Document text
Gout,Aer.3eldon F
he ngelore.
Tarrant Co„.,boists. #7
Pe ge 1
240
Avery.N Borrow,77.1iving it 3011 Evitunnls
Lt.Fort Porth,lexes, was born Mar lst,1860,in
Jespezt Co,Texam.
His parents moved to Besumont,texss, while
Avery Piss on infant and there his web retired. His
father operated' s ferrybopt,running out of Beaumont
on the Sebine itiver. The sonoduring his childhemi,
come in contact with cattlemen who petronised his
father's ferry end he developed s desire to engage
in work that vies connected with horsemenship,
he enjoyed riding horses end at the age of
16 was a good rider, he secured work with the
"Tonk"Baker horse ranch 'rich was located in
McLennan Go, where he remained for five years.
After leaving the Biker ranch he went to ihskel-
ford Co, and worked on the Hardy i4berts horse
rrnch. After two years on the Aobersts ranch
he retunred to McLennan Go, end worked for the
McDermott cattle ranch where he spent one year
and then worked for the Bohsu horse :Nemo at
which place he ended his range career.
Uls story of renFe life follows:
"I reckon that I PT an old timer. I was born in Jasper
Go, TIMIS, on th., 1st dry of kar,1865. I have lived in Texas
all my rife and the early port of it, af,,q, I was 16 years old,
I earned my chuck end bunk on the range.
"Thp year following my birth, my folks moved to Besumont„
leXPS, my father operated a ferryboat on the Ssbine
Ihf,re were s lot of cow and oss outfits in that country then
and I naturally seen lots of the critters and cowherds. The
work Prpeele to as and I ,kould go without a sp.al rather than
miss a chance to straddle a hoss.
"Olen I reachoK) the age of 16,1 calculated that I had
all the schooling I coulo ever use -nd pestered my folks into
allowing me to quit school and become a cowhand and they finally
told me to go and get my fill of the life.
Oeuthier.5heldon 41,
Aangelore,
Torrent Cor,e0ist„d7
Page ,y2
PC 240
"I was a good ricer thenrbecause I had tookled everything
I could get °hence et, hendling hoses came naturel to me ad
a hose ranch was the kind of outfit I hankert for. I hit out
for what use to be maculated 98 the biggest boss ranch in the
country them days, It wrs the "Tonk" Baker outfit. I dont
know whet his proper first name wen, but everybodY
the ramrod "Tonk". The lionge was an open range and located in
PoLennon Co, Ihe number of howls that he had running on that
romp, has slipped my mindrbut it was over 1000. There were 15
hrndi employed all the year roud end sometimes extre hands
was hired, ihe trend wars the shape of a jewshorprbranded on the
critter's jaw,
nI landed at the outfit a real greener, as far as the
work is concerned, in 1876 end hit "Tonk" up for e job,
eyed me up one side end down the tudder and ser:
"hey, you worked on a hese ranch?"
"Nersez I,"But can ride 'elm
n.
need hoes handlers on this outfitrsonr/ em sorry I
can't u 70u",
,elirthat took ma:! feathers down and I sez to him:
I have dragged clear from Beaumont W97#'0 join your
hose outfit. Let me nest here I don't °ere what 70u pay me".
"hidryou must honker oft,r hosses.he sez "I hate to.
disappoint a kid so bent on being with tø crittererso I'll
see whet ou can do".
"1 stryed on the utfit for five yerra end when I qu/t
there I could ride a hose ith t4Ilebest emong the rawhides,
Gouthier„Zheldori F. Page '3
hengelore. FC 240
ierrent Coo.Dist,.#7
"There were about lb hondsoll old rewhides, with the
outfit and they took charge of me.4hey saw that I wee shaped up
s hunk end got me all set for work on s hoes ranch.
"I could not get to sleep that night for thinking about
the morning when I would start out as s sure enough hossmon.
Mprining come snd we hod chuck, as the boys sea, put the feed
bag on, After chuck the top -screw showed me my string of five
hosses that I would work with *long with mis own hose that I had
rode to te outfit. Blocky tellt17, he was the .top-screwpsez kid,
let your hogs rest and mount that block critter for today". I
could tell the giant in h's eye t!.at they were reckoning on
some opIrs fun watching me ride that hose. I felt qure of my.
lelf and was anxious to get stladdle of the critter.
"We snubbed the hogs and I lit in the tree. Now„the
se dies those days were not like the kind used now, they were
not s greet deal better than the b -re bock juitutesoonereilt hit
that tree that hose evelsted high. It hswgrowed and sunoerched
for *bout a quarter mileolth me s -fanning its ears with my som-
brero. 'hemO n it eatiect down I jiggled bock wher the crew were
watching 4ut or my eat I sez,"Blocky,I am ready to get going
tell me whet to.do". The ramrod.wos s -standing there too and
aree
s busting s gut laughing at the top*screw and the others,
beoauqe thy got fooled on the greener kid's riding ability.
"T7 -e ramrod seWhid you rode on of the pitchingest
hosems that w, ere working in my remuds. Lou sure enough ham
s net ith my outfit, le/11 mske s reel hoes wrangler out of
you -pond ttey did.
Geuthier.Lheldon Page ti 4
itengelore. PC 240
TarrantCeo„. Dist,.,7
Al]. th-m hossy-stinks took pains, from that morning on,
to show me ell the tricks they knew end in a month's tIme I
was wrangling wti the best f the outfit.
