TX BIOS:  William Owens
   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 [23?]
   
   Gauthier.Sheldon F.
   
   Rangelore.
   
   Tarrant Co.Dist,.#7
   
   Page #1
   
   FC 240
   
   William Owens, 75, living at 404 N [?] St, Fort Worth, Texas, was born
   May 28, 1863, at Fort Worth, Texas.
   
   His father was John W. Owens and, in [?], owned 640 acres of land
   which is now a part of N. Fort Worth.
   
   John L. Owens died in 1874 and the following year, at the age of 12,
   William Owens gegan his career as a cowboy. He secured work on the [?]
   ranch where he remained for seven years. After quiting the 'R Buckle
   R' ranch he went to work for Dan Waggoner at a ranch located in the
   Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) beteen Cash Creek and Big Elk River,
   at this ranch he remained for three. After he quit the Waggoner Ranch
   he went on a drive of cattle to Butt Mont, for Turk Beall and
   thereafter made several other drives. His next venture [?] to enter
   the cattle business as a ranchowner. He leased land for range purpose
   in Mexico, located on the line of Chihuahua and Sonaro.
   
   When he terminated his cattle career he learned the structual iron
   trade which trade he followed during the remainder of his active life.
   
   His story of range life follows:
   
   "My life began in Fort Worth, Texas. There I first saw the [???]. It
   was May 28, 1863, and it appears that I am to finish my life in Fort
   Worth.
   
   "My father, John W. Owens, owned 640 acers of land in the part of Fort
   Worth, now called N. Fort Worth. The section was then called Possum
   Hill. [?] of the main things that I still call to mind about that
   place was the great number of Indian teepees which covered the hill
   when I was a tot, after discarding my three cornered pants. Of course,
   I can see, in my mind the hundereds of Indians, men, women and
   children that lived there. I can remember the old Indian trail too. It
   came up what is now Taylor St. or near it, crossed the Trinnity River,
   through a ford, near where the [?] viaduct is now, then went North to
   Possum Hill.
   
     NOTE: [???]
     
   00022While I was in my teens white folks replaced the Indians and then
   the place took on the name of White Settlement. The Indian trail was
   then refered to as the White Settlement Road. In fact, the highway
   [??] of North Worth known as the White Settlement Road, is in part the
   old Indian trail.
   
   "My father died in 1874 and the following year I went on my own. I was
   12 years old when I joined us with the [?] outfit which had its main
   camp located about where Wichita Falls is now situated.
   
   "I could ride a hoss tolerable well at the age of 12, as most boys
   could at that age those days. I couldn't do much with a rope, so the
   first week they set me to [?] helping to gather cattle with the 'R
   Buckle R' brand for a roundup. The brand was so called because it was
   made with the outline of a buckle thus: , and was writen thus: '[?]'.
   
   I can recall only part of the waddies's names that worked the 'R
   Buckle R' outfit, because we called each other by nicknames. The
   belly-cheater was 'Beef Trust', then there was Baldy Jones, the
   top-screw, [???], Scar Face Ma lony, Turkey Dick and there was Blaky,
   and [?], and Curly and such names. There were arond 15 steady hands at
   that camp and the fellows I have named stayed through the seven years
   that I nested there. During the busy season, such as the roundup,
   extra hands were taken on and there were many rawhides/ that came and
   went during my seven years with the outfit.
   
   "When I lit on the outfit the [?] [DEL: [?] :DEL] rawhide Baldy Jones
   took me in charge. While gathering cattle we worked in pairs, each
   pair would go in a different direction hunting critters ,00033which
   [?] brought in to a bunching point, then at the end of a day the bunch
   would be driven to the main herd. When a section was hunted over, we
   then would move to another part of the range, and so on until the
   whole range was combed from the Red River to [?] Co.
   
   "During the time we were gathering critters and until the roundup was
   over we lived around the chuck wagon and slept in the open. At the
   roundup there would be waddies from the Turkey Track, the Three Ds,
   Spur and the [?] ranches, because critters owned by those outfits
   would be mixed among the cattle running that range.
   
   "After the different critter bunched according to their brand, then we
   did our branding of the unbranded critters. After the branding the
   count would be made. For counting purpose a shut would be made,
   through which the cattle were driven and counted as the cattle passed
   out of the shut. The [?] count I help make with that outfit numbered
   18,000 head.
   
   "When we were not working the roundup or gathering cattle, the ranch
   house was our sleeping place, which was refered to as the doghouse and
   the sleeping bunks as the louse nest. We took our chuck in the cook
   shack and the chuck was good solid food. 'Beef Trust' was a pert cook
   and fixed the chuck in good shape. It was like the chuck of all cow
   camps of those days, beef, beans, bread and a small amount of
   vegetables from a can. [?] we lack in variety was made up by the
   different ways 'Beef Trust' shaped up the chuck.
   
   "There was night riding to do and 'Beef Trust' always had coffee for
   the men when they came off their shift. It was black 00044coffee,
   because the waddies [?] it a disgrace to milk a cow.
   
