[Buster (Dad) DeGraftenried]

Document text

Dist. 1120 El -Aso, Texas
ELLIOTTI ?W
Buster (Dad) Ds Graftenried
Biography
4.14* Q:v'NRI .1)
March 15. 1938
244 words
Bronzed by the unL]i wind. Jad IA) Oraftenried is a real
life model of the old time cawruncher nd ranohman, A. fringe of
snow white hair e..v out beneath .r1 01 tetson hat and his
keen eyes twinkle with merriment while he relates adventures of
pioneer days. His lecs, bowed by sixty years in the saddle.
were encased in fine hand made boots and he rolls a oovlboy ciga.•
rette with the ,recision of P. machine, His genial manner is
typical of western hospitality as he receives visitors in the
home of hie daughter, Mrs. Frank O. Skidmore, where this story
was obtained.
"Wall now be glad to talk with you about the old days.
I enjoy going downtown and talking to some of my old friends for
many of us are passinv on. Take this for instanee as the ease
were." and then he began:
"I was born in Grayson County, Texas. 3eptember 1884 on the
old Do Creftenri3d plantation. I remember the little negro kids
and my man Berry. who carried me about on hie shoulders until I
vis a fairly big led. That plantation was heme until Father Rot
an urge to go farther west so we headed for 1:te frontier which
later became tephens county. It hadn't b en organized yet, but
they had a big picnic ana organized it with ilreckenridge as the
county seat. I crap remember that part of it for the kids had
plenty of fun. Jeveral times we would go back to Grayson county
but every time us kids would start °Ohillins and Pa would rut
us in the wagon and start west again. We settled on the Clear
fork of the Brazos. In front of our cabins we had things aorta

ELLIOTT:PW March 15, 1938
Buster pad) De Graftenried
like brush arbors and *other used to hang quilts up so the
Indians couldn't see us playing. I bet I've been chased a
hundred times by the Indiaos and when asked why they didn't
cateh me I always tell them. "Wall, might as well try
to catch a jack rabbit as to chase me.
I don't remember a lot of thee. things until I meet some
old fellow and start talking and he says "do you remember so
and sot" and that starts things popping in my mind. My old
friend Cop'n John Hughes can remember so many things that
appened while we lived on the Clearfork. Mc was a young men
then in the Banger aerTtee. The Indians billed family by
the name of Lee and I asked Cap*n anghes if he remembered about
it and he said *Wall, I reckon I do, I went down there." Life
was pretty strenuous for the grownups, but we had a lot of fun.
We kids were happy. I can remember the first hat I ever owned.
was a ootton one, and when you rode your pony the hat all went to
crown and you had to reach up and catch it and carry it in
your hand the rest of the day. And that's about all we did was
ride.
In lag we moved to *ow Mexico about Ft. Sumner. There
was just two white families there then. ours and uld Brother
Gayhart who w,As f3erman an As the cowboys said. .A5 had quits a
bunib of little Germans. fie were settled right near the old
homt, of iAlly the Yid. He was killed the sama year we moved
to New mgexioo. I think there were only two counties out there
then. -)an Iliguel and later we helped make Chavez County.
The first work I ever done, was with Caulsey in 1.883.'84
Caulsey was a freighting outfit. They had seven or eight wagons

ILLIOTTON Marsh 15, 191511
Duster (Dad) De Oraftenried
with• seven or eight yolk of oxen to each wagon, and they had a
bent& of extra steers. I was hired to drive the steers. This
outfit hunted some buffalo and sold the *eat, but there were
only a few buffalo left in leao gm I worked for them that yeas
and then they play d out.
Those freiphters weatough as could s_fle. They tell this
story. One time an Indian was trying to buy a (isogon from one
of the Army's generals sad was told. *No you will be shootin: my
soldiers with it." The Indian said, wMs killqa soldiers with
*tit*, me want killum damn freighter.TM. Now those freighting out-
fits were as fine as money could buy. They had to be since they
were the only *sans of bawling supplies. The wagons were huge as
this roe*, heavily built of oak and canvas with water barrels on
the side. They had two Nen to snob wa, on and thty certainly had
team work. They all work just like one man. When there was an
attack from the Indians within five minutes they would have the
wagons in a eirele with water barrels and the steers inside and
they would have out their old buffalo puns end a whole army could-
n't tve gotten to them. The w5gon boss slways rode in front of
the train. It was his job to see that VLe way was clear. It we
came to a piece of timber he would rile in to see if there was
any ambush, If he gave the signal, t,e warons would move up and
in no time the protection would be formed. When there was no
Indian trouble they made camp much the samelfashion at night. One
wagon with the provisions would be in the middle where the cook-
ing would be done. Then one of the boys would take the oxnn out
and let then graze all night. Ns was celled the "nighthawk".

ihustor bed) Ue Cr.f$parjnd
'',I,Arah 15. 1938
I just wish you could 1Lve seen ttavm hitching up in the
mornings. Those ol4 steers were well trained. There was al-
ways so much dust inside the circle you would wonder how the men
evcr got ti* via% animals to the on, but they knew just
where to go. Zhay would wise up Lind stand patiently in plaices
turn t::ose old long horns sidewise, until the bow we in plass
and lock el iaiey »0%114 hitsh the right front oxen first, end
them the next one would follow until they were ell hitehed,
with a shout from the driver they would wheel that old wNgon
cv4t of t%o circle and take their posit -inn rea6y for another
long drive. 1 limrnea s lot from watt:Avg -a treighters and
their teams.
iater thatI wont to work for a little while for the
Jyndicate, up in Us Panhandle Gauntry. Thoy had the famous
LIT brand. They wedo supposed to hwis furnished the money far
the building or the eapitsl buildine at Au4tin. 1 didn't work
for them very long.
Pretty soon after that I went to work for b Lg. Hem, Mho
owned the Ag Pea outfit, and I steye un tit :snob for more
than fifty Yikurer tire been there over since. L reekon I just
helped to make that country. There Wtiml trouble in those days
over the grass. The cattlemen and sheepmen had it, Anti the
nesters, theta, what we cuAled the families that moved in OD US.
4411 couldn't agree about different things, but if ever s body was
intitled to rights. By Giiim I was beeet:Lse I helped to make five
'aunties. But nostaw• Sten couldn't have law and order in these
days. Most of the people can't understand that, for instance
as the ease were. "We lived about thirty miles from the Texas
line on the relives river and in 181194090 it hadn't rained for

IILLIOTTOM MAroh 15, 1938
Buster (Dad) De Gzaftenried
three years to make any grans for the *little and wherever there
was any little grass the aheep.aen cams in and let their sheep
eat all the crass from our outtle. 4:he range was overstocked
with cattle anyhow and there was no grass. That was what caused
the sheepmen and cattlemen's war.
ie were about a hundred miles from nowhere but the mail
passed wury uay in e buckboard on the way to Las 'togas. So I
wrote to 14. Horn to ask him to come down and see if we couldn't
fix up come way to save our enttle as they woman going to die
if, we didn't. Mx. Horn lived in Denver but he came ti Wig*.
by train and it took him three days to cone from Vegas to old
Fort Summer in a buekboard. Things went better with him there.
40 fixed up a little spring. had a lot of hard work but the
cattle rat water.
never had a case in court in ay life. I Just cDuldn't
afford to get into any trouble in that danged aheepmenfe war.
but I've been a witness a lot of time, The easiest tt,ing for me
to do was toimove my cattle back out of trouble, I always told
my men never to kill anyone unlesa they had to) end if they ever
did)never to come balk around my plefle because I didn't want to
get mixed up with tilt, law. The beet thing to do was just to
head into Texas, go right off and never come bask no more.
was a deputy sheriff in those days. but only for my own protectionj
Oapne HUghes knows about that time, He's Just too good a man. ES
was on the laws side and be can't talk much. That's the reason he
doesn't talk about his experiences and he could tell plenty. And
another fine man is old Juan FP4O00. BO is Just about the cleanest
Mexican cuss I ev r knowed in ,ity life. They are Called ilexioans

