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Range -lore
AUXiie McAulay
Maveriok, Texas.
RANGE -LORE
M. C. Uanuel, son of
S. H. Manuel, was born in
San Jaeinto County, Texas,
December 21, 1862. He
moved with his parents to
Runnels County* when only
a few months of age, later
they moved to Bon Ficklin,
Tom Green County, where Mr.
Manuel lived until grown or,
until he enlisted in the U.S.
Army. He was honorably dis-
charged at the clog, of the
Spanish American War. He has
punched cattle in three dif-
ferent states, Texas, Oklahoma
and California.
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fr
"1 began riding when I was quite young," says M. C.
Manuel, "although I didn't work cattle much until I was nearly
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grown. My father Was a farmer who kept a small herd
of cattle but wee not called a rancher. The first job
I had was in To Green County when I was about sixteen
years old. All I had to do was round up steers end
feed 'em or help with the branding or tense building
a little. I worked a little while end then joined the
army. I was in training about a year when to my die
appointment the war closed.
"I came home after leaving the army, and worked
on es ranch a few miles from tether's, but wasn't
satisfied and left right away for El Paw. I got a
cg:
job on the J.
Notion Ranch near El Peso, where I
worked for a number of years. I had a number of ex—
periences rhile rorking on this ranch but only one
that's worth mentioning, I guess. I helped to drive
1,E00 heed of cattle from El Paso to Ingle, New Utr-
leo. At night we'd bed the cattle dorn and then
guardund watch them in shifts, so as to give every—
body a chance to get a little shut -eye. Well, I was
on the first shift one night. We were camped at a
pretty hilly place somewhere in New Mexioo. We had
some mean and restless leaders in that bunch. Some
feller struck a match which seemed to frighten some
of them and got them started. Well, I'll be darned
if the whole business wasn't up and moving before we
could stop 'em. We worked all night trying to keep
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them together. We let them get out on a hill though,
and it was goodbye dogleg. We bad a niee time trying
to round 'em up next morning, and how the boss did
cuss. Eut I'll tell you that was some hard riding we
did.
"I went from that El Paso ranch to Three Rivers,
New Lexie° to work, I only had one dollar in my pocket.
I went to see a bull fight before I left Ll Paso and I
bet about all the money I had on the wrong bull. One
of my feet, or rather both of them were frozen, but I
nearly lost one of then. I was working on The Bir I
hansh in New Lexie° at the time. MO and another feller
got oeuGht out in a snowstorm while bringing in a few
head of cattle from another zenith about thirty miles
away. e had to camp for three days and wait for it
to let up. e got pretty weak and so did the cows.
And my feet froze. It was a long time before I could
walk on one of them.
"Arizona Jack was about the best brow rider I
ever saw. He was sure good and a clean rider, too.
He was the craziest guy I ever sew about riding mean
ones. The tougher they were the better he liked it.
I env him ride a fast and high pitcher once. He pitch-
ed Arizona Jack into a tree, or at least he caught a
limb and saved himself.
"Yes, we had a heap of fun with the greener or
go tow
tenderfoot. Pe called 'em artuokles. Of course the
hands diC treat 'em a little rough but if they, eouldnet
stick it out, they wasn't mush good on a ranch *whew,
"I went to California in 1906, and worked for the
CL aattle Company. The cattle men in that *oust,'
dreaded the overflows from the Colorado River, soused
by the melting or snow in the mountains and spring
rains, 6ometimes when the settle were (taught in these
overflows we'd have to go out in boots end pull 'ea
out, It was certainly mean work, it was very WM*
too. We always carried our branding ring with usa.end
if we ran across an unbranded self we'd bread blues
the spot,
"After I got tired of ranch life I opened up
Transfer Company of my own in Calorie*. Oelifornis, and
ran it for fifteen years, I oame back to Runnels County
a short time cr.,,o and find I still like it.
"People are about the same on ranches and other
places, everywhere you ro. Most of 'am are good rollers
when you get to know 'em. And these old eowpunehers
would do anything for a man in a tight. I ought to knee,"
Range -lore
Annie YeAulay
Vaveriok, Texas.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
is C. 14anuel, ,averiok, Texas, interviewed,
January 19, 1938.