Document text
t
Gnut-ier.:::heldon F.
Wricci re.
Ter!'ant c. ,Dist.
Page.1
Fe k40
J.W.Hagertyoroliving et 150f) ;i1.1neon St.
Fort ,rth,Texass born June 10,178,
in Dsllao Co., Texas, on e far,1 1 cated
at t, tract -4! land now 1e.nty7n as Cedar
iprings -1:7,trot of Dalian, Texas.
Thl street now. nar7ed Cedar :prings R.
has its route pass- the forr:ier home of
Ilag.i,rty, and wno a rail when he lived
et the place. nany herds of cattV7)
di!iven over ,!1,7 trail during the
&Ifs of Hagerty's youth. Those days,
the territory aroun Dallas was en
open range with a few terms which wore
scattered and fenced against cattle.
Hagerty's father, with hie fatly, moved
to Ranee co., TAMis, in 1806. Jtanes co.,
was than n open range with, nany ranches.
The -irst wire fence was built enclosing
the Harpole rrinot, a%out the year 168/.
The fence wre cut and destroyed twice,
berore the builder was successfUl in his
venture. The Harty family moved to
cort Tomas, about t!)n later part
of 187. Z.W..Hagerty recalls some of be
eorly scenes of tort forth di
:lin story of early days folloilst
"My place birth was in Dallcs co., on a farm and the
event took -31ace.-101, 107S. 71y father cultivated. a small
trot of land located wherf!'Cedar springs is in thn present
city of Dallas. The street called Cedar Springs Rd., vas a
troll runninf, pass our hone. Ty grbndfather„ R.Roark, loved
neon tir ,or a tract of land called Cle Cole Place.
"There were a ow cuMvat-d fields in the' vicinity,but
cattl, ranches occunled a vast maj rity of r? territory.
"Al -oat each day on" or .-ore herd uf cattle was driven lass
our home Dn trail.' Frequently, a flock of sheep would be
seen pa -sing by. These herds of cattle numbered from a few
Oeuthier.heldon I. ;lige
Af-„ngelorn. PC. 240
Tarrnnt
unUre4 to e-veral thousand.
Cattle buy re travolod through th, counrty eattle,
in th, r-ntr, (wintry B. of AhIllas. After t''ey had borgoned for
numl,nr desired, th, burs would gat!!nr t o cattle as tivy
traveled beck th sough the territory. itsah dayles they traveled
nnd 'grthered, the herd would increase in numbers, until some of
th, harts wore exceed n-ly leap, by the time th,-, cattle were
beine, ariv,n peen our place.
*I can ro elber one herd thich started to pass our home
-n1 naming while our family ma eating breakfast, and cattle
continued t. travel pass th^_entire 64y. The .scone is c1.11
vivid in my '7indik I crIn see the cowb ye with their ton-galion
hat, Olaps, high..heel beats, spurt and a bandana arAind their
necks, riding at the side or the herd eping th cattle pointed
in th T.ro or direction. There was a err'sse trail a short diem.
trInce W. of our home, end two cowboya were stationed her all
day to prevent any ot the cattle f-lim trslling.off over the
cross trail.
"At the. time, I was sbF to ride a .horsn• The day the
larce herd drifted through, -I made aone loney. I mounted my
n!)rly end (serried drinkinl water to the clooys who were gaurding
crocti trail. 77 mother suggested that the ho7:a rlight be.
thirsty and that I aheul carry s me water to them. I lid se,
and 06(ri gave Le.a coin n my firs trip. :hia act of the boys
gnve me Introest in my iork and 1 assuro you thOy never run
short f drinktw; water.
Gputhior.Ohnldon Y.
,Rangeloro•
Xarrnnt co. Dist. 7
Page :3
IC 240
WI do not kn-w thn distinaticn or thnse herdo, but I do 1.0.
0
rnall hecria- co ye natio e rillatinc to wtoro own of t cattle
\Aube being drIven to.
