TX BIOS:  Songs of J. L. P. Hamilton
   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
   
   Songs
   
   Marjorie Key
   
   November 27, 1936 1704 Words
   
   Lamb County
   
   District 17
   
   Life and Cowboy Songs
   
   of J. L. P. Hamilton.
   
   Page 1
   
   Bibliography
   
   Mrs. John Dean, Sudan, Tex.
   
   One of the most outstanding cowboy characters in West Texas today is
   James Lee Preston Hamilton, better known as "Molly" Hamilton. He has
   lived on the Plains since 1915. Molly's home was originally in San
   Antonio. He [DEL: wouldnt :DEL] would not tell any / more than that
   except that he left there when he was "just a kitten."
   
   Early in life he wanted to see the West, so he drifted out toward New
   Mexico in 1902 and landed in the town of Eddy, which is now the town
   of [DEL: Carlbad :DEL] Carlsbad, N. M. He drifted from place to place,
   and was in Hope N. M. for a time. While there he went by the 100 name
   of Badger. Finally in 1915 he came to Lubbock. Two suitcases contained
   his worldly goods.. He was dressed in a nice looking suit of clothes
   and was immediately taken for a prospector and the land agents started
   after him. He was offered the land where Texas Tech college now stands
   and although the agent begged him to take the land, he told them he
   [DEL: didnt :DEL] [didn't?] want it in the first place and in the
   second place he didnt have any money to buy it.
   
   Starting toward Shallowater on foot, he was picked up by a ranchman
   who [?] hauling a new piano for the Shallowater school. Molly helped
   him to unload the piano, then sat down and played some songs for [DEL:
   them :DEL] [?]. Later he went with the ranchman to spend the night. He
   told his host that he would have to get started early in the [DEL: [?]
   :DEL] morning to catch the train into Littlefield. The nearest place
   was the Round-Up shipping pens and before he reached there the next
   morning, the train went past. There was nothing to do but start his
   long hike again. A farmer passed him going into Lubbock to trade and
   promised to pick him up on [?] the return trip. When he finally came
   back, Molly had walked across the Spade, [DEL: [?] :DEL]
   
     NOTE: c. 12 - 2/11/41 [?]
     
   00022[?]
   
   and was nearing Littlefield.
   
   The farmer asked a number of questions and so did Molly. Molly asked
   about the size of the town and the schools and churches. Nothing was
   said, but because of these questions the idea was given that he was a
   preacher going to fill his appointment. You see he was still dressed
   in his good clothes and had his two suitcases. He spent that night
   which was Saturday in the wagon yard in Littlefield. There seemed to
   be quite a celebration going on among the cowboys. They were all
   cooking and having a big time. Sunday [100?] morning the farmer who
   had given him the ride into town, came down and asked where the
   preacher was. The friends of the night before were somewhat surprised
   and said they [DEL: didnt :DEL] did not know he was a preacher. When
   Molly was asked if he was going to preach that day, he said he [DEL:
   hadnt :DEL] had not been asked to do so. Fortunately, he said the
   regular preacher showed up and saved him the trouble.
   
   He stayed on in Littlefield and after a few days a foreman came in
   from Nine Mile Camp, looking for hands to help flank [DEL: Kaffircorn
   :DEL] Kafircorn. [DEL: He :DEL] [?] was offering two dollars a day as
   wages [DEL: . :DEL] Molly signed up to go with him, but on further
   inquiry, the foreman found that he had enough hands but had no cook.
   The new friends at the wagon yard told of [DEL: Moll's :DEL] Molly's
   cooking ability so his wages were raised to two dollars and fifty
   cents and he went out as the cook. The cowboys had nicknamed him
   "Preacher."
   
   By this time his clothing, had become soiled [DEL: and :DEL] so he
   bundled [DEL: it :DEL] them up and sent [DEL: it :DEL] them to
   Littlefield by [?] to the barber shop with word to send [DEL: it :DEL]
   his cloths off and have it all cleaned. When the barber who was also
   the laundry agent asked for the name, the cowboy said, "Oh I don't
   know. we just call him cookie." So the laundry went in with the name,
   'Molly the cook,' The name has stayed with him all these years.
   
   From that time he drifted from one outfit to another working sometimes
   [69?] as a foreman, sometimes as a common hand or cook. At the time of
   00033the big freeze in January, 1918, he was foreman on the Doorkeys.
   That year they moved the sheep camp and delivered cattle to the Bar N.
   At this time it was clear that either Molly or the boss' son would
   have to join the army. They talked it over and decided it had better
   be Molly. He started gaily into town killing prairie dogs all the way
   and calling them Dutchmen. On November 14th he drove into Sudan still
   shooting as he came up to the general store. Mrs. Pete Boesen asked
   him if he was rejoicing because the war was over. He replied, "Hell
   no, I came in to join up and cook for them." Having given up his
   foreman's job, he went back to the 77 as a hand. The 77 outfit
   belonged to Wilson, Furneaux and Perry Barnes had been the boss.
   