31.LIOTTOW Marsh 15, 1938
Buster D,4) De Graftenried
in Texas but in New Minnie° they are milled Spanish AmorleanSt
They always called me 'Ad" since I was ebout 22, I work
ed over on the Uatador for nwhile and I met a girl I had knowed
all my life. but I hadn't seen her for a long time. ihr fell in
love and were marled right away. She stayed there and I went
back to the Nom ranch to make a stake, and the !twit thing I
knowed, by jiminy:I had a boy. It took a letter a month to
get there. I struttth around there helping the boys, and was so
proud I'd say "now let Dad do that", so from that tine on they
always called me "Dad", I was the only feller around then parts
that had a kid that they eimed• They might of had plenty of
them but they didn't own then.
The youiw hands wns what we called Buttons if they didn't
like to work very much. That was an old term used by the cow-
men. One old 7:oy o,ime out to work for me, rode in about night
on a little old 7oor pony and asked me about work. Re was
about 17 or 18 I fittel him up irth a bunch of ponies, and
he turned out to be one of tIle Lett hands I vor had on my nla040.
You never aOced a fellow his name and if he told yout you
wouldn't believe it anyhow. This fellow had on a pair of whet we
called Hand-mei.down boots, that is they were)just bought in the
store ac not made to order. So we called him Boots. I had a
xan that lieu workud for me so ion and was such a dependable
man that I counted on him for everything. His name was Dallas,
one eveninkz I looked out and sew a bunch of sheep up in
our pasture so I says )"Where is DallasI want him to go out there
and drive them sheep out of that pasture. They said that they

liar* lb. 1084
didatt hat toyik Se Boots
saps, "lit as as sad dolor than sway, do I lot his 01.1 told
In that It ho get tato oay trouble pot to Dom bask hove as
aka las 'eel Sore* Se Opel* fled. No stesteG off but Se
arm moo haw. but aor tho Shoviff ooso up sod salt thal
licateno bad Om 'Imo* Ws *hoop asap ks: torn It aft amismi
Sas *hasp all oft hod soh tiro to the vamps fie ho. autos
to Wean', thl *rim %At leasir, Int the *woes maid IS
inset amy of SU* f011ore them, toll, 2 wow bend *hat
happonotto Ssott tor shoat two years. Ono day a Lotter OM,
sad salt that he still had the pew sad that 120 was,OlOk sod
Shot Is woodeved it Is had worked for as left ease/A to hove
wale/ oserlam. 4411, I WNW ea Oa books. NIS *ore Mart
I owed boots 14,440,o, I soot ha a ohm* tor Woo. Ho Not
elguld Its IMMO Soots is tho Mottos as I modo out tle shoOk SO
NostS0 sod bo 444004 it beets sod kr golly he get tags noosy.
A few years WO he ease peat -4 our pl4ae vaad stared ali MOS.
oa Its way to airlsoas is saothor trig hurry. So mho as. tin)
right klad Of foils*. U* Imo* Is. to WIPP hie Wan ankto No
*hero mould Savo agyttlaf is %Lot IpAroL, gs •pnot dldet talk
teotinoke Ms was jut* 4 good oportoy. Z. heti ollypod tho butte*,
ne dld sho$ Tog told Illat sat nosey eoltod *ay qamptimas alai, W
VMS Noir Motu 4144 1 WWII Who P44016 fro* the book tt alenver,
nams of the older roam mold probably POsombet it SOW as
the old Teelev lomat or the old Bora tereh. At .as timo I Stoog-
e& V or 0 thseasad sailmelp fball 110414 Sett for between 14 or
If Shossaad bawl it Wass Jarlas She days tbet wo tonsei throe
teraOhlpe e* bed to bowl the *tr. stout /14 altos sad VAO pals
fOSS *1160 boohoo a diatom* of 40 Weft

ZILIOTT: PW Maroh 15, 19361
luster (Dad) De Graftsnried
The big freighting outfits tiought all our supplies from
Amarillo. Us old ignorant sowmen didn't know nothing about
monsy only that we had most ev, ?Ming we needed that mousy
could buy. The way we got our supplies was funny. There was
a little store there in Fort sumnor which asted aorta like a
bank and handled all our money and paid most all our debts. Wo
were so ignorant we didn't know if they cheated us or not. New
as the ease were, the bookkospor in the store in Amarillo would
say to one of the other men, "You had bitter look up and see
when we took that stuff to the Dig pea outfit (that was my outfit)
and the LID outfit," and he would look it up end s-4, 'Wall, its
been about three months since we was out that way and the Pig Pon
outfit has so many men and the LID outfit has so many, so I think
we had better be getting out that way. The next aim we would
know there would be a lot of barrels on the polish, maybe a thousand
pounds of flour, 150 pounds of coffee and all other supplies that
we needed. That would be the lest we would know about it until
the next time they sent us some supplies. They would solicit
for it at the little store in Fort Sumer as there were no banks
in them days out in this country, nor sehools like they have now'
My wife stayed over at Pontales. about 30 miles from the ranch
so the kids could go to school. I've sold off most of the ranch
now. Just kept enough to go back to in the summers. I like fl
Peso, but I get homesick and have to stay up there part of the
time.
fp* (Dad) Be Oraftenried
106 5. California Street
51 Paso, Texas

River about thirty miles below.
New, in looking baok and even what I knew at that time,
as I must of been 9 or 10 years old, my uncle John Selman, my
mother's brother and his wife, my Pa's sister, lived with his
family about half a mile away. I thought at that time, uncle
John was everything and could and did thing*. If it had not
been for uncle John and a few men like his, the Commnobie
Indians would of got all of us. Uncle John was a fighter and
they knew it and so did those thieving white men. Am the
Indians killed the Lee family, the old man, old lady and
oarried off two grown girls and a small boy about seven years
old.
Uncle John went with the soldiers which were at /Oft
Griffin, twenty miles up the Clear Fork River, Uncle John got
the neighbors, a few cowboys and when they were digging the
grave, some one found a young girl dead, shot in the back with
an arrow. I heard uncle John say he couldn't pull the arrow
out so he out it off and bent it over. 'Amy put the three in
one big grave, just wrapped up in some old quilts, The Indians
wouldn't take. rhey took the feather bids and emptied the
feathers out and took the ticking as they needed the cloth for
their own use.
As it was only three miles below our house, I would take
the cattle down that way so I could see the grave. my uncle
John was a good man and stood for fair play. He went with the
soldiers and different scouts after horse thieves.
recall, one time, he come by where I was herding cattle.

