Document text
Phipps, -;oody
Rangel**.
:arrant Co. 1)ists
0.M. Stotler, 61, now residing at take !lorth,
near Yt. Worth, Tex., wee riding the range nt la
Yrs.,of age with i Utteher Who bought beef for the
Ntrlington, tows, trade. At 17, he was employed
by the 7,!.04. Campbell Co. of Aohlte, Tan. -hip
sent him to their cattle range in W. Itsm. At
20, he was in charge of their winter feed lots in
the !lint 7111s, in N.W. 3k1e. A £1, he spent
two years on the Montana ranges before coming to
the Ft. 7orth.Stook Yards. ;liter serving six t'os.
as en !,ent..eattle salesman for the riene-3nyder-
Puel 004,he was appointed a regular salesman. pl.
due time, be beoame their head salesman. fter
30 Yre. in this position, he quit to form his own
Co., which Is the C.t. Stotler t: Son, looted in
the Ulm Stook ftohenge Big. fie married 'cadge
Aloker in Joplin, Mo., in 1903. no story:
"You've just struok me in a reminiscent mood. You see, I
t,)A my son in partners with me r year nnd e wee ngo, and we've
just finished an inventory. Now, my son is only 17 yeari old but
he is stepping in his father's foJtsteps Ps e cattle salesmen. I
belinve he will be as suooessful he his father too because we show:
a proffttwhere a good mPny oompanies tire showing n loss. The
reason they are showing a loss is because any one oen eater the
Conmialon basinese, and the most inexperienced men are now deeling
on the Yards here along with those who have the most experience.
I suppose I have the least number of oustomers, yet T do n big
business because I still have the big rancher's confidence I
Erined When we were both just starting in the business.
"Now, book to myself. I was born in Phone Iowa, on July
16th, 1976. I was reared, not no ft farmer or cattleman, but was
raised in the city. I Was interested in cattle because my father
hadr greet interest in oetticmen. !!is life's voontion we in
dealing with .them in vnrious capacities, such as selling um'
"buying land cattle, end the implemente needed on the range and
Phipps, -3:lody
Rangelore
Tarrant Co., List.
Page f/2
EC
farm. ,,sy father traveled extensively. "e visited about all the
known ranches of his day, and told me quite a bit of his experiences.
--y father was instrumental in the naming. of a certain class
of people who lived in Polk County, trkansas. Re called them, 'The
Levelers', because when a kinsmen died, all the rest of the kinsmen
a
would go and live with the one whi inherited the bulk of the estate
until it was all lived up. Occasionally, a Leveler would find hi*'
self in debt after inheriting a bit of money or property.
"Then, enother incident he related still remallis vivid in
My memory. He says he almost lost his life in a buffalo stampede
that happened in West Texas When it was still unsettled, with
only a few cattle on the range. He was making for El Paso, Texas,
and was still a long way from his destination when he heard
rumbling noise similar to thunder. He soon knew it wasn't thunder
beoause the noise oontinued without abating. It grew in intensity
rnd seemed to be coming from over a hill that was in his forth.
Naturally, he was curious because the Indiana were peaceful at
this time. I don't rattail the year right now, but it happened
while I wns still a child.
'Tell, all of a sudden, there came over the hill right in
front of him, a long line of buffalo on the stampede. Since they
were riding right toward him, he turned and tried to ride out of
.he way. Now, my father loved good hose flesh, and he was riding
a racing mare at this time, so he stood t good chance of escaping.
The one thing happened that has caused many a cowman's death in
the time of stampede. 'His hoes stepped in a gopher hole, stumbled
rnd fell. Per leg was broken, and the herd wasn't more than 500
Phipps, Woody
Rangelore
Tarrant Co., Dist. fit
Patio #3
re
feet in front of him. I failed to tell about the two lietutifUl,
ivory handled six shooters be always carried, and the Winohester
•Carbine he carried in a special built scabbard on the hoes. He
knelt down behind the hoes, jerked the Carbine out and picked the
buffalo right in front of him. He was a good shot, so he killed
this buffalo when it was about 25 feet in front of him, then
furiously pumped the gun until he had a pile of them in front of
him, forming an obstruotion,which the rest of the herd avoided by
going around. 3ust to give you an idea of the tremendous herds
of buffalo then of the Plains, this herd was about two hours in
pasf:ing my father's barricade.
