TX BIOS: Milton Wylie 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 [?] Range-lore Annie McAulay Maverick, Texas RANGE-LORE Milton Wylie was born in Erath County in 1890. He moved with his parents to Coke County in 1899. Mr. Wylie says: "My father didn't move out here so early, but I did have some uncles who were among the first settlers in this part of the country. Henry and R. K., brothers of my father, bought land on the Colorado River, Valley Creek, and some in Coke County in the early days. They ran stuff on the open range out here even earlier than that. "I came from a family of stockmen. There were seven in my grandfather Wylie's family. They all grew up to be cowmen like their father. They also raised a good many 00022horses, and later raised sheep as well as cattle. My father and his brothers rounded up as far as Van Horn, Texas. That was in the open range days and the cattle drifted, sometimes a hundred or two hundred miles. "My father's family had a few skirmishes with the Indians. He was with a party that ran down a band of Indians that had captured two white girls, sisters, and made off with them. When they caught them the girls were unharmed. They told a peculiar story of why the Indians had spared them. They seemed not to be afraid of the blonde sister. The other, who was a brunette, they seemed to hold in awe. When they would act as if they were going to lead the blonde girl off and separate them, the dark one would motion for them to stand back and they would. The sisters said they treated them kindly, feeding them and giving them a blanket to sleep on. They were only with the band, who were Comanches, two or three days before the white men attacked them. They fled at the first fire, leaving the girls to their own people. "Once when my father and two brothers were out with trail herd some Indians stole all their horses except two or three. For some peculiar reason one old Indian, probably the leader, ventured near the camp after the raid and indicated he wanted to pow wow. There was a 00033drouth, and he said his people were hungry. The white men finally agreed to give them a little meal and syrup, a knife or two, and fifty head of cattle if they'd return their saddle horses. They did, and the trail drivers had no further trouble with the Redmen on that trip. "When my father was running a little store in Erath County, where he kept all kinds of frontier products including guns, some Indians came by and wanted to buy some guns. Knowing they'd take the guns and maybe do other damages too, my father said he decided to barter with them. He succeeded in trading them a few guns for some blankets and other things, gave them a little candy and got them to promise to treat other white settlers peaceably. "I've heard my father relate an incident that describes pretty well the character of the men in that day. They seemed to have the utmost confidence in each other. They believed that honesty was truly the best policy. 'A man is as good as his word,' they'd say. My father, at this particular time had, together with a neighbor, each owning a herd, driven the two herds of cattle to Kansas, delivered them and received payment for them in cash, and in one lump sum. The first night after the sale, while father was mending a saddle, the other fellow took the money out of the bag where it was, figured out each man's share and divided it. My father took his share and thanked him, not once 00044doubting or questioning his honesty. The other would have considered it an insult if he had. "My father's brand was TL; he never changed it. Tom's cattle brand was X- and Henry's an X on hip. "I started riding as soon as I was old enough to sit on a horse. I helped with some round-ups when Bill McAulay was round-up boss. They'd always make us kids hold the herd as they'd round up the cattle. "I've known some extra good all around riders and bronc busters. Mrs. Kernie [Mayes?] was the best woman rider I ever knew. She used to help with the round-ups and made a very good hand, too. She and her husband owned a ranch south of Bronte for many years. "Vick Hazelton was the best bronc rider I ever knew. He used to break horses for Ed. Good and other ranchers In Coke County. He didn't need any chute or any help. He'd catch and saddle the broncs, climb into the saddle which might be any kind, and ride 'em. He always rode 'em, too. He was a professional horsebreaker, never rode in shows, but he could beat some of them all to smash. "When we first moved to Coke County, Hayrick was the county seat, and the land where Bronte is now located was the old round-up grounds for this section of the country. Twelve miles south of Bronte there appears to be what was 00055an old Indian camp ground. Many arrows, beads, and grinding stones have been found. There are also several Indian graves on top of the mountain peaks nearby. An Indian battle with the whiter was supposed to have taken place on Kickapoo Creek near Bronte. The band was supposed to have been Kickapoos, and that is where old timers say the creek got its name." *********** REFERENCES:- Milton Wylie, Bronte, Texas. Interviewed August 12, 1938. 