TX BIOS:  Garland McAulay
   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
   
   Beliefs and customs - Occupational lore
   
   Mrs Annie McAulay
   
   Maverick Texas
   
   Runnels County
   
   Page One [Continuity?]
   
   COWBOY LORE
   
   GARLAND MCAULAY was born at Maverick Runnels County Texas, April 26,
   1897. His parents, Uncle Bill McAulay and wife moved to Runnels County
   in 1879. They settled first on a ranch near Walthall, where they lived
   for several years. In 1883 they moved to Coke County at what was
   known, then as The Live Oak Community. In 1887 They moved to a ranch
   Two miles west of Maverick. Before this time Mr. McAulay had been
   Stockman in Coleman and Bell Counties.
   
   Mr. McAulay says, (Garland) "My father had many trying as well as
   thrilling experiences as a cowman during the early days in Texas. He
   used to tell us boys about some of his scrapes and experiences with
   Indians and about some of the trips he'd made with cattle. How he
   almost starved to death for water, how men would have to drink from
   stagnant pools not fit for cattle hardly. How they spent sleepless
   nights on drives, watching for Indians or other thieves or to keep the
   herd quiet.
   
   I can remember him telling about chasing some Indians once that were
   snooping around and trying to steal, so they thought, My father had a
   horse that could really run, and when he'd shoot between his ears he'd
   never flinch or stop his pace. He had trained him that way on purpose.
   
   He lived in Bell County during his early days in Texas.
   
     NOTE: C12 - 2/11/41 - Texas
     
   00022He was familiar with the ways of the red man. He said the early
   setters suffered many hardships beside the fear of the Indians. Most
   of the very early settlers were stockraisers. There were dry spells
   when the cattlemen would have to move his stock a hundred miles or
   more to find grass and water. Then later, when farms were being
   cultivated they had sandstorms and floods to contend with as well as
   drouths. Nearly all the early farms were on or near the streams.
   
   My father lost his horse and saddle as well as his clothes he had on
   once in attempting to swim the Concho rive4 on his horse during high
   water.
   
   My father and oldest brother made many drives to northern markets
   during his day. He was range boss in his section of the country for
   many years. A man was as good as his word in those days. A cowmans
   word was never doubted until he made it so and that did'nt happen very
   often. I remember how my father tried to instill into the minds of us
   boys the value of Integrity. I can remember that he was very
   hospitable. My parents like others never closed their doors on
   strangers. They lost an oppurtunity to help a friend or neighbor who
   needed it.
   
   I was brought up on a ranch two miles west of Maverick where I was
   born. I began riding a horse at a very early age. I can remember the
   first ime I really helped with cattle work. I was about ten or eleven
   years old. They were having a roundup a few miles south of our home.
   The men had rounded up a few head in a draw. My father was directing
   the work. He told me to stay there and hold those few until the riders
   returned 00033with some more. The cattle grazed peacefully and I soon
   got tired of staying still. I didn't see any harm in riding off just a
   little ways. And so I did. But when I decided to turn back to the
   cattle I found I'd lost my way. I kept riding as fast as I could the
   way I thought was right. Finnally I met my Uncle and he ask me where I
   was going, I told to where they were holding the cattle. He laughed
   and told me I was riding in the opposite direction. So I rode back to
   camp which wassix miles. I had wandered that far. I had enough cattle
   work for awhile butit taught me a lesson and nearly scared the
   stuufins [?] me. I was shore some lost chap.
   
   I had another experience when a boy about fifteen years old. I was
   told to go out in the pasture and bring in a certain bull. I did and
   when I found the steer he didn't seem inclined to move the way I
   wished him to. So, I decided to throw a rope over his horns and try to
   lead him in.
   
   I roped him alright, right around the neck and then I jumped clear of
   my horse. He was a young horse and I didn't know what he might try to
   do. But that old son-of-a-gun the harder the steer set back on the
   rope the harder he pulled until they broke the rope. I got into
   trouble about that too, it was my brothers and right new. I didn't
   want to be laughed at for failing so I rode back home got a horse I
   was used to riding came back and finnally drove that bull home and
   carralled him without anyone seeing me. I got the rope off two if I
   was cornered about it later.
   
   I never rode much for anyone except my father and brother. 00044I
   never made any long drives or worked where there weren't any fences.
   
   I worked on The Canadian Ranch for awhile in 1917 and '18. The work
   was not different from what I was used to. We branded, Rounded up and
   marketed in the usual way. And then we had quite a bit of fence
   building and repairing to do. And some trapping. We spent our
   eveningsplayingpoker or reading, and on payday we usually celebrated
   by going to town for awhile.
   
   My father was the best rider I can remember. I could never ride like
   him. But I did help to break many of his horses during the later
   years. My father was an invalid for twenty years. But he was a
   stockman and business man to the last. He made many trades and
   directed his work lying on his bed.

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