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Range -lore
Annie MeAulay
raverick„ Texas
TLf/t
RANGE -LORE
Allis Petty was born in brown County, on 64:It Creek,
August 6, 1874. Re tells the following story of his ranching
experiences:
"1 helped .make my first cattle drive when only twelve
years of age. My father's outfit drove a herd of eattle from
Bell County to 1-redy in 1886 and tool- me along. It wasn't a
long drive and we didn't have any serious trouble, but I thought
it was a big trip. I can remamber I had a grand ttme, but I
sure got tired, and sometimes soared. The riders would tell
ghost or Indian stories around the fire every nirht and t wouldn't
have been surprised to see a bQnd of In..ian warriors or some of
their dead victims make an attack on us at any time.
Page three
"They'd razz the new hands, especially green riders, in
them day: something terrible, "Undies." one bunch dubbed
them. It was the old hand's'delight to get 'am on buckint
horse and see them get thrown off.
"I was just a lad of a boy, but I can remember something
about the wire cutting period. They had quite a lot of trouble
over it in Lrown end other counties in that eOuntry. It took
a long time for people to live down those differences, too.
"Then we made a cattle drive to Brady in 1886, we 'vamped
one night right on a line fence of a teller's pasture that had
been lately fenced in. We didn't know it that night, but the
fence cutters Came in the night and cut his wires all -to pieces.
V4 ear many places next morning where the rires had been cut.
rIn them dnyv many of the smell men would hire to, a his
stockman arid although he worked his cattle too, he would be
drawing wages from the big man ell the time. It is said that
many times these little men would Lrand lots of the Losses'
calves for themselves, in feet were rustlers. 0(111, of course
fencing the lend let them out. Many of the ()utters, especially
the leaders, were just ouch men. Lute on the other hand, the man
that could afford it would buy up a lot of land and often fence
in a small in that had improved a little place and perhaps
lived on it for several years. There were good men and unfair
ones, too, on both sides.
"One men, a prominent atoekman, got a hint his fence was
going to be out on a certain night end he had the texas Bangers
Page four
lying in wait when they earns. Wien they attempted to c,rTest
the cutters they began shooting. One of their bunch was killed
and another wounded, also a Ranger was hurt in the fight. Bill
Adams was sheriff at the time and was threatened many tines be-
cause he tried to keep peace. Old Bill was a good man. I
worked for him awhile in his -.wagon yard at Erownwood. Fence
cutting, or the right to fence the land, was the main political,
issue at the time. 6hould the old open range survive or could
it. Lvery candidate had to come out on one side and there were
so'ie bitter arguments, and :some almost came to blows,. Lany
felt that it was only justioe to the poor man to leave a large
part, et least of school laud, open for free range."
&lilt 1 1.45
'Allis Petty, Maverick, Texas. Interviewed May 51 1938.