   "I reckon night riding as about the worst part of a waddies work
   during a spell of bad weather. Of course, during pretty weather it was
   not mean work. When we had a spell of cold rain and sleet, the
   critters would get fretful, then a close watch would have to be held,
   because the critters would be put to running by some triffling thing.
   I have seen a herd go on a stampede because a waddy coughed which put
   a scare into the critters. Under such condition, we were afraid to
   strick a match. We had many stomps to contend with, but I want to tell
   of the worst one that I dealt with it was several years after I had
   quit the 'R Buckle R' outfit.
   
   "I was with the Strayhorn outfit up in Arzonia. We had gathered 1,500
   critters for market. The cattle were bunched and ready to start
   drifting and we were intending to start the next morning at sun. About
   mid-night a storm struck and lightening hit in the middle of the herd.
   As usual, the animals were fretful before the storm hit. They did not
   bed and were moving here and there. All hands were out trying to quiet
   and hold the critters down. We were singing and whistling trying to
   give the critters comfort, but they were all set to run just waiting
   for something that would start the running. The sky-fire was what
   furnished the excuse and they went off like a bunch of race hosses do
   when the gun is fired.
   
   "At the jump we knew holding that herd was out of the question, so we
   just tried to keep those critters from scattering until they tuckered
   out a bit. Of course, it was dark and we could not see the herd or
   each other that were riding, except when a flash of 00055sky-fire lit
   up the country. However, at all times we could hear the clashing of
   horns and could tell about where the herd was. We waddies kept each
   other posted on our location by firing several shots at a time. The
   first shot was to draw attention and the other shots were given so the
   fire flash could be seen.
   
   "It was 10 miles to the Pareco River and we calculated on getting the
   critters under control before the river was reached, but failed to do
   so. [?] we reached the river the critters were still going at a good
   rate of speed and about half of the animals went into the water and
   four of the waddies did likewise before they realized where they were
   going. There was quick [DEL: snad :DEL] sand bars at the point where
   the bunch run into the river. Immediately there was plenty of
   scrambling and floundering of men, cattle and hosses, in the dark and
   rain. No one could see enough to do anything and we just had to wait
   for daylight. Of course, the part of the herd that hit the water
   blocked to other critters and that stopped the run. We put the land
   critters to milling, which were joined by a few that got back out of
   the water and quicksand bog. When daylight came we found two waddies,
   Sandy Peters and Arzonia Slim, drownded.
   
   "Two of the waddies fished the drownded lads out while the others of
   us went to work pulling out bogged critters, which were still alive.
   We worked all day at pulling out bogged critters, but lost [300?]
   which drownded.
   
   "The two waddies were buried on the banks of the Pareco River. We dug
   the graves deep enough so that the wolves could not disturb the
   bodies. I was selected to do the preaching and did the best I could. I
   requested the Lord,' to take them in, because their 00066hearts were
   pure as gold. While they were rough, tough and cussed, all their acts
   were done with good intentions. They were true to their fellow men, to
   their work and to every trust'.
   
   "On the 'R Buckle R' we had a tolerable lot of bogs to deal with,
   especially after a [?] of rain. When we were not working roundups or
   cutting out for the market, we were kept busy riding the range looking
   out for bogged and crippled critters, also, rustlers. When we located
   a bogged critter the lariat was tied to the animal and fastened to the
   horn of the saddle, then the hoss did the pulling. Sometimes a critter
   would be bogged so bad that two horses had to be used to do the
   pulling.
   
   "When a crippled critter was found it would be doctored, unless the
   animal was hurt too badly, then it would be shot and skinned.
   
   "Wrangling hosses was another job we had to do so as to keep the
   remuda up with top hosses. Working hosses on the range used the
   animals quite fast.
   
   "When I quit the 'R Buckle R' outfit I joined the 'Two Ds' outfit
   owned by Dan Waaggoner. The brand was later changed to the 'Three Ds'.
   At the time I joined the 'Two Ds' it was for a job of driving a herd
   up to a new camp being established in the Territory (now Oklahoma).
   The main 'Three Ds' ranch was at Ellison (now Electra) and we started
   the drive from there. We drove around 10,000 head to the new range
   which was located which was located between Cash Creek and Elk River.
   The territory was under controle of [?] Indians, with whom Waggoner
   contracted for use of the range. 00077"Among the rawhides that were in
   the crew which went to the new ranch, were Iron Miller, Lucky Davis,
   Scar Face Brown, Irish Mallony, Short Lariat Jim, who was so called
   because he never used a rope over 25 feet long, but the/ way that boy
   could handle that rope was a pleasure to watch. The cooky with the
   outfit we called 'Beans'. Let me tell how come that we called the
   Belly-cheater 'Beans'.
   
   "The night before we started the drive, all the crew were called to
   supper by 'Beans', who was a new man and serving us his first meal to
   the crew. We were sitting at the table, in the cook shack, and all our
   guns were hung on a cross piece over head. Among the chuck, as usual,
   was beans. 'Beans' asked Duck Davis if he liked beans. 'Hell no, I
   never eat whistle-berries', he answered. 'Beans' took one of the guns,
   levelled it at Davis and said, 'eat some beans, you'r fond of 'em'.
   [?] looked around and saw the gun pointed at him and answered 'Hell
   yes I like beans, thanks for serving the berries', and took a helping.
   Well, from that time on the Belly-cheater was called 'Beans'.
   
