TX BIOS:  John Raines
   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
   
   [????]
   
   Gauthier.Sheldon F.
   
   Rangelore.
   
   Tarrant Co.Dist,.#7 [53?]
   
   Page #1
   
   FC 240
   
   John Raines, 75, living at 704 Grand Ave. Fort Worth, Texas, was born
   in Logan co, Ky, Mar 24, 1863. His father, Jack W. Raines, immigrated
   to Texas, in 1875 and located in Tarrant co, near Fort Worth, on land
   that is now a residential section of the city. Jach W. Raines engaged
   in farming for a livelihood.
   
   John's Raine's first job was running errands for Barney Tucker, who
   operated a gin, farm and real-estate business. His next work was
   working as waterboy carrying water for the laborers constructing the
   Texas and Pacific railroad entering the city of Fort Worth during the
   year 1876. He next worked as a teamster hauling rock for the paveemnt
   on Main and Houston Streets in the city of Fort Worth. His next job
   was working as a cowboy for Steve [?].
   
   He quit the range to go farming which vocation he followed for a
   livelihood there-after.
   
   His story of range life follows:
   
   "I am a Kentuckian by birth and a Texan by adoption. My father, Jack
   W. Raines, was a farmer and cultivated land in Ky, [Logan co.?] where
   I was born. The date of my birth was Mar. 24, 1863. My father
   immigrated to Texas, in 1875 and located in Tarrant co. He setteled on
   land S. of Fort Worth, and farmed for a number of years at that
   location.
   
   "All of Fort Worth, was then located N. of what is now Lancaster Ave.
   Almost the entire business was located around the present cite of the
   County Court House. My father's farm house faced what is now Hattie
   St., which is now densely [with?] residences.
   
   "While a young lad I hunted game all over the section that is now
   refered to as S. Fort Worth, and wild game was plentiful.
   
   "Like all other lads, during those early days, the first thing I
   learned to do was to ride and handle a hoss.
   
     NOTE: C12 - 2/[?]/41 - [?]
     
   00022That was necessary, because hoss back was the way we traveled,
   and in order to go places one had to ride or hoof it.
   
   "My first job was in 1876 working as errand boy for Barney Tucker.
   Tucker ownerd a great many tracts of land and was a realestate dealer.
   He, also, operated a farm and cotton gin. I rode a [hoss?] going from
   one establiskment to another and did odd jobs.
   
   "The Texas and Pacific railroad builded into Fort Worth and I quit my
   job with Tucker, at his request, in 1876. I took the job as waterboy,
   carrying water to the workers. Mike and Jack Hurley were the
   contractors under whom I worked and they paid me a $1. a day, which
   was very good wages for a boy those days.
   
   "I started to carry water when the construction crew was about three
   miles E. of the city and I remained with the job till the road was
   layed around five miles E. of town.
   
   "The work was done rapidly. Just so soon as the grade was completed
   the ties and steal were layed. The steel gang stayed right on the
   heels of the grading crew and the foremens were driving each crew
   every numite of the time.
   
   "The contractors were working againsttime due to some legislative
   condition, which required that the construction of the road be
   completed into Fort Worth at a specified time or lose some concession.
   When I started as a water boy the matter of time was urgent. The
   legislature was in session and there was some [skullduggery?] being
   used to give the road builders time to complete to job, but the matter
   was like a bubble and 00033[DEL: fols :DEL] folks were afraid that the
   bubble would burst with each new day.
   
   "The citizens were interested greatly, because success of the
   interprise ment a railroad for Fort Worth, which Dallas then had, and
   everyone were anxious [DEL: ot :DEL] to have a railroad and be put on
   an equal with Dallas. Under the situtation, Dallas would have received
   the cow business, if Fort Worth failed to get the road.
   
   "Many men werer released by their employers, as I were, to augment the
   construction crews.
   
   "The men poured in on shovels, picks and mule teams building the
   grade. It sounded like bedlam, but the road was crawling into Fort
   Worth each minute of the day.
   
