Document text
re -Le
Gouttler. Sheldon 280
Rangelore.
Tarrant co.saist.s#7
Page #1
PC
John Waletchers70, living at 460 St Louis
Avel/brt WorthsTexass was born intParker coirsT:;:u
Sept.s22486S. Rill fathers neway*Fletchers f
an SO acre tracts which he had fantods and owned
a small herd of cattle which he raised on the open
range. John W. Fletcher began his range career
assisting Lis father and at the age of 16 accepted
a job on the ranch of Bill Smith* Later he worked
for Bud Awls. Both of these ranches were located
in Parket 00* He saw the bodies of tie two Cantrell
woman who were hanged from a limb of a tree near
Springtown, Texas, for rustling cattle and horses.
He was with his brother, Jim Fletcher, .ho was a
Texas Hangers and Banger Man Roe, when these two
men buried the corps. Hs want to Uvalde cods
in 1818 and there worked for the Miller ranch.
He worked on the Miller ranch for a period of five
.years and then came to Tarrant co.s where he
estatUished a larm and since has remained in the
county*
His atom of range life follows:
I was born in Parker ce., 70 years ago at the farm of my
father'ssDewey Pletcher, which was one of the few cultivated
fields there those dap). It was apet.s22s less, when the event
of ft birth took place.
01,4y father had about 80 acers fenced with a rail fence. A
pracuical wire for fencing was not on, the market as yet* Penceing
was done b, cutting rails and cording these up. The system was
called the "Stake and rider method. The distance between each
rail was about six inches. Just acbut space enough for a man to
put his dead through, but not space enough for a critter's head.
"Father cult_vated about be acres, which was planted in corns
wheat and a veget,ALie patch* This gmiim and vegetables were for
famIll use. Also, we raised so cotton for lent to make clothing
axis sell for cash. The cotton furnished .the money to buy the
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few needed artliles for the family. The articles needed were thread,
buttons s me store clothe beets' hats e and spice and other
articles to season food with.
"In addition to raising crops, father hod a herd of Texas 1.44140!,
horns, as everyone had those days, and these cattle bred, also,
found their own living on the open and free range. All the land
which was not fencedl and very little wasp was free and open for
anyone's cattle. The herds numbered from a few hundred to
several thounsand*
"So,e of the lagre cowcamps they didn't call 'em ranches
those days-- were the ranches of McClean' Watson, bill Smith and
John Collins' outfit.
"hy father, a. all owners of smell herds did sold his hake
stock to buyers. These man came through the countryeat intervals,
purchasing cattle for drovers or for themselves. The herds drove
to markets generally numbered 2000 to 3600.'
"The cattle did not coat the folks much to raise. dalt was
the only thing bought for the cattle, and some men made their own
salt. The owners of a small herd was not out much, if anything,
for hired helps Generally, the members of a family gave the
critters such atLentio.a they received. The owners of large
herds hired more or leas help.
"The Parker co., lountry is more or leas rollingitud.leontains
many drawellalleys. Also, contains considerable timber which
cover more or less of the range. This condition provided a shelter
for the cattle during a storm or a nOrther. Therefore, the critters
were not wont to drifting. The to this. situtation, it vas not
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necessary for riders to hold the herd before or during a storm,
and stampedes bi our herds never worried us. In the eVent any
critters did drift away, these cattle would be gathered during
the Spring and Fall roundups.
"Tbe general roundups were Jobs did by all the cowcamps uniting
to form one outfit. The crew worked the range over by workinE one
section at a time. All the various brands would be separated and
calves braLdeet according to the brand carried by itemother. The
strays, that la such cattle. which were away from their home gunge,
would be taken charge of by a representative of the critter's has
range, and drifted beck homes
"Gnerally, cattle In a range with exatllent shelter will
always be found grazing in the vicinity if their water hole and
salt 112ks regardless of the weather conditions. However, there
were always a few would stray off. The largest number of strove
were those which cane into our range from the prairie reilige
cr)untry, and some of these critters Mined as far as 76 or more
miles. Ususally, following the linter season, when severe
weather prevails, is when the largest number of *treys from far
distances were found.
"My father, older brittle?, and Ioben I became old enough to
ride wA,ch was about 10 years of age, attended to our herd. Occasiona.