   "We started the drive the next morning and it was pretty weather, so
   we easily made the [?] River crossing that evening. The river was low,
   so it gave us no trouble and we bedded the critters North of the river
   that night. Late the following day we landed the critters on the new
   range.
   
   "We had no shelter, so we lived in the open until we could find time
   to dig a dugout, which we did in the course of a month. We were kept
   so busy watching the herd, rustlers and Indians that I thought we
   would never finish the dugout. While a dugout is not the best place to
   hang out in, it is better than nothing during a cold or rain spell.
   00088"We dug a space into the side of a bank about 14X14 feet and
   covered the hole with sod for roofing. We fixed a hole in the roof for
   a vent which gave us plenty of air circulation. For sleeping purpose
   we fixed bunks along the wall.
   
   "After we had the dugout finished, we gave all our attention to the
   critters, rustlers and Indians, and were kept busy. The Indians we
   handled fairly well by giving them [?] beef a week.
   
   "A fellow named Chub Mullins, that joined the outfit after we landed
   at the new range, with one other waddy and me, had a nice little
   scrimmage with a party of rustlers the second year I was on the
   'Twobs' outfit.
   
   "We run onto the trail of, about, 50 critters, with hoss tracks,
   leaving the main herd, which we followed. It was morning when we run
   into the trail and calculated that the rustlers had around six hours
   start ahead of us. We followed the trail all day and that evening late
   we sighted the outfit. We stayed out of sight waiting to see if the
   rustlers would make camp and allow the critters to bed down for the
   night or keep on driving. They pulled into a low spot at the entrance
   of draw just about dusk and there prepared to camp. We waited until
   the crittershad time to bed down, the rustlers to eat their chuck and
   roll into their blankets. We knew one of that outfit would be line
   riding, while the others would be getting some shut-eye. We reckoned
   there were five of the fellows, judging by the hoof tracks, so there
   were three of us against five. We, also, had to reckon, with the herd
   and not stampede the animals by our shooting unless one of us could
   take charge of the herd and that we could /not do. 00099"We held a
   parley and we decided on sneaking upon the camp. One was to get the
   night rider while two of us would get the drop on the others. I was
   chosen as the one to get the drop on the night rider. With that
   decision made, we started for the camp as quietly as possible. We
   tethered our hosses about a quater mile away and crawled on hands and
   knees the remainder of the distance. Before we could crawl up to
   comanding distance of the sleepers it was necessary to locate the
   boys. We crawled here and there, around where their hosses were
   staked. My man could be sky-lined riding slowly near the herd, but
   before I could go into action we had to locate the others. We finally
   found the four rolled in their blankets, about 75 feet ahead of us,
   between us and the critters. I circled the sleepers to get to my man
   and my bunch was to wait until they could sky-line me forcing the
   rider off of his hoss.
   
   "I crawled to a point that was in the riders path and waited until he
   came to me. When he arrived within 15 feet of me I jumped up and
   yelled, 'reach for the sky and reach high'. I didn't reckon with the
   hoss under a sudden move and yell on my part. The hoss didn't give the
   waddy time to reach for the sky, it evelated to one side suddenly
   which caught the rider off guard and he went into a spill, cursing
   loud enough to be heard in Hades. I was standing over him when he quit
   rolling, with my six-gun levelled on him. He reached for the sky
   pronto and came to his feet with his hands in the air.
   
   "About the time I had the rider covered shooting started over where my
   pals and the sleepers were. There were several rounds of shots fired
   and then I heard some one holler, 'hold your fire we 001010have put
   down our guns'. Then a command, 'alright come a-walking with you hands
   reaching [?] the sky'.
   
   "I then ordered my man to walk ahead of me towards the others. When we
   reached the crowd my bunch had all of the rustlers disarmed. Two of
   them were shot and dying and one was [woulded?] in the arm.
   
   "When I jumped up suddenly causing the waddy's hoss to evelate and the
   rider to curse, that awoke the sleepers and just at that time my pals
   started a dash for the rustlers. Them rustlers spied my pals and open
   fire at the boys. Chub Mullins and his pal dropped to the ground soon
   as they saw the fire flash of the rustlers' guns and returned the
   fire. Chub was an instinct aimer, that is he did not need to draw a
   bead. Judgeing his marek according to the fire flash he poured lead
   into them rustlers.
   
   "The three rustlers that were alive claimed they were working for one
   of the fellows that had been shot. Each of the lads were under 20
   years of age, so we bandaged the arm wound and told the boys to
   high-tail it and not show up in our section any more. We left the dead
   varmints for the buzzards and wolves to look after, and drove the
   bunch of critters home.
   
   "When pay day rolled around each of us received $10 extra for having
   that little spell of fun.
   
   "The way we treated the three young waddies was not the usual way of
   doing with rustlers caught with rustled cattle, but there are
   exceptions to all rules and the age of the fellows provided the
   exception. Generally the rustlers were given a neck tie party, that is
   hanged to a limb. 001111"The first and only real drive I made was with
   Turk Beall. We drove the herd from Texas to the section where Butte.
   Mont. is now located. We started out with 1,200 head and had the usual
   sorefoot trouble with critters that had to be dropped, had occasional
   stampedes that caused more or less loss, but with the usual precentage
   of losses deducted, we still arrived with a herd of [2,400?] critters.
   