".my own experience with hosses began as soon as I was
able to sit a hoes.' ‘ly Unole,Tom Stetler, held me on his hose
Itil I could ride him alone, ts soon as I Gould mount by myself,
I was lways bulming the different men for 8 little ride on their
hoes. I could ride good enough at the nge of ten that was
hired by a butcher in Burlington, /owe, to herd the cattle he
bought in the terriaowy about 30 miles around Burlington. re had
some Awn slaughter pens in the city, and I herded his cattle to
them. I was ambitious for a kid of that age, and I tried to get
on eduoptiOn while doing this work. Of course, I couldn't get
mach eduontion but an education isn't too severe a handlorp in
this business. me knack of instantly olassifying tad estimating
cattle weights in the most i=portant thing a cattleman can have.
"I am sorry I fail to recall this butcher's name but in
a way, I'm not at fault because everybody, including myself,
called him, 'Butoho. worked for him 'til I was 17 years old.
Phipps, loody
Rangelore
Tarrant O. Dist. #7
p*Ce 14
Well, you know how it is. A 17 year old boy knows just about
everything worthwhile to know. Whet he doesn't know, he doesn't
need so I decided that it was high time for me to step out and
show the world that I could make it on my own. I oould've gone
to work right near my own looelity but I prefered the -711d and
Jooly west. I lit out for Wichita, Kansas.
"The r4.0. Camabell Company hired me as n cow punoher end
sent ma to their western Kansas Cattle Range. They didn't own
the land but leased it from different landowners. 'liwork was
a regular cow puncher's work while there, but this company had
a different system from most other cattlemen. They selected the
cattle they wanted to sell, and trailed them to their Eastern
Kansas ranges, where they were fattened for sale in the Fall
_markets.
"When I was 20, M.C. Campbell sent me to their winter
feed lots in the Flint Hills of Northwestern Oklahoma. I was
placed in °barge there, and stayed there 'ti]. I was 27, when
went to rlontana for two years on the range there. I don't recall
the different places I worked there. I worked for about five of
them. You see, I was very ohoioy in those days and if a place
didn't suit, the trail was free, I owned my own hoes, saddle, and
took out anytime I otiose. This attitude put as in a close place
sever,' times, but I 302ed out alright.
"One of the times I was broke, I put in at a.sheep camp
for a meal. The shepherd was lonesome so he asked me to spend the
night with him. He nnd I sat up nearly all night, telling each
other of our experiences. I remember One he told me. It ens
Phipps, goody
P681 45
Rengelore
Tarrant Co., Dist. /7 Pc
about a young fellow, who beam* disgusted with the kind of a sissy
life he was living in the East, and decided to go West. Now, he
was a graduate of Harvard and Tale Universities, 614was, the
champion runner, or track man, of all the colleges at the time
he graduated.
"Well, nobody would hire him because he had never ridden
a hoes so he got pretty hungry. The fellow showed up nt this
shepherd's place and asked for a job. Tell, the old man told
him that it vs a lonesome life, even 12 miles away from the main
°nap, told him how little money he would get, and then told him
that all the provisions would be furnished. The college fellow
took him up. ?hen the old man gave him his provisions for 15
days, then offered him e hoes. The young man turned down the
hoes and they argued about it, but the young man wouldn't have
it so he left without it.
"His duty was to herd 1500 mutton mother sheep. Now, to
explain,a mutton mother is a castrated ram. A mutton wether is
about the easiest animal to herd there is, so the old man wasn't
worried about the sheep, 'but he told the young febbow to report
back that night about the trouble he had. Now, remember, it was
12 miles to this herd, and they were to be penned up at dark.
