LENN ROBERTS' MEMOIRS - 10 Aug 2001 - Coke County, TX ***************************************************************** 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/ Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net 29 August 2001 ***************************************************************** The Observer/Enterprise, Friday, 10 Aug 2001 LENN ROBERTS' MEMOIRS Written by Lenn Roberts - submitted by Jeffie Roberts Back in the early days - 1920, 1930, 1940's, cotton farming was Coke County's main source of income and the only way to make a living. We had 2 cotton gins in Robert Lee and they each tried to out do the other, so they agreed to gin the first bale free in the fall. So the farmers all tried to get that first bale ginned free. Back about 1926 or '27, we had an early spring and an early cotton crop and our cotton started opening early as most everybody's did. We had a neighbor, Mr. Pat Havins, who lived just over the hill about 1/2 mile away, who liked to do the same thing. So early one Monday morning we started picking cotton and so did our neighbor. We just had a 4 wheel wagon with high sideboards to put our cotton on to take to the gin. Our neighbor, Mr. Havins, had a 4 wheel trailer with high sideboards to put his cotton on that he pulled behind his car. The third morning we had our wagon full and ready to go. We had 2 little wild mules that wanted to run away everytime they were hooked to the wagon. My brother, Alton, was about 16 years old and decided they were the very thing he needed to take the cotton to the gin. Just as we were getting the 2 little mules hooked to the wagon, we heard our neighbor crank up his car. So, as Alton was going out the gate on the road to Robert Lee, Mr. Havins went by. We lived about 7 miles from town over a dirt road and no bridges on the creeks. So there they go neck and neck all the way. As they approached the Colorado River bridge, Mr. Havins had a flat tire on his trailer, rather than stop to fix it, he hobbled on to the gin right behind alton. When they pulled up to the gin, Alton's little mules were foaming with sweat and Mr. Havins' car was boiling hot. When they told the ginners what had happened, he laughed and said he would gin both bales FREE. P.S. Here I go again. I just came in from our Senior Citizens Activity Center (in Abilene) where I go every morning and play pool with my old buddies. Now as I write this last part - Friday, July 13, 2001. I am 87 years old, it give me an odd feeling to know that I am the only one left living out of 5 Roberts families (all who lived in Coke County in the earlier years) No uncles, no aunts, no cousins, but I am thankful that I still have my wife, Irene, and my son, Norman, 2 grandsons, 3 great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. (Bobby Roberts is Lenn's only nephew and family living in Robert Lee, Coke County). Permission granted by Observer/Enterprise for publication in the Coke County TXGenWeb Archives