   "Our orders were to pick up two strays for every one we lost in a
   stampede and put the iron on the animals. We traveled through cattle
   country, more or less, the whole distance and strays kept getting into
   our herd. Us waddies were paid $1. as a bonus for each critter that we
   hold which strayed into the herd.
   
   "When the weather was pretty an everything going fair, so that a
   couple waddies could take a little run off to look over the
   surrounding country, we would do so. While looking over the country,
   if by chance, we run onto good looking critters, which appeared
   lonesome and looking for company, we would give these critters an
   invitation to join our herd and show the animals which way to go.
   
   "There was a bunch of 14 waddies on the drive and when the settlement
   was made at the finish of the trip we divided $1,500 of bonus money.
   
   "We traveled out of Texas through Okal, Kans, and cut through the N.E.
   corner of Col. into [?]. thence N. to Miles City Mont, thence N. to
   the Butto district.
   
   "During that whole trip we had no real bad stampede, but had quite a
   number of small runs, all of which we held under control. Our worse
   mess took place just after we crossed Hoss Head Crossing of the Red
   River. A party of Indians drove suddenly into our herd 001212just as
   the critters were leaving their bed at dawn. The Indians cut out about
   15 of the critters and started off with the bunch. They were armed and
   had the night riders covered before the boys knew what was taking
   place. The Indians were a mile or so away before the rest of us could
   get to going. We figured that the Indians guns were not of the best,
   as was usual those days. However, the Indians indicated that they
   would fight for the critters.
   
   "The Indians failed to reckon with the shooting ability of the old
   rawhides, especially the fact that in the bunch was Rocky Stove, the
   best shot that I ever met up with, and Turkle Dick, from Bitter Creek
   Mont, Rochy's equal. Them two waddies, with five others, lit out after
   the Indians and there was a sweet and short fight. The results were
   that the Indians went on their way carrying several dead men and the
   waddies came back with the critters, also, with tickled innards.
   
   "Out side of the stampede trouble we fought bog trouble several times
   crossing rivers and had two dry patches to cross. We forded the
   Cimorron River just south of the Kansas line and got into plenty of
   bogs, and worked all day pulling critters out of those places. He had
   a loss of five critters from drowning in that mess.
   
   "One distance in Kansas that we traveled, also, in Wyoming, we had to
   drift the cattle two days without water. The later part of the second
   day going over those dry spots, the critters began to bellow and
   became so fretful we had a pert job keeping the animals together. Wehn
   we came within 15 miles or so of the water those critters could smell
   it and all hands/ had to work at the front of the herd to hold it
   back. We traveled 30 miles the second days. After 001313the critters
   scented the water the job turned from driving to holding the herd
   back. If the critters were allowed their way they would stampede for
   the water.
   
   "After we had finished the drive, I sold my outfit at a place 30 miles
   from where Butto is now located and there took a train to Laramie Wyo.
   At Laramie I bought another outfit and drifted back to Texas.
   
   "I worked with several outfits among which was the strayhorn outfit
   where I stayed for two years. I then decided to go into the ranch
   business for myself and picked old Mexico for my location. I leased a
   track of land five miles square on the lines of Chihuahua and Sonara.
   I bought 175 head of critters from Sand Lavell, whos brand was called
   the 'fish' [amde?] thus: . My brand was the 'Heart E' made thus: . I
   hired a small crew of [varqueros?] and told them I would give a bonus
   of $1 for each of my critters of the 'fish' brand that they branded.
   
   "A bonus is a good means to get pert work out of a bunch of waddies.
   When the boys finished the job, [we?] made a count and I had 700
   critters all fixed up with my brand.
   
   "I had a fair start and was getting ahead tolerablely well when the
   Carranza revolution broke out. I fiqured that I was sitting alright,
   because [ancho?] Villa had been at my ranch many times and had eaten
   meals with me. I reckoned [hi?] as my friend. Finally Carranza and
   Villa got on the outs and the Carranza forces made me a call. The
   Carranza folks took charge of everything I had, leaving me on foot
   with only the cloth I had on my back. If it was not because of the
   fact that a Mexican women, who I had working for me as cooky.
   001414had not helped by interceding in my behalf, no doubt. I would
   have been a /victim of the Mexican law of the fugitive as many others
   were. The way that law was applied was to allow the prisoner the
   chance for escape. When the prisoner started to run he would be shot.
   
   "I was under arrest and my Mexican cooky went into action. She caught
   the drift of talk between the soldiers and they were interested in
   learning where water holes were in that section. She told the soldiers
   that I knew every water hole between the ranch and the U.S. line and
   suggested that they have me show them the holes.
   
   "They made a proposition to the effect that I would be turned loose if
   I could show them the water holes and that I accepted.
   
   "Just before we started, the woman passed me the information that I
   would be killed after the soldiers were through with me.
   
