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Range -lore
Annie McAuley
Maverick, Texas
1
RANGE -LORE
SEP 2 0 1938
Hugh Campbe11, was born in Austin County, Texas in
1878. His father, David Campbell, was also a native of
Austin County. ills grandfather moved to Texas in 1812 with
a group of very early colonists. He fought in the war be-
tween Texas and Mexico, taking part in the battle of San
Jacinto. Mr. Hugh Campbell moved to Midland, and points in
New Mexico where he worked until 1897. In 1901 he moved out
to Winkler County and started ranching for himself. Fe moved
to Runnels County in 1917 and bought a ranch near Ballinger.
There he he has made his home ever since. He also awns a ranch
in Conch° County.
hr. Campbell says: "I've been ridint a horse ever since
I can remember. I came of a family that rode and ranched.
My father was a stockman in iaistin and _Ulan counties, and
my grandfather was a stockman before him.
"It was all open range in the early days when I was a kid;
they had lots of trouble with horse thieves in that country
then, too. I remember riding upon three dead men hanging to a
tree, not many miles from our house. I was out looking for
certain stock that we had on the range when I saw them. I was
all alone and was sure frightened. They had been caught by
some of the ranchers in the business of stealing and branding
somebody else's stuff. So they hung 'em to a tree 'til they
was plum dead end no questions was asked, nobody knew them or
ever found out where they come from.
"We used to make lots of long cattle drives. Ilve been
over the trail lots of times. I helped with my first drive
to Dodge City, Kansas, when I was fourteen years old. Vs had
a right smart trouble on that trip. The herd stampeded a
time or two, and when we got to the Red River we ran into
quicksand. V:e managed, with a lot of riding and patience, to
get all the cattle across the river but we lost our bed wagon
in the quicksand.
"We drove about 3000 heed of cattle from Midland to South
Dakota once. I believe that was about the longest drive I ever
helped with. Bill Roberson was the trail boss. 7e had
trouble aplenty that time. Seem like that was an unlucky
trip. We ran in to high water two or three times end had
several stampedes, one of the worst ones I ever saw. We had
camped we thoupht in a very good place. e always tried to
bed the cattle on the side of a hill sloping west if possible.
They were supposed to stay quieter if you did that. This time
we stopped on the bald prairie somewhere in New loealoo. The
herd was as quiet as you please 'til along about eleven o'clock.
One of the boys on guard struck a match to make a smoke. That
made his pony jump and that frightened the cattle. They jumped
up, and away they went like a streak.
"We all got in the saddle as quick as possible and rode as
fast as we could until we out run 'em and got them to eirclin'.
That tool- a long time and we had lost a third, which we had to
get together next day. That was the hardest ridin' I ever
done on a stretch. We rode all night and all next day through
a cold drizzle of rein that had come up in the niott.
"I worked on ranches in -idland County, at Odessa and in
Tew,exico whe:, I was a younr feller. I yorked for a long
time far the Pat outfit in ew _eater) also for Jals ranch at
Lidland. Lee Richards, Lob Grimes and Cas Russel were working
there at that time.
"I've known same awful good riders, both women end men.
I've rode cone broncs myself, but I don't deny having my heed
stuck in the sem; several ti, es.
-4
"Billy Obrien was sure a good woman rider. She lived
at Stanton. She married Bill Wear, the notorious roper.
They live in Oklahoma now. Billy could ride and rope like
a man. Then there was a i,,a6s. Race in Winkler County that
rode a side-saddle. She did stunt riding and also ranch
riding on it. She rode wild steers, too.
"Kid Owens and ish Pollard of Pecos and New Mexico
were the two best bronc riders I ever knew. They caught and
saddled their brones. They rode by the month and guaranteed
to ride anything.
"Pink Poschul and Barnes Tillas were the best ropers I
ever knew. Tillas ran the Con Sabe ranch. I saw them in a
roping contest. Tibias roped 332 calves and Pink 333 without
missing a rope.
"They sure used to razz the new hands somethint awful.
They'd give 'em tries horses to ride, or do anything they
could think of for a joke.
"Once when I was out there they hired a negro to ride on
the buchannan ranch. Mollie Ulliams was the boss then. Some
of the boys told the negro the first day he was there that a
certain rider there sometimes throwed some fits. (Beverley was
his name). That night after all had gone to bed, Beverley
began having one of his false fits, and kept chanting that the
ghosts had told him to kill a rider. He got an axe and started
on tl-,e rounds going from bunk to bunk and still talking to
-5
himself. Alen he COME to the negro he said, 'Here he is.'
The negro jumped and shouted, 'It wasn't me,' and started
running as fast a E he could. Re ran all that night. Re
reached udesaa at 4 o'clock in the morning and told the
sheriff excitedly that a crazy man had murdered everything
on the Buchannen ranch except him."
