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Range44ore
.141124beth Doyle
Sea Angels, Texas*
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RANGE -LORE
Granville (Dad) Mahon
of Barnhart same from Brown
County, Texas, to Iron County.
*bon very small lad. He says
he started with the Bel..4 out.
fit when he was just large e-
nough to walk, meaning of course
that he was of a mash family
and was on the job from the begin-
ning* His story fellows:
WI started my range experienee when I eame with
my parents to Iron County as a toddling youngster.
They were ranch people and I never knew anything else.
I learned to ride almost before I eould remember. Old
Geueh'wes my faithful old standby and I rode him long
after I was old enough to out cattle. He wee en old
white horse and seemed to get whiter 80 the years
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went by. I don't know exactly how old he was when he
died but he was a gettin' up in years and I felt like
I'd lost my best friend when he died.
"Mere were quite a few Indians when we came
here end they were still wild enougl: to be dangerous
but our worst encounters with them was when we would
be out on drives and come upon them. They would al-
ways demand a whole beef if not more and if we even
hesitated to give it, they would stampede our herd
and get more than they asked for. We were moving a
herd across the Pecos once and just before we got
to the river two old Indian warriors came riding out
meeting us. One of them could talk a little Lngliah
and as he approached our boss he said, 'Beef, beef?'
This was his first experience with the Indians and he
started in to tell them that they would be killed if
they didn't go back and 'tend to their own business.
At this the Indian began moving his arms and gesturing
wildly, trying to make him understand that they meant
stampede or a beef. I pushed old Gouch up by the side
of the boss and said, 'Better give 'em one then several.'
He yet didn't quite get it but he knew that I knew what
I was talkin' about so he said to the Indian, 'Pick him
out.' They grinned at each other, nodded, and then
rode up and down the herd a few times, muttering and
jabtering before they pointed out a big fat steer. They
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knew their beef cattle all right and the boss said,
'Cut him out, boys,' which we did and went on our way
without being molested further.
"Old Gouoh was noted for how long he would stand
if I dropped my reins on the ground and left him. As
the boys would say, if Goueh was "grounded" he would
stand there 'til he died it I'didn't go beak and piek
up the reins.
"I have seen as nany as 50,000 head of cattle
being handled by ten or twelve eowboys. In fact, I
was in a bunoh of about 30,000 once when ten of us
boys carried them to Wyoming. We had lots of fun
and lots of hardships. It reined nearly every day
we were out and we had to sleep in wet blankets
nearly every night if we cot to sleep at all. Guess
that's why I'm doubled up herc in this chair with
the r'neumatis now end can't get out.
"Bad weather end strance surroundirgs always
wade the cattle troublesome. Um this drive to Wyoming
we had one of the worst stampedes I was ever in. Lightn-
ing was the usual cause during bad weather and when it
got to playin' up and down their horns we knew we were
in for it. It seemed that one always took the lead
and when the start was made that's all it took. The
mud flew as they ran pell-mell over everything in their
path, ve ran those rascals eight long, dark hours be-
fore we even slowed them down. When we finally did
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get them stopped we were so tired and hungry we didn't
much ears what happened but by the time we got break...
fast and got settled down for some rest, up rode several
Indians on some old poor ponies and made it very plain
that they had plenty more Indians that they could bring
out if we failed to give them two beeves. We thought
by their asking for two that they must have a bunch as
they never thought of but one meal at a time and usually
asked for only one. We gave them the two beef cattle
and were glad to be rid of them at that.
"6ome of the old days I wouldn't mind living
over again but not all of them, for times were pretty
tough most of the time for me and I'll just take mine
the rest of the way here in the little old town of
Larnharts nursing my rheumatiz and thinkin' it all
over, day after day."
Range -lore
Eliza be th Doyle
sa n Angelo Texe5.
BIBLIOGRAITY
Grenville Ma Mon, ba rnhe rt Texas, Interviewed,
flovember 18, 1957.