"The range was an open ore end it west P prerie country,
except for brush along the creaks. Ise had to keep ridgng the
line frirly well to keep to (miters from riming off too far,
Tberr WP7 night riding to dotbut it was not like riding with a
bunch of cows. •Ith bosses the stampede Is someCing waddles
oo not have to fret about, Iht animals will net stempede„except
in extreme c-ses, such as a prairie fire or the likes.
Losses have the habit of 72‘ezIng far into the nIght sd
dont bed dow.r like cows. Long after mid -night they will lie
down for a spell. Because of the nature of the hoss,it WF8 not
herd to keep the animals bured at nIght. Two hands would
work togeter and the nig':A was spl't into two shifts.
"On thr hose ranch we tossy-stnko hit the bunks most
leery night,excent at tunes when we wont a dintence hunting
stre7s. Our hardest work was when we v.anted to cut out s
bunch
th-se wild critters could run and would give mos
chase at times eno so -e of thm e hell of a chase. We would
have to work in *slays end wear them down to catch some of the
stallions,
"I enjoyed the work and was am4g greet crew, 41l
the hands were socis'710 fellows end made life interesting for
each other,
"At nighttsitting around the comp, there always woe
soe one pulling somethInv for amusement, The night of my
OsuthisroSheldon F.
;Anpelorvi.
Tarrant 00,.Dist„.01
Poge#b
PC 240
first day at the camp I was arrested the hands had 1110% thr.y celled
peririe.#0g court. There was s sheriff„judge and the courtis
mouth.plece. There were a set of rul4s which they read to so all
concerning the conduct around the camp and how At weddies sh4uld
treat each other, There were fines for breaking the rules.
I was charged with deo
atinks,because I dld not act like
grsener and tvke s spill off the black hose. I had a right to
select someore to -efend me. I seloctod Murraysbecuse his name
doused me to reckon that he %Mid be sOle to talk aro dO a fair
job of chinning in ‘414 behalf* those mouth.pleces„ as they were
celled„std at it an hour arguing the, case and hearin.: the
evidonce. To hear them waddles one would think thot t had coo.
mitted an awful crime, Of courAt I was found guilty and fined
round of dranksoto be peld t?2e first time we dragged to town.
H:tory telling and agitating the calf gut, also a little
singing was other means of riailling the time, w -s one of
tI'e best stor tellers in
have never forgot because
tell it as he aid:
"I was working down near the oiexlcan border,for a cattle
outfit several years ago. In that country thore were a lot of
javelin, .7ou could see them everwhere. Ibey aro liking unto our
Texas wIlu howg,but not worth a hoot for chuck, because their
meat Is as touer. as a piece of rawhide. -Lou can tell a javel/ne
from a wild hug b the f-ct that a javelin, does not have
the 71unch, use to tell one that T
,t struck me so funny, I will tr-7 add
'One day a renderfoottfrom the *at, dropped in with
Unuthier.fteldon i• Page
Apengelore, _
PC 240
4n rrf nt Got.Alist .0 7
lots of jock that he wanted to invest snd hankered to put into
ctitters.
nib* tenderfoot and out razor
1
Mhos nope V.a 8 Murphy,
egr=,ed on e price for the critters en closed e deal end the
tenderfoot WIOS taking charge of the dUtfit end he noticed the
large nubter of javelin. nosing eroUnd,0 The animas were so
plentyful that bbey were e nuisenoe, 1:e tenderfoot sez to
Murphy:
*4hom do all, these haws belcigoVI
nibe belong on this rench,bu,t plumb forgot to orettle
about the critters so I suposl that/1 Will have to move the
herd", Murphy sez to him,
riow many math**. critters sI there on the pleoef"
I reckon about 300. I, do not ))other *bout branding
the critters with en iron,but /just cut their tells off,thet is
my mark"
"Olet will you teke/for the herd'in' the greener asked.
"I don't know lust, wl'at to esk., they are worthoperhsps,
around 42. ?het will you
"I'll give you e AV heed and Occopt your word as to
the number.'
Cell it 200 144 the deal is tlosed",the ramrod came
beck at the tenderfoot
"Iell,sirohe paid oft and was happy over getting over
SOO hewgs for i200..
waddles/ were presentlehile the deal was made,but
kept our trap closedobecemsmi'it wee too gOOd to bust and did not
Oeuthier.2,heldon
hargelore,
Torrent Co„.List,,07
want to take the silver lining out of his cloud.
Pace 47
PC 240
"A day or two after the deel was closed the new rem.
rod took a jiggle over the range to see what he had bought and
when he returned be )ils to us weddies:
"I surely ma4e e good Oopel for those hewgs. I am sure I
saw around 500 of the critters"
Yes", we estd,"Murphy: never paid much attention to
those onimols". Woddi.s were hard put to keep our face from
slinpIngobut steyod Oat on the matter.
"The greener wigs s sociable fellow and about a week later
took e jiggle over to, Meson's lench to gPt acquainted end do
some ohinning. At Maine's piece, he sees a lot of javelins and
set:
f
ft 1
ft
I see a 10t og my hvwgs on your range".
Mat belie are you refering to?" asked Meson.
Those with the tails off. Those are minetthat is
my bewg =rico, I gouk6t it from Murphy",
Oh,I sell have been wopring where them critters
belorg. I would be quite pleoed to have you take the critters.
I sure don't want your stock".
