FREESTONE PAST/PRESENT J. R. (Sonny) SESSIONS SCREW WORMS Most drug store cowboys today can’t relate to these little demons that created havoc for the livestock producers, wildlife and sometimes humans. Only us old timers can remember and appreciate their destruction especially in the south and west. It took lots of cowboys and ranch hands, horses and roping when pens not always available. The screwworm fly is A Blow Fly that lays its eggs on any wound or blood that developed into maggots that devour living tissue and often killed the host. The naval on new calves were a must to be watched closely and treated if infected. My Daddy tried to breed where calves came after a killing frost or freeze, I continued this also and when possible smeared the area with medicine. If untreated and infected the animal rarely survived. Before WWII about the only treatment to kill the worms was “Peerless”, a red tinted chloroform which when squirted into the infected area the worms would come out and die, this sometimes had to be done more than once. The infected wound was nasty and smelled so bad you could often smell it before found. Livestock would hide in heavy brush and refuse to come out, this where I learned how to rope, sometimes it easier to get the rope on them than get it off, I had an old cow pony that if you missed with the rope sometimes would catch the goat or small calf with its mouth. New calves and such had to be checked nearly daily as worked fast. After WWII smear 62, a black sticky mess was introduced and worked good, later EQ235 which worked better, if introduced today OSHA probably wouldn’t approve it. An eradication program started in l958 as the female fly only mated once so millions of sterile male flies were released and virtually eliminated during the l960’s with an occasional reification from Mexico. There is still the threat of reinvention from the south and may always be. A lot of us learned to rope during this time. Wildlife was also affected as many young deer and other lost yearly. To me this was the best one thing that ever happened for the livestock producer. We still have the regular maggots, which eat dead tissue, and sometimes used by doctors, these are easy to control Years ago had serious Ear Tick problems that many think came with the Deer brought in for restocking, they were hard to treat, the old arsenic dip in the dipping vats helped some, haven’t seen any since the Fire Ants came, maybe they did something good. Another problem not around anymore is cattle infected with grubs in their back that came from the Heel Fly, started on the heels and worked thru the body and came out on the back causing damage to the carcass, so serious at times the sale barns checked them for the buyers. Cattle seen off in stock ponds in the spring are not cooling off but doing this so the Heel Fly can get to them. Running cattle today very simple compared to days gone by. *** Freestone Co. l965 In l965 District Judges were R.W. Williford and Clarence Ferguson. County Judge L.R. Bonner, Commissioners Hugh Harris, Asa Pickett, Spurgeon Pickens and Jack Cooper. County Attorney was Mr. George Fryer the oldest in Texas, District Clerk Nora Awalt, County Clerk Henry McCormick, Tax Assessor-Collector Jerry Jones, County Treasurer Pat Allen Wood, School Superintendent Ruel Wilson whose secretary paid by the State more than any elected official, County Surveyor Douglas Fryer and J.R. Sessions Jr., Sheriff. The County was on very limited budgets, only the Tax Collector and County Clerk had fulltime help, others had limited part time. The Sheriffs Office had a field deputy and office deputy, the office deputy added that year. The two Jail escapees caught New Mexico, one called from Houston giving up. All DPS out of County one day in January there two fatal vehicle accidents near Streetman at different times at the same place, both elderly locals trying to get across US 75, deputy worked. Arrested 3 on burglary of Kirven Store, one parolee with street name Johnnie Yuma as carried pistol type shotgun like on TV. Mental transit found in old barn, living off road kill rabbits. Big search with Rangers and others for subjects supposed to have kidnapped victim Dallas and going to Alabama to kill Gov. Wallace, man in trouble with wife trying to get sympathy, got to rest in Jail. *** Freestone Co. Historical Comm. March meeting with new Chairman and Secretary Brad and Diane Pullin presenting information on the Bradley, Pullin, Burleson and other related early families. They have never really lived in Freestone Co. before but have many deep roots and interests. The April meeting will be April 3rd. at the Freestone Co. Training Center on US84 at 7:30pm due to the time change. Dallas Co. Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff Bill Decker Al Maddox formerly of Coolidge will speak on the Kennedy assassination and Jack Ruby and Candy Barr. All are invited as every meeting.