"During thl ported or thn narly. '808 toro woo a_ &Imre'
movnnt of cattl, ranches to W. texas.
"After th- railroads built into U.Texne h(:.1.ond was
gradually settled by poole who began to farm thn.land. the
open rang'n'aisWearedfltmultaneously, with devolopnAnt (3:7 the
fern*. Thornfore, cattlomen noved th.A- ranches to thn W. whore
ttn -,nn rann still .wristed. Now-ver, s'TTan or wore
bni!v. driven to the Worrorn ranges for teitnning and sale Al
thl' Rortnrn mtrketa•
"I do not know.thn nxtent shnep ranching existed in 11.
7t7fAA0 thos, days, but judging iqom th froquoncy flock° of
:ishntp n drivon nese our hone, there must have been a groat
84un4, of sheep.ralsed in thn terriotry R. of Sales,
"1477 fathlr moved to Maine co., Texas, about 1084. Lin
*ea nd on t. edgo of a pretro near the &Um, River. Those
Op; Heins co., wcs an cifin and fro mo torritory. There
tete a few farms hich wIre located along thn tl'ibr land which
vino loated adjacent to thn river..
"rho M.K. en u T. railroe ran nor to our home, and we
—0o±1.0. son a train approachi7g for a ii lance or s-veral miles
.1
&mi. 1 wee about 10 year, el at thn tht we lived v_nre, and
-o ,Children w 10 watch th trains running acrosc thn WOWS*
,.The trains wore cappelled to stop ftequontly„ while the crew
Oauthier.Sholdon
11,n olore.
Tarrant co.,Dist.,#7
Vago $4
Ye MO
chased cettl off ,of th .trc:ck. unce in a rhiln th train°
wouln hit on animal. Whan th, train hit an animal an3 had to
atop, we children w uld ,n.r.)unt aur horses end ride to whn n the
trnin.rns stopped.. Thn onginn wee alnnys an object of introst
to us.
"'Milo we mero wccc in th trein c:r n acros V4- prairie,
one days it ?rit a steer an:, t-eanOno jumped thl track ana turned
.over. 'o ....nont ro saw what had he
-vened, we -ountod our horoes
and started for the reene or th- wreck riding it a fpst npod
to en° what had hared. WI anticipatod a thrill at 010;At of an
r"gjflo layina on "ts siOe and a couple :7nasked woodon coaches. Alt,
wo wore alas. -,lointod.
"Just es we arrived' at whora tho wreck ms lnatod, a
party of Indians camel out of on of th coaaos. They ware
drossd in the Indian coattp49 of day. un their head were
varlous kinds of head dress, alia -ore or loos doeleated with
foathere, and bri7,ht cnlored shawls drnpped over thnir shoulders.
Cut -oaronts, fror th n time we could undestand, had *mod us
abol)t Indiana. _However, ,g.) had never hen bothered '177
but wet° taught to ,%eep out of their way, ant to run f7r a
hiding 7)laco in tho nvont te sew an Indian approaching. Because
of thi tem:Ding, when we saw the in(linns oliWin' from !Ain
coach, re spurnd our horans towards tope at th n horne8a bet spnod.
"Father dia not.remain in tisane co., long. annual* n our
short stay, o not rooell th.. names o clny of th,, ranchos
which were loette(1 adjacent tp our ntSmes I retell just one or two,
Oauthier,UhelOon
Rangelore.
Tarrcnt co•obist.0
rago il5
IT 240
one especially, th;1 narpoln rancho'becounn terole had conSiderks
a -/e. trouble.
"The Herpoln ranch was thn f7rat ranch which attemptod
to huiLi a fnnoe in Rains 00., It was during thn later part of
'00 or tho first part of '87. zr Herpolos ranch was adjacent
to our home and I saw the start or Me fonco building.