I'll see about getting the animals tomorrow", Re
promised.
nt then the 4ew ramrod returns to the renc# he told
the top.sorew to give/us riding orders ordering these critters
Moiled from Mosonlsiplace over to his range,
"That was b4low the dignity of a cowhand so we all
quit. I never did hilir how the tenderfoot came out with the
jeveline.
Geuthier,Dheldon
Hone:411°re,
Tarrant Co"Dist,.#7
Page
FC 240
°One other pleasant thing about the jewshemp outfit was
the camp cook. We had a good On,"Dutch"MOyers took pride in
work.
swellbtii
To get him doing extra touches ell we had to do wcs
on his meals 4 Re would reise like a boll end t-ke
extrf pains fixing the chuck. Murity use tp 89Wthe betlY"'
t.
cheater bedeme very arduous it you lv him dair chinningw'
"Dutch mode some of MI! 1).071 sour.dough breed I love
ever rote, 3reed„ beans,steleed dried 41lrult,', was what we lived
he cooky would fix the beans dIfferent :Ways, fe could
fixa Boston baked dish of lears that was fitting to eatialscr
fried pies out of the stowed fruit, 'When it qb-os to broiling
steeks,"ihitch" had the neck down pet, lie would get his Camp
fire hot and Osp the steaks into it for e:minutleowhich seared
them on th- outside.. Then he wouli pull Ole neat sway end let
it Book slowly. Of course tho beef we's tff of a fat yearling
good meet to st-rt of with,
01)
'tome times when telking about the 4'cod beef we waddles
had on a toss rangeopeoplo will ask ma where we got the beef.
111,, facts are, for the most pert it was slowelk. The hose men
1‘.
found beef on their range and cowmen found hoses on their
renEesso ttwas tit for tat.
'ohen we needed yearling and saw one, that looked like
t"- knid we wantedolit woold
all over the env Country
A
ititve been too musih trouble to dreg
hunting fob the /son that Omer the
brand, Ildswey we hossv stinks had beef,
"After the ftrrt six months I did nothing bulwrangle
hosses, "Tonk" sold ,,:,sses all over the cduntry, Weorould bust
Oputnier.heldon Page #9
PC 240
liengelqre•
CotsiAat„,#7
bunk thAn the crew would drift the herd to places where an
order was to be filled.
"Or the' jewaharp range there ties a mixture of hose's,
saddle, work osses and also jacks .ere breed,
I wrrngled many hossms lu my day and never filed to
bust one if it .WP3 not boo. I got a hold of a few loco animals
and those alYmals would pitch until they were pitched down. 'Olen
tNgy grth-red a little sie'stonee, sway they would go sgvin, If
wrengler stcys rit'.1 one of those critters lorg enough the animal
would sta4 pitching until it salosed and worthless. When
we looped one ofthose critters and it threw its ears backolso
turned its e,00Anwerd until ou could ,lee nothing t...ut the whites,
then look out Ae s rule it is s wrste of time and the critter
would brand tog it it had chance. If such critter puts you
f'
into C Spill ou want to dris 0 gun the first thingebeimuse
9 chanoes ou \Of 10 it will coming at you and pew you to depth.
"The ulsr Texas cow cony ws breed from the original
Spanish host( snd mixed0 that critter could never be Stopped from
buokiner at times0 lhat critter could be genteled to where it
would acme to tt rider when cslied,eat out of the riders held,im
foil!, be t re-ulsr pet but had to pitch at times just to be pitch.
ing.
"MY *040, Of wrengling was the short routs. insv,the hosts
was roped enci saddled I would mount it and start fanning its ears
with the first jump. If s wrangler 1/.eeps 0 —forming critter it
will get discourse** quit pitching sooner than if you lay off
of its ears.
Gauthier.Sholdois F.
Rengelori*
lerrent Cos./4.st p7
Flee 10
Pc 240
°I rode any of the pichini animals end had the reputstbn
for being the top rider of that **ottan, let alliA4hed my reptu—
tetion wg,s because I rode a hese 011ey in PaGreg** that had
notch in Its tfil, In the foremen cir the !day the toss had pitched
nigger.Tom woe his name. end Tomwett• top rider, iPe went into
spill end the fell killed himobeciuie he fell so !ard he had his
neck broke. I sew the hose pitching end I reokoneditpet I could
ride the animal, I told the crowd that the ofts 061114 be busted
sod they &red me to ride it,
"As a rule s hoes will be more,stubborn\after it be pit
'A
out a rider on the ground, So I expected Rom, reel pitihing and
got it. ihst animal rooked and Jared ty fins a pIenty,kI mounted
end at one* began to fan the crlipmtlears with my eomblro, If
one knows how to hendle e sombrero you Can sting the esroVe.plenty,
j
That boss pitched with rne until we wore s mile:from whare.we start.
ed, a had a real hump snd 1 colI not see heed or te11,0,bUt
wee re,ching its sore with my sombrero ,liver lending, me, critter
finally decided, that it wef, ftghttng lest cause end settl*d
down. Met sat F-ve me a top str:ding tn the section,
"After a spell of five ,reers on the jeweller° outfit
quit end dragged out to 311okelford 6o, and joined up with Tialfty
iloberstis hose outfit, 'As br,nd w -s the letter R. I nested
there there for two -Tiers, 1 dor't know 1-lew man; hosst,s he hid,.
They were all over that section end when we vented any we just
vett the number out of the herd,
"I wrangled there and the work was about the same as on
the jewsharp. About the only different* was we had tp watch our
ileuthier..741eldon F.
fungelore.
