those
   days-- were the ranches of McClean, Watson, Bill Smith and John
   Collins' outfit.
   
   "My father, as all owners of small herds did, sold his [?] stock to
   buyers. These man came through the country, at intervals, purchasing
   cattle for drovers or for themselves. The herds drove to markets
   generally numbered 2000 to 3500.
   
   "The cattle did not cost the folks such to raise. Salt was the only
   thing bought for the cattle, and some men made their own salt. The
   owners of a small herd was not out much, if anything, for hired help.
   Generally, the members of a family gave the critters such attention as
   they received. The owners of large herds hired more or less help.
   
   "The Parker co., country is more or less rolling and contains many
   draws,/ and valleys. Also, contains considerable timber which cover
   more or less of the range. This condition provided a shelter for the
   cattle during a storm or a norther. Therefore, the critters were not
   wont to drifting. Due to this situation, it was not 00033necassary for
   riders to hold the herd before or during a storm, and stampedes [by?]
   our herds never worried us. In the event any critters did drift away,
   these cattle would be gathered during the Spring and Fall roundups.
   
   "The general roundups were jobs did by all the cowcamps uniting to
   form one outfit. The crew worked the range over by working one section
   at a time. All the various brands would be separated and calves
   branded according to the brand carried by its mother. The strays, that
   is such cattle which were away from their home range, would be taken
   charge of by a representative of the critter's home range, and drifted
   back home.
   
   "Generally, cattle on a range with excellent shelter will always be
   found grazing in the vicinity of their water hole and salt licks
   regardless of the weather conditions. However, there were always a few
   would stray off. The largest number of strays were those which came
   into our range from the prairie range country, and some of these
   critters drifted as far as 75 or more miles. Usually, following the
   Winter season, when severe weather prevails, is when the largest
   number of strays from far distances were found.
   
   "My father, older brother, and I, when I became old enough to ride
   which was about 10 years of age, attended to our herd. Occasionally we
   would ride over the range to see how the cattle were fairing, and
   attend to any injured or sick critter located, even if it did not
   carry our brand. The other outfits did the same thing. Thus, there
   existed co-operation between the ranchers in caring 00044for the
   cattle on the range. Out side of this work and during the general
   roundups, we did nothing relating to attending the critters. The only
   other time we would go among them was when we made a sale. Then we
   would roundup our herd, and cut out the class sold.
   
   "The money father received out of the sale of cattle from his herd,
   which numbered about 500, was clear profit. Our living was made out of
   the land. We made most of our clothing. Mother and my oldest sister,
   now 82, living at Azel, Texas, Mrs Mun Roe, did most of the
   [spinning?] and [?], also, the making of clothes. I, as a child,
   assisted by doing what I could. Many nights me have sit up till the
   late hours carding and spinning. I still have a mental picture of my
   mother sitting at the spinning wheel, and I can hear, the old wheel
   turning.
   
   "While/ we lived a busy life and at times put in days of many hours at
   work, still we had times of relaxation. But, with it all, we lived a
   secured life.
   
   "The woods was full of edible game. When we needed meat, we went into
   the woods and took game or beef as our apetite called for. We raised
   corn and wheat for our meal and flour. We raised [evegetables?] and
   sorghum. Therefore, our living troubles were comparatively few.
   
   "The Indian depredations were just about at an end in our territory at
   the time of my birth. My folks had their share of Indian raids to
   contend with, but none of them were ever injured 00055in in any way. I
   recall just one raid after I was old enough to realize what was going
   on. A party of Indians made a raid on our [romuda?] and made off with
   five of our hosses. They sneaked in about an hour before daylight and
   were gone before my parents could get a shot at them, within shooting
   distance. Each of my parents shot a couple times, but their shots fell
   short of their mark. The Indians desired hosses above cattle, because
   they did not steal for profit, but for use. There were plenty of
   cattle in the woods, which they could obtain and these they took as
   beef [DEL: [?] :DEL] as needed by them. While there were a good many
   wild hosses, the Indians prefered a busted critter and they caused us
   to keep a close watch over our [romuda?].
   
   "There was the rustler trouble to contend with, and the number of
   critters father lost to the theives is difficult to estimate. Besides
   the rustlers, there were many men who would not take a branded
   critter, but seemed to be unable to distinguish between their own
   calves [ant?] [DEL: [?] :DEL] those belonging to the other fellow.
   
   "I have often rode up to where men were branding calves and I knew the
   calves did not belong to them, but would not utter a word indicating
   my thoughts. Those days , it was just not the best thing to do for
   one's health, to even suggest to anyone they were branding wrongly.
   
   "The number of the calf crop some hreds produced, indicated all the
   cows had twins and some triplets. While on the other hand, with some
   herds it required two or more cows to give birth, to one calf.
   
   "There was a period when every one knew that the other fellow 00066was
   branding all the calves he could find, and in order to stay even it
   was necessary to do likewise. Therefore, the fellows whom were present
   with the best calf crops, were the fellows who could hunt and brand
   calves the best. During this period there was not much objections to
   branding calves. Ranchers took the practice as a matter of course, but
   did object strenuously to fellows taking branded cattle.
   
   "While I was still in my teens, there were a couple, women operating
   in Parker co., and adjacent territory, who were high class rustlers of
   hosses and [cattles.?] There name was Cantrell. It is difficult to
   reckon the number of critters these women drifted off which belonged
   to other people.
   