   "Mule skinners would be heard yelling at their teams and the snap of
   the blacksnake whip sounded above the din, as the sweating animals
   were hurried with slide loads of dirt. The high places were
   disappearing and the low spots were filling up making a way for the
   [DEL: tier :DEL] tiess and steel.
   
   "It was warm summer weather, which made men and beast appear like all
   were dragged out of the water, but in face of the heat everyone
   hustled against time. I, with the other waterboys, carried enough
   water to float a ship, trying to satisfy the thirst of the sweating
   men.
   
   "The women of the town entered into the race by organizing squads
   which went among the men with hot coffee, snadwiches and other chuck.
   Their chuck, smiles and cheering words helped to kep up the men's
   strenght and willingness and went a long way towards getting the job
   done. 00044"The work took on a carnival spirit among the motley crew
   of workers and everyone entered the work as though [DEL: is :DEL] it
   was a race in which each individual had a personal prize at stake.
   
   "The day finally arrived, July 19, it was, when an engine [DEL: [?]
   :DEL] rolled into town with its whistle blowing steadily, which
   announced that the race had been won, and Fort Worth had a railroad.
   That was a day of celebration and relaxation for the citizens.
   
   "I stayed with the Hurley's for three months and a good spell of the
   [time?] was spent in building the railraid yards.
   
   "When I quit carrying water I took a job working for W.R. Hurley. He
   put me to teaming hauling rock used for paveing Main and Houston
   streets. I hauled rocks from [?] of town, which stone were used for
   the gutters and curbs. The street rocks were shipped in from Dublin
   and Grandbury.
   
   "Before the streets were paved, one did better riding hoss-back
   instead of in a vehicle over the streets. I have often seen rigs
   bogged down during a wet spell and during the dry spells the streets
   were a continuous mess of holes, ruts and bumps.
   
   "For months, before the city officals [made?] final arrangements to
   have the streets paved, there were arguements concerning the matter
   and there was considerable punning back and forth among the citizens.
   There was a [DEL: [?] :DEL] mud hole in front of a business house run
   by one of the officals, who's name I can't recall now, and he was the
   butt of a [?] joek over the muddy streets. One morning when he came to
   open his place of business, there was 00055the tail of a hoss /
   sticking out of the mud hole. On the tail was a written note which
   read as follows: 'I tried to carry my owner up to your store to do
   some trading, but I drownded in your pond'. The tail had been cut off
   of some dead hoss and fastened to a stake which was driven into the
   ground.
   
   "During those days Fort Worth was a real cowtown. Where I came from,
   the only critters I ever saw was the few cattle the farmers raised for
   their own use. The first herd of critters that I saw drifting into
   Fort Worth had me flabgasted. It happened to be one that was over four
   miles long and better than a mile in width. The trail it followed
   entered town about where the St Joseph hospital is now located and run
   to or near hwere Taylor St. in located. The herd were turned at the
   lower end of Taylor St. [DEL: [?] :DEL] drifted E. to cattle pens that
   were located in the neighborhood of the intersection of Lancaster and
   Boaz Streets.
   
   "I watched the waddies work the herd into the pens, watched the chuck
   wagon pull up and the belly-cheater [prepare?] supper. I watched the
   waddies line their flues and I watched a waddy mount his hoss and it
   pitched with him. All this, that I saw, created in me a hankering for
   cow work that I could not overcome. I kept pestering my parents to get
   their consent for me to join up with some [cow outfit?], but they
   would not agree to my request. I [continued?] to work for W.R. Hurley
   hauling material to his construction jobs until I was about 17 years
   old and then quit, because I had a chance to go on a ranch.
   
   "I landed a place with Steve Russell's outfit. His camp was N. of Fort
   Worth and the cattle ranged over an open range. 00066Russell run
   around 2000 head of the Texas longhorn critters.
   