4y we would rids over the range to see how the cattle were fairing,
and attend to any ikured or sick critter located, even if it
did not carry our br-nd. The other outfits did the same thing.
Thus, thert- existed co.operation between the ranchers in caring
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for the cattle on the ranges Out side of this work and during the
general roundups, we did nothing relating to attending the
critters. The only .ther time we would go among them was when vAl
made a sale: then we would roundup our herd and cut out the
close sold.
"The money rather received out of the sale of cattle from his
herd, which numbered atout 600, was clear profit. Oup living was
made out of the land. We made most of our clothing. Mother and
my oldest sister, now 82, living at Asia, Texas, Mrs Wm Roe, did
most of the optiolftgand weatlng, also, waling of the clothes. I, as
a chila, assisted by doing what I could. many nights we have sit
up till the late hours carding and spinning. I still have a mental
picture of my mother sitting at the spinning wheel, and I can hear
the old wheel tommiflio
we
',while/ lived a busy life and at times put in days of many hours
at work, still we had times of relaxation. But, with it all, we
lived a secured life.
"The woods was full of ediblibe game. When we needed meat, we
went into the woods a -d took came or beef as our apetite called
for. we raised corn and Moab for our meal and flour. SO raised
evegctables and sorghum. Therefore, our living troubles were
comparatively few.
The Indian depredations were ,;ust about at an end in our
territory at the time of qy birth. My folks had their share of
Indian raids to contend with, but none of them were ever iNwred
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in. in any way. I recall just one raid after I was old enough.
to realize what was going on. A party of Indians made a ra0d
on our remuda and made off with five of our tosses. They sneaked
in about an hour before daylight and were gone before my parents
could get a shot at then, within shooting distance. Each of my
parents shot a couple times, but their idiots fell short of their
mark. The Indians desired hosses above cattle, because they did
not steal for profit, but for use. There were plenty of C-ttle
in the woods which they could obtain end these they took as beef
-tls needed by them. While there were a good many wild hose**, the
Indian prefered a busted critter and they Caused us to keep a
close watch over our memada.
"There was the rustler trouble to contend with, and the number
of critters father lost to the theives is difficult to estimate.
Besides the rustlers, there were usiv men who would not take a
branded critter, hut seemed to be unable to distinguish between
their own calves ant am those belonging to the other fellow:
"I have often rode up to where men ;ere branding calves and
knew the calves did not belong to then, but woul4 not utter a
word indicating my thoughts. Those daysrit was just not the best
thing to do ro,.. one's hrylth, to even suggeA to anyone they wort,
brandin6 wrongly.
"The nuaber of the calf crop some hreds produced, indicated
all the cows had twins and some triplets. While on the other
hand with some herds it required two or more cows to give birth'
to one calf.
"There was a period when every one knew thLt the other felbew
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was branding all tile calves he could find, and iu order to stay
even it was necessary to do likewise. Therefore, the fellAwa
whJa war present with the beat calf crops, were the fellows
who could hunt nal bra -d olives the best. During this period
there was not much objections to branding calves. Ranchers took
the practice as a matter of course, but did object strenuously to
fellows taking branded cattle.
"WhIle I was still in my teens, there were a couple woman
operating in Parker co., And adjacent territory, who were high
el as rustlers of twases and cattlelv Them name was Cantrell.
It is difficult to reckon the number of critters. these women
drifted off which belol,ed to othei
"These two women were finally tried and hanged by a vigilante
court. They were hanged to a limb of a tree near'Springtown,Texas.
It seemed that no one passed the tree or noticed any buzzards
sflying over the spot where the hanging took pleat, until these
women had hanged by the neck till their bodies parted from their
head, and ,..ropped to the ground. After this decapication took
place, some one passed the spot and 'discovered the bodies, and
reported the r find to the officals* my brother, am Fletcher,
and MUn Roe, were range 'a at the time, and were eesigned to bury
the bodies. The two corps were intik:41d in the cemetery at
S ringtOwn. The present Jacksboro Highway runs within e few
yards. of the cemetery as it passes Springtown.
"The vigllentsia hangings of those two women in. one of the
very few, If any other, such hanging.
