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Range -lore
Elizabeth Doyle
San Anrelo, Texas.
RANGL-LaRE
Page one
G. C. Lest came with
her husband and small son from
stephens County, Texas, to the
Eldorado Country in 1889, be-
fore the mad Lend rushes or
even a townsite had been thought
of. With the family dog and her
babe in her arms she herded sheep
by day and listened to the howl-
ing of wolves by night, while her
husband would be away on business
sometimes for weeks at a time. For
six months they lived under a large
live oak tree with only their bedd-
ing, a big skillet and lid, end a
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few tin dishes for a house
keeping outfit.
"When we heard of the wonderful climate and free
range of West Tomas, we thought surely that must be
the place for everyone to go," pleasantly commented
Mrs. C. C. West, gracious little mistress of one of
the loveliest homes in Schleicher County.
";:r. West thought if we could only get here
with our sheep and baby boy that we would never want
or need for anything else.
"In 1889, equipped with a covered wagon, a few
supplies, an ordinary team and a bunch of sheep we
started out. Our sheep had no water for 'three days
and our own supply was running very low when we came
upon some water holes where we camped, from one hole
to another for several days.
"When we reached Schleicher County, water was
still the problem until my husbcnd got help and dug
a well. I cooked all around that well for months end
the few passers—by never failed to stop.
"We camped under a big live oak tree for sir
months before we got a tent. The tent looked like e
mansion to us and we certainly thought we were getting
along then.
"Our sheep were doing well and 1. have taken the
old family dog end my baby and herded them for days,
while best would be away on business. We would
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sleep in the wagon then and always the wolves seemed
to howl more and louder at those times.
"There were a few bad Indians left then, tut
somehow we managed to escape them. I spent many
sleepless nights, however, in horrible fear of them.
"While we were living under the big tree, taster
was approaching and the little boy had been told the
story of the rabbit's laying for him, etc., until I
thought it would be disastrous for taster to come on
and that child without an easter egg. I had one old
dominecker hen and she hadn't laid an egg for weeks
but the day before Easter I was prompted to go to
her coop end she hadn't felled me. Lying there, all
bright and shiny, was a big white egg. It all sounds
foolish now, I know, but I was a fond young mother
in a strange land and to me that egg was a beautiful
sight. Legerly I snatched it up, ran into the house
and be coloring it with my quilt scraps. That was
the prettiest eaeter egg I have ever seen and of
course I have seen every kind since then. The rabbit
had been under a tub for days so we all bed a very
joyful taster, even if we did have only a live oak
tree for a home.
"When we sheared the sheep and took the wool into
San Angelo I went along end when we reached the big
divide and I looked afar over the vest expanse of the
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western country, I thought that indeed this must be
paradise. We had to camp on the way and the few who
passed, stopped and ate with us. On this trip we got
six months' supplies and above all else a 000k stove.
No kind of stove can ever again look to me like that
one did. Later when we had more hands, I have cooked
hundreds of biscuits at a meal on that stove.
"Alen there would be prairie fires, mustang or
antelope drives, they would all gather at our place
for food and we never disappointed then.
"The nearest I ever came to seeinp a gun fight
was between my husband and a man who oame to our place
asking for water for his stock. 91 am very sorry,'
said my husband, 'but we have only drinking water here
and that was bought and hauled five miles.' *I must
have that, my stock are starving,' said the men and
he made for our water barrel while 2.1r. test made for
his gun, with me banging onto his coat tail. I wasn't
much force in size but I hung onto him with all my
might until the man saw what he was in for and fled.
"There was plenty of trouble over the water and
grass between the sheep and cattle men, and fight
after fight ensued but I never knew of any dangerous
gun fights that we sometimes hear of. Fist fights
were common, such as occurred between ---(I'd better
not call names though, they are still living), but
Page five
Mr. Cowman found Mr. Sheepman on his grass. 'Don't you
know those d ---n things will ruin my grass?' he said.
'Get off, yourself,' answered the sheepman, 'this is
as much my land as yours and it will take more than you
to put me off.' The fist-a-cuffy was on and the sheep
men w )n, proving further his equal rights to the wide
open spaces.
"For sometime the only post office in the county
was a large wooden tox nailed on e tig live oak tree
on the Vermont lianch. All the mail for every resident
of the county was placed in this box by the stage
drivers and going to this unique post office amounted
to an event with the few settlers.
best established the first post office in
the first store building in what is now Eldorado. He
was also the first justice of the peso. after the
county was organized and 1 believe the joke still goes
around that my two children same in and said, 'MA are
we justices of the pasoe too, cause pa is?' 'No, child-
ren, no,' I replied, 'just me and your pa-..-ine and your
pa.,
"Specking of stage drivers, I have seen them put
hot bricks to their feet and veils over their faces
and then come in with their faces frozen. I believe
it used to get colder herd than it does now.
"I was called to sick relatives once and took
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the earliest stege out. On down the line when the
mules seemed about run down, bang, went a revolver
riht out over their heads. tithout thought of
announcing hi E intetion he had fired away end the
teem lurched forward into a nee pace. 'Ixouse me,
madalL,' says he, 'I only fire like that to hasten
them on a bit.' 'You can't go too fast for me,' I
replied, 'I'm answering a sick call and can ride as
fast at you can drive.' With that, he used his six-
shooter freely the rest of the way and our arrival
must have been hastened considerably by this means.
"People comnent on my living in such luxury
now. I am grateful for every comfort but I know ex-
actly how it all came. I've done moat every kind of
work known to man or woman. When we were moulding
the concrete blocks out there in the back yard for this
nine room house, I helped just like a man. I scraped
the walls of all nine of these rooms and that big hall
by myself before they were calcimined. ;e have our
own lirtt end gat plants and enjoy many comforts from
them but I always tell people that with any shoring
at all a person can have nearly anything they set out
for if they work to that end long enough and hard e-
nough. ,hen I was living under a tree, herding sheep
with my babe in my arms and using one Lig skillet for
a whole kitchen outfit, I was a lone way trim the big
Page 801,1312
steam heated hams I am enjoying now. our present
basement would have been paradise then.
"Wy Greatest regret is ,that ILet couldn't
have lived end enjoyed these oomforts k.ith us,"
Range -lore
Elizabeth Doyle
San Angelo, Texas.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lars. C. C. West, Eldorado, Texas, interviewed
November 15, 1937.