TX BIOS:  E. J. Handley
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
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   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
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   00011
   
   Beliefs and customs - Occupational lore
   
   Mrs. Annie McAulay
   
   Maverick Texas
   
   Runnels County
   
   Page One [dup?]
   
   COWBOY LORE
   
   E. J. HANDLEY was born in Montecelli, Drew [DEL: ounty :DEL] County,
   [DEL: Arkansa :DEL] Arkansas, January 24, 1861. He came to Texas in
   1872, with his parents in a / covered ox wagon. They crossed the [DEL:
   ed :DEL] Red [DEL: river :DEL] River at [DEL: Dooleys :DEL] Dooley's
   Ferry. [DEL: The first [?] on the Trinity River in Ellis Co. The
   familiy lived near what was known thenas Telaco '(Old Telaco) They
   only lived there a short time and then moved on to Navvarro county and
   settled for a short time near Old Dresden. In the latter part of 1873
   the Handley family moved to McClennan County and settled [?] Commanche
   Srings, twenty three miles west of Waco. They bought their homestead
   for fifty cents per acre. [?] was here that Mr. [?] grew to manhood.
   :DEL] [DEL: Here is Mr. Handleys story: :DEL] Having lived in several
   Texas Counties but now a resident of Ballinger, Runnels County he
   relates the following story: "I remember [DEL: [???] :DEL] we had some
   very tough times after we moved to McClennan [DEL: county :DEL]
   County. "We must have had a pretty serious drouth in the late
   seventies. We had always depended on the streams (rivers and creek
   [DEL: [?] :DEL] for our water supply. We had to haul it some distance
   on a sled or wagon draw by oxen.
   
   The water [DEL: finnally :DEL] finally got so scarce [DEL: tht :DEL]
   that my father decided to try his luck at digging for it , so we dug a
   well and struck plenty of water. [DEL: I remember :DEL] That was a
   happy day [DEL: that was :DEL] for [DEL: all :DEL] all of us.
   
     NOTE: C12 - 2/11/41 - Texas
     
   00022" We , as well as many others , lived mostly on jerked beef and
   corn pones in earlier days. There were lots of Indians when we first
   came to Texas , too. You never could tell about a redskin then. But we
   got on with them alright. My father treated them well, and they in
   turn were friendly. [DEL: They never molested us in any way a-tall.
   :DEL] My mother [DEL: [?] :DEL] never learned to love them. She lived
   in constant fear that they would go on the warpath [DEL: for many
   years. :DEL] " I learned to ride when quite young. All boys learned to
   ride in them days. [DEL: I worked for different ranch people in
   Central Texas for many years. :DEL] I helped to make two or three
   cattle drives from [DEL: central texas :DEL] Central Texas ranches to
   Abilene , Kansas , before I was twenty one years old. There was
   usually from two to three thousand head in a drive and about twenty
   five men in the outfit, including the cook and horse wrangler.
   
   I remamber [DEL: [?] :DEL] one trip I made with The Sealy outfit in
   the spring of [DEL: eighty :DEL] '80. We were driving to the Kansas
   market about three thousand head of steers. We [DEL: was :DEL] were
   somewhere in Oklahoma when it turned cold and began raining and
   sleeting. We had to move very slowly. The cattle got very weak, many
   of them died. The men never lacked for food as there was plenty of
   wild game but we [DEL: shore :DEL] sure got cold. [DEL: I'll be
   dadblamed if that wasn't mean weather. :DEL]
   
   We had two or three stampedes. The worst one we had was when some
   Indians were trying to swipe our horses one 00033night. Some of the
   boys discovered them snooping around and they didn't get any horses
   but the hallabaloo frightened the steers and started them to running.
   They got pretty weell scattered in spite of all we could do to stop
   them. We rode like thunder all that night. The Indians must have
   gotten a few of them. It took us all of next day to get them together
   and we never did find quite all of them. [DEL: We shore had a pack of
   trouble that trip. :DEL]
   
   I joined The Texas Ranger force in 1832 and came west. I was stationed
   where Midland , Texas [DEL: now :DEL] is now. It was in Tom Green
   [DEL: ounty :DEL] County at that time. There were twenty five men in
   our camp. I belonged to Company B and 14th [DEL: atallion :DEL]
   Batallion. Sam McMurry was our Captain. John McAnnelly was First
   Leiut. and Sam Platte , 2nd Lieut. Gen . King was Adjutant General at
   the time. I voted my first year in camp for Willis Johnson for sheriff
   of Tom greem [DEL: ounty :DEL] County. [DEL: He was the first sheriff.
   :DEL]
   