46340
Him and three soldiers, negroes. They had two white soldiers as
prisoners. They had deserted and as uncle John knew tho country,
it seems the captain sent uncle John to get them. He had them
tied together so they couldn't run in the brush and get away. They
had one pack mule and it was heavily packed with grub and some
bedding. I was sure sorry for the two men as they was walking
while uncle John and the negroes were riding.
They didn't seem to oars one bit as they were anxious. They
said they were sure glad to see a white man if he did have three
negro soldiers with him as they were about to starve and had to
stay hid and afraid to shoot to kill anything to sat as they
saw Indians. One of them said, "1 have still got my hair and all
I ask is to gat back to the fort where I con eat and sleep in
peace. The woods are full of Indians. ;.e could see them in the
day time and we would stay hid in the thick brush and briers.
It night we could hoar them grunt while looking for us."
I was always glad when uncle John was around as he had a
good gun and would kill deer and turkey. The woods were full of
them. In the winter he would kill hogs and what a time we would
have, as my two brothers, Creed and ",iok, was rt;oing to school
at Fort Griffin.
Twenty miles in those days was all day in a wagon drawn by
a big yoke of steers, big and fat. The steers
and the wagon was uncle John's. It cost money
Pa raised the steers and us boys broke them to
were yearlings, dragging wood to cook with and
the wood played out so we couldn't keep a good
move to more wood. Good idea, he did not have
seej
belonged to Pa
to get a wagon:
work when they
keep warm. When
fire, Pa would
to worry one bit,

-5..
big ones stayed on the bottom in water ten feet deep or more.
remember Unole John eaught a big, yellow cat fish that
weighed 123 pounds. That was the biggest fish I have ever saw.
My uncle John's wife, my aunt Edna, died in 1878 or 79.
Uncle John left that part and moved his children, three boys and
one girl up in the big ben country. My dad moved to Dickens
County, and in 1882 Dad moved to New Mexico. mr day herding was
over. I was about fifteen years old in age and about twenty
five in experience.
I saw in uncle john in 1884, as he had followed a horse
thief from El raso, Amass to old Tose*** on the Canadian River,
700 miles and was taking him beak to 1 Paso. I never saw
uncle John any more but I always held him high in my mind as
his Idea was, Treat the other man right and make him treat you
right or let you alone."
My dad never had a gun. If he had one, it was no account
and he never had any ammunition to shoot with. I guess I took
the idea from uncle John as I went to work for myself at fifteen
years old and I have owned a good gun all my life. -Ath luck
T. have never had to use it. he main thing is, be prepared, look
the other fellow in the eye and be so you can tell him how the
boas eat the cabbage and you are all right in any man's ea.
am 74 years old now and still like to feel the old girl as a pal.
I want to say this, I have been in 71 Paso two years and
have met several old timers. Weryone that know John Selman
spoke highly of him as a citizen. Every one said he was a good
law officer and they didn't know he was any kin to me. He had
lots of ups and downs and had a hard life. Mtly his soul rest in
pease. It took men like him to tame the west and they done a

good job. Look, read of Ll Paso 50 years ago. Look at her
today, 1938. John Selman helped tame her. He was my uncle
both ways.
Buster De Graftenreld
.;e1rose, New Mexico

OTT PW
1701,11,0itN-8CitIMPAYS
C 4
4e,
JUN -6 1938
El Paso, Texas
CONSULTAIU: Duster "Dad" De Graftenreid
uptaricrilits %TA A collar
-1-
Me words
Here "ifid-111-111----Tawo-With-411-11Ki—adadits aiyone would what or 'nee4
bUt Iu1ON4fifaie as the folki iiing a good time, which is
rightliffer..readiong:thej-paiavarimmt litittsaing to the radio, Xattli
craitt=isholirin
In running back over my past life, and everything is in the past now,
I am linking I was just one of the old hands that didtnt amount to much
at the sturt ::)nd ti1l ess at the wind up or last drive.
I am an old man now and I look bask over the old trail and see it as
it was in 1879. I was 15 years old then and on my own.
I uorked for -„Iausey in a bufff:ao camp that winter und'in the spring
and summer of 1880, 1. Lynch came in with .about 1500 head of southern
Texas cattle and turned thAn loose at Spring Lake, justtn Texas and not far
from the New MeA.co line.
Causey was throlvh with his hunting then as the buffalo was a thing
of the past so I went doun to the cow outfit and asked for work. I
didn't think anything of it at that time but I rememb,.r now how the boys
looked al, me rather funny and one of them asked me when I gdt away and how.
I said I had beon viorking for George Causey in a buffalo clamp north and the
work was over and he woulJ now take his kill to Kansas city and sell out:
one of the mull wA.d do all the men 'and boys uho work for Cauaey look and
dress like you do, and I said I dont know why? and he said your clothes are
at least three sizes to big, did you ever have a bath or have you ever had
your hair cut and I know you never saw a razor. Now I tould give most any,
thing A74 :Avolh. picture of myself at that tine. I was small butt, around
100 pounds, my hair down my neck and as black as a Mexicans, fuzz on my

IrrizarT, PW
FOLKLOV:& OLKwAYS
HIV RIENCX3 OF A. GeWBOf
Buster "Dad" Be Iraftenreid
When we were getting our horses issued to us, I heat* mr. Lynch tell
Hugh Loapier, the boss, to -1,ve the kid the littL) ponies as he was
raised on a pony and can show you B14: Boys Alings you never saw before,
because he has put in 8 months with 4eorge Causey and Caueey-knows these
plains as well as any Indian. Gaus y told me he kept the kid with him
and he would bet he could tell the kid .here was a certain lake and
describe it -0 miles north and to go over there and see if there was
any water in it. He might be gone four or five days but he sure can tell
you when he gets back.
It se (Lys there no trails or buahes, just grass and/ level
country. Now and then a big dry lake. To find water, the easiest
way would be to watch the mustan-s as they know the nearest watering
places.
I had carried a rope most of my life and had roped everything
from a rabbit to a cow and horse and I was ops as a calf roper. I
never zeta a rodeo man.
Ne worked and branded calves until f' 11, I think it was November.
Anyway the fr ight waLlons had made severA, trips b:ok and forth from the
rail road at Colorado ity and "Idland. I sent to town and got me some
*lathes and a rell outit it was in those days; a $50.00 saddle, some
good boeto and a 3tetson Hat and a 00.00 six vun and a belt and
,h,n I felt &tool to any man and told th a so. I still believe in being
prepared so you en lick the other fellow in the eye and tell him how
the# bore eat the eabbage.
Now I want to say this, hat I dont think all men 'ho were Galled sow
and horse ,hieves were any such things. in some instances they just

ELLIOTT, PE
FOLKLORE is FOLKWAYS .4.
EXPER/ENCES OF A COWBOY Buster "Poe De Graftenreid
got even withthe outher oucfit. I will try to explain it in my
way of thinking and you can judge for yourself. It was all open
range and cattle would drift in a storm or a ry spell, looking for
water as there never was a cow or horse hat starved for water on
open range. It was 80 miles north to the brakes and on the Canadian
river all in the north brakes was big outfits such as the L St L I To
lel, and worlds of smaller outfits. Their cattle would eons up
oath* plains in a rainy **aeon, drift from one lake to another as the
miter would play out and some would be b0 to a hundred miles from the
hone range. The north men would send their men and wagon south to
seout and got the cattle and bring than back to their ranches. suppose
it was the 101 waron and ranch was on the Simeon. in New Mexico.
They would gathr all cattle belonging north and in such drives they
got everything if us little men were not on the Job our cattle went
north, they didnt see than and of course it is oltstomary that, if there
is a yearling or anything without a brand, it is supposed to belong
to the range it is on. There has been nore trouble and killing over this
than anything as each outfit claimed too big a range.
Say a man working for the Aj and the cattle !rift in from the
north, stay there all summer, that winter those salves woull0 be waned
and of course the A outfit would put their brand on then, knowing they
were not theirs in a inv.
A good cowboy would start him a brand of his own and just as
soon as the A boss found this out he would fire him but nine time out
of ten this old boy would start on his own and usually there is hell pp
pay as it so proved.