   "Russell did not allow his critters to drift where they pleased and
   that required line riding night and day. The night ridiing was done by
   two men working a four shift, after which they were releaved by two
   others. During the day four men rode the line holding the herd on the
   grazing grounds.
   
   "There were 10 men in the crew including the belly-cheater and the
   hoss wrangler and Wm Thompson was the top-screw. When a storm was
   drifting in on us, the whole crew staryed with the critters and
   sometimes the cooky and the wrangler were called on to help out.
   
   "The country was more or less level prairie where we ranged [DEL: the
   ranged :DEL] the herd, but to the N. and W. of our location was a
   rolling brushy section. Those critters would always indicate when a
   pert strom was headed our way by becoming restless, two or three days
   before a storm hit. The animals [would?] hanker to drift towards the
   hills and brush. When the critters took it in their heads to drift, it
   took all hands to hold it back.
   
   "Only one time did we fail to hold the hard. It was early spring and
   the day was balmy when the animals became fretful and wanted to drift
   west. We held the herd that day and night, but the entire crew had
   riding orders and had to stay with the herd. The critters never bedded
   down [that?] night and continued to mill on into the following day.
   Suddenly, about mid-day the temperature began to drop and went from
   warm to freezing in an hour's time. A sleet strom came in with the
   cold which was driven by a strong wind. 00077"When the sleet began to
   hit, the herd lit out on a run and got away from us waddies. We rode
   for an hour before we could get the herd to milling, but within an
   [hours?] time the herd got away again. We again put the animals into a
   turn, but it was not long till they were off again. They went on one
   run after another until they had us fighting for control in the
   rolling and brush country near Springtown.
   
   "We waddies stayed in our saddles three days and two nights and the
   first day and night we rode against flying and cutting sleet. Our
   faces were raw from the hundreds of slight cuts the ice made. Our
   tape-worms were yelling for chuck, our peepers felt like lead from the
   lack of sleep, but never for one minute did we /let up on our work
   trying to hold that herd.
   
   "Fatty Burk followed us with the chuck wagon and when the storm
   subsided so one or two of us drop out for a short spell, Fatty was
   there with warm coffee and chuck. That black coffee and chuck tasted
   better than any food I have even eaten. I was so famished that I could
   have eaten a skunk and drank its wiffy juice, and enjoyed the feast.
   
   "There were about 300 strays when we got the herd settled down. Two
   waddies were left to [?] the animals while the rest [DEL: [?] :DEL]
   drifted the herd back to their home range. The boys hunting strays
   located practically all the animals and drifted in with those three
   days later.
   
   "We had numerious runs, but nothing like this one I just related. It
   was the worst spell of weather I ever faced while on the range. While
   I was hankering to work on a ranch I did not reckon on fighting a
   stampede for three days in a sleet 00088[?]
   
   "When we returned to the camp I calculated on [quiting?], but after I
   became rested I changed my mind, because [?] old rawhides said the
   storm was the worst they had ever seen in the part of the country.
   Outside of the sleet storm, I enjoyed my work and our living was of
   the best so far as the food was concerned. Fatty Burk was a top chuck
   fixer and made the best of sour-dough bread that I ever have put me
   teeth into. Russell's orders to the cooky was to the effect that he
   would be given dragging orders, if he fell down on keeping the nose
   bag well filled with good chuck. Russell left it up to the cooky to
   order what supplies he needed.
   
   "My wages were $25, each month with flue linning included, so I had
   $25. each month for 'baccy and clothes and amusement.
   
   "For amusement we always rode into Fort Worth and those days there
   were plenty of varity in intertainment. Anything one looked for was
   there and one could shoot the works.
   
