TX BIOS:  Ostrander House
   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
   
   [?]
   
   AUG 22 1938 #19 FIELD NOTES
   
   (Information given by a merchant of Paint Rock)
   
   (OSTRANDER HOUSE )
   
   The story of the hanging In the Ostrander house is all "hooey" -
   probably started by someone putting the rope there just as a joke.
   
   The wiring system was something unusual and no one knows why the
   Ostranders went to all this expense in order that they would know
   every time any one entered a gate on the ranch, and just what
   particular gate was opened.
   
   There are records describing this tract of land, in the University of
   Texas Library, telling the exact size, etc., of the ranch. 0002# 19
   [no 19 ?]
   
   AUG 22 1938
   
   FIELD NOTES
   
   Taken on Interviews
   
   (Information given by a local Justice of the Peace)
   
   OSTRANDER HOUSE
   
   The third story of the Ostrander house was a hide-out for a gang of
   out-laws. That was why the two rooms in the third story were so
   arranged that they could not be entered except by a long ladder and a
   trap door. The Ostranders were not out-laws themselves, but they were
   friends of the out-law gang and harbored them in the house. This gang
   was probably mixed up with Ostrander in his crooked business.
   
   ******** 0003#19
   
   AUG 22 1938
   
   FIELD NOTES
   
   Taken on Interviews
   
   (This was given by an old surveyor of Tom Green Co.)
   
   (Ostrander Ranch )
   
   The sheriff of Concho County probably tipped Ostrander off that the
   law was on his trail - that is the general opinion. Polities are a
   funny business - the bigger reputation anyone has the more crooked
   things become when they are mixed up with polities - better look at
   those things through a microscope, then turn them over and look at the
   other side, too - politics, mixed up with big corporations like the
   Ostrander - Loomis Land and Cattle Company.
   
   This corporation owned 42 sections of land and had about 80 sections
   leased, some was school land and some was leased from individuals.
   
   The wiring system, flashing a signal when a [gate?] was entered, was
   perhaps to prevent depredations on the ranch. When a signal was
   flashed, a cowboy was sent to investigate, and see if any of the
   cattle were being stolen, etc.
   
   Ostrander was using the [mails?] to defraud - misrepresenting things
   through the mail, selling stock in this company through
   misrepresentation. This was a federal offense and was probably brought
   up in Federal Court - maybe in Dallas - maybe in [Tyler?]. The
   bankruptcy proceedings were probably filed here in Tom Green County.
   The ranch covered parts of Concho and Tom Green counties. It extended
   as near San Angelo as Mullen (now Veribest, about 10 miles east of San
   Angelo).
   
   Ostrander knew nothing about the cattle business. He was 00042probably
   from England, originally; had big ideas but knew nothing about running
   a ranch. Other big ranchers who made a success of their business,
   hired experienced foremen to run their ranches, but Ostrander did not
   do this, so he made a failure of his business.
   
   [A.A.?] DeBerry, who was cashier of the bank in San Angelo, was
   appointed trustee for the bonding corporation who owned the bonds. He
   took over all the property and asked for a foreclosure. This
   foreclosure took place right here in San Angelo. The suit was filed
   as: [A. A.?] DeBerry vs Ostrander and Loomis Land and Live Stock
   Company.
   
   This Ostrander Loomis Land and Live Stock Company had headquarters in
   New Jersey. If the tax roll for 1894 or 1895 is consulted, it will
   show the amount of acreage owned by this corporation and the amount of
   taxes assessed.

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