Torrent Co,, Dist,./7
Page
FC 244
gentled stock close soil et Indien rustlers, They would rustle
hosses if they bed a ohenct,but we never lost any that we knew
of.
"The best rider that I he*Is.ever watched on s hoss was
a negro named Bob Senders, A hoss lust coundn't put that -nigger
off the leater and -,ob could ploy while the hose was doing its
bet, is where zob had tho best of me. I had to tend to
my knetting Ails he could do funny wOrk. However, I sew him
leave the leother on time. It WPS e:ler e heavy ruin and the
creek woks up. Bob Aos busting s wild critter near e sheer benk
and that critter was acting loOo. It wl evoleting plentv high
and sunpmrch'ng. Tho animal wont UD on iii /.n4 when it,ceme
-t'
down it was over the edge of the bank end 41111441ed In the water,
Bob quit th critter peorto and swam for shera„
After 1 quit the i-obertts outfit' I @egged back to the
McLennan Co, section end joined up with tte weermott cattle
outfit,whos bred we MD. outfit WPS •F0.0 size ranch also
we lived with the chuck wagon most of the tIme -ers. supplied
with the SSMA kinu of chuck as wrs furnished on thv hoss outfits,
tlhore was s good crew of bo-s wit l the outfit. John
God!e,o smith my (mother 6.0b end others I can't thirk of the
names, „e drove e lot of cattle to oung Wo,where the same
outfit hod another range.
rile on one of the *rives I saw end wo/rked one of- the
wors; stamps that I ever witnessed, e were Stout 20 miles
sway rom rAir home ongio tho :irst night. e hed drifted the
crittel,s hard as usual the first day to get thl erimels 4 good.
Gauthier.Zh ldon F.
‘.an,elore.
Terrant Coo.Dist #7
Pe ge 412
FC 240
distence from th home ra00. The weather was :lit with lots
of stars in the sky and we could sea quite;perl. )1the critters
were bedded down and all looking peaceful. I Wilson the firlt
night riding shift and was feeling reel soolablO spout how
pretty everything was shaped up.
"Suddingly I heard a critter stout mnd:ilesogAro4ble is
sure a -arming% I had no ides t Pt it was golpg'to be like it
was. As a rule on a .clear quiet night it is eaty tO et the
erimels put into milling and th-n step moving, kitlA that snort
54:10 critters jumped to there teat and were off :like i\bunch
N
of rPce Yiolses„ lhose en•mels Fated plumb 100. I se4iXorittirs
rum into trePs and be Alooked down and be 4tOmped to de* h
-r\
They were runringxfo fast i4rti would not at for an th14. It.
I
was either them of thP, object. If a rider imen t down he iure
would be buzzsrd f-od,
Alen it was over with we had lost 30 memy,some b,ing
stomped -nd others strayed, that oarty of waddles had to go
back to t'e range snd get some more critters.
"The snort of that one cow put tivi scare Into those'
or
Oust it said with that snort is herd to tell,but it
must hrve b -en plenty. Now it may hPve been scored by som*
vermine. There was lots of wolves in that country' then en4 it
Ma V belie been a wolf thet run into the herd. Anyway ell tial4
we know about whet s'prted the herd was the snort of that old
l!untlig wolves was one of out peas -times. the rrairod
Southier.heldon F. Page 13
hengelere. PC 240
Torront Coo.:Rist
hod wolf IltOnnol* and some of the waddles slso owned hounds. 'Awn
we had time we would hunt wolves and bet on each others lieund.
Those lAmandS knew their wolf butCness am; I have seen some pert
fig ts. Np or4 hound would be able tu b-st s lobothut two or
WI IS
elre would team up on one. '40ile one dog/ after the wolf from
one side a hound would come in from the opossite side and in
t methdd:wouiq *lash the wolf until it was down. Quito often
we woul, shp9i the wolf before the f'gt was over to move the
Oogs,but nIt until after the wolf was shout in.
*00 013,A;t0 scrapping we could.
MAfter abot 18 months with the outfit I quit and went
to1çold love thi hoss ranch. I joined the 6onher outfit maid
isson. It was like the otl•er hoss outfits and nothing unsusl
hoppened there.
'"It was not, s large outfit end the hands considttd of
J\oBud,Bob end Fzik Meson, sons of the ramrod. Then tere
woos Patterson and myself as steady hands. fter s year
ot wonted to
or so with the MssOn outfit I quit so that I could get merried.
RAmong ell the Noddies I worked with and seen do t'eir
stuff best rider was niver Bob Jandere. Booger Red was
the best roper withAandy Smithon the Itobersts outfitoright
next to him. I nevtr sew Axt missor a critter hornsweggle
his. A40w in t.e shnetint- line there were so meny good shots
I can't soy Which Was the best.
"Juit one sore story about roping that Sandy Smith
told us weddies whPe sIttIng around the comp one night end
Geuttilier,•:;' eldon F.
ha ngelori.
Torrent ‘4, DIstip•#7
Page #14
FC 240
that will and my abettor0 L e sez:
rattling sbout ropiqf one night sitting in the
bunkhoUse Oren outfit un in Colo,' wee t11ing the middies
that I oottld roDe any animal that wilt on two or four feet,
pew* as on know roping a critter means to a cowhand that
you not dray loop it but control the animal
",0010 of the crew spoke up and sez,'Smith I'll put up
some jeck)thet you can't rope a grizzle beer':
tbought for a moment end then sez:tEow muol jack
do '-ou went t put up to sox that I can't?"