'!:Irllarpolo had just abOut completod half of tho foneing
of bin range when thn trouble etertod. The majority of renehmen
were og.seld to fencing thn rerg. They argued, that to fence
Would destroy thl cattle busineas, eSploially for the small ronohnr,
Arad thom without- sufliciont funds to buy or ions° land and build
a,f,noos
They wore unable to prevent a rancher rrom fencing his
Oange by got** into court, bee -Buse ler! etoted clearly, that
a' property owner had.th- :Agnt to onolosn his land with a f74nce.
.rot, all clatavated lends wore fenced, These oultivated
:trrIcts were sm&I nnd located adjacent to tho creeks or rivrqk
bottbIso'and wore not interfering witr-, thn open range. Being
Viet thl r:,pposers could not secure help :Tom thn law, nly
decided to uce thoi own mthod to protect and -aIntain a frIl
arta opn rwe.
."The men who were.opposod to to firm organised a crow
*t 1100e cutters, and went to work. ihssi men cut each winl
;tiviao he eon e3ch post', and cut Niel post 10011t, half of
ite longht out or to ground.
*;3011tefal mi'a of fence wee destroyed whon morning arrived.
Otuthier.sheldon
RengfImre.
Terr.Int co.,Diet.
it
Page to
1140
The roat end wire were rendired useless ror further use:
"Uarnole r -ported th,, act to th sher'ff, who began I
esarch for the depredators, but then envelved in the depreda:ion
ri-ve Ter/ ecrettve Ihe sheriff was unable to tr,nrikend.the
oulerits, but he rumor e that if thn men were,cought it would
lean a penitentiary sentence for them..
Marllole rebuilt the fence and the fence was guarded for
about two weeks, During this timl thorn was no atterrIp. made to
destroy thi) roses,. Therefore, HerpAe lot up on Alvvigilance,
thin Ur thaL the fence cutters had bOWe tearful or the con."
sequences, of such acts St destroying proporty,
!It was only a few days after Harpole had ceased to guards
his f-nce till it was again destroyed.
n'ollowinp; the second cutting incident, throheriff succeedld
in secu.ying tL names of al,:mo7- every person connected will th-
destruction of. :Ale fence. lben foIloved wholesale arrest of
sitisrtno who took mart in the depredation• _
"The charges against the f,nce cut'ers Al on tor trial,
and rimy. conviction resulted fron-th trials. The convicted men
annealed that- oases to a hifier cpurt,The onses*wore fought
in the courts Cox. a 'onj; period or tie, 'out finally severcl
vere co7eelled to serve time in tko penitonit5ary•
"After tIle court trials -nd:convietiOns, fence cutting
oeased• thn followed more fe sing of land, an it was not long
un'Al•t, open range di..ap-ea The cattle indrustry of E.
0 u rag* 17
loro, PC t4.0
Tarrnnt coi,Disti,:?
Texan.wea trensforod to other ram country, princiAlly to
V. Texas'
"-y fat!ler loved to ran Worth, durInc the lator pert of
ln07. At this timo SW, Worth was not a city, but instlad, it
rnn a largo village. Thn principal Imsinoar strIlta wrIre
71uak( n'AT Co-nerce) ono. aounton. rho major nu -ox of buciness
pl.acns weft on 7n!n. 711 business startod et Teethe ford owl
oxtnnded Si to Fifth strlot an thl eattrer,o 7outhern loontion4
of business housoa. nvover,almon$ all of thn bustacias hoUsee
nem locatod F. of Third Stroet.
"At Fifth and in .7.trosts was located whet we called
tho'fakors block'. it *es a vacant tr'et or land wherie the 'high
-Itch' bUnInoss, a. buoinosn TInich flourishod thoso days, woe
operotod by nn who made thnir 7iving by fakiml
,Almost ,,vory day one or mom of thew) itinerant merchants would
be at thlifaur block' sollInc, his wa-os to th,:4 -ullible folks.
