Document text
F4f ILAtgl t 3 isy Ner3 'Di A-i-EcT
"ahippe, woody-
Hengelo?*
Tarrant Co., Dist. 47
paw) #1
!P.0
7%
Dan Deering, le, was brought to Texas in 1889,
when his family moved there to establish a
farm in Gonzales Co. Re began doing the chores
at five, and was plowing at seven riding the
iplow stock tease fields. He became a good
horseman befOre be was 1.6, at which time he was
employed as a eowboy with* trail herd going
from Gonzales Co. to Dodge °Sty, Kans. He re-
turned home to work far a year, then was em-
ployed by Capt. Rainer to_watk as a cowboy on
his Baylor Co. Ranch. He eseistad in moving
the ranch to King Co, then settled on a section
in dwisher Co., only to trade it later for a
horse and saddle. Re was then employed by the
rord ranch in Swish**, and assisted in moving
it to the Indian Territory* Re assisted in
moving it back to 3wilher later when the Oovt.
gave the order bar all vitae to be moved out
of the Territory. He was employed on the Red
River Ranoh by Tom Naggoner, as a horse trainer,
and was with him when he bought his firs* race
horse. Dan still remains in the employ of the
e6goner family, and la foreman of the 'egoner
renal% and the Arlington Downs race track in
errant Co., Tex. His story:
I wouldn't be where I an today if I hadn't of been a cow
poke end a good hossman when I was in my prime. HOxf-eomee-ever, I
9 mightn't be able to help you much on it because like old Tone
ssa41,, forget more than any man he ever seen.
Now, I was born in tlabane, but where, you couldn't prove
by me because I done forgot thet years ago. !gy folks told me that
dad moveo us to Gonzales Co., when I was a four year old. I don't
know beostse it ev.e-tet to -me like thpt is the earliest thing T.ogin
recollect, being on the old farm. "y earliest recollections are
about toting water when I was about five, and riding the plow -houses
to the fields, then plowinp before I was seven years old. "ou bet,
plowed then. !Ind to, and never thought nothing about it because
all kids worked in them days.
Of course, all the cow punching I ever done before I was
Phipps Woody
page 03
Rangeley*
Arrant Co. Dist. PP PC
get back home. I stayed there 'tit along in the next.year„ when I
went to Baylor Co., and was hired by Old Captain Rainer as a cow
poke. Cap ran about 4,000 head in his iron. no sure had a. heIluvs
iron then. It was so big a oalf'd be half soar after it. was branded.
You made it like this: CALL
I wasn't so long on the Baylor Co. ranch 'til Cap decided
to make a move to Baylor Co. After we settled In Naylor, he decided
to change thPt big old brand into the 9 Z Blook.' You make it like
this: Z Jim rloh was the ram rod for Cap, and Joe Dearing, my
bud, was the wagon boss. The tw cow pokes I huddled up with were
old Bill Proctor and George. Bighams Them two galoots and mu done
most of our work together, and were like shadows to seoh. other.
What one of us dons, the others done. If anybody jumped
one of us, end we got naked, the °there'd take it up. As a rule,
they took up for me all the time because 1 was little for the
kinl of men that worked the range in them days. You hardly ever
saw a man on a hose then thst wasn'tsix.foOt or,over. T could
do my work along with the test of them, though. I bulil 413-gged,
roped, raced, and rode villa bosses with them any time it was
'handy. Rainer only hired top hands, and any of them could be
depended on in a tight spot, like in a stomp or something. You
needed a top hand in a stomp because he had to be -good enough a
rider with a fast enoughthoss to get out in front of the herd
and turn the leaders into a circle, or a mill as the boys celled
I always had big ideas, and left Cap to settle me lame
land out in Swisher Co., and near "Naia. I settled a section,
640 acres, paid my filing fee of about $35.00, got my contract
Phipps, 7oody Page 14
Bangalore
Tarrant Co., Dist. "7
for 40 years at t„;2.00 an acre, then settled down to work the claim.
like to have starved to death 'til I met 14 feller name of McDade,
and traded it to him, look, stock, and barrel for a hose and saddle.
A railroad runs through it now, and every toot of it on both"sides
is in cultivation with the acreage selling around $40.00 and .030.00
".I took that hose and went to work cy: the lord RPnoh near
Tlia in,3wisher Co. I don't know just ho* long it was, but it
wasn't so.awful_long after Iord hired me that he deoided to mOve
his herd talks Territory. Tle rounded the herd up, then drove it
up to around old Camp !,upply.
"-CampiSupply was an old buffalo hunter's supply place with
three mud houses.and a dugout. There were some nicer soldiers
stationed at the camp, and I spent my first night there in misery.
All night long, just about the time I'd get off to sleeps one of
them.'d call out; 10 0:clook, and all's well. 11 0:olook„ and
all's well,' and so on.
I never spent another night there, but spent therest,of
my nights out in the open like the rest of the ow pokes done.