•cole back at me enu soar' 25 bucks of Uncle 6am
meney°
"I>took the bet end had it rit out on paper:the.,vaith
bets $25 that he can put the loop on a grizzle beer and control
"Now, as all persons know that has any acqueintanco
with the grizzle no human side of hell can trop o and take control
of a grizzle beer,: Pli said that for or five waddles can do the
job, Zote boys thougl-t that I had gone loco and they were
thinking rig toexeept for one oart of tl e ?pot,
In the mountain lection of that country ggrizzle
bc,ar were not herd to tine. After the bet had b -en sat on
moor we all started Out to find the bear and that did not take
us long and I went in .1.:o do my stuff.
"I rode UD to tfOnitlf= distence and the bear was running
trying to get away. I put the loop on it and it them saw that
it was corneredywhich oau--ed the bear to change Its mind, khat
Gruthior.4eldon
hengslore.
Terrent Cot.Dist,.#7
Page #16
F. 240
critter made for me quicker than (“lesh of Ogy.ftre, Of course
'fou boTs know that I did not dere\to start the horse bees's*
the beer would null the hotel* instesd of the pulling the beer
down. It had the rope in one pew end its teeth clesred for
Agein you know wh,'t power te bear has in its front
legs. I gue s the boys watching were *eying there goes 14100
to the eternal ream. Well, I just pulled my 44 and put two
tots into the beer's head hitting it between the eyes, I
then rode up to the crowd end sex 'boys there Is the bear all
roned end under my cortrol.
I" they all looked sort of cheep and slid tht 'hereafter
they would get s lawyer to rtt the bet understending mode with
Gauthier, 4heldon F.
Baagelore
Tarrant Co., Dist. 7.
f Let
t
Avery N. Barrow, 77, 3011 E. Runnels St., Ft. Worth,
born 1, 1860, at gasper Co., Tex& From infancy he Wel
mired at Beaumont, Tea., where his father operated a ferry.
boat an the sabine laver. During childhood Avery came in
contact with cattlemen and developed a desire for work
connected with horeemmeship. At 16 he was a good rider and
worked on the Tank Baker horse ranchin UcLennan Co. After
6 years he went to Hardy Roberts horse ranch in Wackelford
Co. for two years and then a year on the naermott cattle
ranch.
"I have lived in Texas all my life and the early part of it
after I was 16 years old I earned qv chuck and bunk on the range.
The year following 11154' birth in Jasper Co., ly father no ed to beau.
moht andT,criated n. ferry.bont an the saLine River. There were a lot
of sow and hose outfits in that country then and I naturally, seen
lots of the critters and cowhands. The work appeA.ed to am and I
would 6o without n meal ratherthan sates a chance to,stradle a hose.
When 1 was 16 I calculated I had all the scoolii4g could ever
use and, estered my folks into allowine me to quit and become a cow.
hand and they finally told me to go and get qv fill of the life.
I was a good rider because I had tackled everything I could gat a
chance at. Handling !losses came natural to its and a hose ranch was
the kind of a outfit hankered for. I Lit out for what was the big.
goot hoc s ranch in the country them -elves the "Toe*" Baker outfit.
don't, know what his proper first name was but everybody called the
ramrod nTonk". The range was an open range and located in iJicLennan
Co., the number of hosees that he had runninc on that range has slip-
ped y mind but it was over a 1000. There were 15 hands employed all
year around and sometimes extra hands were hired. The brand was the
Gauthier, 'Sheldon F. Page 2
lingelore FEC
Tarrant Co., Dist. 7.
shape of a Jewsharp branded on the critter's jaw.
"I lauded at the outfit a real greener as fa s as the work is
concerned in 1876 and hit "Tank" up for a Job. Ha eyed u up one
side and down the tudder and sea: "nave you worked on a hoes ranch?"
"No", see Is "But can ridetam." *We used hoes handlers on this out-
fit, son, I'm sorry I can't use you."
"I have dragged clear from Beaumont ways" I seas "to join your
hoes outfit. Let me nest here don't care what you pay me."
"Eld you ivetshanker after hossee, I hate to disappoint a kid
so bent on being with the crittcrs so I'll see what you can do."
"I stayed on the outfit for 6 yews and when I quit there I could
ride a hoes with the best ev.24.: the rawhides. There were about 16
hands with the outfit and they took charge of me. They saw that
was shaped up .a bunk and got me- all set for work on a hoes ranch.
I could not get to sleep that night for thinkiw about the morning
when I would start out a sure nough horseman. Morning came and we had
chuck, as the boys sea put the fded bag on. After chuck the
some sez, "Kid let your hose rest and in wit that black critter for
screw se
today." I could tell by the glint in him aye that they were reckoning
on some °pixie fun watching me ride that hose. felt sure of c4faelf
and was anxious to straddle the critter.
enuLbed the hoes and I lit in the tree. The saddles those days
were hot like the kind used now. They were not a great deal better
than the bare back. Just as soon as I it that tree that hoes elevat-
ed high. It hawgrowed and sunperched for about a quarter mile with
fanninc its ears with my sombrero. Alan it settled dawn I Aggled
back to whore the -crew were watchine me put on qv act. I seas "Blacky
m 1Y to get goings tell me what to do." The ramrod wee standing
Gauthier, -kheldon F. Page 3
Range lore FEC
Tarrant Co., Dist. 7.
there too Einii him a busting a gut laughing at the top -screw and
the others because they got fooled on the greener }id's riding
Ability. The ramrod sez, "hid you rode one of the pitchincest
hoses that we nre workine in mv remuda. You sure anoui;h have a
neat with rly outfit. Weill make a real hoes wrangler out of you."
