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Range -lore
Elizabeth Doyle
San Angelo, Texas,
RANGE -LORE
Page one
Mrs. E. L. Dunman of
Coleman, Texas, was born
in Liberty County, Texas in
1848 and has been a native
of the stets for 90 years.
Her husband was the owner
ottheD&OR ranch, one
of the largest in the state.
He brought to this eountry
the famous Double Fleur de
Lis (Lily of ?ranee) brand
and was the fiction abstracter
in Walter Gann'e late novel,
"The Trail Bose", His ranch
which covered a large portion
of the territory between San
Angelo and Coleman, was the
setting and Mre. Duman was
recently presented with an
autographed copy of one of
the first printed.
":ell I've been here ninety years," chuckled -Ts.
Dunmen, end her brown eyes twinkled youthfully cc she con-
tinued. "I tell my friends sometimes that ninety years
is too long a time tut they are kind enourt to tell me they
wish I could live ninety more.
"I knew General Lem Houston when Texas and I were
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both quite young. He would stop with his negro servant
and visit with my uncle, Amos Barber, who lived near the
big hill in Liberty County which beers his name and which
in now the site of the famous barber Hill oil field. He
gore my uncle some of his many books and a table with
folding leaves which is still in the familY*
"my father, T. J. Winfree died when I was one year
old and hell' of every thing he had, land, negroos, cattle
and horses, become mine.
"I was 12 years old when the Civil War broke out
and I married the year it closed. I never had an oil
lamp iLTnv home until 1869. In the fall I would mould
end put away Vle supply of tallow candles. One year I
remember fixing twelve dozen.
"In 1e79 we came to Coleman County with 2,000 heed
of steers. The two children and I rode in a hack, always
keeping within reach •3f the riders in case something went
wrong, we tried to keep far enough ahead to select the
campsites. The first night out on the trail we put the
negro boy, who drove my book, out to watch the horses.
He wasn't very dependable, so as he watched the horses I
watched him. fter awhile Mike, our Irish horse wrangler,
went on watch and we all went to sleep. Next morning
there was no Mike and the horses were also gone. The men
found the horses fifteen miles back the trail toward home
and !Ake had gone three miles back to Fleasantown and got
Page Um*
drunk. Re eons straggling into *amps that evening
looking very sheepish but Mr* Duman did not give him
the scolding that he probably =posted. We needed him
pretty badly so nothing was said end the caravan moved
on toward Brady Mountsiis. Our household goods were
hauled in old Chihuahau, a gigantic old freight wagon.
The old high wheeler was given this name because it
had been used during the Civil War to haul freight out
of Old Mexico. While the historic old wagon was lumber-
ing along with the herd, we got on the wrong road end
was wandering over the mountainous Devil's River obuatry
when my husband overtook us, riding hard* 'Where do you
think you are going?' he shouted* 'We must be erossing
the Alps,' I replied. We were seven miles off the trail
and lost.
As we, crossed the Brody Mountains I WV the trail
followed by the Indians who raided Bluntser's rameh and
killed his taxies* sheep herder* I didn't sleep that
night but the Indians had done their worst in these
parts and we made our destination undisturbed. Whoa
we reeehed Coleman City I chose the present home site
and have lived on it 58 years.
"My husbandes ranch oovered 400 square miles and
lay between the Brady Mountains and the Colorado River.
The cowboys pronounced our brand, Double Flower' -du Loose
and it was made like this X Here la s copy of the old
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original branding iron. I had my sln put that little
shelf right up here by the front door to keep it on,
so it would be handy when so many ask to see it. It
was known from the Platten Bayou to the Pecos from 1873
to 1690. The Fleur do Lis (meaning Lily of Frenoe) had
its origin in the French ancestry of my father's family.
Later it was used on the horses only end the settle were
branded with D on the side and 0 B on the hip, thus
the ranch become known as the D 0-H reneh.
"The old house is still standing in lamer Whitfield's
pasture and is surrounded by many toad memories ai well as
mystery. The old rook oommissary by its side which was
used for supplies and to stow away the oow hands who par-
took too freely of the jug st the big ranch danoes, stands
almost intact, seemingly as good as when /twos built.
"The mystery I refer to has to do with the murder of
one John Fryson who later owned the ranoh end was found
shot to death in his bed in the east room.
"For sometime there were no fences b4t when a fence
dici finally go around our ranch in 1888 there was a lot
of comment on the distant:le between the gates. The south
one was at salt Gap, the east one :Amoy, the north one
fifteen miles below Ballinger, and the one an the west.
side at veint Rook.
"Those were the days when you had to fight to hold
your own in more ways than one. It was ride end ride
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hard, sometimes day and night. Men would be sent out
on what amp termed outside work end often be away six
months, working with outside wagons around water holes
and lakes, throwing settle beck toward the headquarters
ranch. They would sometimes wander 260 miles up and down
the river.
"My husband sold his first ?Gush to the Coneho Cattle
Company. The deal was made in Dallas and the portent wads,
not in cheek but in cash. I remember how bailey awake
ni7hts wondering what to do with all that money. I wanted
hi-. to put it out on interest and live an easier life but
not my husband- no easy going for him. 'I'm too young to
retire,' he said, and went to the Indian Territory and
b)ught a ranch which he later sold to a northern buyer
for 400,000.00. He took life little easier before
he died but he was like I am now, he believed in being
up and at it if there was anything to do. Why I eon
still do more than a lot of these younger women and I
manage to keep busy at something every (My."
Range.-lorto
Elizabeth Doyle
San Angelo, Texas.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC
Urs. R. L. Duman, Coleman, Texas, interviewed,
November 17, 1937.