ELLIOTT, Pt
FOLKLORE FOLKWAYS
EXPERIENOE3 OF A OtMBOY
Buster "Dad" De Graftenreid
I was still Just a kid, say 17 years old when J. W. Lynch fired
two men that had started a brand of their own. here was lots of
stray cattle on our r/Inge and there would be a large number of un-
branded stuff, so when he fired these two, the other six quit and
when he went to settle up with them, they wouldfnt take his check.
They wanted the money and naturally he didfnt have it and they
wouldnt let him go to Las Vegas after it nor wouldnt let him have
the horses they had been riding. They chewed the rag for two or
three days and it -ot worse. Finally he asked me what I was going
to do and I tole him when he was ,hrough with me I was going home.
He asked 114 if I 'emit in with the other boys and I told him had
nothing to do with it and his check was alrir_ht with me as I suppos-
ed he had fired me with he rest of them. He said no you are still
working but the res of them are not.
The next morning Mr. Lynch told me he wanted me to go to Las
Vegas and get the money so he could settle with the boys. Las Vegas
was 200 miles northwest. The way I would have to go from our ranch to
Fort -Amer was 90 miles from there to Las -egas, 120 Riles in those
days. I had ,00d horse and ranches to stay every night., stayed
two nights and one day with my ma. and family on the Alamogordo and
maybe you think my ma was not glad to see her boy and I was so glad
to see her and my two sisters. I had belt on. two years and ii
seemed a life time.
I got to Lae Vegas on time and stayed two days. Mrs. Lynch fitted
me out with reel clothes. First was a silk suit of underwear and
then a wide silk belt sewed to my clothes, then another suit of
flannels and a good heavy over shirt and a pair of overshoes and a

SLLIOTT, PW
FOLKLORIC FOLKWAYS
MENI liOEJ t JO qff Buster "Dad" De Graftenreid
sheep lined overcoat and some mWens.
Mrs. Lynch told me the beet way to go,going back. I was to go
north by the Bell rich, from t,here to a store they called 741deel
I would go on top of qte plains here and on to 1)ring lake. No
road, nothing but the level plainu. MTL. Lynch said this is the
11th of Desemher and you are to be at Horse Lake the 16th and
stay there until meets you. A) TAA know where Horse Lake is?.
I said yes, Hore Lake is 5 miles north of the rAnch and its 75
miles from Endee to the rlinch and no road.
3he game me several letters for J. and said for God sake be ears—
ful and be there on the 16th as it might mean his life. I told her not
to be afraid as those old boys csuld nit hurt him, they *met want the
horses and er,A afford to sell them.
Everything went fine and I made time alright. It snowed all
day the 14th but taent very cold. I got to Yzidee just at dark. 'Days
are short in Deeember.
ltere was a man and woman at 7nidee named Curtis. I got well
am:uainted with them afterward. its ClIrtls woman got drowned when
helping him with a bunch of cattle croin th Ainadian River when
lu
was up. Our 19 *tad she must hose struck c,alk sand as both she
and her horse drowned before he ,ould save her. He ot her out but
she was dead. He never got the horse or saddle. Tald the horse
never did even corn: up as the sand covered him up. Old Jurtis never
did get over his wife*, •death. lie was well fixed at one time in :he
cow business. He ranched on the Tiaban, east of ort 3umner. He
died in lik;6 vt Fort Sumner broke and hating the world and everyone
in it as he had lost in a big wir.

nuorr; FIT
FOLKLORIC FOLKWAYS .8.
EXPERIENC OF 0041100r
Duster "Dad De Graftenreid
mustangs and knew by that I was going toward water. 3oon I came in
sight of lakes I reeogonized and then I realised I was about 20 miles
from the ranch.
It was a great relief to know exactly where I was and stopped
and unsaddled. I was tired and sleepy so I found a clear spot and
stretched out. I must of slept hree hours and I think he horse did to
as he lay down.
After getting a good sleep I got up and started out in a high
lope. I soon struck the draw Horse Lake was on and I went down the
draw until I cam. to the lake. Aare was lots of water and quite a
few eattle. Ihey had broken the ice and I watered the horse. He sure
was dry as he wasInt used to oing without water for 48 hours like the
range ponies.
I rode down the draw until it turned east allays frcm the ranch,
than I could see the big white sand hills just north of the much.
It was getting late and I oouldnt see any one. I waited about a
half hour and I notioad my horse looking east ani I saw someone but
from the wrong direction. 4 got on my horse and rode out of sight
knowing I Gould out run him, if it wasInt Z. W. He said he saw I was
about to high tail it so he took off his coat and waved it in the
right way, which was around and then down, I then knew for sure it
was Z. W.
he first thing he said was, you young coyote you made it, how
are you? How is my wife and nuby, That was his girl. I gave him the
letters and as we rode alone he read the one from his wife and began
to law* and said I guess ell woman are afraid.

1111MIOTT, Pit
FOLKLORE FOLKWLYS
EXPERIENOEs OR k 00WOY
Buster "Dad" De Graftenrsid
Well. we fooled he )c)5, -s A.ri ht. They were waiting rind watching ti -L;
Tvad and had boon for severl. hours. We rode on over to the ranch
and the boys seemed flad o see me and the first thing they asked
was which way did you come, how and when? I told them' and they look-
ed blank and said it was 80 or 90 miles to Endee and not a dam
switch between here and there.
Well after good dark the last two boys came in and maybe you think
their eyes didnt bug out when they saw me. dater supper and the
dishes eleuned off the table, is told thou, he was ready to pay them
off. He got his time book and had their time all ready figured out
and Wilted every one if it was right as he read off their names. Ewa: one
said yes. :lien he turned to me and said now you give me that money that you
have and I said if I've got any money I dont know it. He told me to
pull off my overskirt and we will see. eli Ar, that belt was full of
bills: 2, 5, 10 and. 2008 to the amount of $12b0.00. I never sew so much
money before in my life and neither had lie ol,her boys. He paid the 140ye
and they Al agreed that he didtnt owe them a cent. ,hAl he said, I'm
telling you toys thia outfit belongs to me, horses and ull and after
breakfast I wl,nt every dam one of you to leave here. I An now holding
the winning hand and will play it to the limit. Up until now you' had
the winning hand but ou played it out. Someone said, Hell, 1:ts forget
it and have a ood game Ii of draw poker as the kid has brought MEI
three new decks of cards.
That started a poker game and about midnight I was broke and
sleepy and went to bed. Ile next morning some of the boys was still in
the game and some broke.

