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roping all over the wild and wooly west. One glance at
the handsome pictured face of this dashing Young Lockin-
var changed my heart toward all my cowboy suitors and set
me wondering if I had fallen in love with a picture.
"My family decided to move to Tom Green County. be
settled on the North Conch° River and I wau at last in my
own element. I could stay in my saddle from morning un-
til night, eat out of the chuck wagon and attend all the
square deuces for miles around. I hunted and fished and
ran races with the dashing vaqueros and at last the day
of days came. I shall never forget the day I met the
Young Lockinvar of my picture. he wau in his proper set-
ting, at the head of a big drove of horses. Jack was of
one of the oldest families in the state. Their land hold-
ings consisted of fifty sections which stretched across
Tom Green and Runnels Counties and another ranch of fifty-
nine sections in the Fort holtavett Country. The town of
Miles and also Rowena* as well as Harriett were all named
for members of the Miles family. They were in this country
when San Angelo was a mere village of picket houses and
adobe huts, when gambling tables stood on the side walks
and the first theatre company performed in a livery stable.
"Jack and I attended many frontier socials, picnics,
fish frys, races and glorious old time square dances, where
the fiddle, banjo* and guitar made "Sally Gooden", Turkey
in the Straw" and "Pop Goes the Deasel", famous. Thirty
or forty miles was not considered a long distance to go on
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horse back to a dance. After a night of hilarious break
downs we were served black coffee and cake to stimulate
our fagging muscles, for the old time dance was a test
of endurance as well as skill.
"I rode like an Indian and at the age of 16 did
not lack for suitors. I led them all a wild race from
one end of the Conch° Country to the other.
"The most treasured gift that love could buy for me
was a horse, so one of my suitors presented me with a fine
steed, which I called Ball Stockings. My young heart sway-
ed mightily toward the AlAIM)r'. Then another suitor pre-
sented me with a still finer steed to add to my mount, and
asked no to return Ball Stockings to his former owner,
which I refused to do. One night as a bunch of us were
riding out to a dance at the Doak Ranch and I was proudly
mounted upon Ball Stockings, tiding beside my latest suitor
when crack: went a whip across my horse's hips. The jeal-
ous Aionor of Ball Stockings had only meant to interrupt
our conversation but he succeeded beyond his intentions, for
my adorable Ball Stockings broke into a startled and furious
run and I had a race as wildly exciting as my heart could
crave, while Ar anxious comrades flew after me. This sett-
led my interest in the Jealous suitor.
"J'ack's lariat had already Oisburea r;ly heart, anyway,
so we were soon engaged and we married at the old Bailey
home on the T. F. Ranch. A big dinner followed the cere-
mony and the festivities ended in a big square dance that
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night. Each friend took a piece of my wedding veil as a
souvenir and my husband and I came to San Angelo next day
in grand style, riding in a big barouche behind a negro
driver. Again the wide open spaces claimed me, I lived in
the saddle from then on. My honeymoon was spent on horse
back and Jack liked nothing better than to have me at every
round -up and often said he wondered how he had ever made
the long drives without me. Of course I knew he said these
things only to please me but I liked it just the same. One
of his first presonts to me was a fine thorough bred dun horse.
HA was imported from England by Lord Durand and was the darl-
ing of my heart. He could pace his n140 in three minutes.
called him Baby Dun and the magnificent creature became the
apple of my eye. I spent months in gently training him, the
result of which would have given him entry into a circus.
Jack taught him to kneel for am to mount him, bow to the
judge, tell his age by pawing with his left foot and we would
have to teach him to paw one more time each year. When
would go out to bridle him MI would stand on his hind feet,
shake his head at me, then come meekly up and take the bits
in his mouth. His tricks always delighted his many admirers.
Jack gave two choice lots in the business section of San
Angelo for Baby Dun.
"For years the greatest event of our Conoho Country was
our fair. It was a gala week of riding, roping, branding,
contestsiracing and cowboy tournaments of every description.