"All them hooey...stinks took pains from that Morning on to Alow
me all the tricks they knew and in a month's time I was wrangling
with the beat of the outfit. The range was an open one and it was
a prairie cow.try except for Wash along the creeks. we had to keep
riding the lids fairly well to keep the critters fro seeming off
too far. There wns night riding to do but it was not like riding
with a bunch of cows. With hosses the stanvede is something waddles
do not have to glat about* %la animals will not stampede except in
extreme cases each as a prairie fire sr the likes.
"'losses have the habit of grazing far into the night and don't
bed down like cows. Long afteeimidmeight they will lie down for a
spell. Because of the nature of the hoes it was not hard to keep
the animals bunched ot night. Two hands would work together and
the night was split into tUit shifts. On the hose ranch we hooey.
stinks hit the bunks most every.ight except at Ames when we went
a distance hunting strews. Our hardest work was when we wanted to
cutout A bunch. Those wild critters could run and would give us a
chase at times and some of them a hell of a chase. We would have
to work in relays and wear down the stallions to catch them. I
end the work and was awong a great crew. All the hands were
sociable fellows and made life interesting for each other. A*
night sitting around the camp there alweys was some one polling
something or aiiusement. The night of my first dey at the camp I
Ti; arrested. The heads had what they called a Prairie deAt Court.
Gauthier, iAsiorlan F. Pegs 4
Rangelare FEC
Tarrant 0., Ast. 7.
There was the sheriff, judge and the court's mouthivie0e. There
wore a set of rules which they read to me all concernin the conduct
around the camp and bow we waddles should treat each other. There
were fines for breaking the rules. I was charged with decrying the
stinks because I did not act like a greener and take a spill off
the black hoes. I had a right to select someone to defend me. I
selected Aurrey because Lie name caused me to reckon that he should
be able to talk and do a fair job of chinning in qv behalf. Those
r4Juthm.,,ieces as they were celled stayed at it an hour arguing the
case and hearinc the siddanae. The hear them waddies onevoild think
that J. was guilty of an awful crim. I was fined a round of drinks
to be paid the first time we dragged to town. Jtory tolling and
agitating the cat gut also a little singing was other means of pass
in the time. :mem was one of the best story tellers in the Umnch.
He used to tell one that I have never forgot because it struck me
so funny. I will try and tell it as he did.*
"(I was working down near the Mexican border for a cattle out.
fit several years back. In that country there were a lot of javelin
you could see them everywhere. They are like our Texas wild hogs but
not worth a hoot for chuck because their meat is as tough as a piece
of rawhide. You can tell a 4avalin from a wild hog by the fact that
it does not have a taill
"One day a tenderfoot from the East dropped in with lots of
jack that he wanted to invest and hankered to put into critters.
The tenderfoot and our ramrod agreed on a price for the critters
and closed a deal and the tenderfoot wee taking charge of t43 out—
fit and he noticed the large number of 4 -Livonia nosing around. The
animals were so pleutyful that they were a nuelance. The tenderfoot
Gauthier, Sheldon F.
hangelore
Tarrant Co., Dist. 7.
Pie* 6
FEC
sea to Murphys "Whom do all these things belong to?*
"'They belong an this ranch but I plumb forgot to Wattle about the
critters so I supose that I will have to move the horde* MUrphy sea
to him.
"'How many of those critters are there on the place?"
"'I reckon about 300. I do not bother about branding the critters
with an iron but just catt their tails off that is gy mark.'
"'What will you take for the herd?' the greener asked.
"'I don't know just what to ask. They are worth perhaps around $24.
What will you offer?'
give you a c4. a heGd and accept your ward as to the number.'
"Call it 200 and the deal is closed.', the ramrod came back at the
tenderfoot.
"fell, air, he paid off and was floppy over setting over 2(0 hawgs
for $200. t. -4a wad:11(s were present while the deal was made but kept
our trap closed because it wes too good to bust and we did not want to
take the silver lining out of his cloud. A day or two after the deal
was closed the new ranrod took a jiggle over the range to use what he
had bought and when he returned he sex to us waddles, 'I surely made a
good deal for those hawgs. I am sure I saw around 600 of the critters.'
"We snid, *Yes, =lurp4y never paid much attention to those animals.'
The ,:reener was a sociable fellow and about a week later took a jiggle
over tp Aeson's ranch to get acquainted and do some chiming. At Wean's;
place he sees a lot of javelin and seas see a lot of my hawgs on
your rangs.0
ni13.11at hawgs art! you refering to?* asked ason.
''Those with the tails off. Those are ane, that is Hy hauL mark.
I bought it off lurphy.'
Gauthier, Jheldon F.
flange lore
Tarrant Co., AJist. 7.
"'Ise°, I've been wondering where them critters belong. would
be quite plefteeLi to have you take the critters. I sure don't mat
your atock.(
'll aim about eiltting the animals tomorrow', he proadaed.
n'when the new ramrod returns to the ranch be told the top...screw to
give us riin orders on those c:rittere fetched from Anson's place over
to tie range. That was Lelow the dignity of a sowhand so we all quit. I
never did hear now the tenderfoot cane out lath the javelin.