   I lead 23 of the soldiers towards the U.S. line and showed them water
   holes. I knew where there was a U.S. Cavalry Post and I headed for
   that. We traveled in the early morning and late at night, because of
   the heat during the middle day.
   
   "We were near the U.S. line and in the vicinity of the Cavalry Post
   one morning as we began our march. I told the soldiers that a dandy
   fresh water hole was ahead of us. The Cavalry Post was in a low spot
   and could not be seen until within 100 yards of it. When we were
   around 200 yards from the Post, I gave my hoss the gut hooks and the
   hoss leaped forward. The soldiers took after me and began to turn lead
   loose, but they were up to the post before they realized where they
   were. The shooting drew the attention of the U.S. boys who took after
   the Mexicans. Only one of the 22 Mexicans got away.
   
   "That ended my range career. After that I came back to Fort Worth.
   001515I then learned the structual iron work and followed it intil I
   become [?] old for the [work.?]
   
   "Let me and my gabbing with telling the following incident which took
   place in Philadelphia while I was there visiting my son.
   
   "We attended lodge meeting and my son introduced me as a Texan, of
   course, as was proper for him to do. The introduction was followed by
   calls of 'say something cowboys'. I complied with the following: "'I
   am just an old time Texas cowboy.I am off the old Stak PlainsMy trade
   is [rirt?] and saddle, and pulling[?] reinsI can twirl a lasso and
   throw it withgraceful ease.I can saddle a bucking hoss and ride
   'emwhen I please.I'll always work for wages, and get my payin
   [gold?]I'll always follow the trail of the loneStar State.That I'll do
   until I am to old for the gait.'
   
   00161
   
   Another version of the Owens narrative
   
   Gauthier, Sheldon F.
   
   Rangelore
   
   Tarrant Co., Dist. 7.
   
   Page 1
   
   FEC [23?]
   
   William Owens, 75, 404 N. Florence St., Ft. Worth, born May 23, 1863.
   Son of John W. Owens, then owner of 640 acres of what is now a part of
   W. Ft. Worth. At 12, the year following his father's death, Wm. Owens
   became a cowboy on the "R Buckle R' ranch for seven years, then 3
   years with Dan Waggoner and made several trail drives north. Later
   became a rancher in Mexico; he was driven out by the nations internal
   unrest in 1919. When he returned to Ft. Worth and learned the
   structual iron trade which he followed the remainder of his active
   life.
   
   "My life began at Ft. Worth on May 28, 1863, and it appears that here
   I am to finish my life. My father, John W. Owens, owned 640 aacres in
   what is now N. Ft. Worth. The section was called Possum Hill. One of
   the things I still call to mind about that place was the great number
   of Indian teepees which covered the hill when I was a tot. Hundreds of
   Indians lived there on the old Indian trail. It came up what is now
   Taylor St., and crossed the Trinity River through a ford near the
   Paddock Viaduct and then went North to Possum Hill.
   
   "During my teens white folks replaced the Indians and the place became
   White Settlement. The Indian trail was then referred as the White
   Settlement Read, and still is.
   
   "My father died in 1874 and the following year I went on my own. I was
   12 when I joined [wup?] with the Milliron outfit which had its main
   camp about where Wichita Falls in now located. I could ride a hoss
   tolerable well as most boys could at that age those days. I couldn't
   do much with a rope so the first work they set me to was helping
   gather cattle with the R Buckle R brand for a roundup. The brand was
   made with the outline of a buckle and was written thus:
   
     NOTE: C.12 Tex
     
   00172"I can recall only part of the waddies' names that worked on the
   outfit because we called them by nicknames. The belly-cheater was
   "Beef Trust", then there was Baldy Jones, the top-screw, Rocky
   Mountain Steve, Scar Face Mallony, Turkey Dick, and so on. There were
   around 15 steady hands at that camp and the fellows I have named
   stayed through the seven years that I nested there. During the busy
   season, such as the roundup extra hands wee taken on and there were
   many rawhides that came and went during my time with the ranch.
   
   "When I lit on the outfit Baldy Jones took me in charge. While
   gathering cattle we worked in pairs, each pair would go in a different
   direction hunting strays which were brought in to a bunching point and
   at the end of the day the bunch would be driven to the main herd. When
   a section was hunted over we would move to another part of the range
   and so on until the whole range was combed from the Red River to
   Wilberger County.
   
   "During the time we were gathering critters and until the roundup was
   over we lived around the chick wagon and slept on the open. At the
   roundup there would be waddies from the Turkey Track, the 3 D's, Spur,
   and the 101 ranches because critters owned by these outfits would be
   mixed among the cattle running that range.
   
   "After the different critters bunched according to their brand we
   branded the unbranded critters and then counted them. For counting
   purposes a chut would be made and the cattle driven through and
   counted. The last count I helped make with that outfit numbered 18,000
   head.
   
   "When we were not working the roundup or gathering cattle the
   00183ranch house was our sleeping place which was referred to as the
   dog-house and the sleeping bunks as the louse nest. We took our chuck
   in the cook shack and the chuck was good solid food. Beef Trust was a
   pert cook and fixed the chuck in good shape. It was like the chuck of
   all cow camps in those days, beef, beans, bread and a small amount of
   vegetables from [?] can. What we lacked in variety was made up by the
   different ways Beef Trust always had coffee for the men when they came
   off their shift. It was black coffee because the waddies reckoned it a
   disgrace to milk a cow.
   
