Document text
Range -lore
Annie '44Aulay
Haveriek, Texas
RANON*LCIRE
Futha Higginbotham was born in krath County in 1888.
He moved with his parents to Coke County in 1889.
Eigginbotham soya: "My father end grandfather before
me were stock formers and ranchero. I have lived on a ranch
north of Brant%) all of my life. After my father's death, my
mother continued to live on the old place and asked me to
take it over, and so I have continued as a rancher and stook
farmer at the same place.
"I used to help vith the round -ups when I wasn't more'n
twelve or fourteen years old. They'd always make me help
hold the cuts. Lilt one thing I was proud of, they'd always
let me go to dinner with the first bunch.
*I began trying to ride bronco when I wasn't more'n
fourteen or fifteen, I guess. I got throwed a lot, but never
seriously hurt. We boys thought Old Dick Hamilton was the
greatest feller in the world, because he was such a good
brone buster. He was the hero of ranch boys then. MV
greatest aspiration was to ride like him. He was a good
buster. He could ride anything.
"I gave up the idea of being a brone rider after
few years and settled down to real ranch work.
"When I was about fifteen years old, another boy and
I drove a bunch of eattle (about a hundred head) to,Bweet-
water. We were driving them from the Riohard plaee near
Bronte, end Li*, Richard told us to try to have them at
6weetwater by night. I guess we rushed them too much and
when we got within a few miles of town they were so tired
they'd hardly drive, omis of them began to lie down. One
steer, nearly one year old, refused to go an inch further.
He just eouldn't stand on his feet. bomehow or other we
managed to get him up on the horse with me. continued
that way very slowly for two or three miles until we mat
Hr. Richard who had eons out from aweetwater to meet us. He
put the yearling in his buggy and we managed to get the herd
into town about ton Wolook that night. I was sure tired, too.
"I vorked in Crookett•County fourteen months, about the
time I was grown. I guess I was nineteen years old. I worked
for Clayton and Childress on their seventy-five section ranch.
They worked eight or ten men regular. There were some drift
fences on the °reek that were sure herd to keep repaired.
Seemed like we had lots of rain and every time it rained
the creeks got up and washed the fences down or damaged
them,
"very thing was fenced so our rounding up wasn't
hard, They had corrals in which to herd and cut them, and
branding chutes to brand them in.
"I've known a few good women riders. The Hannah
sisters and also the Calloway sisters. They lived on ranched,
near Blackwell and did regular ranoh work. The Oallowey
girls used to get lots of kick out of going to a dance end
shooting 'en up, as they ealled it. They eensidored limes
selves wild oowgirla, but no one really took them serionellio
Desale Galloway, the older sister, would ride pitehire horsed.
She espeeielly liked to ride high jumpers. They seldanhgot
too tough for her to ride, After their montages I'm teld
they have lived very quiet end contented lives."
t4'
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REFEBANCE:rutha Higginbotham, Hronte„ Texas, Interviewed
August 19, 1938,