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XIV. C. A. vohea
Amarillo, Texas
Pioneer womeni axperienees
,ordages 17
iearch 7, 1938
T'otter County
Jistrict 16
200
1
Interview with 411144. C. G. Landis, 1119 4eckson, Auar.1, 1938.
—re. Landis, whore parents pioneered in Belle Uounty, Texas, end/ L1e
sr_T f‘t
adjacent Otiormses, Where as a ginl. she often saw tne early settlers
in that territory pick up roc.<1, and stones from fields before they
could be cultivated nnd MPV, fences of those same stones, pioneered
with her husbnnd in the Texas kenhandle in the early 1901s. mrs.
."andis, n native of the "deep South" kiseiesippi had heard many
stories of Texas She pictured the cowboy as an uncouth individual
with rough dress and rougher manners. e'er idea of a "sweater" was
something to wear instead of a free boarder at a line (Imp or ranch
hendeanrtera during the "elnok" eeeson. Line ridera we -e a deep mys-
lkehe
tery until she found it convenient to board several of *44 type at her
home near the present *tack hall ranch northwest of Amarillo in the
early '90's. here the lucky line riders had a roam in their private
dugout near the Landis home of pine lumber, *here Pre.Landis learned
r<
to know the Panhandle cowboy as he really in a true Wight ol the
saddle and where she laid the foundation of a new home and many
pleasant an4 intereating memories of the country and its people.
1-ra. Landis recalls the Christmas of 1892, spent in this frontier
home, when the ground was covered several inches deep with snow on
the level. Even the line rider boarens staying close to his
dugout. But a little matter of waather diAtkot phase a mother. Are.
itendis bed several Nftlfwii children mad oanta Oleus Day was fast ape
preaching. She had to get to town, Amnrilloi sore way and get something
with which to fill those tiny expectant stockings. 4;he line rider
told her she could not go in that weather. her husband added his
negative nivice. That made the *44444 vote unanimous. She decided
to mate the trip the next maiming. lhe right before the line rider
bandits 2
took two big rocks and placed them on the box stove in his dugout
to heat all day. That night they did ,cyt entirely lose their heat and
were ea ily igirarme4;31nhe morning of the journey. mising early,
Ars. jeandis prepared the children for the trip to town, for halt or
the pleasure of the great day lies in "seeing i4antas at the stores,
even if they were only two or three little frontier generrl stores.
‘lacing the two older children 1- the bed of the wagon, the
heated roots next them to keep them warn, si-e covered them anugly with
blnnet and took the baby on her lap an the spring fleet. A second
blanket coverediloaby and laps of her and hr husband and protecVid
their nether limbs frmm the icy draft .1444eilte beneath the raised
seat.
Across uncharted prairie, where tile snow nnd blotted out every
familiar landmart and trace of roadway, the Idandis family rode
those cold miles to the young cow town of Amarillo. Toys and goodies
for the children's uhristmae RITtlimihtlifti=ellessAsere purchased at bmith
and *Rlker's or one of the other general stores open at that time. Most
of the pioneer stores carried general merchandise, orugr, dry goods,
groceries, often adding OU. postal -10 gOrdiAnnk for good. measure.
Celd ere tire, but heeny, the little cevelcede reeened to
home late in the evening.
r. oeing for meny years connected with the political
and official life of the city, recalls many interesting anecdotes
pertaining to court ere lawyers. on Marrs. e "antuokian practicing law
in the early days or Amarillo with his office where the Oreen building
now is, brought his mother to visit with him from the home state.
Ars. Aarrs,v64 visiting her sonWoffice one day found a group of
political sage, ocotilfing most of the office space and chairs. One
of tne group was ft pompous old gentleman who always knew everything
and everybody to hear him tell it. Introduced by terra to his mother,
he boasted, 'Why, I know Mrs. klarrs well. earn is, a was almost your
Lion Aarrs) father'. After the departure of this bombastic old
Landis 3
fool, Mre Marrs remarked with a lock of dazed surpri e on her race,
"Why, I never saw that man before in my life*.
At still another time the cosmopolitan gentleman, sell -styled,
wee one of a group of NAM Whsitt One of their number said facetiously,
of a long -bearded old man who had jet passed by, "There goes eip
yap Winkle". The know«it-ali gentleman spoke up quickly, Rip
vhy, I used to know him quite well, very well indeed*.