   "These two women were finally tried and hanged by a vigilante court.
   They were hanged to a limb of a tree near Springtown, Texas. It seemed
   that no one passed the tree or noticed any buzzards flying over the
   spot where the hanging took place until these women had hanged by the
   neck till their bodies parted from their head, and dropped to the
   ground. After the decapication took place, some one passed the spot
   and discovered the bodies, and reported their find to the officals. My
   brother, Jim Fletcher, and Mun Roe, were rangers at the time, and were
   assigned to bury the bodies. The two corps were intered in the
   cemetery at [Springtown?]. The present Jacksboro Highway runs within a
   few yards of the cemetery as it passes Springtown.
   
   "The [vigilantes?] hangings of these two women in one of the very few,
   if any other, such hanging. 00077"My folks lived in a log house, and
   while I was in my teens a log house or tent was the only kind of a
   dwelling I saw. The cow camps in our territory usually used tents for
   shelter. There were two exceptional houses in the section which were
   considered magnificant structures, and which caused people to ride out
   of their way to view. One of these houses was built by Mark Clifton,
   and located on Ask Creek, about five mlles W. of Azel. It was built
   out of rough [stome?] which was dug out of the mountain or hills. This
   structure was still standing a couple years ago. The other structure
   was the John [Collins?] ranch home, and it was located near the line
   of Parker and Tarrant counties. This building, also, was built of
   stone and contained port holes which were placed at intervals in the
   walls at all sides of the house. These port holes were placed in the
   walls for the purpose of defending the home against Indian raids, and
   the holes enabled the [Collins?] family to beat off several Indian
   raids.
   
   "At one time these port holes enabled Mrs J. Collins to save herself,
   her young son and a young waddy named Morrison.
   
   "Young Collins and the waddy were out on the range looking after some
   critters, when a party of Indians took after the two lads,. The boys
   reached the ranch house before the Indians could catch them. The
   Indians surrounded the house and attempted to storm it. Mrs Collins
   and the two boys shot true and fast with rifles, Collins always kept
   loaded in the house.
   
   "They killed a large number of the Indians. In fact, so many of them
   that the rest gave up their attempt to break into 00088the house.
   
   "Morrison and young Collins dragged the corps to a ravine and dumped
   the [boddies?] there for the wolves and buzzards to feed on.
   
   "Word was sent to Ranger Captain King, with a number of rangers
   trailed the Indians and killed a few more of them.
   
   "When I arrived at the age of 15, I went to work on Bill Smith's
   ranch, located in Parker co. He grazed about 5000 head of the
   Longhorns.
   
   "We used tents for shelter and the cooky did all the cooking over a
   camp fire. We lived a genuine camp life and a good one. We were fed
   plenty of good plain food.
   
   "Our work for the most part consisted of riding the range, keeping a
   general watch over the herd and our eye out for rustlers. For a period
   of three months of each Spring and Fall [??] working with the general
   roundup.
   
   "My wage was $20. per month at the start. Begining with my second year
   I received $25. per month. Those days the wages were reckoned as fair
   pay. In fact, one could do a lot with $25. those days. One month's
   wages would buy enough range clothes to last a year or more. A pair of
   boots cost from $5. to $10., but would wear considerable over a year.
   A $10. hat would wear several years.
   
   "I worked on the Smith outfit for a little over two years and then
   worked for [Bur?] Davis. The work and living on [?] ranch was about
   the same. 00099"I went to Uvalde co., in 1890, and worked on the
   Miller ranch. The open ranch still existed in Uvalde co. Miller
   himself acted as foreman. The herd was handled by Miller, his three
   sons and three hired hands. The territory was a mountainous country,
   which provided excellent shelter for the cattle during a spell of
   stormy weather. Therefore we had no drifting trouble, or stampeds
   stampedes to handle. If a norther headed in the cattle would drift to
   the valleys at the lee side of the hills, and remained there until the
   storm subsided.
   
   "Miller ranged around 5000 head of Longhorns, but at the time I worked
   on his range, he was buying Hereford bulls to replace the Longhorn
   males.
   
   "There was an abundance of grass and water, also, excellent climate
   for cattle raising. In addition, we did not have enough cattle/
   rustlers to make stealing a problem. Our work was just routine, such
   as riding over the range to look after the cattle and watching for any
   unsual condition.
   
   "We had our general roundup, the same as held in other sections pf the
   cattle ganges. These roundups required our attension for about six
   month of the year. When a sale of cattle was made we had our own
   roundup to cut out the class sold. San Antonio was our market and we
   drove the cattle to the city.
   
   "We lived about the same as waddies lived in other cow camps. Meat was
   our main food [withe?] beans and sour-dough bread. The country
   contained plenty of game, such as turkey, deer, grouse and edible wild
   animals and fowles, and honey beyond one's imagination. 001010"There
   was one place, among the [namy?], where the wild honey bees stored
   honey that I must tell about. The place is called Dead Man's Mountain
   and is especially noted for its number of bees and the amount of honey
   stored there. In the mountain's side there are many caves and to these
   caves the bees hived and stored their honey. These caves varied in
   size, but each contained more or less numbers of bee hives. I have
   seen honey combs built up three or four feet high and about the same
   distance in [with?], extending from 10 to 25 feet in lenght. Also, in
   the same cave, the walls and ceiling would be covered with combs
   filled with honey. Some of this honey had been there so long that it
   had turned to sugar. This sugar was so hard that it was necessary to
   use an ax or pick to remove it.
   
   "The older folks living in this country told me that bees had hived in
   these caves as far back as they could recall.
   
   "With honey stored in great quanities, and game on every hand, with no
   game laws to interfer with hunting and traping as one desired, there
   was no excuse for one to go hungry. Those days deer was killed for the
   lion and ham cuts and hide. It was the same with killing wild turkey,
   just the choice cuts were taken and the balance of the carcass thrown
   away.
   
   "After working for the Miller outfit five years, I came to Tarrant co,
   and bought a tract of land. I engaged in farming since.

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

http://www.usgwarchives.net/

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