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we had some very tough times after we moved to Mclennangounty.
"We must have had a pretty serious drouth in the late seveht
ties. We had always depended on the streams(rivers and creeker
for our water supply. We had to haul it some distance on a
9. aidtr-Ims,
_
lIrs. Annie McAulay
:!verick Texas
RunneLs County
.0"
COWE07-- LORE
Page One
E. J. HUIDLEY was born in Monteceili, brew ic,:i.untyiArkansgif,
January 24, 1861. irie came to leex•_s in 1872, with his parents
in Icovered ox wagon. They cr.pssed the d ver at Dooleis
perry.
CP
V T
r-The-fnildliv lived near what was known thenas Telaco
They oily lived there
e and then moved on to Nav-
varro- y and settled for a short time near Asden.
part of 1873 the liandleyoof
che Springs, twenty
--Aer
Malennan County and set
of Waco. They bought their
co)
sled or wagon drawn by oxen.
water fi
lly got so scarce th410 my father decided
to try his luck at digging for
plenty of water,
all of us.
dlitig a well and struck
ppy day tit ..a for slaw
Annie McAulay
verick texas
els County
Page Two
/Sas well as many other, lived mostly on jerked beef
and corn pones in eArlier days. There were lots of Indians
when we first came to Wexasttoo. You never could tell abamt
a redskin then. But we got on with them alright. My father
treated them well, and they in turn were friendly.leSep.ammesumftw
,„„emmarisestmedwieweplawaiiis.assekamtiallipi My mother 41141,- never learned
to love them She lived in constant fear that they would go
on lie warpath ler-mTny-ywMrrrft
I learned to ride when quite young. All boys learned to
ride in them days. le-werieefl-Par-elthfererrt-rantirgecrpte-tr-
o-Caahteme-leseso-freauansap-biaanor I helped to make two or three
cattle drives from entrall:xas ranches to Abilene Kansas)
before I was twenty one years old. There was usually from
two to three thousand head in a drive and about twenty five
men in the outfit, including the cook and horse wrangler.
I remamber ois4, trip I made with The Sealy outfit in
the spring of
We were driving to the Kansas market
about three thousand head of steers. We somewhere in
Oklahoma when it turned cold and began raining and sleeting.
We had to move very slowly. The cattle got very weak, many
of them died. The men never licked for food as there was
plenty of wild game but we got cold.,41,14-190-dadtdamed-
-4hert-wenrweettikesi...
We had two or three stampedes. The worst one we had
was when some Indians were trying to -swipe our horses one
Mrs. Annie McAulay
Maverick ,Texas
Runnels bounty
Page Three
night. Some of the boys discovered them snooping around and
they didn't get any horses but the hallabaloo frightened tha
steers and started them to running. They got pretty weell
scattered in spite of all we could do to stop them. We rode
like thunder all that night. The Indians must have gotten a
'few of them. It took us all of next day to get them together
and we never did find quite all of theinftlesie-issiel-o-pimAL
<11"Trinntir-thett--trftr.
rem I joined The Texas Ranger force in 1882 ppd cvne west.
4
I was stationed where Midland /Texas 944116i It was in Tom I
1
1
Green unty at that time. There were twenty five men in our 1
camp. I belonged to tompany-B and 14thAatallion. Sam M'e-
Murry was our Captain. John McAnnelly was First Leiut. and
Sam Platte/ 2nd Lieut. GentKing was Aldjutant General at the
time. M vyyted my first year in camp for Willis Johnson for
sheriff of Wom greem bounty. Mewl,ffrierTTIMT"Mrtffis.
I remember while I wasaaat Mid]. Pecos and Toya
had quite a fight for the county of Pecos County. I
was with a squad of hangers that was sent to Pecos
un-t.y
to keep peace during the election. We had been informed there
was likely to be some disturbance. Men were carrying guns for
each othe There had been thereats to burn !Filings dolma and
so on presence of the hangers seemtd to have a gating
effect as there were no serious out...breaks.