About two hours after dark, the young fellow showed up, and they
began to discuss the herd. The old man asked him if he had any
trouble herding the mutton *ethers up, and the young man said,
'No, but the sheep were hell to pen'.
-rhe old man says,"Sheepi Aint no sheep out there'.
-The young men replied, There was humus* I penned them.'
Well the old man said he would have to be shown, so they saddled
soody Page A
Rangelore
Tarrant Co., Dist. /7 VC
up a oss ror the old man, and the young fellow trotted beck with
him. When they got to the pens, the 7oung man had 25 jack rabbits
penned upS
"while I was riding the range in Montana,, I heard a good
deal about the ooming cattle market of the Southwest, and that
wps !Port Worth, Texas. I decided to come here and look the thing
over. That was about the most sensible decision I ever made
excepting one other. That was when I decided to ask Veda, Tucker
to marry me. I met her in Joplin, Missouri, while I was on my
way to rort Worth, and she took me up. She has been a real
partner to me over since, and we've had some good with the bad.
"Back to Fort Worth. We reached Fort Worth in January,
1904. I was immediately employed by the Evans Snyder Duel Corinision
Company as en assistant salesman. The Evans-Snyder.Bubb was a
nationally known company, having done business for 70 years before
they employed me,
"After I served my apprentieeship as assistant salesmen for
six months, I was made a regular salesman and in due time, became
the head salesman. I served 30 years in this capacity, buying,
selling, andvaking loans on (settle. The most of my activity was
here on the fort Worth Stock Yards. I reached the all time high
in selling cattle when I sold 103 oar loads in one day. I believe
it can be proved that I've sold more cattle than any other cattle-
man in boots. Of course, this was largely represented in aged,
three year steer cattle. I've discounted more then 10 million
cattle in all. r.vans Snyder Duel did six end a half to seven
million dollars a year right here on the Yards. The 10 million
nhipps, oody
Rengelore
?arrant Co., Dist. g7
page in
rc
takes in the cattle I've sold since I organized my own company,
too. Just from the appearances, the cattlemen might seem to you
to have a soft snap, but we don't. I used to wear a pedometer on
the lapel of my °oat, and I registered more than enough in the
few years I wore it to make an average of 25,000 miles in my time
here on the Yards. That would averige from 10 to 12 miles a
working day. That is enough to have walks' Pmost five times
around the world. Now, that is unusual. Not all the cattlemen
were so ambitious.
"Evens Snyder Buel used to make loans on cattle and as
head salesman* I used to take a train on week ends to some cattle-
man's piece who had applied for a loan. Mr. Buel was reputed to
be the shrewdest financier of his time because he knew how to
loan money, Re used to tell me never to makr a loan west of
Sweetwater because when there was e grass failure, there is nothing
to fef,d on but bought feed, and that runs into reel money. He
said South Texas was good beoause of the brush to fall back on.
7ou know, a steer can almost climb a tree for it's foliage. I've
seen mpny a steer with it's fore feet high up on a tree trunk.
'he south Texas trees ate usuerly small, and there is el good deal
of brush. In fact, it's nearly all brush.
"After Mr. Baells death, the company was liquidated in
1924. The Evans-SnyderBuel Company of Texas was organized -with
R.H. Brown and Jim Todd fa managers. Mr. w -r. Waggoner was one
of the stockholders. I took out then, and formed my own.compeny,
C.E. Stotler Son.
"By the way, let me tell you One that Tom Waggoner told
Phipps, :ttoody Page
Rangelore
Tarrant Co., P1st. /7 re
on himself. I knew him intimately and we often disoussed the old
days together. This hapnened about 75 years aMo when the Waggoners
were almost unknown. In faot, they were just cow punchers the
same as any other cow puncher.
"Well, Tom.rode into e *amp of an old reoluse who grazed a
few heed he had mavericked some plaoe. Of course, Tom didn't
care how the old men got his cattle. lie just wanted to get some-
thing to eat and a flop. The old man was glad to see somebody
because the cow oemps in those (Ulm were about 25 miles apart
and nobody oared to visit muoh. Mien Tom asked for permission
to spend the night, the old man says, 'Tie your hoes in the shade
and come on in. I'll have you something to eat right away'.
