TX BIOS: Floyd Bridges, Coke and Llano Counties, Texas American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940 Item 15 of 42 [Floyd Bridges] {Page image} {Begin page no. 1} Range-lore Annie McAulay Maverick, Texas {Begin handwritten} Interview {End handwritten} Page one {Begin handwritten} Tales - Brief Life Anecdote {End handwritten} RANGE-LORE Floyd Bridges was born in Llano County in 1893. He moved to Coke County in 1910. Mr. Bridges says: "I began riding quite young. I remember very clearly the first round-up I helped with. My father and uncle were with the outfit, in Llano County, and they were camped on the river about twelve miles from our home. My uncle came by our house the first morning after father had gone and persuaded my mother to let me go with them. He told her he would look after me and that they wouldn't be gone more than two or three days. I was only seven years old. They caught me a big gray mount and I rode off with them, feeling bigger than the biggest man there. "They had a negro cook with them. Negroes were scarce in the west at that time, and I hadn't seen many. I asked my uncle how he could make white biscuits with his black hands. {Begin handwritten} C12 - 2/[11?]/41 - [Texas?] {End handwritten} {Page image} {Begin page no. 2} "After the outfit had rounded up, cut and branded all the stuff, they had to hold the herd they wished to ship for five days on the river. For some reason there was a shortage of cars at Llano, the nearest shipping point, and the men had to wait until more cars could be brought in before they could load and ship their stuff out. I was plenty tired when we finally got home. And I'll tell the world I didn't want any more cattle working for awhile. Unlike my grandfather, who wanted my father to be an educated gentleman, my dad wanted me to learn to ride and like stock. He used to take me out with him when I wasn't much more than walking, put me straddle of a horse and tell me to follow him. He believed boys ought to learn to ride young- said it would make 'em tough. And I do like stock but I don't care about living with them all the time." {Page image} {Begin page} Range-lore Annie McAulay Maverick, Texas BIBLIOGRAPHY Floyd Bridges, Bronte, Texas, interviewed March 30, 1938. {Page image} {Begin page no. 1} {Begin handwritten} Beliefs and customs - Occupational lore {End handwritten} Annie McAulay Maverick Texas Runnels County Page One {Begin handwritten} [dup?] {End handwritten} COWBOY LORE FLOYD BRIDGES was born inLanno County in 1893. He moved to Coke {Begin deleted text} ounty {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} County {End handwritten} {End inserted text} {Begin deleted text} and Bronte {End deleted text} in 1910. {Begin deleted text} He was married in 1917 to Miss Leona Grimes of Bronte. At the present time he is in the furniture business at Bronte. He also owns a little farm and ranch across the Colorado river south of Bronte. His father A. L. Bridges a former cattleman and Pioneer citizen of West Texas; also makes his home in Bronte. {End deleted text} Mr. Bridges says; "I began riding quite young. I remember {Begin deleted text} quite {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} very {End handwritten} {End inserted text} clearly the first roundup I helped with, {Begin deleted text} or thought I was helping {End deleted text} . My father and uncle were with the outfit {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} {Begin deleted text} that was having the round-up. It was {End deleted text} in Llano County {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} and {Begin deleted text} the {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} they {End handwritten} {End inserted text} {Begin deleted text} outfit {End deleted text} {Begin deleted text} [?] {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} [were?] {End handwritten} {End inserted text} camped on the river about twelve miles from our home. My Uncle came by our house the {Begin deleted text} firsyt {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} first {End inserted text} morning {Begin deleted text} of the round-up {End deleted text} after father had gone {Begin deleted text} {End deleted text} and persuaded my mother to let me go with them. He told her he would look after me and that they wouldn't be gone more then two or {Begin deleted text} htree {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} three {End handwritten} {End inserted text} days. I was only seven years old. They {Begin deleted text} caughrt {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} caught {End inserted text} me a big gray mount and I rode off with them {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} felling bigger than the biggest man there. {Begin deleted text} I remember the outfit {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} they {End handwritten} {End inserted text} had a negro cook with {Begin deleted text} 'em {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} them {End handwritten} {End inserted text} . {Begin deleted text} Negros {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} Negroes {End handwritten} {End inserted text} were scarce in the West at that time, and I {Begin deleted text} hadNSt {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} hadNt {End inserted text} seen many. I {Begin deleted text} ask {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} asked {End handwritten} {End inserted text} my Uncle how he could make white biscuits with {Begin deleted text} them {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} his {End handwritten} {End inserted text} black hands. {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} After the outfit had rounded up {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} {Begin deleted text} and {End deleted text} cut and branded {Begin deleted text} the {End deleted text} {Begin handwritten} C12 - Texas {End handwritten} {Page image} {Begin page no. 2} all the stuff. {Begin handwritten} / / {End handwritten} They had to hold the herd they wished to ship for five days on the river. For some reason there was a shortage of cars at Llano {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} the nearest shipping point {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} and the men had to wait until more cars could be brought in before {Begin deleted text} [?] {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} they {End handwritten} {End inserted text} could load and ship their stuff out. I was plenty tired when we {Begin deleted text} finnally {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} finally {End inserted text} got home. And I'll tell the world I didn't want any {Begin inserted text} {End inserted text} more cattle working for awhile {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} {Begin deleted text} either {End deleted text} {Begin deleted text} I worked for J. [?]. [?] at Rotan for awhile. I did the ordinary work of a regular cowhand. His was a pretty big outfit, but not like working on the open range. I never knew anything about that except what I've heard my father tell. My father worked in the Big Bend and Alpine country fifty years ago. It was all open range country then. He was connected for a time with The MCAulay and Clampitt outfit of Concho and Tom Green counties. I've heard other men say my father was a real cowhand and bronc rider. My father is helpless now from paralysis and rheumitism, caused no doubt, from exposure to the wether and from riding so many wild horses. The men out there at that time lived with their wagon. They ate and slept outdoors the year around. My Grandfather said he sent my father to school one morning when he was seventeen years old, the next he heard from him he was working in the Big Bend country. My father always liked stock. He never cared for any other kind of work. {End deleted text} {Page image} {Begin page no. 3} Unlike my {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} Grandfather, who wanted my father to be an educated {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} Gentleman, {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} My dad wanted me to learn to ride and like stock. He {Begin deleted text} use {End deleted text} {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} used {End handwritten} {End inserted text} to take me out with him when I wasn't much more than walking, put me straddle of a horse and tell me to follow him. He believed boys ought to learn to ride young, {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} Said it would make {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} em tough. And I do like stock. {Begin deleted text} I'm crazy about my little ranch, {End deleted text} but I don't car about living with them all the time. {Begin inserted text} {Begin handwritten} {End handwritten} {End inserted text} {Begin deleted text} I like my other business to. {End deleted text} Bibliography. Floyd Bridges - Old Cowhand and citizen of Bronte Texas. Interviewed March 30, L938. Information about SGML version of this document. BEST MATCHPREVIOUS NEXT ITEM LISTNEW SEARCH