Thor° wore sold ovorythine, on- cor.114 inagino enc. a lot of stuff
one would not nink me on th- ma7'ot. ''sdicino that -would ouro
any disoaae, r,'!'7odies to crow hair on a slick hood. Alsoi, it
one had streig%t brAr, ho oould buy o concoction mako it kinky
or if on" had A.nky heir, concoction could be b::.ught to mwtit.
tile hair tr- Ight•
"A grot ormnt of jowolory res sold on th,7 Apors holok*
oncludin4 diamond° of covoral oars% we nht for just a row dollarsi
'note ros nn restrictions to tho nothods usod by those'
Gsuthier.3h:adon F.
Rana-lora
'Tarrant 00.,Diat.,7
l'age 8
,Ifc 240
ItIninrant moi.chante. Iho rule ma that if nnyone was gulliblo
enough to Axpuct a bnrgon from those men, ho should bn msdo to
pay :or iiiS oxporionce. In ethol. words tno rub was rs I hood
a lawyer once exp3ainest', Ilgyer beware.'
"no day a fellow set up tau stnnd et th- 'faker block, ona
ovfnrod for sale a concoction that wolld eke curl heir straight.
riostair. 7,ors,' he said,' wht/n this salvo is apAied to curly
hair the kinks lInvo a It by magic. ohall be hero for at lecat
two 1-enks advertising and appointing agAltall In %i.
ovont anrma
is ,trsatisfind.with_ this wonderful .salve, return th-! box to
Yu ill rocivo th-, dollar 70u havo ?aid ono 16 Yor you
trouble.'
"Ar) colored boys, in largo nubers, :OU[!it stuff 86
At' tey i/ar7,. getting a 0.gold coin o thtlir ;l4r, onor the
wizard had damodtre d ha co/motion nn a nocroso head. The
faker ia n traondous business for tr2.7!n or four days, and dia4.
appeared and.o.J1d not bn fmma at AA) J sual Anon of -1101.nr4ast
tut soon, any coloro- awn and women -did call to nal him. Jill
tbleo oolored fol:Le 7:lid a owl-flaint and dealrod a -efund o thnir
-oy and sono additional,00ln.
"There was no ery laint about thn concoction, not taking
el/1.; the kinks, bu'I it did -oro than thn n'rehasert nxpocted of
it. It not only t-ok out :the kinks, but renevna tho hair from
th users head. A bald headed nn7ro is an unnuol slett, but
root Worth had a greet nuMbor for 'a time after th', enlve *slew"
Gauthior.SholaonfF.
Rangelora.
Tarrant cceptiir/t.,4!
Ft 240
,roa eavertisod his concoct -ion. Until th,17 hair row. oit, one
could toll tat) ricorv. as they paraod by.
vToverything wont, thomn days. it t,r.,3 junt a lotto: of a
rr,,ilowbiflg abl- to 7..!ut his den3 through.
"'rho ca;16 engs-c nvnntinn war hnld in fort Worth ylarly
thos caws. muring tho cr.nventinn darn, tr lla nce.tai:11
coolotly at, nn:, ttv! town wt infret 'h't'. Cf colfrf7o, thrfro
W(Y7z, GOMI) eitJAWIS who yof1m4 long and lowi about t'f1-.1 town 111;7
turn6a oior to tho natant° Mejosty. Thos- pon-je woula catl
at ti Pistrict .4ttorivivis office, but in IS.mTr,ud that ti n office].
ww.10. boom) i.1 onch tin- tb- convntion aatn arrivod. it nos'
neceneary ro the at'.; may to toWea tri. to nem! ielalth resort,
atnrtlnr a .forr days trIfore tho of -Invention imman0404..
laeo nolland's Thostor owl of -h- principal chow -71(will,
it w. s locetc at 12th anti Jonos atrnets. Th2 placo occupiod an
'rktito block and nrvidnd Altertain7ont renal- from a' wild
tmal,soo, to a girl Dhow, on -f tho arils worn not any
t n tnne. Thorn worn vandev
draw
crowd.
le not -:Alich miazled an5 th-1 thoter
,Mollandon .eator wn thl Gently o r‘hat wo cLlled tho
klelf Acro,' and it was an aL7;ropriat,1 mama. If thore•
les anything ovary invontod by man to attract t'le co inslanct
hwlan which rcs not 7)ut on at Rollandts, it 713.0 an 0,7arsie
on th- part of the' managnriont.