TZLIOTT, PW -10-
FOLKLOWl'i FOLKWAYS
71KPERIII0W.; A JO'a tY BUSTER "DAD" DE GRAFTENREID
Lynch and the Boys cuarreled all day over a brand the boys had started.
It was Ai_ and Lynahs brand was l_a They had it up and down but
didnt do anything.
Lynch got ready to start home to Las Vegas and said he would be
back as socn as he could and bring more men. He told ms to rids
every day and watch out and see if they brand or make A. cut of
If so you put the A book on and what I do will be plenty.
I will stay all night at Carters onight, get one of them to go to
Fort .;umner and on if necessary. It is up to you Until I get tack,
so do the beet you can, good bye. And he 1c44 gone.
!here was oix men. our of them afoot. Harry Blocker had a
horse and ;omsock n1 o. They both left going aou h to town. That
left Iom Pridemore, Hugh Leaper, John lull, on qllis and Old Nike the
cook.
Harry Blocker and Comstock had won most of the money, hence the
hurry to get o town and away. The others stayed and played cards as it
was about even with them.
Hugh Leaper, the I Boss, had started the brand and ,hese
four men were to be pardnens in it alit& they had fallen out over the way
things had ono.
I solo Hugh Leaper my private horse for $60.00 and he bou.;ht
the A interest in the cattle, giving each $15.00 and sole as the
brand for :',60.00. They all signed the bill of sale, signed by Old
Mike. I borrowed Z10.00 from iom Pridemore and Hugh left for Fart
,umner. I never saw him any more but I ard plenty as he 'staid up
in ,anta Fe.

FILTOTT. Ft
FOLKLOW: FOLKWAYS
ar A JO HOY BucrmR "DAD" DE GRAFTIZIR:ID
I loaned th other boys horse to ride with the promise they
would send thorn back ind in qood shape and they did. Men's word was
,Ood them days in such deals, but not !,lo good now.
Tom Pridemore was gone 10 or 15 days and cume back.
I got ahead on my story but I want to tell about the time just
before Ohristmas, we had killed a fat yerling for beef. Three men
were there and of course Old Mike. We got after Mike to make a
oaks or pie as it was Ohristmas. HO said how in the hell would you
make a cake without sw7ar or milk, just sour dough is all we have.
I got to prouling around thi store room wheru the flour and stuff
was kept and found 3 cans of tomatoes, 2 cans of corn and some prunes.
Lots of beans but no bacon. The cook in th bugtaio okay put tallow
in the beans and tivl were good so we did likewise and he had a fine
Christmas dinner.
Tom told me to get the bucket and he would saddle up his horse and
rope that .cow we killed the elisling of. Her bag was full of milk and I
was right there with the bucket. He rode around lose and laid the rope
on Ler and she was just as g.ntle as could be. I milked her and rubbed and
petted her good. That night :tam walked out %here a foot, pitched tht rope on
her and we put her in the lot wi h the horses and fed her corn and hay.
She got so gentle she would come to the kitchen door and eat anything we would
put out for her. he was a pretty little thing and we called her "Puskins".
This is the first cow I ever stole. I ill tell you how it was later.
Olk Mike the cOok, lett just after Christmas. The freight wagon
c me by and had supplies for us, Flour, (settee, sugar, can corn and toma-

ELLIOTT, PW
FOLKLOR FOLKWAY0
EXPERIaTCES OF A 004 :TT Buster "Dad" De Graftenraid
-1E-
toes, prunes, dried apples, matches, 10 pounds of Bull')urham and
plenty of bro'n papers. But I believe I was EMU* out of the 3 boxes
of 44 cartridges as I only had 3 in my gun and I would not shoot then
at anything.
They had 1500 pounds of corn and a lettor from Z. W. to as telling
me to feed the horses light, just so they would be in good shape in
the spring as all the cat6le had drifted south and he couldnt do any
'S
thing with them until grass some so/Sould work. He said he would be
there in April sometime.
Uell the cattle hadtnt drifted as bad as we thought as we wore feed-
ing 10 head of saddle horses and they were good pieties and fat. Tom
and myself got right on the Pk, would go south just as far as possible,
start the cattle back and they would come on in to water as there was
fine grass everywhere and big sand hills south and the cattle would
stop in them out of the wind and then lioy nould drift out as the sand
would be too cold on their feet and they 70111dtnt lay don. Show
stayed in the big sand hills all winter so (tattle and mustangs ate snow and
stayed fat.
Well in April, J. came with a wagon and some more horses and
5 men. Mostly hack drivers and bright like boys and a brand new boss.
His name was Zoe Fuller, He wee supposed to be a killer and Al around
bad umbert. He had on two guns and a pair of big A.ack haps made out
of goat hide. The rest of the boys had big Chaps and big hats. They
wore their shape all the time and each one had a slicker (they called it
rain coat) which they kept tied behind their saddle. If me or TOM had
ODA it was always in the wagon if we needed it. It hardly ever rained
;anyway.

7,LLIOTTI PW
FOLKLOW & FOLKWAY'S
'aPERIEFOES OF A COW BOY
BUSTER "DAD" DE GAAFTEWID
anyway. s found shape to hot and cluday and there wasInt a bush in 50
miles and I couldent see any use for shops if I'd had thee. None of
the old plains boys wore them.
Is we learned Lynch had sold the A ik• (tattle and ranch to
Lee and Fost, two lawyers at Las Volvo. Young Vita Lee would be in charge
after we counted and turned over the A cattle. Lynch -ould hold the
steers and Li cattle and trail th;:m over into New P'exico to a ranch
he had boucht on the onüose about 12 miles below Puertaluna, thriv-
ing little Mexican toAt and about 12 miles from my -dadi ranch.
Our horses had wintered good and tild and hard to ride. Tom and I
had or pick of mounts. We each cot 8 horses after Joe uller picked
his. He was a big man, weiOled about 200 pounds. He picked the big ones
and then the fun started as the bigeer the horse the harder they. are to
ride.
I. was a big min too. I guess he wei bed 200 or more. Ho
had his two buggy horses and a saddle horse. He didnt need much of a mount
as all he did was brag of wkt he had done and would do. Those boys
that mr. Trynch brought out sould'nt rope, or do much of anything else but
thlk but if thy id catch a horse at all it would be around his belly
and all hell could'nt hold him. There would be three or four of them
holding the reap and laucfilAg f_Lt to kill. That was alright as long
as they werlin the c..orral.
011 we got ev ry6hing loaded on the wagon and we pulled out for
Yellow House Uanyon, the DZ ranch owned b. in en u Tremble. The other
outfits would be here. ffis went about 10 miles and stopped for dinner.