   "I reckon night riding was about the worst part of a waddies work
   during a spell of weather. Of course during pretty weather it was not
   mean work. When we had a spell of cold rain and sleet the critters
   would get fretful and a close watch would have to be had because they
   would be put to running by a trifflin thing. I have seen a herd go on
   [?] stampede because a waddy coughed which put a scare into the [?].
   Under such conditions we were afraid to strike a match. We had many
   stomps to contend with but the worst one I delt with was several years
   after I quit the R Buckle R.
   
   "I was with the Strayhorn outfit in Arizona. We had gathered 1,500
   critters for market. The cattle were bunched and ready to start
   drifting and we were intending to start the next morning at at sun.
   About mid-night a storm struck and lightning hit in the middle of the
   herd. As usual the animals were fretful before the storm hit. They did
   not bed and were moving, all hands were out trying to quiet and jold
   the critters down. We were singing and whistling trying to give the
   critters comfort but they were all set 00194to run just waiting for
   something that would start the running. [DEL: They :DEL] The sky-fire
   was what furnished the excuse and they went off like a bunch of race
   hosses do when the gun is fired.
   
   "At the jump we knew holding that herd was out of the question, so we
   just tried to keep those critters from scattering until they tuckered
   out a bit. Of course it was dark and we could not see the herd or each
   other that were riding except when a flash of sky-fire lit up the
   country. However at all time we could hear the clashing or horns and
   could tell about where the herd was. We waddies kept each other posted
   on our location b firing several shots at a time. The first shot was
   to draw attention and the other shots were given so the fire flash
   could be seen.
   
   "It was 10 miles to the Pareco River and we calculated on getting the
   critters under control before the river was reached but failed to do
   so. When we reached the river the critters were still going at a good
   rate of speed and about half of the animals went into the water and
   four of the waddies did likewise before they realized where they were
   going. There was quick sand bars at the point where the bunch run into
   the river. Immediatley there was plenty of scrambling and floundering
   of men, cattle and hosses in the dark and rain. No one could see
   enough to do anything and we just had to wait for daylight. The part
   of the herd that hit the water stopped and that blocked the others and
   stopped the run. We put the land critters to milling which were joined
   by a few that got back out of the water and quicksand bog. When
   daylight came we found two waddies drowned. The drowned lads were
   fished out and we went to work pulling out live bogged critters. We
   worked all day at that but lost 300 which drowned. 0020"The two
   waddies were buried on the banks of the Pareco River. We dug the
   graves deep enough so that the wolves could not disturb the bodies. I
   was selected to do the preaching and did the best I could. I requested
   the Lord to take them in because their hearts were pure as gold. While
   they were tough and cussed all their acts were done in good faith.
   They were true to their fellow man, to their work and to ever trust.
   
   "On the R Buckle R we had tolerable lot of bog to deal with especially
   after a spell of rain. When we were not working roundups or cutting
   out for the market we were kept busy riding the range looking out for
   bogged and crippled critters and rustlers. When we located a bogged
   critter the lariat was tied to the animal and fastened to the horn of
   the saddle, then the hoss did the pulling. Sometimes a critter would
   be bogged so bad that two hosses had to be used to do the pulling.
   When a crippled critter was found it would be doctored unless the
   animal was hurt so bade it would be shot and skinned. Wrangling hosses
   was another job we had to do so as to keep the remuda up with top
   hosses. Working hosses on the range used the animals quite fast.
   
   "When I quit the R Buckle R outfit I joined the [2D?] outfit owned by
   Dan Waggoner. The brand was later changed to the 3D. At the time I
   joined the outfit the 2D was for the job of driving a herd up to a new
   camp being established in the Territory now Oklahoma. The main 2D
   ranch was at Ellison (now Electra) and we started the drive from
   there. We drove around 10,000 head to the new range which was located
   between Cash Creek and Elk River. The territory was under control of
   the Kiowa Indians with whom Waggoner contracted for the range.
   00216"Among the rawhides that were in the crew which went to the new
   ranch were Iron Miller, Lucky Davis, Scar Face Brown, Irish Mallony;
   Short Lariat Jim, so called because he never used a rope over 25 feet
   long, but the way that boy could handle it was pleasure to watch. The
   cooky with the outfit was called "Beans' and here's how come we called
   the belly-cheater that.
   
   "The night before we started the drive all the crew were [DEL: calling
   :DEL] called to super by Beans who was a new man and serving us his
   first meal. In the cook shack [DEL: wer :DEL] we were sitting at the
   table and all our guns were hung on the cross piece over he d. Among
   the chuck as usual was beans. 'Beans' asked Lucky Davis if he like
   beans. "Hell no, I never eat whistle-berries', he answered. Beans took
   one of the guns levelled it at Davis and said, "Eat some beans, you're
   fond of 'em." Lucky looked around and saw the gun pointed at him and
   answered, "Hell yes, I like beans, thanks for serving the berries."
   From that time on the belly-cheater was called Beans.
   