   "Often, I have seen a bunch of cowhands drive everybody to cover
   shooting things up. The waddies did the shooting for the fun of seeing
   folks duck for cover. One night I was with a party of about 15
   cowhands and we were having a good time. We [?] visited a lot of
   places in the Rush St. district (now Commerce). All were at the point
   when our hats fit better at the rear of our heads than on the top,
   which was a sign that most anything could expected to start popping.
   We lit into a place which we always refered to as 14 Rush. A bar,
   dance hall, gambling and queans was its combination business. 00099"We
   stood at the bar [?] pizen and then a shot put out a light suddenly.
   The first shot was followed by others quickly, and all the lights were
   out before a person had time to figure what was taking place. Soon as
   the first shot was fired, folks began to run for cover as a bunch of
   rats scamper for their hole. In the flight, some stumbled over chairs,
   some over tables and some over one another.
   
   "We stepped outside, when all the lights wererout on the inside, and
   some of us shot out the street lights which were in the district while
   others shot in the air. The folks on the street ducked for cover
   pronto, including two laws. When all the street lights were out, in
   the square and we couldn't see any humans, we mounted [?] hosses and
   said goodnight to the town.
   
   "The next day was payoff time for the damage we did, so before the
   boys parted a jackpot was made up, which was turned over to Thompson
   and he returned the next day to make payment for the lights we
   destroyed.
   
   "I was with a cousin of mine one night and we went down to visit a
   honky-tonk put on its show, as usual in those days, there were a good
   many waddies in the place. A negro named Sam Houston, crossed one of
   the waddies and the [???] on Sam. The negro was branded for the
   [eternal?] range pronto.
   
   "When the first shot was fired, [??] that we had better leave the
   neighborhood, but cousin insisted that we stick around to see what
   would happen. The shooting didn't stop with killing of the colored
   fellow. Anumber of the cowhands shot out the lights of the place and
   others emptied their guns in the 001010air, as a signal to all
   interested persons that interference would not be tolerated. When the
   shooting on the inside slowed down, we heard shooting on the outside.
   We stepped out to see who was being shot and we saw two laws, Bill and
   Jim Rushing, standing at the side of a pole shooting in the air. They
   too, were giving the warning signal for folks to not interfer with the
   show on the inside.
   
   "I never heard about anything being done to the cowboy who shot the
   colored flunky. The talk was that the flunky got into the way of a
   stray bullet while the cowhands were warming up thier six-guns.
   
   "Those days, Fort Worth was surrounded by cow outfits, with a few
   farms scattered here and there. Any day of the week, and especially
   Saturdays, the streets were dotted with waddies swaggering with their
   attier of chaps, guns and J.B. Stetson hat. Without those parts of the
   cowhands outfit he was undressed. Most all of the waddies were looking
   for some fun and generally found it any form they desired.
   
   "While at camp the boss spent their off hours in various ways, but
   cards held the first place as a method of entertainment. There were
   some mighty good gamblers among the cowhands.
   
   "Our cooky was the best poker player in our outfit. When he came into
   town for a spell of recreation a porker game was what he hunted for. I
   know of one winning of $3000 he pulled down one Saturday night.
   However, he never held onto his winnings, because he couldn't resist
   the roulette wheel. At the roulette wheel he couldn't out guess the
   wheel and little ball 001111as he could a man holding a poker hand.
   
   "Fatty thought he had solved the mystery of the whell one time, but it
   proved to be a fluk. He came into town one pay day and went straight
   to a roulette game. It was about mid-day when he sit down to play. the
   next day at noon he was playing still and sitting on the same stool he
   started on. he had never stopped long enough for his meals those were
   brought to him and he ate while playing.
   
   "I had left Fatty playing that pay day and when he failed to drag into
   camp by the following morning we feared that our chuck fixed had
   gotten into trouble. It darkened our cloud to have our swell
   belly-cheater gone and it cause one of the cowhands to do the cooking.
   So I dragged into town to see what was the trouble. Well, there I
   found him shoving in chips and hauling some back occasionally. At that
   time it was estimated that he had close to $5000 stacked around him.
   He then was so sleepy that he was taking a drink of liquor about every
   thirty minutes to keep himself going
   
   "I tried to have Fatty cash in and come home with me, but I failed to
   get him in that mood. I said to him. 'Fatty you are going to sit there
   till you'r broke or fall of that seat'. He just grunted and kept on
   playing. He started with his month's wages, except a few/ dollars he
   may have spent for clothes. I calculated $5000 was a good winning, but
   not Fatty.
   