   I remember while I wasarat Midland, Pecos and Toya had quite a fight
   for the county [DEL: [?] :DEL] seat of Pecos County. I was with a
   squad of Rangers that was sent to Pecos [DEL: ounty :DEL] County to
   keep peace during the election. We had been informed there was likely
   to be some disturbance. Men were carrying guns for each other. There
   had been thereats to burn things down and so on , but / The presence
   of the Rangers seemed to have a [DEL: quiting :DEL] quieting effect ,
   as there were no serious out - breaks. 00044Our business as rangers
   was not only to keep peace, but to protect the settlers from horse and
   cattle thieves or other molesters. We [DEL: was :DEL] were sent to the
   border of Old and New Mexico many times. In fact, that was where most
   of the trouble and our work was. I don't see how the country was as
   [DEL: peacable :DEL] peaceable as it was [DEL: them :DEL] in those
   days ,. [DEL: [?] :DEL] with thieves , desperadoes, gamblers and such.
   I never was in any rel serious fights like some of the boys but we
   [DEL: was :DEL] were all in more or less danger most of the time and
   liked it then. " [DEL: Mr. Handley makes his home in Ballinger at the
   present time. He lived for many years at Morton where he still owns a
   little farm and ranch. His place together with his business of being
   city constable, He says, keeps him very busy." :DEL] 0005Bibliography
   E.J. Handley, Ballinger Texas. Early Texas Ranger and Cowboy.
   Interviewed Feb. 7, 1938 00061Range-lore
   
   Annie McAulay
   
   Maverick, Texas
   
   Page one Folkstuff - Rangelore
   
   RANGE-LORE
   
   E. J. Handley was born in Montecelli, Drew County, Arkansas, January
   24, 1861. He came to Texas in 1872, with his parents in a covered ox
   wagon. They crossed the Red River at Dooley's Ferry. Having lived in
   several Texas counties but now a resident of Ballinger, Runnels
   County, he relates the following story:
   
   "I remember we had some very tough times after we moved to McClennan
   County. We must have had a pretty serious drouth in the late
   seventies. We had always depended on the streams (rivers and creeks)
   for our water supply. We had to haul it some distance on a sled or
   wagon drawn by oxen. The water finally got so scarce that my father
   decided to try his luck at digging for it, so we dug a well and struck
   plenty of water. That was a happy day for all of us.
   
   "We, as well as many others, lived mostly on jerked beef and corn
   pones in earlier days.
   
     NOTE: [?????]
     
   00072There were lots of Indians when we first came to Texas, too. You
   never could tell about a redskin then. But we got on with them
   alright. My father treated them well, and they in turn were friendly.
   My mother never learned to love them. She lived in constant fear that
   they would go on the war-path.
   
   "I learned to ride when quite young. All boys learned to ride in them
   days. I helped to make two or three cattle drives from Central Texas
   ranches to Abilene, Kansas, before I was twenty-one years old. There
   was usually from two to three thousand head in a drive and about
   twenty-five men in the outfit, including the cook and horse wrangler.
   
   "I remember one trip I made with the Sealy outfit in the spring of
   '80. We were driving to the Kansas market about three thousand head of
   steers. We were somewhere in Oklahoma when it turned cold and began
   raining and sleeting. We had to move very slowly. The cattle got very
   weak, many of them died. The men never lacked for food as there was
   plenty of wild game but we sure got cold.
   
   "We had two or three stampedes. The worst one we had was when some
   Indians were trying to swipe our horses one night. Some of the boys
   discovered them snooping around and they didn't get any horses but the
   hallabaloo frightened the steers and started them to running. They got
   pretty well scattered in spite of all we could do to stop them. We
   rode like thunder all that night. The Indians must have gotten a few
   of them. It took us all of the next day to get 00083them together and
   we never did find quite all of them.
   
   "I joined the Texas Ranger force in 1882 and came west. I was
   stationed where Midland, Texas is now. It was in Tom Green County at
   that time. There were twenty-five men in our camp. I belonged to
   Company B and 14th Batallion. Sam McMurry was our Captain. John
   McAnnelly was First Lieutenant and Sam Platte, 2nd Lieutenant. Gen.
   King was Adjutant General at the time. I voted my first year in camp
   for Willis Johnson for sheriff of Tom Green County.
   
   "I remember while I was at Midland, Pecos and Toys had quite a fight
   for the county seat of Pecos County. I was with a squad of rangers
   that was sent to Pecos County to keep peace during the election. We
   had been informed there was likely to be some disturbance. Men were
   carrying guns for each other. There had been threats to burn things
   down and so on, but presence of the rangers seemed to have a quieting
   effect, as there were no serious outbreaks.
   
   "Our business as rangers was not only to keep peace, but to protect
   the settlers from horse and cattle thieves or other molesters. We were
   sent to the border of Old and New Mexico many times. In fact, that was
   where most of the trouble and our work was. I don't see how the
   country was as peaceable as it was in those days, with thieves,
   desperadoes, gamblers and such. I never was in any real serious fights
   like some of the boys but we were all in more or less danger most of
   the time and liked it then." 0009Range-lore
   
   Annie McAulay
   
   Maverick, Texas
   
   BIBLIOGRAPHY
   
   B. J. Handley, Ballinger, Texas, interviewed February 7, 1938.

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