   "We started the drive the next morning and it was pretty weather so we
   easily made the Red River crossing that evening and bedded the
   critters north of it that night. Late the following day we landed the
   critters on the new range. We had no shelter so we lived in the open
   until we could find time to dig a dugout, which we did in the course
   of a month. We were kept so busy watching the herd, rustlers and
   Indians that I thought we would never finish the dugout. While a
   dugout is not the best place to hang out in, it is better than nothing
   during a cold or rain spell.
   
   "We dug a space into the side of a bank about 14 x 14 feet and covered
   the hole with sod for roofing. We fixed a hole in the roof for a vent
   which gave us plenty of air circulation. For sleeping 00227purpose we
   fixed bunks along the well. After we had the dugout finished we gave
   all our attention to the critter, rustlers and Indians and were kept
   busy. The Indians we handled fairly well by giving them one beef a
   week. A fellow named Chub Mullins that joined the outfit after we
   landed on the new range, with one other waddy and me, had a nice
   little scrimmage with a part of rustlers the second year I was on the
   2D outfit.
   
   "We run onto the trail of about 50 critters whit hoss tracks leaving
   the main herd which we followed. It was morning when we run into the
   trail and calculates the rustlers [ha?] been around six hour ahead of
   us. We followed the trail all day and late that evening we sighted the
   outfit. We stayed out of sight waiting to see if the rustlers would
   make camp and allow the critters to bed down for the night or keep on
   driving. They pulled into a low spot at the entrance of a draw just
   about dusk and there prepared to camp! We waited until the critters
   had time to bed down, the rustlers to eat their chuck and roll into
   their blankets. We knew one of that outfit would be line riding, while
   the others would be getting shut-eye. We reckoned there were five of
   the fellows, judging by the hoss tracks, so there were three of us
   against five. We also had to reckon with the herd and not stampede the
   animals by our shooting unless one of us could take charge of the herd
   ad that we could not do.
   
   "We held a parley and we decided on sneaking upon the camp. One wa to
   get the drop on the night rider while two of us [DEL: [?] :DEL] was to
   get the others. I was chosen to get the night rider. We started for
   the camp as quietly as possible, after tethering our horses a quarter
   mile away and crawled on hands and knees the rest of the way.
   00238Before we could crawl up to commanding distance of the sleepers
   it was necessary to locate the boys. We crawled here and there around
   where their hosses were staked. My man could be sky-lined riding
   slowly around the herd but before I could go into action we had to
   locate the others. We finally found the four rolled in their blankets
   about 75 feet ahead of us, between us and the critters. I circled the
   sleepers to get to my man and my bunch was to wait until they could
   sky-line me forcing the rider off his hoss.
   
   "I crawled to a point that was in the rider's path and waited until he
   came to me. When he was within 15 feet of me I jumped up and yelled,
   'Reach for the sky and reach high'. I didn't reckon with the hoss
   under a sudden move and yell on my part. The hoss didn't give the
   waddy time to reach for the sky, [it] elevated to one [side?] suddenly
   which caught the rider off guard and he went into a spill cursing loud
   enough to be hear in Hades. I was standing over him when he quit
   rolling with my six gun levelled on him. He reached for the sky pronto
   and came to his feet with his hands in the air.
   
   "About the time I had the rive covered shooting started over where my
   pals and the sleepers were. There were several rounds of shots fired
   and then I heard some one holler, 'Hold your fire we have put down our
   guns.' Then a command, 'alright come a walking with your hands
   reaching for the sky.' I then ordered my men to walk ahead of me
   towards the others. When we reached the crowd my bunch had all the
   rustlers disarmed. Two of them were shot and dying and one was wounded
   in the arm.
   
   "When I jumped up suddenly causing the waddy's hoss to elevate and the
   rider to curse that woke the sleepers and just at that time 00249my
   pals started a dash for the rustlers. Them rustlers spied my pals and
   opened fire at the boys. Chub Mullins and his pal dropped to the
   ground soon as they was the fire flash of the rustler's guns and
   returned the fire. Chub was an instant aimer that is he did not need
   to draw a bead. Judging his mark according to the fire flash he [pa?]
   poured lead into them rustlers.
   
   "The three rustlers that were alive claimed they were working for one
   of fellows that had been shot. Each of the lads were under 20 years of
   age so we bandaged the arm wound and told the boys to high-tail it and
   not show up in our section anymore. We left the dead varmints for the
   buzzards and wolves to look after and drove the bunch of critters
   home. When pay day rolled around each of us received $10. extra for
   having that little spell of fun.
   
   "The way we treated the three young waddies was not the usual way of
   doing with rustlers caught with rustled cattle but there were
   exceptions of all rules and the age of the fellows provided the
   exception. Generally the rustlers were given a neck tie party, that is
   hanged to a limb.
   