   "I left him at the roulette table and told him I would return in a
   couple hours. I reckoned that was about the limit of time he could
   stay awake. When I returned he was leaving 001212the table and the
   professor was handing Fatty $1 to buy 'baccy or eats before starting
   back to camp. Fatty had lost all of his winnings.
   
   "The next day at camp we waddies were cussing Fatty for not quiting
   the game while he was $5000 to the good. His answer was, 'hell boys I
   had $100 worth of fun out of my month's pay.
   
   "While some of the waddies were strongly bent to gambling, others were
   just as strong for the art of roping, shooting and riding. There were
   a great many of the cowhands that were nearly perfect ropers, some
   perfect shots and others finished riders.
   
   "A waddy named Jones that worked with the Russell outfit a short time
   was one waddy that could swing a rope where he wanted it and was
   always practicing when not busy. Many times I have had him rope my
   conk cover off of my head while botheof us were riding at top speed.
   
   "We had no outstanding [shott?] on the Russell outfit, but we did have
   one of the best riders in the country and that was Wm Thompson, our
   top-screw. One of Thompson's accomplishments was his ability to get
   speed out of a hoss, and that caused the whole lot of us to go
   [broke?] betting on him in one of his races.
   
   "One day at noon hour an old fellow came riding into camp on a pert
   looking animal and the fellow was invited to line his [DEL: [?] :DEL]
   flue which he did. In those days it was the custom to feed a stranger
   that called and they were welcome to stay until ready to leave. During
   the meal conversation drifted from one subject another and the visitor
   informed us he was scouting the country 001313for some moneied folks
   who were intending to invest in critters. and then the talk drifted
   around to hosses. The visitor claimed his hoss was the easiest saddle
   in the country and invited anyone of us to ride the animal out to see
   what a fine saddle it was.
   
   "Thompson accepted the invitation and rode the hoss. As Thompson
   started the stranger told Thompson to pour the gut-hooks to the
   critter and get the animal's top speed. When Thompson returned he
   proclaimed the critter a good saddle with fair speed. The words fair
   speed caused the visitor to show resentment and replied:
   
   "'Hell, that critter is the fastest animal you ever straddled'"
   
   "'I [have?] a roan in our remuda that can run rings around that plug
   of yours'", Thompson replied.
   
   "'Alright, I won't go back up on my say-so'". I must ride out a bit
   this evening, but when I return we will have a little run and to make
   it interesting a little bet would be welcome"'. Was the old fellows
   come back at us.
   
   "The stranger departed and we calculated that would be the last we
   would see of him.
   
   "Thompson said the old fellow was jousting us, because the hoss had
   just common speed and that he knew when a hoss was putting out its
   best.
   
   "About an hour before sun-down the visitor returned and anounced he
   was ready for a [little?] run and would take a few bets if it would
   accomadate [??]. We were all anxious to get all 001414our money down
   [which?] we did and the old fellow covered every cent we showed.
   
   "Well, the race was run and the roan was nearly blinded from dirt
   thrown and kicked into its face. So, the stranger rode away with
   around $200 of good U.S. money and we were all broke.
   
   "Now, here is the low-down on what was pulled on us. The old fellow
   had two hosses, that one could not tell apart unless the animals stood
   side by side. The racer he had hid out and while he was suppose to be
   scouting, he was changing hosses and by that trick took all our
   change. We learned that the old fellow made cow camps all over the
   country [??] similar tricks taking the cowhands money.
   
   "I stayed with the Russell outfit till the outfit moved to West Texas,
   as many camps were doing during the '80's. When I quit the range I
   went farming and that business I have followed since.

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