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Benge—lore
Ruby Mosley
San Angelo, Texas.
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RANOB•LORE
Mr. and Lra. Edward D. Miller of San Angelo, Texas,
have owned and operated ranohes as large as a hundred
sections at one time.
Mr. Miller' herded sheep for John and Don Berry
when he was a young man; later he returned and bought
the whole outfit.
They gave the town site for Millereview„ which
carries their mums.
Ab Blocker wai e close friend and spent the night
with them several times.
"The first outstanding thing that I remember, was
when our house washed sway," mays Mrs, Edward Do Miller.
"When I was a little girl about 9 years old, we
lived in Bell County, near the Lampasas River. One
night in August, the river got on a rise, it began
swelling wider end getting wilder. My father went out
about every thirty minutes to watch the high water marks.
This time he came in a run saying, 'We must get these
kids out of here.' We three older children each got a
smeller one on our backs and sterted,to higher ground.
As we passed the barn brother took the rails dawn, so
the mitt's, hogs, and horses Gould get out. Before we
got to the hill we had to cross a low place where the
water was up around brother's nook; we smaller kids
clutched him by his suspenders and he pulled us on 1
cross. tech one got a ducking or two before we rese*..
ed the other side. It's still a puzzle to me how those
babies hung to our basks while we were banging to broth
sr through that deep, swift water. Father and mother
stayed behind to put the household furnishings up in
the loft. When they came by the lot a rail had washed
across the gate end all the stook were swimming around.
Father let them free but we never knew what became of
them. Father had four quilts and mother had a grease
lamp. When they got to the low place the water was up
to father's nook and mother had to hang on to him.
Father was over six feet tall so he held the quilts up
out of the water and mother saved the lamp. The next
day, we went over to the ruins and picked up as many
of the household goods as we could find, and put them
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in trees to dry out. Oh yes, about our house, it was
washed away, all except the roof end that was ,top side
down in a big tree with a bundle of fresh washed clothes
that were not even wet. We. went beg* to our quilts and
grease lamp t, spend the night and another flood same
that very night and Glowed the plisse of every thing
is had saved* Our bread for the next year was made
from unearthed worn, which was desk and musty but was
.11 we had.
"About ft.* miles below us Mrs. Hulsey went down
to the river to wash greens (we all did in those dare).
A roll of water come before she knew what it was all
about and washed greens, pan, and every thing on dos*
the river. She pulled herself out, by first one little
bush than another.
"When we lived in Coleman County a bunch of Indians
come through and made e raid on horses. My brother-in-law
Tan Elkins, went with the gang to try to get the horses
beck. When he returned he said, "The nearest we got to
*emcee when we found blood on the cobs.' The Indians
had eaten fresh corn off the cob and their gums had bled
on the cobs.
"My mother and I stayed day and night shifts with
mrs. Louie lankier when She had a new baby at her house.
She told me about the Indians eapturing her two brothers*
They lived at Loyal Welly', Mason County, when Mrs. Louie
Winkler was Mattis Boofmier; she had two brothers, Willis,
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age 5 years, end Hermon 9 years. One day they went to
the spring to get water for the housohold'use. The Indians
swooped down and serried the two youngsters for a rids.
That night the pair was put to bed with Indians on all
sides. Poor little Willie giggled insh by lash until he
made his escape. The poor little tallow was found early
the next morning by a man who had gems to drive the salves
in at milking time. Willis was fremss stiff but as bind
man worried him in while his wit* gave him food pad warmth.
The man at out to sorry the glad news to the parents and
searchers.
"Herman wee carried on and on, made the raids and
lived the rough, roaming life with the Indians until he
was grown. The government bought him from the Indians
when they were pleeed on reservation.
"Herman's parents got word that their bay was safe
and would be returned; well, they killed the fatted calf,
tidied up the guest room and had a big feather bed ready
for his first real night's sleep since he had been cap-
tured. Poor Herman wasn't any longer mother's little
knee pants boy but was a brevity young man, spooking the
Indian language mob better than LAglish. The noxt morn
ins about 4 o'clock Heron was walking out in the yard
and when questioned he told them it was too steal iv"
side and he never wanted to sleep on another feather bed.
"Mrs. Brunson told um the story of her family being
attacked by the redskins, over in McCulloch County. Mrs.
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Brunson was girl about 16, had a sister 14, a mother,
father, brother, and baby brother.
"One time the father loaded them all in a wagon
and headed for Fort Worth to get supplies for the next
few months. It took severe] days to make the trip so
they carried beds, food, and all neoessary things. They
had good luck on the way and looked the town over, and
bought supplies, but on the way home were halted by
Indians. The great tribe hit like a storm, cut the team
free from the wagon, and manfhandled the father and
brother. In the terrible fight both were killed. Next
they ripped the sacks of six hundred pounds of flour,
threw it mad man style into the air, and their big
feather bed was treated likewise. The wagon and re."
mains were burned in a heap, right in front of the
remaining family. The mother was tied on a wild mule
with baby in arms, while the two sisters were tied on
another mule not knowing what would be the outsome,
God must have been with them as the miles didn't piteh.
"When night came the Indians would put a blanket
on the ground end place the four captives in a row with
another blanket over them; an Indian would ley one on
each side and one at the foot end another at their head.
There wasn't a possible chance of escape.
"One night as they were riding along, the girl,
(now El's. Brunson) could see mrs. A. J. Ealker spinning
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girl (now la's. Brunson) was (tarried on end on for several
days when they vane to another tribe. The girl was turn-
ed over to an old squaw. The old squaw was very cruel to
the girl, making her carry heavy tubs of water on her
head whieh almost broke her neck, and beating her unmerel.i.
fully. She had worn out all of her elothing except an old
shimmy (a long straight slip), and one day while the old
squaw was guarding her she best her so severely that it
brought on a condition whieh the chief observed by the
soiled places on the old shimmy. Whin he saw what the
punishment had caused he got a blanket and tied it a-
round the rirl to hide the soiled elothing and then
beat the old squaw even more severely. The chief took
more interest in his captive end life was a little better
then death so she tried to content herself. She had been
with them so long she didn't try to escape as she had no
place to go. It was safer with them than to wander out
into the wilds 'only to be devoured by animals.
"The government had heard of the girl and told the
chief that they wanted to buy her. when the day came
for General zheekensie to come, the chief had her dressed
in the best blanket,
"Boon General kao)tenzie arrived with her mother end
sister to give them their freedom. Their joys and sor-
rows were shared together for many years',"
Reagesaiere
Ruby MoeLey
Sea Angel*. 'rams*
vottiqr trr
Mrs, idwsyd 100 taller. Lon Angelo, Murat interviewed,
rebruary 3 1938.