   "The first and only real drive I made was with Turk Beall. We drove
   the heard from Texas to the section where Butte, Mont. is now located.
   We started out with 1,200 head and had the usuaual sorefoot trouble
   with critters that had to be dropped, had occasional stampedes that
   caused more or less loss, but with the usual percentage of losses
   deducted we still arrived with a herd of 2,400 critters. Our orders
   were to pick up two strays for every one we lost in a stampede and put
   the iron on the animals. We traveled through cattle country the whole
   distance and strays kept getting into our herd. Us waddies were paid
   $1. bonus for each critter that we hold which strayed into the herd.
   002510"When the weather was pretty and everything going fair so that a
   couple waddies could take a little run off to look over the
   surrounding country we would do so. While looking over the country if
   by chance we ran into good looking critters which appeared lonesome
   and looking for company we would give those critters an invitation to
   join our herd and show the animals which way to go. There was a bunch
   of 14 waddies on the drive and when the settlement was made at the
   finish of the trip we divided $1,500 in bonus money.
   
   "We traveled out of Texas through Oklahoma, Kans. and cut through the
   NE corner of Col., into Wyo., thence North to Miles City, [?], thence
   to the Butte district. During the whole trip we had no real bad
   stampede but had quite a number of small runs all of which we held
   under control. Our worse mess took place just after we crossed Hoss
   Head Crossing of the Red River. A party of Indians drove suddenly into
   our herd just as the critters were leaving their bed a dawn. The
   Indians cut out about 15 of the critters and started off with the
   bunch. They were armed and had the night riders covered before the
   boys know what was taking place. The Indians were a mile or so away
   before the rest of us could get to going. We figured that the Indians
   guns were not of the best [DEL: [?] :DEL] as usual those days; however
   they indicated they would fight for the critters.
   
   "The Indians failed to reckon with the shooting ability of the
   rawhides, especially the fact that in the bunch was Rocky Steve, the
   best shot I ever met up with, and Turkle Dick from Bitter Root, Mont.
   who was Rocky's equal. Them two waddies with five other lit out after
   the Indians and there was a sweet and short fight. The results were
   that the Indians went on their way carrying several dead men and the
   waddies came back with the critters and tickled innards.
   002611"Outside of the stampede we fought bog trouble several times
   crossing rivers and had two dry patches to cross. We forded the [DEL:
   Cimorrion :DEL] Cimmarrion River just S. of the Kansas line and got
   into plenty bogs, and worked all day pulling critters out of those
   places. We had a loss of five critters from drowning in that mess. One
   distance in Kansas and in Wyoming we had to drift the cattle two days
   without water. The later part of the second day going over those dry
   spots the critters began to bellow and fret so we had a pert job
   keeping the animals together. When we came within 15 miles or so of
   water those critters could smell it and all hands had to work at the
   front of the herd to hold it back. We traveled 30 miles the second
   day. If the critters were allowed their way they would stampede for
   water.
   
   "After we had finished our drive I sold my outfit at a place 30 miles
   from Butte and there took a train Laramie, Wyo. where I bought another
   outfit and drifted back to Texas. I worked for several other outfits
   among which was the Strayhorn where I camped two years. I then decided
   to go into the ranch business for myself and picked Old Mexico for my
   location. I loused a tract of land five miles square on the lines of
   Chihuahua and Sonara. I bought 175 head of critters from [Sand?]
   Lavell whose brand was called the fish thus: . My brand was the Heart
   E: . I hired a small crew of [vaguoros?] and told them I would give a
   $1. bonus for each of my critters of the fish brand they branded. A
   bonus is a good means to get pert work out of a bunch of waddies. When
   the boys finished the job we made a count and I had 700 critters all
   fixed up with my brand.
   
   "I had a fair start and was getting ahead tolerably well when the
   [Carranze?] revolution broke out. I figured I was setting alright
   because Pancho Villa had been at my ranch many times and had eaten
   002712meals with me. I reckoned him as my friend. Finally [?] and
   Villa got in the [?] and the [Carranza?] forces made me a call. They
   took charge of everything I had leaving me on foot with only the cloth
   I had on my back. If it was not because of the Mexican woman I had
   working for me as cooky interceded in my behalf I would have been a
   victim of the Mexican [?] of the fugitive. The way that law was
   applied was to allow the prisoner the chance for escape and when he
   started to run he would be shot.
   
   "My cooky caught the drift of talk between the soldiers and they were
   interested in learning the water holes in that section. She told them
   I knew every water hole between the ranch and the U S line and
   suggested they have me show them the holes. They said I would be
   turned loose if I agreed to show them the holes. Before we started the
   woman told me I would be killed when the soldiers were through with
   me. I led 22 of the soldiers toward the U S line and showed them water
   holes. Because of the heat we traveled during the morning and at
   night. I knew there was a U. [?] Cavalry Post ahead of us and one
   morning told the soldiers there was a dandy fresh water hole just
   ahead of us. The Cavalry Post was in a low spot and could not be seen
   within a 100 yards. about 200 yard from the Post I gave my hoss the
   gut hooks and the soldiers took after me and began to throw lead, but
   they were up to the Post before they realized it. The shooting drew
   the attention of the U S boys who took after the Mexicans. Only one of
   the 22 got away.
   
   "That ended my range career; afterward I came to Ft. Worth and learned
   the structual iron work trade and followed it until I became too old
   to work.

************************************************************************
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
***********************************************************************