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Range -lore
Nellie F. Cox
San Angelo, Texas.
RANGE -LURE
Pape one
",my father's people were connected with the ear-
liest days of Texas Independence," says Mrs. Becky
Sanford of San Angelo, Texas. "General Edward Burle-
son and Dr. Rufus Burleson were cousins of my father.
We are proud of the name.
"It seems that my father moved over the State
considerably, possibly for grass for he had larpe
herds of longhorns. There were no fences, of course,
and riders were kept busy. Mother has cooked for
twenty-five or thirty cowboys at a time.
"I have seen a great many Indians. I remember
seeing an Indian stealing a horse from my father's
barn. He had a rope over the horse's head and the
Indian kept his head and arms right up under the
horse's head and neck to keep father from shooting.
Father shot anyhow and the Indian let go of the horse,
Page two
and ran. He was hit we knew, for the next morning we
saw blood on the ground. The next I remember distinct-
ly of Indians was when we lived where the town of Zephyr
is now. Indians came around all the time but I remember
this distinctly. We had an old man who worked around the
place, helping mother in the kitchen and other chores on
the plies; He had a way of sitting down and taking his
gun apart and cleaning it at very unusual times. Father
told him that some day the Indians would catch him when
he had that gun apart, and, that happened sure enough.
One spring during the round -up they were holdinva
large herd of cattle not far from our house and at noon
this man Devine went out to help hold the herd while
some of the boys came to eat their dinner. Devine sat
down with his back to a tree and took his gun apart.
The Indians were around him before he knew it. The boys
with the herd ran to help Devine and the men from the
house ran out when they heard the shots. I can still
see how Devine looked when they brought him in, laid
him on the bed and pulled out the arrows; one right
under his left eye, two in his chest, one in his left
arm, and one in his back. He didn't live, but neither
did the Indians. The boys chased them, killed them
and got the horses. I don't know whether they buried
the Indians or not, but I remember they brought in the
Indian ponies, saddles, and a big feather headdress
of all kinds rtxsttxtlxtx of feathers. It hung in our
Page three
house for a long time and I have had it on my head lots
of times. Now, here is something about those saddles
but I don't like to have it told out. Those Indian
saddles were made of four sticks, two crossed in front
and two likewise for the back:and buffalo hide was
stretched over it. Father put the saddles on the fence
and we children had a fine time riding on them but in
a day or two, mother found that we had acquired a supply
of body lice. I have always been afraid of Indians. In
the early 90's my husband, then Milt Felton, moved us
out to New Mexico not far from an Indian Reservation.
Bands of them slipped out and carried on devilment. Old
Capitan, Indian Chief, had been sent to the pen for
murdering a family of settlers. We took over part of the
land claimed by Capitantand people warned us to watch
out for him. The irrigated farm was several miles from
the house where we lived. My husband and a young man
went up to the farm to turn on the water and work the
land. Leaving the camp one day, my husband rode horse-
back around the field and as he dismounted his gun came
out of his pocket and discharged, hitting him through
the hip. Now, Capitan was standing on a mountain, heard
the gun and saw my husband fall. He ran to the aid of
Milt but both Milt and Capitan Fere afraid of each
other; Milt afraid of Capitan because of the warnings
and Capitan afraid that my husband would die before
some one came along and he would be accused of murder
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again. Capitan brought my husband to the camp and the
young man came for me and the children. Everybody did
all they could but Milt didn't recover. Capitan did
all he could.
"We were living not far from Ben Ficklin when it
was washed away by the flood: I saw many of the victims
brought out of the water. Some were hanging in the trees
and others were washed away downstream.
"I remember a stage hold-up that took.place about
fifty-one years ago. We were living on Salt Creek.be--
tween San Angelo and the present town of Miles. A
young man who had lived around in the country, boarded
at Jonathan Miles' and worked for Sol Schoonover, de-
cided to turn robber. Our house was on the main road
and travelers frequently stopped for water. This young
man, Andy, came by one day before noon, asked for water
and I told him as I told everybody, 'Help yourself.'
my husband was away from home, but 7:hen dinner time
came the fellow showed up and asked for dinner. I gave
him what I had and he offered me a five dollar bill as
pay. I didn't have any change and told him so. We
watched him go over the hill and supposed that he had
gone on his way but that night at supper time here he
was again. My husband was there by that time and I
told him that the same fellow had been there for dinner.
They sat down and ate, but passed things and did not say
Page five
a word, one to the other. When they had finished eat-
ing, the stranger put down a silver dollar and said to
me, 'Well, I guess that will pay you for both meals.,
That night he held up the stage not far up the road
a
from our house. He pulleilimorrell'
*.Metioan word for feed bag, which is hung oveehorsettit
nose for Bolding feed.
over SaehlaaVa',Itead, tore out the cushions of the coach
and the women all screamed and cried. Sol Schoonover was
a passenger and the robber took Solls gold watch and chain.
In those days the ladies wore "dusters", long coat's gen-
erally made from linen, as protection from dust in travel-
ing. One lady on this stage coach had made a pocket in
the hem of her duster and had put her money in that but
when the robber showed up with his gun, this woman was
so scared that she took her money out of her pocket and
handed it over. A posse of men and officers caught the
robber the next day and he was tried in court and sent
to the pen.
"I have been friends with all the old timers, and
have gone to parties and danced with boys who are now
old men or have passed on."
iengen• lore
Nellie no COX
oan Angelo, Texas.
HVLIX,FAYET
Lra, Leaky ;Anford, ,on Angelo, 'Ames, Intervieved„
February 10, 1936.