In the many races I won at the fair, I rode a side saddle with
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big black hair saddle pockets. These were always filled with
cndy, won in racing with the cowboys. For my racing used
a little brown pony called Pumpkin.
"My saddle, bridle, blanket, spurs, quirt, and rope
cost +100.00. My bridle bit was silver mounted. My riding
habit was made of water proof flannel trimmed in big brass
buttons. My hat was a John B. Stetson. I wore buckskin
gauntlet gloves. My boots were calf skin and laced to the
knees. I still have a pair of them. I was a good shot but
never wore a pistol.
"The hardest ride I ever made was after a big mustang
horse. Be was a beautiful creature with long silken mane
and tail. Zack and I captured several of them. This one got
with an old outlaw horse that had on a big bell. We knew se
would have to run him down to catch him, so we started toward
the ranch. Z. ran them about fifteen miles and the clang of
that big bell got louder and louder. I can hear it yet, when
think of that ride. We oaptured the old rascal about sun-
down. I didn't have a dry thread on me. I made tbis ride on
my big Baby than horse.
"Stray horses bothered us so much by getting into the
pasture that one day we roped a bunch of them and tied an old
dry cowhide to each one of their tails. The last we saw of
them, they were going over the hill wt h the -cowhides standing
straight out in the air. We had a good laugh and never saw
the horses again.
"On one occasion we gathered eleven hundred cattle out
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of the Fort McKavett pasture to be moved to Tom Green
County. ;e threw them together on the side of a rooky
hill. Jack cut out all the strays and it fell to my lot
to be placed between the out and the herd, which is very
hard place. One old wild cow was thrown with the cutbacks.
She tried to run over me und get back into the herd. I was
riding a little grey pacing pony named Gland Pap. He was us
quick as lightning. I run that old heifer for thirty minutes.
All at once she made a break, simply sniffing the air. I
slapped my spurs into Grand Pap and wheeled around to head
her off when my saddle turned under his belly and I fell to
the ground among the rocks and mesquite bushes. My horse
planted his foot on the skirt of my riding habit and stopped
dead still. Bless his heart: Jack and the boys came runn-
ing to me but i only had a few bruises and scratches. They
fixed my saddle back on and I went on duty again. This time
I took after that old cow and ran her so far she never came
back. That ended thesomitametiVuntil that night.
"At sun -down the coot struck camp and pitched my tent.
(I always had my individual tent) then he prepared supper, which
consisted of chili beans, flavored with garlic, fried calf meat,
or broiled calf ribs, biscuit bread, bakid in a big iron skil-
let (now called a dutch oven) black coffee, stewed dried ap-
ples, and molasses. Sometimes we had a dish called "Sun -of -a
Gun". All the cowboys considered that a treat and I must say
it was good. When a meal was ready, the cook would holler,
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'Come and get it, or I am going to throw it out'. A part
of the boys held the herd while the others came in and ate,
then they went back on duty and the other boys came in
and ate.
"After supper Jack and I went on first guard. We
were riding around and aroundssinging to keep the cattle
quiet* when all of a sudden a big black cloud cane up and
in a few minutes the lightning was playing around on the
(tows' horns. The thunder was terrific* big drops of rain
began to fall. I was riding a white horse but it was so
dark I could see him only when the lightning flashed. The
cattle were milling and stirring. All the boys were called
out and we were doing pretty well holding them but the storm
was growing worse and worse and the cattle getting more and
more restless. There had been some wire fences built near
where we camped and none of us knew how they ran* so as the
cattle began to break away* the boss hollered 'Let 'em go'*
to all went to the wagon, got in and sat there the rest of
the nicht., i;e. ate breakfast before daylight next morning
and overtook the lead cattle about !seven miles from camp.
We only missed about fifty head and we got them back in the
spring round -up.