°One other plesank. thing hbout the Jewsharp outAt was the can
cook. vie had a good one Dutch .4yers took pride in his work. To get him
doing extm touchee all we had to do was swell him on his meals. He
would raise like a boil and take extra pains fixing the chink. !array
used to egy, "T)* be14..cheater became very arduous if you give him
fair chinning." Dutch made some of the beet some....dough bread I have
ever ate. Bread, berms' stewed dried fruits was what we lived on. lbe
cooky wou16. ax She beans different ways. he could fix a .i-oston baked
dish of bievns t at was fitting to eats also frieu pies out of stowed
fruit. Alen it comes to briaddi 'teaks Dutch had the knack of it. He
would get his camp fire hot and slap the steaks into it for a minute
which soared them on t.e outside. Then be would pull the meat away and
let it soak slowly. Of course the beef was off a fat yearling and geed
meat to start with.
"oometimes when talking about the good lAkef we weddies had an a
hose range people will ask ae where we go,. the beef. The fz,cts are
for the most part it was slowelk. ihe loss men found beef on their ran .,e
and cowmen found bosses on their range so 'twas it for tat. Alan we
need ei.; a yefxling and saw one that looked like t kind we wanted it
would have bete, too much trouble to drag all over the range country
huetilN !:or the man that owned the brand. Anyway ee hooey stinks had
1 -age 6
Gauthier, Aleldon 1. Face 7
hangelore FC
Tarrant Co., )it. 7.
ilAfter the first six months I did nothine but wranGle hoses.
Tank sold iae6es all over the country. t;,43 would bust a bunch then the
crew would d*ift the herd to places where an order waa to be filled.
6n the Jewsharp range there wile a mixture of hosses, saddle, work and
also jacks were bred& I wrangled many bosses in no day and never
ed to -ust one if it was not loco. I got hold of a few loco animals
and those wold pitch until they were pitched down. Alen they :$0.-athered
a little suAltance away they would pitch again. If a. wrangles/ Maya
'with one aose aritters long enough it would stay pitching until it
wat7 saloaed and worthleas. ihen we looped one of those critters and it
threw its eare bck also turned its eye; inward until you could see
nothing :Jut t e whites then look out. As a rule it was a waste of time
and the critter would brand you if it got the chance. If such critter
puts you int a spill you want to drag a gun the first thing because
9 chances to IC it will be cocaine at you and paw you to death.
"rilhe recular :exEu powpopy was breed from the oA„cinal vaniah hoes
and mixed. Tbat critter could never be stopped from buckin at times.
It could -Le c.ntle to where it would come to its rider when called, eat
out of 1.*1 hand, in fact, be a rclular pet but had to i„itch at times
Just to bevitchiag.
"4 way of %mangling waa the short route. After the hose was roped
and saddled I would mount it and start faniiine, its ears with the first
ump. If a wiPark-,1e:., keeps fannint; a critter it will get discouraged and
quit pitching 6-oner than if you ley off of its ears.
"I rode any oi the pitching animals and had t e reputation of be.
Lag the top rider in that section. ihat cinched py rep was because I
rode a hose one day in McGregor that had a niffer named 20m down and
Tom wee a top ridar.-111 went into a spill and the fall killed him
because be fall so bard be had his neck Lroke. I saw the hose pitcAmg
1
Ilauthier, ,,heldon F. Page 8
Naegclore Fa
Tarraet Co., Dist. 7
anc, I reckoned thz-A I could ride the animal. I tola the crowd that the
hose could be busted anC. they dared me to ride it.
"As a rule hose will Le more staLorn after it has put a rider
on the ground I expected onle real pitceing and dot it. That anal
rock e ..);ad Jared cy Ans plenty. I ounted and at once began to fan the
critter' e earu with qy sombrero. If one .knows iow to handle a sobbrero
you can sting the ears plenty. That hose pitched with me until we were
a mile from where wefte started. He hi -Ad a real hump and I could not
see the hei'Al or tail, but I was rer4ching its ears with my sotbrero every
landing. ;he critter finally decided that it was fighting a lost ccuse
tuaL settled dom. That act gave me a top standing n that section.
After a apell of i years on the Jewsharp outfit I quit and dragged
odt to Jhackleford Co. and Joined up with hardy hobert's ho&, outfit.
His brand wee the letter R. I nested there for two years. I don't keow
how marAy hosees he hi.:41, they were all over t,at section and when we
wanted any ve Just cul, ve number out of the herd. IvranGled '..hery
and the work as atout the same as on the Jewsharip. About themly
erence was hml to wetch ut gentled stock against Indian rustlers.
They woulU mwtle nosues if t ey had a chAice but we never iost any
thet we knew of.
"The best rider that I e-Jer watched on a hoes was a negro named
boby dQra.I. hoes just couldn't put thateigger oef the leather and
BOb could play while the loss wen doing it best. There is there ;eib
had me tee ed. I had to tend to oy kcitting while he could do furul
work. However I law him leave the leather one time. It was after a
heavy rain and the creek tc.As u. ot was ,ustine a wild critter Lear
a sneer bank and that critter WAS actir•, loco. It was elevatine plentmy
high and sunperching. The animal went up one time and when it came down
it
ka6e 9
;authier, .aheldon FEC
Aangelore
Tarrant Co., Asti. 7.
it was over thk Wee of the bank flea landed in the water. Bob quit
the critter pronto and swam for shore.
cr 7 quit the obert's outfit I dregged lack to the IcLent.an
Co. seetioh, an joined up with the ,.eliermott cattle outfit whoee brand
was D. The outfit was a good size ranch and we lived with the chuck
wagon mostce the time. ,e were supplied with the saes kind o1 chuck as
waa funris.ed with the hoes outfits. There WI a 600d cre 01 boys
with the outfit. John aoodie, Sp brober Bob and hob 6mith anti others
I can't think of ri ht now. e drove a Mita cattle to xoung Co. where
the eame outfit bend another range.
