Document text
Pare 1.
cum- Te as
rs. Annie :_cAulay
Mnvelick, exs
Runnels Coa7ty
COW7-07 LORE
BEDFO-iD CAPERTON was born in Hayes County, May 31, 1868.
v't
He moved.X.634mm-41tres‘to C)ncho County in 1879,
Concho, Runnels and Coleman Counties since tirt time.
Mr. Caperton says; "I moved with my mother and two older
sisters to Concho County in 1879. My father had died before we
left Hayes County. We settled on te old Fountain ranch. It
was right on the line of Concho, Runnels and Coleman Counties,
-.Alt our home was _n Concho County. My mother tau:lit the first
school that was taught in Concho County, there.
"I learned to ride quite -young, -nd I got my first job
r;4--
,Bll ht catt nd Concho
rivers below Ballinger. airlhad herds in Coke County at
that time. I never made a lonc, drive except driving herds from
one range (144pan Flat) to the other (Howard Draw).
"I remember we were driving 300 hee from Loptil Flat to
Howard Draw once,
and we bad
the worst stampede I ever saw. It was about the third night out.
We had can7ed for the night in an eight...section pasture, and only
placed one man to -guard them at the time. It happened to be my
shift when thelstampeded.
Page 2.
"It was about dark and we had bedded them down on a rocky
sort of hillside. Most of the boys had ridden over to a nE..rby
r)(Ianch ouse to visit awhile.' My h rse stubbed his toe, snortea,
and made quite a bit or noise, everytning bein7 so quiet,
it disturbed disturbed them, and they be7an to stir.' I ttied to quiet tnwm,
but the leaders suddenly made a break, and the whole hera left
out like a streak of li:htning. We were fortunate though-Mhad
often heard old cowmen say that il you could get 'a herd to cir-
cling on rocky ground they'd not try to break out of the circleT
that they were on rocky ground. We got them started to milling,
and about mianight their teet got tender;ana they began to slow
down. We were plenty tired but mighty glad we'd been able to
hola terem together.
av
01 worked
:outfit in Concho County ror several
!*44.
years.. There were five new hancsAstarted working the first
morning I did. They gave us five mounts ape with which to uo
our ridin'; and thEy were all broncs-young stuff that haa
never been ridden —well, we had bronc ridin' every mornin: for
quite a ppell. Bob Pearce and Will Wyatt, both of whom were with
outfitwere plenty good at ridin', both bronc and
general riding. They rode straight in the saddle and never rode
a horse, no matter how mean or tr4cky, that they couldn't manage.
"Fred Baker was the best roper I ever saw. He could rope
'em runnin, dodgin, or anyway as slick as a button. He was with
the Mulhall shows at Angelo for sometime. The Mulhall sisters
were good riders, too.
Inhylanddtthe biggest round -up in Concho County about that
time that I've ever helped with.
4 MkthY vsmilbe i99941143T7
Th re -Tis an estimate of 10,000 head -rounded up. We brought
'em out of the draws and creeks for miles and miles, taking sev-
eral days to do it.
end- linflif
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4
Trt_r
Range..lore
Annie LicAulay
:limerick, Texas
ROOD-LOU
Bedford Caperton ass born in Reyes County, May 31, 1868.
Pe moved to Conch° County in 1879„ living in Concho, Dunnels
end Coleman Counties since that time.
,r. Caperton says: nl moved uith my nother and two older
sisters to conch° County in 1879. LI father had died before
we left hayes County, i,fe settled on the old Fountain ranch.
It was right on the line of Conch°, Runnels and Coleman Counties,
but our home was in Conch° County. ky mother taught the first
school tkaii Web tiOleht in tioncho „ounty„ there.
"1 learned to. ride quiLe young, end I got my first job on
reneh near the Colorado and Coneho rivers below Bellinger.
This **usher alau had herds in coke County at that time. I
never mode a lonc; drive exeept driving herds from one range
(Lipsn Flat) to tie other Oloweird Drew),
"1 remetiber we were driving ZOO head from Lipan Flat to
follter
;Toward Drew once, and we had the worst stampede I eve,-.' sew.
It waa stout the third ni!:7ht out. We had camped for the
night in an eight•ssection pasture, and only elated one man
to guard them at the time. it happened to be rily shift rhen
they ettnErpeth,.d.
"It was about dark end we had bedded them down on a
rocky sort of hillside. Most of the boys had ridden over to
a nearby ranch house to visit awhile. -14 horse atubbed,hiS
toe, snorted, and made quite a bit or noise; and everything
being so quiet, it disturb them, end they began to stir.
I tried to quiet them, but the leaders suddenly made a break,
and the whole herd Lett out like a streak of lichtning. We
were fortunate thoegh— I had often heard old eowmen say that
if you could t.,3t a herd to circling on rooky ground they'd
not try to break out of the circles that they were on rocky
ground. We got thenesterted to milling, and about midnight
their feet pot tender, and they began to slow down. We were
plenty tired but mighty glad we'd been able to hold them
together.
vr/
"I worket6, big outfit in Concho County for several years.
There wer,five new hands who etarted rorking the first morning
I did. They geve us five mounts apiece with which to do our
ridih'i an they were all brohyouag stuff that had never
been ridden —well, we had bronc ridin every dlorniug for quite
a spell. itib illarce and iU yett, bota of whom were with
••Zi••
this outtit, were plenty good at ridint, both bronco end
Pleneral riding. They rode straight in the saddle ead never
rode a horse, no matter hov, moan or tricky, that they couldn't
manage.
nFrod bekor wen the best roper 1 ever saw. He Gould
rope 'ea runnin*, dodgini, or anyway as aliok es a button. HO
was with the Mulhall shows at Angelo for sometime. The
hell sisters were g)od ridera, too.
"They had the bimest round -up in Conch() County about
that time thst I've ever helped with. Mere wee an estimate
of 10,000 hood rounded up. We broupht tem out of the draws and
'creeks for miles nnd miles, taking several days to do it.
Ti Ledford Caperton, hunnels County. interviewed
;Tilly 14, 1;Ze,