   In 1920 the Sunday School had the first Christmas tree and Molly acted
   as Santa Claus. After he had distributed the gifts to all the children
   he told them his reindeer were outside and he had to leave early to
   get across the sandhills to Muleshoe. When he was asked for a donation
   for the [100?] new hymn books, he told them to go ahead and order.
   When they came in he went down and gave a check for them. It amounted
   to six or seven dollars. After 1921 he came to church regularly in
   order to get a free meal. Along with Simon D. Hay, he was invited one
   day to J. M. Carruth's for dinner. The next day in telling about the
   good meal and the good time they had, [DEL: Simon :DEL] [?] said to
   Mrs. L. E. Slate," You know old Molly and I went out to J. M's
   yesterday for dinner and Old J. M. [100?] called on Molly to pray."
   Mrs. Slate said, "Well , what did he do ? [DEL: Simon :DEL] ." "By
   golly, he just cut loose and [DEL: [?] :DEL] prayed, " said Mr. Hay.
   
   The rhythm of the horses hoof has been the inspiration for many cowboy
   song. Molly was no exception. As he cantered over the range he
   composed several songs. With him as with all song writers, he tells of
   the things that he knows and loves the best. If you can imagine the
   hoof [DEL: beates :DEL] beats of the horse on the sod you will have
   some idea of the [DEL: rythm :DEL] rhythm 9400044of these cowboy
   songs. "I worked one year for the 77I rode good horses and a morris
   saddle,Now, I'm riding broncs on the circle range,I'm gong to Arizona
   this coming Spring.""I live in a shanty way out on the plains,They
   call me old Molly but thats not my name,I round up the cattle whenever
   we brand,Down on the plains by the city of Sudan.""P. H. Barnes is the
   77 boss,He cuts out the strays on his old gray hoss,We work our cattle
   in [DEL: shushine :DEL] sunshine and rain,We are now branding out on
   the 77 range." 105"Old Mont Bridges is a lad of sixteen,N w riding
   broncs on the 77 range,Whenever they pitch he grabs that horn,He's the
   durndest horn- [DEL: [?] :DEL] [catcher?] that ever was born." "J. M.
   Bridges he's a lady's man,He goes to see the ladies at the city of
   Sudan,He walks in the lobby, says' How do ye do',The next word you
   hear him say is, "I want tomarry you." "O. B. Kelly he's crooked as a
   rail,I never seen a maverick that he wouldnt steal,When the days work
   is over he'll dance you a jig, [150?]He catches those mavericks on a
   horse he calls "Nig." "P. E. Boeson, he's a land agent man,He lives in
   the city we call Sudan,He'll be selling land when Gabriel blows his
   horn,For he's the durndest land booster that ever wasborn." "I've got
   a pretty girl I'm going to see,I ride the passenger of the Santa
   Fe,Its a fast running train and I hope it wont stop,Till it gets to
   Post City down under the Cap Rock."
   
   In giving the words for this song, he had to stop and sing over a
   verse or two every little bit in order to remember it all. "Well boys
   if you will listen a song to you I'll sing,I was born in the state of
   old Texas and old Mollyis my name,I still live in Texas out on the
   [DEL: wester :DEL] western plains,I'm one of the old cowboys that
   rides the Circle-backrange,"" I own eight good cowhorses and they are
   crackerjacks,I broke 'em while I's working for the Circlebacks,
   [175]0005"Long George he's my circle horse, I can lope [235?]him all
   day,Little Roan he's my cutting horse, never letsone get away,Ole
   Coaly he's my saddle horse and he travel mightysmooth,I used Old Tom
   for a rustling horse while I wasworking for old Poole." "I have one
   good night horse and thats my snowballgray,I also have a good roping
   horse that I call the'Lone Star Bay',When I saddle up 'Old Dunny' he's
   always readyto go,I have another good circle horse that I
   call'Rambling Joe'." "Well boys we'll have to get busy,We have no time
   to play,We're going to start the Round-upon the first day of May."
   "When the Round-up is all over and the shippingis all done,I'm going
   to Kansas City with the last trainload thats run,When I get to Kansas
   City a drink I will [DEL: like :DEL] take,I'll tell 'em I'm Molly from
   old Texas, thatgood old Lone Star State,When I take three or four, so
   lively will I be,I'll roam all over that city, the sights I will
   see,When I start back to Texas, so sober will I be,I'll come in on old
   Betsy, the passenger of theSante Fe.Then I'll saddle up old Coaly and
   away I will go,To / see my darling Blondie, the woman I love so."

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