"Henchmen .n(i cowboys viswAo6 th' to n in crowda every day
GautIllez•lheldon
len/3110re.
Terront co.,Dist.'7
Paso 10
11C4,240
11..1.1.c oleic-x*1%s -orn f ani scatterod, but ,Then a crow or
cowboys wore ap-roaoll'ng one coul1 hear t! en a block a..ey,
because of the jinggling spurs. The sound o the spurs could
b, honr the lntir, day, ,opecially in th- main or,rt of th- town.
One soul(' always see a number of mounted cowboy° r1din thruh
str,-te.
ctreots those days -/ore no bet or then a trail .through
t open country, and I prosuro roughor, becauce of the. o7cessive
uco 7ue. heloc and ruts wee th" eons.Decious part of the streets.
I have seen many tea -13 boge,ed down in vicinity of girth and
oinstr-eta. rront 3 relt at th- t wee low and when to
wenther rem wot, it lies a -mass Thorn was a stairway run ing
rr th street u- o 1;ho high ,-,round hore the aspot no located.
de,ot of loialn otr-et.
"Th leadtnt7 tot -1 of tilos., de7s wee the "19 ohants liotel. It
'Fes o--rrt-d by tauerir.) Genocio. It 7MS tO t1a ho1 thnt
7Irt Courtright wnn lured by a U•n• arahal, and which atrtd tha
CO' rtr1,7ht opined°. 'rho :larshelpiletended thr:t he desired tl.; en3ago
Courtrig'-t to do some investigating At th i time, Courtricht oa
orating a det,-etive Fla -mays
"h U.. archel rise from th Territ;ro7 or New ::.ax.• end
hoca 9c,rrrnt for Courtrig%t's ar -est on c urdor Caarge.
COurtright was held a risonor et hotel, and ,revented
from. sending word to hi n 7rionds about his -,1i,3ht. :Ile ,predicamont
crin discovered and Ills friend° beca-lo busy in his b^half. tiord
about Corxtright vas spread and tear or t town was at th dot
GautIllor•Choldon F.
Terreat co.,Diot. 7
2ego #11
PC. 240
w' n Lo o rto c rrivod tat t!,o oo7,ot w1 thoir prisonor 'to tato
th,-) P. and P, trcin WO
;Naga need, thn dio4riat
was at
unpot and 1417...ud a writ-, ordering. Courtright b turnod ovor
to th- TarrAlt co., shoriff, u t121 thl legal custody o: th
noionor o,ul trio docIdOdi Courtright vas fially turnod beck
,J11oi7Jx., an th affeir onded by him -scaing
fror. th.7, °Moors, rT!iich .ns modn possibln by Fort '.iprth citiz-ns.
mrlan citizons gangnd tt, °Moe's, end thoir :),rlannor, whilo
raro oating a 7.1a1 at a rootauren, boV ro leavin thn train.
Ny ann. rInstnrious ',onnr, two. viy.41 wore found Courtright unvOr
tebl- whi ho sat. ::uddonly, h pullod thn .--Ausson tho officors
and wal%nd out f thn re:7tourant, whIlo mon hol thl arms :Yr.tto
9-uicers*
ur loadin,3 citizomo2 thr torn wns Involvod in mating tII
er on.nnts for .0ourtrigt's escape, rn. th punliohor'of thn
'CJig nerspa.por took thn load.
"1 of1;on think of Captein A.S. Paddock, who publishAd a
INepor co1lo thn Lonocret. 10 dvotnd a largo p-rt cy his tine
etIng thy' torn. ,PaddooR -rodictnt a futrn fo;'. eort arth
with a possibl-, 2t),OfP 111n thin:_in 0- thoso
days, 1 wty:Idor whet .addoc.: thl R whil, fooln,1 iort ,orth
of z;oday.