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Range -lore
Annie meAulay
keverlok„ Texan
AALOL-1.01L.
J. I.,. limith was born at Alford, Uie ounty„ Texas,
March 4, 18811. ;Al moved to 'tunnels Gounty in 1874, and
later in lay, amble and Goldman Gountioa, working on dif.
ferent swathes in those °aunties.
a.6mith saes 1414 father had a few oattle, and
learned about then while i was growing up.
we had to learn how to take eare of ourselves in them
dupl, and do many things that (walled for oourage and skill.
rim I as fifteen years old, my brother, a year or too
older, took typhoid fever. The dootor told my father he'd
Nave to travel, move him to a hirlher climate or he would dice
tio father riczpvd up an old buggy, put in some teddint7,, grub,
a few clothes, little medicine end o rInd brother and
imr2s,
started out. I we goinc to out across country toward 7ew
exico. re meant to carp at rt. orth the first right.,
but ntesed or route, e oeme in eViat af c 'ouse stout
dark and founC the forily 1tvin, there fricttened end grief-
stricken. The Indian e'd visited the the nieht before end
stolen all their horses (iti killed one oV their toys. I
didn't sleep much that night for term that the Indians might
come back.
"The people begged us to wait a day or two before moving
an, but we left °oily the next morning. After e day or two
my brother began to improve, and in two or three weeks he wee
well, end so we returned home, without ootcrirrm, over
oscine an Indica on our whole trip.
"T wor!'ed on e renct at Trickham, Coleman C,ounty, when
first cominr to the Test. I mode trip from Trioktem to
rallinmr when there were only two %owes on no route. They
telonred to riel Coffey end Net Guert. never sew the like
of wild game there was out here then, and we still had to look
out for Int.ions sorx after I come rect.
"7e tolled the old E -en Ftok1lr treil eThen we moved to
Bunnele County. e 70t quite a little Indian scare before we
got there. We intended poinF around Lenta Anne 7,1ountein, but
when we got there we sew 3 fire beside the road t'lat the Indi-
ens couldn't have 0Andoned more then an hour before. VA)
turned another way snd drove until we got in the mud so badly
re had to make oemp for the night. After we crossed the
creek next morning we saw five opeeesin treeks. They had
erossed our trail again. I felt we hod just narvowly es-
caped an encounter with the isedskins.
"I worked for a tim on the Harris ioNelly ranch south
of the San baba river and near Richland springs. There was
one of the prettiest sprintvt ever ear bubbliqg up right
from under the oorner of the ren(01 house. T learned to
ride broncos, rope end brand pith the beat of yen whtle there,
"I lived in what ma knavr as lortli Text's for nine years,
rorkina on the Llook reneh in Clay County, end oleo for e
whilc in Teel' County,
The. oettle (mitre hod lote of things to contend with
then, not only cold weather and drouths but some t17-2es fotel
cattle diseases, t%hile I VElt with the Llock outfit, some-
body brought in some diseased cattle one rinter from another
state ezld neve it to all the °attic in that locality. Cattle
died by the thousands. They (gained they lost slaty per oont
of their herds from that one disease.
"Mere was quite a bit of trouiae durinr the wiz, cutting
period. Three men were kiiled in a half mile of my place. On
the BlocIT ranch whioh vac a Jerre one, they built a scaffold
end put a dumew up, weviHr its hands. It meant for wire cut*
tors to keep arey or suffer the coneequeneoc.
alw40.
"The big renohes often took advantage in fencing the free
range. The little van needed the free range and felt resente.
ful toward the more proaperous °cowmen who could afford to buy
and fence It.
"A big general round -up was a pretty sicht to see in open
range days. AA the different outfits would meet and gather
eottle, sometimea from two or three diffeTent counties. Lvery
rancher would cut his cattle and take them home or drive them
to market.
"The worst atamaedo I evez-saw happened et tit° head of
Lampasiep river. to had about a thousand steers. rAehree of
us twits• holding the herd one night during a cold driwly rain
from to northwest. '4ho oattle had become reatless a.d drift-
ed toward °amp. The cook went to got zone wood and disturbed
csaVilo. They begin o stir &are than ever. one of the
.:4en was on a frisks; horse. 1e beoema frightened of tie oo0k,
too, sad started running. Away went cur bord. A started
riding to try to turn them. They ran on to a gulley. The
other fellow's horse hit it first as he had managed to get
in front al" the herd. dhen hip horse fell it thrtri him on
tie other side of the gulley. A fax of tho,eattlo fell into
t* -13 rifleT. to, but ",1;e herd tr.rned. I mon/aged to keep up
TAAth thcn,cirt! 7ot nem started, to millinc, vihen daylight
°scat I found L,•pelf several miles from camp, cold, hungry
and tired. We lost two steers that id fallen into the gulley,
.5.
but guess we were lucky not to Love lotA.more.r
Lclithl LoLert Lee, Texas. Interviewed
July 66 /V38.