"Vv. Landis, Vito herself has passed the more thanilLiblioally
allotted three score years and ten without a tinge of gray noticeable
in her lovely brown hair, tells the following story of her uother, uto
at 88 still has raven 100K8. A Indy in a group at a quiltir,g bee
once este envio4sly she herself was a grent deal. younger and quite
914A-) 4...4.2-2'
Ars. vireens•(the4a.vws.Abse motheetb-meme) how do you ke)p
gray
your hair so blaot?
are. 0reen, unblin,-cing, replied voirtly, i just drink black cof-
fee.
r Landis alas' relates an amusing incident involving a cosmeties
salesman *he was urging her to buy a certain lotion that would keep
her :looking not a day over thirty*. 'leer son laughed and told the
salesman %not the jok,/ ITaa on him as his moth -r vas ;her 46 or 7. but
the enterprising cosmetics seller was really 13%IiKen in" by the
youthful appearance of his subject. are, Landis at 70 still retains
the appearance of aman at lotto% 20 years younger 4,
-ne of the most exciting experienoes Which Mre. Landie recalls
as a new comer to the plains happened (It, a trip her first, to the
scenic k lo Duro Canyon, where many of the early settlers «en% in the
fall to gather wild grapes and plums which made delicious
conserves, and deep dish cobolers. AAovever Mrr. Landis herself site,
somewhat ruefully, that she never could quite mate grape jelly jell.
Landie
4ne day in votober of 1892, when the grapee were at their ripest
and beet, friends of the Landless in Marino who ran a livery
AIra
stable Rt the present location of Orand and Waver tive.and-ten 94,0210,
came o t and invited the former to go on n fruit.gatnering outing
to the wrand Otnyon of the ranhandle. the next day the party, starting
from the uolither home wiierdthe w. H Fuqua residenae now stands,
made the mit..dey drive to the canyon. 8oho'l was in attestor aria the
wolithere left their children at hams, all excel/11th* aaWY. 'ha Ailvhdisan
had their children with them, the youngest now being the jailer at
Amarillo. Ar. and nra. Landie %aux guilts and blancets and th.: woliters
a mattress an bedding for the two nights which shey expeuted to ekend
in the Yale Duro, the night of their arrival and the secona night
after the one day of gathering grepea and plume and enjoying the
gorgeous view before returning the oecond day-.
etitiftkifttEfOitittilitiiiiiiffitilitttit *Eft +1,4-:-:•ii*fit-•;•
fee
Driving down the canyon floor for five or six miles, they selected
a suitable spot and pitched camp for the night. While the women
folks were nreparing euper, thunder growled overhead. That night rain
Came down in torrents. However, the next morning the group went out
to find the fruit for which they had made th4ong trip. 'he men cut
down trees heavily laden with grape vines tibisted about their
branches and with luscious purple grapes hidden among their otomit
leaven.
Stepping across the tiny trickle *Itch was the creek the women
placed the children on a wagon Shet spread upon the sandy *beach* of
the Plea Duro Creek. Looking up the canyon, Yrs. ',antis beheld a sight
which was strange to her uninitiated eyes.
Calling to her friend, she said, What is that great white mass
Landis
5
up th gorge. I oan't mete out what it is.
never saw anything like it before."
loots lice snow, but
liras aolither,OitiiWt-rW Who was better ecquanited with the
vagaries of the plains than tier friend, took one look at the grayish.'
White wall towering up the canyon and cried, A headrise! Run for
your lives:
U4s. Landis recounts these »Notting mementos
wWe gathered up the youneuns and otarted for oamp scrove the
creek,over which we had stepped but a minutes before* at fast ao
we could go, but before we got across the water was swirling about
us weisi4eep M. Lentils and kr. Golither hurriedly drove the
wagon and teen upon a higher level where they thought they would
be safe from the flood waters, but soon they had to move the outfit
to a frill higher ledge. For three days and nights we stayed in
the canyon with food only forone tiny and the two nights planned
for theouting. We had to wait until the weter receded en ugh CO that
we could find the back trail to the point where we had entered the
canyon, as that was the only way out. There were ne, roads, only
cattle trails* in the :eel) Duro et the time.
Headrises are sudden and swift in the defT canyons and ravines
i*400044 of the high plains A dry arroyo may be e destructive
avalenche of water in a mere fraction of time. Had not the floor of
the canyon been "spread put' at the point wherethe outing group
\„0,4
was caught, the story might h*v a different and tragic ending.
A