Sutton County, TX - Bios:  B. M. Halbert

TX BIOS:  B. M. Halbert, Sonora, TX

   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
   
   Folkstuff - Rangelore
   
   Range-lore
   
   Elizabeth Doyle
   
   San Angelo, Texas.
   
   Page one
   
   RANGE-LORE
   
   B. M. Halbert of Sonora, Texas, is one of the oldest and most
   interesting characters of that section which is known as the
   "Ranchmen's Paradise."
   
   "I've been here a long time," said Mr. Halbert, "but I've never
   learned to like cows yet, maybe because my father made me milk them
   when I was a boy. Talk about a goat a-stinkin', why I'd rather smell a
   dozen goats than one old wet cow. You know they always smell worse
   when they're wet and then is when I had to milk.
   
   "I'm a great sheep and goat man but never liked cows and to this good
   day when I see one of the critters
   
     NOTE: C12 - Texas -
     
   00022I always want to join the five W's, an organization which the old
   boys used to have in Sonora. The five W's stood for: We Won't Work,
   Will We, which was a joke of course, but one which ran high and
   afforded lots of fun for the cowboys. All sorts of variations were
   given to the title and each one seemed more ridiculous than the other.
   
   "The new fellows were always in for it when they hit Sonora whether as
   cowboys, sheep herders, or dudes. One especially that I recall right
   now was a young fellow from Galveston who came here to live. He wore
   toothpick shoes and was the object of much scorn because of them. He
   worked in Major Deberry's store by day and stepped high and handsome
   by night. He was in his most imposing outfit one night, when ready for
   a dance, three cowboys made it up to get him. One attempt after
   another was made at the bar to start a fight with him. After several
   drinks, one cowboy proceeded to spit upon the highly polished toe of
   one of the "toothpicks". Wham, went the toe of the "toothpick" right
   under the cowboy's chin and before the other two could realize what
   was happening a fist had punched each of their chins and they were of
   no further use. The fight was over to every one's surprise and the
   wearer of the "toothpicks" was never molested again.
   
   "Speaking of Deberry recalls a joke on him. He 00033came out of his
   store one morning with his shot gun loaded for birds and upon seeing a
   mass of blackbirds right in the middle of the street became so excited
   with the thought of blackbird pie that he fired right into that bunch
   of birds. No sooner done than regretted, for he realized his mistake
   as soon as the crowd began to gather in much excitement, thinking that
   a brawl was on and a murder had been committed. Silently the major
   picked up his birds, put away his gun and went to the courthouse to
   pay his fine. By the time he had done that and set 'em up to
   everybody, his pie had cost him $25.00.
   
   "Pranks and jokes have always been my hobby but I nearly lost the
   friendship of one of my best friends, Dave Woodard over at Coleman,
   Texas, with my two-faced nickel. I won $18.00 off of him with this
   nickel which a Coleman jeweler fixed for me exactly alike on both
   sides. Two years after we had ironed out our differences the nickel
   got away from me but later showed up in a thousand dollars worth of
   change from a San Angelo bank. I used it and showed it to many after I
   got it back but finally it got away again and I am still looking in
   all my change for my two-faced nickel." 0004Range-lore
   
   Elizabeth Doyle
   
   San Angelo, Texas.
   
   BIBLIOGRAPHY
   
   B. M. Halbert, Sonora, Texas, interviewed, November 15, 1937.

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