ELLIOTT, Pt
FOLKLORE II FOLKWAYS
EXP RIENOES OF A 004 20Y Buster "Dad" iv Graftenreid
Everyone unsaddled and turned their horses loose. J. noticed it
and aked Joe who he had to rustle horses and Joe said, why Buster,
the kid, he has been driving them up and I told hie he had,nt said
anything to no about it and I had turned my horse loose, thinking he
had told some one to keep his horse. J. feoe sure did turn red
when ma and Tom looked at him and grinned. Then he fell apart and
oussed the whole outfit and then some. To keep out of it I got a
muzzle with some corn in it and went out to Old Barney, the horse I
rode from Vegas, held it where he could see the muzzle and hear the
corn rattle and here he come. As I slipped the muzzle on his nose,
the rope went over his head.
Just as I got back to the waron the 000k hollered Chuck and the
Hack Driver Boys made good hands there alright. I filled mp my
plate and L;ot back to one -ide so I could hold the rope on my horse
and Joe brought his plate and sot down close to me and said, Buster
from now on you will take care of the horses. Now I was falling
from a top cow hand to he low degree of a horse wrangler. It made
me so mad at first I was completely dumb and couldnt say an/thing.
About that time old Tom gave one of his big nigger laughs and says
boy, you are climbing but down. Then I told Zoe 1 would take care of
them just one time and that would be wh-n I wounded th-m in as I
have done quit and wont have to etch anything but my pack of horse.
After dinner I told J. A. I would uit and settle up andwhile is
were talking Tom Game up and Said J. W. if you awe us anything make out
my time as I an with Buster _ Z W. went All to pieees ami said, I

ELLIOTT PW
FOLKLORIC a FouwArs
xxpramols or A COW BOW Buster "Dad" Do Owaftonreid
mit settle up with either of you and I will run this outfit myself and
said to ms to drive the horses in and we will be on our way.
When I got the horses to the wagon, Ton had tho boys lined up with
ropes and I drove them in. J. W. told Tom to rope each man a horse
out of their mount and to be dam sure he is gentle as we havint time
to run a horse loose with a saddle. Ton must have done a good job
as we didnt have any trouble.
We three got to ether and tal_Ad it over and as J. Said he
would be boss and have Tom as his straw boss and put Joe boss of/ day
herds and he wouldnt know any better. ve hen 1,ad a big laugh and every-,
thing was Al fine again.
I often think now of how mean and onery I was to tbose grasp
boys. They thought they knew everything and thought it groat fun with
nothing to do but ride a ony, but they soon found out. I remember
how they were always chasing mustangs or antelope, just to sum them run.
When ,om would rope his horse out and put his rope on him and tell
them not to let him get away from you and so on until the last horse was
*aught and then the run ammeneed. be poor devils dittnt know how to
hold and saddle a half wild pony. You have to hold him with one hand
and saddle him with the other. I ‘Jould saddle up first, have everytling
ready and watch. I would have a loop all roady made and my rope ties
to my saddle horn. If the pony didvnt get away from him while he was
trying to get on ho would pitch and about the fifth jump he would
throw the old boy off and away he would start.

SLUM, PW
FOLKLORE FOLKWAYS
EXPERIENCES OF A COW BOY
Buster "DM" De Graftenreid
.1 mould be right at him and just as he left the pony I would be there
with my rope ready. Never throw at the ponys head but rope the
saddle and boy would I wreck things. Three times out of five
I ould tear his cheap saddle. up, such as jerking the horn off or
breaking the cinch and straps. Just plain mean w,s all I was.
We old hands had our guns in our beds and went as light as
possible, he town boys caught on and done the Erma as they saw their chaps
were too hot and heavy to pack.
One morning one of the boys ponies threw him off and I roped the
saddle and jerked him down two or three times and in some way :he
pity made a run by Iom and he threw his loop and Joe Fuller was
standing just in front of Tom and he caught Jois pony around the
neck. About that time I gave too much slack and there was two pony's
a man and two six :Ains all piled up and I want to say it was some mix
up. It seemed just as one would get up the otUr would jerk him down and
for five minutes all I could do was laugh. Old Tom said all of my money
is on Joe as he is under the bottom most of the time and not doing a thin&
pull your pony out of the way so Joe ean get up and then I come to
my -silt and jerked him 4piwit out of the way.
A kid by the name of Tat s Who was borned and reared in Las
Vegas told me Am% Joe was doing a great deal of plotting as to what he
was going to do.
I nicknamed Tatos "Coyote". He was red headed and all Irish. HO
talked good Mex. He was about 17 which was about my own age. We soon
became good friends and in later years he made real sow boy.

ELLIOTT PW -17-
OLKLOin fc. FOLKWAV3
EXEERIENCES OF A COW Arf Buster "Dad De Graftsnreid
It seamed that Joe had it in for me in a big Tay. I was just a kid
and small, but omes bullies are that way.
Coyotes horse fell with him one dy an rAl off with his
saddle. I went after th pony on tbs dead run. He went south and our
ranch was north. I knew there was a ranch at Silver Lake about 20 miles
south. I knew th': only way to catch him was wear him out and he would
turn back as I couldtnt run on to him.
Late that ovAling I commenced to see eattle and more cattle and
then had a good idea that the rtneh was within -8 or 10 miles. I saw a
man driving four or five cattle and I rode up to him and he was driving
up the milk cows. After telling him my troubles he said there were some
horses close to acme we were and that we would give him a run to them
because iS it gets dark you will lose him. This we did and he was
sired we knew he would stay with the other horses so we lot him alone
and went on to the ranch just under the hill out of sight of Silver
Lake. It was one of NUmans and Trembles Di ranches.
There were three hands at the ranoh and they had 3 buffalo
calves raisin, thAti. hose cows I man ioned weo 1.1, they didnt milk
theme just turned thst in the little pen and I want to say I got a
leson. 'lives' cows tried to fight the calves but a buffalo calf smoke
from behind the cows. One calf will run to her side and r771a his head or
nose between her hind legs and .grab a tit and swing on. The cow kicked
and whirled around but the calves stayed ri ht there. The boys said they
yore not a bit of trouble and about three months old. They would turn
them out with the cows and they would try to suck everything they oould
get to.

ELLIOTT PT
Fulmar FOLK -4'17s
rICFErT7101;r1 CF A COW DOT
Buster "ad" Ds Orafteareid
These were fins boys and glad to see a stranFer and we got news both ways.
Next morning one of the boys rustled horse and went and attended
the cows and oalves. Myself nnd the others had chuck ready after the
chores 'evident,. Then we want out about three miles and saw the pony
I was after. He was with a bane* of cattle. Wik divided two on either
side, lesving a big space between us and finally we closed in on his and ho
started west and north. The ranch pen and horse were south west, He had
*beat halt a ails start. I ma nun and oast, the two bore started
otter his and I said gmaiubpp good We, bat not so. They tot* his 'lout
five miles and turns* hin towards the ranch ung begin to Sroud in on
his and when I got to then they had their ropes made into a geed big
loop and was laying it on that pony about right. He was glad to find
the gate and then everything wee alright again.
I had heard about the Newman and Tremble horses being steel
dust stock and race horses. I know they were the best I had ewer aim
at that time. They were all bays and sorrels.
The boys wanted no to lay over and rest but we were short handed
and Ton would have to make two hands as he hack driver cow boy* would
got lost if they got out of signt of the herd.
It was about 20 miles back. Alicy had moved on about eight
miles to another lake and a road there that went by big Salt Lake in
New Mexico. Iget to the wagon just as the seeond guard was gotta
on. I sure was tired and hungry. Old Coyote stood my guard and his
toe, making it half of the night. He borrowed one of the boys *addles
at night but rode bare leek in the day an day bard.
Vim next morning I missed Jae and asked about his. They eaid*a
freight wagon same by anu he had gait and gone with that. I said that