RIFERINCE:- Hugh Campbell, Ballinger, Texas. Interviewed
September 19, 1938.
e. 4'1
C0r9Y LORE,
tJGH CAMPtELL _WAS born in. Austin punt7es in ',10S,.2.21110
ter,. David CaMpbell was also, a ive o Auistip- 6unty, 41116.:
andfathet move Texas 141.1Eiv with a arc:7*f Very
orati, He If o*ght in' the 'war be tweet kJ -Texas and MEx1ct).
_
part in
t#e loattle o-f-
rati r
mt.4 bell moved lopirtp-to Midland and- point6 in, New
Mexico where he worked, until 1897. In 1904 he moved out to Wink-.
ier epunty and star* tanclain"., for bizself.--;lie moved 'to, Runnels
county, in 1917 and, bouaht, a ranch near,talli4er. Thetehe has'
pade his home, ever since. He also awns: rancp in Concho County.
Mr. Campbell sayst '1I've been tidin a'horse ever since I
_
an remember. I. caMe of, ,afaiiiy that x.c,le and ranched. My father
wa.s a stockman in Austit and 11.-21am oUntieii 'and litir)44461f1:04er:
)1
was a -stodkman befove
1
It ,was, all 'aige in thie early days when X 'w4s a
tht:r (had lots o,lf ttouble with horse ,)thieves .n that country ther
too. I remember riding upon thre'e ad' m n: hanging to 4ree 1 t?ti
e 1 _-
manIT miles from our iho,uSe. I was out lo"tna fot certain stack _
7tha,t, we hit( on :the rAnse when I 447( thOW. 'T_wls all (alone 'a,n4,*W
iaViti a\ h' t i-led INT-iltaie4 idrk
been cat so4e of the xnchers in the, bugiti,la
of ,stealing and branding, solivabod else's stuff. So they hcing:80
7t3 a tree l'til ,they vea0,PIuo dead and no Auestions was *11,ted.nat
1.1454RW them orever f) OUt- where tkiey ;9
t ...1
,•41c
"We used to make lots 'of lo4 cattle drives. I've beeniover
the trail lots of time's). I helped with my fiyst drive to Dodge
6 ty) Kansas when' ,i 'Was fourteen *:ears oid. Dr
"We had a right smart trouble', on that trip. The herd' statt'peded
.105,111-•a time or' tw'07. and when we gOt to the 14ed aver we ran into
quicksand. We Managedi/With a, lot of riding and,patience,to get all
_
the c-ttle across the, -river but, Wie lost otIr bed'1,tragon in the quick-
sand.
_
"We drove about :too head of cattle from Midland to South
,Patota once. r believe „that'wat abeiut the longest drive "I eyer
ed with,'; Bill Rdbeiion was the 'rill boss. We, had troub,le aplenty
that tiie.en like that was, an. unlucky trip. We nazi -in to high
_ water two or three- ti ee and' had',seVeral stampedes
w,orat.,1020144s..1,' Slier Saiw. We had camped- we
thought; in a very godd place ./tWet,alwaYS 'tried t'o
.10e'eulaniski Lon the' side, ofal-ph 1 sloping we
stay quieter if You did, that.. Thi ime we stopped on the
prair:ie somwhere4n asfe-witteocico.‘ Thit.4terd Was ad i/ulat as you
cattle 4it
were supiposed'to
along about'elevenflelrol
match to rak smote. What made
40,148: fright
a streak.
e of the 'boys ori. guard Struck-) a-
pony 40=71gaima4unip and that
the 'cattle. *Ley 4m#ett‘ up/and away they went like
1'\,, k
We ari,,, I ,got in the saddle as quick ais pOssible and, -_rode as fast
as we could Luntil we outrun, em and\ got 'rake* to' 4irrClini. ihat took
_,
,--1rig tire and we 1,1. 4.?st,11.2114[4r4;whicii we had to 'get toge ext
_.* 'z..
414,4ity What was the ttardeet rid1.4 I ever d74e on ,a stretch. r #S,„r,t4e,
i a11 d'ar''-i,*-40, a coiddiTeit-gitlPf 174.14i, ifila
k, o
k-
•L..11 I- 0
L-tV,
kept chanting that the glwets,-had told him.tb,dicill' a rider. He
go/ an ax and s/a 4a on the rbOnds '8oint, 4'r0,1n bunk :to pilaX:and*
4J' 4
I
A r
link/144 lio.- hula eli'., Vitheri he ciao to -C.he negrb he saidlgere he ill.ft-
The Aegro j opped ahil shou/e01 qt. wails& t nii and,:4tarted running as
1/
fast as he could. He' rantli that nilit. He reached 'czierse. at 'our,
I-
T f
)cloCiri. in the morningi nOtold, the: ohitrifA, lOcCidediy4e, crazy man
had Murdered everIrthing on ,the' liuchannan ra.,Ich except hii: /9.
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