"Jack's father owned three of the largest ranches in
Vest Texas and Jack bossed them all. I have worked for
months at a time with my husband* rounding up and branding
cattle. -I went on the drive and helped to throw the cattle
on the round -up grounds. When all the drives were in we
held the herd while the boss rode in and cut out all stray
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cattle. The cut is hard to hold. The cattle out out try
to eet back into the herd and as we keep them out they get
very unruly and it takes a lot of riding to hold them.
"I had seven dandy saddle horses in my mount and they.
were all No. 1 cow horses. Jack was a natural cowboy and
became the champion roper of the world, still holding this
title. Re roped six and seven years old steers weighing
eight and nine hundred pounds, not calves like the champi-
ons of today rope. I would not waste my time looking at
a calf or goat roping now.
"Zack and I rode the rungs together, in all kinds of
weather. When we had a tenderfoot with the outfit the boys
played jokes on him all the time. Some of them were pretty
rough too. If he made a mistake which he *Id in most every-
thing he tried to do, not knowing anything about the cow
business, the boys would bead him over the wagon tongue and
hit him six or eight licks with a pair of leather leggings.
They called that putting the leggings on him. If there was
a creek near by they would throw him in, cloths and all and
tell him to swim or drown.
"Rattlesnakes are the worst enemies the cowboys have.
They seem to want to share the boys' warm beds and often
crawled in among their blankets.
"One night two of the boys made their beds together.
One of the boys could make a hissing sound exactly like a
rattlesnake. after they went to bed and got warm, Frank be-
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gun 'Whips through his teeth. The other old boy came out
of that bed like a wild cat and could not be persuaded to
go back to bed that night, what sleep he got was leaning
against a tree by the fire with a big stick in his hand.
"On another occasion we moved a herd to the Colorado
Ranch on the Colorado River. 40 had been branding and I
was keeping tally. After we had fnished we were so tired
and dirty Jack said,tlatts go to the river and take a
bath', he saddled old Dun, I ,mounted and he rode behind me.
When we got to the river we saw that it was rising. The
water looked dirty and red. I did not go in but Jack took
his bath and we started back to camp. Old Dun was single
footing and Jack slapped him on the hips, he got faster and
pretty soon down he went and I went on over his head about
five feet and landed right on my head. Jack, old Dun and
I were all piled up together. My horse scrambled to his
feet and Jack jumped up and picked me up. I was only stunned
and came out of it in a minute with no bad effects except a
big knot on my head. Jack was not hurt but my darling horse
was standing there shaking all over and covered with dirt.
ills mouth was bleeding as the bit had broken and out it.
The sight of him in that condition hurt me worse than the
fall I got. Baby Dun had stepped into an old out bed and
that caused him to fall. Ordinarily he was as light footed
as an elk.
"hen we got back to the ranch we were rested and
someone suggested that we go hunting. 'We kept a pack of
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hounds in the barn loft so we saddled fresh meats and
turned the dogs out. They were frisky end eager to sum,
barking and yelping, ready to go. It was fun to run end
keep up with than. When we ease to a wire fan*. the bcfu
would jump down and kick the staples out and stand es the
wire uatil we all rode over. rhea the dogs meld eatek
the co tea they had great fat killing then.
01 certainly enjoyed ranch life and wish I seen
live it all over again, but tine bee brought sea Chen$00
that ranching is not what it used to be. I west to asp
that the old fashioned cowboys were the flakiest follies I
ever /mew, loyal and true in every ?Impost and had the
greatest respect for woo**. They meld lay doss their
lives if necessary for a woman. They were congenial MINIS
then selves and would give their be.. the best they bed in
the*. I will always say, link to the cowboys wherever they
may be found and slag to n7self, l's a Jelly ovegirip I
haat cove all the time. I always *stela the gen.et-a-ann
who steals a cow of nine. I eaa ride a browse and ride him
with all ease. I salt rope a streak of lightaimg and ride
it where I please".