ELLIOTT PW
FOLKLORE FOLKWAYS
UPERIENCES OF A 00W BOY Buster "Dad" De Orafteureld
was just too bade he wasut ors a good day herder. iv W. said you are
dam her, he can sure see that the girls are on the hob and a tall seat
every dance and he can cell the 6horteat sets, he is all right as a
roustery You and Ton are to blame and now you will have tio do the work
of three men.
We were up in the range and Sates Brothers three or four stray
men same to our wagon and it made it easier on Ten and myself as they mal
Wanted and good *ow boys. We played lots of pranks on the bask driver
boys but *t was tia education to Mims sad most of thole termed out to be
real fellows.
We got back to the ranch, branded out the A cattle. Via Lee
$ust a on the shoulder as a %alloy breed, as the outside *skeane in
with what they had they were tallied out and turned loose.
The Syn icate was Tensing their land and all ranchers v.ould
have to move out.
George Causal' with his S -B settle moved south* The Carter
Brothers moved from the Black Water to the Fria Blanco in New
Vick Lee with his AL settle moved to Coyote Lake in NOV iSX.1.00•
Our himd was rear, the Li and steers and stook settle.
had gathered the A4. that I had bought from the four boys for $40.00
There were 72 head of Me less than a dollar a head and I was in the
sow business to stay.
Now I will tell this story as I etarted it. The owners of
4 ranch learning their men to steal as iv W. did no there were lots or
stray settle that belonged to big sempanies north and i. W. would
tell as or Tca we will have to have a best se to veal& get a big tat
coat aebranded. Wheat. found one weaned we would put the Ati-- on it whit*
was all right, it wus on his rues*.

ELLIOIT 141
TOLLLOIM& FOLLIATt
NIPERI7Mn or 002 BOY ..I.M.111 01)-4)". DE GRAM1IRTUD
moll we started our herd and Viok Lee and his men out our herd. We
pulled out rid vvat about 7 miles and etiewed for the ni6ht. J. 24, oftme
to me ant told me all about the rind& he had bought and rhat we would
co nd to on and said now you kno where the little milk sow rune
and eau find her. Lee wont see our herd any more and I doubt it if
he Amid tell a cow from a ettAfr if he doe. I vent bask and in no
time I Vound the lit Lie mtjoh oow and put her in our herd as third
guard was domin• off at 2 a. /114 no e saw me but J. V. He was
standinc, my guard.
made coffee and nevor t nt to bed as he was a great tniked and
finally (•ot cr:n to wilct he !ad on his mind and enid you know there 'are
8 or 10 he d of those A4 cattle with the A4 brand that were burned out
of the A now I have made 0/ up my mind, as I like you, not to do
anything about it and 0% we will be perdners in the A4 brand. I never
said a rord but just went and unrolled my bed, buckled on my gun. By
that time the boys were ell coming alive as the (look htd hollered Amok.
-I oau ht Old Barney, the horse Mrs. Lynch had givon me the -Ame I went
to Las Vegas, I waled up to J. and Lid, I want to t,11 you hero
and now, J. V. that you are a dam lier if you think or say there is a single
one of those A4 that ever has been an 00 A. I Galled him everything I
Gould think of and he would stutter and try to Ai it up by wing he
might be mistaken and thut we must not tall out as you and Tom and myself
are :.00d friend, end what one does is ArIcht with the others, /ant it Tim?
Tom a ye, now dotit t%lk to me and waled off.
It was Wout five miles on to George Jails ye r-noh and he was
holding his ont l fixinc to molv!• I to16 h *my troubles ax there were

ELLIOTT PW
FOLKLORE OD FOLKWAYS
EXPERIERCESOF COW BOY 04120.
two of the Outer boys there so .4ussy told Leo to Out Woo all out to their
000 selves and make Z. W. pass on them and if /0 W. finis or claims arir
one rope it and me and the two Carter boy* will pass on it.
We all four met the herd and told Z. W. what I mato" to do. Es
said, Eolleforget it and lets be friends. I had rather give you 8 or 10
(tattle than to have you mad at me. Tom told him, you are not giViag his
a dam thing, I have looted at then £4 cattle and they ars straight. There
'lover was but one A made into A4 and I killed it. The £4 **tn.,
Sr. straight, nothing snaking, all waned, my name is on that bill of
sal, he bought the 0 habb £4 brand and I an telling you I. W. and
the rest of you, pointing his hand at Canary and the two Carter boys,
if the 14 bad 'at been put on than they would have went four says, pointing
his hand at Z. W. and aausey and the two Carter boys.
I told Tom what 0ausey said about cutting them out and he said,
sure that is the best so he rounded up the herd. We out than all out,
Tom looked *boa over good and then told Z. W. to do tho same.
said be didInt want to as they were alright but Tom said you started this
and now you have got to stop it here and now. lad* man wont in and
looked the sattlo over and said they were straight A4 (rattle. Tom made
a note nf it and what month and year and had Z. 4., 'Assay and the Cartier'
sign it and everything was OK and -om said to one of the boys to throw
thom in the herd and take them on home as it is only TO miles from their
ranch to dads. Tom said it is sly 12 miles fro where vd will turn
them loose whiA is close and mill be nearer home. I am ramming this
outfit and Z. 414 will have to fir. ms first, so throw than in and lots
all go to dinner. I didn't eves have a sap of *coffees :hinge were

MILIOTT 2,
FOLKLORE AND :olacitivra
FIYIRIENCES OF COW BOT
Muster "Dad" De Grafteareid
net looking as geed. X. W. and Am started for the wagon and dinner.
George Causey and myself followed. George told ma to just go ma as
before and askGal me what eaused mine and Lynobs trouble. I told his all
about the sow had meat bask after and then !hen Lynoh said what he did
that I just lost my head and told his everything as I was agraid of his as
he had told me so much about how bed he was and what he would de and had deal.
Gewgaw told me to just go an and be eareful and dont let Wash over get
anything on you and you *an hold your own size dent count you have
the difference.
The next morning Z. pulled out for Las Vegas and we trailed the
herd on over to the ;ohm de fie* resell and tumid them looms the last
of Oct. 1684.
That little yellow !zilch ace was the first sew lever stele and
while with Gausey going out before we struak buffalo Ummy end me
killed a beefs a stray he sailed it.
My dad was honest sad went broke is the sow game in New Nexisee
The two men I worked for stele and had me steal for thee and
knowI nev r burned a brand or stole c,.ittles just big unbreaded yowling*.
I worked for Z. Lynch three years WINA 40111 say tigasInever put my
brand on anything ezeept my ova stuff an his range. I worked as ou*.
site man all the time and when Tea wassnt WOMPOW there I MA strew boas.
Now this finish** the story of the fret *ow 1 ever stole and it
was for the other mat.