"While an one of the drives I saw and worked one of the worst
steorpeues that I ever witnessed. e were about 20 miles swig from our
home range the .irst night. .43 had drifted the critters bard as usual
the first day to get them a good distance from the home range. The
weather WEIP quiet with lots of stars in the sky and we could see quite
pert. The crittc-s were bedd,d down and all looking peaceful. I was on
the first night ridie6 shift and was feeling real socirlble about how
prettmy everythilk was shaped up.
uddenly. I heard a critter anon and sez trouble is sure coLling I
had no idea that it was going to be like it was. As a rule on a clear
quieL alulat it is easy to get the animals put into milling and the
stop 1.4oving. 4th the, snort SOO critters jumped to thimir feet and were
off like a bunch of me. bosses. Those animals acted 1..,ludb loco. I
saw critters run into trees and be knosked down and be stomped to death.
The; were ruming so fast and would not stop for agythiag. It WG6 either
them or the object. If a rider went down he sure would be buzzard food.
()Jars
when it was over we had lost so many, soae telng etcaped 8Z/strayed
that a party of waddles had to go back to the raive and get soae more
critters.
Gautier, Sheldon Fe Page IC
Raagelore FEC
Tarrant 0., Dist* 7.
"The snort of that one cow put the scare into those critters. ',het
it said with that short is hard to tell but it nust have been plenty.
row it cd-ey have been scareu by some vermin. There was lots of wolves
in that country then and it mey have ..een wolf that run into the
herd. Anyway all that we know about what started the herd was the snort
of that Id cow. Huntine wolves was one of our pastimes. The ramrod
had wolf hm.inde and some of the waddles also owned hounds. :hen we bad
time we would hunt wolves and bet on each others hound. Zose hounds
knew their hOlf business and I have seen bOMO pert ftbhts. No one 1, und
would be able to to best a lobo but tee or more would team up mow.
4hileone dog was after the wolf from one side a hound would come in
from the op, ouite aide and in that method would slashilhe wolf until it
was dom. wits often we would shoot the wolf before the Aight was over
to save the dogs but not until after the war was about in. ,we wanted
to see all the scrapping we could.
"After about 18 months with the outfit I quit and went to mil old
4.ove the.oes ranch. I Joined the bonham outfit mined by Mason. It was
like the other boss outfits and nothing =Meal happened t. ere. It was
not a laret outat and the bands consiste of June, 'bud eob and Frank
'Jason, sons of the ramrod, Jim Patterson and Lvself as s,eady hands.
After a year or so with the Meson outfit I quit to get married.
"Among all the waddles I worked with and seen do their stuff the
best rider was nigger Bob 'enders. Looger Aed was the best roper witn
Sank With of the aobert's outfit ri6ht next to him. I never saw him
miss or a critter aoraswoggle him. row in the shoo-Li:4,g line there were
so mulaw k.00d sots I cant' say which was the best.
"Just one more story about roping that andy 6 ith told us waddles
while sittie6 around the camp one night and that will end mv chatter.
Gauthier, .;heldon F. Pogo 11
Bangalore FEC
Tarrant co., ists 7.
Sea ha s I hula rattling about roping one night sitting in the
bunkhouse of an outfit up in Colo. I was tailing the waddles that I
could rope any animal that walks on two or four feet. Now as you kr.om
roping a critter means to a cowhand that yqu not on.ly loop it tut
con-
trol the animal..
"9.ns of the crew spoke up and sees 'Smith put u some Jack
that you can't rope a grizzly bear.'
"I thought for a ,noment anca then sers 611,w much jack do you want
to put up to sez that I can'ti"
*He came back at me and sem, 'Twenty-five bucks of Uncle ;:iam's monoy.'
in took the bet and had it rut out on paier that*Smith bets $25.
that he can put the loop an a erizzly bea0 and control it.'
Now all persons that has any acquaintance with the grizzly know
no human this sisx of hell can rope and take control of a kyl:.zly bcar.
'Ti. evid th:t four or five waddies can do the job. o the boys thout,ht
that I had gone loco and they were thLkint, riht e.ctpt for one part
of the Lpet. In the m-untain section of that country grizzly berrs were
Lot hard to find. After the bet htd been set or paper we all started
out to find the bear and that did -ot take us long and I went i to do
my stuff. I rode up to rpping distance and the bekr was rtuLdni; tryine
to get away. I put th„ loop on it and it then ez,w that it ,t'As cornered
which cause the Lear to ch,we its mind. Thatcritter made for me
quicker than a riash of sky -ire. of course you know that I did -ot
dare to start the horse because the tie r would pull the hose inetead
of pullihg the Lezx down. It had the rope in one paw and its teeth
cleared for uction. Again you know what power the tear has in its
front legs. I Voss the boys watchint, were soyine, there goes Jmith
to the eternal range. I oustpulled out my 44 and put two shot into
Gauthier, .;heldon F. Page 12
lore FEC
Trrtant Co., Dist: 7.
the buarls be:d hitting it betean the eyes. I then ro e u to the
crowd and sez, 'Boys there is ,he bear all roped and under my control.,
"They all looked sort o cheap and said thvt hereafter they would
et a lwpyer to rit the bet underatandih6 made with me.