"Tom unsaddled, fed his hoes, then went to the oabin.
-Then he looked in, he couldn't see anything but a 000k stove, a
wash pan on a soap box, Pnd two other bairn that were evidently
used for °heirs. No sign of r bed: There was also a small oup-
board from which the old man took the food to be cooked. Re
served beans, corn pone, and block coffee. Tom was thankful for
this food but he wondered where the old man slept. There was
no sign of a bed, nor any cover in the room. Tom surmised the
old man had his bed °oohed outside and slept outside because he
was leery of being cornered in e house while asleep.
'Along pretty late when both men decided to go to sleep,
Tom saidOI believe I'll let my saddle and saddle blanket end
go to sleep because I've been riding all day and I'm pretty tired'.
"The old mon says, 'No, you'll sleep in my bed. I never
allow my oompany anything but the best I can give so you sleep in
Phipps, foody pace 19
Rangalore
Tarrant co. Dist. 17 PC
my bed'. Then th' old man got up and went to the cupboard. Ti
opened it up, and pulled out t twoliktoi, then spread it on the
fl )or, end walked out into the night. He soon came bask and says,
'Look Naar, stranger. You take my bed end rough it the rest
of the night.' Then went book out into the night while Tom gaped
speechless at the bed. To those who don't know what it is to
sleep on a bull hide, it is about the roughest bed a person ever
used. Tom finally used the ad men's bed just to be polite,but
he certainly didn't sleep well.
"Now concerning the oetAe industry of today and yesterday.
The general public) has an impression thnt the oolboy roc'es his
living by roping and branding oettle. The truth is, the cowmen of
today uses the rope like he doe' a pill. Just rhen he has to. A
rope and fat cc tie just wont mix. be rope should be left in the
barn el-,oept on unusual emergencies. e to the branding, all br-nd-
ini: don', today is done in chutes. The cowboys herd them into thesee
chutes and brand them with electrical and other improved methods
while standing up.
"As to cattle rustling, there are more rustlers today than
ever before. Where there were only five owners and five brands in
one domino today there are 5,000 owners end brands in the same
domain, therefore, cattle rustling is easier. The modern methods
of rustling is !leo different. The modern rustler has a has a
high powered truck with the tail gate forming a ramp whenddown.
re drives his truck up to a herd of cattle, herds three or four
up the ramp, closes the tail gate, and in 30 minutes, he has
completed his raid and is on his way to some market where beef
hippe,loody
Hangelore
ilirrant Co., Dist. :7
,-)age no
IPC
can be sold end butchered in lust a few hours. Sometimes a butcher
is caught rustling for himself. NI has the fastest method of
disposing of his sale because he owns the butcher shop ant the less
who know of a crooked deal, the less chance of discovery..
"This situation discloses another situation equally as
wrong. The tattle &omission men can only ()barge one set price
without benefit of his experienoe, and anybody can bring any
number of oattle on the yards for sale, show a bill of sale that
can be forged, and sell the cattle at prevalent prices. The remit%
is a gradually increasing number of oomplaining people, widows, and
so forth who have lost their cattle, or their only cow stolen.
-There was an old widow in here yesterday who had her
cow stolen. She needed the milk far her children, and had no money
with which to buy another. Since no trnos of her cow could be
found, her children will just h-ve to do without the milk necessary
for their healt#.
"Now one of the contributing causes to this situation is
the law forcing the oo-mission men to hf,ve all deals finished and
the money either paid, or in the mails to the seller in 73 hours
or less after reeeht of the cattle. You see, there is no time
to trace the ownership of the cattle in doubt. You just have to
buy the cattle and have them slaughtered before they are trc-ced.
lien, if the right owner shows up, the ()omission man has to
mnke it up. Time without number, I've tPlked to cattlemen who
failed to discover their loss 'til after their cattle hi s been
slaughtered* I escape ill thie because of the way my business
Gores.