ELLIOTT PV1
OLKLOR-: YOL,K,'Ar3
EXPERIYN BOY PUT .F; "TIM)" '1,T.FID
I may write and toll thin7s that 010 happened and the .run ;om and
myself had that winter or 1884 1885 at Old luerta Lune, N. Mexico,
just 7 miles away and a dandy little hexic n torn tith lots of metty
girls, big store, h(,tul and saloon u1 tither and our credit good
and we had!nt been to town for nearly three years to blow in our money.
We showed those sheep hL.rders wilt two top cow boys could do and they
let us 11-w but whey got the money Alilo we 6ot a headafthe.
The wus €;ooLi old days'

P i;
Y PIT1R IP' :RI ZiG3S
o4/7-4' /ea -7-e6
By
Puster Graftenreid
luti -6 1.938
1750 lords
In 1664 I come to texas in Grayson County and from what
my Pa and Ma said, I give up the !quack and bawled like two
years old and they nomad ma Buster. Pa and Ma moved to 3tephen
Oounty and my first recollection I have is herding a small
bunch of our cattle to keep them together and no one steal or
run them off.
I rode a little pony mare and she always had a cold every
year. /hen I would start out with the cattle, after ma had
milked, she would hand me my lunch, which was a pone of corn
bread, and say to me, "Now you be sure and be a good boy and stay
on your pony. If you don't you will get to playing and the
Tndians will cateh you," and I want to say now, that fear is
still with me,
AlaL she told me about Jesus an 1.4N1 taking care of
all good boys. :he planted the thenFhts of ,"esus in my heart
and :tie goodness has been with me tiles° -.any years.
;hat 1 want to say, is this, how those families got by,
I can't see. here were three families lived on the clear Fork
of the Brazos River, it emptied its water in the main ',1razos

River about thirty miles below.
:Tow, in looking baok and even what I knew at that time,
as I must of been 9 or 10 years old, my unole John Selman, my
mother's brother and his wife, my Pa's sister, lived with his
family about half a mile away. -I thought at that time, uncle
John was everything and could and did things. If it had not
been for uncle John and a few men like him, the commoblo
Inuians would of got all of us. Uncle John was a fighter and
they knew it anU no did those thieving white men. kis the
in-ians killed Ule lee family, the old man, old lady and
carried off two crorn girls and a small boy about seven years
old.
'Awls John went with the soldiers whiol, wore at Port
.1riffin, twenty miles up the Clear 7ork liver. Uncle John got
the neighbors, a few cowboys and when they were digging the
Grave, some one found a young girl dead, shot in tho back with
an arrow. 1 heard uncle John say he oouldn't pull the arrow
out so he out it off and bent it over. hey put the throe in
one big crave, just wrapped up in some old quilts, the laaians
wouldn't take. hey took the feather beds and emptied the
feathers out and took the ticking as they needed the cloth for
their own use.
&11 it waz only three miles below our house, I would take
the cattle down that way so I could see the grave. My uncle
John was a good man and stood for fair play. :-.10 went with the
soldiers ann different scouts after horse thieves.
I ro:all, one time, he come by where I was herding cattle.

rim and three soldiers, negro... :hey had two white soldiers as
prisoners. hey had deserted and as uncle John knew the country,
it seems the captain sent uncle John to gnt them. He had them
tied together no they couldn't run in the brush and get away. They
had one pack mule and it was heavily packed with grub and some
bedding. I was sure sorry for the two men as they was walking
while uncle John and the negroes were riding.
rhey didn't seem to care one bit as they were anxious. The
said they were sure glad to see a white man if he did have three
negro soldiers with him as they were about to starve and had to
stay hid and afraid to shoot to kill anything to eat as they
saw Indians. One of them said, have still got my hair and all
I ask is to get bask to the fort where I can eat and sleep in
peace. Ihe woos are full of Indians. As could see them in the
ddy time and we woul& stay hid in the thick brush and briers.
nJ4;ht we could hcar :,hem grunt while looking for 11,6"
was always glad when uncle John we around as he had a
good gun and would kill deer an turkey, he wc)ods vvre full of
them. In the winter he would kill hoes and. whaL a time we would
have, as my two brothers, 'Jreed and ick, was r-oing to school
at 7ort lriffin.
':wenty miles in those days was all day in a wagon drawn by
a big yoke of steers, big and fat. The steers
and the wagon wa uncle John's. It cost rrloney
Pa raised the steers and us boys broke them to
were yearlings, dragging wood to cook with and
the wood played out so we couldn't keep a good
move to more wood. Good idea, he did not have
see?
belonged to pa
to get a wagon.
work when they
keep warm. Awn
fire, Pa would
to worry one bit,

I think my 7a was the only one til'A worried as she was
afraid the Indians would get ma or I would get lost and starve.
(3he didn't know how smart her boy was. I could and did out
smart the Indians. I know they didn't want to kill as. fiey
eitht3r wanted e see me run and hide or wanted to catch me just
to see what I 10ozod like. .hey might have thought I was one
of them as all I had on in the summer time was a shirt throe or
four sizes too big, no shoes, no hat and my hair down to my
shoulders. I would give anything it 2 had picture of myself
as 2 (fan see now in my imagination when was a boy.
I never thought of getting lost as the milk cows would go
back to the craves that were left in tba pen and I wo,Ald
drive the others after them and et home in fine shape. If it
hadn't been for one old line back, redheaded cow, we call old
Nance, I don't know so much, awn I got hungry I would suck
her by wiling the milk in my mouth, fill up on good warm milk
as I had either eaten or lost my corn bread.
my uncle John would go to 4eatherford in Amrker County,
eighty miles to mill, they called it. If he had good lapilli he
would get back in fifteen days, but it nearly always rained and
the creeks would get out of their banks and he couldn't ford
them. I remember one time he was nearly a month. Both families
run out of meal. Not one bit of bread. .e had plenty meat
such as chicken, sr;viirrel and rabbit. 7At would make curd out of
clabber milk an lots of butter. 'e could catch any size fish
you wanted within thirty minutes.
If you wanted a big fellow, fish deep with a big bait. .tis

.5.
big ones stayed on the bottom in water ten feet deep or more.
I remember Uncle John caucht a big, yellow oat fish that
weighed 123 pounds. :hat wa::, the bivest fish I have ever saw.
If uncle John's wife, my aunt Mna, died in 1878 or 79.
Awls John left that part and moved his children, three boys and
one girl up in the big ben country. My dad moved to Dickens
County, and in 1882 Dad moved to New Mamie°. My day herding was
over. I was about fifteen years old in age and about twenty
five in experience.
I saw in uncle John in 1884, as he had .followed a horse
thief from 7.1 ram), exas, to old Teseosa on the Canadian flyer,
700 miles and was taking him bask to 1 Palo. I never saw
uncle John any more but I always held him high in my mind as
his idea was, '"Treat the other man right and make him treat you
right or let you alone."
My dad never had a gun. If he had one, it was no aecount
and he never hmd any ammunition to shoot with. I guess I took
the idea from uncle John as I went to work for myself at fifteen
years old and I have owned a good gun all my life. ,ith luck
T have never had to use it. he main thing is, be prepared, look
the other fellow in the eye and be so you can tell him how the
boas eat the cabbage and you ass all right in any man 's eampi I
am 74 years old now and still like to feel the old girl as a pal.
I want to say this, I have been in -1 Paso two years and
have met several old timers. '-iIreryone that knew John Selman
spoke highly of him as a citizen. 3very one said he was a good
law officer and they didn't know he was any kin to me. He had
lots of ups and downs and had a hard life. Muy his soul rest in
pesos It took men like him to tame the west an they done a

good Job. Look, read of 11 Paso 50 years ago. Look at her
today, 1958. John Selman helped tams her. He was my unole
both ways.
Buster De =Imaftanreld
:Ielrose„ NS, MOX140,