Otuthier*Sheldon
Rawelore*
Tarrant co.tuist• 9in
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FC 240
"vy folks lived iu a log house, and while WAS in my teens
a log house or tent was the only kind of a dwelling I saw* The
cow camps in our territory usually useu tents for shelter* There
were two exceptional houses in the section whict! were considered
magnificent atructures, and'Allah causeu people to ride out of IJA0U-
way to view* One of these houses was built by Mark Clifton, and
located on Ask Creekr about five miles W. of Axel* It was built
out of rough atoms which was dug out of the mountain or hills*
This structure was still standing a couple years ago* •The other
structure was the john Co line ranch home, and it was located near
the line of Parker and Tarrant counties* This building, also,
was built of stone and contained port holes which were placed at
il.tervtas iu the walls at all sides of the house* These port
twiee uere placed in the walls tor the purpose of defending the
home agaionst Indian midst and the holes enabled the Co limo
family to 'Nat off several Indian raids*
"At one time these port holes enabled Mrs ..T.Co..111.4 to save
herself, her young son and a young waddy named Mowrison*
"Young Collins and the waddy were out op the range looking
after some critters, when a party of Iudians took after the two
lads,* The boys reached the ranch house before the .ndians could
catch them* The Indians sUrrounded the house and attemAed to
storm it. Mrs Collins and the two boys shot true and fast with
rifles, Collins always kept loaded in the house*
"They killed a large nuMber of the Indians* In fact, so
many of them that the rest gave up their Atempt to break into
uthier•Sheldon Z.
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the house.
"Unrrison and young *Collials dragLed the corps to a ravine
and .dumped the toadies there for the wolves and buzzards to
feed on.
'"Word was sent t Ranger Captain King, with a number of rangers
trailed the 'TnClans and killed a few more of them.
"When arriveaat the age of 16 I went to work on Bill
smithte ranch, located in karker co. Lie grazed ebout 6000 head
of the Longhorns.
"We used tentf. for shelter otd the cooky dik, oll the cookinL
over a cam fire. -.e livoe a.genuine camp life and a good one.
we were fed plenty o-i" o plai food.
"Our work for the .:ost part consistad of ridiL6 the ranje,
keert,irg a goners./ urteh over the 1 -.rd d our vs out far\fasi.lers.
For a period of three months of ea0 tprinz an; Fall weever* bps,
working with ttie L:eneral roundup.
vitt, wage waz $20. per month it the start. Begining w::.th my,
second year Irecelved $25. per month. Those dayo_the wages wer!
reckoned as fair: pay. Infect, one could do a lot with 10264 thole
days. One mo.thts s buy tnouh range clothin6 t,iaat
a year or more. A pair of boots cost fro 46. to $10.1 out uould
wear considerable over a year.. A $10. hat would weir siveral',
years.
"I worxed on the ;;;Ditt outfit for a little over two users and
then worked for !,ur Avis. The work and livi4g on Mils ranch'mas
about the same.
,-;autbier.Sheldon re
ilangelore.
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"I wont to Waldo so., in.19909and walked on the Miller ranch.
The open range still existed in "We co). Allier hidielf acted
as foreman. 'Ale herd was handled by ttillert his three sons and three
hired hands. The territory was a mountainous oountryt which
provided excellent shelter for the cattle during a spell of stormy
weather. Ttereforet we had no drifting trouble, r stampede
stampedes to ha%dles If annorther heeded in the cattle would drift
to the valleys at the lee side of the hills, rixi remained there
until the storm subsided.
sUiller ranged around 6000 head of Longhorns, but at the time
I worked on his rangei be was buyiii Hereford bulls to replace
the Longhorn males.
"There was an &modems of grass and water, also, excellent
climate for cattle raising. In Aditiontwe did not have jh
rtutlers
cattle/to make stealing a problem Our work was just routlea,
such as riding over the range to look after the cattle and watching
for any unsual condition.
We had our general roundup, the same as held in other sections
pf the cattle games. These roundups required our attoneion for
stout six month of the year. When a sOie of cattle was made we
had our own roundup to sut out the class sold. San Antonio was
our maret and we di ve the cattle to the city.
"Ws lived about the same as waddies lived in other cow camps.
Meat was our main food withe beans and sour -dough bread. .che
country contained plenty of game, such as turkey, deer, grouse and
edible wild animals and foulest rad honey beyond ones imegination•