Ne. ranged the critters around there for several years before the
Government gave the orders for all.ciattlemen to vamoose, or, move
the herds out of the Territety. We moved the herd bask to the old
loeation in awisher, then I lit out back to the Rainer.
'iGeorgn and Bill an se got to talking about how we'd like
some city property to make some moneyson, and we decided to est*r
the nklehoma.Lind Push. We had good !losses when we eniered the
line up, but you just ought to have seen whet all the rest of
them galoots was topping* niaggies,,surries, sehooners,. In feat,
all kinds of wagons, and one feller was,actuolly topping a
Aaipps-.i goody rage 15
R. ngelore
2nrrant o., Dist. 0 FO
cultivator. Teo*, a cultivator'
The starting gun was fired at 12 0:olook, and then the
real fun started. Mose that didn't have lisses got in somebody's
way, or somebody got in their way.. /n about 10 minutes, there
were more wheels one off than ever before, possibly in history.
I always wisht soilebody'd cc.Inted them.
George, 11111, and me kept right on riding 'til we got to
Madera. e settled sone of the goshf.derndest olpims ever n body
heard of, and set in to hold them. le settled lots right in town.
le stayed on our claims for two days and nights, then left because
we needed a change. le run short of grub, and like to have starved
to death. Men, up on top of that, our hoses had sweated our
saddle blankets plut, thrdugh, and we had to sleep on them wet
blankets. I tell you the 7einer was a gladso-le sight when. we got
boo to it end put oar bremd-beskets back to normal.
little while after I come back that time, Uep decided to
make a move to King Co. vie rounded the herd up, and drove it over
there. I don't rightly know just how long it wne after that that
I left Cap again, but this tine, :t hired out to old "7om aiggoner,
who'd just bought the old Red River ranch in Tilbarger Co., and
Old :lurk nurnett had lust bought the old 8 rench. le called
it the Scab 8 beoeuse it mode such a bad scab When they stuck
the iron on a critter, that there wasn't a thitg there but a scab
'til it healed over. nurnett bought the place from the Lewisville
tend and Cattle Co. rite WOAoners have had the *.TYDD brand
ever sine* I've known themelbut they only have one D now. l'hat's
bees se the big scale rustling has quit. The rubtling Is all done
now, a cow at a time wiht a pick up truck,
Phipps, body
Rangelore
Tarrant Co., Diet. 49
pore ie
t°0
I hired out to Tom when ,he first began to get race hose
minded, and he hired me as his first hosts trainer. Iwent with
him when he bought his first race hoses and was with him through
all of his races. In fact, I've never left the Waggoner family
since that time Mien I first went to work' for then. Then I
wasn't working racing stook, I worked as a cow punoher on the
place.
I never paid much attention to how much acreage Tom had
then beoause he kept adding.ta the place all the time., You see,
the nesters there had the same experience I'd had, and they'd
come to ran every day, just bogging to be bought out at any price.
Other places, the cattlemen never bought, and them nesters'd have
to leave without any money stall, but Tom paid for what he got,
and the ranch Is now in five counties. 41ohita, Archer, Baylor,
Wilbarger, and Foard. There are over 6001006 acres in the place
twiny.
Because 7om loved bosses so well, and I worked with his
best, we were together quite a lot and he naturelly told me about
his past. He didn't have any easy sledding when he was getting
his together, either. He hunted buffalo, end most of the nights
would be -so cold he'd have to sleep between the hides. Pile a
staokof them over him, and a stack under him. Just think how
tough that must have been' when an old buffs' hide is the hardest
thing a man ever slept on, knots all through it, and stiff as a
board. ?or the life As me, I don't see how hi made it.
Another thing happened to him then he had his rnnah in
the Territory. All the ranches° up there had dugouts for headquarters.
Phipps, 1Toody
nfingelore
-arrant Co., Dist. #7
Pegs fl
1PC
Burk Burnett had his ranch next to Tom's in the Territory* and he
had n dugout the same as Tom had. Nell, there was a tough out-
law by the name of 1. Bed Buck,' and the Texas Rangers were after
him. old Captain Bill McDonald was in charge of the bunch after
Red Buck, and they chased him right up to Tom's dugout. Red Buck
lit off his hoes and ducked into the dugout for a siege. It just
happened that none of To &s men were there, so lied Back bed it
all to hisself but not for 1)ng because old Captain Bill rode
right up to the dugout, lit off his hoes, and dove right into that
dugout after Red Buck. Got him too. Atilled him right there with
out getting a scratch.
Old Captain !All was a tough character, alright. That
there Fort 'Iorth preacher, Frank Norris. Re used to spay old Bill
oAlldn't go in sliming bemsuswhe had so nuoh leTd in him he'd
sink. I've seen 2111 lots of times, sitting around hotel lobbies
or at, the county fairs where we'd have races. I don't think any
body ever saw Captain Pill without his two big pearl handleC
shooters at his side and his 7inchester rifle in his lap. He
went everywhere that away, and was known soot tin Holibre Muerte**,
or, one hombre of death. He'd get you too, if you were wanted.