00061 Beliefs and Customs - Occupational lore Mrs. Annie McAulay Maverick, Texas Runnels County [Typed?] Page 1. dup COWBOY LORE MILTON WYLIE was born in [DEL: [?] :DEL] Erath County in 1890. He moved with his parents, [DEL: the Tom Wylies, :DEL] to Coke County in 1899. [DEL: His [Father?] bought a ranch adjoining the Alfred McAulay place and lived [?] on that place until he could build one. :DEL] Mr. Wylie says : " My father didn't move out here so early, but did have some uncles who were among the first settlers in this part of the country. Henry and R. K., brothers of my father, bought land on the Colorado River, Valley Creek, and some in Coke County in the early days. They ran stuff on the open range out here even earlier than that. "I come from a family of stockmen. There were [DEL: [?] :DEL] seven boys in my / Grandfather Wylie's family . [DEL: when he lived in Erath and Palo Pinto Counties. :DEL] They all grew up to be cowmen like their father. [DEL: They all ranched in Erath County. Four of them died there. :DEL] They also raised a good many horses, and later raised sheep as well as cattle. My father and his brothers rounded up as far as Van Horn, Texas. That was in the open range days and the cattle drifted, sometimes a hundred or two hundred miles. "My father's family had a few skirmishes with the Indians. He was with a party that ran down a band of Indians that had captured two white girls, [DEL: sister :DEL] sisters and made off with them. NOTE: C12 - 2/11/41 - Texas [DEL: ["?] :DEL] When they caught them the girls were unharmed. They told a peculiar story of why the Indians had spared them. They seemed [DEL: they said :DEL] not to be afraid of the blonde sister. The other, who was 00072a brunette, they seemed to hold in awe. When they would act as if they were [goingto?] lead the blonde girl off and [DEL: [?] :DEL] separate them, the dark one would motion for them to stand [DEL: [?] :DEL] back and they would. The sisters said they treated them kindly, feeding them and giving them a blanket to sleep on. [DEL: ["?] :DEL] They were only with the band, who were Commanches, two or three days before the white men attacked them. They fled at the first fire , leaving the girls to their own people. "Once when my father and two brothers were out with a trail herd same Indians stole all their horses except two or three. For some peculiar reason one old Indian, probably the leader, ventured near the camp after the raid and indicated he wanted to Pow Wow. There was a drouth, and he said his people were hungry. The white men finally agreed to give them a little meal and syrup, a knife or two, and fifty head of cattle if they'd return their saddle horses. They did, and the trail drivers had no further trouble with the Red - men on that trip. "When my father was running a little store in [DEL: [?] :DEL] Erath County, where he kept all kinds of frontier products including guns, some Indians came by and wanted to buy some guns. Knowing they'd take the guns and maybe do other damages too, my father said he decided to barter with them. He succeeded in trading them a few guns for some blankets and other things, gave them a little candy and got them to promise to treat other white settlers peaceably. "I've [DEL: [?] :DEL] heard my father relate an incident that describes pretty well the character of the men in that day. They seemed to have the utmost confidence in each other. They believed that honesty was [tuly?] 00083the best [DEL: police :DEL] policy. [DEL: " :DEL] ' man is as good as his word [DEL: " :DEL] ,' they'd say. [DEL: ["?] :DEL] My father, at this particular time had, together with a neighbor, each owning a herd, [driven?] the two herds of cattle to Kansas, delivered them and received payment for them in cash, and in one lump sum. [DEL: ["?] :DEL] The first night after the sale, while [DEL: my :DEL] father was mending a saddle, the other fellow took the money out of the bag / [where it?] was, figured out each [DEL: [?] :DEL] man's share and divided it. My father took his share and thanked him [DEL: . :DEL] , / Not once doubting or questioning his honesty. The other would have considered it an insult if he had. "My father's brand was TL; he never changed it. Tom's cattle brand was X- and Henry's an X on hip. "I started riding [DEL: myself :DEL] as soon as I was old enough to sit on [q?] horse. I helped with some round-ups when Bill McAulay was round-up boss. They'd always make us kids hold the herd as they'd round up the cattle. [DEL: "I remember Mr. McAulay was said to have the best cutting horse in the country. He called him [Baldface?]. He was a big black with a white face. At my first spring round-up, he rode that horse and was said to have cut more cattle that day than any man there, and he was boss, too. We boys used to take lessons from the older cowmen and it was our greatest ambition to become good riders like them. :DEL] "I've known some extra good all around riders and bronc busters . [DEL: too. :DEL] Mrs. Kernie Mayes was the best woman rider I ever knew. She used to help with the round-ups and made a very good hand, too. She and her husband owned a ranch south of Bronte for many years. 00094"Vick Hazelton was [DEL: , I believe, :DEL] the best bronc rider I ever knew. He used to break horses for Ed Good and other ranchers in Coke County. [DEL: " :DEL] He didn't need any chute or any help. He'd catch and saddle the broncs, climb into the saddle which might be any kind, and ride 'em. He always rode 'em, too. He was a / professional horsebreaker , / Never rode in shows, but he could beat some of them all to smash. "When we first moved to Coke County, Hayrick was the county seat [DEL: . :DEL] , / And the land where Bronte is now located was the old Round-up grounds for this section of the country. Twelve [DEL: mile s :DEL] miles south of Bronte there appears to be what was an old Indian camp ground. Many arrows, beads, and grinding stones have been found. There are also several Indian graves on top of the mountail peaks nearby. An Indian battle with the / Whites was supposed to have taken place on Kickapoo Creek near Bronte. The band was supposed to have been Kickapoos, and that is where old timers say the creek got its name." ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. 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