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Range -lore
Ruby Mosley
San Angelo. Texas.
RANaE-LORZ
Jonathan Sanford Ater was born in Burnett County
HiS father, Oeorge Ater, came to Texas in
"My father owned and operated the first woolen
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mill in Texas," says Mr. \Jonathan Sanford "Toed" Ater.
"He did not go to the battle field to fight in the wart
he had some kind of/ fever that left one leg Shorter
than the other, but this physical handicap didn't keep
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father from doing his bit at home. His duty was to
care for the widows left behind. He issued cotton to
them to make clothes for their families.
"The homes with so any inconveniences made the
household duties quite a problem. Coffee was made
from parched corn, okra, diced sweet potatoes, wheat
or rye. Leah member had a job to do before a meal
was complete. The women made the cloth, then made
clothes out of it for the entire family, by hand; so
you see why there were no idle people at all in those
days.
"I started ranching when I was 21 years old.
Me and my brother had about six hundred head of cattle
on Pecan Bayou in Callahan County. We kept them about
four years and sold out to begin working on the trail.
"I went back to Williamson County and worked for
the Snyder Lrothers outfit. On my first trail drive
we went from Williamson County to up in Wyoming, about
246 miles the other side of Cheyenne on Cheyenne River.
Old George Arnett was boss of the gang until we got to
the Platte River then George quit and I took charge.
We had an old negro, Willis Russell, to drive the
chuck wagon and do the cooking.
"We had about 6,000 in the herd and sold them to
ranchmen. It took from May 'til October to make the
trip. We didn't have any unusual trouble on this
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drive, not even a stampede. When the Indians came a-
round we gave them a beef and they went their way.
"The next time I went up the trail George Arnett
end I carried horses. The only trouble we had was
when the horses strayed from the camp. They some-
times went about twenty miles away before we could
locate them. When we got to Cheyenne, George took a-
bout half of the horses and went to South Dakota and
I stayed at Cheyenne five weeks before I sold mine.
"The only wild Indians I ever saw was one day
when I was rou.iding horses in Williamson County the
Indians appeared as I was leaving with them. I knew
they were after the horses and rode a little fast.
They didn't catch me as I wee in the lead.
"Old Andrew Mather was the Indian man of our
country. He killed an Indian end skinned him and made
bridle reins out of the skin just for a novelty.
One time Andrew was on scout duty and saw an
immense beer; of course it was against the rules for
him to shoot animals while on duty. He took his rope,
gave it a swing and got his bear. Andrew's horse
tightened the rope while he took his knife and killed
Ee was one of the beet, with his rope. One time
he was over in what is now Runnels County, then he
roped a buffalo, saddled and rode him as if he was a
horse. 'Olen he was tired he got off, then killed and
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skinned the buffalo.
"I rode horses when I was young end never saw one
that I couldn't ride; I'm not bragging but I never was
thrown. In my riding cloys we rode until the horse
stopped pitchint„ now the modern rider rides three or
four jumps, then another fellow rides up and takes him
away and then he is called a taxon. buster. I don't care
about seeing any such ridin'. I never watch them ride
here in the Fat Stook Show.
"Of all the ranohmen, cowboys, and bronc riders,
I am proud of my old pal that I once lived near and
rode the renge with end he is J. Fronk Norfleet,
he starts anything he completes his job.
"Well, I'll tell you a little of what he did; J.
Frank chased five confidence men 30,000 miles transcon-
tinental]. one pot 'ems These swindlers got him for a
lerge sum money and every one else that they could.
The lers were too week for them. When these outlaws
would o up to ar officer end pay him for protection
it wee pretty hard for an honest man to get along.
"Old Frank took things in his own hands. He
always said, 'Treat the other fellow ri7ht; then make
him treat you right,' and off he wamt after len.
"Frank got into some mighty tough spots when he
hit the sections *here the officers had been paid off; it
was in that area that the swindlers .hid out. He got into
When
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some terrible traps and most or the time had to man—
handle or be quicker on the draw than the outlaws. But
he never fired a shot on his rounds. He found notes
where they had planned to kill him then another time
while he wee their captive, was given a glass with a
poison drink but didn't drink it.
"The following outlaws had swindled people from
coast to coast: Old Joe Furey, the gang leader, L. J.
v'ard, V. B. Spencer, Reno Hamlin and Charles Gerber
doinp their part, end they were captured by Norfleet.
"What J. Frank Norfleet has done for this country
cannot be estimated. He is a descendant of Eobert
Lee and to my knowledge I think his works were as great."
Range -lore
Ruby Mosley
San Angelo, Texas.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jonathan Sanford 'Toad' Ater, San Angelo, Texas,
interviewed Jenuery 24, 1938.