Now, I didn't work for i)om himself, all the time, but I
worked for T.B. Yarbrough, one of his cousins, on the Buckle L
at Childress, roses. You make the iron like this;q2. He run
around 3,000 head about 15 mile. 8. of Childress, on land -a crow
wouldn't fly over because it was so hilly. It was al mg the Pease
Rivers you know, and it's just one hill after another.
There were times 4hen I'd drive cattle from the Buckle n
to the rotor Ranch, in Fotor Co. There wasn't over 1,000 heed on
Phipps, 'goody
Pangelore
Tarrant Co., Dist. 77
the place, because it was used as a feeder spot and wasn't big
enough for a ranch.
lh, those -yaggoners had to have room when they settled a
place. Thy, Guy and Paul Waggoner were .given the old aggoAtr
near Bridgeport, Texas,
ranch first settled on/by their grandfather, and just because
there wasn't but 10,000 abr.:: in it, Paul said it was just big
enough to grow bull frogs on. Guy bought Paul out, and he and
Yarbrough fed mottle out on the plies.
Why, folks gasp whenI tell them there's 5,000,aores here
in this platys. TVs right here on the Welles nike, and they pass
by every day, but they don't dream there' e that much acreage here.
-he fa fly keeps around 400 head of fine stock here on the place.
Another thing, too, Is that most folks think that there's
no more bosses here. That's where they're fooled because there's
quite a few, and olletof them's worth 26,000.00 alone. One thing
about Tom was, that a hose never go too high if he wanted one.
qthough, quite a lot of folks have a mistaken idea about how
much he's paid foi some of them. 7he highest be ever paid for one
boss was when he paid 1100,000.00 for Phelaram. He made plenty
of money on ?balers°, and finally sold him to the nnioan Govern.
tent for a stud at $1,400.00.
Yes, the Wagoners have been awful good to me. Of course,
I've been in the family a long time, and helped old '7om settle his
Hind on where to spot the race track. nim end ma rode out allng
the oike, and I told him here was about as good as he'd get pay
where, so here'.. where he located. Mile the place was in the building
and ever since, I've been the foreman here on the place. I've got as
Phipps, body
Rangolore
Thrrant Co., Dist. 17
'Dago ,9
good a home an ever a body'd want, right there in 'rlington, but
"au' insisted on the wife and me a-ooming out here and making this
niece out home. I uouldn't refuse, because it's a far bettor a
place than I'd ever be able to have, and I'm furnished a car, all
expenses are paid, and all I do is oversee the work. There Isn't
mual of that to do now, as I've only got about 15 men here now
ahem we used to have from 75 to a 100 with a four to a 15 000.00
'pay roll 11 that went when the races in Texas went*
I've still got old Tom's best cow hoes. e we, sure devoted
to Cowboy,/(that's his name., and rode him every whore he rode a
hoes* Cowboy's over 19 yeard old now, and rides likes two year old.
'a don't have so many cows here in a rolindup, but Cowboy still cuts
as good as he did in his prime. There's a picture on the wall there,
of -om on lowboy.
I've never been able to. talk much about -om's dieing, but I
like to think of the :om 4a4goner Memorial moo. It was run the
first meet after his death and there were over half a million
dollars worth of bosses in it. 7hen they were released from their
oaddocks„ they pranced down the length of the grandstand, then back
to the middle. They all lined up, and faced the grandstand, then
while a bugler blew taps, those bosses just stood stook still
without a muscle quivering, or any movement anywhere. 'That's a
picture many a race fan will carry to their graves beea,se the
stands were loaded, and all available space took up* You could
hardly buy standing room.
There was a queer angle to that race, that also bothered
many a race fan, and that was when the long.shot, not worth over
q01,000,00 won the race. Why, one of the jockeys, Wayne Wright,
Phipps, 400dy pig. IMO
Rmagel,re
farrant jo. Dist. i? ic
flew here from California to ride the favorite. You talk about a
lot of sick people, and there were e-nlenty of them after ths% race
because hardly anybody bet on the long shot to win even th*ta niece.
There are times when I get to thinking about the old days,
and witht was book there a -punching mows al3ng like I used to.
I've herd since T left Cap Prime that he b,ught the Rainer court
house to live in, and that he'd been in a hot county seat fight.
.1.1 that is lust hear say, but I do believe he wee the first one
to have barb wire in that part of the country beoauer liesd drive
cattle to bilene for shipping, and never see a barb. It was 125
miles to Miens, and there wasn't a fence tlw whole way. Cap
fenced 9,000 acres, and made the first fenced pasture I'd ever
seen. 1ometimes, Cap's drive to Red 91ver for Ninge Delivery, too,'
and we'd never see a fence the whole trip.