Mrs. Annie McAulay
Maverick texas Page Four
Our business as rangers was not only to keep peace, but
to protect the settlers from horse and cattle thieves or oth-
er molesters. We sent to the border of Old and New Mex-
ico many times. In fact, that was where most of the trouble
and our work was. don't see how the country was as pedlkble
as it was .t314mrdayst 144pwith thieves, desperadoes, gamblers
and such. I never wa in any rel serious fights like some of
the boys but we all in more or less danger mosl of the
time and liked it then.
Handley makes his home in Ballinger a ent
timeh He lived for man on where he still owns
a little farm
c His place to his business
of city constable, He says, keeps him very busy."
Bibliography
E. J. Handley, llinger Texas. Larly texas Ranger and Cowboy-.
Interviewed Feb. 71 1938.
Range -lore
Lnnie :ciulay
.:everick, Texas
A. y
RANG.D-LORk..
A
1. J. Handley -was born in Montecelli, Drew County,.
Arkansas, January 24, 1861. He came to Texas in 1872, with
his parents in a covered ox wagon. They crossed the Red
River at Dooley's Ferry, Having lived in several Texas
counties but now a resident of Eallinger, funnels Counti,
he relates the following story:
remember we had some very tough times after we
moved to ()Clennan County. e must have had a pretty serious
drouth in the late seventies. had always depended 04 the
streans (rivers and creeks) for our water supply. ';:e had to
haul it some distanse on a sled or wagon drawn by oxen. The.
water finally got so scarce that my father -decided to try
his luck at dirging for it, no we dug a well and struck plenty'
of water. That was a happy day for all of us.
"We, as well as many others, lived mostly on jerked beef
and corn pones in earlier days. There were lots of indione
Page two
when we first came to Texas, too. You never could tell a-
bout a redskin then. hut we got on with them alright, my
father treated them well, end they in turn were friendly.
14 mother never learned to love them. She lived in constant
fear that they would go on the war -path.
"I learned to ride when quite young. All boys learned
to ride in them days. I helped to make two or three cattle
drives from Central Texas ranches to Abilene, Yensas, be-
fore r was twenty-one years old. There was usually from
two xl three thousand heed in a drive and about twenty-five
men in the outfit, including the cook und horse wrangler.
"I remember one trip I mode with the :A5aly outfit in
the spring of '80. ee were driving to the Yenses market
about three thousand heed of steers. ee were somewhere in
Oklahoma when it turned cold ano began raining and sleeting.
had to move very slowly. The cattle got very weak, many
of them died. This man never lacked for food as there was
plenty of wild game but we sure got ()olds
"We had two or three stampedes. The worst one we had
was when some Indians were trying to swipe our horses one
night. Some of the boys discovered them snooping around
and they didn't get any horses but the hallabeloo frightened
the steers and started them to running. They got pretty
well scattered in spite of all we could do to stop them. V:e
rode like thunder all that night. The Indians must have
gotten a few of them. It took us ali of the next day to get
age three
them together end we never did find quite all of them.
"I joined the Texas Ranger force in 1882 and came west.
I was stationed where rAdland, Texas is now: It was in Tom
Green County at that time. There were twenty-five men in
our camp. I belonged to Company B and 14th hatallions aa
urry was our Captain. John icAnnelly was First Lieutenant
and 6em Platte, End Lieutenant. Gen. King was Adjutant
General a; the time. I voted my first year in camp for Willis
Johnson for sheriff of Tom Green County.
"I remember while I was at L.idland, Pecos and Tay* had
quite a fight for the county seat of P0008 County. I was with
a squad of rangers that was sent to Pecos County to keep peace
during the election. We had been informed there was likely to
be some disturbance. :lien were carliang guns for each other.
There had been threats to burn things down and so on, but pre
sence of the rangers seemed to have a quieting effect, as
there were no serious outbreaks.
"Our business as rangers was not only to keep peace, but
to protect the settlers from horse and cattle thieves or other
molesters. We were sent to the border of Old and New 11.exico
many times. In fact, that was where most of the trouble and
our work was. I don't see how the country was as peaceable
as it was in those days, with thieves, desperadoes, gamblers
and such. I never was in any real serious fights like some
of the boys but we were all in more or leas danger most of
the time and liked it then."